UW-Madison engineering talent critical to state, national economic progress
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. You can’t stop a Badger.
Many of Wisconsin’s most notable companies have grown from family businesses founded decades ago into multibillion-dollar companies with an international reach and engineers drive the innovations that underlie their progress, global competitiveness and economic success.
“Engineers are a multiplier in the workforce,” says Todd Kelsey, CEO of Plexus, a global company specializing in highly complex design, manufacturing, supply chain and aftermarket services based in Neenah, Wisconsin. “They create things, and by creating things, they create jobs. Engineering is critical to make our economy grow.”
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New condenser makes water from air, even in hot sun
Access to clean water is a pressing issue for many people around the world. Even in areas with ample water resources, a lack of infrastructure or reliable energy means purifying that water is sometimes extremely difficult.
That’s why a water vapor condenser designed by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers could be revolutionary. Unlike other radiative vapor condensers which can only operate at night, the new design works in direct sunlight and requires no energy input.
“Water sustainability is a global issue,” says Zongfu Yu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UW-Madison. “You can’t set out to solve the water problem without addressing energy.”
Making your mask work better
February 17, 2021 8:44 AM Chris Stanford
MADISON, Wis. An invention from the UW-Madison College of Engineering recently got somewhat of an endorsement from the CDC.
The Badger Seal is a device that goes over your mask. It’s designed to eliminate gaps so fewer particles escape or are inhaled. A video demonstration from the university shows how a mask fitted with the Badger Seal performs a lot better.
In recommending mask fitters to improve protection, @CDCgov relied, in part, on research led by @uw mechengr and @UWMadisonChem faculty. Learn more about the Badger Seal mask fitter created by the @UWMadMaker team: https://t.co/yptnNvE1T4pic.twitter.com/TaRff2SzaH
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Common microbes team up to degrade polymer composites
Different types of common bacteria team up to degrade polymer composite materials often used to make infrastructure, buildings and vehicles by eating away at them directly or weakening and cracking them through other biological processes. Image from UW-Madison College of Engineering
Polymer composites are durable, lightweight replacements for wood, metal or other materials and are used widely in everything from pipelines and utility poles to airplanes and cars.
Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is shedding new light on how common bacteria can degrade those materials.
“A lot of studies have focused on how these polymer materials would respond to environmental conditions like temperature, moisture or ultraviolet light,” says Pavana Prabhakar, a UW-Madison professor of civil and environmental engineering. “They’ve rarely been studied in the context of microbial interactions.”
Wisconsinâs small-business economy is diverse. It is creative. It is under stress due to the unrelenting nature of COVID-19.
Those observations stem from the Wisconsin Technology Councilâs recent involvement in the $3 million âWeâre All Innovatingâ contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the results of which were announced Dec. 7 by Gov. Tony Evers. Our team helped organize the front end of the contest â functions such as outreach, collecting entries and judging â via a platform used for years to run the statewide Governorâs Business Plan Contest.
âWeâre All Innovatingâ was truly a statewide competition, as well as a revealing glimpse at the range, innovative spirit and survival instincts of small business owners and operators in Wisconsin.