REU Site: Lowering the Carbon Footprint through Research in Propulsion and Power Generation

The Penn State Center for Gas Turbine for Research, Education, and Outreach (GTREO) will provide 10 REU students with a unique and enriching experience that encompasses research, professional development, and networking. Gas turbines are used to generate power for electricity and create propulsion for flight. Improving the efficiency of gas turbines is a critical path towards lowering global carbon emissions and can be achieved through novel research tools. Educating students through first-hand research experiences using these tools is essential to advance the field and reduce the CO2 in our environment. A diverse student cohort from a range of schools, including an established network of undergraduate-only and minority-serving institutions, will spend 10 weeks in a range of research-related activities (i.e., lab and facility tours, industry workshops, and a research symposium). Students will also participate in workshops on technical communication, applying for jobs in the industry or graduate school, and fellowship applications to provide them the skills to transfer their research experiences to career outcomes. Mentoring from faculty, near-peer graduate students, and industry professionals will provide REU students with a strong support network both during and after the summer experience.The Penn State Center for Gas Turbine for Research, Education, and Outreach (GTREO) REU Site will provide 10 REU students with a unique and enriching experience that encompasses research, professional development, and networking. Students will engage in selected research in areas such as fluid mechanics, material science, heat transfer, manufacturing, combustion, sensor development, acoustics, and high-performance computations. Proposed projects include high-impact topics like additive manufacturing using Inconel 718, control of combustion instability using reinforcement learning, data-driven methods for better computational fluid mechanics simulation, and design of advanced instrumentation using additive manufacturing methods. Students will access a range of expertise and laboratories, and use the latest research tools such as metal additive manufacturing, sensors made using nanofabrication techniques, machine learning, high-speed laser diagnostics, and more. Overall, this REU site will provide a cohort of students with a unique and impactful summer experience while informing them about the gas turbine industry.This site is supported by the Department of Defense ASSURE Program in partnership with the NSF REU Program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.