He said these batteries power the satellite during periods out of the sunlight, and then absorb solar energy to recharge themselves during the light periods. While the battery is recharging, the satellite is being run by solar energy. Gowayed's research group, consisting of himself as principal investigator, George Flowers, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Faissal Hady, a visiting professor to Textile Engineering along with three graduate students, has developed a new energy source based on the use of flywheels. 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.