Project Efficient and sustainable water technology Program Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Research Program Term Summer 2025 Status Closed Research Area Membrane science, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, species transport, materials science Description Water and energy are tightly linked resources that must both become renewable for a successful future. However, today, water and energy resources are often in conflict with one another, especially related to impacts on electric grids. Further, advances in nanotechnology, material science and artificial intelligence allow for new avenues to improve the widespread implementation of desalination and water purification technology. Our lab’s project aims to explore nanofabricated membranes, light-driven reactions, artificial intelligence control algorithms, and thermodynamic optimization of systems. Our projects include hybrids of reverse osmosis desalination with renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydro), as well as other topics such as filtration, water treatment, and water vapor harvesting. The student(s) will be responsible for fabricating membranes, building hydraulic systems, modeling thermal fluid phenomenon, analyzing data, and/or implementing control strategies in novel system configurations. The lab also works on separation processes for water in air, including HVAC dehumidification and removing aerosols. More information here: www.warsinger.com Supervisor David E M Warsinger Mentor Type of work required • CAD software for experimental design.
• MATLAB/Python for numerical analysis and data processing.
• Adobe Illustrator for data visualization and presentation
Websites www.warsinger.com Qualifications Applicants should have an interest in thermodynamics, water treatment, and sustainability. Applicants with experience in some (not all) of the following are preferred: experimental design and prototyping, manufacturing, Python, LabView, EES, MATLAB, 3D CAD Software, & Adobe Illustrator. Rising Juniors and Seniors are preferred. Credit Hours 3 Weekly Hours 20 (estimated)