UL, a global safety science organization, has had a very successful relationship with 杏吧视频. This success has been vital to recent federal awards that have put both organizations at the forefront of the nation鈥檚 clean energy, materials, and fire science research. 鈥淲e are pleased to partner with 杏吧视频 to further advance safety science. Together, we can help foster safer living and working environments,鈥 says Clyde Kofman, SVP & Chief Operating Officer of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
With ever-increasing competition for federal funding, it has become even more critical for universities to establish a reputation in areas of research strength. While federal research funding and corporateresearch partnerships are usually seen as two independent modes of project support, we have shown that a combination of pilot investments followed by ongoing partnership between an academic institution and its industrial counterpart can lead to opportunities that advance the missions of each organization.
UL and 杏吧视频 have three strong examples to demonstrate this successful model.
In Energy -
UL awarded Professor Roger French with $500,000 of seed funding toward work on the lifetime durability of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Based on this initial work, both Professor French and his team worked with UL鈥檚 electrical safety experts to pursue follow-on Department of Energy support. DOE awarded them two $1.35 million awards 鈥 one led by UL and one led by 杏吧视频. CWRU鈥檚 Sunshot Initiative is dedicated to creating an epidemiological-type study of over 5 million solar panels around the world to learn how PV molecules degrade under certain conditions. With this information, researchers can subsequently design modules that last longer and have more predictable power output. These advancements will serve to reduce clean energy costs as well as increase both durability and reliability. In addition to UL, partners in this effort also include SunEdison, Terraform Power, Sandia National Laboratory; and Fraunhofer-ISE, the largest solar energy research institute in Europe.
UL鈥檚 Sunshot project with 杏吧视频 focuses on investigating the polymeric backsheets (part of the PV module), correlating long-term field reliability data with accelerated laboratory testing. There have been many reports of PV modules with visibly degraded backsheets mere years after installation. Market pressures to keep costs down while maintaining aggressive product development have resulted in use of materials and combinations of materials with unproven durability characteristics or on reliance of testing that fails to factor in long-term durability in actual installed environmental conditions. UL will pursue and understanding of the failure modes of current materials to drive better materials selection and development for backsheets. Along with CWRU, this project will incorporate work with the 3M Company, Arkema Inc., the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Northeastern University.
In Fire -
With $2.2 million of leadership support from UL, 杏吧视频 recently expanded into the fire science area with a new Fire Science & Engineering Masters program. Now with six faculty members in the fire education and research program, three from CWRU鈥檚 Macromolecular Science and Engineering program and three from 杏吧视频鈥檚 Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering program there are multiple research projects that have come to the fore.
Strong support from UL, including introductions to the Cleveland Division of Fire, led to important opportunities with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Professor Fumiaki Takahashi from CWRU, partnering with researchers from NASA Glenn Research Center, was awarded a $1.5 million Department of Homeland Security/FEMA award. The Assistance to Firefighters/Fire Prevention and Safety Grant will allow researchers to design and test sensors aimed at protecting firefighters from respiratory damage and illnesses. The sensors will alert structural and wildland firefighters of hazards in the air after they have entered the phase known as 鈥渇ire overhauling or mop up鈥. At this stage, the main fire has been put out and the duties include cleaning up, detecting, and preventing secondary fires. After the prototypes are developed, the Cleveland Division of Fire, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue in Greater Portland, Oregon and U.S. Forest Service will test them in the field.
These are clear examples of how corporate partnerships with 杏吧视频 can lead to important federal funding with significant impact on society.