Oscillation of water droplets for enhanced water removal from the gas flow channels of fuel cells  This invention includes a means for providing cyclic force to a water drop on the surface of a fuel cell component at or near the drops natural frequency of the water drop. The droplet is caused to oscillate at a frequency that the liquid inertial forces produced by the oscillation are sufficient to overcome the force of contact line pinning at the solid/liquid/gas interface.
The function of this invention is to assist with the removal of product water from the gas flow channels of a fuel cell. Product water forms on surface of the gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell as a result of fuel cell operation. The product water migrates through the gas diffusion layer into the gas flow channel. The water drops are moved through the channel to the exit via the gas flow. The movement of the water drops is inhibited by pinning of the three-phase region commonly referred to as the contact line region; that is, the line of contact where the gas, liquid, and solid coincide. Efficient removal of this product water is currently a technical challenge and is an important step in fuel cell operation and effective product water removal is a barrier to increased commercial utilization of fuel cells.
A balance between keeping the membrane from becoming too dry or too wet must be maintained for efficient and reliable operation. At high current densities, the production of liquid water may exceed the capacity of the gas streams to evaporate the water out of the fuel cell stack and drops of water will appear within the gas flow channels. If the water accumulation becomes too great, then the gas flow channel may become completely blocked by water and the fuel cell will "flood". The water drops must be removed from the gas flow channels for reliable operation. |
Low cost fuel injection system Most small engines still use traditional carburetor technology which produces decreased reliability and increased emissions when compared to fuel injection. Current electronic fuel injection technology is not cost effective for application in small engines. This technology allows for the manufacture of a low-cost mechanical fuel injector that can be utilized in place of a traditional carburetor. Development work to-date suggests that the mechanical injector can be designed to simply replace existing carburetors on production small engines without any significant redesign other than a means to connect the injector to the engine’s camshaft. |
Zinc Aluminum Alloys Zinc – Aluminum alloys as an environmentally friendly alternative to bronze for bearings Classic problems with Z-Al alloys are dimensional stability, corrosion resistance, and brittle fracture. This technology solves the strength and brittleness problems through new forming techniques. This inventor has written a book chapter on this topic. |
Pedestrian Detection System This is a novel approach to vehicle warning systems. The system is “active” in the sense that it relies on the external objects to be avoided to communicate their presence to the vehicle on their own. In this approach, the external objects inform the car of their presence without the car having to directly search for them. The means by which this is accomplished in by a wireless signal that presumably each pedestrian would be giving out from their cellular phones. The car’s detection system would assume that wherever a cellular signal is present, so is a pedestrian. Additional objects that a driver would also want to avoid (such as a bridge), could be given the ability to also send a cellular signal to the car. |
Design Optimization and Design Under Uncertainty Technology  This research is focused on noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and design under uncertainty. One outcome of this reseach is a design optimization tool that has potential application in a number of industry sectors. Although the graphical user interface is at an early stage of development, the algorithm design is sufficiently functional to solve series of complex problems. The research offers the opportunity to provide engineering services to numerous organizations on a consulting basis. |
Broadband Communication Systems This research program covers a range of targets in broadband communication systems including ultra-broadband wireless communication networks and testbed, routing, protocol design and analysis. Additional topics for investigation are spread spectrum communications, CDMA, signal design and detection, modulation and coding, and synchronization.
This research program also covers optical wireless communications networks, ultra-broadband wireless transceiver design and implementation, communications circuits, and integrated broadband automotive networks. |
Sensor, Ad Hoc and Wireless Network Security and Vulnerability This research and technology development program is focused on sensor networks including issues related to vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET), wireless ad hoc networks and sensor networks, cross-layer network design, dependable computing and communication systems, as well as network resource allocation & management. Most recent activity has been focused on tireless network security: cyber security assessment, systematic security design as well as vulnerability analysis and trust models for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. |
Magneto-Electric Nanostructures for Novel Microwave The objective of this collaborative research is to fabricate and study the magneto-electric interactions in novel one-dimensional ferromagnetic-ferroelectric nanostructures, and to exploit them for innovative device applications. The program is motivated by theoretical models that suggest much stronger interactions in such nanostructure geometries than in standard thin films and laminate structures. The approach is to synthesize nanowire and nanotube composites consisting of ferroelectric materials, such as lead zirconium titanante or barium titanate, with ferrimagnetic nickel- or cobalt ferrite.
A comprehensive research program is planned consisting of the following components: sample fabrication, structural characterization, magneto-electric interaction studies spanning a wide frequency range, device studies, and theoretical modeling. Efforts will focus on the creation of novel nanostructures using innovative processing methods and examine their use for a new class of microwave devices that are both electric and magnetic field tunable. At the University of Alabama, the PI will lead the sample fabrication, structural characterization and device fabrication efforts; while the physical property measurements, theoretical studies and device applications will be led by the PI at Oakland University.
The efforts will bring together a multidisciplinary team of investigators that will make significant contributions to scientific knowledge, education outreach and infrastructure, and potentially lead to a host of next-generation devices for the national defense and consumer electronics. The program will provide support for graduate and undergraduate students, including underrepresented minorities, and contribute to their broad interdisciplinary training. Project personnel will collaborate with local schools to facilitate participation by high school students in research. |
Automotive Antenna Measurement Instrumentation This project creates a near-field antenna measurement system, for use in research and education on automobile antennas. The system will be a spherical near-field antenna measurement system capable of measuring on-vehicle antenna performance in the frequency range 800 MHz to 6 GHz for a variety of vehicle platforms. Major components include: (1) positioning and control equipment, which controls the motion of the vehicle platform; (2) signal source and receiver component, which generates the radio frequency test signal and measures the coupling between the desired source antenna and the antenna under test; and (3) the data collection and processing component. The research will involve vehicle-level measurement techniques, development of mathematical models for on-vehicle antennas and vehicle-integrated antenna designs. This equipment allows Oakland to contribute to the growing field of automotive telematics, which has relevance to safety (e.g. broadcasting location and occurrence of events like collisions and airbag deployment), to security operations (e.g. track or disable stolen vehicles), and to convenience (e.g., concierge services, navigation assistance, etc.). Industrial collaborations and support will be major aspects of this project. The equipment will also be used heavily in undergraduate education, in student training, and in outreach to minorities in the Pontiac, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan public schools. |
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