Trinity University

Thin Films Lab - Principal Investigator: Peter Kelly-Zion

Motivated by the significance of fuel films to engines' hydrocarbon emissions, the Thin Films Lab at Trinity University studies the evaporation of liquid films composed of multiple hydrocarbon components.

This lab works to better understand the transport mechanisms controlling film evaporation, and through precise measurements, to provide experimental data that can be used to validate computational models of film evaporation. Since engine designers rely heavily on computational models, it is expected that better characterization of film evaporation can lead to the design of more efficient and cleaner burning engines.

Robotics Laboratory - Principal Investigator: Kevin Nickels

Kevin Nickels works on both planetary and space-related robotics. He has worked extensively with NASA on the visual control of robot manipulators, and has developed robotic platforms at Trinity for his work on computer vision.

The Robotics Laboratory contains Nickels' current platform: a nonholonomic system designed for basic intra-office navigation and control, called CAPEK, after Karel Capek, the Czech playwright who coined the term robot. The lab also maintains hardware and software platforms for student projects.

HVAC Lab - Principal Investigator: Wilson Terrell, Jr.

Wilson Terrell, Jr.'s work focuses on the heating and cooling of open cavities. In collaboration with the University of Texas, he is investigating MPCM (Micro Encapsulated Phase Change Material), a novel material that encapsulates a phase-changing material in small granules, increasing the heat capacity of the cooling fluid.

Dr. Terrell, Jr. was awarded a New Investigator's Grant by the TSGC for his work with MPCM work. His research also is funded by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC).

Equipment in the HVAC lab includes two fully instrumented primary refrigeration loops, one constructed by a Trinity University Senior Design team. Another Senior Design group is designing and constructing a secondary loop to interface with this primary loop.

Microwave Engineering Laboratory - Principal Investigator: Joshua David Schwartz

Faculty and students use this facility to research microwave structures and systems that address the needs of modern communication and sensing systems. Applications of this work include building new analog-to-digital converters, arbitrary signal generators, chemical/biological sensors and improved communication transceivers.

The lab includes a large, well-grounded table on which to assemble, characterize and test microwave components with sensitive electronic equipment. Students and faculty also have access to simulation-based PCs and dry storage cabinets for electronic components.

Dynamic Structures Lab - Principal Investigator: Jack Leifer

Jack Leifer primarily investigates gossamer structures, or those made with ultra-lightweight materials. He investigates how they move in earth gravity, and in some cases, in zero gravity (for 30 seconds at a time, on NASA's KC-135 aircraft). His work is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

In the lab, Leifer and his students utilize multiple high-speed cameras in a process called videogrammetry to reconstruct motion in three dimensions. Students also use videogrammetry to study the motion of humans in automobile accidents.

Sustainability Lab - Principal Investigator Diana Glawe

Diana Glawe studies advanced materials, from sustainable construction materials like compressed earth blocks to space-age components developed using biomimetic nanotechnology. She collaborates with a team of chemists and material scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory.