2009

Advanced Jet Fuels
UDRI has been awarded a $49.5 million Air Force research grant to develop advanced jet fuels and combustion technologies. The grant is UDRI’s largest award to date.

Battery Breakthrough!
First solid-state lithium-air rechargeable battery addresses safety issues, paves way for use in auto, aerospace applications.

Jet Fuel From Coal
UDRI hires first endowed researcher to ramp up research into environmentally better jet fuel from coal.

Amazing Algae
Microorganisms will play critical role in reducing carbon footprint, helping meet U.S. transportation needs

R&D 100
UDRI researcher earns second R&D 100 award for self-healing wire.

Record Revenue
Research at UDRI helped propel university to record year in sponsored research.

2008

Self-Healing Wire
The UDRI researcher who identified a plausible cause of the explosion that downed TWA flight 800 in 1996 has developed a self-healing wire designed to prevent that kind of explosion from recurring.

Developing Super Coatings
With a $5 million Third Frontier award, researchers will develop coatings to create a new generation of lightweight nanomaterials that will perform well in extreme environments.

Perfecting Jet Fuel from Coal
A $10-million seed grant funds the country’s first federal research facility designed to create jet fuel from coal and biomass. The program is aimed at creating a viable, home-grown alternative to increasingly expensive foreign petroleum-based fuel. The award will also fund research into coal- and biomass-derived fuel technologies for greater fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

Oyster Talent
It’s a gem of an idea. Based on the premise that an irritant introduced into an oyster will produce a pearl, scientists at the University of Dayton Research Institute are prompting oysters to produce pearl-like coatings on metal for applications to range from aircraft corrosion protection to biocompatible medical devices.

2007

Fixing What Ails Us
UD researchers are working to make broken bones heal faster and stronger using carbon-based repair parts — bone fixation plates that disappear over time, scaffolding for new bone cells to grow on — instead of the metal now used. For patients, this could equal fewer surgeries, less pain and better healing.

Preferred by Boeing
The strength of the University of Dayton’s engineering research has earned it a spot on the Boeing Co.’s list of preferred universities. Boeing will support UD’s research and work with the University in areas where the two have a common interest such as aviation.

When Warthogs Fly
The US Air Force has tapped UDRI to help in its efforts to install new wings on their A-10 (Warthog) aircraft. The work includes performing load tests on an actual full-size wing.

Fueling Expansion
A new fuels and combustion lab is opened at UDRI, designed to facilitate existing and new areas of fuels research.

The Gun That Saves Lives
“Reach for it!” In the second it takes to say those words, the fastest gun in the Midwest – and the world, for that matter – could propel a small aluminum sphere more than five and one-half miles. Make that the fastest light-gas gun in the world.

UDRI Technologies to Enable Quick Reuse of Space Vehicles
UDRI is working on development programs that will facilitate rapid inspection and repair of thermal protection systems designed for shuttle-like spacecraft.

Unclogged
Researchers’ findings will help revolutionize aircraft engine design, reduce costs and increase capabilities.

UDRI Receives Third Frontier Funding for Fuel Cell Demonstration Project
A portable fuel cell’s real-world operating characteristics will be demonstrated when Daybreak of Dayton, an emergency shelter for youth, receives laptops powered by the new fuel cell, to be used by staff "first responders."

New Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites and Devices
World's first demo facility for polymer nanocomposites lets manufacturers 'try out,' transition nanotechnology into product lines.

Nobel, Curie, Goodyear and Strnat
A former UD researcher has joined the ranks of 'greatest materials' scientists, according to a new compilation of the 100 "Greatest Moments in Materials Science and Engineering."