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Santa Clara UniversityScholar CommonsEngineering News SCU PublicationsFall 2007Engineering News, Fall 2007School of EngineeringFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/eng_newsThis Book is brought to you for free and open access by the SCU Publications at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in EngineeringNews by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact rscroggin@scu.edu.Recommended CitationSchool of Engineering, "Engineering News, Fall 2007" (2007). Engineering News. Book 23.http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/eng_news/23Solar Decathlon Team ShipsHouse to D.C.Capping 16 months of exhaustive engineering, construction,and fundraising, the SCU Solar Decathlon team performed a last series of tests of their controls system and then dismantled the deck, removed the siding, disconnected the appliances, and watched as their entry into the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s competition was hoisted onto a 60-foot trailer for its trip toWashington, D.C.The team had been workingnearly round the clock for the pastfew weeks in a last-ditch push to gettheir house on the road in time toreach its destination on the NationalMall by early October. Once thehouse is reassembled, the team willcompete against 19 other universitiesfrom around the world in 10 eventsthat will test the functionality of thetotally solar-powered homes.The result of the SCU team’shard work is an elegantly designedand crafted 650-square-foot housethat brings cutting-edge technologyhome. For more on the design ele-ments, see the accompanying articlelater in this issue. And be sure tocheck on the team’s progress atwww.scusolar.org andwww.scu.edu/engineering.Dean’s MessageThe School of Engineering views amain part of its mission as one wherewe “serve the valley.” However, overthe years, the emphasis in the valleyhas changed from the developmentand commercialization of integratedcircuits and storage technology in the1970s, to the development of themicroprocessor and personal comput-er in the ’80s, and the Internet in the’90s. Now we are witnessing thisprocess of change where sustainability,renewable energy, bioengineering andnanotechnology are some of theemerging areas of activity in the valley.Santa Clara University is respondingto these changes with a greateremphasis in the areas of solar poweras witnessed in our Solar DecathlonHouse, nanotechnology through ourCenter for Nanostructures, and ournew program in Bioengineering whichis currently under development andimplementation. We aim to produceengineers who will contribute signifi-cantly to these emerging areas whilebecoming the leaders of the future.  Our Solar Decathlon House, whichhas involved more than fifty students,as well as a number of faculty andstaff members, competes inWashington D.C. at the contest spon-sored by the U.S. Department ofEnergy. This event has generated con-siderable excitement here among allsegments of the campus and signifi-cant financial support from more than200 corporate and individual donors inthe surrounding valley. We fully expecta new wave of leaders to emerge fromthis project, reflecting the change weare implementing as we “serve thevalley.” A popular proverb says “Mayyou live in exciting times.” I believethat we do.Godfrey MungalDeanSchool of Engineeringwww.scu.edu/engineeringHorizonsin EngineeringSanta Clara University 1F A L L 2 0 0 7Team members look on as the Solar Decathlon house is loaded on the trailer.PHOTO: CHARLES BARRY2 Horizons in Engineering/School of EngineeringM. Godfrey Mungal, a self-described“teacher who does research,” has beenappointed dean of Santa ClaraUniversity’s School of Engineering.He began his new duties inSeptember.An associate dean at StanfordUniversity and professor of mechani-cal engineering for the past 22 years,Mungal’s teaching and research hasfocused primarily on the area of thermosciences. He is the author orco-author of more than 150 papersand has won several teaching andadvising awards, including Stanford’sTau Beta Pi award for excellence inundergraduate teaching. Mungal alsoserved as director of the HighTemperature Gasdynamics Laboratoryat Stanford and coordinated theABET accreditation process as associ-ate chair for student services.Born in Trinidad, the new deanearned his Ph.D. in aeronautics fromCalifornia Institute of Technology andis a fellow of both the AmericanPhysical Society and the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers. According to SCU President PaulLocatelli, S.J.,“Dr. Mungalhas a strong,demonstratedcommitmentto diversity,recruitmentand retention issues in education,and he is particularly interested in therole of engineering in advancing thecause of under-represented and first-generation students.”As dean, Mungal will seek ways topromote the University’s goals ofincreasing enrollment in the under-graduate and graduate engineeringprograms, and forming partnershipswithin the Silicon Valley communityto enrich the curricula. He is experi-enced in fundraising, budgeting andgenerating resources, having raisedand managed more than $7 millionin government and industrial fund-ing to support his research atStanford.Although the job is new, Mungal isalready quite familiar with what itmeans to be a Bronco. One of hisdaughters is a 2004 alumna; theother is an SCU sophomore.Godfrey Mungal Appointed Deanof EngineeringRobotics Students Go “North to Alaska”Mahacek (left) and Minelli wiith their ROVs.Ever been to a kelp-cutting ceremo-ny to celebrate the opening of a $12.5million marine laboratory? A group ofSCU robotics students had just thatexperience this summer when they trav-eled to Kasitsna Bay, Alaska, to install aweather station and provide an out-reach activity for 100 guests.The Kasitsna Bay Laboratory,owned by the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA)and operated in partnership with theUniversity of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF),is a marine research and teaching labo-ratory that welcomes approvedresearchers from academic and govern-ment institutions. About three yearsago, NOAA and UAF began conversa-tions with Christopher Kitts, director ofSCU’s Robotics Laboratory, and BillKirkwood, an adjunct professor ofmechanical engineering who is also theAssociate Director of Engineering at theMonterey Bay Aquarium ResearchInstitute. After a site survey, Kitts andKirkwood initiated the development ofa technology roadmap for supportingmarine research,  which led to a fieldtrip this past summer by mechanicalengineering graduate students PaulMahacek and Giovanni Minelli. But before the weather station couldbe installed, it first had to be built andtested here in Santa Clara’s robotics lab.Ognjen “Ogi” Petrovic (B.S. ComputerEngineering, M.S. MechanicalEngineering) integrated and configuredvarious software tools to fit the lab’srequirements. The result is a device thatincludes a live webcam, anemometer,pyrometer, leaf moisture sensor, raingauge tipping bucket, plus the requisitebarometer and thermometer. “This isthe only piece of weather equipment onKasitsna Bay,” Petrovic noted. “As theonly data point on this side of the inlet,the information is of vital interest tolocals and scientists alike, and will con-tribute to NOAA’s national database.”The weather station is supported andmaintained remotely by SCU students.After installing the station, Mahacekand Minelli contributed to the festivi-ties by helping celebrants build theirown robotic Remotely OperatedVehicles (ROV) for oceanic explorationusing pre-made motors, pumps, andPVC pipe. Next summer, the teamplans to bring their AutonomousSurface Vessel (ASV) to map thebathymetry of this most diverse marineecosystem. Mechanical engineering stu-dent Todd Berk recently worked withKitts and Kirkwood to test the ASVand the sonar system in the MossLanding harbor; Petrovic and Mahacekare currently working on the controlsystem for the boat’s autonomous navi-gation and for the multibeam sonarthat will be used. “NOAA has large ves-sels for deep water exploration, but oursmaller ASV is perfect for investigatingthe near-coastal waterways that are tooshallow for other craft,” said Mahacek.Minelli is enthusiastic about hiswork in the robotics lab: “Where elsecan you work on underwater robotsand satellites in the same day? There areso many integrated projects; whateveropportunity you want to pursue, it’shappening right here.”Read more about the Kasitsna BayLaboratory and SCU’s robotics lab:www.westnurc.uaf.edu/kbay.htmhttp://rsl.engr.scu.eduPHOTO: GIOVANNI MINELLISanta Clara University 3www.scu.edu/engineeringTransportation engineering is agrowing field that has the potential toimprove the quality of urban life in anumber of different ways. A division ofcivil engineering, this field focuses onreducing traffic congestion, alleviatingnoise and airborne pollutants fromvehicle emission, and planning for safeevacuation in times of disaster, whethernatural or human-caused.But, as Professor Rachel He pointsout, transportation engineering differsfrom other disciplines of civil engineer-ing in that “we’re dealing with people,and their driving behaviors are not easi-ly predicted and modeled. We canmodel mechanical properties; we canmodel structural loads, but the ran-domness of human behavior defiestotal predictability.”To model different scenarios, Dr.He uses traffic simulation computersoftware. “On the computer, we cannot only build large urban transporta-tion networks with freeways, inter-changes and major arterials, but alsostudy a single intersection on a localstreet,” she said. Integrating the fixedattributes of the roadway—number oflanes, directions, and slope grades—is the easy part; accounting for the uncertainties—traffic conditions, dayof the week, time of day, and weatherconditions that all affect a driver’s decision-making—is what makes thework interesting.As the computer simulation modelsare becoming more mature, theresearch is becoming more viable, andProfessor He is increasingly motivatedto bring undergraduates into the field.Each year she advises several studentswho choose transportation simulationmodeling as their senior capstone proj-ects. “I want our students to have anearly exposure to traffic simulationmodeling,” she said. “Alleviating congestion, reducing environmentalimpact, and ensuring safe evacuation intimes of disaster are as much a part ofour survival as structural engineering.”Professors Work to Improve Communication for AllModeling the Future of TransportationTalking with professors JoAnneHolliday (computer engineering) andSarah Kate Wilson (electrical engineer-ing) about their research in the field ofwireless network communication is anenlivening experience. Their enthusi-asm for their work is contagious, whichis fitting because they are working onmaking communication contagious ona number of different levels. According to these two, computerand electrical engineers have not hadmuch of a history of communicatingwith each other. With a well-definedinterface between the two disciplines,there wasn’t always much need for talk.But when they discovered that theirindividual research was taking themfurther into the middle ground, theybegan working together on determin-ing the feasibility of using small, turn-key base stations for cellular networksthat would inexpensively increase thedigital capacity on high-traffic net-works, and also extend the reach ofexisting cellular networks in third-world or developing countries.“Technology can benefit people insurprising ways,” Wilson said. “Weenvision agile base-stations (ABS) thatwill not only improve network connec-tivity near the 49ers’ stadium on gameday, but will also help fishermen inBangladesh determine which marketwill bring the best price for their catch.” The cost of installing a wirelessbase-station can be prohibitive forpoorer communities, leading to a digi-tal divide. “We’re looking for an inex-pensive, flexible, and efficient way ofincreasing cellular network productivityfor everyone” said Holliday, “and wethink the ABS is a step in the rightdirection.”Using algorithms for frequency andcode assignment and for routing deci-sions, their study will help determinehow ABS can affect the overallthroughput of the system and thethroughputs of individual users. Withthe help of funding from SCU’s Centerfor Science, Technology and Society,the professors are concentrating theirresearch on increasing the number oflow-cost, low-rate service channels(such as pagers or voice), making com-munication contagious around theworld, and allowing many to benefitfrom the information age.Professor Rachel He models traffic scenarios inher office at SCU.Professors Wilson (left) and Holliday test the wireless network.PHOTO: CHARLES BARRYPHOTO: CHARLES BARRY4 Horizons in Engineering/School of Engineeringwww.scu.edu/engineeringSCU OMC-7785C   10/07   1,500In fashioning its entry into the U.S.Department of Energy’s SolarDecathlon, SCU’s team scrupulouslyconsidered every detail of theirdesign—from the beautiful bamboobeams overhead to the eco-friendlystuffing in the sofa cushions. AsYasemin Kimyacioglu, mechanicalengineering student and member of theinterior design team, said, “ThoughSCU’s entry is not judged on thegreen-ness of the furnishings used, itwas important to the team’s outreachmission to present a cohesive productthat raises awareness of some of theoptions available to consumers, so theycan adopt eco-friendly decision-makingwhen outfitting their homes.” Here aresome of the features included:• Patent-pending bamboo I-beams,developed by the SCU SolarDecathlon Civil Engineering Team.Strong and uniquely sustainable,bamboo quickly replenishes itself.• Modularized electrical system:Photovoltaic panels, electrical invert-ers, and batteries form a versatile system, allowing the homeowner tooperate on or off the power grid.• Absorption chilling technology:Solar-heated water drives a thermo-dynamic conversion generatingchilled water to cool the house.• Nana Wall: This beautiful glass wallmaximizes natural light while mini-mizing heat loss. • Controls system: A controls systemalgorithm and myriad sensors moni-tor and adjust temperature, lighting,humidity, etc.• Siding: Fiber cement siding withadvanced thermal insulating proper-ties is used on the west and southfaces of the home, where sunlight predominates. On the north and eastwalls, a durable surface made ofpaper from certified managed forestsis employed.• Insulation: Recycled blue jeans!• Interior finishes: Hickory kitchencabinets from certified forests andreclaimed oak furniture create awarm, casual environment, whilerecycled glass and ceramic tiles, andrecycled-Coke-bottle glass accentsbeautifully finish the kitchen andbathroom. Paints and upholsterymaterials trim indoor air pollutionthrough reduction of volatile organiccompounds.Learn more: www.scusolar.orgWhat Goes Into a “Green” House?You’re Invited!2007 Distinguished Engineering Awards DinnerSunday, December 2, 2007Adobe Lodge, Santa Clara UniversityFor more information:www.scu.edu/engineering/about/engach.cfmSanta Clara University500 El Camino RealSanta Clara, CA 95053Recognizing the challenges womenand traditionally underrepresentedminority groups often face in choosingengineering as their academic andcareer path, the School of Engineeringhas taken a giant step in aiding theirsuccess by partnering with MentorNet,an online community that pairs stu-dents with engineering professionals fore-mail-based mentoring. Through theSchool’s subscription to the program,engineering students of all levels —undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D.—can sign up, at no charge to them, tobecome the online protégés of profes-sionals from business, academia, andgovernment sectors for one-on-oneencouragement and advice. Junior faculty members are also eligible to participate.Founded in 1997, MentorNet is anaward-winning non-profit networkstriving to positively affect the reten-tion and success of those in the fields ofengineering, science and mathematics,particularly women and others whohave been traditionally underrepresented.As founder Carol Muller, Ph.D., notes,“Until women and people of color arefully represented in the fields of scienceand engineering, society is losing outon the talents of a vast number ofpotential contributors.”Ruth Davis, associate dean forundergraduate studies and Robert W.Peters Professor of computer engineer-ing, was instrumental in bringing thisbenefit to the students. “Sometimeseducating the whole person meanspointing them in the right direction tolearn from others outside our institu-tion. This program perfectly fits ourmission of educating a diverse commu-nity of leaders of academic excellenceand social conscience. Not only does itprovide a positive, non-threateningenvironment in which our students cangrow and thrive, but it also affords anopportunity for our alumni to reachback and assist the next generation of engineers.”For more information, or to join asa protégé or mentor, visit:www.mentornet.netMentoring the Next Generation of Engineers

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