Engineering Commons^™

Methods For Film Coating Electrospun Fibers, Kristopher Dejean

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Electrospinning uses high voltages to form polymer nanofiber membranes. These membranes have potential for use in filtration, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and catalysis. The nonwoven fiber mat is malleable but has a low tensile strength compared to a solid film of the same polymer. Joining the fibers with a thin film is desired to balance the strength and flexibility. Three methods of producing a film on fiber membrane were tested. The techniques are spraying then melting, spin coating, and dip coating. Electrospinning setup conditions, solvent ratios, damage to fibers, and spin coating speeds were determined. Research was abruptly stopped and …

A Survey Of Education In Civil Engineering, Tyler Fuller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper provides an overview of the current education requirements in the field of civil engineering. This is achieved through means of an anonymous survey sent to civil engineering academics and data gathered from the published curricula of ten existing civil engineering programs. These ten programs were selected by means of a random number generator from the list of institutions the survey was sent to. Such an overview is important for gauging the effectiveness of civil engineering education for current and future students.

Prosthetic Hand, Nicholas Damiani, Eric Rassavong, John Zolton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Development of a prosthetic hand for an above-the-wrist amputee. The hand will provide flexion and extension of the wrist, fingers and thumb. The device will be customized for each individual by utilizing an medical imaging of the amputation side stump and the normal arm/wrist as the input. An integral hand/wrist and socket will be 3D printed, and actuators will be mounted to the prosthetic to provide motion. The wrist will be a mirror-image of the normal hand. Materials utilized will be selected based on the medical image intensity for different tissue types (cartilage, bone, skin, fat, etc.) and will simulate …

Supersonic Propulsion: Inlet Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction In A Diffuser, Lucas Fulop, Ian Henry, Jordan Ruffner, Anthony Mcmullen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Using a finite-volume approach and ANSYS/FLUENT, supersonic flow over a 2-D ramp of varying angles is modeled. The computational results from this model will be used to further explore the design of supersonic diffusers used on military aircraft. Using grid capturing features and inflation layers, shockwave and boundary layer interactions will be observed as well as wave-associated pressure changes in supersonic turbulent flow. The Spalart-Allmaras single-equation model of turbulent flow will be used in all simulations to more accurately represent the phenomena that occur in such high-speed environments. The size of upstream zones and recirculation zones will be obtained through …

Digital, Automated Reactive Target System, Nicholas Haas, Saipranay Vellala, Trandon Ware, Thomas Martin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this era, technology is woven into almost every facet of our leisure activities. Although technology has innovated hobbies ranging from chess to soccer, the art of shooting has been neglected. Unnecessary insufficiency such as bullet ricochets off of mechanical steel targets, ineffective progress tracking, and general inaccessibility to outdoor training facilities are all improvable areas of this sport. The Dynamic Automated Reactive Target (D.A.R.T) System aims to fill some of these gaps and help modernize recreational marksmanship. Modeling the system after a dueling tree will optimize the use of the system and allow for different training models to challenge …

Automated Runout Measurement Tool, Ethan Tisch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A new measurement process and tool is to be developed to improve the existing method for measuring runout on the commutators of brushed DC product.

After an armature is manufactured, the commutator is inspected by placing the completed rotor assembly in one of several non-standard measurement fixtures. An indicator is then positioned on the commutator. A trained operator proceeds to rotate the armature while taking runout and bar-to-bar measurement at various positions along the length of the commutator.

This existing process is slow, costly, and unreliable. For these reasons, there is substantial economic pressure to develop a superior method for …

Creature Care, Alexander Weber

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Caring for a pet is a formidable responsibility that requires intense care and monitoring in order to protect and prolong the life of the animal. Traditionally, caring for a reptile presents a unique challenge for pet owners, who not only need to care for the animal but for the environment as well. Individual species distinctly require precise monitoring and control of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air quality; and deviation from the nominal values often leads to serious health problems for the reptile. To simplify reptile ownership, a system was designed that measures the critical parameters of a …

Designing A Recycling Facility For Energy Materials, Bartholomew Kitko, Matthew Berger, Elias Chiti, Trayce Harris, Mark Kulesa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this design project is to create a recycling facility for energy materials. Different energy systems will be analyzed to determine the most economically appropriate energy material to recycle. A list of the energy systems to be analyzed includes catalyst converters, wind turbines, lithium ion batteries, photo-voltaic cells, and precious materials with high energy applications. This study involves two main parts: the research to determine the most appropriate energy material for recycling, while also choosing or creating recycling processes efficient enough to reduce the US’s reliance on foreign nations for obtaining their rare-earth materials. The second part is …

Effects Of Crosslinking Conditions On Biofouling Of Polymer Substrates With A Hydrogel Layer, Laura Davila

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The introduction of a hydrogel coating to a surface has been looked at for different benefits. Certain hydrogels offer antifouling properties that are beneficial to different applications like medical components. Previous attempts (2) (3)have been done to introduce a hydrogel surface to plastic substrates. One of them is to use grafting brushes which works properly but it is not sufficient since the layer is too thin and therefore can be damaged. The second method have a bulkier coating without crosslinking. Opposite to grafting brushes this method has too thick of a layer. Additionally, there is no crosslink therefore the coating …

Upper Extremity Mobility Device, Timothy J. Grassi, Jacob R. Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project was to evaluate a clinical problem, explore possible solutions, and produce a functioning prototype that would conform to all the established guidelines and requirements. The project focused on developing an upper extremity mobility device for a singular client with limited muscle activity in his arms due to childhood polio. Our design process was governed by an adapted form of the FDA Design Control Process, 21 CFR 820.30 [1]. The outcome of this project was a functioning prototype that utilized the concept of a motorized pulley system remote controlled using a key fob. This research project …

A Novel Approach To Mid-Foot Reconstruction Surgery In Patients With Charcot Arthropathy, Jessi Martin, Deborah Falokun

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project details the design and development of an internal orthopedic implant that surgically corrects the midfoot fracture and subsequent arch collapse in patients with Charcot arthropathy. The client of the project is Dr. David Kay, an orthopedic surgeon with the Crystal Clinic in Akron, Ohio. He presented a problem surrounding surgical implants meant to repair Charcot arthropathy. Implants that repair the midfoot fracture failed at a rate of about 60%. A team of senior biomedical engineering students attending the University of Akron developed a goal to design a new surgical implant that would reduce the failure rate of …

Galvanic Corrosion In Aluminum/Steel Joints, Maegan Saul

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As car manufacturers seek to use lighter weight materials, aluminum is being more commonly used in the construction of vehicles. However, the strength of steel cannot be matched and both metals are necessary, leading to the joining of dissimilar metals. This connection of different metals leads to a galvanic coupling and subsequent corrosion of the less noble metal. This project aims to observe the corrosion and galvanic coupling behavior of aluminum alloys and carbon steel so that a model may be produced which can accurately predict the expected responses of the metals in various environments. Better, more accurate modeling of …

Automatic Seeder, Zachary Bunting, Nicholas Muscarella, Trevor Tout, Dalton Denny

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our Senior Design Project is the construction and implementation of an automatic seeder that is to be used in the agricultural industry. The automatic seeder is being designed to eliminate prevalent issues within the process of planting seeds by hand, such as labor requirements and inconsistent operations. The seeder is meant to reduce time spent on planting seeds and place them in an efficient manner for optimal growth conditions.

This project will require several specific research questions to be addressed in the form of application and good usability. We will investigate the method of planting the seed, the conveyor track …

Miniature Photogrammetry Rig, Alec Geither, Sean Weber

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Photogrammetry is a process that accurately gathers measurements from multiple photographs, capturing all sides and angles of the object. As long as a point is visible in at least three different photographs, its position can be triangulated accurately relative to each other point on the model. This process has a diverse range of applications, from surveying land to developing virtual training systems for professional athletes. One interesting application for photogrammetry is to create highly accurate electronic three-dimensional models from a series of photographs. We intend to build a miniature photogrammetry rig for use at the University of Akron.

Determination And Validation Of Mechanical Properties Of Materials And Substructures, Karl Bates

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The nature of this project is confidential and cannot be disclosed in detail. Generally, this project involves the manufacturing of an original design, which is subjected to a variety of tests – including tensile, compressive, bending, fatigue, and environmental testing, as well as qualitative destructive tests – to determine the mechanical properties of the component. This testing data compares with values predicted using Finite-Element Analysis. The validation of predicted FEM values is crucial to the success of this component, as it is designed for lifecritical applications. If test results indicate poor structural performance, considerable redesign will be necessary.

Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Inversion & Eversion Enhancement, Jason Wiebrecht, Maddison Grimes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modify a prosthetic foot/ankle, that currently has power at the ankle joint, for dorsiflexion/flexion so that it supplies power across a simulated subtalar joint, making the joint capable of inversion/eversion.

Smart Collar, Gretchen T. Woodling, Sean Moran, Justen Bischoff, Jacob Sindelar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Smart Collar is a universal pet tracker, designed to be small and exceedingly comfortable for any pet to wear. GPS technology is used to locate the device, allowing the user to track their pet, via a smart phone application. This application can be used to program the device, view maps of their pet’s location and history of travel. Operating primarily on Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) for data transfer, the device consumes very little power, allowing for several days of run-time per charge of the battery. Boasting no monthly service fees, The Smart Collar provides pet owner’s an …

Solvent-Free Coating Using Maco Bio-Based Reactive Diluent, Ryder James

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The project performed utilizes methacrylated cardanol (MACO) and a linseed oil resin to test how different weight percentages of MACO affect coating performance. MACO is synthesized from a phenolic lipid extracted from cashew nut shells, which are a cashew industry waste product. Not only does it utilize a waste product, but being a bio-based reactive diluent means it can replace the use of volatile organic solvents that are harmful to both humans and the environment. Weight percentage samples of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% were used. Coatings were applied using a 6-mil drawn down bar, with samples being prepared …

All-Wheel-Ukraine, Sofiya Rakovska, Hannah Mcculloch, Andrey Garasimchuk, Ahmad Alsaihati

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

We are working with a non-profit organization in Ukraine that provides wheelchairs/strollers to families of disables children who cannot afford them. Their current preferred solution is a baby stroller. The organization asked us to create a wheelchair that is cost efficient, light and collapsible to be used for children ages up to thirteen years old. We will be creating an alpha prototype wheelchair by modifying a basic wheelchair that we purchased. This modifications include adding a headrest that is adjustable and provides a sufficient support for children within the age group given to us and diverse levels of disabilities. We …

Terraria Server On A Raspberry Pi, Bradley Stoldt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My senior project is designed to display some of the material I have learned throughout the four years at The University of Akron, as well as explore into a newer piece of technology. I will be researching and documenting myself setting up a live network at my house that will have a raspberry pi running on it as a game server. The goal of this project is to get internal users to connect to the server, as well as users that are outside of my home network.

Leveling-Position Platform Cart, Brice Hutchison

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, Schaeffler reached out to students at the University of Akron to design an ergonomic pushcart for their operators. Operators at the plant must bend down to pick up or place torque converter components on and off the current carts. To solve this design issue, compression springs and tension springs were researched. The research found that compression springs were the more feasible design. After the design approach was selected, calculations were made, so spring parameters could be selected. The calculations found the proper spring design to use, and they conveyed the possible buckling of the springs if they …

Zips Electric Racing Suspension Design, Christopher Thompson, Madison Hughes, Erikah Jackson, Anna Signorino

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As a member of the 2020 Zips Electric Racing Design Team, I will design the suspension subsystem with three other members. Specifically concentrating on the steering and suspension mounting points, we will optimize and improve some components from the previous year's design. Modeling of components will be done in Solidworks and suspension vehicle behavior will be modeled in MATLAB and Optimum Kinematics.

Quickcut Cnc Waterjet Cutter, Kelly V. Robbins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This design project was dedicated to improving the existing design and making functional the QuickCut CNC Waterjet Cutter. The scope of work consisted of making the machine mobile and more structurally stable as well as programming the CNC controls. The project was started in the 2018/19 school year by a former mechanical engineering student. The subsystems consist of the frame, power, motor, water pump and associated plumbing, nozzle, abrasive feed system, x/y gantry, Arduino control system and the cutting bed. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the full scope was not able to be completed in its entirety.

Tabletop Mechanical Tester, Jamie Dombroski, Brian English, Richard Leffler, Andrew Shirk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The need for hands-on and face-to-face experiences in the engineering classroom is very great. The equations, principles, and concepts can all be learned, but without the visual and tactile application, these don’t always sink in or become concrete. A small-scale tensile test machine was designed, sourced, manufactured, and tested for the purpose of being applied in classroom settings to provide this experience to engineering students. Extensive research was performed concerning tensile machines on the market, the essential elements of which are the load cell, grips, crosshead, extensometer, motor, and frame. The raw materials for the frame were purchased and drawings …

Steel Bridge Truss Analysis, Alastair Seed

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to conduct a study comparing the effectiveness of different cross frame orientations in lowering the deflection of the main stringers of a bridge. Three different orientations of cross frames were researched; vertical, angled with the superstructure webbing, and halfway-angled. All of these were studied when the stringers were placed directly under the superstructure and when the superstructure was placed outside of the stringers. Analysis was performed in a program called SAP 2000 to find the deflections along the stringers under different loading conditions. The results showed that when the superstructure was oriented over the …

Autonomous Guided Vehicle Frame For Outdoor Use, Thomas Mcgrath

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The overall goal for my project is to design a durable Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) frame intended for carrying a heavy load over outdoor terrain. I will not be designing a complete vehicle, only the basic structure that can be used to build a complete AGV on. There will be complete 3D models of the design and its individual parts. I also would like to provide limited Finite Element Analysis of the design using ANSYS software to determine weaknesses and methods for improvement. The design I create is meant to be used as a framework for complete outdoor AGV designs. …

Rinse Tank Salinity Automation, George Pahoundis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Manufacturing processes are often consisted of many different processes and sub-processes. Each of these carries its own level of importance and impact to the overall picture. In this particular sub-process, salt is rinsed from a product via a rinse tank: a tank whose salinity may not exceed a certain level and whose temperature must not fall below a certain level. This setting is a prime opportunity to implement an automated control system to allow these parameters to be met with upmost efficiency. With potential savings in excess of $20,000 per year and an estimated payback period of 8 weeks, the …

Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, Kelly Haslett, Jacalyn Everhart

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Develop a lower extremity device that provides assistance, support, and gait correction for children with cerebral palsy who display crouch gait as a symptom. The device will be designed for children ages 7-12. The device will be adjustable to accommodate varying levels of gait irregularity, weakness and human growth. The device would assist walking and stair climbing by providing bilateral support at hips, knees and ankle joints. The device will be designed for ease of donning and doffing. Battery, drive and control electronics will be designed to reside in a minimalistic backpack (outside the scope of this project).

Artificial Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Joint Project, Michael Rosen, Bailei Hoyng

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This proposed project will be developing an artificial reverse shoulder arthroplasty joint that focuses on improvements to the Zimmer Biomet Comprehensive Reverse System by freating a unique feature, or features, to the humeral component that focuses on the prevention of dislocation by not limiting the range of motion of men from ages 45 to 65 years.

The development of the this project will utilize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical device design process. This project will involve a total of four Biomedical Engineering students from the University of Akron. Two students, Michael and Bailei, are in the Honors college …

Optimization And Validation Of The Neurolux Wireless Optoelectronics System For Optogenetics, Karis Courey, Su Hyun Lee Ph.D., Adam Smith Ph.D., Nicholas Cilz Ph.D., Sarah K. Williams Avram Ph.D., Adi Cymerblit-Sabba Ph.D., June Song, Nicholas Leipzig Ph.D., W. Scott Young M.D., Ph.D.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Utilizing light and genetic engineering, optogenetics permits the manipulation of events within cells via light using the light-sensitive properties of single-component microbial opsins. Microbial opsins are activated by a light source, such as lasers, light-emitting diodes, and incandescent sources that deliver light to the region of interest either directly or indirectly, such as through fiberoptics. In classical in vivo optogenetics, the wiring of optic fibers necessitates tethering of animals by the optic fiber to the light source. The novel NeuroLux wireless optoelectronic system for optogenetics circumvents issues pertaining to classical optogenetics by utilizing near-field power transfer via magnetic coil antennae …