SimCenter Unites Research, Economic Development
Published Apr 07, 2004
SimCenter students in computational engineering put their knowledge to use on practical applications such as the computer simulation of wind flow past the Tennessee Aquarium addition.
Solid oxide fuel cells could provide the power for clean, efficient and reliable electric cars of the future – and Chattanooga researchers and engineers are providing the brain-power to make that vision a reality.
This experimental work is among the many current projects at the University of Tennessee SimCenter at Chattanooga, where research, postgraduate education and economic development are interrelated missions.
“This will be one of the fuel cells that competes for the future market in automobile power,” says Roger Briley, professor of computational engineering at UTC.
“We are hoping and planning that we will have a manufacturer produce some of these units in Chattanooga, and that will grow out of the relationships we build and the research we do. That will be a case where we can help Chattanooga and Tennessee attract a major new business,” Briley says, adding that he expects economic development partners to be carefully selected to fit the SimCenter’s research interests and capabilities.
UTC established the SimCenter and the Graduate School of Computational Engineering in 2002, attracting a multidisciplinary team of researchers internationally recognized for contributions to computational fluid dynamics research and applications, many of them from Mississippi State University.
In 2003, the SimCenter moved into a research and education facility renovated by a local foundation. The former TVA building now features a 1,500 square-foot computer room and a fiber-optic connection to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The graduate program began with 15 students in January 2004, with 20 more arriving in the fall.
Using supercomputers to solve practical problems is a long-term and important focus of the research center relating to economic development, according to Briley.
“We will produce well-educated students who are skilled in using computers to solve practical problems. They will become available in the workforce for companies that are already located here or who may want to open up some new initiative,” Briley says. “That will support all kinds of high-tech possibilities. That expertise is easily adapted to support whatever technology is here.”
Chattanooga and Tennessee are “very attractive places to stay,” Briley adds, making the task of recruiting from the graduate program an easy one.
Computational engineering uses advanced analysis and design software to perform computer simulations as a supplement to conventional experiments, producing competitive advantages in price, time-to-market, life-cycle costs and overhead. Grants in 2004 have funded research on global climate change, centrifugal compressors for helicopter engines and viscous drag reduction for Navy ships, among others.
“The SimCenter will have a major impact on Chattanooga’s ability to grow the local economy,” says J.Ed. Marston, marketing and communications director for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “We know from looking at other communities that research institutions have a major impact on incubating new ideas and encouraging entrepreneurial ventures.”
Story by Kay Brookshire
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