Project Info

Next Generation Automobile Conductors

The goal of this project is to develop nanostructured variants of aluminum that have electrical conductivity and strength high enough to enable nano-aluminum wires to replace copper wires in future automobiles. This project is interesting because it creates a massive shift in the automobile industry, helping to usher in the era of all-electric vehicles. Nanostructured aluminum wires can reduce the weight, environmental impact, and cost of automobiles while increasing fuel efficiency. Today every car has over 1 mile of wiring, having a weight of about 100 pounds. Cars of the future with nanostructured aluminum will have less than half the weight of conductors. Also, the cost per amp delivered by automobile wiring is at least 6 times less for aluminum compared to copper.

More Information

https://www.anixter.com/en_us/resources/literature/wire-wisdom/copper-vs-aluminum-conductors.html

global-sei.com/technology/tr/bn79/pdf/79-02.pdf

Grand Engineering Challenge: Not applicable

Student Preparation

Qualifications

Interest in materials processing and characterization of properties. Basic metallurgical laboratory skills are helpful, but can be taught.

Time Commitment

20 hours/month

Skills/Techniques Gained

Skill and experience in processing and testing materials, including learning to measure strength, observe microstructures.

Mentoring Plan

We use a formal mentoring system based on a combination of the UC Davis and Univ. of Michigan models for mentoring. MyTransdisciplinary Nanostructured Materials Research Team members employ multiple mentoring modalities to enhance student research and learning.