OU Engineering

You may not even realize it. The battery that powers your cell phone has not been in existence long. Lithium-ion batteries first became available commercially in 1991, introducing a new age of technology. Thirty years later, universities and businesses around the world continue to explore ways to improve the lithium battery to make it safer, more powerful and long-lasting. Bin Wang, an associate professor in the Gallogly College of Engineering School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, is one of the researchers around the globe working on next-generation batteries. In August, Wang received a three-year, $255,552-award from the Electrochemical Systems Program at the National Science Foundation. Wang is part of a collaborative study with researcher Zhaoyang Fan at Arizona State University.  One of the key concerns with lithium-ion batteries is storage capacity for large-scale usage. “Windmills and solar panels produce a lot of electricity....

From left,  OU team members Deborah Moore-Russo, Deborah Trytten, Natalie Youngbull, Heather Shotton, Casey Haskins and Randa Shehab.   Deborah Trytten, a computer science professor, is leading a research team at the University of Oklahoma focused on creating pathways to STEM disciplines for students with demonstrated financial need. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project will support scholarships to 23 full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in computer science.  The interdisciplinary team was awarded a nearly $1.5 million grant from the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program at the NSF. They represent the many facets of the program to support Indigenous students at OU. The project is also supported by two advisory boards: the Advisors for Indigenous Community Engagement board consists of community members and professionals who support Indigenous education across Oklahoma. The Student Success Advisory Boar...

Daniel Resasco, a professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded the Excellence in Catalysis Award by the Catalysis Society of Metropolitan New York, a prestigious regional organization with an awardee pool national in scope.  The award, sponsored by ExxonMobil, has been given to academic and industrial researchers in heterogeneous catalysis since 1982. Resasco’s affiliation with the organization dates back 40 years to when he was a graduate student at Yale University.  “I vividly remember attending the awards dinner and a seminar given by that year’s awardee so receiving this award and presenting the work conducted at OU almost 40 years later is a very special honor. This award recognizes world-renowned researchers and being part of this remarkable group makes me humble and proud at the same time,” he said.  Joining the OU faculty in 1993, Resasco holds the i...

The OU International WaTER Symposium is hosted by the Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Center as part of a broader mission to promote peace through sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene solutions. A virtual symposium starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Five internationally recognized practitioners active in the field of water security will have determined the 2022 OU International Water Prize recipient earlier in the day. At the end of the symposium, the recipient will be announced. When: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 7-8:30 p.m. Registration is required. Upon registering a Zoom link will be sent to your email. Register here. What: At approximately 8 p.m. on Sept. 21, the University of Oklahoma International Water Prize is awarded to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of water supply and sanitation for developing regions.  Who:  Presentations by each of the practitioners, who also are jurors, starts at approximately 7:15 p.m.  ...

Whether for a natural gas pipeline or an offshore production platform, the carbon footprint of reciprocating engines in the oil and gas sector continues to get larger. Wanting to rein in these emissions, University of Oklahoma engineers have discovered that a 70% reduction in emissions from natural gas engines may be achievable.  Their project – Low-Cost Retrofit Kit for Integral Reciprocating Compressors to Reduce Emissions and Enhance Efficiency – is led by Pejman Kazempoor, an assistant professor in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering. He says the study’s main scope is to reduce emissions from these oil and gas components. “We are working on manipulating parts of integral compressors to make them more efficient,” Kazempoor said. “Our primary results have shown that we can reduce the emissions by 70%, and if we can achieve this, we will have a major impact on emission reduction from oil and gas facilities.” Kazempoor and his ...