My final year university project; High-power lasers

[T0mmm]

Hi all!

Last week we were emailed a list of available projects, and to my great joy there was one about lasers


Here's the only info i can get at the moment, it reads:


High-power lasers

Supervisor: Dr Stefano Taccheo

Research Centre: Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre

Description:

High-power lasers are now targeting the 100kW output power level. Increase in power level and reduction of running cost is nowadays promoting laser as one of the most efficient tools in the manufacturing industry. It is proposed to assess the performance of this technology by reviewing the literature and current R&D projects worldwide and in particular to assess possible performance scenario for the years 2010-2014.

Suitable for:

Materials Science and Engineering
Electronic and Electrical Engineering




I'll post some more info when i get it, and i'm hoping i can get some good tips/info at where to direct my research

It's probably gonna be primarily about improving crystal efficiency or something along those lines??


PLUS i can get my hands on the big-ass lasers we've got here in the physics labs at uni


Tom

[tocket]

I don't know how it works in the UK, but it sounds like you're not actually going to make/build anything is this project. Is this really a degree project in an engineering programme?

Anyway, the answer is almost always in the materials. Find out the limiting factors and find materials that can potentially surpass the current boundaries.

[T0mmm]

yeah its a research project so i'll probably end up doing very little practical work, but its still early days yet.

And yes its a project thats available to materials science and engineering (i.e. my course), and electronic engineering.

you should see what other projects are available, some look crazy! i'll post them if anyones interested

[mixedgas]

As fun as that sounds, I'd strongly urge you to work on a actual hardware/software project rather then a theoretical study for your final project.

That is, unless you want to spend the rest of your life as a fat, overpaid, systems analyst?


Why don't you post the list, you have a bunch of current and former university people here and we'd be glad to help you find a winner.

Steve

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=mixedgas;102999]As fun as that sounds, I'd strongly urge you to work on a actual hardware/software project rather then a theoretical study for your final project if this is your senior year. If its a co-op project or not your senior project, I'd strongly consider it.

That is, unless you want to spend the rest of your life as a fat, overpaid, systems analyst?

Why don't you post the list, you have a bunch of current and former university people here and we'd be glad to help you find a winner.

What will happen with that project is you'll spend all your time looking at the current limiting factors published in papers, its basic intelligence gathering for a sponsor plus making a prediction based on statistical math of where the trends are going. Now depending on whom that sponsor is, it can be beneficial if you make a good impression on them, or want to become a career systems analysis type or do Grad School after getting your basic degree. It could be good training in sifting through published data, which can be a very useful skill.

But if you want to be a day to day designer of cool stuff, unless you already have some strong independent projects in your portfolio. A question to ask, is.... "Professor, What can I show a future employer in a interview?" Are the results of my work going to be openly published, if I participate in your project, Professor?

Always ask, who, what, where, when, and why, and what professional connections will I make????, Does the professor actively work with laser technology, on or off campus?

Ie if its your M.O.D. or say Ferantti Lasers sponsoring it, its time to seriously consider having your name associated with the project, if its a boring EU group block grant review, you may want to do some hardware/lab research thing.....

Your decisions depends strongly on what you have that you can show and tell in a interview.

Some potential employers look for theory, others want to see a solid lab project.

Often you can just Google the Prof's name and find the sponsor, most current grants are on the web some place....

Man, google have me well trained, I almost never type "Do a web search"

Steve

[T0mmm]

ok, here's the list, cheers for the advice. nothings for definate yet, the next one im interested in doing is the air turbine one which looks quite cool, and i did well in thermofluids in the first year as for crystal structures, we've had one module on this per semester for 3 years, so i've had a good foundation, kinda thing


11 Current status of grain boundary engineering Randle, Prof Valerie, mrc

12 Grain boundary plane reorientation Randle, Prof Valerie, mrc

13 Boundary plane reorientation on edge specimens Randle, Prof Valerie, mrc

14 Single-Step Grain Boundary Engineering of Pure Copper Randle, Prof Valerie, mrc

15 Deep residual stresses in titanium and aluminium alloys Bache, Prof Martin, mrc

16 Abradable systems for aero-engine applications Bache, Prof Martin, mrc

17 Life Cycle Analysis for the production of Neodynium and Gadolinium. Brown, Prof Stephen, mrc

18 Life Cycle Analysis related to the replacement of SF6 gas in magne... Brown, Prof Stephen, mrc

19 The effects of aviation fluids on mechenganical properties of carbon-fibre co... Arnold, Dr Cris, mrc

20 Weathering of carbon-fibre composites Arnold, Dr Cris, mrc

21 Carbon fibre testing Isaac, Dr David, mrc

22 Damage tolerance of glass fibre composites Isaac, Dr David, mrc

23 Creep Life Predictions for an Advanced Nickel Based Superalloy Perkins, Dr Karen, mrc

24 Phenomenological Fitting of High Temperature Deformation Data Perkins, Dr Karen, mrc

25 High Temperature Deformation Characteristics of an Advanced Nickel Based Supe... Perkins, Dr Karen, mrc

26 Characterisation of corrosion-fatigue damage in an advanced nickel based supe... Perkins, Dr Karen, mrc

27 Defect tolerant lifing of a Nickel-Base Superalloy Perkins, Dr Karen, mrc

28 Assessment of the effects of thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) in an advanced n... Whittaker, Dr Mark, mrc

29 Assessment of creep lifing methods in the titanium alloy Ti6-4 Whittaker, Dr Mark, mrc

30 Investigation of failure mechanisms in nickel single crystal alloys Whittaker, Dr Mark, mrc

31 Characterisation of the role of temperature on fatigue crack propagation in g... Whittaker, Dr
Mark, mrc

32 Characterization of fatigue crack growth in titanium alloys Whittaker, Dr Mark, mrc

33 New protective coatings for advanced aerospace magnesium alloys Williams, Dr Geraint, mrc

44 Analysis and design of porous bone implants Adhikari, Prof Sondipon, c2ec

47 The dynamics of multi-layer graphene sheets Adhikari, Prof Sondipon, c2ec

48 Aeroelastic tailoring of wind turbine blades Adhikari, Prof Sondipon, c2ec

52 Finite difference methods for 2D unsteady heat conduction. Morgan, Prof Kenneth, c2ec

94 SURE: Analysis tool to determine design loads on all components of the vehicle Masters, Dr Ian, c2ec

95 SURE: FMEA, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Masters, Dr Ian, c2ec

96 How capable is offset lithography of printing functional materials? Claypole, Dr Timothy, mnc

97 Predicting the quality of screen printed conductive lines Claypole, Dr Timothy, mnc

98 Self illuminated paper signs Claypole, Dr Timothy, mnc

99 Biodegradable smart packaging Claypole, Dr Timothy, mnc

100 Adding function to objects by printing Claypole, Dr Timothy, mnc

101 Large Area OLED Lighting Manufacturing Gethin, Prof David, mnc

102 Energy Savings by ICT Services Loskot, Dr Pavel, mnc

103 Selection and Optimisation of Linear Stress Relaxation modulus test regimes f... Williams, Prof Rhodri, mnc


104 Optimisation of oscillatory shear test waveforms for Fourier transform mechan... Williams, Prof Rhodri, mnc

105 Optimisation of oscillatory shear test waveforms for Fourier transform mechan... Williams, Prof Rhodri, mnc

106 T1 and T2 relaxation properties of stretched water by NMR spectroscopy Williams, Prof Rhodri, mnc

107 Extensional viscosity levels of multigrade motor lubricants Williams, Prof Rhodri, mnc

108 Mathematical Modelling of Polymerising Biological fibers close to Bio-membranes Daniels, Dr David, mnc

109 Mathematical Modelling of Biological Population Growth Daniels, Dr David, mnc

110 Mathematical Modelling of an AFM tip Daniels, Dr David, mnc

111 Mathematical Modelling of Cell Adhesion Daniels, Dr David, mnc

112 Mathematical Modelling of Cell Motility on a surface Daniels, Dr David, mnc

114 Roof water collection and re-use Worsley, Prof David, mrc

115 New techniques for fingerprint detection Williams, Dr Geraint, mrc

116 Multi-purpose thin organic coatings for sheet steel products Williams, Dr Geraint, mrc

117 Hydrogen fuel generation from solar energy Williams, Dr Geraint, mrc

118 Environmental Impact of Subglacial-ice sheet flow Webster, Prof Michael, c2ec

119 Modelling extensible biopolymer material systems under extensional flow Webster, Prof Michael, c2ec

120 Modelling Roller Coating flow Webster, Prof Michael, c2ec

121 Multimedia Film Making for Rheology Webster, Prof Michael, c2ec

122 Modelling pressure-drops and flow structure under flow Webster, Prof Michael, c2ec

123 Development of Environmental Performance Indices Hayes, Dr Colin, c2ec

124 Optimisation of food waste disposal from canteens at Swansea University Hayes, Dr Colin, c2ec

125 Nickel in drinking water Hayes, Dr Colin, c2ec

126 Phosphorus recovery from sewage Hayes, Dr Colin, c2ec

132 Growth of SnO2 nanostructures Maffeis, Dr Thierry, mnc

133 Growth of ZnO nanostructure in a microwave oven Maffeis, Dr Thierry, mnc

134 Gas flow simulation during nanostructure growth by vapour transport deposition Maffeis, Dr Thierry, mnc

135 Electrical measurements of gas sensing devices based on metal oxide nanostruc... Maffeis, Dr Thierry, mnc

136 Imaging of ZnO nanostructures in biological samples Maffeis, Dr Thierry, mnc

144 Prospects for solar power from semiconducting polymers Higgins, Dr Anthony, mnc

146 Crystallisation of thin polymer films used in organic optoelectronic device Higgins, Dr Anthony, mnc

148 Atomic Force Microscopy Wright, Dr Christopher, mnc

155 Investigation of mechenganical and corrosion behaviour of welded joints in Al... Das, Dr Amitabha, mrc

157 Magnesium alloys for biomedical application Das, Dr Amitabha, mrc

162 Review of smart material technologies for design and development of "zero ene... Sullivan, Dr James, mrc

163 Review of corrosion issues associated with organically coated galvanized stee... Sullivan, Dr James, mrc

164 Corrosion prevention in reinforced concrete structures Williams, Dr Geraint, mrc

210 Nanotoxicology Teng, Dr Vincent, mnc

211 Fibre Optic Sensors Based on Fibre Bragg Gratings Marhic, Prof Michel, mnc

212 Distributed Temperature/Strain Sensing based on Stimulated Brillouin Scatteri... Marhic, Prof Michel, mnc

213 Evanescent-field Sensors Marhic, Prof Michel, mnc

244 Dilute magnetic semiconductor and its applications Teng, Dr Vincent, mnc

245 Nanotechnology for sustainable energy Teng, Dr Vincent, mnc

246 Growth of metal oxide nanostructures from metal thin film Teng, Dr Vincent, mnc

292 Real Time Fluid Dynamics Brown, Prof Stephen, mrc

293 Development and Characterisation of New Corrosion Resistant Coating Technolog... McMurray, Prof Neil, mrc

294 Filform Corrosion in Automotive Aluminium Alloy McMurray, Prof Neil, mrc

295 Metal Mounted Dye Sensitised Solar Cells Worsley, Prof David, mrc

296 Photostabilisation of organic coatings with nanometric inorganic layers Worsley, Prof David, mrc

297 ESC failure of thermoplastic polymers Arnold, Dr Cris, mrc

298 Strengthening of advanced magnesium alloy Elektron 21 by thermal treatment Das, Dr Amitabha, mrc

299 Physical grain refinement in light alloys through ultrasound application Das, Dr Amitabha, mrc

300 Critical review and appraisal of new and existing procedures for the quantifi... Evans, Dr Mark, mrc

301 Microstructure-mechanical property relationships in high strength low alloy s... Fourlaris, Dr Georgios,
mrc

302 Thermomechanical processing of high strength stainless steels for naval appli... Fourlaris, Dr Georgios, mrc

303 Reverse austenite formation in marageing steels for aerospace applications Fourlaris, Dr Georgios, mrc

304 Optimised Crash Performance in Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Strip... Fourlaris, Dr Georgios, mrc

305 Creep in plastics Isaac, Dr David, mrc

306 Formation of conducting wires from Ruthenium Dioxide using microwaves Sullivan, Dr James, mrc

307 Metallic extraction using microwaves Sullivan, Dr James, mrc

308 Selection of new alloys for improved galvanised steels for construction and a... Sullivan, Dr James, mrc

328 Atomically sharp probe tip for scanning tunneling microscopy Teng, Dr Vincent, mnc

342 Calculation of lifetime of active ions Taccheo, Dr Stefano, mnc

344 Large structures monitoring Taccheo, Dr Stefano, mnc

345 High-power lasers Taccheo, Dr Stefano, mnc

355 Wide-Area Photodetectors for Optical Wireless Communications O'Farrell, Prof Timothy, mnc

275 Building a Peer Support Community for Engineering Students Jobling, Dr Christopher, mnc




ignore the numbers, they're just weird reference things!

[White-Light]

World's most powerful laser - probably deserves a mention and maybe someone can help you with some research:

https://lasers.llnl.gov/

Its also interesting because it brings in the question of using lasers as a power source or more correctly ignition source as nuclear fusions actually the power source.

[tocket]

I agree with Steve. You should do a degree project that involves practical work. There's much to it than that though. If it's anything like in Sweden, then this is the most important decision you'll have to make during your studies. Most people here do it out in the industry though, so it's an excellent way to get a job if you're smart. Even if you do the project in academia, the subject should be interesting to your future employer.

Another piece of advice is to pick a supervisor who is not a professor. The higher up they are, the less time they will have for you.

[mixedgas]

305, 275, 96,97,102,109,114, 120,121,122,123,124,300

I'd ignore the above.

And it looks like Taccheo, Dr Stefano just transfered in from Italy, where he did some pretty serious work. Is he serious now, is another question.

Steve

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=White-Light;103007]World's most powerful laser - probably deserves a mention and maybe someone can help you with some research:

https://lasers.llnl.gov/

You realize its only deeply funded for nuclear weapons stockpile work?

Steve