The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced the first grants in its Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) program, a new $18-million activity to enable researchers with established records of creativity and paradigm-shifting outcomes to pursue novel engineering research projects that will open unexplored frontiers.

"Through the TRAILBLAZER program, NSF is enabling innovative researchers to explore new directions beyond todays frontiers," said Susan Margulies, NSF assistant director for Engineering. Our investment in NSF TRAILBLAZER will lead to engineering impacts in biotechnology, sustainability, quantum technology and other areas that ultimately strengthen U.S. resilience and competitiveness."

Each NSF TRAILBLAZER award will provide up to $3 million over three years for a project led by a single investigator in any engineering field, topic or methodology that is distinct from their prior work.

TRAILBLAZER: Biodegradable living materials (Harvard University) will develop living materials to create robots that operate autonomously in natural environments and biodegrade when their job is done.

TRAILBLAZER: Constructing photonic quantum systems by deterministic electron-driven atom positioning (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) will develop a method for making perfect arrays of atoms that are needed to produce photonic quantum technologies at scale.

TRAILBLAZER: Overcoming the lignin barrier for valorization of forest biomass -- a new paradigm for mitigation of catastrophic wildfires (the University of New Mexico, NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research jurisdiction) will create bio-based chemical feedstocks from forest debris using sustainable, new enzyme-based methods.

TRAILBLAZER: Quantum-Enabled Dial (QED) to control biochemical reactions and cell behaviors (Johns Hopkins University) will leverage electron spin, a quantum property, in engineered proteins to easily increase or decrease their activity using magnetic fields.

TRAILBLAZER: Solving the grand self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) challenge (Boston University) will optimize self-amplifying RNA, increasing its cellular half-life, which will result in more protein production over a longer time period and the development of a versatile genetic tool.

TRAILBLAZER: Super-Planckian far field radiation via non-equilibrium polaritons (Vanderbilt University) will develop approaches using polaritons, a type of energy carrier, to achieve super-efficient radiative cooling beyond the blackbody limit.

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NSF awards inaugural TRAILBLAZER grants for groundbreaking engineering ideas - National Science Foundation (.gov)

As part of a new NASA-funded study, the team published data this summer in the journal Aerospace Science and Technology showing, for the first time, that airflow in supersonic combustion jet engines can be controlled by an optical sensor.

The finding could lead to more efficient stabilization of hypersonic jet aircraft, allowing new opportunities to break Earths bounds.

One of our national aerospace priorities since the 1960s has been to build single-stage-to-orbit aircraft that fly into space from horizontal takeoff like a traditional aircraft and land on the ground like a traditional aircraft, professor Christopher Goyne, director of the UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory, said. Currently, the most state-of-the-art craft is the SpaceX Starship. It has two stages, with vertical launch and landing. But to optimize safety, convenience and reusability, the aerospace community would like to build something more like a 737.

The now-retired space shuttle largely mastered half the problem, the gliding-back-to-a-runway part. But the shuttle launched vertically attached to mammoth, volatile and expensive rockets.

To reach those high speeds, a space plane would need a different engine, something scientists call a scramjet. These air breathing engines use oxygen forced in during flight to combust safer hydrocarbon-based fuels. The engines can be throttled back, too, rather than running only at full blast.

Scramjet engines have been demonstrated to fly up to Mach 10 thats 10 times the speed of sound, or more than 7,600 mph but only for a matter of seconds. The intense shock waves produced at hypersonic speeds Mach 5 and greater have prevented control of longer flights.

Previously, scramjets used pressure sensors to obtain information about shock impact at the engines walls. The optical sensor, however, can identify more subtle changes, both inside the engine and within the flow path.

The tool analyzes the amount of light emitted by a source in this case, the reacting gases within the scramjet combustor as well as other factors, such as the flames location and its spectrum of light.

The light emitted by the flame within the engine is due to relaxation of molecular species that re-excited during combustion processes, explained Laurie Elkowitz, a doctoral student on the project. Different species emit light at different energies, or colors, offering new information about the engines state that is not captured by pressure sensors.

Goyne oversaw the control aspect of the study, while co-investigator Chloe Dedic, a UVA Engineering associate professor, oversaw the optical sensor development. The work was supported by a NASA grant, led by Timothe Pourpoint of Purdue University.

The team used UVAs Supersonic Combustion Facility, which can simulate engine conditions for a hypersonic vehicle traveling at Mach 5, for the study. The team tested an optical emission spectroscopy sensor for the feedback needed to control the lab-created shock waves.

The teams wind tunnel demonstration showed that the engine control can be both predictive and adaptive, smoothly transitioning from ramjet functioning the technology that the fastest operational jets and missiles currently use to scramjet engine mode and continued operation, despite changes in dynamics.

We were very excited to demonstrate the role optical sensors may play in the control of future hypersonic vehicles, doctoral student Max Chern, the papers first author, said. We are continuing to test sensor configurations as we work toward a prototype that optimizes package volume and weight for flight environments.

While more work remains to be done, optical sensors may be a component of the space flight future Goyne believes will be realized in his lifetime. Dual-mode scramjets would still require a boost of some sort to get the aircraft to at least Mach 4. But an all-in-one aircraft, which would glide back to Earth like the space shuttles once did, might provide the ideal combination of cost-efficiency, safety and reusability.

I think its possible, yeah, Goyne said. While the commercial space industry has been able to lower costs through some reusability, they havent yet captured the aircraft-like operations.

Read more at the UVA Engineering website.

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UVA Engineers May Have Solved a Vexing Problem of Hypersonic Flight - UVA Today

The total installed global capacity of wind grew to upwards of 900GW in 2023, making the sector an essential part of the energy transition. However, with almost all online turbines being fixed in place, there is a significant obstacle: space.

According to Deborah Greaves, professor in ocean engineering at the University of Plymouth: Were running out of space in the shallow water sites, so we need to go further offshore. The solution is floating offshore wind, but the shift out to sea presents a myriad of engineering hurdles.

The move requires floating structures, able to support increasingly large turbines and withstand difficult weather conditions. The structures need to be tethered securely by robust mooring lines and anchorage, with dynamic cables to route power back to shore. Other challenges include the installation and maintenance of floating turbines and the storing of power generated at sea.

Nevertheless, the potential of the sector is evident, and innovation is catalysing the feasibility of floating offshore wind, as well as driving down the costs.

Europe currently has four floating offshore wind farms, totalling 176MW of capacity. The first was the 30MW Hywind Scotland pilot park, which began operations in 2017. However, the industry is young, and farms remain small.

Jack Paterson, team leader for floating offshore wind at Catapults Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOW CoE), highlights to Power Technology that these projects have presented opportunities for the sector: The first few demonstrator projects, such as Hywind and Kincardine, have been absolutely key.

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The learning that these projects have allowed, such as the fact that floating foundations can accommodate turbines of comparable ratings to fixed offshore wind counterparts, is truly remarkable.

It has opened the door to other questions, as well as opportunities, with engineers looking to adapt fixed wind technologies to accommodate the needs of floating offshore wind turbines.

Considering the shift from fixed to floating, Greaves explains: We can no longer use a monopile or a jacket type solution, which makes floating offshore wind challenging. It means that you have to build a large, floating structure that the turbine tower and the turbine itself will be fixed onto.

The structure needs to float, and it needs to be attached to the seabed, meaning that there will be a floating foundation part, and then there is a mooring and anchoring system as well, which needs to be developed.

She adds: You also need to get the electricity off, so you have a power cable that we call a dynamic cable, because its attached to the floating structure, and it is going to move around a bit. The electrical cable itself needs to be able to cope with some motions.

There are currently four core designs for the foundations of floating offshore wind: spars, semi-submersibles, tension leg platforms (TLPs) and barges. These inform a variety of designs with a recent review finding around 108 variations.

According to Alistair Morris, offshore wind manager at the Carbon Trust, the industry needs to prioritise consolidation.

There needs to be consolidation around what designs are actually going to be used from a commercial standpoint, he says. There is a lot of ambiguity with floating, and consolidation will help with supporting the supply chain, which is going to be critical to building commercial scale wind.

As the demand for renewable energy increases, floating offshore wind will be the logical solution for countries with plentiful coastlines. Projects could ultimately end up hundreds of kilometres offshore, as developers look to maximise both space and wind strength, but this will require wind turbines to be located in difficult maritime conditions.

Morris points out that there is much to be learnt from other offshore activities: Theres a lot that can be taken from oil and gas in terms of configuration numbers of mooring lines, but its about understanding the site-specific elements and the load requirements.

It is an area receiving significant attention, including from Dr Zaibin Lin, lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. He uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyse aerodynamics in offshore wind and predicts mooring forces to better understand the demands of floating wind.

In my model, the mooring force can be predicted along with the six degrees of freedom (number of axes an object can freely move within a three-dimensional space), then the thrust, torque and power of the turbine rotating blades, Lin explains.

Its important because, in an evolving sector, it can be difficult to keep up with the changing demands of turbine plans. Lin points to the example of the IEAs plans for a 15MW turbine, with a rotor diameter of 240m. The enormous size of the structure requires new consideration of the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces in play.

One of the biggest engineering challenges could come from hydrodynamics, aerodynamics and mooring, because turbines are increasing in size and capacity, he says. Some researchers are even considering shared mooring between several floating offshore wind turbines, to reduce the usage of mooring lines.

The area has also attracted attention from FOW CoE and is one of the centres strategic areas. Paterson explains that it has identified a need to address both supply chain and technological risks and opportunities.

Specifically, [the project] aims to improve the industrys access to suitable, reliable and cost-effective mooring and anchoring technologies, he says. Mooring systems are critical components in a floating wind project and our programme works to accelerate the development and qualification to reduce the cost of future projects.

The Carbon Trusts Floating Wind Joint Industry Programme (JIP) has also conducted extensive research around the question of mooring, sharing the key findings of its Moorings System Redundancy, Reliability & Integrity (MRR&I) project in December 2023.

It found that the motion subjected on mooring lines for floating offshore wind turbines presented degradation threats, as seen in oil and gas sectors, but it suggested that this may change as the industry develops and new technologies emerge.

Expanding on this, Morris says: One of the biggest areas of innovation is mooring line material There is a lot of discussion over nylon, synthetics, and what the best solution for mooring lines actually is.

Innovation comes at a price one that developers are keen to keep down.

Much of the core technology of floating offshore wind turbines has already been engineered through the development of fixed wind and by the offshore oil and gas sector. However, Greaves points out that the new sector presents quite a different balance of costs and risks, and so the relative cost of the floating offshore wind structures is higher.

She remains optimistic that there is a lot of innovation going on in finding solutions to reduce the cost.

Expensive materials are part of the problem, and Lin points to the cost (and weight) of steel, used in floaters. There is potential for steel to be switched for lighter alternatives.

Some researchers and engineers have proposed a light structure with light materials, such as concrete. They want to reduce the usage of steel because steel is expensive and is much heavier than concrete, he explains.

There are further questions about optimising operational costs, including around the installation and maintenance of offshore assets. Jack-up installation vessels are used to erect fixed offshore wind turbines, using their legs to reach the seabed and remain stationary for installation purposes.

However, floating wind needs deeper water, and the legs of jack-up vessels are inadequate.

DEMEs flagship Orion vessel is an early flavour of what floating offshore wind installation could look like, having installed 29 monopiles over a two-month period on Ocean Winds Moray West offshore wind farm project in Scotland earlier this year. However, the sector needs to develop before it can support a wider rollout of floating offshore wind, and development is likely to require both time and money.

Currently, wind turbines must be towed back to port for maintenance, a trip which is both operationally complicated and expensive. Lin suggests: If we could design the floating wind turbine to reduce the extended maintenance period, for example, from three years to five years, it would reduce the cost. Even if design and installation costs increase, it would still reduce costs across the lifetime of the floating offshore wind turbine.

Despite these evident financial hurdles, however, Morris points out that any new sector faces the challenge of cost.

Fixed wind was expensive at the beginning, he says. The industry needs to absorb the cost somehow. We are at a bit of a crossroads with floating wind because we have seen a couple of demo projects but we have not really seen any tangible progress being made. Cost is also prohibiting this, along with many other things, but its definitely one of the key variables.

Despite the current expenses of floating offshore wind, the demand for clean energy will continue to drive progress in the sector.

Offshore wind is a major part of how were going to decarbonize our electricity system, and how were going to transition away from fossil fuels, says Greaves.

Considering the UK specifically, she points out: As an island with a very large coastline, we have excellent resources offshore. It is natural for us to be exploiting and developing those, and offshore wind is already contributing significantly to our green electricity. We need floating offshore wind to get to the targets that we have for net zero by 2050.

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Floating offshore wind: the engineering headaches of an essential sector - Power Technology

Computer engineers help the world turn.

While that may be slightly exaggerated, the modern world would certainly not be the same without the pioneers of computer engineeringeveryone from Bill Gates to Alan Turing. The field has helped create technology that powers everything from cell phones and laptops to traffic lights and public transit.

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Today, the field remains one of high demandand pays very well. Computer engineers tend to have at least a bachelors degree, but those with a masters in computer science may see even higher salaries.

There are hundreds of organizations hiring experts in computer engineeringthough, it is notable that there are varying job titles within the field. Heres everything you need to know about computer engineering, including salary.

Computer engineers design, develop, and manage computer hardware and software systems.

The top skills of computer engineers include knowing the ins and outs of computer hardware and software as well as programming languages like C++ and Python, according to Andrew McCaskill, a career expert at LinkedIn.

There are over 7,000 computer engineers in the US on LinkedIn with a very high hiring demand across aviation and aerospace component manufacturing and research services industries, McCaskill says.

Computer engineers make, on average, between $100,000 and $120,000based on an analysis of salary estimates from sources including ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The pay of a computer engineer depends on a variety of factors, including education, experience, and location.

As you analyze the salaries of computer engineers, it is important to keep in mind that how much a dollar will buy you can differ drastically in various states. In New England and on the west coast, the cost of living is much more expensive, and thus, salaries may be higher to compensate.

Based on numbers from ZipRecruiter, computer engineers make the most in New Jersey, Wyoming, and Wisconsin while they make the least in West Virginia, Arkansas, and Florida.

The table below includes a ranking of the states where computer engineers command the highest salaries on average. The cost of living (COL) index for each state, as seen below, is calculated bythe Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), which averages indexes from metro areas and cities, and incorporates costs for groceries, housing, utilities, and transportation.

Here are the states where computer engineers make the most, in descending order:

Despite the fact that many universities have bachelors degree majors or masters programs focused on computer engineering, the job position itself is not as common as it was several decades ago. However, the good news is that there are several job positions that a computer engineer could succeed undermost of which are also in high demand and pay-six figure salaries, including:

The education path for candidates is relatively the same. Successful individuals will have a mix of bachelors or masters in computer science or relevant field; industry-recognized certifications; internship or co-op experience; and professional work experience. But above all, specific hard and soft skills remain paramount to the world of tech, McCaskill says.

Right now, there are two types of skills that candidates should be paying attention to: AI skills and people skills. Managers are increasingly hiring for skills over degrees or experience - and thats especially true with AI, explains McCaskill.

While ones pay may depend from company to company, McCaskill encourages candidates to do extensive research on industry standards. Comparing jobs from states with pay transparency laws, such as New York or California, can be very advantageous.

Computer engineering is a field that is in high demand; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer hardware engineers in particular are growing at a rate of 5%, which is faster than the national average for all occupations.

Like other areas of the tech industry, having a mix of soft and hard skills will help you stick out of the pack. Moreover, those who continue to recognize the importance of learning will be propelled to a longer careerand maybe even in leadership. As many experts will tell you, those with AI skills are the ones who will end up replacing those who dont.

Yes, the average computer engineer will earn a six-figure salary during their career. While it depends on the company, location, and ones experience level, the field certainly pays better than most occupations.

Computer engineers typically need a 4-year college experience as well as at least 1-2 years of professional work experience in order to be considered well-established. Due to AI and other tech innovations, lifelong learning is paramount to any computer engineering career.

Computer engineering can be a stressful job since you will likely work as part of a large team trying to achieve ambitious goals. Those with passion and experience for tech innovation will likely see the most success.

Check out all ofFortunesrankings of degree programs, and learn more about specificcareer paths.

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If you want a career in tech, computer engineering is versatile path toward a high-paying salary - Fortune

The nuclear power industry is experiencing a paradigm shift, moving away from colossal, high-cost projects towards more compact and economical alternatives.

In response to the global climate crisis and the urgent need to decrease dependence on fossil fuels, both nuclear energy and renewable sources are gaining renewed attention as crucial elements.

At the forefront of this transformation are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), an innovative technology that can deliver more affordable power generation compared to conventional nuclear plants.

These innovative reactors are designed to address the chronic problems that have long plagued large-scale nuclear facilities, potentially resolving some of the industrys most enduring obstacles.

SMRs typically produce no more than 300 megawatts of power, with some designs generating as little as 20 megawatts enough to power a large factory or a residential neighborhood. This scalability is one of the key advantages of SMRs.

Professor Esam Hussein of the University of Regina told Interesting Engineering how SMRs can be modular.

If you need, for example, 1200MW electric, you dont need to acquire a 1200MW electric big reactor with all the high capital costs and so on. with all the high capital costs. You acquire, say, 300MW and, if the need arises, you acquire another 300MW. Then you keep building up until you reach the desired power. And that provides whats what were calling the economy of multiples rather than economies of scale, Hussein said.

Secondly, they utilize factory-built modules: reactor components are manufactured off-site and assembled on location, potentially reducing construction time and costs.

Modular design and construction isnt new, but its application to nuclear power plants represents a significant shift in the industry.

Bret Kugelmass, CEO of Last Energy, highlighted the economic challenges that led to this rethinking of nuclear power plant design: At some point you hit a threshold where just due to the construction complexity of these giant mega projects, they all started running over price, over budget, over time by huge margins. You start a project thinking that it was going to be 5 billion and all of a sudden its 15 billion, he told IE.

This unpredictability in costs and timelines has made large nuclear projects increasingly difficult to justify. SMRs aim to address these issues by incorporating new technologies and design philosophies, including passive safety systems, autonomous and digital control, and simplified designs that reduce fixed costs.

Its estimated that over 60 firms worldwide are developing SMRs. Established players like Rolls Royce and Westinghouse, alongside innovative startups like Last Energy in the United States, are in the mix.

Last Energy is developing micro-power generation reactors with a 20MW capacity. Kugelmass explained their design rationale: Our choice of 20MW was actually an optimization across several different parameters. We wanted to make everything road transportable and manufacturable on steel skids, almost Lego block like construction increments, he said.

This 20MW size aligns well with industrial and municipal power needs, such as data centers, pulp and paper factories, and standard municipalities of approximately 20,000 homes. The design is also scalable for larger cities by combining multiple units.

While no commercial SMRs are currently in operation, Russias Akademik Lomonosov represents the closest equivalent. This floating nuclear power and heating plant is berthed in the Arctic port of Pevek, providing electricity and heat for a town of 4,000 people, with the capacity to supply Energy for a population of 100,000.

Last Energy aims to have its first fully functional, nuclear-fueled reactor operational by 2026 or 2027. Other manufacturers are working on similar timelines, driven by the urgency of addressing climate change.

Nuclear power boasts an impressive safety record, with only three serious accidents in approximately 20,000 reactor years of operation. Modern SMR designs incorporate advanced safety features, including inherently safe fuel designs (e.g., TRISO fuel), passive safety systems, and simplified operations, reducing the risk of human error.

Professor Hussein emphasized the reliability of nuclear power: We are essentially risking it all by damaging Earth and all of human existence, existence for other creatures, instead of going with something that is quite reliable. We have experience. It is not completely new.

While SMRs use less nuclear fuel than traditional reactors, waste management remains a crucial consideration. Professor Hussein said that the small volume of waste from SMRs would decay over time, potentially allowing for the extraction of valuable materials and even reusable nuclear fuel.

Kugelmass reframed the waste issue as an opportunity: What youve done is you have performed alchemy, you have transmuted many different normal, stable elements to unstable isotopic versions.

He argued that these materials, including safety devices like smoke detectors, can be repurposed for industrial applications.

Despite the technical advancements and improved safety features, public perception remains a significant hurdle for the SMR industry. Addressing these concerns will be crucial for widespread adoption.

Kugelmass suggested a new approach to public engagement: We want to refocus peoples thinking on [the benefits and applications of nuclear technology] to address the public perception, rather than just shove a bunch of technical scientific papers in their face and saying its safe.

As the world seeks cleaner energy solutions, SMRs offer a promising path forward. They combine the reliability of nuclear power with increased flexibility, reduced costs, and enhanced safety features. The success of this technology will depend on continued innovation, regulatory support, and effective communication with the public about its benefits and safety.

Ultimately, the question we must ask ourselves is not just about the safety of nuclear power but about the risks of inaction in the face of climate change. SMRs represent a significant leap forward in nuclear Energy. Their development and deployment are key to achieving a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.

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Deena Theresa A creative writer and journalist with a Master's degree in International Journalism, Deena's repertoire of work includes writing for Indian dailies like The New Indian Express and reading news on primetime television for a regional broadcaster. Having grown up in three countries, this third-culture kid feels that home is everywhere, and nowhere. Deena loves to dabble in music and art and believes that the latter and science share a symbiotic relationship.

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Meet the small nuclear plants powering tomorrow's cities - Interesting Engineering