Engineering Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Production Of Pharmaceutical-Grade Acetone Via The Dehydrogenation Of Isopropanol (Ipa), Jordan Desplas

Honors Theses

The production of 99.9 wt% acetone from isopropanol in Unit 1100 is designed to start up in 2025 and operate for 12 years after startup. The engineering team was tasked with designing the process, creating an economic model, and optimizing the net present value (NPV). The process was simulated in AVEVA PRO/II Simulation for the design process, and the economic analysis was estimated in Microsoft Excel. Parametric and topological optimization was performed linearly on the unit operations in the process. The NPV was improved by $14M from a base case of $122M to an optimized case of $136M. The project …

Pour-Over Coffee Stand With Warmer, Francesca Patawaran

Honors Theses

This project sought to demonstrate the process of bringing a new product into the market, from the initial design and prototyping stage to marketing and, ultimately, mass production. As part of the curriculum of The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME), the project team manufactured fifteen Pour-Over Coffee Stands with electric heating components. We first created a 3D model of the proposed design, ensuring that all components fit together in an assembly. Next, we worked with the lab technicians to create a prototype of the product. Then, we refined the manufacturing process to eliminate waste where possible. Throughout the …

Evaluation Of The Geotechnical And Foundation Components On Jud Site, Mirabel W. Nkanor

Honors Theses

This thesis is part of the senior design final project of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Mississippi. Geotechnical and foundation analyses were done on a proposed construction project for a multi-family home in Orlando, Florida. This evaluation done in this thesis follows the pre-existing geotechnical report on the side, USDA soil reports, ASCE Code 32-01 (Design of Foundations), and ASCE-7 Section 12.31.1 (Foundations and Superstructure-to-Foundation Connections).

A structural system was selected from the proposed location, on the corner of South Conway and Judge Road, and an evaluation of the Bearing Load capacity was completed to determine the …

The Engineering Challenges Of Designing And Manufacturing A Tensegrity Cup Stand, Yaniv Goulet, Daniel Ferro

Honors Theses

Progressing from a simple idea into a fully developed product is one of the main goals of any engineer. Through Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence’s capstone program, the team was tasked with realizing a tensegrity cup stand. The tensegrity structure consists of a top and a bottom of some form only supporting itself by tension. The team had to research the concept, create an initial design, create a prototype of the product, improve the design after the prototype’s mistakes, apply lean principles to improve the manufacturing efficiency, and analyze all the economic impacts of the engineering decisions. In the …

The Design Estimate Of A Warehouse Refrigeration System, Jackson Dear

Honors Theses

The intention of this project was to provide a design and cost estimate for the refrigeration systems within an industrial cold storage distribution center for Magnolia Country Frozen Foods, Inc. in East Rutherford, NJ. The facility includes eighteen 300,000 ft3 units (200 ft x 100 ft x 15 ft). These units require 200 tons of refrigeration at a maintained temperature of 0oF. This project's scope included choosing an optimal refrigeration system, selecting a refrigerant for use within the system, and providing a cost estimate for the purchase of the refrigeration system equipment and for the yearly cost associated with running …

Redesigning Nasogastric Feeding Tubes To Prevent Dislodgement, Shelby Lynn Berry, Sydney Ruth Rester

Honors Theses

Seniors at the University of Mississippi studying biomedical engineering complete a senior project that seeks to solve a problem in healthcare. Our team, composed of Sydney Rester, Shelby Berry, Andrew Ulmer, and Alex Bromley, sought to improve care associated with nasogastric feeding tubes. We identified two major problems: clogging and tube dislodgement. To address the problem of dislodgement, the team crafted a new feeding tube design with a balloon attachment. The attachment prevents a patient from pulling the feeding tube out and keeps the tube from dislodging due to normal patient movement. We further determined that our tube should be …

Redesigning Nasogastric Feeding Tubes To Prevent Dislodgement, Sydney Ruth Rester, Shelby Lynn Berry

Honors Theses

Seniors at the University of Mississippi studying biomedical engineering complete a senior project that seeks to solve a problem in healthcare. Our team, composed of Sydney Rester, Shelby Berry, Andrew Ulmer, and Alex Bromley, sought to improve care associated with nasogastric feeding tubes. We identified two major problems: clogging and tube dislodgement. To address the problem of dislodgement, the team crafted a new feeding tube design with a balloon attachment. The attachment prevents a patient from pulling the feeding tube out and keeps the tube from dislodging due to normal patient movement. We further determined that our tube should be …

Innovation For The Air: A Brief History Of Worldwide Aviation, Lauren Plumley

Honors Theses

The purpose of this report is to present a brief but comprehensive overview of the variety of innovations related to aviation, and to discuss their impact on scientific progress over the course of human history. Relevant discoveries from the fields of physics and aerodynamics, and the numerous technologies built based upon these discoveries, are discussed over a period ranging from ancient times to the twenty-first century. The scope of this report is an overview of the development of powered and unpowered aircraft, including lighter-than-air, heavier-than-air, and aerospace technologies. Aviation developments were generally not limited to one specific country or person, …

Formulation And Optimization Of Algae-Filled Polylactic Acid Thermoplastic Compounds For Improved Biodegradation, Sydney A. Cole

Honors Theses

Conventional plastics derived from non-renewable petrochemicals – especially from fossil reserves – have become an integral part of human life because their structure can be chemically manipulated to obtain a wide range of properties and geometries necessary in nearly all industries. The volume and rate at which petroleum plastics are produced, used, and discarded has incited several significant issues related to human health, environmental conservation, and ecological biodiversity. To address these issues, many institutions have begun investigating solutions in both the development and end-oflife phases of plastic production and waste. In this thesis, a Chlorella-dominated algae mixture is dried and …

The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Career Planning, Spencer A. Rowan

Honors Theses

Social media use is prevalent and necessary in society—nearly anything can be accomplished with a mobile device or smartphone. Among the US population, two thirds of American adults admit to using social media (Perrin, 2015) and in 2022, Georgiev (2023) found Americans spent an average of two and a half hours daily on social media. Furthermore, social media use is tied to mental well-being, work confidence levels, and feelings of being an imposter (Johnson et al., 2020; Uram & Skalski, 2022; Hernandez & Chalk, 2021; Myers, 2021; Ramm, 2019).

This project examined the role of social media use among college …

Investigating Myosin Ensemble Force Generation Using Optical Tweezers, Janie Watts

Honors Theses

Myosin is a motor protein that facilitates muscle contraction and movement by stepping along actin filaments using energy from ATP hydrolysis. If myosin or other motors are disrupted throughout the body, it can have many harmful effects. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by gene mutations that affect myosin heavy chains in the heart. The tissue of the heart becomes abnormally thick, which can make it more difficult to pump blood or block blood flow out of the heart. Our goal is to discern the mechanistic difference function of a healthy and diseased heart. To accomplish this, we construct model …

Mental Health In Aviation: A Study Of Aviation Students On Their Perceptions Of The Federal Aviation Administration’S Rules Governing Mental Health, Laila Stein

Honors Theses

This study aims to understand collegiate aviation students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors’ perceptions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) regulations governing mental health assistance. It also aims to examine the impact of the perceptions held by students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors regarding their desire to seek mental health assistance. A study at Western Michigan University’s (WMU) College of Aviation (COA) was developed to test the hypothesis that students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors had a restrictive perception of the FAA rules regarding seeking mental health assistance, and that students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors had lower desire to …

Aviation Mentorship Program, Joseph Zynda

Honors Theses

The Aviation COR Mentorship program is a test for efficacy of a mentorship program for Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation. This paper describes what the mentorship program is and the values it is founded on. The description will break down each Core Value (these are renamed to Core Principles in the “Facilitating Improvements” section). The paper then dives into the criteria for being a mentor or mentee and the schedule of the test program. The goals are then outlined for this initial program in a chart. There are five goals for the program to assist students with the transition …

Design And Implementation Of Test Stand Upgrades For Investigating Gearset Churning Losses With Baffles, Matthew Martin

Honors Theses

The automotive industry is continually researching ways to decrease energy losses in drivetrain applications. Rotating gear sets in an oil bath suffer frictional losses due to oil churning. The Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation (CAViDS) consortium has proposed studies to understand and reduce these churning losses. The primary means to reduce these churning losses are to redirect the oil flow using baffles and/or alter the oil viscosity. To perform churning loss optimization under controlled conditions, an existing test stand was upgraded to improve safety, introduce oil temperature control, and allow for the interchange of baffle designs. For safety, …

Optimization Of Material Flow Of Woodshop Through Layout Redesign, Madison Wegner

Honors Theses

A local high-design outdoor site furniture company – Landscape Forms – worked with the senior design team to create alternative layouts for the woodshop within the company. This senior project will offer three categories of alternative layouts: short, mid, and long term. By offering multiple time frame layouts, Landscape Forms will be able to implement changes based on time frame and need. A project plan indicates all tasks required to meet these objectives as well as a timeline for accomplishing this plan. Research including worker movement diagrams, stakeholder interviews incorporating woodshop employees and engineers, a man and machine utilization study, …

Thermal Control For A Miniaturized Fabry-Perot Interferometer In A Cubesat, Callie Pilkington

Honors Theses

The evaluation of neutral winds is critical in understanding the ever-changing weather and climate of the thermosphere, which can develop into a hostile environment for satellites. To measure these neutral winds, Michigan Aerospace Corporation is developing a 6U CubeSat that utilizes a miniaturized Fabry-Perot interferometer. For ideal operation, the Fabry-Perot interferometer requires a closely maintained thermal environment. These requirements are crucial in obtaining accurate measurements and for sustaining instrument and mission life due to the vast temperature range experienced in the thermosphere. With the solutions outlined in this proposal, the goal is to provide Michigan Aerospace with an optimized configuration …

Air Pre-Heat System Optimization For Flash Dryers, Sophia Louden

Honors Theses

Primient, a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources is the industrial sponsor for this project. The company is currently using Plate & Frame Heat exchangers to heat up a 40% by-weight glycol and water solution that is then used to preheat the incoming ambient air. Glycol is being added to reduce the risks of freezing in the system during the winter season. It is important to highlight that this fact affects the heat transfer properties of the liquid overall. Since air heating is a highly energy-demanding process, an outlet stream of hot water produced …

Analysis And Mitigation Of Pneumatic Regulator Resonance, Luke Fouch

Honors Theses

Internal resonance in pneumatic regulators can result in heavy leakage, which can lead to less efficient processes. To address this issue, two simulations were developed to simulate pneumatic regulation systems. The first simulation involved deriving a mathematical model of the equations of motion for a regulator and applying it using MATLAB. The second simulation involved developing a Simulink model that incorporated physical regulator properties. To verify the accuracy of both models, physical testing data was used. After verification, the models were modified in various ways to determine the main drivers of resonance in pneumatic systems. Additionally, Finite Element Analysis was …

Api Drying And Packaging Technology Upgrades, Destiny Washington

Honors Theses

Certain classes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) require higher levels of containment during handling. This project explores upgrades and new technology to improve currently used systems. The upgrades will include containment during drying and packaging while maintaining required ergonomic, industrial health, and GMP requirements. Design of this system and a full economic analysis have been performed for these upgrades.

This project details the profits and costs that are associated with the conversion of the API drying process from a batch process to a semi continuous process using an agitated thin film evaporator. The implementation of the new equipment is expected …

Design Of A Dynamometer Test Platform For Formula Sae Internal Combustion And Electric Powertrains, Ryan Bare

Honors Theses

This dynamometer project was completed for the Formula SAE team at Western Michigan University and aimed to deliver a functional and safe engine dynamometer test stand. Formula SAE is a student organization that designs and manufactures a new formula style race car from the ground up every year to compete at an international collegiate competition. The purpose of the dynamometer is to allow the team to tune their internal combustion (IC) engine and the newly developed electric powertrain (EV). The engine dynamometer is important to the Formula team as it will allow engine tuning and diagnosis prior to the completion …

Veterans Memorial Park In Colon, Mi, Madelyn Landry

Honors Theses

Located in St. Joseph County, MI, the Village of Colon offers a charming small-town feel and a close connection with nature. For this project, our team will be working to create a new design for a small community park located in the downtown area of Colon along the shores of Palmer Lake. The American Legion is seeking to re-imagine the park into a Veterans memorial to celebrate the service of village residents who have served in the armed forces. Elements requested to be incorporated into the memorial include granite stonework with etched displays, flags for each branch of the military, …

Conversion Of Biomass To Bio-Fuel Using Fast Pyrolysis With Companion Coal Gasification, Nicholas Hayes

Honors Theses

The objective for this design is to determine the economic benefits of using soybeans to combine biomass pyrolysis with coal pyrolysis processes to reduce the complexity and cost of producing bio-oils. Biomass is produced in multiple industries and is converted to a usable fuel substitute for petroleum. There will be many methods to analyse the pros and cons which will be used for comparison of biomass to bio-oils reactors system which in this case would be soybeans vs coal gasification.

After thorough research, the team selected a fluidized bed reactor as the main equipment for the fast pyrolysis. The reactor …

High Power Rocket Motor Test Bench, Jonathan Wine

Honors Theses

Static ground testing of rocket motors is used to gather performance data and troubleshoot the propulsion system, allowing propulsion engineers to compare actual characteristics to the designed parameters. It is also used in the development and validation of new propulsion systems and alterations to the fuel and oxidizer mixtures. Test benches are used to continuously collect data throughout the burn of a rocket motor, which allows engineers to plot the thrust as a function of time. This plot, a thrust curve, displays several important pieces of information about a rocket motor. This information is crucial to allow astronautical engineers to …

A Device For Measuring Acoustic Output Intensity Of Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Transducers For Comparison With Fda Regulations, Sarah Altman, Gregory Bashford, Benjamin Hage

Honors Theses

Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography (TCD) is a non-invasive methodology which can evaluate cerebral blood flow velocity in real time. Single-element focused circular transducers placed on the scalp produce ultrasound waves capable of penetrating the skull with minimal aberration, enabling measurement of the Doppler shift. As such, TCD can measure blood flow velocity in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, as well as the arteries of the Circle of Willis: the Anterior Cerebral (ACA), Posterior Cerebral (PCA), and Middle Cerebral Arteries (MCA). Intracranial aneurysm and ischemic stroke are serious conditions in which ballooning or occlusion of cerebral vessels cause insufficient perfusion, leading …

Folding Collision Probability In The Nyquist Folding Receiver, Hunter J. D. Miller

Honors Theses

As the radio-frequency spectrum becomes more crowded, there is a growing need for signal processing technology that can instantaneously interpret an ultra-wideband range of frequencies. Existing conventional systems, however, are not the most efficient solution due to the processing capability limitations of current analog-to-digital converter technology. Specifically, with regard to radars, traditional receivers are required to process large amounts of unused data, wasting time and energy. This project highlights a newer analog-to-information receiver that utilizes compressive sensing which is seeking to overcome these challenges. The innovative technology being evaluated allows users to sample far below the standard Nyquist/Shannon sample rates …

Jpl Robotic Avionics & Sensor Kit (Rask), John Helzer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Midwest Roadside Safety Facility Expansion For Enhanced Research Capabilities, Joseph (Lj) Hajduch, Isaac Hansen, Jeff Schroeder, Hozhin Sleman, Ben Wortman

Honors Theses

As Civil Engineering students, this group was tasked with designing and proposing an engineering solution to a real-world problem. In this case, the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility in Lincoln, Nebraska was looking for a planned proposal to add an additional building to their property for the purpose of additional research and office space. The group decided on the name Zana Engineering – Zana translating to “highly educated” in Kurmanji – to function as the organization responsible for creating this proposal and presentation. Zana Engineering designed this plan on several key factors, most significantly utility, affordability, safety, sustainability, functionality, longevity, and …

Economic And Input-Use Efficiency Of Nitrogen Management Techniques In Non-Irrigated Maize Production, Katie J. Bathke

Honors Theses

The efficiency of nitrogen (N) management has become a main concern in agricultural cropping systems for understanding the optimal N rate to help producers improve economically and reduce the exhaustion of natural resources environmentally. Nitrogen rates vary both temporally and spatially by the interactions of the soil environment and rainfall through a growing season. Thus, a site-specific approach can further optimize this variability with the understanding of the role soil variability plays in the N rate applied to a non-irrigated field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the various nitrogen treatments for their nutrient use efficiency and economic …

On The Pursuit Of Developer Happiness: Webcam-Based Eye Tracking And Affect Recognition In The Ide, Tamsin Rogers

Honors Theses

Recent research highlights the viability of webcam-based eye tracking as a low-cost alternative to dedicated remote eye trackers. Simultaneously, research shows the importance of understanding emotions of software developers, where it was found that emotions have significant effects on productivity, code quality, and team dynamics. In this paper, we present our work towards an integrated eye-tracking and affect recognition tool for use during software development. This combined approach could enhance our understanding of software development by combining information about the code developers are looking at, along with the emotions they experience. The presented tool utilizes an unmodified webcam to capture …

Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (Htdma) Design And Testing For Aerosol Hygroscopic Behavior Studies, Ziheng Zeng

Honors Theses

Most particles in the atmosphere take up water when exposed to increasing relative humidity (RH), and this behavior is described and quantized by a hygroscopicity parameter, kappa. Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analysis (HTDMA) can be used to measure the physicochemical properties of aerosol particles and study phenomena that lead to size changes in submicron aerosol particles. Specifically, HTDMA measures how aerosol particles of different initial dry sizes grow or shrink when exposed to changing RH. HTDMA uses two differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) and a humidification system to make these measurements. One DMA selects a narrow size range of dry aerosol …