Doha • Six research projects are underway or slated to begin soon at Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq) with grants received from the Qatar National Research Fund's Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (QNRF UREP).

This is the second cycle of grants awarded by QNRF since its inception. Each of the six awards includes Tamuq faculty researchers as well as Texas A&M students. One of the projects is a collaborative effort with Qatar University (QU).

The projects range in topics from solar energy applications in Qatar to machinery fault diagnosis to the characterisation of Qatari oil.

The research knowledge and experience gained from the studies will have practical applications within the country or region, said a release.

Dr Houshang Masudi, mechanical engineering faculty member, is leading an effort to research the geometrical and chemical properties of sand particles in Qatar.

The study of erosion is a serious matter for the country due to the presence of high amounts of dust and sand particles in the air.

This study is also under the direction of Dr Richard Griffin from the main campus of Texas A&M University in the US and two Tamuq students. Dr Reza Langari and Dr Reza Tafreshi, both mechanical engineering faculty members at Tamuq, along with three students, will initiate the development of an approach to machinery fault diagnostics via the emerging notion of computational intelligence.

This concept has its roots in modeling human intelligence via computational algorithms, and can potentially lead to more efficient means of diagnosing machinery failure.

Dr Hassan Moghbelli and Dr Khaled Ellithy, faculty members at Tamuq and QU respectively, are conducting a joint research study focused on energy saving in electrical power systems.

One undergraduate student from each university will work with the faculty researchers to find ways to apply energy savings by power factor correction to industries in Qatar. Dr James Holste, Tamuq's Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, said:

"The QNRF UREP programme provides an excellent vehicle for undergraduate students to experience research. In addition to addressing topics beneficial to Qatar, students learn valuable problem-solving skills that will be useful to them after graduation."