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2021

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Articles 8671 - 8700 of 9975

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Chainless Bike Drive, Dominic Apisa, Bradley Powell, Garrett Colvin, John Monsour Jan 2021

Chainless Bike Drive, Dominic Apisa, Bradley Powell, Garrett Colvin, John Monsour

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The focus of this project was to design a drive system that could replace the conventional chain drive system, improving on both the efficiency and reliability, in addition to being low cost and lightweight. This report will provide background into why this group chose this as the subject of their project, as well as challenges faced throughout the design process. The design developed was a drive shaft driven by a system of pinions and gears, with a freewheel mechanism that allowed the system to coast when not pedaling. Due to cost and time constraints, only a prototype was created, with …

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Evaluating The Thermoresponsive Properties Of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Solutions For Smart Window Applications, Adam Reed Jan 2021

Evaluating The Thermoresponsive Properties Of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Solutions For Smart Window Applications, Adam Reed

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With HVAC and building energy usage expected to increase, there is a strong need for autonomous thermal management solutions. In particular, there has been a growing interest in thermoresponsive (TR) smart windows that are activated by ambient temperature changes. Most TR smart windows contain a liquid solution between two panes. The goal of this research project was to develop a self-supporting smart window by forming a gel that maintained its TR properties. A gel is less prone to spilling in the case of window breakage. It was also desired to tune the phase transition to occur at environmentally relevant conditions …

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Minimally Invasive Repair Of Elongated Chordae Tendineae In The Mitral Valve, Walid Abuhashim, Diana Albaba, Austin Ghiates, Rebecca Leiter, Mary Robakowski Jan 2021

Minimally Invasive Repair Of Elongated Chordae Tendineae In The Mitral Valve, Walid Abuhashim, Diana Albaba, Austin Ghiates, Rebecca Leiter, Mary Robakowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In the United States, about 4 million people have been estimated to suffer from severe mitral valve regurgitation [5]. Due to the high risks involved, about half of those patients are ineligible for surgery to repair the valve, because of their poor health [6]. Elongation of the chordae tendineae has been found to be one of the significant causes of regurgitation. To address this, the team has developed a device called “Chord Fastener”, which will restore proper function to the valve via shortening of the chordae tendineae [1]. Via this shortening mechanism, the device will reduce mitral valve regurgitation and …

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Feasibility Of Additive Manufacturing For Vibration Isolation Systems, Matthew Youngblood, Christian Velo, Gary Facemyer Jan 2021

Feasibility Of Additive Manufacturing For Vibration Isolation Systems, Matthew Youngblood, Christian Velo, Gary Facemyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

During transport sensitive payloads can become subject to a multitude of vibration or shock environments that can lead to damage. Using only additive manufacturing we seek to design an isolation system that can provide enough vibration and shock damping to properly protect the payload. Using modern FEA software we were able to quickly analyze a variety of solutions and determine the best one. Based on the results we have achieved through analysis, as well as pushing the manufacturing capabilities of 3D printers, we believe it is plausible to use additive manufacturing to create a fully capable vibration isolation system.

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Modeling Of Excitation In Skeletal Muscle, Sabrina Kinzie Metzger Jan 2021

Modeling Of Excitation In Skeletal Muscle, Sabrina Kinzie Metzger

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Recent experimental findings in the Rich lab suggest there are important gaps in our understanding of muscle excitability in various disease states. To generate and test hypotheses as well as to determine whether our current understanding of various aspects of muscle excitation can fully explain experimental findings, an accurate model of muscle excitation was needed. Previous studies have modeled excitation of muscle, but in each case, important aspects were omitted. One reason for this is that little effort has been made to accurately simulate muscle action potentials. In this thesis I present progress made towards generation of a model of …

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A Rebellion Framework With Learning For Goal-Driven Autonomy, Zahiduddin Mohammad Jan 2021

A Rebellion Framework With Learning For Goal-Driven Autonomy, Zahiduddin Mohammad

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Modeling an autonomous agent that decides for itself what actions to take to achieve its goals is a central objective of artificial intelligence. There are various approaches used to build autonomous agents including neural networks, state machines, utility functions, learning agents, and cognitive architectures. In this thesis, we focus on cognitive architectures. Our approach uses specific knowledge of the world, the goals they pursue, and the actions being performed. Most agents do what they are told (i.e., achieve the goals given to them by a human), but a genuinely autonomous agent does more. It can formulate its own goal or …

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Sae Formula Team Carbon Fiber Seat, Jacob Jaksic Jan 2021

Sae Formula Team Carbon Fiber Seat, Jacob Jaksic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

roject is for the Formula SAE Zips Racing team here at the University of Akron. The team includes Jacob Jaksic, Sean Turner, Dovydas Sodys, Mike White, and Sevin Johnson. We are tasked with reducing the weight of their current seat, while remaining comfortable to the driver. Our plan was to do this with a lightweight material, specifically carbon fiber. Many different steps were required when outlining this project: finalizing a design with verification from our Zips racing advisor, completing FEA analysis on finished design, acquiring material to be molded into seat, and finding a company to fabricate out of carbon …

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The Course Scheduling Problem With Room Considerations, Lijian Xiao Jan 2021

The Course Scheduling Problem With Room Considerations, Lijian Xiao

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The course scheduling problem (CSP), more commonly referred to as the university timetabling problem, belongs to the larger family of general scheduling problems, where the aim is to assign students, faculties, exams, or lectures to a limited number of rooms over time in accordance under real-world constraints. Such problems are known to be NP-complete and have been the subject of study for the optimization society for many decades. This research extends the classical CSP to the CSP with Room Considerations (CSP-R) by incorporating two room-related considerations; cohort-to-room preference and topic-to-room preference. While the former refers to students in each cohort …

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Partial Facial Re-Imaging Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Derek Desentz Jan 2021

Partial Facial Re-Imaging Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Derek Desentz

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Existing facial recognition software relies heavily on using neural networks to extract key facial features to accurately classify known individuals. Some of these key features include the shape, size, and distance between an individual’s eyes, nose, and mouth. When these key features cannot be extracted due to facial coverings, existing applications become inaccurate and unreliable. The accuracy and reliability of these technologies are growing concerns as the facial recognition market continues to grow at an exponential rate. In this thesis, we have developed a web-based application service that is able to take in a partially covered face image and generate …

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Texture Evolution In Materials With Layered Crystal Structures, Vamsi Krishna Vempati Jan 2021

Texture Evolution In Materials With Layered Crystal Structures, Vamsi Krishna Vempati

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Materials with a layered structure consist of crystalline layers that are bonded to each other with secondary bonds (van der Waals interactions). The bonding between crystalline layers is relatively weak compared to the interatomic bonding within the crystalline layers. This research hypothesizes that under appropriate conditions, such as elevated temperature, the deformation of layered materials occurs like the classic “deck of cards” with no preferred direction of slip on the slip planes. The motivation for this study is from the experimental texture evolution of one such material, Bismuth Telluride ,(Bi2Te3), commonly used materials for thermoelectric applications in the range of …

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Foldibot The Autonomous Clothes Folder, Jacob Kittinger, Braden Glasgow, Steven Shimko Jan 2021

Foldibot The Autonomous Clothes Folder, Jacob Kittinger, Braden Glasgow, Steven Shimko

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As society becomes more technologically advanced, so does the demand for innovative products that save time; products like the Roomba have revolutionized household chores. Our teams’ vision was to develop a solution for another time-consuming household chore: folding laundry. The goal of this project was to conceptually design a marketable “robot” capable of autonomously folding clothes and explore a potential design by prototyping and testing it. Our team utilized our culmination of knowledge acquired over five years of engineering studies to turn a “pen and paper” sketch into a functioning prototype; this project used engineering tools such as a Weighted …

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Integrating Online Discussions Into Engineering Curriculum To Endorse Interdisciplinary Viewpoints, Promote Authentic Learning, And Improve Information Literacy, Lisa Bosman, Kurt Paterson, Margaret Phillips Jan 2021

Integrating Online Discussions Into Engineering Curriculum To Endorse Interdisciplinary Viewpoints, Promote Authentic Learning, And Improve Information Literacy, Lisa Bosman, Kurt Paterson, Margaret Phillips

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Engineering is very much an applied discipline where math and science concepts, skills, and tools can be used to design products or processes with new and/or increased value. Research suggests active learning is an effective method for teaching and learning in the engineering classroom. Moreover, students continue to express increased satisfaction when taught using this experiential pedagogical approach. One approach to active learning gaining traction in the engineering classroom is the use of online discussions. The purpose of this paper is to offer a structured approach for engineering educators to develop online discussion prompts aimed to prepare engineering students for …

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Integrating The Entrepreneurial Mindset Into The Engineering Classroom, Lisa Bosman, Margaret Phillips Jan 2021

Integrating The Entrepreneurial Mindset Into The Engineering Classroom, Lisa Bosman, Margaret Phillips

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

CONTRIBUTION: This paper highlights one approach to fostering the entrepreneurial mindset in the engineering classroom. BACKGROUND: Entrepreneurship and innovation are currently trending topics in engineering education and will continue developing for the foreseeable future. INTENDED OUTCOMES: The guiding research question is: How can an entrepreneurial mindset focused learning experience improve student self-regulation, seeing value, and lifelong learning through metacognitive reflections? APPLICATION DESIGN: The study is implemented within a five-week module focused on developing the entrepreneurial mindset as part of a required course on supply chain management technology. The supporting pedagogical interventions include authentic learning, information literacy, a mix of low …

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Preface And Acknowledgments, William S. Walker Iii, Lynn A. Bryan, Siddika Selcen Guzey, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores Jan 2021

Preface And Acknowledgments, William S. Walker Iii, Lynn A. Bryan, Siddika Selcen Guzey, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores

Indiana STEM Education Conference

No abstract provided.

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Contents, William S. Walker Iii, Lynn A. Bryan, Siddika Selcen Guzey, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores Jan 2021

Contents, William S. Walker Iii, Lynn A. Bryan, Siddika Selcen Guzey, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores

Indiana STEM Education Conference

No abstract provided.

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Design And Optimization Strategy For Ejectors Applied In Refrigeration Cycles, Riley Barta, Parveen Dhillon, James Braun, Davide Ziviani, Eckhard A. Groll Jan 2021

Design And Optimization Strategy For Ejectors Applied In Refrigeration Cycles, Riley Barta, Parveen Dhillon, James Braun, Davide Ziviani, Eckhard A. Groll

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Implementation of an ejector for expansion work recovery in transcritical Carbon Dioxide (CO2) cycles provides an opportunity to improve the efficiency of these environmentally-friendly refrigeration systems. However, literature outlining an approach to ejector design for a given application is lacking. This paper presents a tool to design a complete ejector applied in a vapor compression cycle. In this work, the developed design tool was validated using experimentally-derived polynomials at air conditioning conditions, then efficiencies were input to broaden the analysis to study a transcritical CO2 system with an ejector operating in the evaporating temperature range of −15 °C to 20 …

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Automated Blind Control, Daniel Nahra, Matthew Lacek, Timothy Kurczewski, William Daulton Baksa Jan 2021

Automated Blind Control, Daniel Nahra, Matthew Lacek, Timothy Kurczewski, William Daulton Baksa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this project would be to design and prototype an automated, light and temperature sensing window blinds system. The device would detect temperature, both inside and outside, and incoming sunlight to determine proper window blind position for maximum energy savings. The user would also have the ability to change the settings of the blind from a remote device to a setting that they desire at any given time

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Analysis Of Modern Barn Design, Gunther Soehnlen Jan 2021

Analysis Of Modern Barn Design, Gunther Soehnlen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The agriculture industry is always changing. Barn structures are one of the most important aspects of the agriculture industry. As the agriculture industry changes, so does the design and construction of barns. There are many types of barns, but over the last 300 years four of the most prevalent types have been the Bank Barn, Open Span Truss Barn, Hoop Barn, and Transverse Frame Barn. The Bank Barn and Transverse Frame Barn have been popularly built for over 200 years. The Hoop Barn and the Open Span Truss Barn have been recently introduced to the industry, becoming popular within the …

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Pulse Reverse Current Electrodeposited Tio2 Doped Ni-W Coating, Sydney Hughes Jan 2021

Pulse Reverse Current Electrodeposited Tio2 Doped Ni-W Coating, Sydney Hughes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nickel-Tungsten (Ni-W) coatings via the pulse reverse current method have been under development as a potential replacement for typical Chromium/Cadmium coatings. To increase the effectiveness of Ni-W as a coating, dopants have been tested to decrease microcracks and pores and increase overall tribological performance. Previous research by Timken Engineered Surfaces Laboratory showed that Ni-W doped with TiO2 nanoparticles had a positive effect on coating performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the ideal solution parameters (i.e. TiO2 concentration, pH) to maximize the benefit of the dopant when samples are subjected to tribological testing. Here, solutions of …

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Wetting Transition On 3d-Printed Featured Surface, Hannah Pineault Jan 2021

Wetting Transition On 3d-Printed Featured Surface, Hannah Pineault

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The primary objective of this research project was to gain a better understanding of surface characteristics to produce a long-lasting superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic surface. In other words, when will a droplet of water remain on top of a featured surface and when does the transition occur to water filling the grooves of the surface? This research focused on how to best fabricate porous structures that would stay completely dry at all times by preventing the liquid from penetrating. In particular, we followed the behaviors of water droplets placed on top of 3-D printed featured surfaces with various geometries and surface …

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Comparison Of The Effects Of Hofmeister Ions On Transition Temperature Of Two Thermoresponsive Polymers, Ashley Knight Jan 2021

Comparison Of The Effects Of Hofmeister Ions On Transition Temperature Of Two Thermoresponsive Polymers, Ashley Knight

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

It has been hypothesized that poly(vinylmethylether) (PVME) could be used to replace poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAM) in various thermoresponsive applications based on literature searches and previous lab experiments. PVME is cheaper and easier to process, and would make pNIPAAM applications more cost effective. In order to verify this, experimental data was gathered on the effects of four anions from the Hofmeister series (SO42-, Cl-, I-, and SCN-) on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of pNIPAAM and compared to previous data collected on PVME. Commercial pNIPAAM from Sigma Aldrich and Polysciences were used. The reported LCST range for pNIPAAM is …

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The Life Of A Roundabout In Colorado Springs, Alexis M. Yoder Jan 2021

The Life Of A Roundabout In Colorado Springs, Alexis M. Yoder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Colorado Springs is an up-and-coming area where many people have decided to move to for multiple opportunities. With more people, comes more traffic flow and unfortunately, more accidents. Throughout the state, there is a large attempt to lower accidents, especially at intersections. One type of intersection that can be of great benefit is the roundabout. In fact, Colorado was an early adapter of the roundabout in order to improve traffic flow and decrease fatal accident statistics. When designing a roundabout, although good intentions are planned, complications can still arise. In most scenarios, roundabouts are able to reduce the number of …

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Investigation Of Surface Charge Using Faraday Bucket Measurements: Analysis On Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fiber Mats, Ryan Kantenwein Jan 2021

Investigation Of Surface Charge Using Faraday Bucket Measurements: Analysis On Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fiber Mats, Ryan Kantenwein

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Piezoelectric polymer materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride exhibit beneficial properties for use in personal protective equipment (PPE) against viral contaminants and other foreign microparticles. The electrospinning process of this material allows for surface charge to develop over a controlled surface area. Kynar 761 at 10 wt% demonstrates increased surface charge after withstanding a flow of aerated NaCl particles from a TSI 8130 instrument. Utilizing voltage measurements from a Faraday bucket, 18 wt% Kynar 761 and MG-15 exhibit surface charge when undergoing an electrospinning process; however, Kynar MG-15 displays lower charge values than that of Kynar 761. Several critical factors such …

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Simulation Of Water Loading In Filter Medium, Anthony Mole Jan 2021

Simulation Of Water Loading In Filter Medium, Anthony Mole

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research will model fluid flow through a filter plugged with water droplets using FlexPDE software. After simulations are run at various initial conditions, curves will be developed to correlate the permeability of the filter to variables like water droplet distribution and size.

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Relating Modified Ergun's Equation To Hindered Settling Correlations, Ryan Zahniser Jan 2021

Relating Modified Ergun's Equation To Hindered Settling Correlations, Ryan Zahniser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Correlations were developed between the Modified Ergun’s and Hindered settling correlations under the condition of dense packing of particles in the bed. As the porosity of the slurry increases, so does the interference between particles in the solution which mimics the behavior of a packed or densely concentrated fluidized bed. The similarity between the two sets of conditions was modeled using mathematical equations to calculate settling velocities and pressure drops by means of the Hindered Settling correlations and Modified Ergun’s equation at porosities ranging from 0.4242 to 0.89. The results showed that a porosity of 0.52 and 0.009 ft particle …

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The Effects And Motion Of An Air-Filled Cylinder Being Submerged In Water In The Axial Direction, Ethan Davis Jan 2021

The Effects And Motion Of An Air-Filled Cylinder Being Submerged In Water In The Axial Direction, Ethan Davis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Submarines operate on the basis of a difference in relative densities between of vessel and the surrounding fluid. This principle is based on the force balance that exists between the total buoyancy force and the force due to gravity. Previous work focuses on the neutral buoyancy depths and velocities of object that once submerged, their buoyancy force is a constant along with the force due to gravity. This work aims to better understand how the compression of air at various depths below the surface of the water contribute to the neutral buoyancy depth, velocity of the object as it rises, …

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The Effects Of The Coronavirus On Transportation, Brittney Crandall Jan 2021

The Effects Of The Coronavirus On Transportation, Brittney Crandall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This year the world has been challenged with the Coronavirus pandemic. This has led to national shutdowns which have negatively affected many aspects of everyday life. One of the industries that has seen adverse effects from the global pandemic is the transportation industry. This raises the question of exactly how the transportation industry has been affected by the pandemic, what the long-term effects will be, and what the future of the transportation industry will look like. Using existing data and research, predictions will be made to solve these questions.

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Side Impact Collisions: Trucks Versus Sedans, Mackenzie Cheyney Jan 2021

Side Impact Collisions: Trucks Versus Sedans, Mackenzie Cheyney

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed project will cover the effects of FMVSS 214 addendum to include light trucks. The addition of side door beams, air bags, and a dynamic performance requirement are the main points of FMVSS 214 which will be discussed. The effects of these safety measures will be compared between light trucks and sedans. NHTSA reports regarding the effects of FMVSS 214 will be reviewed in this paper. Based on the NHTSA literature reviews, further recommendations will be made.

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Soil Sensor Network, Andrea Wyder, Ross Klonowski, Alexis Alves, Luke Farnsworth Jan 2021

Soil Sensor Network, Andrea Wyder, Ross Klonowski, Alexis Alves, Luke Farnsworth

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Water management during crop irrigation is a problem for the agricultural industry. To help farmers better maintain water usage, a wireless soil sensor network comprised of a sensor pod and wireless communication has been designed and implemented. It was proven that the sensor pod can be installed 6-8 inches below the ground and communicate up to at least a 6km distance back to the gateway. The senor pod shells have a 2 mm thick shell to prevent the pod from shattering when coming into contact with the ground after being released from the planter, as calculated through the force of …

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Increasing The Corrosion Protection Of Aisi 1008 Carbon Steel By Surface Treatment With Unmodified And Benzotriazole Modified Sol-Gel Films, Shane Thomas Kelliher Jan 2021

Increasing The Corrosion Protection Of Aisi 1008 Carbon Steel By Surface Treatment With Unmodified And Benzotriazole Modified Sol-Gel Films, Shane Thomas Kelliher

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The corrosion performance of sol-gel coated AISI 1008 carbon steel was investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions of pH 7, 9, and 12 using electrochemical measurements. A corrosion inhibitor, benzotriazole (BTA) was added to the sol-gel mixture and tested as a second, modified sol-gel coating. Sol-gel films adhered evenly to metal samples and were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) showed an increase in polarization resistance from blank to sol-gel coated samples (600-18,800,000 ohms). Cyclic polarization (CPP) curves showed positive hysteresis loops for blank and unmodified sol-gel coated samples which increased at high pH following the backward potential …

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