Olin Plasma Engineering Lab

The Olin Plasma Engineering Lab (OPEL) at Olin College of Engineering is a fully undergraduate-led research lab founded by students who believe that electric propulsion (EP) technology should be accessible to everyone. We develop low-cost plasma sources and engines within an undergraduate curriculum. As a lab, we aim to continue publishing and presenting research to demonstrate how EP technology can be successfully used in engineering education. Students in the OPEL lab hold the title of being the first undergraduate team in the world to successfully design, build, and fire a Hall-effect thruster. Our work has been peer reviewed and published by the Journal of Electric Propulsion and ASEE, and OPEL students have presented at AAS and the International Electric Propulsion Conference.