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Research

Energy and Environment

UW Mechanical Engineering is helping to advance the adoption of a clean energy future by developing next generation marine, solar and wind energy and electrical energy storage materials, devices and systems, as well as their integration with the grid. Our students and faculty are working to increase the scope and impact of our research and education in alternative energies and the environment. We are fostering partnerships that grow our visibility and prominence in pollution prevention, clean combustion and energy research and technology translation. The solutions being developed in our labs will help establish the course toward a smarter, more sustainable future.

Key research areas

  • Acoustics and noise pollution prevention
  • Batteries and energy storage
  • Energy conversion
  • Energy optimization and conversion
  • Hybrid and electric vehicles
  • Low-emissions combustion, pollutants and control
  • Printed and flexible electronics
  • Wind, solar and marine renewable energy and instrumentation

Research highlights

ME researchers are developing novel technologies related to particulates sampling, environmentally- friendly batteries and combustion pollution control.

Woman cooking outdoors

Clean Cookstoves Lab focuses on the testing, design and development of low-emissions, highefficiency wood-burning cookstoves for the developing world.

Pacific Marine Energy Center responsibly advances the technical, environmental and societal dimensions of marine energy by expanding scientific understanding, engaging stakeholders and empowering students.

Clean Energy Institute is working to accelerate the adoption of a clean energy future by advancing solar energy and electrical energy storage materials, devices and systems, as well as their integration with the grid.

Award-winning student teams

EcoCAR students at a whiteboard

EcoCAR is converting a Chevrolet Camaro into a hybrid electric vehicle for a student competition sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Students posing with HPS under water

The Human Powered Submarine team designs, manufactures and competes submarines with the goal of developing the most effective submarine system possible, relying solely on human power

Hyperloop team

UW Hyperloop designs, fabricates and competes small-scale pods that travel by magnetic levitation inside tubes at SpaceX headquarters.

Related News

Metal objects on a table. There are two tubes and also two other hexagonal shapes.

Mon, 09/19/2022 | UW News

ME researchers develop a reactor that can destroy ‘forever chemicals’

Researchers created a reactor that can completely break down hard-to-destroy chemicals using “supercritical water."

Two researchers in a lab looking at a laptop screen

Thu, 09/15/2022 | UW NanoES

A new framework for manufacturing next-gen materials

ME alum Elizabeth Rasmussen, Research Associate Professor Igor Novosselov and Professor John Kramlich have developed a new method to quickly, cheaply and sustainably synthesize metal-organic frameworks.

Professor Corie L. Cobb

Mon, 01/24/2022 | UW Mechanical Engineering

Corie L. Cobb awarded DARPA Director's Fellowship

ME Professor Corie L. Cobb, the Washington Research Foundation Innovation Professor in Clean Energy, has been selected as recipient of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director’s Fellowship Award.

A man with dark skin holds a rectangular black chip of carbon fiber material in the foreground and his masked face is out of focus in the background

Wed, 11/03/2021

Healable carbon fiber composite offers path to long-lasting, sustainable materials

A new paper describes a type of carbon fiber reinforced material that is as strong and light as traditionally used ones, but can be repeatedly healed with heat, reversing any fatigue and providing a way to break it down when it reaches the end of its life.