Expanding on his promise to secure more federal aid for Ohio University, Congressman Charlie Wilson visited Athens Friday to announce two grants for research totaling nearly $4 million.

Both appropriations were given to the Russ College of Engineering and Technology to help the U.S. military find ways to reduce equipment maintenance and cut down on troop dependency on diesel.

“I’m pleased that Ohio University’s cutting-edge research can help the U.S. military’s sustainability and energy needs,” said Rep. Wilson, D-Ohio.

The first apportionment, billed at $1.6 million, is aimed at developing special, lightweight technology for heat exchangers in airplanes. The funding renews an identical 2007 federal grant shared between Russ College, GrafTech International, the Ohio Aerospace Institute, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Congress also gave $2.24 million to develop “patent-pending technology” that makes electricity from ammonia. The research, funded through the Army’s “Silent Camp Initiative,” is geared toward making bases more sustainable, allowing special forces to operate more quietly and protecting troops using “waste water.”

Typically, hydrogen from water passes through fuel cells and generates electricity. Ammonia, which can be taken out of urine, has one more hydrogen atom than water, which makes it easier to break down through a process called electrolysis, said Gerardine Botte, an associate professor overseeing the project. The idea to extract ammonia from urine and use it with fuel cells came to Botte in 2002.

“It converts urine to power,” Botte said.

“I had to rewrite that section,” joked Rep. Wilson about his announcement.

By using urine as fuel, troops could carry less fuel and less equipment and reduce their presence in enemy territory. “From a defense standpoint,” Botte added, “urine is a ‘fuel’ carried by soldiers everywhere.” 

Ammonia electrolysis could one day be used on farms, where waste from livestock is problematic. Animal waste seeps into water supplies and particles enter the atmosphere and may inflame allergies.

Research into new types of heat exchangers would not only improve aircraft, but could be applied to civilian life.

Rep. Wilson said using graphite for heat exchangers could double the lifecycle of aircrafts. The exchangers OU is researching use porous graphite foam and are 40 percent lighter than those currently on the market, providing greater fuel efficiency and more space onboard airplanes.

A substance passes through the foam instead of the heavy aluminum fins standard in heat exchangers today, explained Romanian doctoral student Adrian Bradu. There, the substance conducts heat, which is transferred to another substance — in an aircraft’s case, from fuel to air.

Heat exchangers are used in everything from refrigerators to radiators.  With an unending demand for efficient exchangers, Southeastern Ohio, which is rich in coal, could provide the graphite to make this new generation of heat exchangers, said President Roderick McDavis.

“I’m not a scientist, but I know why this is important,” said McDavis.  “Because carbon foam can withstand harsh environments … that means lower overall maintenance costs.  If you ask me, that’s money well-invested.”