engineering

Feb 17, 2011

The French Connection

Like many prospective engineers, Quentin Vermont is here in part to broaden his job prospects. But unlike most other engineers on campus, Vermont is pursuing a degree from the France-based SKEMA Business School, which opened its first U.S. campus at NC State last month. 

Feb 2, 2011

New Technique Boosts High-Power Potential For Gallium Nitride Electronics

Gallium nitride (GaN) material holds promise for emerging high-power devices that are more energy efficient than existing technologies – but these GaN devices traditionally break down when exposed to high voltages. Now researchers at North Carolina State University have solved the problem, introducing a buffer that allows the GaN devices to handle 10 times greater… 

Feb 1, 2011

Raw Power: Buffers Boost GaN Device Capacity

Gallium nitride (GaN) devices are supposed to be the next big thing in power electronics (think electric cars or smart grid). Or they would be, if they didn’t keep breaking when exposed to high voltages. New research may have solved that problem by implanting buffers made of argon that allow the devices to handle ten… 

Jan 31, 2011

New Hardware Boosts Communication Speed On Multi-Core Chips

Computer engineers at North Carolina State University have developed hardware that allows programs to operate more efficiently by significantly boosting the speed at which the “cores” on a computer chip communicate with each other. 

Jan 27, 2011

Hacked? Go Back In Time To Protect Yourself

If a hacker gets control of your computer’s operating system (OS), you’re hosed. The OS basically gives them control over everything. But researchers have now come up with a nifty combo of hardware and software that effectively lets you go back in time if you’re hacked – re-setting the OS to its happier, pre-attack condition… 

Jan 27, 2011

ARPA-E Grant Will Fund NC State Research On Smart Grid Technologies

A new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will support North Carolina State University efforts to develop new technologies essential to the development of a “smart grid” that can easily store and distribute energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. 

Jan 26, 2011

Into The Void: Boosting LED Energy Efficiency

LEDs are already vaunted as an energy-efficient technology for lighting, but new research shows that their efficiency can be increased by a factor of two. A paper describing the work shows that the secret is to decrease the number of defects in the gallium nitride (GaN) films used to create LEDs by incorporating cleverly placed… 

Jan 26, 2011

Hardware, Software Advances Help Protect Operating Systems From Attack

The operating system (OS) is the backbone of your computer. If the OS is compromised, attackers can take over your computer – or crash it. Now researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an efficient system that utilizes hardware and software to restore an OS if it is attacked. 

Jan 25, 2011

Voiding Defects: New Technique Makes LED Lighting More Efficient

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an increasingly popular technology for use in energy-efficient lighting. Researchers from North Carolina State University have now developed a new technique that reduces defects in the gallium nitride (GaN) films used to create LEDs, making them more efficient. 

Jan 20, 2011

Quick, Quick, Slow: Fast And Slow Memory Now In One Device

Want a computer that is functional as soon as you hit the power button (no lag time)? Wish that those enormous server farms didn’t gobble quite as much energy? You’re in luck! Researchers have developed a new device that should enable both of these things. The trick? Combining two memory functions into a single device.… 

Jan 20, 2011

New Device May Revolutionize Computer Memory

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new device that represents a significant advance for computer memory, making large-scale “server farms” more energy efficient and allowing computers to start more quickly. 

Jan 14, 2011

Five NC State Faculty Named AAAS Fellows

Five North Carolina State University faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. H.T. Banks, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics, elected for distinguished contributions to the field of applied mathematics, particularly in quantitative modeling in the biomedical sciences and other areas of science and engineering.… 

Jan 12, 2011

New Approach To Modeling Power System Aims For Better Monitoring and Control of Blackouts

Major power outages are fairly infrequent, but when they happen they can result in billions of dollars in costs – and even contribute to fatalities. Now research from North Carolina State University has led to the development of an approach by which high-resolution power-system measurements, also referred to as Synchrophasors, can be efficiently used to… 

Jan 11, 2011

Coiled Nanowires May Hold Key To Stretchable Electronics

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created the first coils of silicon nanowire on a substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length, moving us closer to incorporating stretchable electronic devices into clothing, implantable health-monitoring devices, and a host of other applications. 

Jan 10, 2011

Save Time And Lives: Take It To The Superstreets!

Everyone hates traffic. Everyone also hates car accidents. What if there was a traffic pattern that could cut travel times at busy intersections by 20 percent, and cut collision-related injures by over 60 percent? Good news – there is! The pattern is called, fittingly enough, a superstreet. The superstreet concept has been around for 20…