REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Fluid Power

位于明尼苏达大学的NSF紧凑型高效流体动力工程研究中心(ERC)的本科生研究体验(REU)网站将让不同的本科生群体接触到正在进行的液压和气动领域的变革性研究，希望他们成为未来的学术和行业领导者。CCEFP是一个由研究人员、教育工作者、学生和行业共同努力的网络，旨在改变流体动力行业--如何对其进行研究、应用和研究。CCEFP研究项目分为三个项目，可实现以下社会效益：创造新的流体动力技术，提高效率，显著减少石油消耗、能源消耗和污染；创造新的流体动力技术，提高效率，使流体动力对数百万用户来说清洁、安静和安全；以及创造新的流体动力技术，其紧凑性得到改善，将在新一代人类规模的设备和设备中利用其属性。明尼苏达大学是CCEFP ERC的牵头机构。学院合作伙伴包括普渡大学、伊利诺伊大学香槟分校、佐治亚理工学院、范德比尔特大学和密尔沃基工程学院。这个REU网站为本科生提供在为期10周的暑期项目中从事流体动力研究的机会，主题广泛，包括：液压、气动、电力供应、摩擦学、风力发电、气动医疗设备、噪音振动刺激性和流体。这个REU网站将利用CCEFP的独特能力，利用其广泛的研究项目菜单的力量和潜力，在合作大学设备齐全的实验室中提供开展这些项目的机会，以及其教职员工的学科专业知识。REU参与者的亮点包括：1)在教师和研究生导师的监督下，沉浸在CCEFP 16+研究项目和试验台中；2)获得最先进的流体动力研究设施；3)参加CCEFP由学术和行业专家领导的关于流体动力研究和专业开发主题的双周网络广播；4)项目开始时的流体动力训练营，来自所有地点的REU学生将聚集在一个地点，进行关于流体动力的强化短期课程和CCEFP研究入门；5)邀请和旅行补助金参加CCEFP的流体动力创新与放大；研究会议(FPIRC)--北美首屈一指的流体动力技术会议；以及与来自CCEFP成员支持者的行业领袖的互动。该REU网站将侧重于吸引来自没有重大研究机会的机构的学生、妇女、代表性不足的少数民族、残疾人和退伍军人参与CCEFP活动。这是CCEFP努力改变流体动力行业传统面貌的一种方式，以更好地反映美国的多元化构成。

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Minnesota, NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) will expose a diverse group of undergraduate students to the transformational research underway in hydraulics and pneumatics in the hope that they will become the academic and industry leaders of the future. The CCEFP is a network of researchers, educators, students and industry working together to transform the fluid power industry--how it is researched applied and studied. CCEFP research projects are organized into three thrusts that achieve the following societal benefits: creation of new fluid power technology that, with improved efficiency, will significantly reduce petroleum consumption, energy use and pollution; creation of new fluid power technology that, with improved effectiveness, will make fluid power clean, quiet and safe for its millions of users; and creation of new fluid power technology that with improved compactness, will exploit its attributes in a new generation of human scale devices and equipment. The University of Minnesota is the lead institution of the CCEFP ERC. Institution partners include Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Institute of Technology, Vanderbilt University, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.This REU Site offers opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in fluid power research during a 10-week summer program, on a wide range of topics including: hydraulics, pneumatics, power supplies, tribology, wind power, pneumatic medical devices, noise-vibration-harshness, and fluids. This REU Site will take advantage of CCEFP's unique ability to leverage the power and potential of its broad menu of research projects, the opportunities afforded to pursue these projects in well-equipped laboratories at partner universities, and the subject matter expertise of its faculty. Highlights for REU participants include: 1) immersion in one of CCEFP 16+ research projects and test beds under the supervision of faculty and graduate student mentors; 2)access to state-of-the-art fluid power research facilities; 3) participation in the bi-weekly CCEFP webcasts on fluid power research and professional development topics, led by academic and industry experts; 4)the Fluid Power Boot Camp at the outset of the program in which REU students from all sites will gather in one location for an intensive short course on fluid power and an introduction to CCEFP research; 5) an invitation and travel grant to attend CCEFP's Fluid Power Innovation & Research Conference (FPIRC)--the premier fluid power technical conference in North America; and interaction with industry leaders from the CCEFP's member supporters. This REU Site will focus on engaging students from institutions without significant research opportunities, women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and military veterans in CCEFP activities. This is one way the CCEFP strives to change the traditional face of the fluid power industry to better reflect the diverse composition of the United States.