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Catalyst Testbed Control and Operation Software
7200 – Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of a chemical reaction or reduce energy required to carry out the reaction. Their widest application is for catalytic converters in automobiles, which reduce the toxicity of the gas emitted from the vehicle. They had additional applications in fuel cells, biofuels, chemical production, and polymer production. The overall catalyst market was... Read More
Bubbling plasma device for treating cyanotoxin-contaminated water
6908 – Harmful algae blooms (HABs) are large growths of microorganisms, often cyanobacteria, which can produce toxins such as microcystins that contaminate sources of drinking water. In worst-case scenarios, the unmitigated presence of these cyanotoxins may require shutdown of municipal water systems until algae growth is abated and proper treatment is performed. Previously, effective treatment... Read More
Flexure Augmented Roller Bearing
6806 – Nanopositioning (NP) stages are increasing important for applications in nanoscale manufacturing and laboratory measurement. Friction bearings (such as roller bearings) provide the largest range of motion at an affordable cost, but have prolonged settling times due to nanoscale friction effects. Flexure-guided stages can be mounted on top of roller-guided stages for a coarse-fine hybrid setup... Read More
Dielectric Plasma reactor for high through put water treatment with advanced oxidation
6616 – Advanced water treatment methods have been the subject of significant research in recent times. Emerging threats from contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and industrial runoff such as recalcitrant carcinogens (e.g. textile dyes and PCBs) has highlighted the need for advanced treatment methods. Current water treatment technology relies primarily on filtering and disinfection and in general... Read More
Large Stroke Single Axis Flexure Bearings
5076 – Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed several novel single-axis flexure mechanism concepts / designs that offer large stroke along the motion axis while maintaining small error motion and high stiffness in the other directions. These novel flexure mechanism ideas enable a several times increase in the motion direction stroke, without compromising other factors (error... Read More
Use of Filtered Basis Functions to Compensate Servo-induced Motion Errors
6747 – Precision motion control is increasingly important as the demand for tight tolerance parts continues to grow under the demands of high performance, miniaturization, and efficiency. However, precision servo control can be difficult as commercial servo motion systems may have bandwidth limitations and limited controller adjustment options. Pre-compensation of the desired input signal to adapt... Read More
A Method to Increase Structural Performance, Strength and Durability of Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials
5946 – Researchers from the University of Michigan Mechanical Engineering and Architecture Departments have developed a technology that increases the structural performance, strength, and durability of fiber reinforced composite materials. From aerospace to automotive to marine, there is large and increasing demand for high performance fiber composites. The developed technology enables improved... Read More
Engineered Cementitious Composite Durable Railway Tie
6522 – Durable Railway Tie Railroad ties transfer loads as well as provide support for rail along railroad tracks. Current railroad ties are made with pre-stressed concrete. Impaired railroad tie durability has been observed over the last decade, which has lead to repeated replacement and undesired downtime of rail lines. The lack of railroad tie durability can lead to corrosion of the pre-stressed... Read More
Three Dimensional Microstructures and Fabrication Process of Micro-scale Navigation Grade Rate Integrating Gyroscope for GPS-free Guidance
6500 – Recent advances in micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technologies resulted in the successful commercialization of high-performance sensors and actuators in a variety of areas such as motion sensing, wireless communication, energy harvesting, and healthcare. The performance of most MEMS sensors and actuators are limited by materials along with their structures and because of their low... Read More
Vibration-Assisted Nanopositioning Stage
6482 – Nanopositioning (NP) stages are used to perform precise nanoscale manufacturing and measurement. Friction bearings (such as roller bearings) are a promising way to lower the cost of NP stages while still preserving their range of motion and versatility in a clean room environment. However, these bearings have prolonged settling times due to non-linear nanoscale friction effects. Current... Read More
Linear Stage System with Low Energy Consumption and Motor Force
6253 – Linear Stage System with Low Energy Consumption and Motor Force High precision linear stages are a critical component of manufacturing and printing processes. These stages are particularly vital during optical lithography, which has been and continues to be the preeminent lithographic technique used in the fabrication of integrated circuit devices in the semiconductor industry4. In the... Read More
Non-destructive Wafer Recycling for Thin-Film Transistor Fabrication
6022 – A non-destructive substrate reuse method that entails no performance degradation and provides the potential for drastic production cost reductions and increased applications of high performance group III-V based transistors has been developed at the University of Michigan. Whereas compound semiconductor devices offer high performance, their adoption is limited by high substrate costs. ... Read More
Kirigami Nanocomposites with Improved Elasticity and Conductivity
6621 – Tuning the mechanical and electrical properties of novel composite materials is one of the most challenging problems in materials science today. With the growing popularity of graphene and carbon nanotubes for use in electronics, much effort has gone into developing these technologies. Here, we disclose novel patterning techniques for graphene/PVA nano composites that allow for great... Read More
Electrorheological Fluid Discovery
4967 – This technology describes several new electrorheological (ER) fluids that perform similarly to other commercially available ER fluids under electric field, except with much smaller loadings of the electroactive component POSS (sulfonated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane). ER fluids are fluids that can change from liquid like materials which can flow like milk to solid like structures... Read More
System and Method for Continuous-Feed Thin Film Deposition on Flexible Substrates
5372 – Thin film deposition, the application of a thin layer of material on a substrate, is rapidly growing in popularity, owing to the exceptional properties that can be created from electrical conductivity to material strength. Two thin films that have seen explosive growth are carbon nanotubes and graphene, each with CAGRs in excess of 25%. The technological challenge that remains is creating... Read More
Direct metal deposition of single crystal superalloys and metals
6352 – Gas and steam turbine blades made from single crystal structures offer significantly improved creep strength, thermal fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance compared to equiaxed crystal structures. However, current methods of single crystal airfoil manufacturing require custom manufacturing of expensive, heat-resistant molds in order to cast the blades. In high performance applications... Read More
Reconfigurable Mesh Filters for Broadband Terahertz/Infrared Wave Modulation
5731 – A research team at the University of Michigan has developed a terahertz (THz) modulator that exhibits broadband, high amplitude modulation index. The use of THz technologies in many industries including semiconductor metrology, food quality processing, homeland security, medical imaging and communications, has led to staggering growth in the field in the last decade. Efficient light sources... Read More
Thermally Adaptive Ductile Concrete
5673 – Phase change materials contribute to high efficiency, green buildings by reducing heating and cooling costs. When incorporated into typical building components (e.g. beams, walls, or facades) phase change materials increase thermal mass and enable passive energy storage – releasing heat in cold weather and absorbing it in hot weather, thereby reducing the load on HVAC systems and improving... Read More
High Temperature Cathode Heater
5595 – The following NPD does not include the main aspects of the invention, namely boron nitride and rhenium. It is thought the use of these words would disclose important information. However, omitting them has resulted in mildly unattractive wording in some cases, specifically in the heading. A University of Michigan research team has developed a stable high-temperature cathode heater for... Read More
Digital Adaptive Control Algorithm Based on a Retrospective Correction Feedback Filter
4048 – UM File # 4048 Background One of the important challenges faced in control system design is the minimization of external disturbance signals. For applications such as active noise and vibration control, adaptive methods are useful for the solution of this most crucial problem. However, conventional methods in this field either require a direct measurement or a statistical description of the... Read More
Computationally Efficient Region Selection for Explicit Model Predictive Control
5556 – Reduced Process Control Complexity using Explicit Model Predictive Control Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) has become a widely recognized method to model the behavior of a wide range of complex processes such as automotive mechatronics, compressor control and combustion control in engines. Within this aspect, the need for execution of a numerical optimization algorithm on-line in... Read More
Strain Hardening Brittle Matrix Composites with Fire-resistance and High Ductility
5942 – Spray-applied fire resistant materials (SFRMs) are commonly used to coat steel components in large buildings. While steel is a mechanically strong material it is susceptible to failure upon heating and requires protection in the event of a fire. Fire resistant cements are often used as SFRMs due to their low thermal conductivity, low cost, and ease of application but are inherently brittle... Read More
Wafer Recycling for Fabrication of Thin-Film Inorganic LEDs
6023 – Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a technique for the fabrication of low cost, thin-film, inorganic light emitting diodes (LEDs) that allows for the indefinite reuse and recycling of wafers. Compound semiconductors, such as those used in inorganic LEDs, are the basis for many of the highest performance optical and electronic devices in use today. However, their... Read More
Natural Composite Sheets and Method of Forming Panels from such Composites
5653 – Researchers from the University of Michigan Mechanical Engineering Department have developed a technology that allows for scalable mass production of natural fiber composites. The first portion of the technology provides a method for scalable production of natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets. These pre-preg sheets form the basis for the second portion of the technology, which is a... Read More
Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers with Directed Alignment
5439 – Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a method for the directed alignment of conjugated polymers (CPs). CPs are fast emerging as active materials for various optoelectronic applications such as organic solar cells and thin film transistors since they demonstrate highly anisotropic optical and electronic properties such as absorption, emission, and conductivity. The... Read More
Fast Liquefaction of Wet Biomass
5406 – Microalgae are promising third-generation energy sources due to the large amount of biofuels stored in them. They can survive in undesirable aquatic and maritime environments, and do not compete with traditional food crops. When algae is harvested, they can either be dried and heated to generate lipids, or they can undergo a process known as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), which is more... Read More
Ion Exchanged Pillared Clays for Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitric Oxide
1615 – Pillared Interlayered Clay Catalysts for Selective Reduction of Nitrogen Oxide Pollutants. This technology is capable of selectively reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx), potent greenhouse gases, that are produced during combustion of fossil fuels. The catalyst, by employing, pillared interlayered clay structures, more efficiently reduces nitrogen oxides and is more compatible with... Read More
Metallic Wire Grids as Transparent Electrode Fabricated by Roll to Roll Process
5223 – Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) is widely used in display systems, photovoltaics, and in optical and conductive coatings. However, ITO is relatively expensive, and recent increases in the cost of indium have prompted a search for viable alternatives. ITO also poses several technological barriers to the construction of large-area flexible and moldable photovoltaic (PV) devices and systems. ITO... Read More
The Marine Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle
5077 – Electric thrust systems for displacement boats will increasingly become the standard for both commercial and recreation boats due to environment-friendliness and functionality perspectives. Such implementations are greener and all-electric systems enable simpler, more sophisticated, and more reliable control of a boat’s thrust, navigation, environmental, and human support systems. With... Read More
Roll-To-Roll Process for Polymer Solar Cells
4581 – Cost effective and highly efficient renewable energy is becoming ever more important due to the rising energy prices and the serious issue of global warming from burning fossil fuels. Solar energy is a non-exhaustible and green energy. Solar cells are being developed as a promising solution to the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Third-generation organic solar cells offer a... Read More
Method of Joining Dissimilar Materials
3055 – Shaped metal tubes are desirable for use in automotive body assemblies due to their strength and relatively low weight. In constructing automotive body assemblies that use bent, hydroformed tubes, it is sometimes necessary to join a body member to a structural tube, wherein the body member is composed of a first material and the structural tube is composed of a dissimilar, second... Read More
Rolling Contact Layer-By-Layer Assembly
4228 – Layer by layer assembly (LBL) is a method of thin film deposition which is often used for oppositely charged polymers. Recently this approach has been applied to the preparation of thin films composed of nanoparticles, owing to its simplicity and versatility, complemented by high quality of resultant films. LBL films are typically made by routinely dipping the substrate into... Read More
Preparation of LBL Materials and Coatings
4169 – Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly is one of the most ubiquitous coating techniques today. It also offers a pathway for multi-functional/ multi –component materials with molecular scale control of stratified structures. However, some technological applications of LBL are impeded by aqueous nature of the process. Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a method to carry... Read More
Spin-on UV Curable Resist for Nanoimprinting Lithography
4016 – A spin-on UV-curable material system for nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has been developed at the University of Michigan. Nanoimprint lithography is a promising alternative to photolithography in integrated circuit manufacturing, and offers the possibility of molecular scale replication with high precision and accuracy, and high throughput at low cost. However, the success of nanoimprint... Read More