Engineering Commons^™

Noninvasive Technique For Measuring Cardiac Output, Grace E. Kolar, Rachel Simonton, Eli Strohecker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

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Comprehensive Network Redundancy Implementation And Cybersecurity Hardening Project: Ensuring Resilience And Defending Against Dhcp Starvation, Stp Man-In-The-Middle, And Brute Force Attacks, Seth Shaheen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I have created a network topology that contains three Cisco routers, three Cisco switches, and three endpoints. The network has been built using the software GNS-3. The endpoints on the topology include one VPC, one Kali Linux VM, and one Ubuntu Server VM. The main purpose of this network topology is to show the skills I have learned during my tenure at The University of Akron. This will be done by hardening this network to ensure that the network is impervious to cyber-attacks. The Kali Linux VM will act as the attacker on the network and conduct three attacks: STP …

The Effects Of Phoslock And Water Treatment Residual On Phosphate Concentration Levels And Phosphate Adsorption, Anna Soehnlen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Eutrophic, nutrient enriched water can induce adverse effects like harmful algal blooms (HABs) in aquatic ecosystems. Numerous studies have been conducted to control nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen in order to mitigate the growth rate of HABs. During the spring semester of 2023, a research project investigated if the bentonite clay product, Phoslock, was able to remove phosphorus when it was added to distilled water and surface water under laboratory conditions. The researchers noted potential deficiencies in Phoslock’s ability to decrease the concentration of phosphorus while maintaining the initial value of adsorbed phosphorus. Expanding from this past research, two additional …

Tympanostomy Tube Efficiency Study, Reem Ghumrawi, Kristi Weir

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The ventilation of the middle ear, crucial for maintaining optimal ear health, is often impeded by factors such as swelling, inflammation, and mucus in the eustachian tubes, particularly during upper respiratory infections or allergies. This issue, prevalent in children due to their narrow and horizontal eustachian tubes, prompts the insertion of tympanostomy tubes by ENT surgeons to establish an alternative airway for pressure equalization and fluid drainage. Despite the common belief in the effectiveness of these tubes, there is a notable dearth of research validating their optimal functionality. This study aims to address this gap by systematically comparing the efficiency …

Optimizing Metal 3d Printing, Abram Brown, Lauren Novak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Partnered with Lauren Novak we are doing our senior design project on optimizing metal 3D printing with the company nVent. A brief scope of the project is that nVent uses a metal 3D printer to create tooling that is used in a hydraulic pressed and used to create iterations of prototypes during the design process. We will be researching how to decrease the amount the time of the 3D print while doing load tests with v­blocks, wiping tools, and a rib tool. The tests will be on the tooling made using different parameters including infill density, infill geometry, wall thickness, …

Extending Trailer, Alex Grove

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project is to revolutionize the convenience in towable transportation. This innovative design aims to enhance the versatility of pull-behind trailers by incorporating an extendable feature, allowing users to effortlessly adjust the length according to their specific needs. Whether navigating tight spaces or accommodating extra cargo, our trailer adapts to diverse situations, providing unmatched flexibility. In addition to its adjustable length, the trailer is engineered to be compactable, addressing the storage constraints often faced by users with limited space. The collapsible design ensures easy storage without compromising on functionality, making it an ideal solution for individuals …

Improving The Peak Performance Lifespan Of A Two-Piece Composite Bat, Angelina Sicurezza

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The push for innovation and enhancement of sports equipment in recent years has led to significant advancements in composite materials. This project aims to propose new design possibilities that will improve the lifespan of a two-piece composite bat. Using finite element analysis (FEA) software, various fiber orientations and materials were modeled and analyzed for their impact response. Two unique quarter-cylinder designs along with a baseline design were modeled with symmetric boundary conditions. The proposed bat deigns include a helicoidal model and a CFRP-Aramid hybrid model. Comparative analysis of the elastic responses revealed that both the helicoidal and hybrid models demonstrated …

Space Force - Inspection, Romualdo Cipro

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our project deals with a common problem that is encountered with satellites in earth orbit or beyond. It is very common in space for there to be small collisions between satellites and foreign space debris, and it takes a lot of time and money to send a person out to repair the damage caused by the collision. Our goal is to develop a way to perform these repairs autonomously. We plan to develop a way to scan a satellite or spacecraft hull for damage using a robot and then repair the damage while still maintaining the material specifications required for …

Ambient Temperature Strength Degradation Of A Ceramic Matrix Composite Due To Solid Particle Erosion, Jonathan Clawson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Solid particle erosion (SPE) is an issue for aircraft exposed to hard, fine particles, such as sand or dust, that can be ingested into the engine at a high velocity without reaching their melting point, resulting in material removal. SPE can be attributed to the intake of particulate debris from the runway or from airborne particulates. The cumulative mass loss from SPE damage affects the structural integrity and performance of the engine; however, its effects on ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), that are being employed in the aerospace industry, are not well understood in literature. The limited SPE research studies that …

Materials Testing For Large Format 3d Printing, William Jenkins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An ABS Carbon Fiber blend was printed into single walled hexagons at a variety of settings on a Cincinnati BAAM large format 3D printer. These hexagons were then cut down into sheets and had tensile and flexural test samples cut out of them, in order for materials testing to be performed. Tensile strength, tensile strain, young’s modulus, flexural strength, deflection and elastic modulus were all determined. A desktop CNC machine and a planer were purchased for the manufacturing of these samples, and an efficient cutting procedure was designed and optimized. After all data collection concluded, this data was thoroughly analyzed, …

Stanley Black And Decker Slag Removal Design Project, Colt Hemphill, Kyle Stober, Andrew Raymond, Robert Artrip

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My group given the task of designing a system to remove the slag of large metal plates. Removing this slag is an important step in creating the final assembly of a model. Currently we the operators are flipping the plates using a large magnet and crane. The issue that we see with the current method is the risk of injury while having the plate suspended in the air. These plates can reach upwards of 600lbs and poses a serious threat to the operators if the magnet is not secured correctly. Our new system for removing the slag is designed to …

Schaeffler Icvd Coating Machine, Louis Mcgrath

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is mutual technology used to deposit thin film through a gaseous phase by vaporizing the solid materials. This conventional process usually requires high thermal stability of the materials, which is not applicable for most of the polymeric materials. Therefore, a novel process, initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) is developed by introducing the gaseous monument and initiator to form the thin film in-situ. By adjusting the free-radical polymerization in the vapor phase, a variety of thin and uniform polymer films can be achieved. Depending on the chemistry, iCVD has many categories. This report explains the design …

Materials Of Lightweight Concrete Research, Meganne Chapman, Kathryn Burns, John Grubb

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objectives for this research project are to explore options for innovative and sustainable materials in lightweight concrete. Various materials including granite powder, hydrated lime, latex, and recycled glass beads will be used in the concrete testing for this project. The question the team wants to answer is how these additives affect the concrete’s mechanical properties. Weekly mix designs will be performed, and control cylinders will be compared to experimental cylinders. Compression and tensile testing will also be performed to further aid the research. The motivation for performing this research is to aid mix development for the University of Akron …

Autonomous Basketball Court Creation Robot, Bryce Haldeman, Tyler Gray, Dalon Vura

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Autonomous Basketball Court Outlining System presents a comprehensive solution for precision court marking. Powered by a 24V lithium-ion battery and driven by a single ST microcontroller, the system autonomously marks the outline of a half basketball court using predefined algorithms. User-friendly features include easy loading of marking material, actuated by gravity or a small servo motor depending on material of choice, ensuring intuitive operation. Safety is prioritized, with the servo motor eliminating high-pressure concerns, and the system maintains a controlled speed accounting for user well-being. Two step and direction servo motors enable accurate linear displacement, facilitating straight lines, and …

Yankee Feedstock Project, Nathan Mcanany, Richard Gualtiere

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report details the design process, application, considerations, costs, and functionality of an automated tape “feedstock” machine. Yankee Insulation Products will use this project to create rolls of Aluminum foil tape that are included in their Therma-Dome assembly kit. The goal of this design will aid in the streamlining and effectiveness of the current process. When designing the automated process, the current process was evaluated for areas of improvement. Design parameters were also given to the project by the sponsoring company that were to be considered and incorporated.

Unity Two Dimensional C# Game, Nick Zajac

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My project is a 2-dimensional game that is being developed in the unity engine. This project includes animating objects, having them interact with each other, and having a goal the player will want to complete in the game. It will be a game that involves the player character moving around, attacking enemies, and dodging enemies. There will also be some challenges that involve maneuvering between platforms and enemies to progress in the game. At the end of the level, the player will encounter a stronger boss character. This character will have movement and attack patterns similar to the other minor …

Constructing And Probing A Fortified Network, Maxim Davis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Computer networking is extremely valuable and is essential to modern infrastructure and life. Due to this fact, network security is also extremely vital and is also constantly under attack due to how precious information is in the modern world. In order to set up network security and harden systems from attack, many organizations establish guidelines, standards and techniques to defend against such threats. There is also the major issue of needing to constantly test these different standards and procedures regarding network security as if these security measures are not tested, the danger of potential threats is exponential. This project seeks …

Porous Bearing Research Rig, Josh Beranek, Hannah Liggett, Jonathan Lemmon, Brandon Allen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our team has decided to continue the research of fluid bearings, specifically, that of the journal and porous bearing. This will continue off of research currently being done at the University of Akron by graduate student Elizabeth Clifford who has developed a mathematical model for a porous bearing. Our job will be to create a testing rig that will be able to either prove or disprove this model. To do this, the rig will need to be able to take measurements of temperature and pressure at key areas within the bearing. It will also need to be readily capable of …

Hardening A Small Business Network, Madison Baxter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Security is one of the most, if not the most, important facets of a network. Without security, proprietary data is vulnerable to theft by malicious actors or even just curious techies with too much time on their hands.

Building and implementing a network lays the foundation for a technically sound, robust environment. Network and device hardening minimizes security gaps on the network and streamlines functions and processes.

The objectives of this project were to stand up a functioning small business network, to harden the network and to offer recommendations to further secure the overall environment for a small business.

The …

Propulsion Heat Analysis Nuclear Trajectory Optimization (Phantom), Ana Clecia Alves Almeida, Jonathan Davis, Ryan Dippolito

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Interplanetary Travel requirements necessitate the use of increasingly complex propulsion systems. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is a cutting-edge concept that holds immense potential for the future of space exploration. By utilizing nuclear fission to heat a propellant and generate thrust, NTP offers the potential for unprecedented efficiency, enabling faster interplanetary travel and extended mission capabilities. A nuclear thermal rocket engine is a type of propulsion system that utilizes the heat generated by a nuclear reactor to heat and expel a propellant, typically hydrogen, at high velocities to produce thrust. The engine consists of three main subsystems: the nuclear reactor, the …

Schaeffler E-Axle Value Engineering, Andrew Powers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to design a manufacturable E-Axle end housing that improves system performance while reducing cost. The project is focused on utilizing Schaeffler's manufacturing competencies to achieve a simple assembly with a significant reduction in cost per part, while using existing machines or processes within the company. The design development process will follow the conceptual design stage through Finite Element Analysis and classical engineering calculations. Cross-functional design reviews will be conducted to ensure that agreement can be reached on the manufacturing feasibility of the design. Concepts will be entered in a decision analysis sheet to identify the best one …

Space Force Spacecraft Hull Inspection: Creation Of A Process To Inspect, Compare, And Fault Detect On The Surface Of A Spacecraft Hull, Ethan Rainsburg

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Space Force Inspection design project aims to create a system for scanning the hull of a spacecraft, identifying any damage by cross-checking the new scan with a previous scan, and fixing any identified damage picked up by the scan. This project contains key objectives such as defining testable parameters for any given scanner, creating a repeatable process for comparing scans, and automating the process using open-source code and software. The ideal outcome for this project is to have the fully automated system implemented to a robot that is being designed and manufactured by a sister team. Some of the …

Short Strand Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Filament For Additive Manufacturing, Dale Chenoweth, Lukas Seggi, Luke Phillips

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this design project, the additive manufacturing filament of short strand carbon fiber (SSCF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite was developed. The micro-size, precision cut SSCFs were mixed with the PLA pellets through a melting homogenization process. Through this process the composite material block is cut and divided into pieces for ease of pelletizing. The material block pieces are then pelletized to be fed through the single screw extruder to develop the SSCF-PLA composite filament. The SSCF-PLA filaments were manufactured with a varying amount of SSCF ranging from 0.5% to 10% of the material block's weight. Development of a 1% …

Inspection/Fault Detection Team, James Worrall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our project deals with a common problem that is encountered with satellites in earth orbit or beyond. It is very common in space for there to be small collisions between satellites and foreign space debris, and it takes a lot of time and money to send a person out to repair the damage caused by the collision. Our goal is to develop a way to perform these repairs autonomously. We plan to develop a way to scan a satellite or spacecraft hull for damage using a robot and then repair the damage while still maintaining the material specifications required for …

Battery Dunnage, Paul Hirsch, Alex Cox, Ben Strubbe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Schaeffler is launching a new assembly line for a battery in 2025. As part of the project, it is necessary to design and fabricate a reusable dunnage (packaging) specialized for the battery, meant for safe domestic transportation in the United States. Through an iterative process, the team developed a final dunnage design out of steel components that had a maximum footprint of 62 in X 43.5 in X 29.25 in and a weight of 821.682 lbs. The dunnage is stackable on itself up to two high, weighing a total of 4,918.724 lbs. when loaded with four batteries. The design was …

Uav To Carry Heavy Loads, Jacob Cannon, Robert Connor Downs, Anthony Orlando

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our senior design project aims to develop an innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of carrying heavy payloads up to 50 lbs. This UAV will address the growing demand for efficient and autonomous cargo transportation, unlocking new possibilities in logistics and remote deliveries. The primary goal is to design, build, and test a robust UAV platform equipped with advanced propulsion systems, stabilizing mechanisms, and a secure payload attachment system. The heavy-lift UAV will be capable of transporting payloads in challenging environments, enhancing its versatility for various industries, including emergency response, disaster relief, and commercial logistics. For the extent of this …

Adjustable Load On Cvt Driven Project, Elijah Saxton, Colin Mcconnell, Trent Bolek, Caleb Malboeuf, Alexander Rawson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

SAE Baja, also known as Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers Baja), is a series of collegiate design competitions organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). These competitions challenge teams of students to design, build, and race off-road vehicles that can withstand rough terrain and perform in various dynamic events. The objective of this Senior Design Project is to design, manufacture, and test an adjustable driven Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) pulley to adjust the preload on the spring. This will allow easier adjustment on the CVT preload at smaller increments. This design could be used for future Zips Baja …

Development Of A Modular Solar Shingle, David Dye, Andrew Schmidt, Mitchell Cozzens

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project is to design, prototype, and test an array of solar roofing shingles using print-in-place principles using an automated circuitry printer and 3D printed components. The shingle shall emphasize ease of installation, maintenance, and affordability in contrast to the current market for solar roofing. The design goal is to develop a manufacturing process to be more cost and time effective than current manufacturing techniques. The prototype will consist of a roof with this system, demonstrating the durability, assembly, and ease of installation. Finally, material/design suitability will be implemented in conjunction with postprocessing techniques to create …

Optimized Pi Compound Mixing Strategy, Cecilia Mainzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The project focuses on developing an optimal mixing strategy for a polyisoprene (PI) compound at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. The aim is to optimize performance objectives of the compound. The project involved research, design iterations, mixing analyses, and performance evaluations, while adhering to engineering codes and standards.

The design process includes analyzing differences between two mixing technologies, intermesh and tangential rotors; altering mixing conditions; and exploring additional polymer systems and coupling technology of the compound.

Validation data confirms that the mixing technology and compound recipe meets all success metrics, including stiffness, hysteresis, adhesion, cure rate, and tear performance …

Assessing Household Gac Water Filters For Pfas Removal From Private Drinking Water Wells, Mccallah Ferry

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research paper delves into the efficacy of a typical household water filter in removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a concerning class of chemicals prevalent in water sources. PFAS, known for their persistence and potential health risks, have prompted regulatory actions such as the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3) and the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) by the U.S. EPA. While municipal water utilities are subject to regulatory oversight, individuals relying on private wells face challenges in ensuring water quality.

The study employs a model to assess the performance of a SAMSUNG Ice and Water Refrigerator …