Mechanical Engineering

Nanodevices at one-hundredth the cost

New techniques for building microelectromechanical systems show promise.

December 18, 2015

Joel Jean (left) and Vladimir Bulović (center) of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Patrick Brown of the Department of Physics have, together with their collaborators, performed a rigorous assessment of today’s many commercial and emerging solar photovoltaic technologies. They conclude that none should be ruled out, given the urgent need to move to a low-carbon...

Study assesses solar photovoltaic technologies

MIT researchers recommend rapidly scaling up current silicon-based systems while continuing to work on other technologies.

December 16, 2015

An excited crowd cheers for MIT students in 2.70 (the precursor of 2.007) as they compete in the final competition in 1979.

A mechanical engineering rite of passage at MIT

Since the 1970s, Department of Mechanical Engineering course 2.007 has introduced undergraduate students to hands-on designing and building.

December 15, 2015

In a two-year study with New York City garbage trucks, the startup’s sensors cut the frequency and duration of filter regeneration in half, which produced a 1 to 2 percent fuel savings. This can be significant for fleets of trucks, such as those in the study, which use roughly 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually.

Wireless sensors could make diesel engines greener

Startup’s sensors measure soot and ash buildup in filters to help engines burn more efficiently.

December 15, 2015

A new high-speed microscope produces images of chemical processes taking place at the nanoscale, at a rate that is close to real-time video. This closeup shot of the microscope shows transparent tubes used to inject various liquids into the imaging environment. This liquid can be water, acid, buffer solution for live bacteria, cells, or electrolytes in an electrochemical process. Researchers use o...

New microscope creates near-real-time videos of nanoscale processes

Instrument scans images 2,000 times faster than commercial models.

December 14, 2015

The Four Undergrads team was first-place winner of the MIT Energy Hackathon.

Reducing waste and inefficiency, while increasing access and profits, propels MIT Energy Hackathon

Eight real-world industry challenges fuel teams’ competitive spirit and impressive results.

December 11, 2015

"At MIT there are so many different viewpoints on design, all exciting, and I thought this would be a great place for me to find the right cohort of people to work with,” Maria Yang says.

An eye for design

Maria Yang helps product designers hone the creative process.

December 9, 2015

Mechanical engineering professor David Wallace (right of center in top hat) was surprised with a tribute video for his 20 years of teaching the “product engineering processes” class, before course instructors shot streams of confetti over the audience.

Students unveil “magical” product designs

Final presentations in mechanical engineering class show devices for climbers, patients, and others.

December 8, 2015

A new stretchy hydrogel can be embedded with various electronics. Here, a sheet of hydrogel is bonded to a matrix of polymer islands (red) that can encapsulate electronic components such as semiconductor chips, LED lights, and temperature sensors.

Stretchable hydrogel electronics

Water-based “Band-Aid” senses temperature, lights up, and delivers medicine to the skin.

December 7, 2015

Grace Overlander accepts her award from Lisa Frantzis, senior vice president of strategy and corporate development at Advanced Energy Economy, at the C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium.

Grace Overlander SM '08, MBA '08 recognized for leadership and mentoring in clean energy

Tesla Motors manager honored at Women in Clean Energy Symposium hosted by the MIT Energy Initiative and U.S. Department of Energy.

December 4, 2015

Energy UROP student Jessie Hsiao (left), who is studying chemical engineering, and graduate student advisor Steven Brown research CO2 electrocatalytic reduction

Energy UROP: The intersection of research experience and real-world solutions

Students gain hands-on experience over the summer with MITEI's Energy Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

November 24, 2015

Water drops ejected from the surface of a Tibetan singing bowl.

MIT to host American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting

A record number of presenters from the international community will convene for the 68th annual Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Nov. 22-24.

November 19, 2015

Engineered hydrogel being pulled away from a glass surface. The material shows a property called “tough wet adhesion” comparable to tendon and bone interface. The wavy edge instability at the interface is a hallmark of strongly adhered soft material on a rigid surface.

Hydrogel superglue is 90 percent water

New “water adhesive” is tougher than natural adhesives employed by mussels and barnacles.

November 9, 2015

Harvesting more energy from photons

Quantum process increases the number of electrons produced when light strikes a metal-dielectric interface.

November 5, 2015

Joseph Minervini is assistant director and head of the Fusion Technology and Engineering division at the PSFC and senior research engineer in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Joseph Minervini appointed as assistant director of Plasma Science and Fusion Center

International expert in fusion and magnet technology succeeds Peter Catto, who had served as assistant director since 2000.

November 4, 2015

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