Center for Efficient & Sustainable Use of Resource

Source:
MEASURE, Fall 2011
The Research Publication of Arkansas State University

"Environmental sustainability … does not mean that the environment should be unchanged, because the environment changes naturally over time whether humans have anything to do with it or not."

America's great Interstate Highway System of the 1950s was a modern technological marvel. Today, however, the Interstate is showing its age. What do we do with a worn-out bridge or a crumbling highway when its materials can only go to the landfill?  What, moreover, is to be done about the country’s reliance upon fossil fuels and other diminishing resources?
Thanks to an entity called CESUR at Arkansas State University, such waste may have met its match.

CESUR lives

The Center for Efficient and Sustainable Use of Resources (CESUR) is a new center of excellence that was established at ASU in 2010 with a $1.4 million grant from the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority.  As the name suggests, CESUR has two areas of emphasis: efficiency and sustainability. 
Under the direction of Dr. David Beasley, dean of ASU's College of Engineering, CESUR is led by a team consisting of Dr. Brandon Kemp, assistant professor of electrical engineering, inventor on five U.S. patent applications; Dr. Kwangkook Jeong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, inventor on five Korean patents; and Dr. Ilwoo Seok, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, inventor on six Korean patents and one U.S. patent. That's a lot of engineering brain power.

According to Dr. Kemp, "The CESUR faculties have research interests in improved efficiency of engineering systems, particularly in regard to minimization of input energy and materials to achieve a specific function, which generally involves the reduction of waste.  We are presently finalizing a research contract with a major developer and manufacturer of printing systems to provide models aimed at reducing the energy consumption and material waste in laser printing systems.  We have long-term plans to expand our research collaborations with other industries and research institutes as opportunities arise."

Environmental sustainability

Dr. Kemp says that sustainability means the ability to endure or maintain, adding "Environmental sustainability, then, refers to the ability of mankind to maintain the environment on a controlled or natural course.  It does not mean that the environment should be unchanged, because the environment changes naturally over time whether humans have anything to do with it or not…. The other aspect of sustainability is the control of human effects on the environment. That is obviously where engineers come in.  CESUR approaches environmental sustainability by developing efficient and sustainable use of energy and materials to meet the needs of society."

Their sustainability research focuses on renewable and alternative energy, including alternative energy production via solar and wind as well as energy storage. CESUR’s interest in alternative energy sources stems from the belief that we cannot sustain our rate of energy consumption in the long term unless we can replenish the sources at an equal rate. Kemp says, "Presently, there is a need to substitute consumption of fossil fuels with energy sources that are eco-friendly, manageable, and sustainable."

Roads to landfill

Apart from fossil fuels, there are other issues of consumption. Today, much of the world uses heavy materials one time. Major construction projects such as buildings, roads and bridges are utilized until they reach the end of their useful life. Then, much of the material used in that project is either landfilled or put to a lesser use. While steel and some other building materials can be separated and then recycled or reused, many other materials such as concrete, asphalt, drywall or wood are more difficult to reuse, particularly for similar purposes. Some, like asbestos, are dangerous to handle. Many, if recycled at all, are converted to less useful types of materials.
This generally means that those “lesser” materials must be used nearby, since their diminished value does not justify spending a great deal on transportation. Quite often, this simply leads to a decision against recycling. Further, the fact that those materials are not reused for their original purpose means that new wood, cement or asphalt must be utilized for new projects.
Some building materials are not recoverable. However, materials could be created which could be more easily recovered. Similarly, materials not now recoverable or recyclable could be salvaged though innovative technology.
Faculty at Arkansas State University, in both its Colleges of Engineering and Sciences and Mathematics, have research capabilities in construction material development and testing.  CESUR assembles those capabilities into a functional unit to work with industry, government and academia to develop new, “greener” materials for a wide range of applications. Initial areas of concentration will be on materials that are renewable bio‐based resources as well as new substances that can be created from recycling other materials such as those recovered from construction or paving.

Academic Enrichment and Economic impact

In line with its academic role, ASU has developed or is developing degree programs to support CESUR’s research, workforce, and business development goals.  These include doctoral programs in environmental sciences and in molecular sciences, plus graduate program development not only in engineering but also in entrepreneurship.  Thus, in addition to developing programs that address the areas of novel recyclable materials, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability, CESUR is poised to develop and nurture a technically proficient workforce - a key component for regional economic development.   

Says Kemp, "Our long term goals include generation of intellectual property in efficiency and sustainability of engineering systems and the establishment of a nationally-competitive graduate program in the College of Engineering, which we expect will have a positive impact on the workforce and economy of the region."

Making the transfer

One of ASU’s research goals is building economic and community resources to support regional knowledge‐based industries. Technology transfer, or turning research into industry, is the key. CESUR'S long‐term strategy includes:

Toward those ends, ASU, with funding from the Department of Commerce, is developing research incubation space and support systems for startup companies.  Housed in the Arkansas Biosciences Building (ABI), nearly 6,000 square feet of space is being readied for occupancy in the spring of 2011.  Equally importantly, ASU is pursuing funding for ABI II – an additional state-of-the art facility that would house CESUR and other entrepreneurial programs.

CESUR'S friends

In the quest for a more sustainable tomorrow, CESUR has a lot of allies. Participants at ASU alone include the Colleges of Business, Sciences and Mathematics, Engineering, Education, and Agriculture and Technology. The Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) and the Office of Research and Technology Transfer on campus are important partners in making the leap from the lab to the marketplace, as are the Delta Center for Economic Development and the ASU Research and Development Institute.
CESUR's work will be further leveraged with existing resources and programs already under development at ASU including:

In time, CESUR is expected to become self-sustaining through competitive funding, returning the state’s investment many times over. More importantly, CESUR’s work will contribute to the growing body of knowledge regarding environmental sustainability, provide opportunities for students as they seek careers in the sustainability industry, and provide economic stimuli to the area while simultaneously fueling economic growth in the region.