Engineering Commons^™

Electrochemical Detection Of Arsenic Using A Microfluidic Sensing Platform, Ben Demaree, Allie Sibole, Jessica Vandergiessen

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a global health problem affecting millions of people. Long-term exposure to arsenic has been linked to a variety of cancerous and non-cancerous health effects. Current diagnostic technologies for arsenic quantification are limited to either inaccurate colorimetric methods or expensive, off-site lab assays, which are unsuitable for resource-limited settings. To address this need for an affordable and rapid means of sensitive arsenic detection, our design project focuses on the design and fabrication of the first point-of-use microfluidic device capable of electrochemical detection and quantification of arsenic levels in groundwater sources. We fabricate our device rapidly and …

Design Of A Methane-To-Methanol Conversion Device, Pankti Doshi, Jessica Garcia

Bioengineering Senior Theses

The purpose of this project was to develop a device that will make natural gas, primarily methane, an efficient and economical fuel alternative as the world’s petroleum supply is diminished. Presently, methane gas is too costly and dangerous to convert to methanol. The direct oxidation of methane can reduce the processing and transportation costs creating a competitive alternative to petroleum. This device will be marketable to companies interested in alternative fuel sources competitive with petroleum. Entrepreneurs are then expected step in and develop a global market. With the development of our prototypes and running methane and oxygen (or atmospheric oxygen) …

Role Of Anaerobic Digestion In Next Generation Wastewater Treatment And Biosolids Management, Damien Batstone

Wastewater and Biosolids Treatment and Reuse: Bridging Modeling and Experimental Studies

No abstract provided.

Rtemis: Real-Time Tumoroid And Environment Monitoring Using Impedance Spectroscopy And Ph Sensing, Frank Alexander

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research utilizes Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy, a technique classically used for electrochemical analysis and material characterization, as the basis for a non-destructive, label-free assay platform for three dimensional (3D) cellular spheroids. In this work, a linear array of microelectrodes is optimized to rapidly respond to changes located within a 3D multicellular model. In addition, this technique is coupled with an on chip micro-pH sensor for monitoring the environment around the cells. Finally, the responses of both impedance and pH are correlated with physical changes within the cellular model. The impedance analysis system realized through this work provides a foundation for …

Correlation Between Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (Mscr) Results And Polymer Modification Of Binder, Eric Dubois

Theses and Dissertations

Nationwide traffic loads are increasing, pushing conventional asphalt to its limit, while in New Jersey matters are made worse by the heavy use of the Northeast Corridor. Polymer modification of asphalt, which can improve both low and high temperature performance, is already available; however, but in many cases traditional Superpave testing is not sensitive enough to quantify the impact of modification, dimensioning its use. Superpave Performance Grade Plus tests, are sensitive to polymer modification but are time intensive and costly, leading the New Jersey Department of Transportation to require styrene-butadiene or styrene-butadiene-styrene to be incorporated in all modified binder to …

Modeling Of Anaerobic Digestion Of Sludge, M. Concetta Tomei

Wastewater and Biosolids Treatment and Reuse: Bridging Modeling and Experimental Studies

No abstract provided.

Shrouded Small Wind Turbines, Kristen Flannery, Michael Holligan, Joseph Soares

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The goal of this project is to improve the energy production of small wind turbines (rated less than 100 kW) by increasing wind velocity at the turbine blades through the design of a shroud attachment. The design process involves the analysis of various computer aided design (CAD) nozzle/diffuser shroud geometries. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling is used to analyze the effect of shroud features on velocity and pressure fields. A 3D printed scale model is tested in a wind tunnel with strain gauges and pressure transducers to validate the CFD data. The resulting design locally increases velocity by a factor …

Road Profile Sensor: A Detection Method For Active Suspension Systems, Matthew Edel

Honors Projects

Abstract—Active suspension systems adjust the suspension components of an automobile to adapt to bumps or potholes that are encountered in the road as the vehicle is driving. These systems have the potential to improve safety, performance, and ride comfort in automobiles. An integral part of active suspension systems is a device to detect irregularities in the road. Current detection systems that are available lack either in precision, resolution, or speed. A senior design project, Dynamic Automatic Adjusting Suspension (DAAS), at Seattle Pacific University expressed a need for a high-performance road scanner that could be paired with their suspension system. The …

Viscosity Dependence Of Faraday Wave Formation Thresholds, Lisa M. Slaughter

Symposium

This experiment uses an electromagnetic shaker to produce standing wave patterns on the surface of a vertically oscillating sample of silicon liquid. These surface waves, known as Faraday waves, form shapes such as squares, lines, and hexagons. They are known to be dependent upon the frequency and amplitude of the forcing as well as on the viscosity and depth of the liquid in the dish. At a depth of 4mm and for various silicon liquids having kinematic viscosities of 10, 20, and 38 cSt, we determined the acceleration at which patterns form for frequencies between 10 and 60 Hz. For …

Slides: What We Know (And Don't Know) About Air Quality Impacts Of Oil And Gas Development, Anna Karion

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Anna Karion, NOAA/ESRL, University of Colorado/CIRES

35 slides

Slides: The Efd Program: Addressing Environmental Issues And Increasing Environmental Awareness, Richard Haut

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Rich Haut, Houston Advanced Research Center

8 slides

Slides: Details Of The Regulatory Framework: Air Quality Regulation Of Oil And Gas Development, Olivia D. Lucas

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Olivia D. Lucas, Esq., Counsel, Faegre Baker Daniels

22 slides

Slides: Regulating Oil And Gas Emissions In The Denver Julesberg Basin, Garry Kaufman

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Garry Kaufman, Deputy Director, Colorado Air Pollution Control Division

25 slides

Slides: The Stronger State Review Process: Draft Air Quality Guideline, Bruce Baizel

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Bruce Baizel, Chair, STRONGER Board

17 slides

Slides: Colorado Home Rule And Fracking, Richard Collins

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Richard Collins, University of Colorado Law School

33 slides

Slides: Exploring New Frameworks Of Regulation: Negotiating Model Regulations, Mark K. Boling

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Mark K. Boling, President, Southwestern Energy

13 slides

Slides: Solutions For Responsible Shale Development, Steve D'Esposito, Richard Whitley

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenters: Steve D'Esposito, RESOLVE; Richard Whitley, RESOLVE

8 slides

Slides: Understanding The Impacts: Issues Of Research, Cindy Beeler

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Cindy Beeler, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Denver, CO

10 slides

Slides: Public Health Research On Near O&G Development: Challenges And Needs, John L. Adgate

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: John L. Adgate, PhD, MSPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado

19 slides

Pb: Project Battery - A Portable In-Home Power System, Devin Blaney, Brian Fahey, Amanda Tran

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Renewable energy resources are abundant in most developing countries. These sources include solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, and biomass. Even though these sources are readily available, most villages in these developing countries do not have access to power in their homes because electricity grid extensions are often not affordable. This leaves the people in developing countries lacking resources that most of us take for granted here in the US. They don't have access to electrical power and light. This forces the people of these areas to use toxic kerosene lamps, which pollute the environment and increase health issues. This …

Greenmission: An Off-Grid Energy System, Richard Dobbins, Andrew Izawa, Tyler Marting, John Nolan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

In alignment with Santa Clara University's sustainability ideology, the outdoor science school WaldenWest desired to further its students' education through a greenhouse with working electricity. Following greenhouse purchase and assembly, underground wiring for AC, DC and Ethernet lines were sized and installed. A substation was then designed and built in a designated shed, integrating wind turbines and photovoltaics rom past capstone projects. New charge controllers, batteries and circuit breakers were urchased and configured for the system. Worst-case electrical load and solar shading analyses also revealed that these older energy sources were collectively inadequate, so a secondary solar array was designed …

Solution Processable Novel Organic Electronic Devices For New Generation Biomedical Applications, Munish Puri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation addresses a novel low cost process developed to fabricate a Vertical Organic Field Effect Transistor (VOFET). The solution processable VOFET is designed, fabricated and tested in the context of bioengineering domains. The scope of distinct biomedical applications has also been explored.

Organic thin-film transistors are gathering industrial attention as a potential candidate for future electronics analogous to silicon technology. Low fabrication cost, structural miniaturization and low operational voltage are the challenges for fabricating an Organic Field Effect Transistor (OFET). To create these devices, OFETs require new design paradigms and wet processing routes. However, conventional lateral OFET geometry …

Proteus: Mini Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle, Jorge Guerra, Robert Heinevetter, Tristan Morris, Killian Poore, Alexandra Waschura

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Marine ecosystems contain life, minerals, information, etc, that can help the planet, however, only 5% of them are explored. This is mainly because existing Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are expensive and require a lot of workand time to use. Team Proteus designed a low cost, easy to use, portable, safe, and reliable ROV capable of being used for scientific research, while being operated and maintained by students. In this paper we explain the necessity behind this project, how it compares to similar projects and the design decisions made in developing the ROV, to include the options and trade-offs considered. …

Distributed Smart Camera Network For Safety And Security, Nathan Fox, Matthew Kelley, Christopher Rapa, Christopher Yarp

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Current CCTV surveillance solutions are generally retrospective tools. Because real time use of CCTV requires human monitors to view a potentially exorbitant number of video feeds, CCTV is usually only useful after an incident has occurred. However, new technologies are making it possible for machines to perform some tasks that previously required a human monitor. The proposed project seeks to augment existing CCTV systems with behavioral analytics. The system uses a series of cameras, FPGAs, and computers to track object movement throughout a facility. This information is used to build a model of normal movement. Object movements are compared against …

Redox Stable Anodes For Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Guoliang Xiao, Fanglin Chen

Faculty Publications

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can convert chemical energy from the fuel directly to electrical energy with high efficiency and fuel flexibility. Ni-based cermets have been the most widely adopted anode for SOFCs. However, the conventional Ni-based anode has low tolerance to sulfur-contamination, is vulnerable to deactivation by carbon build-up (coking) from direct oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels, and suffers volume instability upon redox cycling. Among these limitations, the redox instability of the anode is particularly important and has been intensively studied since the SOFC anode may experience redox cycling during fuel cell operations even with the ideal pure hydrogen as …

Low Energy Smart Phone For The Homeless, Sean Kinzer, Daniel Marks

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

For our senior design project, we conducted research on the Android mobile operating system, looking for ways to improve it for the homeless. The problem with the current system is that it is designed for wealthier consumers, while less fortunate consumers such as the homeless have different requirements for them. In our researched, we attemepted to reconfigure the android operating system so that it would be more tailored to the homeless. We first researched what features the homeless value in a mobile device. We then determined how we could improve the battery life at a user configuration level based on …

Slides: What We Know (And Don’T Know) About The Effects Of Oil And Gas Development On Water Quality, Joseph N. Ryan

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Prof. Joe Ryan, University of Colorado Boulder, Environmental Engineering, AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network, www.airwatergas.org

28 slides

Slides: Industry Growth And Change, Stuart Ellsworth

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Stuart Ellsworth, P.E., Engineering Manager, Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission

33 slides

Slides: Oil, Gas And Water: Addressing Water Quantity And Quality Concerns, Laura Belanger

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Laura Belanger, P.E., Water Resources Engineer, Western Resource Advocates

14 slides

Slides: Produced Water – Beneficial Reuse, Cabell Hodge

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Cabell Hodge, Policy, Regulation, and Emerging Markets Manager, Colorado Energy Office

12 slides