A study by Stewart Barnes, professor of physics, and colleagues at Tohoku University in Japan could pave the way for a new age of super-fast computers. The research, which describes the different mechanisms by which magnetic fields and spin-polarized electrical currents affect magnetism, was published in the prestigious journal Science.
Magnetic fields on computer hard disks and in the newer spintronic devices are the basis for information storage. Efforts to create faster computers by placing an ever-increasing amount of memory on computer chips have failed because the influence of magnetic fields becomes too weak to be effective. To get around this problem, Barnes and his colleagues successfully employed a current rather than a magnetic field to do the job. Although commercial efforts exist to produce current-driven memory, the technology is not yet available to consumers.
“The use of currents to change the direction of the magnetism in nano-spintronic devices will allow us to get more gigabits per square inch on a computer chip and, therefore, lead to faster computers,” Barnes says.
A program of the Department of Industrial Engineering, funded by
a $2 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, is enabling companies–including a major national corporation–to increase energy efficiency and cut costs.
The funding established the University’s Industrial Assessment Center, one of 26 such centers in the nation, which analyzes an industrial plant’s operations and provides free assessments and recommendations to minimize waste, conserve energy, and boost productivity. The specific, quantitative recommendations can yield dramatic savings. A study conducted for a window manufacturer, for example, recommended actions that could cut the firm’s annual energy expenses of more than $500,000 by 21 percent.
The department has partnered with Office Depot, which has more than 1,300 retail stores, on an energy assessment program. In 2006 the company donated $500,000 to the department to establish the Office Depot Innovation Laboratory, which will specialize in supply chain network simulation and energy management and conservation. Using loggers that precisely measure energy consumption in increments as small as 15 seconds, the project studied energy use in seven stores and one warehouse. The data gathered suggests strategies—which often involve lighting, cooling systems, insulation, and renewable energy alternatives—to reduce consumption.
“UM and Office Depot have a win-win relationship,” says Shihab Asfour, chair of industrial engineering. “It exposes students to corporate America and conducting research in the real world. The more you have that interaction, the more research ideas they will develop—resulting in better students and better engineers.”
In these times of growing green consciousness, interest in developing new and viable sustainable energy systems has never been higher—an area of expertise for a UM engineering professor who received a prestigous National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Award this year. The $400,000 five-year NSF awards
are intended to advance top young scientists’ promising research.
Zhenhua Jiang, assistant professor of electrical engineering, received the award for his work in the area of sustainable energy infrastructures, which has the potential to spawn a new field in electric power engineering. Through his research, Jiang hopes to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of secure and efficient utilization of renewable and alternative energy resources.
“This research will greatly advance our knowledge and understanding of the large-scale deployment of alternative and renewable energy resources,” says Jiang, who joined UM in 2006. “Its success could represent a breakthrough in modernizing the nation’s electric grid and in rebuilding a more secure, reliable, and sustainable energy infrastructure, which will include the integration of alternative and renewable energy resources.”
Bart Chernow is vice president for special programs and resource strategy, vice provost for technology advancement, and director of UM Innovation, which nurtures and integrates UM’s vibrant and comprehensive technology initiatives.
How is UM Innovation advancing UM’s evolution as a major research university?
The University wants to enable its scientists and physicians to realize the full potential of their discoveries. UM Innovation helps them evolve their innovations from the research bench into products that can better the human condition.
What research strengths are being leveraged by UM Innovation, and what are some projects it has fostered?
Key research initiatives leading to technology advancement involve stem cells, vaccine development, a number of engineering projects, and various anti-cancer therapies. We’re cautiously optimistic about a number of exciting technologies that may prove to be very fruitful for the University.
Discuss the plans for the Life Science Park and its role in South Florida’s evolution as a world-class bioscience R & D center.
The UM Life Science Park will emulate life science parks that have been built at some of the country’s great research institutions. In addition to housing UM spinoff companies, we plan to invite other corporate entities to lease space in the Life Science Park. Those entities will have the opportunity to work synergistically with our faculty, and these interactions should help to advance UM’s growing research enterprise.
