REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Fluid Power

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Minnesota, NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) will expose a diverse group of undergraduate students to the transformational research underway in hydraulics and pneumatics in the hope that they will become the academic and industry leaders of the future. The CCEFP is a network of researchers, educators, students and industry working together to transform the fluid power industry--how it is researched applied and studied. CCEFP research projects are organized into three thrusts that achieve the following societal benefits: creation of new fluid power technology that, with improved efficiency, will significantly reduce petroleum consumption, energy use and pollution; creation of new fluid power technology that, with improved effectiveness, will make fluid power clean, quiet and safe for its millions of users; and creation of new fluid power technology that with improved compactness, will exploit its attributes in a new generation of human scale devices and equipment. The University of Minnesota is the lead institution of the CCEFP ERC. Institution partners include Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Institute of Technology, Vanderbilt University, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. This REU Site offers opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in fluid power research during a 10-week summer program, on a wide range of topics including: hydraulics, pneumatics, power supplies, tribology, wind power, pneumatic medical devices, noise-vibration-harshness, and fluids. This REU Site will take advantage of CCEFP's unique ability to leverage the power and potential of its broad menu of research projects, the opportunities afforded to pursue these projects in well-equipped laboratories at partner universities, and the subject matter expertise of its faculty. Highlights for REU participants include: 1) immersion in one of CCEFP 16+ research projects and test beds under the supervision of faculty and graduate student mentors; 2)access to state-of-the-art fluid power research facilities; 3) participation in the bi-weekly CCEFP webcasts on fluid power research and professional development topics, led by academic and industry experts; 4)the Fluid Power Boot Camp at the outset of the program in which REU students from all sites will gather in one location for an intensive short course on fluid power and an introduction to CCEFP research; 5) an invitation and travel grant to attend CCEFP's Fluid Power Innovation & Research Conference (FPIRC)--the premier fluid power technical conference in North America; and interaction with industry leaders from the CCEFP's member supporters. This REU Site will focus on engaging students from institutions without significant research opportunities, women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and military veterans in CCEFP activities. This is one way the CCEFP strives to change the traditional face of the fluid power industry to better reflect the diverse composition of the United States.