Hydropower dams may conjure images of the massive Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state or the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei, China. But not all dams are the stuff of documentaries. Tens of thousands of smaller hydroelectric dams exist around the world, and all indications suggest that the number could substantially increase in the future. These structures are small enough to avoid the numerous regulations large dams face and are built more quickly and in much higher densities.
Read more at UW Today »Are petite poplars the future of biofuels? UW studies say yes
In the quest to produce affordable biofuels, poplar trees are one of the Pacific Northwest’s best bets — the trees are abundant, fast-growing, adaptable to many terrains and their wood can be transformed into substances used in biofuel and high-value chemicals that we rely on in our daily lives. But even as researchers test poplars’ potential to morph into everything from ethanol to chemicals in cosmetics and detergents, a commercial-scale processing plant for poplars has yet to be achieved.
Read more at UW Today »‘Smart’ paper can conduct electricity, detect water
When wrapped around a pipe, this new smart paper—developed at the University of Washington—can detect water leaks and wirelessly alert a technician who could quickly locate and repair a leak.
Read more at UW Today »UW building underwater robots to study oceans around Antarctica
The ocean float lab in the UW Ocean Sciences Building is a hive of activity. Dozens of floats are in various stages of construction, both for the ongoing Argo program and the new SOCCOM project to study the Southern Ocean.
Read more at UW Today »Middle schoolers build underwater robot in science summer camp
Middle school students tried their hands at designing and building underwater robots this week during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration science summer camp in Seattle. The remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) project was designed by UW undergraduate student Hannah McConnaughey, who has built ROVs competitively since she was in middle school. “Hands-on science is great because it’s something students are excited about and can interact with personally, and it has real world applications,” she said.
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