WPI Gets Planning Grant

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is the lead institution in a new program funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) planning grant it received with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The grant will support the creation of the Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD), in which U.S. companies will propose problems for study by the center. According to a statement from WPI, CARD is the first center in the country dedicated to developing energy-efficient technologies that will dry moist, porous materials. Problems with moisture affect the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers in many industries, WPI said.

The center will be operated by the two schools and led by WPI professor Jamal Yagoobi, chair of the college's department of mechanical engineering and internationally known for drying and electrohydrodynamics, or the study of the dynamics of electrically charged fluids, WPI said. Hao Feng, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois, will be the Illinois site director.

The center will seek participation and sponsorship from businesses and associations in industries that include paper, forestry, agriculture, food, chemicals, textiles and biopharmaceuticals. Drying is one of the most energy-intensive processes in manufacturing and typically accounts for a significant portion of energy used in those industries, according to WPI. By developing new technologies and processes, CARD intends to reduce the energy required to dry materials and lower the carbon footprint within the sector.

The research needed will involve mechanical engineering, combustion, food and agriculture, mathematics and electro-mechanical systems. Specialized laboratories as well as faculty and students studying the pertinent fields will take part in CARD.

Read more

WPI Alumnus' Estate Gives School $578K

WPI President Berkey Announces Departure

Briefing: Life Sciences In Worcester

Research Bureau Panel: Worcester Needs More Entrepreneurs