Mechanical Engineering Student Amy Lee Selected as Ashrae Grant Recipient
Mechanical engineering doctoral student Amy Lee has been selected to receive a $7,500 grant from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for her research on thermal storage. Lee will be presented with the award in July and will use the grant toward her educational expenses during the 2003-2004 academic year.
Lee's research focuses on creating phase change thermal storage in building materials. She is currently incorporating a phase change material into a piece of floor tile composed of quartz chips and a polyester binder. Lee adds encapsulated wax particles to the mixture to increase the thermal storage of the tile in the form of latent heat. The tiles can be used in a passive solar design to increase the thermal mass.
"The work that Amy is doing in thermal storage could greatly improve the energy efficiency of passive solar homes and simplify their construction," said mechanical engineering professor Doug Hittle, Lee's thesis adviser.
"The ASHRAE grant will be very helpful to me," Lee said "as it is providing me with the necessary financial support to complete my research."
Since 1995, eight Colorado State students have been selected as ASHRAE grant recipients. The society awards 10-25 grants each year, distributing the awards equitably among regions, institutions and foreign countries.
Lee's graduate research also has been funded through grants from the Department of Energy and the Department of Education's Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship. The GAANN program provides fellowships to assist graduate students with research in a field designated as an area of national need. Currently funded national need areas include biology, chemistry, computer and information science, engineering, geological science, mathematics and physics.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers is an international organization of 50,000 members with chapters throughout the world. The Society's primary purpose is advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration for the public's benefit through research, standards writing, continuing education and publications.