Engineering Commons^™

Small Voip-Supported Network, Drina Hobson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Create a small VoIP network using SIP using physical Cisco equipment. Implement advanced VoIP features such as multicast paging, voice message system & message waiting indicator, and music-on-hold.

Timken Black Oxide False Brinelling Project, Elizabeth Kotzalas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There is a known issue that occurs in wind turbine main shaft bearings, among other bearing types and applications during transportation or while the turbine is powered on, but the bearing is not spinning. This issue is damage that is confined to mostly the raceways but can damage the rollers over time. It is called false brinelling and is a material removal from the raceways due to repeated tiny vibrations of the rollers over the same area. A question was posed on whether black oxide surface treatment could reduce false brinelling wear on bearings in this application, and as a …

The Passing Board, John Fitzgerald

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my Honors Research Project I am taking a more personal route and looking to solve a childhood question/issue by designing a board that is small and easy to transport while also giving the best bounce pass possible. My proposed project would be a board that a soccer player can play a bounce pass onto and receive the ball from. The base of this design sounds simple enough, however, I would like to implement a way that the board can be adjusted to alter the angle of return of the soccer ball after the bounce. I also want to design …

Liquid Tab, Nathan Hulet

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Guitar transcription is a complex task requiring significant time, skill, and musical knowledge to achieve accurate results. Since most music is recorded and processed digitally, it would seem like many tools to digitally analyze and transcribe the audio would be available. However, the problem of automatic transcription presents many more difficulties than are initially evident. There are multiple ways to play a guitar, many diverse styles of playing, and every guitar sounds different. These problems become even more difficult considering the varying qualities of recordings and levels of background noise.

Machine learning has proven itself to be a flexible tool …

Leveraging Ansible To Locate Network Devices, Elijah Hadden

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report demonstrates the collection of Layer 2 and Layer 3 network device information using Ansible and explains the limitations identified performing such a procedure. Maintaining dynamic documentation of network information using automation would benefit network security with improvements to attack surface visibility and cyberattack incident response time. After the procedure was conducted, it was determined that Ansible alone is incapable of producing the intended information base due to the way it handles numerical variables. This report identifies limitations in Ansible’s ability to manipulate large quantities of network information and necessitates further discussion regarding what Ansible can and should be …

Botsitter, Maria Hatzis, Gregory Blondheim Jr., Marian Bonto, Brett Jacobsen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As society progresses into an era where both parents work, whether it is online or in person, children in the home may be put in dangerous situations if they are not given the attention they need. The BotSitter is an automated system that follows the child around and makes an audio alarm to alert both the child and the nearby guardian. Using RSSI trilateration, predetermined danger areas, and embedded controls, the BotSitter will be able to follow the child. The device can manage to keep track of the child for the guardian while being almost completely automated outside of setup.

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Speed On Fatal Accidents In Ohio, Megan Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Through data collected by NHTSA and FARS, Ohio crash data resulting in fatalities were analyzed through four different breakdowns to determine variables correlating to the fatalities. The breakdowns include dividing data from overall Ohio data, reports involving speeding, then from there to single-vehicle crashes. That data was divided down to only include male drivers and then finally only motorcycles. This data was analyzed as it was broken down to find trends with each category. Through these analyses, the trends were developed to suggest recommendations to implement through education and laws to help reduce the number of crashes resulting in fatalities.

Coolant Capability Study, Christina Grassi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The scope of my project is a capability study on different coolants used in manufacturing plants. From this study, the coolant qualities and impact on the manufacturing process will be evaluated in that process and will be documented as a changed standard at the Timken company. Since coolants are sometimes the only fluid on the surface of the parts being manufactured, the rust preventative capabilities will also be studied and evaluated through humidity cabinet testing with and without spiking the coolant with chlorides and sulfates. This project will be carried out on my co-op rotation with the Timken company so …

Wetting Transition Of Texturized Surfaces, Jenna Stephens

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Building on previous research, this project aims to continue the investigation of the wettability of various liquids on a uniform, texturized surface. Different surface energies can impact the wettability of a surface. The surface can be hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or in between. The goal of this project is to research how features of texturized surfaces affect the wetting transition of water, oil, and a mixture of both. Additionally, this project aims to improve the quality of the 3D printed surfaces. The surfaces that will be studied are constructed using UV cured resin 3D printing and are made up of an array …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Increased Water Treatment Plant Service Goals On Reducing Water Quality Risk, Briton Polen, Kendra Sanner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

To treat water to make it safe to drink, disinfection processes are used in water treatment plants. These disinfection processes produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs) through the reaction of organic matter and the disinfectant, such as chlorine. DBPs have been shown to pose a cancer risk to consumers. In this report, the focus is on two types of DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). The cancer risks associated with DBPs are analyzed through ingestion and inhalation pathways. Ingestion and inhalation consist of common water uses like drinking, cooking, or bathing. In addition to this, DBPs have been shown to increase …

Intergranular And Pitting Corrosion Mechanisms Of Sensitized Aluminum Alloy Aa5083, Clayton Egleston

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The motivation and objectives of this project is to examine the mechanisms of intergranular corrosion (IGC) and pitting corrosion of sensitized AA5083. In this regard, different characterization techniques were used, including optical analysis of microstructure, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization with Tafel fitting, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with electrical equivalent circuit (EEC) fitting, and potentiostatic current transient monitoring. The transition from IGC to pitting corrosion occurs when the grain boundaries become saturated with the β-phase (Mg₂Al₃). It was found that AA5083 becomes more vulnerable to pitting corrosion as the degree of sensitization increases.

Furniture Mover, Zachariah Burkhardt, Gary Mucciarone, Gino Mucciarone, Juan Soto, David Kotyk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The movement of furniture is an often overlooked pain point for physically-challenged individuals, especially when rearranging furniture in a room. These individuals may try to minimize the risk of tip-over or strain-related injuries by seeking assistance from others. Still, some individuals are limited in finding volunteers forthcoming and capable of helping. This can lead to a dilemma of either being able to find individuals willing to assist in the process or risking one’s own personal safety when moving furniture. The proposed design project implements the use of multiple, independent platforms with mecanum wheels placed underneath each corner of a piece …

Space Force Design Project, Emily Greene, Ashton Orosa, Julia Patek, Nathan Doty

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of our research project is to develop a lab testbed composed of a curved surface to represent a spacecraft hull, a mobile robot equipped with repair tools, and a robotic arm equipped with a laser 3D scanner. This project is part of a larger grant to the University of Akron from Space Force and Air Research Labs. The lab testbed developed in this project will be used to assist in creating and testing a software and algorithm to inspect and repair spacecraft while in orbit. The project will involve researching spacecraft hulls to create an accurate simulation bed, …

Safe Kids Car, Nathan Keenan, Jackson Piper, Kyle Law, Anthony Meniru

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The main goal of this project is to retrofit toy vehicles, such as Powerwheels cars, with safety systems that can protect the driver and those around the driver. Such systems will include lights, including headlights and taillights, and an automatic braking system, which will activate in the face of an inevitable collision. The system will also work with the driver to prevent collisions, providing warnings of impending danger.

Keywords: toy vehicles, collision detection, collision avoidance, automatic braking system, DC motors, automatic headlights.

Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, Bryce Towne, Ethan Andrews, Carter Moore, Andrew Sobel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is a competition held by the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) that challenges students to create a hydraulically powered vehicle to compete in four different races over two days. The vehicle has to be fully powered by hydraulics, with human power (such as pedaling) being used to move the hydraulic fluid. Electronics and pneumatics can be used to control the flow of the hydraulic oil. Vehicles also must have an energy storage device to take advantage of regenerative braking. The final competition was at the Norgren facility in Colorado from April 12th to April 14th. …

Development Of A Regeneratively Cooled Liquid Rocket Engine, Dillon Petty, Nicole Zimmerli

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An additively manufactured (AM) liquid rocket engine, consisting of an injector, combustion chamber, and nozzle, was designed and printed using state-of-the-art methods and materials. The parts were manufactured using laser powder bed fusion. Additive manufacturing allowed for complex geometries and features, such as printing manifolds onto the components with a reduced number of parts. Additive, regenerative cooling channels were designed into the chamber and nozzle to allow for long-duration steady-state operation.

The feed system for the engine was designed and built to allow for pressure-regulated and steady-state testing. Tanks for the fuel and oxidizer were designed and built for a …

Induced Drag Laboratory Curriculum With Variable Aspect Ratio Wing, Alexander Milligan, Elizabeth Plyler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A laboratory curriculum for undergraduate students at The University of Akron enrolled in 4600:413 Introduction to Aerodynamics was created to allow students a hands-on opportunity to study the basic fundamentals of aerodynamically induced drag. To accomplish this, a 3D printed wing was created with variable aspect ratio. This wing is to be utilized in the laboratory experiment in The University of Akron subsonic wind tunnel to generate data on lift on drag at different airspeeds, angles of attack, and aspect ratios. The laboratory curriculum provides basic theory applicable to the wind tunnel experiments as well as question prompts and data …

Distillery, Clare Nicholas, Patrick Hanlon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal for this project is to make a cost effective still. We will be implementing cost saving parts to create a cheap but effective still. From initial research conducted, we will try to combine a stainless steel still and copper still together so that the cheaper material (stainless steel) and the component that removes sulfur compounds (copper) are both implemented. The ME side of the project will focus on the actual design and construction of the parts that will be implemented into the still. Included in the design process will be calculations of heat transfer for the current and …

Comparing Weathering Effects Of Ultraviolet And Xenon Arc Accelerated Aging On Polyvinyl Chloride, Collin Mcinnes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As the ubiquitousness of polymers increases and begins seeing use in outdoor settings, the need to fully understand how these materials degrade is also necessary. This study aims to compare two known accelerated aging methods, namely an ultraviolet light chamber and a xenon arc light chamber, to understand what differences, if any, manifest in the mechanical, chemical, and cosmetic deterioration of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) after long-term exposure. The study utilizes Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and colorimetry analysis to determine the extent of degradation and potential discrepancies between the aging methods.

Coaxial Beam Eaxle Modeling And Analysis For Gawr Limits, Alexander Cebriak, Jackson Foster, Chris James

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project was to design three different models of a coaxial beam eAxle for a range of electric vehicles. The requirement was to satisfy three different loading conditions, each characterized by a GAWR. These three loading conditions were 3000lb, 7500lb, and 10,000lb. This was done by first creating a model based on a basic outline given by Schaeffler. This model was then analyzed using Ansys®, and then iterated upon by designing new models using the 3D design program Solidworks. The iteration process was continued using more Ansys® analysis, as well as calculations to determine things like bolt …

Human Tracking Function For Robotic Dog, Andrew Sharkey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the increase the increase in automation and humans and robots working side by side, there is a need for a more organic way of controlling robots. The goal of this project is to create a control system for Boston dynamics robotic dog Spot that implements human tracking image software to follow humans using computer vision as well as using hand tracking image software to allow for control input through hand gestures.

Recycling Metal Chips Into Usable Materials, Alex Mortensen, Ben Mortensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report entails the scope, design considerations, and plans for creating a metal chip converter into metal briquettes. The construction is a set of machines with multiple processes to make the conversion happen. The process includes washing fine metal chips, drying them off, compressing them, and melting them down into usable briquettes. This project is intended to make a simple process to recycle metal chips into usable material for reuse. The project's objective is to reduce the costs of storage and recycling waste by offering a solution to recycle it into materials the shop can reuse.

Enhancing Dental Aligners With Direct 3d Printing Manufacturing, Erin Clark, Lauren Ickes, Tyler Madison

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Replacement of thermoforming with direct 3d printed aligners, molding appliances for dental and alveolar movement. Currently the process involved requires 3d printing models and plastic thermoforming, trimming and polishing to fabricate the end product. If possible a product that could be 3d printed that had stress retention, crack resistance, and stain resistance properties delivered in thickness between .030 and .040 inches.

Structural Design And Application Of Polymeric Silicon Elastomers, Jacob Wyant

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine how the polymeric structure and mechanical properties of this elastomer are affected by the ratio between the polydimethylsiloxane macromolecular chains and the crosslinkers. These were determined via tensile and compression testing. Then, spiropyran was added to observe how this fluorescence and crosslinking agent affected the elastomer. Also, the elastomer’s fluorescent and icephobic nature were tested. The elastomers with a higher ratio of crosslinker to macromolecular chain could withstand higher tensile and compressive strains but failed at lower stresses than their counterparts with lower concentrations of crosslinkers. The elastomers were also found to …

Surface Preparation Study, Ryan Ferguson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This work explores a custom air atmospheric pressure plasma treatment (APPT) machine’s effectiveness in cleaning and chemically activating a CFRP surface. It is explore by implementing water contact angle (WCA) measurements, water-break free (WBF) testing, and adhesive tubular lap-joint (TLJ) tensile testing. An 8x3 test matrix of different machine parameters is defined with the bounding conditions being the machine’s capabilities and industry standard recommendations. Each configuration of the test matrix is explored after treatment at multiple time intervals up to 2 weeks afterwards to gain insight into the outlife of the treatments with the intention of adhesively bonding to the …

Multifaceted Cybersecurity Analysis: Reconnaissance, Exploitation And Mitigation In A Controlled Network Environment, Austin Coontz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report details a network penetration test in a simulated environment using GNS3, focusing on the configuration of routers, switches, and hosts. The project successfully identified and exploited network vulnerabilities, including FTP access, misconfigured sudo permissions, and SMB protocol weaknesses. The penetration testing process utilized tools like fping and nmap for reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning, revealing the importance of device configurations in network security. The project concluded with mitigation strategies, emphasizing the need for secure access, robust password policies, and security controls. The experience underscored the significance of continuous learning and adaptation in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity. The project …

Wireless Environmental Weather Monitor, Joel Christie-Millett, Nathan Schroeder, Sylvester Wilson, Matthew Szijarto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this senior design/honors project is to create a device that monitors environmental conditions in order to detect a wildfire. This device should notify a user of the status of the environment. The device should also last for 6 months without any human interaction. My role on the team is to design the power supply system that maximizes efficiency and uses renewable energy.

Does The Ite Trip Generation Manual Overestimate The Trip Generation Of Stores In Northeast Ohio?, Shawn Monahan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will examine the use of the Trip Generation Manual to estimate the number of 'trips' per average weekday. A trip is defined as a vehicular movement from one location to another. The Trip Generation Manual will examine the estimated number of trips generated for local discount superstores in the Northeast Region of Ohio. Surveys were completed for local data, supplemented with a vehicle occupancy rate sample. This will provide a baseline that the Trip Generation Manual will be compared to.

Beeswax Wraps As An Alternative To Single-Use Plastics, Sarah Skiver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The project goal was to compare the food storage efficacy of sustainable beeswax wraps verses the single-use plastic methods of resealable plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. The goal was also to test the reusability of the beeswax wraps, as it is a key advantage of beeswax wraps that is advertised. The project purpose was to explore sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to single use plastics, which are harmful to the environment in both their production and their disposal. Food spoilage was compared in beeswax wrap, plastic sandwich bags, and plastic cling wrap, and spoilage was also observed in a …

Landing Gear Sealing Solution, Andrew Milligan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

XYZ Landing Gear Solutions has been tasked with redesigning two internal components of the landing gears for the ABC-123 aircraft program. The customer, ABC Aeronautics, informed XYZ Landing Gear Solutions that a particular system of the landing gear does not meet the necessary performance requirements of the program. As a result, the entire system will have to be removed, facilitating the need for a redesign of the two components that the system interfaced with. The focus of this project will be completing the redesign process for both of these components. “Redesign” and “design” will be used interchangeably in this report. …