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Should utilities rethink the power transmission model?
Brian Tarroja, [senior scientist], a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, said …. “What we should talk about is not so much the question of whether the grid is ‘ready for it,’ but what are the steps that need to be taken to accommodate these new resources?” he said. According to Tarroja, building the solar plants, wind farms and battery storage is the first part of the equation. Then states have to build the infrastructure to get that electricity from the power plants into people’s homes and businesses.
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Source of near-indestructible beetle’s toughness discovered
“The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it’s not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank,” said David Kisailus, professor of materials science & engineering at UCI and principal investigator on the study. “That’s its adaptation: It can’t fly away, so it just stays put and lets its specially designed armour take the abuse until the predator gives up.” Read More
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Spring 2016
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So you think you know lift? Better read this
Given how deeply air transportation is woven into modern life, it’s surprising that the precise workings of aerodynamic lift remain a topic of debate among the experts. To sort all this out, I met on a video call last month with Paul Bevilaqua, retired from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and [associate professor] Haithem Taha of the University of California, Irvine. I learned about several myths and at least one collapsing theory. Here is our discussion, lightly edited and compressed.
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Staff
A. Lee Swindlehurst
Department Chair
Email: swindle@uci.edu
Beverly RandezChief Administrative Officer
Email: brandez@uci.edu
Marisa MendozaGraduate Coordinator
Email: marisbm1@uci.edu
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SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites could be used for GPS navigation
SpaceX's Starlink satellites may be used for navigation and global positioning in addition to their core function of broadband Internet, a new research study suggests. … "We eavesdropped on the signal, and then we designed sophisticated algorithms to pinpoint our location, and we showed that it works with great accuracy," study author Zak Kassas, director of the Center for Automated Vehicles Research with Multimodal Assured Navigation (CARMEN) at Ohio State University, said in the statement.
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Some OC Beaches Are Disappearing. New Data Gives Clues On How To Help
"If we're going to put investments into our beach, we want it to be as successful as possible and ultimately help sustain our beaches for the future," said Daniel Kahl, a UC Irvine graduate student and the lead author of the study. … "We can't save every beach," said Sanders, the UC Irvine professor. "But with this type of data, which systematically maps beach width change and suitability over large spatial extents, it can help federal and state officials see the value of projects that make sense, and also see the projects … where something else really should be considered," he said.
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Samueli School of Engineering Alumni Hall of Fame
The Samueli School of Engineering invites you to nominate exceptional alumni who have made a significant impact in their profession or, in other ways, have brought distinction to the engineering community, or their alma mater.
As we solicit nominations and vet potential members, we ask for your help as a fellow graduate or as someone with a connection to the school. If you know of engineering alumni who should be honored in this esteemed group, or to nominate yourself, please click on the button below and submit the online nomination form.
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Shrinking toys inspire diagnostics and wearable sensors of the future
At the height of their popularity in the 1980s, no one could have guessed that Shrinky Dinks would inspire tiny diagnostic tests or sensors to detect changes in a person’s health. While these inexpensive and easy-to-access toys may have started as a childhood pastime for Michelle Khine, a bioengineer at the University of California (UC), Irvine, they became her inspiration for a new way to diagnose and monitor disease. Read More
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Students Compete To Design Elon Musk’s Hyperloop
“We actually designed, prototyped and built these air levitation skis ourselves,” said Arwa Tizani, UC Irvine team captain. Tizani just graduated with a civil engineering major and is doing her masters at UC Irvine as well in mechanical and aerospace engineering. “I love this. This project has changed my life,” said Tizani.
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Scientists reveal how diabolical ironclad beetle can bear huge weights
“We were impressed. Especially given that this beetle does not contain any mineral – just organic components,” said Prof David Kisailus, co-author of the study from the University of California, Irvine.Writing in the journal Nature, Kisailus and colleagues report how they examined the structure of the beetle’s exoskeleton to understand what makes it so tough. Read More