The focus of the research behind the patent is to create a cost-effective, high-efficiency and sustainable method for manufacturing nano-materials to enhance energy and chemical production. Yang says he hopes that this will in turn address the current limitations of traditional, expensive fabrication techniques.

鈥淭he idea stemmed from the challenge of making solar hydrogen production more efficient and affordable,鈥� says Yang, a member of the .聽聽According to Yang, the materials were tested and validated for their application as catalysts. The recent findings were also published in the Royal Society for Chemistry.

A Catalyst for Innovation

The technology uses particles designed to optimize the generation and production of hydrogen and oxygen that serve as catalysts for energy production. 聽聽Traditional catalysts only respond to ultraviolet light, however this new development can harness a broader spectrum of sunlight.

To achieve this, Yang engineered particles within precise nanoscale structures that were grown inside titanium oxide (TiO鈧�) cavities, or light traps. These cavities can capture and control a wider spectrum of light, including sunlight, ultraviolet and near-infrared.

With this method, the particles can efficiently harvest solar energy through a process known as localized surface plasmon resonance. In simple terms, when light interacts with specialized nanomaterials it creates a synchronized ripple of mobile electrons 鈥� thus creating usable energy.

鈥淚n daily life, this could be implemented in solar-powered hydrogen generators for clean fuel in homes, cars or industrial settings, helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels and carbon emissions,鈥� Yang says.

Shaping the Future of Energy

The research and industrial applications of this patent could expand as the technology develops, Yang says. By tailoring the composition of Yang鈥檚 particles, the catalysts can be integrated into technologies like electrolyzers used in seawater splitting, which is a process that aims to produce green hydrogen. Because the catalyst can be produced using renewable materials, it may reduce the environmental footprint of research and industry by limiting the need for freshwater use.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a strong potential to optimize plasmonic tunability, [or how metallic nanostructures interact with light], by engineering the composition of our engineered particles,鈥� says Yang, 鈥淭his platform also inspires new designs for full-spectrum solar utilization and could be adapted for CO鈧� reduction or nitrogen fixation.鈥�

This technology is fully available for licensing. Interested parties can contact the or reach out directly to Yang Yang at Yang.Yang@ucf.edu for more information.聽

Funding for the research was provided by 麻豆原创 through a startup grant No. 20080741. STEM, EELS, and XPS data analysis was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Early Career Research Program under award No. 68278. The technology was developed by faculty and students from the 麻豆原创 College of Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering, and NanoScience Technology Center.

Color isn鈥檛 just about looks 鈥� it plays a vital role in how we communicate, protect ourselves and interact with the world. Debashis Chanda, a researcher and professor at 麻豆原创鈥檚 , has developed a new material that can change color dynamically in response to external stimuli like temperature, which creates a new possibilities for materials and devices to respond, adapt and be reconfigured in real time.

Most colors in commercial and industrial products come from pigments, which absorb, reflect light and fades over time. However, structural colors, which are found in animals like octopuses, use nanoscale structures to control how light reflects. Inspired by this efficient approach, Chanda has been researching how to create more vibrant, angle-independent colors without relying on chemical pigments for years.

His latest development addresses the challenges with dynamically tunable color, complex designs and manufacturing challenges of structural colors, which may make it easier to commercially manufacture these materials. The concept holds immense promise for applications in thermal sensing, advanced textile engineering, camouflage and reconfigurable displays.

The research was recently published in , an esteemed scholarly journal by the National Academy of Sciences. It also includes contributions from researchers Aritra Biswas 鈥�21MS 鈥�24PhD, Pablo Cencillo-Abad, Souptik Mukherjee, Jay Patel 鈥�25听补苍诲 Mahdi Soudi 鈥�25.

How it Works

Chanda鈥檚 approach uses phase modulation of a multilayer stack composed of a phase-changing material and a high-index material on a reflective surface. When the temperature shifts, the way light moves through the material changes, causing the surface color to change as well.

The technology combines several novel features:

• Large area fabrication without complex lithography, which is an expensive patterning method
• Reversible color change
• Precise control over dynamically customizable color
• Broad dynamic range that spans a large portion of visible color space

Earlier methods of developing structural color often relied on expensive electrochromic materials, mechanical actuation or photonic crystals, all of which are hindered by limited tunability, complex fabrication steps, lithographic patterning requirements and angular sensitivity. Achieving dynamic color switching in the visible range remains a significant challenge.

鈥淭he reliance on angle-dependent resonances or patterned nanostructures limits practical integration and scalability,鈥� Chanda says. 鈥淥vercoming these barriers is critical for advancing tunable structural color platforms toward real-world applications in flexible electronics, displays and wearable systems.鈥�

This new method can be used for creating large textiles, complex surfaces, and temperature-sensitive consumer product labeling.

Mimicking Nature for Dynamic Colors

The design draws inspiration from animals like octopuses, which change color by rearranging tiny structures in their skin rather than producing new pigments.

Chanda鈥檚 team created a layered design that can change color without being affected by viewing angle or direction of the incident light. It uses a very thin layer of VO鈧�, a material that changes phase from semiconductor to metal with temperature, placed on top of a thick aluminum layer to form a resonating cavity to trap and reflect light in a controlled way.

Pigment colorants control light absorption through a material鈥檚 electronic properties, which means each color needs a new molecule and isn鈥檛 affected by the surrounding environment. Structural colorants, like those found in octopuses, work differently: they control the way light is reflected, scattered or absorbed based on the geometrical arrangement of nanostructures, making them sensitive to changes in their surroundings.

鈥淗arnessing the reversible phase transition, the platform offers precise control over dynamically tunable color, opening avenues for applications in temperature sensing, displays, tunable colored fabrics and many other consumer products,鈥� Chanda says.

The bilayer structure is made using magnetron sputtering to deposit the phase-change material, a process that uses plasma to deposit thin film. It also uses electron-beam deposition to deposit the metal layer, which melts material with a focused electron beam to create precise coatings. This combination allows the structure to be applied to flexible substrates, making it suitable for large-scale production and wearable applications.

Looking Ahead

Chanda says the next steps of the project include further exploration of color space and roll-to-roll fabrication to improve its viability as a commercial and defense-related platform.

鈥淭his platform holds promise for a robust, scalable and dynamically tunable coloration platform with broad applicability, while demonstrating a proof-of-concept product that highlights its commercial and defense-related application potentials,鈥� Chanda says.

Licensing Opportunity

For more information about licensing this technology, visit .

Researcher Credentials

Chanda has joint appointments in 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center, the Department of Physics, and the College of Optics and Photonics. He received his doctoral degree in photonics from the University of Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined 麻豆原创 in Fall 2012.

This material is based upon work supported by the NSF Grant no. ECCS-1920840 and NGA Grant no. HM0476-20-1-0010. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF/NGA.

Their determined pursuit of excellence and transformation of knowledge into breakthroughs have catapulted 麻豆原创 to become Florida鈥檚 Next-Generation Preeminent University.

President Alexander N. Cartwright announced Monday that 麻豆原创 has reached the 12 metrics required to earn the designation of Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors. Qualifying for the state鈥檚 highest designation highlights 麻豆原创鈥檚 achievements in student success, research and more 鈥� and the talents and hard work of so many in the 麻豆原创 community who made this happen.

鈥淔rom the very beginning, 麻豆原创 has been a university that defies expectations, turning scrubland into a next-generation university built for discovery, innovation and opportunity,鈥� President Cartwright says. 鈥淩eaching the 12 metrics necessary for Florida鈥檚 Preeminent State Research University designation reflects the grit and ambition of our students, faculty, and staff, and the power of this community to dream bigger and achieve more. Preeminence is not an arrival point but a launchpad for an even bolder future.鈥�

鈥淭his is an extraordinary accomplishment, and one that reflects the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students, and leadership team 鈥� with this Board鈥檚 unwavering support,鈥� says Board of Trustees Chair Alex Martins ’01MBA. 鈥淚t is a milestone that belongs to the entire 麻豆原创 community, and I am proud we have reached this point together.鈥�

A Community Dedicated to Student Success

麻豆原创 adopted a new model of student success support in 2023 with academic success coaches. Each student is paired with a success coach who works one-on-one with them, helping them develop their academic and career goals, and guiding them on the path to success. Success coaches help remove barriers for students and empower them to thrive on campus and beyond.

When DirectConnect to 麻豆原创 student Hayley Ellis transferred from Daytona State College, she had to adjust to a much larger school in a new city. Mostly homeschooled growing up, Ellis is an aspiring pathologist double majoring in health sciences, and molecular and cellular biology.

Just as she began feeling overwhelmed in Organic Chemistry, senior academic success coach Christian Viau reached out to champion her success.

鈥淲hen I got [Christian鈥檚] email, I was like, 鈥楽omeone here wants me to succeed and help me map out my classes,鈥� 鈥� Ellis says. 鈥淭hat was a huge relief. It felt good to have someone there for me.鈥�

鈥淚 think providing [a] support system from inside the institution is vital. As a success coach, that鈥檚 a driving factor for me 鈥� because in my undergrad, I would鈥檝e loved to have someone I could lean on.鈥� 鈥� Christian Viau, senior academic success coach

Since then, they鈥檝e met several times to build a manageable academic schedule and discuss how to get involved and connect with Knights across campus.

Every student Viau works with receives individualized support. That includes Ellis, whom he knew needed extra help due to the unique challenges double majors face. Now approaching graduation, she鈥檚 stayed on track to finish in four years.

Thanks to the efforts of Viau and dozens of other academic success coaches across campus, along with caring faculty members who mentor students, and many other people, 麻豆原创 has increased our four-year graduation rate to 63.8%, which is up 14 percentage points in four years.

Another example of efforts that have greatly benefited students is in the College of Arts and Humanities, where faculty in writing and rhetoric are strengthening student success in first-year composition courses. Shane Wood, associate professor and director of first-year composition and Professor Sherry Rankins-Robertson facilitated a progress report initiative that identifies at-risk students early in Composition I and II courses. Students are then connected to support and resources to help them succeed in these subjects, which nearly every 麻豆原创 student takes, and which directly affect key preeminence metrics like freshman retention and four-year graduation rates.

鈥淪erving more than 6,500 students a year, success in these [composition] courses plays a pivotal role in helping students persevere at 麻豆原创 and ultimately graduate.鈥� 鈥� Shane Wood, associate professor

What began as a small pilot program with about 10% faculty participation has grown to be embraced by nearly 90% of instructors today. That shift has contributed to a remarkable 96% persistence rate, which measures percentage of students who continue, in composition courses 鈥� helping bolster student success across the university.

鈥淪erving more than 6,500 students a year, success in these courses plays a pivotal role in helping students persevere at 麻豆原创 and ultimately graduate,鈥� Wood says.

Rankins-Robertson says the initiative also reflects the dedication of faculty who support students from their very first semester.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make students feel like they belong here, and when they feel supported, they鈥檙e more likely to continue,鈥� Rankins-Robertson says. 鈥淧reeminence, to me, highlights the dedication of our faculty and the intentional ways they approach the classroom in order to make a meaningful impact on students鈥� lives.鈥�

From Ingenuity to Impact: Boosting Research Funding and Technology Transfer

麻豆原创鈥檚 world-class faculty are bold innovators who drive over $285 million in annual research expenditures across fields like space exploration, engineering, optics and photonics, modeling and simulation, healthcare, cybersecurity and more. Their work has helped 麻豆原创 become a National Academy of Inventors top 20 public university for patents in the U.S. 鈥� and meet preeminence metrics.

鈥淲hen the Office of Technology Transfer showcases 麻豆原创 innovations, we not only generate interest in licensing intellectual property, but also create pathways for industry partnerships that extend far beyond licensing alone.鈥� 聽鈥� Svetlana Shtrom 鈥�08MBA, director of Technology Transfer

The Office of Technology Transfer, which oversees the filing and issuance of patents, is part of the university鈥檚 Economic Development and Innovation division within the Office of Research. Technology Transfer plays an integral role in overseeing research commercialization, strengthening industry relationships and facilitating formation of new startup companies. Supporting the efforts of the Technology Transfer team are a host of 聽other Office of Research staff who submit proposals, process funding awards and much more.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 Office of Technology Transfer is dedicated to serving the university research community by identifying innovative research that has commercial potential and attracts interest from industry partners, entrepreneurs, and investors with the goal of bringing promising research results to the market for the betterment of society,鈥� says Svetlana Shtrom 鈥�08MBA, director of Technology Transfer.

Being a strong producer of patents enhances 麻豆原创鈥檚 national prominence, attracting more talented students and researchers who further fuel the cycle of innovation.

鈥淲e are committed to supporting researchers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders in turning ideas into impact,鈥� says Raju Nagaiah, Technology Transfer鈥檚 assistant director of licensing. 鈥淲e are passionateabout our work 鈥� we love science and technology, and get very excited when we learn about new inventions and the opportunity to improve people’s lives through innovation.鈥�

Companies frequently approach the Technology Transfer to explore available technologies, and this often leads to deeper research collaborations and more funding opportunities for faculty, Shtrom says.

Driving Student Achievement and Innovation

Preeminence also acknowledges the many ways that students excel in the classroom and transform ideas into impact.

Zackary Zuniga, a dual major undergraduate student studying photonics science and engineering, and electrical engineering, founded ZuLeris Interactive in 2023 after taking 麻豆原创鈥檚 Entrepreneurship for Defense course. The company, now part of the 麻豆原创 Business Incubation Program, creates immersive simulations for electromagnetic defense training.

鈥淎t 麻豆原创, I found a community that supported me every step of the way,鈥� Zuniga says. 鈥淔rom mentors to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, I鈥檝e never experienced this level of encouragement anywhere else.鈥�

Set to graduate in December, Zuniga and his team spent the summer on a national fellowship sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit, which focuses on helping startup companies. He credits 麻豆原创 for connecting him with opportunities that have shaped his startup, allowing it to make training more accessible and scalable.

Leading Florida鈥檚 Future

As 麻豆原创 attracts top talent, strengthens industry partnerships and drives innovation that benefits the state and nation, the university鈥檚 impact is felt across key sectors 鈥� from healthcare and nursing to space and defense 鈥� positioning 麻豆原创 as a vital contributor to Florida鈥檚 prosperity.

For the 2025-26 academic year, 麻豆原创 boasts its strongest class in years. The university received a record 65,900 applicants from first-year students for 8,100 spots in the Summer and Fall 2025 semesters. The average high school GPA for fall freshmen was 4.24 and the class posted a 1347 average SAT score.

What Comes Next

When it comes to preeminence, the Board of Governors must first verify the results of 麻豆原创鈥檚 12 metrics. Once verified, the 12 metrics will come before the 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees for approval in April 2026, and would then move onto the Board of Governors for certification and official designation in June.

President Cartwright shared that his priority for any new dollars that come with the official preeminence designation is investment in the faculty and staff who propel the university鈥檚 excellence.

From there, the sky is the limit as 麻豆原创 continues to build on our innovations in student success at scale, grow as Florida鈥檚 Premier University for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, and become a top 25 public research university.

鈥淲ithin a few decades, that鈥檒l be a real thing when you look at the trajectory of the space industry and how access to space is becoming less costly,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淓ven transportation to the moon is about to be revolutionized.鈥�

Metzger, who directs聽 鈥� a joint venture of 麻豆原创 and Space Florida that conducts and facilitates research in microgravity sciences 鈥� has developed inventions to meet those predictions while also relieving the Earth of many environmental burdens.

Here are some of Metzger鈥檚 latest inventions designed to help cost-effectively gather, use and manage resources, such as ice for water and fuel and lunar soil for building materials.

Extracting Lunar Ice for Water and Fuel

Does 鈥�Aqua Factorem!鈥� sound familiar to you Harry Potter fans? That鈥檚 the name that Metzger and his team gave to their device that鈥檚 a patented, low-cost system for extracting water from the moon. In the realm of Harry Potter, Aqua Factorem could translate to 鈥淲ater Maker,鈥� and the innovation paves the way for companies to operate facilities in space by harvesting and using the moon鈥檚 resources.

More than a decade ago, NASA discovered that the shadowy craters of the moon contained ice, metals and other valuable materials to support further space exploration. At that time, Metzger and other researchers started studying ice on the moon.

鈥淎 lot of different people were proposing ways to get the ice out of the soil to make rocket fuel,鈥� he says.

Through the years, Metzger says that a key obstacle has always been the amount of power needed to harvest and convert those resources into water, fuel and even air.

鈥淚t takes huge amounts of power to go down into these craters,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淎nd how do you get the power down into these dark craters on the moon? We were looking at things like beaming energy with lasers or gigantic mirrors to reflect the sunlight.鈥�

鈥淥ne day, I was thinking about the physical state of the ice in the lunar soil and realized that it鈥檚 granular, you know, grains of ice mixed in the soil rather than ice coating the grains of soil,鈥� he says.

Based on that geological insight, Metzger developed and led a NASA-funded study on methods for getting the ice out of the soil much less expensively.

鈥淩ather than heating it until it vaporizes in a lunar vacuum, catching the vapor and then refreezing it, we could simply sort the grains using several processes,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 proposed that we could reduce the energy by about 99%, and our study showed that we can reduce the power by 98.3%. Pretty darn good. So that means you don鈥檛 need these expensive types of energy systems. Instead, you can simply use fuel cells and just drive the fuel cells in and out of the craters.鈥�

The fuel cells would be regenerable, he says.

鈥淯sing sunlight, you split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and then you get the energy back by letting the hydrogen and oxygen recombine across a membrane,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淭hat fuel cell then drives the equipment in the crater from which you鈥檙e getting more water and bringing it back out again. The water also becomes your medium for transporting the energy to run the whole operation.鈥�

Metzger says using the moon鈥檚 resources for rocket fuel could help reduce the number of Earth鈥檚 rocket launches and in turn, help to protect its atmosphere.

With Aqua Factorem, Metzger says that a lunar rover could carry the device into one of the dark craters and set it on the聽ground. The rover would dig up soil that contains ice (frozen water that鈥檚 essentially asteroid and comet residue) and place it into the device, which would then separate the ice from the soil, making frozen water available, hence its name.

Later, another rover would take the ice and drive it outside the dark crater to a processing station in the sunlight.

鈥淵ou would clean up the ice, electrolyze it, and then chill that down to liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for rocket fuel,鈥� Metzger says.

In that scenario, he says a lander would transport the rocket fuel off the moon to a spacecraft to provide a boost service and then fly back and land on the moon on one tank of gas.

鈥淲e proved it can do that and then refuel and do it again,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e providing a method to boost spacecraft from the moon instead of launching rocket fuel from the Earth.鈥�

Metzger says that the operation reduces the energy required to harvest ice on the moon and would be profitable. It would also benefit the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere and environment by reducing the number of launches, he says.

鈥淲e quantified how much energy the whole thing would require and how big the solar cells would have to be,鈥� he says.

The team鈥檚 analysis of all the different system components, their power, mass and cost of making everything showed a viable architecture, relying only on the moon鈥檚 resources.

With that, Metzger says the technology has drawn the interest of at least 100 companies, many looking to mine the moon and asteroids.

As for the invention鈥檚 name, Metzger asked colleagues at the Florida Space Institute for ideas. 鈥淪omebody said, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you name it like in Harry Potter, one of those spells? Like Wingardium Leviosa?鈥欌�� So, the team looked up Latin words for 鈥渨ater makers鈥� and named the invention Aqua Factorem,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like magic because you pour in the soil, and the system magically separates the ice grains from the soil grains,鈥� he says.

For more information about the invention, see the聽听补苍诲 the聽.

Sintering Lunar Soil for Building Projects on the Moon

Metzger鈥檚 work on the ice extraction problem led to the next invention, a method for sintering lunar soil for construction materials. During the Aqua Factorem research, Metzger and his team ran experiments to magnetically separate the moon鈥檚 soil and ice.

鈥淭o sort the lunar sand grains from the ice grains, we use a combination of magnetic and electric vibration or electrostatics,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e showed that it鈥檚 very efficient. You can get a high rate of flow of the soil through the magnetic field and get good separation.鈥�

At that time, he recalled a study he had done at NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) years earlier.

鈥淚n that study, one of the tasks that the team wanted me to do was figure out the best way to build a landing pad on the moon,鈥� he says.

In the JPL study, Metzger found several ways to build landing pads.

鈥淪intering, spraying polymer on the soil to stick the soil together, baking the soil in an oven to make pavers,鈥� he says.

He even considered using microwaves, but that required too much energy. The JPL team eventually found that the cost of the power and equipment on the moon was not competitive.

鈥淎nd so again, it came down to finding a way to do it with less energy,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat was when I realized if we magnetically sort the sand, the magnetic soil can absorb microwaves better than the nonmagnetic soil.

鈥淚t seemed highly likely that the more magnetic soil would absorb the microwaves better, so that was my hypothesis,鈥� Metzger says.

Based on that, he and the 麻豆原创 team sought and obtained funding, performed experiments, and proved that the new process could reduce the power by 70%.

He also analyzed actual lunar soil, studying the microwave susceptibility and the magnetic susceptibility of all the different minerals and glass in the soil.

鈥淚 created a model that predicts that if you used real lunar soil, you would indeed reduce the energy by 70%,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he model nearly matched the experimental results. After that came an economic analysis. It showed that the cost of building a landing pad on the moon could be reduced by several hundred million dollars by using this process.鈥�

Metzger describes the process for making a viable, affordable landing pad using the moon鈥檚 resources.

鈥淵ou scoop up the soil and run it through a magnetic field to separate the nonmagnetic soil from the magnetic soil,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou lay down the nonmagnetic soil first, then the magnetic soil on top of that, and then apply microwaves to it. The better absorption in the top layer causes the soil to melt into lava. The process results in the lava solidifying into rock, a solid pad like concrete.鈥�

As a bonus, Metzger pointed out that the cost-saving landing pads could help toward cooperation among nations.

鈥淲e can build landing pads all around the moon and make them international so that any country is allowed to use them,鈥� he says.

For more information about the invention, see the聽.

Ongoing and Related Work

As for the future, Metzger plans to build the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education into something worthy of both the late theoretical physicist and cosmologist, and 麻豆原创.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a vital need for academia to extend into space,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e moving economic activity beyond Earth, so that鈥檚 going to be very good for the planet. It will give us new abilities to reduce our environmental footprint, to understand our environmental impact on the Earth and how to manage it. It鈥檚 also going to create a more vibrant civilization.鈥�

鈥溌槎乖� is going to play a leading role in advancing academia beyond planet Earth over the coming decades, and I鈥檓 excited to be at the university for that reason,鈥� Metzger adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 positioned to truly be the space university, playing an important role as we go into this new world, starting with the moon and asteroids, and then Mars and beyond.鈥�

When asked what he thinks industry in space will look like, Metzger has an unexpected answer.

鈥淪ome people think you can move most of industry into space and then bring manufactured goods back down from space. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 a very viable idea. I could be wrong,鈥� he says. 鈥淚nstead, it would be better to put computing and power generation into space. You can beam clean energy down from space, and you can beam data down from space.鈥�

He explains computer growth on Earth will prove to be an energy hog.

鈥淐omputing is growing exponentially, especially with artificial intelligence,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ithin a few decades, more energy will be spent computing than everything else combined. So, by moving computing off the Earth into space, we can reduce our environmental burden on the planet.鈥�

鈥淲e also want to reduce the number of rocket launches because rocket launches harm the atmosphere,鈥� Metzger says.

He thinks that 10-20 years from now, we could be launching 12 giant rockets a day.

鈥淭hat will be above the limit 鈥� where it is harming the atmosphere,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淲e can reduce that by about a factor of 10 if we start using resources on the moon and asteroids and launching rockets from those locations. We can protect Earth鈥檚 atmosphere by using resources in space.鈥�

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials

With almost 30 years of experience at NASA, Metzger has been helping to make the dream of space travel a reality. The planetary scientist started as part of the Space Shuttle team right out of college. After retiring early, he joined the 麻豆原创聽聽in 2014 and became The Hawking Center director in late 2023. His research includes studies of extraterrestrial soil mechanics, characterizing lunar and Martian soil simulants, and modeling the migration of space equipment in the airless and microgravity environment.

When Metzger joined 麻豆原创 in 2014, he started as a research professor in planetary science and space technology at the Florida Space Institute. He researches asteroid, lunar and Martian regolith and exploration technology. He has also developed small spacecraft technology to mine and use water for steam propulsion. A 麻豆原创 Knight through and through, Metzger holds a doctorate and master鈥檚 degree in physics from 麻豆原创.

Technology Available for License

To learn more about Metzger鈥檚 work and additional potential licensing or sponsored research opportunities, contact聽Raju Nagaiah聽(raju@ucf.edu) at (407) 882-0593.

King was one of five winners of the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize, which recognizes innovators who are reaching beyond the traditional conservation community to foster technology-driven solutions that can solve conservation challenges.

King鈥檚 method, which has been named The Antheater, is a mobile, high-volume, water heating machine of 150 degrees Fahrenheit or higher that injects hot water into the mounds of fire ants in order to suppress them and does not disturb or affect other species nesting nearby. The system can potentially be used on other ground nesting insects as well.

King has been working on this technology for the last decade in order to get it patented and licensed. He started his research and prototype as part of his postdoctoral work at a different university and collaborated with an agricultural fabricator when he came to 麻豆原创.

Over the years the prototypes for King鈥檚 invention varied from a 20-gallon boiling pot to a coal-fired kiln. He ended up creating a fuel-powered machine that heats up the water before being injected directly into ant colonies.

The Antheater has been proven effective in defense of threatened and endangered wildlife affected by fire ants, including beach nesting sea turtles and Florida grasshopper sparrows. The system also has potential in a variety of pest control scenarios in urban, suburban and agricultural settings where ant control is desirable without the use of pesticides.

For information about licensing this technology, see this fact sheet:

Researcher Credentials

King received his doctoral degree in entomology from the University of Florida. His research and laboratory are focused on community assembly and species invasions of natural and human-altered landscapes.

The worldwide rankings, , place 麻豆原创 in a tie with Yale University (57) and ahead of U.S. institutions such as Vanderbilt (56), Princeton (44) and Florida State University (38).

The NAI rankings may be further adjusted as patent corrections are submitted by universities.

This is the 11^th year that 麻豆原创 has ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for patents.

鈥淚nnovation is at the heart of our mission at 麻豆原创, and these latest patent rankings reaffirm our commitment to pushing boundaries and making impactful advancements,” says Winston V. Schoenfeld, 麻豆原创鈥檚 interim vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淭he range of inventions reflects the dedication and ingenuity of our researchers across the research enterprise, and their efforts continue to position 麻豆原创 as a leader in innovation, both nationally and globally.”

The patents were secured by 麻豆原创鈥檚聽, which brings discoveries to the marketplace and connects 麻豆原创 researchers with companies and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into successful products.

Svetlana Shtrom听鈥�08MBA, director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Technology Transfer Office, says university patents are a valuable asset for universities, industry and society.

鈥淧atents facilitate transfer of technology from universities and foster collaboration between academia and the private sector,鈥� Shtrom says.聽鈥淭hrough collaboration with industry, university technologies provide solutions to pressing problems and create new products and services that benefit the public.鈥�

She says the patents also reflect the commitment of the university鈥檚 researchers to innovation, and they serve as a beacon to attract more students and faculty who are interested in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship.

Here are a few of the 麻豆原创 inventions that led to patents in 2023:

Passive Insect Surveillance Sensor Device
Lead researcher: Bradley Willenberg, assistant professor, 麻豆原创

麻豆原创 researchers have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use device for detection of mosquitos and other insects that also indicates whether an insect carries a specific infectious disease. Through simple color-based tests (colorimetric assays) and biomolecular tools for detection (DNA aptamers conjugated to nanoparticles), a user can monitor viral presence in insect saliva samples. By doing so, various mosquito-borne emerging pathogens, including Zika, Dengue, and Chikunguya, can be detected.聽 The easily deployable technology can potentially help in the global fight and prevention against these deadly diseases. The .

Antiplasmodial Compounds
Lead researcher: Debopam Chakrabarti, professor and head,

This technology is a method of treatment for malaria by administration of specific fungus-derived compounds. Annually, malaria affects more than 200 million people and kills more than 600,000. Caused by Plasmodium parasites carried in mosquitos, an effective treatment is desperately needed. 麻豆原创 researchers used a聽 library of fungi found in habitats and ecological niches across the U.S. to find potential antimalarial compounds. The unique chemicals they identified provide starting points for developing lead compounds of new drugs against malaria. The research team is .

Coating for Capturing and Killing Viruses on Surfaces
Lead researcher: Suditpa Seal, Pegasus Professor and chair,

This technology is a nano-coating designed to capture, hold and kill viruses on a surface, such as on personal protective equipment and clothing, using natural light sources to protect against infections.

The COVID-killing coating is made with a nanomaterial that activates under white light, such as sunlight or LED light. As long as the nanomaterial is exposed to a continuous light source, it can regenerate its antiviral properties, creating a self-cleaning effect.

The efficacy of the disinfectant was shown through a study that was published in聽ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces聽this past year. The study found that the coating can not only destroy the COVID-19 virus, but it can also聽combat the spread of Zika virus, SARS, parainfluenza, rhinovirus and vesicular stomatitis.

Production of Nanoporous Films
Lead researcher: Yang Yang, associate professor,

麻豆原创 researchers have created , such as for fuel cells, hydrogen production, photocatalysts, sensing and energy storage, and electrodes in supercapacitors. The method improves performance and versatility and does not require use of costly precious metals, such as gold. Instead, the 麻豆原创 technology uses low-cost, earth-abundant resources such as iron, cobalt and nickel. The nanoporous thin films are designed to help meet today鈥檚 challenges in renewable energy production and conversion applications.

Method of Forming High-Throughput 3d Printed Microelectrode Array
Lead researcher: Swaminathan Rajaraman, associate professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention is a . The device has small channels and chambers that guide liquids, like samples or chemicals, to a central area where there are special electrodes. These electrodes can send and record electrical signals from tiny groups of cells called spheroids. Scientists can use this to see how cells react to different conditions and substances. The innovation offers an easy way to study biological cells, tissues and electrophysiological responses. The technology can help lead to advancements in disease modeling, toxicity assessments and drug discovery.

Adaptive Visual Overlay for Anatomical Simulation
Lead researcher: Greg Welch, Pegasus Professor, AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation,

This anatomical simulation allows users to wear a head-mounted display that presents an anatomical scenario onto a patient to allow for medical training, surgical training or other instruction. Users who experience the simulation will see a real body part or other anatomical items projected through an augmented reality system. The innovative, and provides constant, dynamic feedback to medical trainees as they treat wounds. Almost like a video game in real-life, the Tactile-Visual Wound Simulation Unit portrays the look, feel, and even the smell of different types of human wounds (such as a puncture, stab, slice or tear). It also tracks and analyzes a trainee’s treatment responses and provides corrective instructions.

System for Extracting Water from Lunar Regolith and Associated Method
Lead researcher: Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS鈥�05PhD, associate scientist,

This invention is and help to establish the industry. The process consists of robot mining of the regolith (loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock), transferring the mined material to a conveyer, and passing the soil through grinding and crushing stages. Included are mechanisms to sort the material into ice, metals, and other minerals, and final transport and cleanup. This technology allows mining water on the moon, which supports NASA missions, enables further commercial operations in space, and supports Space Force activities.

Inorganic Paint Pigment with Plasmonic Aluminum Reflector Layers and Related Methods
Lead researcher: Debashis Chanda, professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention, a plasmonic paint, draws inspiration from butterflies to create the first environmentally friendly, large-scale and multicolor alternative to pigment-based colorants, which can contribute to energy-saving efforts and help reduce impacts on climate.

The plasmonic paint uses nanoscale structural arrangement of colorless materials 鈥� aluminum and aluminum oxide 鈥� instead of pigments to create colors.

While pigment colorants control light absorption based on the electronic property of the pigment material, hence every color needs a new molecule, structural colorants control the way light is reflected, scattered or absorbed based on the geometrical arrangement of nanostructures.

Such structural colors are environmentally friendly as they only use metals and oxides, unlike pigment-based colors that use artificially synthesized molecules.

The researchers have combined their structural color flakes with a commercial binder to form long-lasting paints of all colors. And because plasmonic paint reflects the entire infrared spectrum, less heat is absorbed by the paint, resulting in the underneath surface staying 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it would if it were covered with standard commercial paint.

Plasmonic paint is also lightweight, a result of the paint’s large area-to-thickness ratio, with full coloration achieved at a paint thickness of only 150 nanometers, making it the lightest paint in the world.

System and Method for Radio Frequency Power Sensing and Scavenging Based on Phonon-electron Coupling in Acoustic Waveguides
Lead researcher: Hakhamanesh Mansoorzare 鈥�21, postdoctoral researcher,

To meet the growing energy needs of the internet of things (IoT) and wireless communication systems, this new technology is .

The invention harvests ambient energy, specifically radio frequency electromagnetic waves, the most abundant form of communication among IoT nodes and hubs.

The technology can reduce the electronic industry鈥檚 reliance on batteries and broaden the expansion of the IoT and its energy needs.

To further tap into the hidden gems of research produced by faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, 麻豆原创 is initiating a new program backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) with mentoring from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The $6 million, NSF-funded interdisciplinary project, led by Ivan Garibay, an associate professor in the will create a 麻豆原创 Venture Lab that supports budding entrepreneurs through the commercialization process and establishes a newly organized research umbrella at the university.

The funding for the 麻豆原创 Venture Lab is provided through NSF鈥檚 Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, housed in the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. 麻豆原创 is one of 18 U.S. universities to receive funding through this newly established program.

“NSF endeavors to empower academic institutions to build the pathways and structures needed to speed and scale their research into products and services that benefit the nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in a release. “The Accelerating Research Translation program in NSF鈥檚 new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate identifies, and champions institutions positioned to expand their research translation capacity by investing in activities essential to move results to practice.”

The 麻豆原创 Venture Lab will train and enable faculty, graduate students and postdocs to identify and launch viable businesses based on their novel research. It will provide guidelines on business development, match 麻豆原创 researchers with relevant industry partners and, for a select few, provide funding through the NSF ART grant. The entity will be modeled after the business startup program at Georgia Tech, which will provide mentorship during the development phase.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 world-class faculty are preparing students to work and lead in the industries of tomorrow, and we are grateful to the NSF for their support in enabling us to speed up research, discovery, and entrepreneurship,鈥� says 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淲orking with Georgia Institute of Technology, which will serve as a mentoring institution, we look forward to expanding pathways for ideas, products, and programs that make positive impacts on society and keep pace with the speed of innovation.鈥�

Garibay says after comparing notes with Georgia Tech, the project team realized they would benefit from a Venture Lab dedicated to the commercialization of 麻豆原创 research.

鈥淲e plan to create that infrastructure here at 麻豆原创 and hope to accelerate the growth of these businesses,鈥� Garibay says.

Community and Societal Impact

Georgia Tech will serve as a mentoring partner for 麻豆原创鈥檚 Venture Lab development. Keith McGregor, the founder of the Georgia Tech VentureLab, will serve as one of the mentors to the 麻豆原创 team, which includes co-principal investigators Carolina Cruz-Neira, a professor in the ; Cameron Ford, an associate professor in the , Svetlana Shtrom, the director of the ; and Winston Schoenfeld, interim vice president for research and innovation. The University of Florida will also collaborate on the project, providing input that will help 麻豆原创 adapt Georgia Tech鈥檚 model to the Florida ecosystem.

Locally, the program is expected to have a positive impact on the Orlando area.

鈥淐entral Florida is mostly a service-based economy,鈥� Garibay says. 鈥淥ur median salary is below the nationwide average. The 麻豆原创 Venture Lab will foster creation of technology companies, which will generate high-paying jobs and will attract a lot of growth to this area.鈥�

The program will also provide pathways for local industry to partner with 麻豆原创 researchers. Organizations such as DeepWork Capital, the Entrepreneurs Alliance of Orlando and the National Security Innovation Network have already agreed to mentor the 麻豆原创 entrepreneurs and to participate in the ART project advisory board.

ART Seed Translational Research Projects

Multiple seed translational research projects will be selected for funding through the ART program. The first project, led by Professor Guifang Li of the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), will establish a prototype receiver capable of high-speed space-to-ground laser communication that resists atmospheric turbulence. Once the prototype is developed, Li and his team plan to test the project at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Potential clients for the receiver include Blue Origin, OneWeb Technologies and SpaceX.

The second project is led by Center for Research in Computer Vision Assistant Professor Yogesh Rawat. He plans to develop a prototype software that can detect human activities shown in live video streams while ensuring that private information isn鈥檛 exposed. The software would be used in surveillance systems to identify emergency situations or potential threats to public safety so that law enforcement or first responders could act quickly to prevent harm.

Other seed translational research projects will be selected through a university competition that will commence next August. 麻豆原创 researchers from all disciplines will be encouraged to apply.

Education Through Action

麻豆原创 graduates like Wolfe, Drake and countless others were able to launch their businesses with the aid of the skills they developed at 麻豆原创 as well as the encouragement they received from 麻豆原创 researchers and business development programs. To keep the pipeline of Knight-trepreneurs flowing, the NSF ART grant will enhance 麻豆原创鈥檚 educational offerings in entrepreneurship.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Business Administration courses already offered in this topic would expand to allow graduate students and postdocs to take the courses, allowing for a greater diversity of knowledge, skill and perspective in the classroom.

The goal is to instill an entrepreneurial skillset in the next generation so they can better qualify for jobs in changing industries or launch and grow their own business ventures, says Ford, who is also the executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad and the director for the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

鈥淭he careers that our students are going into are dynamic,鈥� Ford says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a lot of changes and disruptions to the industries they work in, so our students need to be adaptable and resilient. They can add value to the companies they work for if they can learn to solve novel problems and execute initiatives. It鈥檚 not enough to innovate solutions 鈥� the goal is to deliver innovations to those who need them, improving social and economic wellbeing in the process.鈥�

Garibay says that, for engineering students in particular, learning about entrepreneurship can change their whole mindset.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 life-changing,鈥� Garibay says. 鈥淓ntrepreneurship is something we鈥檝e done for a long time and the feedback that I get back from students is that it鈥檚 transformative.鈥�

麻豆原创 Innovate

The NSF ART program doesn鈥檛 just allow 麻豆原创 to create a business hub and enhance graduate education 鈥� it also establishes a new research umbrella for the university called 麻豆原创 Innovate. This enhanced infrastructure will bring together the Office of Technology Transfer, the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Business Incubation Program along with the developing Venture Lab. 麻豆原创 Innovate will be overseen by Schoenfeld, who leads the Office of Research.

鈥溌槎乖� has been consistently ranked as a leading technology-generating institution with a strong entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and students,鈥� Schoenfeld says. 鈥淭he NSF ART program leverages this to drive new levels of technology translation that ensures strong societal benefit from the innovation across 麻豆原创.鈥�

Shtrom says that through the ART program, the Office of Technology Transfer will strengthen and enhance the university鈥檚 commercialization infrastructure to transform promising research results into products that solve pressing problems and improve people鈥檚 lives.

鈥淭he NSF funding will allow us to dedicate resources toward cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset and culture at 麻豆原创, increasing the number of startup companies launched to commercialize university technologies, and growing funding and licensing revenue to support and expand the research enterprise,鈥� Shtrom says. 鈥溌槎乖� is committed to nurturing and sustaining this virtuous cycle of research and innovation to maximize impact for 麻豆原创, Central Florida, and the nation.鈥�

Top awards included funding for the 麻豆原创-led mission to the moon鈥檚 mysterious Gruithuisen Domes and for .

麻豆原创 also continuously ranks as one of the top, patent-producing public universities in the world, and its Office of Technology Transfer, which brings researchers鈥� innovations to the marketplace, secured 56 U.S. patents in fiscal year 2023.

These patents included a coating for capturing and killing viruses on surfaces as well as methods of artificial intelligence-assisted infrastructure assessment using mixed reality systems.

The coating was developed collaboratively by researchers with the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) and the College of Medicine (COM), and the AI-assisted infrastructure assessment technology was developed by researchers in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering and the Department of Computer Science within CECS.

The Office of Technology Transfer also executed 26 licenses and options and facilitated the introduction of 24 new products on the market in fiscal year 2023. These products included new models of the that is sold in many major home improvement stores and a composite material that has aluminum particles dispersed in a continuous phase, which is used as a high-performance solid propellant.

Key federal funders for fiscal year 2023 were the U.S. Department of Defense ($31.21 million), the U.S. National Science Foundation ($26.95 million), NASA ($22.91 million), and the National Institutes of Health ($19.63).

Colleges receiving top funding were College of Sciences ($43 million), CECS ($40 million), and COM ($21 million).

“麻豆原创’s remarkable growth in research funding is a testament to our commitment to pioneering innovation,鈥� says Winston V. Schoenfeld, 麻豆原创鈥檚 interim vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淭he record-breaking $217 million in sponsored awards reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students and their relentless pursuit of knowledge and transformative projects like the moon’s Gruithuisen Domes mission and our impactful Center for Community Schools.鈥�

鈥淥ur Office of Technology Transfer is a showcase of innovation, bridging discoveries to real-world applications, as evident in groundbreaking technologies like virus-killing coatings and AI-assisted infrastructure assessment systems,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he collaborative efforts across colleges showcase our interdisciplinary strength in driving impactful advancements. We鈥檙e proud of our researchers鈥� dedication and the work they are doing reinforcing 麻豆原创’s position as a top research university.鈥�

To learn more about this year鈥檚 success stories, visit the .

That鈥檚 why 麻豆原创 researchers have developed four new inventions that use artificial intelligence and virtual reality to improve the structural health monitoring of buildings, bridges, roads and other civil structures.

鈥淪tructural health monitoring is an area of need internationally,鈥� says Necati Catbas, a Lockheed Martin St. Laurent Professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering. 鈥淚t’s almost like human health monitoring. As we get older, monitoring our health becomes very, very critical.鈥�

Catbas, who lead the development of the structural health monitoring technologies, says civil infrastructure systems in developed countries are aging but these new technologies can help.

鈥淏y better understanding their conditions, we can anticipate risks and better prioritize infrastructure investments,鈥� he says.

Catbas says that traditional monitoring methods involve onsite visual inspection, which can be both time-consuming and costly with manual inspections and can create road and bridge traffic closures.

In addition to time and expense, sites with aging or damaged structures can pose dangers to those at the site, even if they wear personal protective equipment.

Catbas and his research team developed the technologies to help address these issues.

鈥淚 am very lucky to have collaborated with many people who have expertise in structural health monitoring over the years, and I have to acknowledge their contribution,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t’s not a one-person effort.鈥�

Monitoring Structural Health Using Computer Vision and Augmented/Virtual Reality

One invention Catbas and his team developed employs computer vision, while another uses augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

He says computer vision can complement sensors and visual inspection of structural health, and that it is very practical because it doesn鈥檛 require access structures such as bridges, buildings, or towers.

鈥淲e can use the camera, and by analyzing the images, we can extract meaningful information about these bridges and buildings,鈥� he says.

The technology, a , enables inspectors to safely view and accurately assess the load-worthiness and serviceability of structures without having to be onsite.

Catbas says that the 麻豆原创 invention uses cameras stationed on and around a structure, like a bridge, to collect image and location data related to the structure鈥檚 use. In the bridge example, the data relates to vehicles crossing it. The data can include the vertical or horizontal displacement of girders caused by their movement, vibrational effects and velocity. While the cameras continually monitor the site, computer vision software processes and analyzes the collected data, providing system users with a safety assessment that includes information about structural changes and weaknesses, as well as immediate damage.

The second invention that the team developed is an that uses VR and AR to analyze structures via 鈥渧irtual visits.鈥� VR provides a completely computer-simulated environment, while AR generates or overlays content onto actual views of a real-world environment.

鈥淲ith this technology, you can virtually bring experts to disaster areas, such as buildings and bridges, like after a hurricane,鈥� Catbas says. 鈥淚 can virtually be on a damaged bridge in Florida discussing decisions with colleagues who might be in California.鈥�

Like the first invention, the visualization system provides damage detection and load-carrying information about a structure using cameras and sensors. Additionally, it employs other tools such as robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, LiDAR scanners and infrared thermography cameras. With its visualization platform, the technology provides the collected data and images via a user interface and sophisticated computer graphics. The result is a real-time view of a site and the ability to interact and communicate with people from different locations: onsite, across the country, and even globally.

Enhancing Inspections and Structural Damage Diagnostics Using Artificial Intelligence

Two other inventions developed by Catbas and his team incorporate AI. First, the blends human-centric AI with mixed reality to help fast-track inspection processes and keep costs down while ensuring accuracy. With this invention, an inspector standing outside a damaged building could wear a headset and/or use a hand-held device integrated with the technology.

The inspector uses the items to scan the damaged areas, which the system analyzes in real-time, saving the inspector from having to perform manual measurements. It then calculates or assesses the building鈥檚 condition, thus speeding the inspection process. During the assessment, the inspector interacts with the AI and can adjust its defect and detection boundaries. The system uses the inspector鈥檚 changes to retrain the AI model so that the AI’s accuracy improves over time. A major advantage of the invention is its ability to combine the professional judgment of an inspector/engineer with the AI鈥檚 analytical power.

The other invention, the , enables a more proactive approach to managing and maintaining the health and safety of structures. It uses AI to predict damage and minimize the need for data collection from many structures.

鈥淚nstead of putting sensors and devices on all structures, we can collect data from just a few of them,鈥� Catbas says.

He explained that collecting useful data from sensors about damaged structures is expensive and challenging.

鈥淭here is not enough data from damaged areas to train detection models,鈥� he says. 鈥淵et, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms used with AI yield better, more accurate output using big data sets. As a solution to the data scarcity in civil structural health monitoring applications, the invention takes data collected from structures. It uses model variants of the GAN architecture to generate large, accurate synthetic data samples to train damage diagnostics systems.

“Then, by using AI, we can better understand what’s going on with other similar structures and more effectively decide how to respond,鈥� he says.

The technology can predict the dynamic response of a structure change before damage conditions occur. It鈥檚 also possible to create potential future conditions of structures, such as generating data showing what a healthy bridge鈥檚 response would be after damage compared to the response of an unhealthy bridge.

Catbas says that the inventions can be used independently or together. For more information,

Upcoming Projects

Catbas says that his team鈥檚 future research plans include a framework for cities and towns to use.

鈥淚t enhances community resilience by providing valuable insights for disaster preparedness, resource allocation and evacuation planning,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he framework improves emergency management by enabling informed decision-making during crises.鈥�

They are also developing a 鈥渄igital twin鈥� of infrastructure assets, like the way NASA uses replicas of spacecraft components.

“They have those components on the ground, and if something happens, they work with these replicas,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, this twin, in a sense, allows us to collect data simultaneously and work on different structure scenarios using predictive analysis.鈥�

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials

Catbas holds a doctorate in structural engineering from the University of Cincinnati. After postdoctoral studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia, he joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2003 and is the founding director of the Civil Infrastructure Technologies for Resilience and Safety (CITRS) Initiative. His research covers various aspects of civil engineering, including analysis, design, and assessment of civil infrastructure systems, structural health monitoring, structural identification, and structural dynamics and earthquake engineering.

Technology Available for License

To learn more about Catbas鈥� work and additional potential licensing or sponsored research opportunities, contact Raju.Nagaiah (Raju.Nagaiah@ucf.edu) at (407)-882-0593.

While trying to find a way to store renewable energy (like solar and wind) and then use it when needed, 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor Jayanta Kapat and researchers Marcel Otto and Ladislav Vesely found that NASA鈥檚 Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC) could be part of the solution.

The 麻豆原创 team recently invented a way to cost-efficiently convert excess renewable energy to hydrogen and oxygen and store it long-term 鈥� days, weeks or even months. Later, when the energy is needed, it鈥檚 reconverted and added to the electrical grid. That on-demand capability enables power companies to meet and balance the energy needs of a community not just from day to day, but from season to season.

Kapat, who directs the 麻豆原创 , says that lithium battery systems are fine for short periods 鈥� a few hours to a day.

鈥淏ut suppose a hurricane comes and causes a blackout for a week?鈥� he says. 鈥淥r it鈥檚 a very bad winter out West and they do not have a lot of renewable resources?鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about having the morning to night kind of storage, but it is from one season to another season kind of storage too,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ummer could be a time when you鈥檝e got excess energy, like solar, and winter could be a time when you need the energy.鈥�

Blending Renewable Energy for the Electrical Grid

Designed to help resolve that kind of mismatch between demand and available power, the 麻豆原创 invention (called an H2/O2 Direct-fired sCO2 Power System) blends the use of renewables to keep electrical grids going.

鈥淲e use that excess electricity from renewables to electrolyze water and make hydrogen and oxygen, and then we store them separately,鈥� Kapat says.

Later, when electricity is needed, the 麻豆原创 technology combines the stored hydrogen and oxygen in a combustion chamber. The combination forms water, which heats and mixes with supercritical sCO2. Part of the closed-loop power system, sCO2 is a nontoxic, nonflammable, low-cost working fluid used to run turbine systems that generate electricity.

Kapat says the technology is a closed system without any nitrogen or air present and recycles the water from the combustion, storing it in a reservoir for the next cycle.

With NASA鈥檚 CFCs as the storage mechanism, the 麻豆原创 system can house the hydrogen and oxygen separately using conduits and pressure valves until they are needed. The CFCs contain retention material that adsorbs the hydrogen and oxygen for storage. They keep the gases at liquid-like densities, applying moderate pressures and temperatures without the need for liquefaction.

鈥淪o, the energy requirement as compared to liquid hydrogen weighs less over time, making it more attractive for long-term storage,鈥� he says.

Safeguarding the Environment

One of the benefits of the technology over other systems is that it does not emit harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) since air is not included in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion process. These are known for causing acid rain, smog and gases that damage the ozone layer.

A second environmental plus is that the system can be installed and operated in an area with little or no water sources.

鈥淲e do not have to worry about where to get the water,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淪o, there鈥檚 no need to constantly use groundwater or water from sources like rivers and lakes.鈥�

Vesely says another benefit of the technology is its compact size.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need much of a footprint to build the system,鈥� he says.

Looking Beyond Power Grids

Otto says in addition to traditional power grids, the invention could be used for other applications.

鈥淚 could see using this technology as a backup system for a data center, a hospital or some facility that needs to be available 24/7,鈥� Otto says. 鈥淥r to reduce the emissions capacity to replace a diesel generator.鈥�

In agreement, Kapat notes that the power generation market is changing drastically, and the idea of a large central power grid supplied by a utility company may not exist in 20 years as it does today.

For example, he says that instead of one system powering hundreds of thousands of homes, there could be a group of smaller systems each powering a few thousand for a local community.

鈥淏y doing this in distributed systems, the whole structure becomes more resilient and not everybody gets affected,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hus, a smaller portion of people get affected because everybody else can live off their own energy storage system.鈥�

This format also offers more control, he says.

In the case of an upcoming hurricane, an area might determine that severe weather could cause a maximum outage of one week. In preparation, the area would split the water and store the resulting hydrogen and oxygen.

鈥淚f it ends up being enough for four weeks, then you know that you can survive for four weeks,鈥� Kapat says.

The invention supports the storage needs of other industries, such as aviation, too.

鈥淧lanes cannot be directly powered by solar or electricity 鈥� we need the fuel,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淗ydrogen can be used there too, where we convert renewables into a storable chemical and then use it.鈥�

As for future plans, Kapat says the team is continuing to research ways to optimize the storage. They are also promoting the technology to the U.S. Department of Energy and working to secure funding for more testing.

For more information about the invention,

Technology Available for License

To learn more about the research team鈥檚 work and additional potential licensing or sponsored research opportunities, contact Andrea Adkins (andrea.adkins@ucf.edu) at (407) 823.0138.