This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This award supports academic research infrastructure renovation for the stand-alone Welding/Materials Joining Engineering Laboratory at LeTourneau University. This laboratory is used by the Materials Joining Engineering program at LeTourneau University, one of only two ABET-accredited Materials Joining Engineering programs in the United States. More than 700 graduates of the program work in the heavy manufacturing, defense and energy sectors, and 96% of new graduates are employed within six months of graduation. The new Master of Science in engineering program, to be launched at LeTourneau University in fall 2010, is expected to further lead to increased externally funded research conducted in the laboratory. The laboratory is housed in an aging, 53 year-old, 8,400 square foot metal building that has become inadequate as demands for electrical power, improved ventilation and cleaner environments have increased to operate modern research equipment. This award will support the following laboratory renovations in order to advance the research capabilities while addressing environmental and safety issues: (1) a new 700 kVA transformer and corresponding high voltage feed lines will replace the two aging 225 kVA and 110 kVA transformers, and old wiring will be replaced with copper bus bars and adequate distribution boxes; (2) individual exhaust-less ventilation devices at each welding station will replace the inefficient fan-based system; (3) roof leaks will be repaired, and insulation and an air conditioning unit for the high bay area will be installed; (4) basic filtering and hazardous waste disposal features in the metallography area will be installed; and (5) high bay fluorescent fixtures will replace inadequate lighting.
Intellectual Merit: The proposed renovations will transform materials joining research through increased reliability, reproducibility and accuracy of experiments performed in the Materials Joining Engineering Laboratory, and expand research capabilities by reducing environmental contamination and advancing experimentation on novel materials. The renovated laboratory will provide experimental capabilities to investigate research topics such as high power hybrid welding innovations for high strength steels, processes to reduce the use of costly metals for joining electronic materials, and methods to eliminate cracks in weld deposits when repairing nuclear reactor components.
Broader Impacts: The upgraded laboratory facility will serve as a multi-user site for national and international research and mentoring for an ever increasing number of students. With the addition of a graduate program in engineering as of fall 2010, the number of students who use the facility is expected to increase by 40-50%. Additionally, each year the laboratory hosts an average of 500 visitors from local high schools, community colleges and trade schools, many of which traditionally serve a high number of underrepresented groups. Modernization of the laboratory facilities will serve to improve engineering faculty and student recruitment.
The Materials Joining Engineering (MJE) Lab renovation has provided a reliable and sufficient level of electrical power, enabling us to safely operate all welding and materials joining systems in the lab. Beyond providing a cleaner, safer and climate controlled environment, the renewed lab is now equipped with hazardous waste disposal, power saving switches, improved lighting and filtered air circulation systems. Additionally, the new automatic emergency fan operated by the carbon dioxide detector can eliminate any accidental accumulation of dangerous levels of welding fumes. All Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) factors have been improved and, as a direct result, successful research on low contamination weld overlays of Ni-base super alloys on stainless steels will make repair of nuclear reactors last longer. As a step toward meeting the American Welding Society’s "Vision of Welding" goals, new joining processes have been studied, especially on novel materials such as semiconductors and advanced metals like Titanium Aluminide, designed for aircraft jet engine blades. The quality and reliability of applied research has been improved and 63% more funding was received from external agencies and industry groups, totaling $535,000. New projects include studies on solid-state welding of High Performance Steels and Microwave Welding of ceramics to metals in electronic components. The number of Undergraduates working on research doubled after the renovation to fourteen, and for the first time in LETU history, three Graduate Engineering Students found a home in the lab. Finally, the visibility of the lab and Materials Engineering Program has increased in the community by attracting 250% more visitors and prospective students to preview the MJE program during the last year, many of whom were women and members of minority groups. Radio and TV coverage has also doubled from years past and the Principal Investigator was recently honored with two major industry awards: the Plummer Memorial Lecture Award by the American Welding Society and the Richard S. Fountain Award from the National Bridge Alliance, a division of the American Iron and Steel Institute. The successes of the first year after the renovation are expected to continue, as the university has committed to cover the cost of maintaining, cleaning and preserving this wonderful facility for many years to come.
