Engineering Out Loud

The final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content:  Tapping technology to ensure the world has enough clean water  OSU-Cascades spinout is semifinalist in $4 million federal lithium extraction contest

The pandemic didn’t stop Bahman Abbasi’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content:  Espiku, OSU spin-off company  Turning freshwater into saltwater, Bend Source article 

In the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water.  Bonus content:  Quest for Clean Water (story, video)  Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory 

Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million for research turning salt water into drinking water Department of Energy Solar Desalination program Energy Systems Engineering — OSU-Cascades

What is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? Researchers at Oregon State University are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards.  BONUS CONTENT: “A Song for Japan” project Japan 2011 Earthquake Japan quake: Infrastructure damage will delay recovery. BBC News, March 17, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, National Geographic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help, World Vision Earthquake and tsunami Oregon Resilience Plan, Supporting documents Oregon should make itself resilient for a big quake, by Yumei Wang, Jay Raskin and Edward Wolf, The Oregonian, Jan. 9, 2011. Will the Cascadia Earthquake be the Worst Disaster North America’s Ever Seen? | Weathered (PBS Terra video) Partners Preparing for the Big One, S4E5, Engineering Out Loud The Tsunami Could Kill Thousands? Can They Build and Escape? OSU Newport facility built vertically for earthquake, tsunami (KOIN) Oregon State University president affirms decision for new marine studies building location Preparing for an Earthquake, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wildfire Senate Bill 762 Oregon’s work to minimize wildfires gets a boost from federal legislation, Oregon Capital Chronicle, November 17, 2021 As Oregon’s wildfire season fades, new approaches to managing risk need to take hold, Oregon Capital Chronical, October 6, 2021. Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, United Nations report. Protect your Property from Wildfires, Federal Emergency Management Agency https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/preparing-for-natures-worst 

Can plants fortify Oregon’s coastal dunes against storm surge? Meagan Wengrove, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering, built scale versions of dunes in one of the world’s largest wave flumes to find out. BONUS CONTENT: Protecting coastal regions with natural defenses New faculty members bring expertise in wave energy, structural and coastal engineering Four College of Engineering faculty win early-career investigator awards https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/dune-erosion-solutions-s11e7  

After a major disaster, hidden amid the rubble and debris are precious clues about the extreme forcesstructures were subjected to, and exactly what caused them to fail. How can researchers collect this perishable data before it’s swept away? Michael Olsen, professor of geomatics and technical director of the NHERI RAPID Facility, talks about a major effort to get crucial technology into the hands of reconnaissance experts quickly, wherever disaster strikes. https://beav.es/URn BONUS CONTENT: RAPID Facility website Natural Hazards Reconnaissance with the NHERI RAPID Facility (Frontiers in Built Environment)  A new laser-toting disaster lab aims to save lives by saving data (Fast Company)  https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/rapid-reconnaissance-capturing-data-aftermath-disaster-s11e6  

What will it take for Oregon to recover after a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake? Among other things, it will need a major airport to receive the tons of relief supplies from around the world. Prof. Armin Stuedlein and a research team from Oregon State University conducted crucial testing that guided engineers with big plans to make sure one of the runways at Portland International Airport survives the shaking.  BONUS CONTENT: Video: Blast-induced liquefaction tests at PDX Preparing for an earthquake Cascadia Lifelines Program https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/saving-pdx-s11e5  

Wildfires that devastate mountain communities have the potential to foul the water distribution system running underneath residential structures. But knowing which water pipes have been affected is challenging. Erica Fischer, assistant professor of structural engineering, is working with a team of engineers and scientists to develop and test sensors that can easily indicate if water pipes need to be replaced following a fire. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon State University fire expert panel: Oregonians’ mindset needs to expect, accept wildfires Science Pub: Fires in the West Study of destructive California fire finds resilience planning must account for socially vulnerable https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-disasters/what%E2%80%99s-water-after-wildfire-s11e4  

How do engineers fight wildfires? With fire. David Blunck, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is trying to better understand and predict the behavior of embers that spread blazes. To do this, he has to burn a few of his own. BONUS CONTENT: Firebrands: How to protect your home from wildfires’ windblown flaming debris, by David Blunck (The Conversation) National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA website https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/burning-learn-s11e3