IRES: U.S.-India Summer Research Experience in Nondestructive Evaluation Technologies for Michigan State University Students at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, Chennai.

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

OISE-1064641 Lalita Udpa This International Research Experience for Students (IRES) award to US PI Lalita Udpa, Michigan State University (MSU) is for international research collaborations in electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering with Professors Kavitha Arunachalam and Krishnan Balasubramaniam, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IITM), Chennai, India. The research focuses on the assessment of infrastructure integrity or Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) using cutting-edge technologies in Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE). The IITM houses an NDE Center with state-of-the art facilities for research using advanced ultrasonic, electro-magnetic, radiography, thermal and optical tools that will be available to MSU graduate and undergraduate students to conduct hypotheses-driven, multidisciplinary research in NDE. NDE techniques are used to inspect and assess the structural integrity of a variety of systems such as nuclear power plants, natural gas pipelines, aircraft, bridges, dams and other segments of the civilian and defense infrastructure. As many of these are known to have far exceeded their designed lifetime, there is increasing demand for reliable and accurate assessments of their structural integrity. Monitoring is accomplished using a variety of modalities that rely on different energy sources such as electromagnetic, ultrasound, thermal, and x-ray. The underlying physics of each inspection technology is diverse as are the methods for analyzing the data. Consequently, NDE provides a rich area for student research that will focus on novel developments in computational modeling, signal processing, machine learning algorithms for solving the inverse problem, and development of novel NDE sensors and systems. Projects in multiple NDE modalities of mutual interest to MSU and IITM will be selected with the goal of developing new technologies. This award offers opportunities for US students to work in an international research environment in collaboration with leading Indian scientists. They will also have access to the research laboratories of General Electric and General Motors in Bangalore, where they will learn about global operations of US companies and the advantages of international collaboration. This project will attract high caliber domestic students who will be encouraged to do graduate studies and doctoral degrees. Special outreach will be made to recruit minority and underrepresented students thru MSU and national programs. A number of student theses and dissertations are anticipated from these projects plus numerous journal articles and joint presentations at scientific meetings and conferences. This experience will expand students? academic horizons and encourage engagement in global collaboration.