Energy and Environment

Joint Center for Combustion and Environmental Research (JCCER), continued

Professor Shelly Miller is directing the design and build of the Breathe Better Foundation's Breathe Better Bus, a natural gas-powered used RTD bus retrofitted with learning stations that will travel to local schools to teach children about respiratory health. Dr. Miller is also collaborating with NOAA and CU colleagues to develop a new particle instrument for measuring the size and number of ultra-fine particles in the atmosphere.

Professors Mel Branch and John Daily are conducting research on micro-gravity combustion of bulk metals under the sponsorship of NASA's Glenn Research Center. The studies are shedding light on conditions for fire-safe use of structural metals in a spacecraft environment, and the possibility of using metals found in the soil on Mars as fuels to be burned in the ambient Martian atmosphere.

The 3M company has a collaborative research project with Professor Mel Branch aimed at developing new and improved products based on thin plastic films. By passing the film through a flame above a ribbon burner, the surface properties of the film can be altered to increase attachment of inks or adhesives used in product packaging or plastic tape. The project has involved a close collaboration with 3M, allowing students to experience the world of industrial research.

http://sprocket.colorado.edu/centers/combustion