Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Enhancing Bifacial Pv Efficiency With The Addition Of A Rear Side Reflector, Neila Watson Jun 2022

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 …


An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Megan Morrissey, Jillian Yeager, Julia Beekman Jun 2020

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 …


High Performance Thermal Insulation: Silica Aerogels In Construction Technology, Matthew Giarrusso Jun 2018

High Performance Thermal Insulation: Silica Aerogels In Construction Technology, Matthew Giarrusso

Honors Theses

The United States is a world leader in the production and expenditure of energy, accounting for 18% of the total global energy consumption in 2016, 40% of which was used for the heating, cooling, and lighting of commercial and residential buildings. Currently, traditional air-based insulation products are being used in thicker and more numerous layers in an attempt to keep up with contemporary codes and standards. One promising alternative to traditional insulation is silica aerogel. With a remarkably low density and thermal conductivity, silica aerogel could save energy, space, and weight in new and retrofit structures. Silica aerogels are currently …


2014 Sae Aero: Systems Engineering, Adam Herzog Jun 2014

2014 Sae Aero: Systems Engineering, Adam Herzog

Honors Theses

Union has participated in the annual SAE Aero Competition for the last 6 consecutive years. The aim of the competition involves the design and construction of an RC aircraft capable of carrying a maximum payload weight as consistently as possible. This report will summarize the methods used to determine shape and size of the final aircraft’s control surfaces, as well as include an analysis on the plane’s performance characteristics. The final design utilizes a 100 inch span main wing with a rear taper and an upright H-tail design. In addition, the horizontal tail has a stabilator in place of a …


Asme Human Powered Vehicle Competition Frame Design, Zacarie Hertel Jun 2014

Asme Human Powered Vehicle Competition Frame Design, Zacarie Hertel

Honors Theses

Each year, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) sponsors the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. The purpose of the competition is to provide a continued source of research into human powered vehicles. Generally, the vehicles for this competition consist of faired recumbent tricycles and bicycles, capable of reaching high speeds in an efficient manner. The subject of this report is the design and analysis of a new vehicle frame for Union’s 2014 competition entry. The frame is the structural skeleton of the vehicle, supporting the rider and all vehicle components. The frame is what withstands the majority of the loads …