- * Clean-burning gas
Improving the crude oil refining process could result in cleaner burning gasoline and increased use of North American crude oil. Wayne State researchers are testing the potential of metal phosphides as catalysts - substances that initiate a chemical process - with the goal of removing more sulfur from crude oil than is possible with current methods. If successful, this research could lead to gasoline that releases lower quantities of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, both toxic substances, and will enable the U.S. to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's mandate for lower emissions for both gases.
- * Solar solutions
Wayne State researchers are developing a control strategy for using both traditional power plant-generated electricity and alternative energy distributed generation sources including wind turbines, solar panels and fuel cells. These alternative power systems could become a standard feature in homes.
Caisheng Wang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and engineering technology, predicts that improved efficiency of locally generated renewable energy sources from solar panels or rooftop wind turbines will provide opportunities for homeowners to sell unused power back to the grid through the technology known as net metering.
- * Making water utilities green and lean
The Great Lakes Basin is home to massive water utilities that consume a significant portion of the region's energy. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) provides water to more than 4 million people in 124 communities. Therefore, even a small reduction in energy consumption by a large public water utility such as DWSD produces significant savings.
Carol Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received a $1.48 million grant from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to develop software to reduce energy waste during water utilities delivery. The software allows water utility controllers to make quick adjustments and decisions on the optimal way to move drinking water from its source. The program will be piloted at the DWSD, the country's third-largest water utility. More energy-efficient pumping operations can translate into significantly reduced utility costs.
- * Eco-friendly cement
Wayne State civil engineers are attacking global warming in a "concrete" way. Overall, cement production accounts for as much as 8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.
A major source of carbon dioxide in cement production is the calcination of limestone, the main binding ingredient. The addition of mixtures such as fly ash and magnesium oxide in the manufacturing process can reduce these emissions and produce a higher strength and more durable cement. Research addressing global climate change at this level may help the cement industry take a more responsible role in reducing harmful emissions.
- * Beetles and climate change
Scientists may soon be closer to understanding the intricate connection between a large-scale insect outbreak in Yellowstone National Park and global climate change, thanks to a study at Wayne State. WSU researchers are examining how the outbreak of mountain pine beetles in the Yellowstone region is altering carbon cycling in forests, and what effect this alteration may have on global climate change.
"Any time you're releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, you're potentially contributing to climate change," said Dan Kashian, assistant professor of biological sciences. "Bugs are very tuned in to climate. If climate change leads to a warmer or drier climate that favors bark beetle populations, those bugs will kill more trees, which may accelerate the whole process." Kashian received a $306,296 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Institute of Climate Change Research.
- * Protect infants and toddlers
Household pesticides long have been recognized as dangerous toxins that can damage brain growth and function. A new study at Wayne State aims to expand the understanding of the toxins' harmful effects on the brain during its most important period of development.
Exposure to pesticides before birth can cause an array of damage to developing functions of communication, movement, hearing and language and hand-eye coordination in the brain.
This research may reveal the neurological damage pregnant women can cause their unborn children when exposed to toxins as simple as household pesticides. Once the effects are known, the research may encourage standardized screening for pesticide exposure.
- * Prevention of lead poisoning in children
Lead in earthworms may signal that contaminated soil is present and it poses serious and irreversible health risks to children. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is conducting an international study to pinpoint the absorption mechanisms of lead through animal surrogates in urban areas. High soil-lead contamination in earthworms correlates to unacceptable levels of lead in humans. Lead poisoning can cause reduced IQ and attention span, hyperactivity, impaired growth, learning disabilities, hearing loss and insomnia.
This study is taking place in two urban areas known for historically high exposures to lead: Maracaibo, Venezuela and Detroit. The major sources of lead contamination are house paint, auto emissions and industrial sources.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.