Industrial Energy Efficiency
Conservation is the most immediate way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Conservation strategies targeted toward industrial energy users have the potential to significantly reduce consumption. Our research and outreach activities are directed toward reducing industrial energy use, waste, and pollution as well as improving productivity, product quality, and profitability. Our research and outreach activities are directed toward reducing industrial energy use, waste, and pollution as well as improving productivity, product quality, and profitability.

Functional Polymeric Nanostructures
There has been a steady increase in number of techniques and "tools" that are available to the polymer chemist that have allowed us to continue to gain a better understanding of complex systems and to "build" polymers with functionality and properties that were not thought possible even 5 years ago. Our research group is concerned with the design and use of high performance polymers, especially as they impact advanced microelectronics and devices. Specific research programs include high resolution nanopatterning (materials and processes); synthesis and design of electroactive polymers; controlled surface functionalization of nanopatterned polymer surfaces; bioactive surfaces and sensors.

Energy Harvesting and Management in Mobile and Embedded Computing Devices
Professor Corner is broadly interested in energy harvesting and management in mobile and embedded computing devices, such as laptops, phones, and embedded sensing devices.

Synthesis of Polymer Nanocomposites for Renewable Energy Materials and Devices
Synthesis of novel polymer-inorganic hybrid copolymers, and investigation of their physical and mechanical properties. Copolymerization of molecularly precise nanometer-scale inorganic particles with simple vinyl monomers to develop fundamental understandings necessary to exploit the resulting structure-property correlations. A chemistry-based “bottom-up” approach to the formation of hybrid polymer nanocomposites, harnessing the beneficial thermodynamics associated with self-assembly processes.

Building Energy Efficiency
Dr. Curcija's research in energy efficiency of buildings is focused on fenestration, building envelopes, whole building energy simulation, commissioning, thermal measurements and sustainable design.

Energy Efficiency and Pollutant Prevention through Turbulence Modeling
Prof. de Bruyn Kops is a fluid dynamicist whose research emphasizes transitioning and turbulent flows. He is currently studying variable density, density stratified and chemically-reacting flows. His general approach is to run very large direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a flow of interest and to use the results to understand the underlying physical phenomena.

Functional Polymers
Our research efforts target the synthesis of new materials, based especially on polymers and nanoparticles, for nanotechnology applications. The organic and polymer functionalization of semiconductor quantum dots is providing a means for their fabrication within a wide variety of polymer materials for energy-efficient light emitting devices.

Reclamation of Industrial Wastewater
Biological treatments may be applied to treat contaminated waste water and air streams. Applications of this technology include significant increases in energy efficiency and pollution reduction.

Industrial Energy Assessment & Combined Heat and Power
Dr. Kosanovic is responsible for managing the industrial audits performed by the Industrial Assessment Center. His research interests are combined heat and power, distributed generation, unit commitment modeling for dispatch of power plants in the gird, gas turbine combustion, mixing, and steam cycle analysis. In addition to his experience at CEERE, he has seven years of experience at an urban power plant/direct heating facility.

Micro-Econometrics
Professor Lass' microeconometrics research focuses primarily on empirical microeconomic models applied primarily to firm decisions. Past research focused on microeconometric analyses of agricultural production, productivity measurement and decision-making by farm families. Recent research includes modeling commodity pricing and measuring market power.

Wind Power and Distributed Energy
Prof. Manwell has been working in field of wind energy for over 25 years, where his research interests have focused on wind resource assessment, hybrid power system design, and offshore wind energy. Since the 1980's he has been active in the design and modeling of hybrid power systems, including the development of the Hybrid2 computer code. Hybrid systems include multiple types of generators, electrical loads, storage units and control systems. Under his direction, the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory installed in 1994 the first utility scale (250 kW) wind turbine in Massachusetts. More recently, he has assisted the Town of Hull in acquiring a 660 kW wind turbine in 2001 (the largest in New England at that time), followed by a 1.8 MW wind turbine in 2006 (again, the largest in New England). He is currently working with the Town of Hull to design a small offshore wind farm. He is an author of a textbook on wind energy: Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application. Currently he is the U.S. representatives to the International Electrotechnical Commission’s program (IEC TC88 WG3) to develop design standards for offshore wind turbines. He is also a member of the Planning Group for the International Science Panel on Renewable Energy.

Wind Power and Distributed Energy
Work has focused on analytical models for component of wind and distributed energy system performance analysis, and experimental work dealing with the calibration/validation of such models.

Sustainable Supply Chains
Professor Nagurney specializes in sustainable supply chains, including electric power generation and distribution networks, and transportation networks.

Flame Characterization
Professor Oliaei employs a range of analytical methods in order to characterize flame types, including: Analog and Mixed-Signal Circuits, Analog and Digital Signal Processing, System Integration, CAD, Signal Theory, Noise and Stochastic Signals.

Ecological Urban Environments
Professor Platt specializes in public policy concerning urban land and water resources. The Ecological Cities program founded by Dr. Platt seeks to promote sharing of knowledge and experience among disciplines, sectors, and urban regions regarding new approaches to urban greenspace creation and management.

Fluid Dynamics of Fuel Injection
The fuel injection process, which is a critical part of nearly all liquid-fueled engines, is one of the most complex and sensitive parts of engine design. The quality of the fuel/air mixing determines whether a engine runs relatively cleanly or emits unacceptable amounts of pollution. By optimizing the fuel injection process, we can develop strategies that allow us to run engines more efficiently with lower emissions. Schmidt's research group develops sophisticated simulation capabilities so that potential designs can be evaluated through computer calculation.

Energy Efficiency Promotion and Pollutant Prevention through Flame Measurement and Modeling