Academic Affairs Signature Research Areas
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0 Academic Affairs Signature Research Areas I. Area of submission: Signature Research: Advanced Materials for Infrastructure and Energy II. Applicant information: Lead Faculty/Researchers: Name: Dr. Habib Dagher, P.E. Title/Department: Director, University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2123 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. Stephen Shaler Title/Department: Director, School of Forest Resources and Assoc. Director, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2886 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Larry Parent Title/Department: A. Director, UMaine Advanved Structures and Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2886 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. Douglas Gardner Title/Department: Professor of Forest Operations, Bioproducts & Bioenergy, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2846 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. William Davids Title: John C. Bridge Professor and Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2116 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. Eric Landis Title/Department: Frank M. Taylor Professor of Civil Engineering, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2173 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. Roberto Lopez-Anido Title/Department: Malcolm G. Long Professor of Civil & Env. Engineering, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2119 E-mail: [email protected] Name: Dr. Krish Thiagarajan Title/Department: Alson D. and Ada Lee Correll Presidential Chair in Energy & Professor, UMaine Composites Center Phone: (207) 581-2167 E-mail: [email protected] 1 INTRODUCTION The UMaine Composites Center is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the development of novel advanced composite materials and technologies that rely on Maine’s manufacturing strengths and abundant natural resources. Novel advanced materials are applied in each of our six, world-renowned program areas (Figure 1): defense composites, industrial testing, nanocomposites, offshore wind, civil infrastructure, and advanced wood composites. Housed in a world-leading 87,000 ft2 laboratory, the Advanced Structures and Composites Center has attracted $138 million in research funding to UMaine, as well as $14 million in industrial contracts from over 300 clients. The Center has financially supported over 1,400 students, received 26 patents, received 29 national and global awards for research excellence, and collaborated with 31 units on campus. Established through the National Science Foundation in 1996, the Center has a paid staff of 180 annually, including typically 140 students. In the next decade, we plan to strengthen our world leadership in developing the use of advanced Figure 1 - Six research areas at the UMaine Composites Center. materials in civil infrastructure and energy applications, aerospace and defense applications, educating student leaders, as well as creating new Maine and US industries and jobs opportunities. The UMaine Composites Center has prepared this signature research area proposal entitled “Advanced Materials for Infrastructure and Energy” to build on our strong record of success as we plan the next decade of R&D. FIT TO PLACE Maine has a thriving composites industry–spanning boat building civil infrastructure and aerospace. The State of Maine has targeted composite materials as one of seven key technology sectors important for investment and economic development. As the Maine Technology Institute points out: “The sector and its industries are grounded in a clearly defined set of knowledge and skills that are strongly identified with Maine... there is a substantial critical mass of commercially successful firms selling their products in global markets based on the knowledge and skills centered in Maine.” The expanding composites industry in Maine is already filling its workforce demand by hiring workers laid off from pulp and paper. The industry also demands skilled technicians and engineers, which the University of Maine supplies through the unique synergy of our engineering and forest resources programs and student opportunities at the UMaine Composites Center. By weaving together Maine’s natural resources with students, we are strengthening Maine’s workforce and economy. For example, offshore wind R&D is providing students learning opportunities in various fields like engineering, economics, and marine science, while advancing our use of wind as a natural energy resource and creating new manufacturing and construction jobs. The mission of the UMaine Composites Center is to apply the comparative advantages offered by Maine industry, labor, and natural resources to three goals: (1) conducting world leading research, (2) educating Maine students, and (3) developing Maine’s economy while encompassing the material science, manufacturing and engineering of composites and structures. 2 MEETING MAINE’S CULTURAL, WORKFORCE, AND ECONOMIC NEEDS Maine has a rich history, a skilled labor force, and vast natural resources, including 156 GW of untapped offshore wind; however its economy must be re-structured to take advantage of these valuable assets. It is losing its youth to out-of-state jobs, its traditional maritime industries to a changing climate, its traditional manufacturing industries to aging infrastructure, and demand for its exportable natural resources to international competition. If Maine is to have a sustainable way of life and a cultural identity, it needs to discover creative ways to harness its natural resources such as its ocean energy and cellulosic fibers to allow its culture, workforce, and economy to flourish. Our proposed solution is the application of advanced materials to infrastructure and energy technologies. Construction is the second largest industry in the US valued at $1 Trillion/year. Maine has a vast untapped ocean energy resource, with 156 GW of offshore wind capacity within 50 miles of our shores. Developing advanced, corrosion resistant materials to harness this vast resource can bring nearly $20 Million of investment into our state and create thousands of jobs. Maine has a skilled and underutilized labor force that is uniquely suited for the manufacturing of advanced materials but is in need of new technologies and companies. The UMaine Composites Center is working in tandem with others at the University and at the state and federal levels to make this happen. We conduct world-leading research to develop innovative technologies and services partnering with Maine’s existing businesses and help to build new ones. We also realize that a vibrant economy isn’t created with just one business, one product, and one generation; it’s an iterative process. This is why we bring business, technology, and the problems of today together, and our efforts during FY13 alone reflect that: 44 industrial contracts. Deployed the first grid-connected offshore wind turbine in the US UMaine Composites Center, in partnership with 30 organizations including Cianbro, Maine Maritime Academy. We demonstrated through one year of testing off the coast that the deepwater offshore wind industry is technically viable, and can be developed here in Maine. Advanced Infrastructure Technologies (AIT), a UMaine spin-off company with ongoing research projects at the UMaine Composites Center, is now an international company after having exported and installed the first composite arch bridge system in Trinidad, and has been approved to install its bridges in all 50 states. BUILDING ON MAINE’S EXISTING AND FUTURE RESOURCE BASE When the UMaine Composites Center conducts research, we draw upon the knowledge, vision, and the cumulative work ethic of our faculty, staff and students, and the comparative advantages offered by Maine’s natural and economic resources. As seen in Figure 1, the UMaine Composites Center has six research areas: offshore wind, civil infrastructure, nanocomposites, advanced wood composites, and defense composites and industrial testing. Provided below are brief descriptions of how each of these research areas draw upon Maine’s skills and natural resources today and how they will continue to utilize what Maine has to offer in the future. Offshore Wind Offshore wind is Maine’s largest untapped renewable energy resource, with a capacity of 156 GW within 50 miles of the Maine coast. Developing new floating turbine technologies including advanced, corrosion resistant materials to harness this vast resource can bring nearly $20 Million of investment into our state by 3 2030 and create thousands of jobs. According to an analysis by prof. Todd Gabe (August 2013), creating such an industryi “indicates employment impacts of well over an estimated 10,000 full- and part time jobs in a scenario involving the installation of 5,000 MW of offshore wind power generation capacity in Maine.” Currently, the state of Maine does not use its greatest and potentially most valuable renewable energy resource, offshore wind. In the past, we used this resource to power global trade for economic benefit, and now we are conducting research to cut cost curves so that offshore wind can be used to power our State and northeast nation and once again provide economic benefits to the state of Maine. These benefits include the local sourcing of construction materials and labor for the manufacturing of offshore wind platforms and other components. The University of Maine is on the leading edge of offshore wind technology development. To date, UMaine has raised over $53 million over five years to develop breakthrough offshore wind technologies and the capital