Past Events and Seminars
Friday, February 6, 2015, Room B155, 8:45am - Noon
PACCAR Technology Institute Research Forum on Energy, Water and Resiliency
On Feb. 6, 2015, the PACCAR Technology Institute, along with UNT's research clusters in Renewable Energy and Conservation and Renewable Bioproducts, hosted a research forum on energy, water and resilience. The event was attended by researchers and students from the College of Engineering's Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical and Energy Engineering, along with researchers from the Department of Chemistry (UNT College of Arts and Sciences) and industry representatives.
The event included roundtable discussions and the following presentations:
- Super hydrophobic porous and non-porous materials for a spectrum of energy and protection applications;
- Functional materials for energy applications: from all solid state lithium ion battery to glass nuclear waste forms;
- Nanoparticles for fracking fluid clean up;
- Water cleaning capability of the activated carbon fabricated from a novel environmental friendly self-activation process; and
- Predictive Modeling Network for Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystems.
The PACCAR Technology Institute Advisory Board also held a meeting following the presentations.
Friday, January 9, 2015, Room B155, 3:00pm
Topic: Recent Advances in Cooling Technology
By: Sung Jin Kim
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Abstract: The development of cooling technology has been an important element in the successful development of industrial and commercial systems for more than 50 years. This has been especially true during the past decades as electronic components have shrunk while increasing in performance, and industrial processes have grown to require ever better cooling performance. Today cooling is viewed as a bottleneck technology necessary to the successful development of future electronic systems.
This talk is intended to provide a perspective and review of the state-of-the-art cooling and thermal management technology used by important industrial and commercial systems. Some of the latest cooling technology utilizing air, water, or direct liquid immersion will be discussed with examples of application both in the USA, Japan, and Korea. This talk will conclude with a brief overview of research activities in the Applied Heat Transfer Lab at KAIST.
Friday, January 9th, 2015, Room B155, 2:00-3:00pm
Thermophysical Properties of High Pressure Hydrogen
Speaker: Yasuyuki Takata
Professor & WPI Principal InvestigatorInternational Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER) Department of Mechanical EngineeringKyushu University
Abstract: In recent years, research and development of fuel cell vehicles (FCV) are ongoing aiming a carbon-neutral society. A Japanese car company is going to put FCVs into commercial market in November, 2014. Such FCVs have an onboard hydrogen tank with 70MPa in pressure. To refill hydrogen into FCVs, the hydrogen must be compressed up to 90MPa in hydrogen refueling station (HRS). To design such high pressure H2 systems, accurate data of hydrogen thermophysical properties are essential. We have been developed a hydrogen thermophysical property database based on highly accurate measurements of PVT, thermal conductivity and viscosity up to 100MPa. The seminar introduces the measurement principle, development of apparatus and some strange behaviors of hydrogen at high pressures.
September 18, 2012
Second Annual MEE Research Forum - Engineering, Resiliency and Sustainability
The Mechanical & Energy Engineering Department, University of North Texas, organized the Second Annual MEE Research Forum, held on Sept. 18, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. at room# B155, Discovery Park, UNT. The motto of this forum is “Engineering Resiliency and Sustainability,” and the goal of this interdisciplinary event is to discuss ideas on how to foster multi-disciplinary research efforts in the following, but not limited to, thematic areas:
- Renewable, Alternative Energy & Materials Solutions;
- Social, Human Behavior & Computational Issues in Modeling Building-community scale Sustainable Ecosystems;
- Biomedical Solutions for Sustainable Societies; and
- Sustainability for Economic Development.
The program is jointly hosted by the PACCAR Technology Institute , Research Clusters in Renewable Energy and Conservation and Renewable Bio-Products. The Committee is made up of Dr. Yong Tao (Chair, Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering), Dr. Nandika D’Souza (Co-Chair, Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering), Dr. Stan Ingman (Department of Applied Gerontology), Dr. Mohammad Omary (Department of Chemistry), and Dr. Anthony Mendes (Department of Management).
The forum will convene with a short presentation & round table discussion. A number of faculty members from diverse disciplines will be present in the research forum to share and discuss their ideas. Before starting the Research Forum, the PACCAR Institute Advisory Board Meeting will be held in Discovery Park from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. in F101A.
See the Flyer of the 2nd MEE Research Forum
Thursday April 7th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Intelligent Command Generation to Reduce Machine Vibration
By Joshua Vaughn
Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract: The rapid movement of machines remains a challenging control problem because all machines will vibrate when pushed toward their performance limits. As a result, flexible machines are typically moved relatively slowly. Much research energy has been directed toward feedback control methods to reduce oscillation while maintaining fast move times. However, implementing such methods can often be difficult and expensive or result in systems that are incompatible with human operators. Input shaping is an alternative control method that allows
high speeds of motion by intelligently shaping the reference command. This method has the advantage of requiring no additional sensors, providing no risk of instability, and being proven compatible with human operators. This talk will present an overview of the input shaping method, including input shaper design and implementation, example applications, and interaction with human operators. Future research directions including energy use and the concurrent design of commands, feedback controllers, and physical systems will also be discussed.
Dr. Joshua Vaughan is currently a Postdoctoral Research Engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Vaughan was a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) postdoctoral fellow at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, working on the GRYPHON humanitarian demining robot in the Hirose-Fukushima Laboratory. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2008, with a dissertation titled Dynamics and Control of Mobile Cranes. Dr. Vaughan also received a M.S. degree from Georgia Tech in 2004 and a Bachelor's Degree in Physics and Applied Mathematics from Hampden-Sydney College in 2002, where he was also a two-year baseball co-captain. His research interests include energy conscious control design, human-machine interaction, multi-input shaping control, and advanced crane control.
Wednesday April 6th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Exploring Thermal Energy and Mass Transport from the Molecular Level
By Tengfei Luo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract: The global rising demands on energy, fresh water and cooling of microelectronics call for new understanding and novel technologies in the field of heat and mass transfer. Molecular level studies such as molecular dynamics, lattice dynamics and first-principle quantum calculations are able to probe fundamental transport phenomena at very small spatial and temporal scales where conventional theories are being challenged. In this talk, I will discuss how molecular modelings are used to understand energy and mass transport physics and stimulate engineering innovations. Firstly, I will present results on thermal transport in PDMS – the most widely used polymeric thermal interface materials (TIM) in microelectronics, and I will discuss the use of self-assembly molecules as a TIM that is hundreds of times more thermally conductive than conventional polymeric TIMs. Next, I will discuss an ab-initio lattice dynamics method of predicting phonon mean-free path dependent thermal conductivity of crystals, which provides valuable guidance on fabricating nanostructured thermoelectric materials to improve their energy conversion efficiencies. Finally, I will present a novel Directional Solvent Extraction desalination technology and discuss how to characterize and predict directional solvent properties from molecular simulations. At the end, I will also discuss my future research directions.
Tuesday April 5th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic : Prediction and Control of Internal Condensing (and Boiling) Flows in the Context of their Sensitivities
By Amitabh Narain
Michigan Technological University
Abstract: The reported experimental results involve flow condensation of pure FC-72 (perfluorohexane) vapor on the horizontal condensing-surface (top surface of a 316 stainless steel slab) comprising the bottom surface of a rectangular cross-section duct of 2 mm height, 15 mm width, and 1 m length. The remainder of the duct is made of clear plastic. For fully condensing flow cases reported here, besides controlling and holding steady the mean values of quasi-steady mass flow rate, exit pressure, and variables determining the cooling conditions, the experiment is also able to concurrently control and impose a range of quasi-steady values of the inlet pressure – and hence a range of pressure-difference values. A quasi-steady flow variable means that the mean value is steady but it is superposed with time periodic unsteady noise/fluctuations. For single-phase or air-water type two-phase flows, only one unique quasi-steady pressure-difference imposition under these conditions, not the range of pressure-difference values reported here for condensing flows, is possible. These multiple pressure-difference imposition possibilities for condensing flows are enabled by the presence of ubiquitous 0-20 Hz noise/fluctuations that are typically present in many applications. For specified cooling conditions, these flows’ significant response (termed sensitivity) to such pressure-difference impositions are apparent on the reported changes in the liquid-vapor morphology (photographs and videos), condensing-surface heat-flux, and condensing-surface temperature measurements. This sensitivity, termed “elliptic sensitivity” in recently published theoretical/computational and experimental works, results from significant changes in the mean mechanical energy consumed in the duct. These energy consumption changes are possible because changes in energy transfer rates (associated with interfacial mass-transfer rates and location of the interface) across the interface are possible.
The above approach of identifying and addressing flow sensitivities is also being extended to make quasi-steady boiling flow experiments predictable and repeatable. This holds the promise that new devices for space-based thermal management, electronic cooling involving micro-scale boilers and condensers, g-vector insensitive vapor-compression cycles, etc. can be designed to exhibit system-level functionality and repeatability.
Monday April 4th 2011, Room D202, 11:00 AM
Topic: Development of Micro-Scale Materials to Apply in Bone
By A. Champa Jayasuriya, Ph.D
University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
Abstract: We have developed an injectable hybrid microparticle system based on chitosan biopolymer to apply in bone defects. These hybrid microparticles were fabricated in a simple and physiologically friendly environment, avoiding high temperatures, pressures, voltages, and highly toxic chemicals for in situhardening or cross-linking. Cross-links were formed in the microparticles using an ionic cross-linking agent in order to improve the structural and mechanical properties of these particles. These particles were in the spherical shape with the size range of 20-100 mm. Compared to the conventional 3D scaffolds, the developed microparticles can be applied to bone defects by injection using minimally invasive methods. We evaluated these microparticles in different ways:
1. We characterized chemical, physical and biodegradation properties of these microparticles using standard analytical methods. We measured the microhardness values for the cross-linked chitosan samples and those are in the compatible range to that of human bone. We also measured nanomechanical properties of these microparticles using a nanoindentor.
2. We assessed these microparticles using in vitro and in vivo experimental models.
3. We also use computational simulation methods to evaluate these microparticles.
In this presentation, experimental and theoretical studies of injectable, biodegradable and biocompatible microparticles will be discussed
Monday, March 28th 2011, Room D202, 11:00 AM
Topic: Electrowetting Solar Cells
By Jiangtao Cheng
Teledyne Scientific Company
Abstract: We are developing a solar concentrator using a novel optofluidic system based on electrowetting. The electrowetting effect controls the contact angle of a liquid on a hydrophobic surface through the application of an electric field. With two immiscible fluids in a transparent cell, we can actively control the contact angle along the fluid-fluid-solid tri-junction line and hence the orientation of the fluid-fluid interface via electrowetting. The naturally-formed meniscus between the two liquids can function as an optical prism. Without any mechanical moving parts, this dynamic liquid prism allows the device to adaptively track both the daily and seasonal changes of the Sun’s orbit, i.e., dual-axis tracking. This invention reduces capital costs for concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) and increases operational efficiency by eliminating the power consumption of mechanical tracking. Most importantly, the elimination of bulky tracking hardware and quiet operation will allow extensive residential deployment of concentrated solar power. In comparison with traditional silicon-based PV solar cells, the electrowetting-based self-tracking technology will generate ~70% higher green energy with a 50% cost reduction. The success of this program has huge market impacts and will enable a paradigm shift in the role of concentrating photovoltaics in the U.S. energy market.
Tuesday March 29th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Thermoreflectance-Based Measurement of Temperature and Thermal Properties for Microelectronic Devices and Materials
By Dr. Mihai G. Burzo
Southern Methodist University
Abstract: The high speed and power required by modern electronic devices have translated into dramatic increases in the density of elementary transistors coupled with equally dramatic decreases in feature sizes. As a result, the microelectronics industry is in need of critical solutions to the problem of heat removal from high-power high-density elementary devices. In response to this problem, direct tools are needed to test the real thermal behavior of microscale and nanoscale electronic structures. This has resulted in an increased demand for methods that can directly measure the temperature of the features of such structures, as well as methods that can identify the thermophysical properties of electronic materials.
In this talk, I will present the thermoreflectance thermography, which is a non-contact and non-destructive optical approach for probing steady-state and transient surface temperature, providing accurate results for submicron features of microelectronic devices with excellent spatial and thermal resolutions. Additionally, I will also show how an optimized transient thermoreflectance can be effectively used to determine the thermal conductivity of many thin-films and bulk materials used in the electronics industry.
Wednesday, March 30th 2011, Room D202, 11:00 AM
Topic: Modeling and Simulation of Transport Phenomena in an Advanced Waste Heat Recovery Technology
By Cheng-Xian Lin, Ph.D.
The University of Tennessee
Abstract : The U.S. is the largest energy consumer in the world in terms of total use. However, more than 50% of the energy is wasted in the U.S. To improve the energy efficiency of various energy-intensive industrial processes, it is very important to recover and utilize the waste heat. In this talk, I will share our recent progress in developing a nanoporous membrane based technology for recovering both waste heat and water from low-grade industrial flue gas streams. Toward the goal of a multiphysics-based simulation model for the transport phenomena encountered, we have first developed a simplified mutli-species transport model, and then an advanced multiphase mixture model. In the multiphase mixture model, turbulent flow, porous media, water evaporation-condensation, and non-condensable gas transport are considered. Both models are validated with available experimental data from collaborators. Preliminary results demonstrated the complexity in the transport phenomena and the needs in further research in this area.
Thursday March 31st 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Energy Research: Wind and Tidal Turbines, Net-Zero Energy Buildings, Fuel Cells and Turbomachinery
By Ahmad Sleiti, Ph.D., PE
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Abstract: Dr. Sleiti is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a member of the newly established Energy Production and Infrastructure Center and the director of the Theromfluids and Energy Systems lab. Dr. Sleiti has over 10 years of industrial experience and over 8 years of university level teaching and research experience. He holds three degrees in mechanical engineering including a combined BS & M.S. degree in heat and gas supply, M.S. degree with an emphasis in thermal sciences and a Ph.D. degree from University of Central Florida with an emphasis in thermofluids and energy systems. He is a licensed professional engineer in state of Florida, certified energy manager and certified energy auditor by the American Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) with research experience in the gas turbines, generators, wind and tidal turbines, fuel cells, advanced thermal management of electric machines, and heating, refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sectors of the industry.
In his presentation, Dr. Sleiti will give an overview of his research and education projects on wind and tidal power turbines, Net-Zero Energy Buildings Program and Fuel Cell Program with US DOE, thermal management of electric machines program with DOD including the development of nano composites and nanofluids, the Vapor Absorption Refrigeration project with ASHRAE and gas turbine research with Siemens.
The presentation will highlight research related to transport phenomena in Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The focus is on identifying the key underlying materials transport mechanisms and improving our understanding of their inherent consequences to facilitate breakthroughs that are needed for the realization of high power density and highly efficient fuel cells. The second part of the presentation will highlight some aspects of the experimental, analytical and computational research related to thermofluids, flow and transport in gas turbines and generators.
Friday, March 25th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Linear parameter varying control theory and application in complex systems
By Javad Mohammadpour
University of Houston
Abstract: Linear parameter varying (LPV) systems theory offers advantages over classical gain-scheduled control in that the resulting LPV controllers & filters are automatically gain-scheduled, and no ad hoc methods of gain-scheduling are needed. In addition, it offers robustness guarantees that the traditional methods of gain scheduling cannot provide. The LPV systems represent certain classes of nonlinear systems and provide a systematic framework for the study of nonlinear systems and gain-scheduling control design by means of convex optimization tools. This talk will include two parts: In the first part, new analysis and synthesis conditions will be presented for time-delay LPV systems exhibiting brief instability. The synthesis conditions are then represented in terms of the solution to a set of linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization problems. Application of the presented theoretical results to the problem of active fault tolerant control systems in the presence of false fault identification will be then discussed. In the second part of the talk, some of the recent applications of LPV control methods I have been involved in will be presented. The applications discussed in the talk include aerospace systems, smart structural systems, and wind energy conversion systems.
Thursday, March 24th 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Science of Nanofluidic Energy Conversion
By Ling Liu
Columbia University, New York
Abstract: When a liquid phase, whose motion is controlled by pressure, voltage, and/or heat, is confined in a nanoporous material, the ultra-large pore surface area exposed to the liquid becomes an ideal platform for energy conversion, including energy harvesting (converting mechanical or thermal energy into electricity), energy absorption (converting mechanical energy into heat and interfacial energy) and actuation (converting thermal or electrical energy into mechanical output). The energy conversion density can be orders-of-magnitude higher than that of conventional materials. The design and optimization of the multifunctional nanocomposite material (with nanoporous matrix and functional liquid filler) are underpinned by the science of nanofluidics, a wide open area where solid mechanics and fluid mechanics meet at the small scale. Owing to the counterintuitive behavior of liquid molecules and ions confined in nanopores, as well as their unique mechanical and electrochemical interactions with solid atoms, many conventional fluid laws break down and new nanofluidic theories are established based on atomistic simulations. The multiscale studies also provide critical insights for improving the energy conversion processes. The novel nanoporous materials developed herein become very attractive as the building blocks of the next-generation multifunctional systems, with high-performance self-protective, self-powering, and self-actuation functionalities.
Monday, March 21st 2011, Room D212, 2:00 PM
Topic: Mechanical Behavior and Deformation Mechanism of Light Weight Magnesium Alloy
By Qizen Li
University of Nevada, Reno
Abstract: Magnesium, the lightest structural metal with a density of ~1.74 g/cc, is highly attractive to various industries including aerospace and aeronautics, automotive, and defense industries due to its broad range of structural, energy, and bio-applications such as energy storage media, bone/dental implants, and shock/impact energy absorbers. On one hand, the light weight of magnesium-based components for transportation vehicles can lower fuel consumption and increase fuel efficiency. On the other hand, magnesium is a competitive candidate for hydrogen storage. The practical usages of magnesium and its alloys require the knowledge of their structure and property. This talk will mainly focus on deformation mechanism and mechanical behavior of magnesium alloy (AZ61A) experienced various loading conditions. The related results show that the initial texture and loading amplitude/direction affect the deformation mechanism and microstructural features. When the strain amplitude is higher than 0.005, twinning–detwinning is the underlying dominant deformation mechanism and residual twins change the grain crystallographic orientation and weaken the texture. When the strain amplitude is lower than 0.005, deformation mechanism is dominated by dislocation slips.
Thursday March 10, 2011, Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Thin Film Coating Materials for Improved Implant Osteointegration and Energy Production
By Venu Varanasi
University of California, San Francisco
Abstract: Structural coating materials are used to improve the longevity, cost-effectiveness, and integration of devices in their respective applications. For example, titanium structural implant materials, which are used in orthopaedic and dental applications, mechanically support bone tissue attachment, however, these materials do not facilitate a direct bone bond. Bioactive glasses offer an attractive coating compliment to titanium implant materials due to their adequate chemical bonding at the metal-ceramic interface and direct bonding to bone tissue through osteoblast cellular attachment. Bioactive glasses bond directly to bone because they partially dissolve, releasing ions (e.g., calcium, silicon, and phosphate) to cells as raw materials for osteoblast bone matrix production while partially crystallizing and forming a hydroxyapatite surface for bone matrix attachment. Recently, we have found evidence that the ions released by bioactive glasses induce increased rate and density of mineralized tissue. Furthermore, we have discovered that these ions can combinatorially control the expression of these biomolecules by using a specific ratio of silicon and calcium. Such control can lead to improved materials design that incorporate many techniques used to make thin films of these glasses for targeted gene expression, thus leading to the development of “smart” biomaterials. As another example, nickel-aluminide superalloys are used as blade materials in gas turbine engines for their very low creep under extreme thermomechanical loading, however, these materials have limited lifetime due to the high temperature combustion gases in the turbine engine atmosphere. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is used as a thermal barrier coating to reduce the blade temperature and increase blade lifetime. We have found that low-cost, thin film fabrication of YSZ coatings can match current lifetimes of these blade materials while also providing an adequate thermal barrier during use. Dr. Varanasi will be discussing these research topics and his findings in both of these structural coating material applications.
Tuesday March 8, 2011, Room D212, 1:00 PM
Topic: Engineering Carbon-Based Hybrid Nanostructures for Environmental and Energy Applications
By Ganhua Lu
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Abstract: Carbon-based hybrid nanostructures comprising nanoparticles (NPs) distributing on the surfaces of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene represent a new class of materials. These materials could potentially display not only the unique properties of NPs and those of CNTs/graphene, but also additional novel properties due to the interaction (e.g., electronic or optical) between the NP and the CNT/graphene. Such NP-CNT/graphene hybrid structures are promising for environmental and energy applications.
In the first part of this presentation, I will introduce a material-independent, dry route based on the electrostatic force directed assembly (ESFDA) to deposit aerosol NPs onto CNTs or graphene oxide sheets to form NP-CNT or NP-graphene hybrid structures. The ESFDA technique works for CNTs (random dispersed or vertically aligned) and graphene oxide without the need for chemical functionalization or other pretreatments of CNTs/graphene. The non-covalent attachment of NPs also preserves the intrinsic properties of CNTs/graphene. Due to the inherent material-independence nature of the electrostatic force, various compositions of such NP-CNT/graphene hybrid structures can be produced using this new technique.
In the second part, I will present the chemical sensing and optoelectronic attributes of as-produced hybrid NP-CNT/graphene structures. Through the combination of high-performance CNTs and the popular sensing material SnO2, the hybrid SnO2 NP-CNT structure exhibits high sensitivity to low-concentration gases at room temperature. The hybrid platform provides a radically new opportunity to engineer sensing devices with quantum-mechanical attributes by taking advantage of the electron transfer between the NP and the CNT. I will also introduce work on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for chemical sensing, which will assist future research on chemical sensing with NP-graphene hybrid structures. For photovoltaic applications of carbon-based hybrid nanostructures, optoelectronic properties of CdSe NPs deposited on RGO will be demonstrated. Outlook for future applications of NP-CNT/graphene hybrid structures in solar cells, Li-ion batteries, and chemical sensor arrays will be discussed at the end the presentation.
Friday March 4th, 2011, NTDP Room D212, 11:00 AM
Topic: Research in the Integration of Nanotechnology, Sensors, Actuators and Controls
By Dr. Xun Yu
University of Minnnesota, Duluth, Minnesota
Abstract: Recent advances in nanotechnology research have led to the development of new sensors, actuators, multifunction materials, and systems. This seminar will present our recent research on the development of new systems that integrate carbon nanotube (CNT) based devices with sensing, actuating and advanced control technologies for a variety of applications, including active noise control (ANC), biomedical applications, and self-sensing composites:
-Active sound transmission control for windows using CNT based transparent thin film actuators. Carbon nanotube based transparent thin film actuators were developed in junction with an active control system for windows, aiming to significantly reduce noise transmission through windows. Such windows would be useful for homes close to airports and noisy highways.
-Active noise control for infant incubators in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). In addition to using the CNT based transparent thin film speaker as the actuator for the control system, a specific hybrid control algorithm is also being developed for cancellation of non-stationary noise and impulse-like noise in a NICU.
-CNT matrix for stem cell differentiation. The dynamics and influence of a CNT matrix on stem cell differentiation have been investigated in our research. The preliminary results indicated that CNT can support the differentiation of stem cells and display specific changes in their differentiation program, which could be used to direct stem cell differentiation for tissue engineering etc. biomedical applications.
-Self-sensing CNT/cement composites. Piezoresistive properties of CNT/cement composites are being investigated in our research. Experimental results will be presented to demonstrate the electromechanical properties of CNT/cement composites, which will enable civil infrastructure itself (bridge, levee, or roadway) to work as an embedded distributed stress sensor. This technology could be used for structure health monitoring, traffic flow detection, and other civil applications.