As people increasingly seek sustainable energy solutions, they may come across the product offerings of a small startup company in Eugene, Ore., called HESTIA Home Biogas, makers of anaerobic digesters for home use. When they do, HESTIA wants to be ready with a biogas cooktop.
“They want to be able to run off just that raw biogas coming straight out of the digester,” said Lucas Stangel, a graduating senior in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering. Continue reading
To the untrained eye, the Puralytics “lily pad” looks like nothing more than a flat piece of mesh, approximately one foot in diameter, passively floating 
on the water. But its appearance belies its power. So dubbed because of how it mimics the water plant by that name, a nanotech lily pad uses the sun to activate five photochemical processes that break down or remove organics, coliforms, and metals from storm water.
The emerging technology used to create the pads is patterned after Puralytics’ award-winning nanotechnology for drinking water purification. The process actually destroys contaminants, so it eliminates the problem of disposing of most toxic substances left over from traditional filtering methods. Continue reading
Every year, Engineering Expo attendees can explore the many senior capstone projects and then vote for their favorite one—earning one team the coveted People’s Choice Award. This year, however, two teams from Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) tied for the award. Sandra Woods, dean of the College of Engineering; and Peter Johnson (’55), grand marshal of the Expo, presented this year’s honors. Continue reading
Each year, the Oregon Chapter of the ASM International (the materials information society) hosts a Student Night as a venue for students from Portland State, Oregon State, and the University of Oregon to present their materials research, with cash awards going to the top three presenters. This year’s competition was on April 23, and the winners were all from the OSU School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
By Thuy T. Tran
Bringing fresh, clean water to a parched community is like offering a song that lifts the spirit — one that affects the giver as much as the receiver. A new documentary film titled Kel Wer, which means “to bring song” in Dholuo, documents the journey of five Oregon State University members of Engineers Without Borders-USA to Lela, Kenya, to help provide access to safe water. Continue reading