| Department Theme: Energy |
|---|
| Theme Focal Group: Thermosciences |
Addressing the Uncertain Future of Energy
Recent events in California have provided a graphic reminder of the importance of energy to our economy and our quality of life. Most of our endeavors—economic, social, and societal—are fueled by a near-transparent infrastructure of relatively inexpensive, highly reliable, and easily accessible energy. As we move into the first half of the 21st century, our energy future is much less certain. All that is certain is that the traditional model—one based on plentiful, inexpensive fossil fuels—will not carry us past the middle of the century.
Developing Sustainable Energy Systems
Realizing the urgency of finding solutions for the world's energy needs in the coming century, the M.E. department's Thermosciences Group provides the department's focal point for serious exploration for a new, sustainable energy future. Developing a sustainable energy system requires both that we identify attractive fuel sources and that we develop the technologies required to use those sources in efficient, environmentally benign ways. We are focusing our attention on advanced energy carrier technologies and energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, hydrogen storage systems, hybrid transportation and power systems, and "smart" ways of accomplishing chemical-to-work energy conversion, which will be of central importance.
Multi-Disciplinary Solutions are Required
These developments will take place both within the traditional boundaries of mechanical engineering and at the boundaries where M.E. intersects with material science (e.g., membranes), electrical engineering (e.g., sensors, actuators, and controls), biology (e.g., biosynthesis of fuels), and other fields. Our current, highly diverse approach to research positions us well to contribute to this rapidly changing landscape.
Synergy With Other Department Groups
In addition to our macro-scale energy needs described above, there remains a need to further our understanding of the microscopic underpinnings and manipulations of energy. This understanding is needed not only to enable advancements in our energy supply, but also to provide new ways to build devices and manipulate matter. We are just beginning to explore energy interactions with matter at the extreme scales of time, space, and energy density and we are looking towards significant, fundamental work to enable engineering at these scales. Strong, dynamic interaction between our efforts in energy, computation, and multi-scale engineering supports this work.