Engineering Commons^™

Evaluating Energy Storage Methods For The Stabilization Of Rural Microgrids, Colin Pennock

Honors Theses

Microgrids are a hot topic in industry at the moment due to their ability to help integrate renewables into the national grid. However, they are mainly used in urban settings, despite the stability benefits they could provide to rural communities. This research aims to help expand microgrids into a rural context by building a streamlined, phasor-domain model of a microgrid in MATLAB-Simulink’s toolbox Simscape Electrical and using it to evaluate three energy storage options: a national grid connection, battery, and flywheel. My capstone involved testing models of these three solutions by subjecting my overall microgrid to faults typical of a …

An Ios Application For Visually Impaired Individuals To Assist With Crossing Roads, Ali Khan

Honors Theses

In day-to-day life, visually impaired individuals face the problem of crossing roads by themselves. This project was designed and built to solve this key issue. The system is supposed to give the user a warning before approaching a crosswalk for their safety and also give information about when it is safe to cross the road. An iOS application was developed to address the problem since recent studies have discovered that a vast number of visually impaired individuals are using smartphones (iPhones in particular) due to the ease and convenience it brings to their daily life. The application should be able …

Examining The Wording Of Digital Synthesizer Presets To Help Novice Producers, Nicholas O'Toole

Honors Theses

My research looks into the use of ”presets” in digital synthesizers, which alter the timbre (quality) of the synthesizer’s sound by loading in pre-selected configurations of settings. My study compares imagery- based and feelings-based preset names – for example, Cloud City Keys and Mellow lead, respectively – in an attempt to see which better predicts the sound it represents. Through my results, I will then explain how the wording of these preset names affected my subjects’ perception of certain sounds. The results I found lead me to believe that imagery-based preset names could be representative of their respective presets’ sounds.

Enhancing Bifacial Pv Efficiency With The Addition Of A Rear Side Reflector, Neila Watson

Honors Theses

Bifacial photovoltaics are an expanding sector of solar electricity production, collecting solar energy on the front, back, and sides of the module. This increases the efficiency by around 10% to 30% over a typical mono facial cell, which only collects sunlight on the front. However, the performance of bifacial PV arrays depends on a variety of factors, including temperature, shadows, solar insolation, and set-up geometry. The geometry is affected by the tilt angle, the azimuth angle, the height from the ground to the panel, and the reflectance from the ground surface. The addition of a reflector, usually white in color …

Simpliscope: A Novel Device For In-Office Laryngeal Biopsies, Margaret Schuermann, Aris Rassias, Noah Barney, Alexandra Lipsky

Honors Theses

In order to screen for laryngeal cancer, a biopsy is performed to take a tissue sample from that area of interest. Due to the risk involved these procedures take place in the operating room where a larger sample can be obtained, but delays in scheduling operating room procedures put patients at a greater risk as their diagnosis can be delayed. We want to create a device that is able to move these delayed operating room procedures in-of ice where the physician can treat the patient quickly and safely. Our goal is to increase the accuracy of in-office laryngeal biopsies while …

Radar Network Synchronization And Imaging Using Semiconductor Laser System, Meesha Gupta

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to report the software implementation of radar network synchronization and imaging using a semiconductor laser system. We compare different radar configurations and methods to generate laser chaos.

The monostatic radar configuration has limited capabilities of detecting targets with low radar cross-sections. This configuration is also vulnerable to intentional interference. In contrast, a radar network where multiple radar transceivers (nodes) are placed strategically can yield superior detection. This radar network can also extract additional information about the target, such as its size and shape. However, synchronizing the nodes in the radar network poses a significant …

Circuit Breaker Failure Analysis System, Marlie Norbrun

Honors Theses

Norbrun, Marlie Circuit Breaker Failure Analysis System. Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Department, June 2021.

ADVISOR: Professor James Hedrick

Electrical malfunctions are one of the leading causes of domestic fires in the United States. Between 2012 and 2016, electrical failures were responsible for 44, 860 residential fires (Richard Campbell, “Home Electrical Fires”). All electrical circuits contain circuit breakers, which are used as safety mechanisms to interrupt current flow when a fault develops. It is not always possible to determine if an electrical fire resulted from a circuit breaker malfunction. Thus, it would be beneficial to have a cost-effective and user-friendly …

Orthopedic Anti-Plunging With External Cooling Drill System, David Bates, Nick Muro, Olivia Bresett, Laura Wind

Honors Theses

There are 22 million orthopedic surgeries performed globally each year and this number is expected to increase by approximately 6 million by 2022. Within many of these operations, surgeons are required to utilize orthopedic drills to properly insert various implants to facilitate healing within the body. Unfortunately, many of these procedures have complications that result in thermal osteonecrosis or bone plunging. These complications cause the death of bone cells due to heat and the loosening of an implant from drilling through the entirety of the bone, respectively. To help prevent these detrimental issues, we seek to redesign the orthopedic drilling …

Iot Garden Frost Alarm, Andrew James

Honors Theses

Home gardeners are faced with yearly challenges due to spring frosts harming young plants. This is frequently mitigated by covering crops with frost blankets, but only on nights when a frost is predicted. In areas with less predictable climate, an unexpected frost can kill vulnerable plants, reducing the amount of food produced. A system is proposed and designed here to use internet of things (IoT) technology to enable a small weather station in the home garden to report current climate data and predict frosts, then alert the gardener in time for them to cover their plants.

The system as designed …

Device For Affixation Of Rear-Facing Child Restraint System To Ambulance Cot For Non-Emergent Transport, Troy Kohler, Kendall Rogoff, Matthew Miller, Lily Buchanan

Honors Theses

During motor vehicle travel it is a near-universal practice to transport infants in a rear-facing car seat, formally known as a child restraint system (CRS). Car seats are subject to heavy regulations, extensive testing, and are safe, secure, and familiar environments for infants. The use of a CRS reduces fatalities associated with motor vehicle collisions by up to 71%. Current devices on the market for pre-hospital infant transport are harness-based and do not utilize these car seats. Aversion to use of these harnesses occurs for a variety of reasons. The device becomes visually unattractive after remaining in storage for long …

K-Wire Differentiation, Oluwadamilola Oluwadara, Lillian Maresco, Eunjung Lee, Michelle De Leon

Honors Theses

Kirschner Pins, known as K-wires, are smooth sharp stainless steel pins used in the field of orthopedics to stabilize bone fracture fragments in their correct position until they have fully healed. K-wires are most commonly used for comminuted metaphyseal fractures of the long bones, and fractures of smaller bones such as the phalanges. The wires are inserted into bone via a drill and the ends of the wire are bent and left outside of the body for easy removal once the bone has healed. The surgeon uses x-ray images to guide K-wire insertion, ensure proper internal alignment, and determine if …

Device For Affixation Of Rear-Facing Child Restraint System To Ambulance Cot For Non-Emergent Transport, Matthew Miller, Kendall Rogoff, Troy Kohler, Lily Buchanan

Honors Theses

During motor vehicle travel it is a near-universal practice to transport infants in a rear-facing car seat, formally known as a child restraint system (CRS). Car seats are subject to heavy regulations, extensive testing, and are safe, secure, and familiar environments for infants. The use of a CRS reduces fatalities associated with motor vehicle collisions by up to 71%. Current devices on the market for pre-hospital infant transport are harness-based and do not utilize these car seats. Aversion to use of these harnesses occurs for a variety of reasons. The device becomes visually unattractive after remaining in storage for long …

Pediatric Pulse Oximeter For Low Resource Countries, Celina Francis, Alexandra Kucinski, Lara Atalay, Saniyah Dar, Fatima Shaat

Honors Theses

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 5 children are admitted to the hospital due to below average levels of oxygen in the blood caused by respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. Other acute lower respiratory infections account for 1.4 million deaths annually in low resource areas. Pulse oximetry is commonly used to measure oxygen saturation levels, specifically for those with compromised respiratory conditions, to make sure that enough oxygen is being transported to the extremities. Low resource countries face many challenges to access pulse oximeters, mainly due to cost and durability of the device. This lack of oximeters decreases the ability to …

Chaos-Based Coffee Can Radar System, Conor Willsie, Rong Chen

Honors Theses

Linear frequency modulated (LFM) radar systems are simple and easy to implement, making them ideal for inexpensive undergraduate research projects. Unfortunately, LFM radar schemes have multiple limitations that make them unviable in many real-world applications. Given the limitations of LFM radar systems, we propose a chaos-based frequency modulated (CBFM) system. In this paper, we present the theory, design, and experimental verification of a CBFM radar system that has both ranging and synthetic aperture radar imaging capabilities. The performance of our CBFM system is compared to that of the LFM system designed by MIT. We document many challenges and unforeseen obstacles …

Ventilator: An Analysis Of The History, Design, And Current World Implications, Joana Santos

Honors Theses

Due to the sudden COVID-19 pandemic, many countries around the world were not prepared to provide such large amounts of artificial mechanical ventilators to its citizens, causing a shortage around the globe. Artificial ventilators have been continuously developed and improved since the 1900s, and because of their importance in the healthcare industry, technological advancements continue to be made today. This thesis aims to guide its readers through the history of the artificial ventilator, which leads to some of the designs seen in hospitals and intensive care today. It will also show some of the designs that have been developed in …

Development Of Catalytic Chromia-Based Aerogels, Fiona Fitzgerald

Honors Theses

Over one billion automobiles are in use around the world, the majority of which employ internal combustion engines. Catalytic converters are used to convert the toxic compounds found in car exhaust -- carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons -- to less harmful gases. The typical catalytic converter employs as catalysts expensive raw materials (platinum, palladium and/or rhodium) wash-coated onto an alumina-based ceramic substrate. Aerogel materials have high surface area and thermal stability, properties that make them attractive for catalysis applications. Aerogels made with transition metal oxides are candidates to replace platinum in the catalytic converter. Chromium oxide (chromia) materials …

A Revolutionary Approach To Transsphenoidal Surgery: The Pedg, Paidamoyo Ewing, Lavonia Duncan, Giselle Perkowski, Erendira Garcia Pallares

Honors Theses

Approximately 1500 pituitary tumors diagnosed each year are tough textured microadenomas found mainly in patients aging from 55-80 [1]. Tough textured tumors in the pituitary gland can cause hormonal imbalances and vision changes. For our Capstone Project, we focused on designing an endonasal device, the Pituitary Endonasal Deep Grasper (PEDG), that improves the efficiency of tough textured pituitary tumor removal by improving upon various mechanisms in Transsphenoidal Surgery including rotation, tip grasping, suction, and handle control. Our device contains a comfortable handle that allows for better control and precision during the procedure. We designed a grasping mechanism that is strong …

Redesigned Endoscopic Bite Block For Geriatric Patients, Kayla Fisher, Katherine Gregory, Owen Corey

Honors Theses

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an examination of the interior of the esophagus, stomach, and beginning of the small intestine. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies are used to diagnose ulcers, cancers, and gastrointestinal tract diseases, as well as to collect biopsy samples. In 2008, over 55 million procedures were performed with GI endoscopic devices [1]. In order to keep the mouth propped open during this procedure, a bite block is used. This bite block ensures that the patient will not bite down on the endoscope during the procedure. Geriatric patients are more likely to have poor dental health due to medications they take, …

Sol Retractor: Rapidly Deployable Film-Based C-Section Retractor, Casey Lee, Silas Cleveland, Jose Dolores Valdivieso, Joseph Perks

Honors Theses

Cesarean Sections (C-sections), a surgery conducted for baby delivery, can be divided into four distinct categories; Category 1 and 2 are considered emergency c-sections, and Category 3 and 4 are scheduled c-sections [2]. A comparative study from 2016 analyzed the difference of need for postoperative treatment between the Collins or the Alexis O retractor ( n = 100). The Alexis O C-Section retractor resulted in 19% of women requiring postoperative treatment, including medication, monitoring, and an extended stay at the hospital. The Collins resulted in 43% of the patients requiring postoperative treatment (p = 0.001) [5]. In emergency C-sections, surgical …

Breathe Easy: A More Efficient Way To Avoid Tracheostomy Airway Blockages, Katelynn Russ, Kathleen Swanson, Olivia Zimmerman

Honors Theses

Over 100,000 people receive tracheostomies each year in the United States when mechanical ventilation is needed for longer than 48 hours, a patient has a chronically obstructed airway, or the patient is unable to protect their airway from aspiration. A tracheostomy is inserted into a patient’s trachea in order to modify their airway through a tracheotomy procedure. A tracheostomy tube alters the natural lining of an airway which normally has a 5-50 μm thick layer of mucus. An airway with a tracheostomy tube produces more mucus than the average airway of a healthy person, and it also limits the patient’s …

A Novel Device To Remove Kidney Stone Fragments From The Ureter, Madeline Feinberg, Christina Pavlovsky, John Kasel

Honors Theses

Every year kidney stones affect 654,000 Americans and 25% of these cases require a ureteroscopy which is performed on patients with kidney stones greater than 4 mm in the ureter. A holmium laser is used to rupture the kidney stone resulting in fragmentation of the stone. If not removed, these residual fragments can cause pain and may require a secondary procedure to remove them. The most common method for removing stone fragments is inserting a basket device through a port on the ureteroscope, encapsulating individual stone fragments, and manually removing the device. This device requires multiple insertions to remove the …

Breathe Easy: A More Efficient Way To Avoid Tracheostomy Airway Blockages, Kathleen Swanson, Katelynn Russ, Olivia Zimmerman

Honors Theses

Over 100,000 people receive tracheostomies each year in the United States when mechanical ventilation is needed for longer than 48 hours, a patient has a chronically obstructed airway, or the patient is unable to protect their airway from aspiration. A tracheostomy is inserted into a patient’s trachea in order to modify their airway through a tracheotomy procedure. A tracheostomy tube alters the natural lining of an airway which normally has a 5-50 μm thick layer of mucus. An airway with a tracheostomy tube produces more mucus than the average airway of a healthy person, and it also limits the patient’s …

Three-Phase Pulse Width Modulated Ac/Dc Rectifier And Dc/Ac Inverter, Carmen Ngo

Honors Theses

Electric vehicles use inverter and rectifier circuits in order to convert power from one type to another. They run on direct current batteries, but their motors can run on direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC). There is a need for both of these circuits if the motor runs on AC. The objective of this project is to successfully replicate driving and braking in an electric vehicle, and understand its power flow. Both systems should start to convert the input power as soon as the source is “on” and should continue this conversion without interruption. In the driving system, a …

Breathe Easy: A More Efficient Way To Avoid Tracheostomy Airway Blockages, Olivia Zimmerman, Kathleen Swanson, Katelynn Russ

Honors Theses

ZIMMERMAN, OLIVIA Breathe Easy: A More Efficient Way to Avoid Tracheostomy Airway Blockages

Department of Biomedical Engineering, June 2020.

ADVISOR: Professor Cotter and Professor Khetan

An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Jillian Yeager, Megan Morrissey, Julia Beekman

Honors Theses

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), also called bedsores, are damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the bony areas of the body, with around 20% of pressure ulcers occurring in the heel region. Currently, the most common practice for HAPU prevention is arbitrary manual repositioning of patients by nurses every 1-2 hours. The goal of our project was to address HAPUs in the heel region of low mobility patients through an ulceration risk sensing system. Our team has created a wearable ulceration risk assessment system that combines individual patient risk data with real time pressure …

An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Megan Morrissey, Jillian Yeager, Julia Beekman

Honors Theses

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), also called bedsores, are damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the bony areas of the body, with around 20% of pressure ulcers occurring in the heel region. Currently, the most common practice for HAPU prevention is arbitrary manual repositioning of patients by nurses every 1-2 hours. The goal of our project was to address HAPUs in the heel region of low mobility patients through an ulceration risk sensing system. Our team has created a wearable ulceration risk assessment system that combines individual patient risk data with real time pressure …

An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Julia Beekman, Jillian Yeager, Megan Morrissey

Honors Theses

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), also called bedsores, are damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the bony areas of the body, with around 20% of pressure ulcers occurring in the heel region. Currently, the most common practice for HAPU prevention is arbitrary manual repositioning of patients by nurses every 1-2 hours. The goal of our project was to address HAPUs in the heel region of low mobility patients through an ulceration risk sensing system. Our team has created a wearable ulceration risk assessment system that combines individual patient risk data with real time pressure …

Optimization Of Union College’S Microgrid To Meet All Load With A Least-Cost, Low-Carbon Energy Mix, Caitlin Mcmahon

Honors Theses

A microgrid is a localized electric grid that generates some or all of the power used to meet its load. Union College currently has a microgrid that meets 70 percent of the campus’ load and is connected to the main grid. It is made up of a cogeneration plant as well as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, which are renewable energy sources. The goal of this project is to determine the least cost, low-carbon energy mix that meets 100 percent of the campus’ load. The issue with solar and wind power is that they are variable based on time …

Coffee Can Radar System, Dale Coker

Honors Theses

A Radio Detection and Ranging (“radar”) system detects a target and accurately determines its range and velocity using radio frequency (RF) waves. In the presence of a target, these RF waves are reflected, received, and processed. Until recently, radar systems have been too expensive to implement as undergraduate research projects, primarily because of the cost of the associated RF components. Recently, MIT has developed a low-cost radar system as part of an open-source course. Therefore, one objective of this project is to design and construct a radar system based on the MIT design. A further objective is to develop a …

Human Facial Emotion Recognition System In A Real-Time, Mobile Setting, Claire Williamson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to implement a human facial emotion recognition system in a real-time, mobile setting. There are many aspects of daily life that can be improved with a system like this, like security, technology and safety.

There were three main design requirements for this project. The first was to get an accuracy rate of 70%, which must remain consistent for people with various distinguishing facial features. The second goal was to have one execution of the system take no longer than half of a second to keep it as close to real time as possible. Lastly, …