Engineering Commons^™

Interactive Virtual Scanning Electron Microscope Inspired By 3d Game-Design, Pnina Ari-Gur, Igor Lapsker, Tyler Bayne, Eric Allen Pietrowicz, Peter Thannhauser, Spencer Hoin, Hermanu Joko Nugroho

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) has evolved to become an indispensable tool for research and education in engineering, physics, nanotechnology, geosciences, materials science, biological sciences and other fields. However, training on a physical SEM is costly, time consuming, and often unavailable in economically disadvantaged areas. Advances in computer technology have made interactive three-dimensional (3D) virtual laboratory an effective tool for training in medicine and many engineering and technology fields. In the current work, in order to provide cost-effective hands-on training, a virtual 3D SEM was developed using the game development engine Unity 3D. It contains realistic 3D models of the …

Martensitic And Inter-Martensitic Transformations In Magnetocaloric Ni2.15mn0.85ga Heusler Alloy, A. Madiligama, P. Ari-Gur, Y, Ren, V, Shavrov, Y. Ge, J. George, I. Musabirov, V. Koledov

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The entropy changes of successive martensitic phase transformations in Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler alloys can be utilized to realize enhanced magnetocaloric properties. A detailed study of phase transformations of one such alloy, Ni2.15Mn0.85Ga, (ΔQ = 4900 J/kg at 343 K, under 140 kOe), is reported here. Upon cooling, the paramagnetic cubic (L21) austenitic phase transforms into a ferromagnetic 7M modulated monoclinic martensitic phase. This phase is stable in a narrow temperature range, and upon further cooling, transforms into a non-modulated ferromagnetic tetragonal (L10) phase. The separation between the equilibrium temperatures of the austenitic and tetragonal martensitic phases is only ~50 K. The …

An Investigation On Formability And Crystallographic Texture In Novel Magnesium Alloys, Pnina Ari-Gur, Andreas Quojo Quainoo, Shubram Subramanyam, Ashkan Razania, Sven Vogel, Wei Gao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnesium alloys offer many advantages. They offer very low density and good strength. They also offer good damping properties. One of the industries where reducing component weight is the automotive industry. That makes the magnesium alloys good candidates for these applications. Reduced weight of an automobile means also lower fuel consumption. The hexagonal closed packed structure of magnesium, lends itself to strong mechanical anisotropy. In the current work, neutron diffraction was used to study the crystallographic texture developed in novel magnesium alloys during cold rolling operations. The texture was compared with that developed in the commercial AZ-31 magnesium alloy. Tests …

66th Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 66th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Development System For Intelligent Surgical Box-Trainer Research, Janos Grantner

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Laparoscopic surgery, also referred to as minimally invasive surgery, describes the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin surgical instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions of up to half an inch are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and the surgical instruments are then introduced through the ports which allow access to the inside of the patient. The video camera becomes a surgeon's eyes. Excellent eye-hand coordination capabilities are crucial to carry out laparoscopic surgery procedures. Gaining basic laparoscopic skills such as …

Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, 2019-2020, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

• Letter from the Chair
• The MAE Staff
• Dr. Zachary Asher
• Alumni Excellence Academy Inductees
• From Sunway University to Success in America
• Student Experience at the Oshkosh Airventure
• Parker-Hannifin Donates New Hydraulic Trainers
• Electric Ducted Fan Lab for the Aircraft Propulsion Course
• MAE Faculty

65th Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 65th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences 12/2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Student Team Launching NASA Competition Dream
• Grad's Journey to Success from Malaysia to WMU to Ford
• Top Ten Reasons to Make a Gift to WMU
• WMU Student Voting Rate Shows Growing Civic Engagement
• WMU Receives $6.5M Donation to Advance Leadership & Strategy
• Give a Gift that Gives to Two!
• Congratulations Fall 2019 Graduates!
• Dr. Hanis Elected ASCE Fellow

College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences 11/2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Scholarships Offer Bronco Engineers Endless Opportunities
• Students Thank Donors, Share Impact of Scholarships
• Together We Elevate
• $1.5 Million in Grants Strength WMU's Vision Rehab and Mobility Programs
• WMU Graduate Students Lead Cutting-Edge Automation Research
• Supporting the Invisible Need Project
• Engineering Students, Faculty and Staff Honored for Veterans Day
• Students Launch NASA Competition Dream and Other CEAS New

College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences 10/2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Student Fight Campus Hunger with Stuff the Bus
• New for Giving Day 2019: Bucks for Broncos
• Are You Ready for Homecoming and Family Weekend?
• President Montgomery Delivers State of the University Address
• Technology Creates New Layer of Safety for People with Visual Impairments
• Have You Heard? The WMU Alumni Association is Back!
• CEAS 2019 Outstanding Alumni Achievement
• CEAS 2019 Alumni Excellence Academy Inductees
• Autonomous Vehicle Research Rolling onto WMU Campus
• College Honors Faculty, Staff for Outstanding Performance

18-01 Sustainable And Smart-Growth City Ranking: Multifaceted Transportation Performance Measures In Smart Cities, Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile, Ahmad Feizi

Transportation Research Center Reports

The concept of smart city is fast becoming a key instrument in transforming living environments in a way better to enhance operational efficiency of a transportation system. This study identifies a framework to assess transportation performance measures and smart-growth of cities around the U.S. The proposed assessment framework is comprised of the evaluation of individual criterion and the assessment of comprehensive results. The criteria are categorized into four groups including network performance, traffic safety, environmental impact, and physical activity. This study provides a multifaceted approach to integrate the criteria’s performance measures. As a case example, the proposed performance measures were …

17-09 Assessing The Impact Of Air Pollution On Public Health Along Transit Routes, Stephen Mattingly, Kyung (Kate) Hyun, Shirin Kamali Rad, Mehrdad Arabi, Sina Famili

Transportation Research Center Reports

Transportation sources account for a large proportion of the pollutants found in most urban areas. Also, transportation activity and intensity appear likely to contribute to the risk of respiratory disease occurrence. This research investigates the impacts of transportation, urban design and socioeconomic characteristics on the risk of air pollution-related respiratory diseases in two of the biggest MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) in the US, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles at the block group (BG) level, by considering the US Environmental Protection Agency’s respiratory hazard quotient (RHQ) as the dependent variable. The researchers identify thirty candidate indicators of disease risk from …

Interdisciplinary Projects Help Fulfil Psychological Needs Of University Students, Hamid Mehmood Pasha

STEM Instructional Graduate Teaching Assistant Posters

Every scientific discipline is based on a specific body of concepts and presumptions. These concepts are crucial for understanding the design and implications of a situation.Therefore, it is believed that an interdisciplinary approach to research projects will help in generating a successful change to encourage an evolution in higher learning at University level.

Student retention can be increased by introducing interdisciplinary study projects which may involve students from the engineering, economics, social, history, language and/or human sciences departments. This is done to increase the basic psychological needs of the students in helping promote the academic engagement. Such projects can contribute …

College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences 09/2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Passport Day Welcomes New Engineering and Applied Sciences Students
• Grad Helps Others Using Industrial Engineering Knowledge
• Say Hello to the WMU Alumni Association
• WMU Ranks No. 1 in Graduate Earnings
• WMU Among Recipients of $1M NSF Grant to Boost Women in Stem Fields
• Together, We Elevate: Invisible Need Project
• Mechanical Engineering Program is a Natural Fit
• Dr. Butt Named Interim Dean and Other CEAS News

17-08 Transportation Access And Individuals With Disabilities' Community Integration, Keith M. Christensen, Ziqi Song

Transportation Research Center Reports

This study examined the relationship between transit service patterns and the spatial organization of individuals with disabilities’ activities of daily living residing within Utah’s Wasatch Front region to provide recommendations to improve the design, planning, and management of the Utah Transit Authority’s public transportation system. The study objectives included an accessibility Index of Transit Provision to represent fixed-route bus and light-rail service capacity, and an Index of Transit Need representing the spatial organization of individuals with disabilities’ activities of daily living and indicators of transportation disadvantage.

The findings suggest that 58.7% of individuals with disabilities living within the Wasatch Front …

Inspire E-News 07/08 2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Sunseeker team engineers their way to impressive finish at Formula Sun Grand Prix
• Student saves middle school's robotics season
• From mechanical engineering student to entrepreneur
• Metal casting: A different type of summer camp
• Faculty members receive honors, present paper
• NASA internships have alumnus reaching for the stars
• It starts with an egg drop: Students teach refugee children about science, math
• CEAS receives $40,000 grant from DENSO
• Students win Michigan Space Forum poster competition
• Student's logo design deemed one of the best
• Professor guides high school students to engineering competition wins

Simulating The Impact Of Traffic Calming Strategies, Deo Chimba, Christian Mbuya

Transportation Research Center Reports

This study assessed the impact of traffic calming measures to the speed, travel times and capacity of residential roadways. The study focused on two types of speed tables, speed humps and a raised crosswalk. A moving test vehicle equipped with GPS receivers that allowed calculation of speeds and determination of speed profiles at 1s intervals were used. Multi-regime model was used to provide the best fit using steady state equations; hence the corresponding speed-flow relationships were established for different calming scenarios. It was found that capacities of residential roadway segments due to presence of calming features ranged from 640 to …

17-11 Evaluation Of Transit Priority Treatments In Tennessee, Deo Chimba, Sotonye Ikiriko

Transportation Research Center Reports

Many big cities are progressively implementing transit friendly corridors especially in urban areas where traffic may be increasing at an alarming rate. Over the years, Transit Signal Priority (TSP) has proven to be very effective in creating transit friendly corridors with its ability to improve transit vehicle travel time, serviceability and reliability. TSP as part of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is associated with great benefits to community liveability including less environmental impacts, reduced traffic congestions, fewer vehicular accidents and shorter travel times among others.This research have therefore analysed the impact of TSP on bus travel times, late bus recovery at …

64th Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 64th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference was held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

A Comparison Of X86 Computer Architecture Simulators, Ayaz Akram, Lina Sawalha

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Computer architecture simulators are widely used to evaluate different design options and tradeoffs. This work explores different x86 computer architecture simulators and shows the experimental error of the simulators compared to real hardware runs. We selected gem5, Sniper, MARSSx86 and Zsim, and configured them to model one of the state-of-the- art high-performance processors, Intel’s Haswell microarchitecture. We compared simulators features and statistics, and quantified the experimental error of simulators for single- and multi-core runs compared to a real hardware platform. Finally, we pointed some causes of inaccuracies resulted by the simulators.

Design Of A Portable Biogas Purification And Storage System, Anikumar Kosna, Bade Shrestha

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

The objective of this study is to propose and design a commercial portable purification and storage system to commercialize biogas (which mainly consists of 45 - 75 % of methane and 15 - 16% of carbon dioxide), produced from household/non-commercial biogas plants. The selection of purification process is based on the portability of the purification system.

Inspire E-News 02 2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• WMU included in $2.2 million state grant to enhance mobility for veterans
• Disruptive technology theme of Engineers Week Dinner
• Shrestha receives Fullbright award
• Paper engineers host student summit
• Area students get to "Dream Big"
• Printing organization provides scholarship
• Save the date to "Give a Slice"

17-07 Phase-Ii: Community-Aware Charging Station Network Design For Electrified Vehicles In Urban Areas: Reducing Congestion, Emissions, Improving Accessibility, And Promoting Walking, Bicycling, And Use Of Public Transportation, Saravanan Venkatachalam, Ratna Babu Chinnam, Alper E. Murat

Transportation Research Center Reports

A major challenge for achieving large-scale adoption of EVs is an accessible infrastructure for the communities. The societal benefits of large-scale adoption of EVs cannot be realized without adequate deployment of publicly accessible charging stations due to mutual dependence of EV sales and public infrastructure deployment. Such infrastructure deployment also presents a number of unique opportunities for promoting livability while helping to reduce the negative side-effects of transportation (e.g., congestion, emissions, and noise pollution). In this phase, we develop a modeling framework (MF) to consider various factors and their associated uncertainties for an optimal network design for electrified vehicles. The …

Inspire E-News 01 2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Save the Date: Engineers Week 2019
• Improving healthcare through medical engineering
• It's a Wrap: Innovation EXPO 2018
• Big Ideas Podcast: Sustainability is a hot topic
• Six graduate from Lee Honors College
• Faculty and Staff Celebrate service anniversaries
• Please join us for our next Custer Talk on Thursday, Jan. 17 from 2:30-3:45 p.m.
• College Snapshot: Innovation EXPO 2018

Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, 2018-2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

• Letter from the Chair
• Introducing Dr. Zachary D. Asher
• Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering develops an engineering flight simulator
• Gear Sliding Loss Prediction
• Ph.D. student receives the prestigious NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship
• NSF grant allows important materials research
• Student receives scholarship from gear industry
• Development of low cost/high volume micro/nano sensors and actuators
• Liou receives $204,000 NSF grant for neurological research
• Alexander Porter inducted into the Alumni Excellence Academy

18-02 Investigating And Prioritizing Factors For Quantifying Bikeability, Valerian Kwigizile, Jun-Seok Oh, Sia M. Lyimo

Transportation Research Center Reports

Bikeability is an important element that must be considered in planning bicycle facilities. The resource constraints make it imperative for the planners and engineers to be able to identify and shortlist important factors that promote cyclists’ friendly environment. The current study utilized the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multiple criteria decision analysis technique, to rank the relative importance of bikeability factors for on-road bicycle facilities. AHP is the most applied multiple criteria decision analysis technique due to its ability to convert subjective judgment to a numerical value which can easily be incorporated in the decision-making process. A survey was administered …

Topic Development In The Freshman Engineering Paper: Finding A Focus, Edward J. Eckel

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Topic development and focus are relatively neglected areas of the student research process. This study examined how students in a freshman engineering writing class developed initial research paper topics into focused thesis statements. A mixed methods approach was used, incorporating online surveys, qualitative interviews, and a rubric to track topic development and assess thesis statement focus. The survey results and student comments indicated that participants were more competent at the mechanics of finding sources and writing than at developing appropriately scoped thesis statements. Closer collaboration between writing instructors and librarians is urged to more effectively support and scaffold topic development.

17-06 Public Vs Private Transportation Network Accessibility And Maternal-Infant Health Outcomes Across The Urban-Rural Boundary In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kathleen Baker

Transportation Research Center Reports

This project is twofold. The first part of the project deals specifically with the benefits of multimodal transportation modeling to understand community structure of public health access in a community. Maternal risk and infant outcomes are examined in Kalamazoo County, MI with respect to transportation network accessibility by public transit and private vehicle across the urban-rural continuum. Infants born to mothers just outside the urban core had a higher rate of poor outcomes. Maternal risk factors, by contrast, were associated with the accessible rural areas – areas outside the city proper, but within 30 minutes by car to services. When …

17-05 Effects Of Safe Bicycle Passing Laws On Drivers' Behavior And Bicyclists' Safety, Ron Van Houten, Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile, Ahmad Feizi, Majid Mastali

Transportation Research Center Reports

This report identifies the effect of passing distance laws on drivers’ behaviors and bicyclist’s safety during an overtaking maneuver. Using an instrumented bicycle and driver survey, the study measured bicycle passing in a naturalistic field experiment using video recording, an ultrasonic distance measuring device, and a LiDAR. In order to evaluate the effect of passing distance laws, the study examined jurisdictions with a three-foot passing law, with a five-foot passing law, and without a passing law. The experiment required a bicyclist to ride the instrumented bicycle in two-lane and three-lane roads to capture the distance between the bicycle and the …

63rd Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 63rd Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference was held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsored the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.