MechSE undergrad lends a hand to research

When Harley Johnson’s research team needed a specific apparatus designed to study stress defects in silicon photovoltaic cells, he turned to one of his undergraduate students, Stanley Chang.

Johnson, is a Kritzer Faculty Scholar and professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE). His research team, comprised of graduate and PhD students, had been using an Infrared Gray Field Polariscope to test the silicon, but the team needed an apparatus to attach to the Polariscope’s optics table in order to perform more accurate, scientific testing.

“Without the apparatus, there would be no way of accurately putting stress on the silicon,” said Chang, who is a senior in mechanical engineering. “You can’t just put your finger down on it. It has to be scientific, and it needs to be qualitative. You need to be able to see how much the cells are being bent and how much pressure you’re putting on it.”

Chang was introduced to the project at the beginning of the fall semester, and by semester’s end, he had built a four-point bend test apparatus that allows the research team to effectively apply stress and measure the deflection of the silicon solar cells.

“At first I thought I would be doing trivial lab work, but during the first week of work, they said I had to build this apparatus, and it’s on you to build it and we’ll go from there,” Chang said. “To trust me with such an important component of the research was a big deal.”

Chang regularly met with Johnson to go over Chang’s detailed drawings and plans for the apparatus, but still managed to work largely independently as he designed and built the apparatus.

“It was my responsibility to deliver the final product, so I was the one that was going to the machine shop to talking to the machining people about the specifications we needed, and then I was going out to order the supplies to put everything together,” Chang said. “It was a really unique experience, and it was pretty rewarding to be able to contribute like that.”

Chang’s apparatus now allows Johnson’s research team to perform non-destructive testing on the silicon cells, and examining the stress states of the silicon can tell whether or not the silicon is being cut correctly.

“Stan did a great job designing and building the bending test fixture,” Johnson said. “My graduate students are already using the apparatus, and I'm hopeful that we'll soon see some interesting things as a result of his work on the project.”

Seeking hands-on experience outside of the classroom, Chang approached Johnson about the possibility of joining one of his research teams.

“I just feel like when I’m given the opportunities that you have here with the world-class research centers such as Talbot, with the experts and the professors and the research faculty who are free for you to talk to, I just had to take advantage of that,” Chang said. “This type of work is more hands-on, and I get to test what I learn in class and how it can be applied to real-world engineering.”

Chang, who hopes to attend graduate school in the future, was able to pick the minds of the graduate students on Johnson’s research team as he worked alongside them on the project.

“I’ve been able to learn about the classes they take, the homework and exams, and just listen about their lifestyle,” Chang said. “It’s given me perspective on what I can expect in grad school.”

Besides being a top student, Chang’s busy schedule is filled with various extracurricular commitments - everything from serving on the Engineering Council Executive Board to being the director of this year’s Engineering Open House.

“The most intriguing aspect of undergraduate research is that it gives you the feeling that you’re doing something on your own that never was part of the curriculum,” Chang said. “You’re reaching out and creating your own part of the learning. That’s what empowers me to keep doing it. Now I can talk to other people about something I didn’t know as much about before but now I know how to explain it and how to deal with it practically.”
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Writerr: Jay Lee, Engineering Communications Office.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716.