This will solve a fatigue problem associated with the use of flywheels in satellites. Flywheels will be less than half the weight of the batteries. Flywheels serve as solar-powered generators. Solar power rotates the flywheels at high speeds to create kinetic energy that is transformed into electrical energy to run the satellites, Gowayed said. Not only will flywheels create a more efficient energy storage system, but they also will assist in the satellite's orientation as it travels around the world.
Flywheels create torque to help with the satellite's attitude control.
The project will probably be complete by the end of 2002. Back to top Researchers seek to explain geographic distribution of birds Through applying a combination of the sexual selection theory and biogeography, two researchers in the College of Science and Mathematics are working to determine why some bird species are common in one location, but rare in another. Assistant Professor Douglas Robinson and Associate Professor Geoffrey Hill of the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Sciences are studying plumage to explore possible reasons for sporadic distribution among different species. The knowledge that female birds choose to mate with males that display bright plumage suggests that feathers may be an indicator of not only individual health, but population health as well, according to Hill. To achieve this high state of well-being, the male must live among good environmental conditions, he added.