Prof. David Dunstan Project Abstracts
Please note that these are all parts of on-going research programmes, so it is advisable to come and discuss with me current developments and what the project might be when you start.
BSc/MSci/MSc Research, Investigative and Independent Project Abstracts.
The Size Effect in Small-Scale Plasticity
The student will join an on-going research programme on the strength of soft metals and the increase in strength when a characteristic dimension (wire diameter, foil thickness ...) is small, on a length-scale of microns. According to the student's interests, they may develop new equipment, take data, and undertake theoretical analysis.
A new medical instrument for monitoring diabetes
Together with a small optics and lighting company, we are developing an instrument intended to measure the loss of nerve function that triggers many complications in diabetic patients. There are a range of problems which a student on this project may choose to work on, ranging from writing software, building hardware, to inventing and testing measurement protocols.
Collapse of carbon nanotubes under external pressure
The collapse of individual tubes under external pressure is largely understood. However, we have found a large anomaly when carbon nanotubes are bundled together. In this project, we simulate nanotubes experimentally using O-rings and will study their collapse under external two-dimensional pressure. Any differences in the behaviour of individual O-rings and bundled O-rings will help understand the behaviour of nanotubes.
MSci Review Project Abstracts
Algae for biofuels
Most biofuels compete unacceptably for resources against other needs, such as food. Algae can grow in tanks in deserts or at sea and can be used to make, for example, diesel fuel. What determines and controls the efficiency of this renewable resource?
Lighting gemstones
What are the optical properties of materials that make some highly prized as gemstones? Given these optical properties, how should they be lit in a static environment (e.g. a museum display) to optimise their appearance for viewers?
