Read 13 Tales from the Faculty of Engineering of Universidad del Valle

Since September 21, 2021, the team of the Central Communications Node (NCC) of the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) have published 26 notes on the research work of the Faculty, including 13 in Spanish and 13 versions in English , in order to internationalize the good work that Univalle researchers do. Below are a proof of each note and a link to the entire note.   

LAB VISITS

The following stories are the result of visits by the NCC team to the laboratories of the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle. At each visit, the NCC team talks with professors and students, taking photos and exploring the lab.

School of Mechanical Engineering : Electric Car Industry 

Photo: Students from the Universidad Del Valle Automotive Project. Credit: Edgar Bejarano / Univalle

Diego Mejía Castro, the main promoter of a project for a local electric automobile industry for Cali, Colombia, died due to COVID-19 a year ago, but his dream lives on: the prototype is expected to be tested in late 2021.

Mejía Castro, an entrepreneur who passed away at 59 in August 2020, with decades of experience in the automotive industry, won the initial grant, according to Jorge Lopera, scientific director of the Universidad Del Valle Automotive Project.

Read More: Cali Loses Pioneer, But Not His Dream of Colombia’s Electric Car Industry

School of Civil y Geomatic Engineering: Tearing Down Walls

Photo: The experimental team at the School of Civil and Geomatic Engineering. Credit: G-7 research group

In a high-ceilinged hall filled with machinery, a team of experts examines the cracks and damage in a reinforced concrete wall; but this is not an archaeological expedition or a forensic investigation, it is an experiment by research engineers from the Universidad del Valle, who are in search of clues of how to prevent real-world disasters. 

That same morning of September 13, 2021, the wall was intact, installed in a test frame, showing the typical characteristics of the thin walls of reinforced concrete that are common in buildings in Colombia and throughout Latin America. 

The researchers used multiple sensors and two high-resolution digital cameras to take photos every 10 seconds, over the course of five to six hours, as the wall struggled along to its inevitable breaking point. 

Read More: Tearing Down Walls For Science in Cali, Colombia

School of Chemistry: Anti-cancer Technology 

Photo: Professor Camargo with the chamber used to help prepare the TiO2-m.Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle) Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle)

Chemical engineers based at the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia are developing a treatment based on a patented family of eight different nanoparticles, which has already been shown to be highly effective in killing cancer cells in tissue culture and animal studies.

Profesor Rubén Jesús Camargo, director of the Physical Chemistry of Bio/Nanomaterials research group says they call these particles TiO2-m because the materials are based on titanium oxide molecules with extra chemical groups attached.

“The patented TiO2-m has the special quality of preferentially entering the interior of cancer cells and not the interior of healthy cells,” Camargo said, adding this gives it an advantage over other treatments that don't have this specificity.

 
Read More: Colombian Researchers Are Killing Cancer Cells With Patents and Patience

School of Civil y Geomatic Engineering: Moon Tech For Housing

Fotomontaje de la superficie lunar con un paisaje del departamento del Cauca, Colombia.  Crédito:  NASA/Wikimedia/Édgar Bejarano/NCC Univalle.

As a doctoral student in the United States, Daniel Gomez Pizano —now a professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle— analyzed structures on the lunar surface constructed by 3D printing, from local materials. Now he has a well-funded research project to do the same with the remote communities of Cauca, in southern Colombia. 

Over four years, there will be $9.56 billion Colombian pesos (COP) (about $US 2.5 million) in funding from the General System of Royalties of the department (state) of Cauca, $3.31 billion COP ($US 862,000) from the University Del Valle and $180 million COP ($US 47,000) from the University of Cauca. 

Read More: Millions In New Funding Is “One Small Step” For Moon Ideas To Build Houses in Colombia

SITE VISITS

The following stories come from visits by the NCC team to external sites to cover news relevant to the Faculty of Engineering of Univalle.

CINARA Institute: Water Security

Photo: The construction site in Puerto Mallarino, Valle del Cauca, September 16, 2021. Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle).

A new steel structure is taking shape near the banks of the Cauca River and with it the hope that this prototype and its technology can help guarantee a year-round water supply to the inhabitants of Cali, Colombia. 

During a visit to the construction site at the EMCALI EICE ESP drinking-water treatment plant at Puerto Mallarino, Cali, Colombia, on September 16, the team at the Cinara Institute and the School of Civil and Geomatics Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle), explained that this is the first time this technology has been deployed in Colombia and South America.

Researchers who studied and adapted the technology to Colombian conditions say that the main idea is to build a well, which descends to a depth of 30 meters and after this, grooved pipes are installed radiating out towards the river. Thus the water passes from under the river, where the water would be less polluted than the surface water.. 

 

Read More: The Water Security Of Cali, Colombia Lies Hidden Under The Cauca River

School of Electric y Electronic Engineering: Lab Launch 

Photo: Researchers from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Rector of the Universidad del Valle.

With the Governor of the Department of Valle del Cauca, Dra. Clara Luz Roldán, the managers of the regional electricity industry and engineers from the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) in attendance, an ambitious project was launched to improve scientific and technologies of the electricity industry in Colombia, as well as its competitiveness in the international market: the planned 2022 construction of the National Electricity Sector Laboratory.

According to Professor Carlos Lozano of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Univalle, the launch event that took place on November 26, 2021 marks another great step towards the dream of a laboratory dedicated to conducting specialized tests on different equipment in the electrical industry: transformers, cables, insulators and other equipment used in electrical networks.

Read More: Transformative Electrical Research Lab Launches in Southern Colombia

ENGINEERING WEEK 2021

The following stories are summaries of articles published under the branding of Engineering Week 2021, (November 24-26), with the theme of "Women in engineering: research, entrepreneurship and innovation for the development of the region."

Highlights of Engineering Week 2021

With dozens of talks, academic presentations and other events, Engineering Week 2021 at the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) was a great success. Here are some of the highlights of the week.

 
Read More: Highlights of Engineering Week 2021 at the Universidad del Valle

Challenges For Women in STEM

Photo: Professor Laura Sofia Rodriguez Pulecio, from the School of Systems and Computing Engineering (and the Co-founder of the Mujeres en STEM group at Universidad del Valle. Crédito: Edgar Bejarano/NCC/ Univalle

To celebrate Engineering Week 2021, which will be this week between November 24-26, we spoke with Professor Laura Sofía Rodríguez Pulecio, from the School of Systems and Computing Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle).

"The mission of the week is to make the work of women in engineering more visible, talk about the gender gaps that still persist in our society and how engineering can contribute to reducing these gaps... and talk about what are the factors that even today there is a low participation of women in these areas,” said Professor Rodríguez.

Exploring the challenges associated with engaging women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is the focus of the week's theme, which is “Women in Engineering: Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the development of the region." 

Read More: Women in STEM are the stars of Engineering Week 2021 at Universidad del Valle

WOMEN EN STEM

The following stories are part of our series of articles showing the work of women leaders in research at the Faculty of Engineering within the framework of Engineering Week 2021, (November 24-26), with the theme of "Women in engineering: research, entrepreneurship and innovation for the development of the region."

School of Food Engineering: White Protein Drink

Photo: Aida Rodríguez de Stouvenel, director of the White Protein Project and researcher at the School of Food Engineering. Credit: Proyecto Proteína Blanca

Research engineers at the University Del Valle in Cali, Colombia are developing prototypes of products based on egg protein. Ideally, this could help provide a nutritious drink for those without access to a reliable source of protein because of economic hardship or disasters.

Aida Rodríguez de Stouvenel, the director and research leader of the School of Food Engineering’s White Protein project says the research aims to improve the competitiveness of companies through innovative processes and prototype development based on egg, chicken and/or pork proteins.

Read More: Colombian Engineers Create Nutritious Drink Based on Egg Protein

School of Materials Engineering: Geopolymers For Construction

Photo: Professor Ruby Mejia, director of the Composite Materials Group. Credit: Edgar Bejarano / Univalle

Researchers from the Universidad del Valle School of Engineering are making industrial, construction and demolition waste into useful materials that can provide construction materials with lower carbon emissions.

In the city of Cali, Colombia, more than one million tons of construction and demolition waste are produced each year, which are part of the 22 million tons produced in Colombia nationwide.

Professor Ruby Mejia, leader of the Composite Materials research group within the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle, said that the group has been developing different applications of construction and demolition waste, such as recycled aggregates, bricks, blocks, paving stones, tiles, decorative elements, and other construction materials, which satisfactorily meet national standards.

Professor Mejia explained that some of the new material prototypes are possible thanks to the application of new process methodologies such as alkaline activation and geopolymerization.

Read More: Trash To Treasure: How Materials Engineers In Cali, Colombia Built Better Building Materials

School of Mechanical Engineering: Impact of wear, tear and corrosion

Profesor Sara Aida Rodríguez, researcher at the Fatigue and Surfaces research group Crédito: Andrew James/NCC/Univalle

Female engineers from the Universidad del Valle Faculty of Engineering are leading efforts to reduce the impact of wear, tear and corrosion, in order to save money, lives and the planet.

Professor Sara Aida Rodríguez, researcher at the Fatigue and Surfaces research group, said that one of her lines of research is focused on the practical study of tribology, the science of the interaction of surfaces under different conditions, from a prosthesis within the human body, even a hydroelectric turbine turning sediment-filled water.

Read More: Engineers in Cali, Colombia Are Reducing Wear, Tear And Corrosion

School of Industrial Engineering: The Logistics of Health 

Photo: Professor Elena Valentina Gutiérrez from the Logistics and Production Research Group Credit: Ana Valdes / School of Industrial Engineering / Universidad del Valle

Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) are using computational modeling to improve the logistics of health systems.

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers, health administrators and medical professionals realized that the logistics and management of the health system in Colombia were changing to provide more services outside of hospitals or clinics, according to Professor Elena Valentina Gutiérrez, a researcher at the Logistics and Production research group at Univalle..

"In 2016 there were only 400-500 institutions in Colombia authorized by the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection to provide home health care services and today, there are more than 2000," Gutiérrez said.

During the pandemic, it was clear that more research would be needed in the field of health systems management - for the planning of service operations and for the definition of public policies in the public and private health system.

Read More: This Colombian Engineer Uses Logistics To Help Health Services Run Better

EIDENAR: Engineering Helping Communities

 Photo: Professor Irene Vélez-Torres. Credit: Universidad del Valle.

Colombian researcher Irene Vélez-Torres from the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) works with research groups in the United States and Europe to improve the lives of communities in southwestern Colombia, particularly on the issue of detecting mercury contamination.

In October,Vélez-Torres, Titular Professor of the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering  (EIDENAR) at Univalle, completed a transdisciplinary project in the United States, via a Fulbright scholarship.

Read More: How Engineers from Cali, Colombia are helping comunities

If you would like to contact a researcher or learn more about any of the articles above, contact the Office of Communications, Faculty of Engineering: comunicaingenieria(at)correounivalle.edu.co.