Other Competitive Advantages of Universities
- The Electric Power and Energy Systems Group (EPESG) works closely with industry through the Electric Power Research Center, Power Systems Research Center (http://ecpe.ece.iastate.edu/powerweb/pserc.htm), and Information Infrastructure Institute (Icube). In Iowa, the two major investor-owned utilities are expanding their ownership of wind turbines and EPESG is working closely with them, as well as other major industries. The group has unique strengths in applying high-performance supercomputing to carry out large-scale power simulations.
- Working with faculty from the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department will allow industrial partners the opportunity to work with state of the art equipment, state of the art manufacturing techniques, and high quality faculty and students. The cutting edge nature of the rapid prototyping techniques being developed would enable our partners to quickly evaluate part designs and establish their utility for a given application. Once prototypes are established, a partner could work with IMSE faculty to develop rapid manufacturing strategies to optimize the production system.
- Mechanical Engineering has a strong research portfolio in energy systems, sustainable energy systems, and wind energy. Work has included residential grid-connected wind power systems, wind turbine model development, and turbine selection, design, and economic analysis. Through the department’s course in alternative energy conversion, students already develop experience with wind power generation including the theory, design, operating and performance characteristics of wind turbines, and the evaluation of wind power in the contexts of economics, environmental impact, and site.
selection, and comparisons with other sustainable energy technologies.
- Competitive advantages of composites research and education at Iowa State include pre-competitive research by world class faculty and students with state of the art facilities for manufacturing and characterization of composite material including facilities in the Polymer and Composites Research Group, Polymer Processing Lab, Materials Analysis and Research Laboratory, the Chemical Instrumentation Facility, and other ISU centralized facilities. Joint research activities are also underway with the Ames Laboratory (US Department of Energy), the Center for Non-destructive Evaluation, and the Microelectronics Research Center.
- National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) - It is anticipated that a state-of-the-art Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development could eventually include a division focused on large-scale testing of turbines and blades. The UI has experience in planning, constructing and operating one-of-a-kind large-scale test facilities. The NADS is the most advanced ground vehicle simulator in the world. It was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at a cost of $60 million with an annual budget of $6 million to conduct research that will ultimately reduce the loss of lives and property on the nation’s roadways. The simulator consists of a dome with a vehicle cab inside. The vehicle is attached to a motorized turntable that allows the dome to rotate and simulate different driving conditions. Faculty and staff at the UI conduct both basic and applied research at the facility for the Federal Government as well as private industry. As a national, shared-use facility, the NADS is available for use by any group interested in utilizing driving simulation as a tool to advance productivity, promote safety and foster innovation.
- Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) have a successful record in nurturing cooperative research under various models. One example is the NSF funded program on photopolymerization. The mission of the IUCRC in Photopolymerization is to advance research through the unique opportunity for active collaborations among industrial and academic investigators who are exploring cutting-edge research and are developing novel applications based upon the unique set of advantages offered by this technology. The objectives of the IUCRC center are (1) to advance the fundamental understanding of fundamental and applied science key to the focus; (2) to establish a venue for active discussions and collaborations among industrial and academic researchers; (3) to explore high-risk, cutting-edge research that could lead to technological innovations; and (4) to promote and/or develop novel applications that exploit the unique set of advantages. This technology itself has important wind-related applications in manufacturing and performance, and also serves as an important model of corporate/university cooperation.
- Computer Science Department has significant experience working collaboratively on projects with local industry partners, in particular John Deere and Rockwell Collins. Computer Science faculty were also active participants in the recent round of state funding for commercializable research, with funded projects in bioinformatics and cluster computing. These grants involved industrial partners as well as interactions with researchers at other Regents Universities.
- Industrial Technology Department, where student-based projects (including the Solar Electric Boat R&D Center) have allowed for strong relationships with both GMT Corporation and TDS Automation in Waverly, Iowa. GMT Corporation provides machining and fabrication services including designing and building various gear boxes. TDS Automation designs, manufactures and integrates custom automation systems and highly specialized machinery for unique process applications a product manufacturing. GMT and TDS have both hired a number of graduates for their manufacturing facility.
- Center for Advanced of Biobased Binders (CABB) is housed in the UNI Metal Casting Center. This nationally-unique project focuses on replacing traditional petroleum-based adhesive (“binder”) systems with environmentally-friendly materials. Made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, CABB research has produced several promising new adhesive systems. Faculty, staff and students involved with CABB would be able to readily contribute towards the development of bio-renewable polymers.
- Center for Energy and Environmental Education was established for the purpose of promoting greater understanding and awareness about issues related to energy and the environment. Projects focus on energy use, land use and agriculture, and material flows (wastes, recycling, etc.), utilizing the CEEE’s network of research and outreach collaborators to achieve the Center’s mission. The CEEE staffs full-time energy and environmental educators, who focus on educating the public about global environmental strategies.
- National Ag-Based Lubricants (NABL) Center, with more than 16 years of R&D experience, is credited with the development of over 30 biobased lubricant products. At the request of an industry client, NABL researchers have also conducted extensive comparative testing between traditional and environmentally-friendly gear oils for wind turbine gearboxes.
- Strategic Marketing Services (SMS) specializes in business-to-business marketing research and is adept at contributing meaningfully to an organization’s full range of marketing decisions.
Especially relevant is SMS’s ability to support a company’s strategic opportunity assessments, including market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. Doing business since 1990, SMS counts seven Fortune 500 companies among its aggregate client list, which includes over 250 U.S. organizations spread across numerous vertical markets (manufacturing, utility, high technology, government, etc.).
