Today’s top 5 from Purdue University

You will want to read these good stories that you may have missed.

The AP Newsroom (for AP members) and Purdue News YouTube channel (for all reporters) provide comments from Purdue experts on timely topics.

You may be breathing in more tiny nanoparticles from your gas stove than from car exhaust

Cooking on your gas stove can emit more nano-sized particles into the air than vehicles that run on gas or diesel, possibly increasing your risk of developing asthma or other respiratory illnesses, according to a new study led by Brandon Boor, an associate professor in Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering. The study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, focused on tiny airborne nanoparticles that are only 1-3 nanometers in diameter, which is just the right size for reaching certain parts of the respiratory system and spreading to other organs.

Media contact: Kayla Albert, wiles5@purdue.edu

Patented Purdue design inspired by Tesla valve could improve performance of rotating detonation engines

Researchers in Purdue University’s College of Engineering are testing a patented Tesla valve-inspired injection manifold design that could improve the performance of rotating detonation engines. RDEs are being developed as next-generation solutions in the field of jet and rocket propulsion. Li Qiao, a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is conducting numerical demonstrations on the design.

Media contact: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org

Purdue to help fight ‘forever chemicals’ in economy-boosting, NSF-funded Great Lakes project

Purdue University will play a significant role in the Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine (or ReNEW), a new National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine that aims to discover, develop and deploy novel technologies to clean the Great Lakes while also attracting water-intensive manufacturers, and new jobs, to the Midwestern region. Purdue will contribute to the project at every stage, helping define and advance strategies that eliminate toxic so-called “forever chemicals,” while also extracting valuable, reusable minerals from wastewater.

Media contact: Amy Raley, araley@purdue.edu

AP Video — What would happen if there were no leap years?

David Minton, an associate professor of planetary sciences in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in Purdue University’s College of Science, explains the science behind leap years and timing it with Earth’s rotation around the sun. The length of the year and length of the day are not really related to each other, according to Minton. In order to keep the calendar synced up with the seasons, a calendar correction is needed.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

Purdue offers free foundational course in semiconductor fabrication

From smartphones to automobiles and myriad other products and systems, semiconductors are the physical building blocks of the digital age. How semiconductors are manufactured is the topic of a free online course, titled Semiconductor Fabrication 101, developed by Purdue University, the University of Texas at Austin, Intel Corp. and a group of leading worldwide partners in the field. The collaboration to develop Semiconductor Fabrication 101 complements activities driven by Purdue’s nation-leading Semiconductor Degrees Program for advancing all areas of semiconductor workforce development, which is focused on building a trained workforce for the rapid expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.

Media contact: Brian Huchel, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.