Engineering Commons^™

Packmule, Jared M. Alexander, Jared J. Ford, Timothy J. Griffiths, Andray Pennington

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

People face demands of hauling equipment and belongings with them every day, whether it be for work or leisure. This design report discusses and details a product that would allow people to overcome the struggles of this. The Packmule is an autonomous following robot that has the capability of carrying a load up to 30 pounds. The design involves two independently controlled motors operating two drive wheels so that the Packmule will be flexible in the directions it can move. There are also two more steering wheels for support of the base and the load inside. The way in which …

Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition, Austin R. Tyler, Chris R. Estock, Johnathan P. Johenning, Garrett W. Chonko, Allen C. Gilleland

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) draws teams from various universities to compete in the annual autonomous vehicle challenge at the Oakland University campus. To compete, a vehicle must be fully autonomous and can navigate a course designated by various obstacles and painted white lines. Some design challenges are motor control, navigation, environment sensing and safety. A complex navigation system will utilize several tools including a high-precision differential GPS. The vehicle’s surroundings will be mapped using a combination of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and computer-vision enabled imaging. To comply with IGVC rules, the vehicle must also follow several safety …

Pitting Corrosion Of 410 Stainless Steel In Hcl Solutions, Paul D. Krell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

410 stainless steel (SS) is a material used in HCl services, such as distillation column trays in oil refineries. Unlike other alloys, however, the oil refining industry lacks a good reference for the corrosion rate of 410 SS at the varying HCl concentrations and temperatures the material might experience as trays in crude unit distillation columns. The goal of this project is to fill that knowledge gap. The corrosion behavior of 410 SS in HCl environments of pH 0.50, 1.25, 2.25, 3.25, and 4.25 at temperatures of 38, 52, 79, and 93°C was investigated using several methods. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization …

Characterization Of Polyurethane For Use As Substrate In Nanofiber Sensor For Biomedical Applications, Megan Theaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to begin to determine properties of polymer nanocomposites that make a suitable substrate for nanofiber sensors. In this work, sensitivity of a sodium ion selective sensor constructed with polyurethane was used as a benchmark for comparison with sensors constructed with nylon-6. The sensors were characterized using contact angle and chronoamperometry. Using an ANOVA analysis, the results showed that the multi-walled carbon nanotube type was a significant factor on sensor response both with and without additional functionalization of the polymer by calixarene. The weight percentage of polyurethane in the electrospinning solution was also statistically significant …

Stability And Retention Enhancement Of Low Fouling Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid (Pss) And Polyethylene Glycol (Peg) Blend Films With Silane Coupling Agents, Sean Stybel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project was to apply silane coupling agents for enhanced stability and retention of a low fouling polymeric coating to an inorganic substrate. A blend of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was crosslinked in order to create a low fouling film. The film was prepared by spin coating a PSS-PEG solution on an inorganic substrate coated with a layer of a silane coupling agent (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, APTES, solution), followed by thermal curing. The research was limited to less than one year and only used lab equipment available at the University of Akron. Stability and …

Compressive Strength Relative To Sustainable Materials In Concrete, Brad Harvey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this study is to determine how integrating abundant waste materials into concrete affects its compressive strength. This research will be used to benefit the construction industry by replacing a portion of a conventional concrete mix (cement, stone, sand, and water) with more sustainable materials. In order to create a more sustainable concrete mixture, the following mix design and methodology was followed.

The initial step was to create an updatable MS Excel spreadsheet to aid in the mix development (the spreadsheet is shown in Appendix A). These sheets allowed for easy transitions from one mix to another by …

Platinum-Rhodium Alloy Electrocatalyst Activities In The Methanol Oxidation Reaction, William R. Sandorf

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study evaluates the electrochemical activity of several compositions of platinum-rhodium alloys on carbon support to identify potential replacements for the expensive platinum electrocatalysts currently used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The electrochemical active surface areas (ECSAs) of each sample were determined using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution to normalize CV currents generated in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The activity of five compositions was tested; Pt₃Rh, Pt₂Rh, PtRh, Pt₂Rh, and Pt₃Rh. 100 mg of each catalyst was synthesized at 10% by weight platinum …

Polarized Elastic Nanofiber Tubular Mat, Elizabeth Moore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

The scope of this project is to find the optimal parameters to polarize a nanofiber membrane in a tubular geometry as spun on a metal spring. Several different recipes were tested for electrospinning and polarization. Some recipes proved unable to be electrospun. A polymer solution with 12 weight percent resulted in good fiber formation. The results from the polarization attempts proved inconclusive as the electrostatic surface charge did not appear to change. The readings were taken with an electrostatic field meter. As a future experiment a new measurement technique with a Faraday cage will be utilized.

Corrosion Resistance Of Silane Coatings On Aluminum And Magnesium Alloys, John Demopoulos

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to increase the corrosion resistance of aluminum and magnesium alloys by coating the coupons with a silane on the surface. Four different silanes: 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), Bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)amine (Bis), (Heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trichlorosilane (FTS), and (Heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane (non Cl FTS) will be used and compared to see which silane would give the best corrosion resistance. Each silane solution was coated on the coupons by using a solution method in which the coupon was submerged for 24 hours and then thermally cured for another 24 hours. Once the coating was applied, the water contact angle and the thickness of the coating …

Chemical Modification Of Crumb Rubber To Increase Its Bonding With Concrete, Mary T. Mccannon, Kendall J. Sweitzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The hydrophilicity of crumb rubber was increased with wet chemical modification and added to concrete to increase its adhesion with concrete, consequently the compressive strength relative to that of concrete with untreated rubber. Other modification methods were tested on crumb rubber and rubber sheets to yield an increase in hydrophilicity. Certain tests were less reliable for powder testing or tedious and time consuming and concrete materials and rubber may not be homogeneous.

For wet chemical modification, several approaches were attempted. First, crumb rubber was soaked in 5% sodium hydroxide, 5% potassium permanganate and saturated sodium bisulfite, tested for hydrophilicity using …

Meta-Analysis Of Studies On Cpr: A Better Route To New Practice Guidelines, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

Quantitative synthesis of research results multiple small clinical trials using the statistical techniques of meta-analysis yields conclusions in excellent agreement with large randomized “mega-trails”. The present paper introduces a simple yet powerful method of meta-analysis for combining results of any published studies of a proposed treatment compared with a suitable control. These may include pre-clinical or clinical models generating either continuous or dichotomous data.

Quantifying And Assessing Trends On The National Science Foundation’S Broader Impact Criterion, Dina Verdín

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (S.3084) reapproved the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) merit review criteria i.e. Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, called for an update of the policy guidelines for NSF staff members and merit review process participants, and emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability. Evaluating Project Summaries based on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts has been the standard of maintaining excellence and accountability since 1997. Intellectual merit consists of proposing activities that advance knowledge, while Broader Impacts statements, “describe the potential of the proposed activity to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal …

Video-Related Pedagogical Strategies In Massive Open Online Courses: A Systematic Literature Review, Nathan Hicks, Wei Zakharov, Kerrie Douglas, Judith Nixon, Heidi Diefes-Dux, Peter Bermel, Krishna Madhavan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

For engineers who work with rapidly changing technology in multi-disciplinary teams, massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer the unique ability to deliver free, convenient professional development by providing up-to-date information spanning a wide range of disciplines. However, the MOOC boom has not been without its criticisms; many question the effectiveness of MOOCs. In response, many research studies are being conducted across the world to explore the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches in MOOCs for different stakeholders. As videos constitute one of the most prominent features of MOOCs, it is important to analyse the empirical evidence of best practices for MOOC …

Testing For Measurement Invariance In Engineering Identity Constructs For First-Generation College Students, Dina Verdín, Allison Godwin

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This work-in-progress research study examines the response patterns of first-generation college students (FGCS) to the engineering identity measures compared to non-first- generation college students (non-FGCS). This work answers the following research question, “Do FGC and non-FGC engineering students interpret the engineering identity measurement items in a conceptually different manner?” We explore if FGCS respond to engineering identity items similarly to non-FGCS and the fairness of using these instruments for FGCS to make claims about this group. The data for this work are from a survey instrument completed by 2,916 first-year engineering college students from four U.S. institutions. We hypothesize that …

Increased Risk Of Children For Subtle Closed Head Injury From Soccer Heading, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Valveless Pumping: The Reflected Pulse Wave Hypothesis, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Case Study On The Two Individual Paradigms Of Education In A Manufacturing Quality Course, Rustin Webster, Matthew Turner

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This article provides a review of two paradigms of education and the application of each in a manufacturing quality control course for engineering technology (ET) students. The most common paradigm of education used in quality-focused courses is teaching-centered. This traditional method has contributed to students’ perception of quality (e.g., quality control, statistical process control, total quality management), as a dry subject to learn compared to other core and/or elective courses in their plans of study. This case study describes the creation and implementation of a manufacturing quality control curriculum that is learning centered. Based on student feedback, this approach increased …

Titanium Nanoparticles Synthesized Via Hydrothermal Reaction, Kyle W. Hodge

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The main goal of this project was to determine if increasing the time and temperature of a hydrothermally reacted titanium nanotube would increase the size of the nanotubes. Five experiments were conducted while varying the time and temperature of the reaction: 120°C for 24 hours, 120°C for 48 hours, 150°C for 24 hours, 180°C for 24 hours, and 180°C for 48 hours. Following the synthesis of all of these samples x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed. The XRD analysis revealed anatase titanium nanoparticles formed in the 120°C and 150°C samples, this could …

System For Workout Information Management, Mark Archual, Ethan E. Schweinsberg

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Power racks are a weight machine used by swimmers to provide resistance while they swim away from a wall toward the center of the pool. The objective of this project is to build a modular data system that can be added to these machines to record and log quantitative information during their use. This information will be stored on a web server, and made available to the user for analysis and visualization through a web application. Workout data can also be downloaded and interpreted at a later time, independent of the web application. The data system should be water resistant, …

Instruction Pamphlet Insertion Machine, Jim Griggs, Scott Miller, Michael Kubala

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Weaver Industries in Akron, Ohio provided us with our senior design project. Weaver Industries seeks individuals with disabilities and provides them with job opportunities. One of their products is a “Kong” dog toy. As of now, the instruction pamphlet that comes with this dog toy is placed into each piece of packaging individually by hand. We are tasked with automating this process. Two years ago, a group of students worked on this project, but the reliability of their prototype was only around 60-70%. Then last year, another group of students worked on this project, but again, the reliability of their …

Indoor Mapping Drone, Benjamin J. Plevny, Andrew Armstrong, Miguel Lopez, Davidson Okpara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project addresses the need for an autonomous indoor mapping system that will create a 3D map of an unknown physical environment in real time. The aerial system moves and avoids obstacles autonomously, without the need for human remote control or observation. An aerial system produces a map of an unknown indoor environment by transmitting data received from the aerial device’s sensors. The transmission occurs over a wireless channel from the aerial device to a remote server for processing and storage of the data. As the transmission is done in real time, the aerial system does not require hardware for …

Smart Fan, Jacob A. Carroll, Joshua B. Blanchard, Peter A. Gross, Joshua D. Riegel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modern box fans offer a simple solution to cooling an area. However, the simplicity that makes these fans appealing also limits their potential. A smart box fan that preserves its original simplicity while providing enhanced technological features such as smartphone connectivity and variable speed selection should lead to ease of use, improved performance, and increased customer satisfaction. To this end, a regular box fan will be instrumented and technology-enhanced, thus “smart fan.” The standard AC motor will be replaced with a DC motor for finer speed selection over the allowable range. The smart fan will offer three categories of operation: …

Gymfo: A Gym Finding Ios App Using Google Maps Api, Clay A. Wyers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores iOS mobile app development. I developed a gym finding app in Swift, using Google Maps APIs,and called it Gymfo. Other technologies were studied as well, including the cloud computing service Microsoft Azure. Through this project I learned the basics of XCode and Swift, Google APIs, and sending and receiving HTTP requests. The final product is an iOS app that allows users to search for nearby gyms and displays the results on an interactive map.

Social And Latent Identities That Contribute To Diverse Students’ Belongingness In Engineering, Brianna Benedict, Dina Verdín, Allison Godwin, Thaddeus Milton

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This work-in-progress (WIP) research paper investigates contributing factors for how students describe what it means to be an engineer and what particular characteristics enable students to belong in engineering. We answer the research question, "What are the key contributing factors that influence how diverse students feel that they belong in engineering?" We used a semi-structured protocol to interview 12 diverse engineering students during Fall 2016 about their pathways into engineering, identities, and belongingness in engineering. The participants were selected from a pool of students who completed an attitudinal survey during Fall 2015 as a part of a larger study. They …

Developing Afm Techniques For Testing Peg Hydrogels, Hannah L. Cebull, Jessica Stukel, Rebecca Willits

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many instruments are used to find elastic properties of biological samples using methods such as tensile and bending tests, but using the atomic force microscope (AFM) is considered a non-destructive method because it can provide repeated local stiffness information without damaging the sample. It additionally allows the sample to be tested in an aqueous environment, which is optimal for soft materials such as hydrogels. The nanoindentation is performed via cantilever, measuring the deflection of the cantilever during the contact of the sample using a laser. Compared to hard samples, testing soft materials can present more challenges when working with the …

Multiplexed Sensor Array For Accurate Time-Of-Wetness (Tow) Measurement, Nathaniel G. Sutton, Hongbo Cong, Jiang John Zhe, Shengxi Li, Xiaoliang Zhu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this work, we use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to observe the response of a single, photo-lithographically created, interdigital transducer (IDT) sensor, dimensions 6mm X 6 mm, with capacitive elements 70μm X 500 nm. The IDT was exposed to different wetting conditions, droplets of DI water, 0.1 M NaCl, and 0.6 M NaCl, in volumes of 0.1, 0.3, 1, and 5 μL. Deliquescence of solid NaCl salt particles in a dynamic-humidity (%RH Increasing, 33% to 85%) atmosphere is examined. Equivalent circuit fitting of impedance spectra suggests linear trends for the capacitive equivalent circuit element parameters and a decaying logarithmic trend …

Lawn Mower Lift, Randall E. Schelcher

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our team of engineers were given the task of coming up with a design project and designing the system, creating calculations, and brainstorming ideas. We set out to design a riding lawn mower lift. The purpose of this design was to assist in general maintenance like replacing blades, oil changes, etc.

To accomplish this task, our team started to brainstorm ideas and make sketches to look at all the options. We then did research and looked at different size lawn mowers and looked at the specifications. This helped our team to be able to design the size of platform needed …

Design And Testing Of Flexible Lithium-Ion Batteries, Ryan C. Kramanak, Matt A. Murrow, Matt Stolfer, Jered Tyler, Aaron Moser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this disquisition is to delineate the development of a material and casing suitable for flexible lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Development of these cells is driven by increasing interest in portable and flexible electronics. The goal is to implement them into items such as smart cards, wearable electronics, novelty packages, flexible displays, and transdermal drug delivery patches. To accomplish this task, a number of individual cathode compounds were explored that used different compositions of lithium cobalt oxide and other compounds. These cells were tested in a generic and easily manufacturable cell casing. After the catholyte compound testing was completed …

What Green Design Activities And Mindsets Drive Innovation And Sustainability In Student Teams?, Jeremy Faludi, Alice Agogino, Sara Beckman, Alastair Isles

Dartmouth Scholarship

What sustainable design practices can also drive innovation, and what practices do people value? Previous analysis of sustainable design methods, and the opportunism of designers generally, has suggested that design methods should actually be examined at the level of their component activities and mindsets, as each of these provides different advantages that designers could mix and match. This study performed workshops of three sustainable design methods for a total of 327 students, then surveyed students about which activities or mindsets within each design method drove innovation value, sustainability value, and any other value. The design methods tested were The Natural …

Engineering Professors’ Perspectives On Gender And Assessment Of Teamwork, Kacey Beddoes, Grace Panther

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Teamwork is an important component of engineering education programs; however, when not facilitated well, it can be a site of gender biases. The aim of this article is to thematically explore what and how engineering professors think about gender in the assessment of teamwork. In 2014 and 2015, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 engineering professors in the United States. Interviews covered a wide range of topics, with one section of the interviews devoted to teamwork specifically. For this article, the parts of the interviews about assessment of teamwork are analyzed. It was found that most participants were unaware of …