WPI Research is the research magazine of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It contains news and features about graduate research in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering, along with notes about new grants, books, and faculty achievements.
Issue link: http://wpiresearch.epubxp.com/i/229254
> A BURNING QUESTION: WHAT TO DO WITH ARCTIC OIL SPILLS OIL COMPA IES HAVE SPE BILLIO S OF DOLLARS in recent years exploring the Arctic, which the U.S. Geological Survey estimates may contain 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil — enough to meet global demand for nearly three years. But as the industry rushes to fnd and drill for that crude, a troubling question remains unanswered: what will happen if there is a major spill? It may be all but impossible to get clean-up equipment to locations known for treacherous terrain and harsh weather. In fact, the best way to remove the oil (and avert an environmental catastrophe) may be to burn it in place, but little is known about the effects of low temperatures and icy surfaces on how oil will spread or burn. To help answer those questions, the U.S. Department of the Interior awarded a one-year, $400,000 grant to a research team led by Ali Rangwala, PhD, associate professor of fre protection engineering, to conduct the frst laboratory study of the effects of cold and ice on oil fres. The team frst observed the burning behavior of liquid fuels in cavities carved into small blocks of ice that were chilled to temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius in a specially designed environmental chamber. They found that the heat of the fre causes the ice cavity to evolve in shape as the fre burns. They also studied how liquid fuels spread on a sheet of ice and how they burn while moving through an ice channel. They found that the thickness of the oil affects how effciently it burns, with thinner oil layers being unable to retain enough heat to sustain a fame. The research team next conducted large-scale experiments in WPI's new state-of-the-art Fire Protection Engineering Laboratory at Gateway Park. They burned fuel oil in the center of a large ice sheet and measured heat fux, heat release rates, and other key parameters. The data from the small- and large-scale tests will be used to create a predictive model of the spread and burn rate of oil on ice. The researchers hope the model will prove useful to governments and oil companies that may face a situation in which burning oil in an icy environment is the only way to prevent a spill from becoming an environmental nightmare. < Fire Protection Engineering graduate students pour oil into a well in the center of a large ice sheet in preparation for a burn test in WPI's new Fire Protection Engineering Laboratory. The test was part of a groundbreaking project to determine if oil spills in the Arctic can be burned in place. that can destroy tumors with ultrasound and a robotic manipulator developed in Fischer's lab that can operate within the bore of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner. It's an approach that is expected to offer a signifcant improvement over current treatments. The robotics technology that will be used in the brain cancer system builds on Fischer's pioneering work with MRI-guided surgical robots, including a robotic system for use in diagnosing and treating prostate cancer funded by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the NIH. In the current project, Fischer's team will develop and clinically test a new robotic device specifcally designed to guide an ultrasound probe through a dime-sized opening in the skull to the proper location in the brain, all under live MRI guidance. Developed by industry collaborator Acoustics MedSystems Inc., the probe can emit interstitial high-intensity focused ultrasound energy in a highly directional manner so only malignant tissue is heated and destroyed, even with irregularly shaped deep tumors. The ultrasound therapy will be performed with live MR thermal imaging; MRI scanners are able to detect temperature changes in tissues. The images will be used to monitor which tissues are being heated and enable physicians to interactively adjust the output of the ultrasound tool. "MRI is an excellent imaging modality for many conditions," Fischer says, "but to date there has been limited success in harnessing this modality for the guidance of interventional procedures." Other collaborators on the project include Reinhold Ludwig, PhD, professor of electrical and computer engineering at WPI, who will develop specially designed head coils to enhance the brain imaging; Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery in the division of neurosurgery at Albany Medical College, who will serve as the lead clinical advisor; and Matthew Gounis, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the Advanced MR Imaging Center at UMass Medical School, who will bring expertise in MRI imagery and coordinate clinical tests of the robotic treatment system. Worcester Polytechnic Institute > 5