University of Michigan
Canvas Category Consultancy : Research : Academic
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New reactor could save millions when making ingredients for plastics and rubber from natural gas
The researchers’ new reactor system efficiently makes propylene from shale gas by separating propane into propylene and hydrogen gas. It also gives hydrogen a way out, changing the balance between the concentration of propane and reaction products in a way that allows more propylene to be made. Once separated, the hydrogen can also be safely burned away from the propane, heating the reactor enough to speed up the reactions without making any undesirable compounds.
Because the hydrogen can be burned inside the reactor and can operate under higher propane pressures, the technology could allow plants to produce propylene from natural gas without installing extra heaters. A plant that produces 500,000 metric tons of propylene annually could save as much as $23.5 million over other methods starting with shale gas, according to the researchers’ estimates. Those savings come on top of the operational savings from burning hydrogen produced in reaction, rather than other fuels.
$100M partnership between U.S. Army, University of Michigan fuels automotive research
An automotive research partnership between University of Michigan and the U.S. Army was extended for $100 million for five more years, university officials said Wednesday. The research doubles the federal government’s financial investment in the university’s Automotive Research Center, officials said Jan. 24. The research center launched in 1994 with federal assistance, and its partnership with the Army runs through 2028, officials said.
U-M: AI Could Run Million Microbial Experiments Per Year
The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is developing an artificial intelligence system that enables robots to conduct autonomous scientific experiments — as many as 10,000 per day — potentially boosting the pace of discovery in areas from medicine to agriculture to environmental science.
Little to no research has been conducted on roughly 90 percent of bacteria, and the amount of time and resources needed to learn even basic scientific information about them using conventional methods is daunting, Jensen says. Automated experimentation can drastically speed up these discoveries.
Automation Alley Invests in U-M Spinoff Software Company Ulendo
Automation Alley’s Industry 4.0 Accelerator in Troy was part of a $1 million seed round investment in Ulendo, a University of Michigan spinoff software services company. Ulendo creates software tools that improve the productivity and quality of manufacturing machines at a low cost. The company’s advanced software helps companies monitor, control, and improve the performance of their manufacturing process.
Michigan Electric Boat Propels the Naval Industry with Cadence CFD Tools, Including Fine Marine
Calculating the best shapes for things to come
Maximizing the performance and efficiency of structures—everything from bridges to computer components—can be achieved by design with a new algorithm developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Northeastern University. It’s an advancement likely to benefit a host of industries where costly and time-consuming trial-and-error testing is necessary to determine the optimal design. As an example, look at the current U.S. infrastructure challenge—a looming $2.5 trillion backlog that will need to be addressed with taxpayer dollars.