Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Racetrack Roughness, Cara Ditmar, Jason Liu, David Ouma, Afia Semin, Noah White

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance: On the Formula One circuits, cars operate at the upper limits of vehicle performance, pushing racing technology to exciting new boundaries. To achieve this, it is critical to understand in detail the inter- actions between the car tires and the track surface itself. As such, Pirelli—the tire manufacturer responsible for selecting tire specifications for each race—has systems in place to measure the macro and micro roughness of the asphalt at the track surface. Formula One itself, however, wants the ability to collect their own mea- surements so that they can provide insight into Pirelli’s decisions and create internal specifications …

Remote Sensing, Kentin Codispot, Gracie Durham, Reese Guo, Trevor Hopkins, Vanessa Pinney

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance: The Organic movement seeks to protect and encourage fertile soil maintenance, as healthy soils sequester CO2, improve human health, and ensure farmland will remain usable in the future. Unfortunately, the original intent of organic certification has been lost due to increased industrialization of organic farms, which focus on generating profit over soil health. The goal of our sponsor, Real Organic Project (ROP), is to help protect the integrity of organic farming by creating an add-on label to USDA Certified Organic which would improve transparency and encourage communication between the farmers, consumers, and scientists. Our project aims to augment ROP’s …

Positive Tracks Platform, Chikezie Prosper Onungwa, Chloe Baker, Rafi Khaled, Seungjae Jason Lee

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Positive Tracks (PT) is a non-profit organization that seeks to empower and equip teens and young adults to make social change in their communities and beyond using movement based activism to “sweat for good”. Be it collecting signatures, raising funds, or running an education campaign, organizers can host any physical event from an online burpee challenge to a city marathon to achieve their goals. Positive Tracks supports these youth by offering one-on-one advising and online resources. They sometimes can support in other ways such as extending marketing campaigns, connecting organizers to other people or organizations, or matching donations. Positive Tracks …

Respiratory Monitoring Device, Haley Richards, Peyton Weber, Brygitte De La Cruz, Margaret Deppe-Walker, Chris Bacotti

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Introduction: Respiratory monitoring devices are vital to improving the efficacy of prescribed medications and treatments of patients with respiratory diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). With an annual increase of respiratory disease diagnosis and fatalities, physicians and pharmaceutical companies are progressively more concerned with clinical trials dealing with the monitoring of medical respiratory treatment efficacy. However, there is a significant concern with the current methodology of monitoring this efficacy: absence of reliable constant surveillance data. This is due to modern wearable respiratory monitoring devices being unable to continuously identify the respiratory metrics of interest (wheezing, coughing …

Tiny Research Station, Emma Doherty, Bradley Hart, Jack Lipson, Andrew Moura, Grace Neiswander, Soon-Young Shimizu

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Problem Statement and Significance: In 2018, Professor Vicki May began a project to construct a living space in the form of a tiny house for Dartmouth’s Organic Farm. Her aim was to create an experiential learning opportunity for her students, and she received a $45,000 grant from the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL) to complete the project. However, due to permitting problems, this original plan was unable to come to fruition. Since then, iterations on how to complete the project and uses for the structure have been discussed, with the most recent application coming forth in spring …

Off-Grid Energy System To Empower The People Of El Chorro In Peru, Henry Baldwin, Moon Cheong, Jenny Kane, Sofia Maeztu, Skylar Widman

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance & Objectives: In 2006, more than six million people living in rural regions of Peru lacked access to electricity, resulting in a lower quality of life, limited educational opportunities, difficult means of communication, and worsened healthcare. Furthermore, the use of kerosene lamps and candles exacerbates respiratory illnesses, and dimmed lights can cause unnecessary eye strain with long term consequences. While the traditional strategy for increasing access to electricity is based around expanding the national electric grid, the complex terrain and remote location of many rural communities in Peru make this infeasible. In conjunction with WindAid, our goal is to …

Looma Education System For Developing Countries, Lylia Eng, Yefri Figueroa, Tony Kirumba, Grace King, Jesse Lin

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance: Looma Education Corp. (LE) supports education development in rural Nepal by providing a device that delivers engaging educational content without requiring internet access or stable electricity. The all-in-one Looma box serves as an A/V system with an offline library of educational content in both English and Nepali. LE implemented its pilot program in 2019 and currently has a network of 13 schools. LE aims to extend its reach to 100 schools in rural Nepal, specifically schools which lack basic educational materials. Despite its successes, LE is unable to upscale its production to meet increasing demand. Without the significant improvements …

Warner Rail Trail, Andres Rosales, Evan Christo, Keoni Ocalvey, Chris Drake, Savannah Cochran, Camille Pauley

ENGS 89/90 Reports

The goal of our project is to facilitate the design and development of the Bagley Fields to Warner Village section of the Concord Lake Sunapee Rail Trail (CLSRT). This section of trail has three primary goals, in no particular order: (1) to connect the town of Warner with its surrounding natural environment, (2) to provide safe access for everyone, including children, to the Bagley Field recreational facilities, and (3) to establish a challenging, key connection point along the planned 34-mile multi-use trail. The trail section may also serve as a form of alternative transportation for local residents.

The project area …

Protein Analyzer Autosampler, Julia E. Bonzanini, Samran A. Khalid, Sayuri M. Magnabosco, Jeferson A. Mendoza

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance & Problem Statement: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry is under increasing pressure to get high quality antibodies for vaccine production in the hopes of saving millions of lives. To accomplish this, the bioprocessing industry has transitioned to automated processing of samples. IDEX, the company behind the Tridex Protein Analyzer, hopes to extend Tridex's capabilities to automated sample processing to expand into this market segment. This is because, despite a fast readout of protein concentration, manual sampling of proteins into the Tridex can be a tedious and time consuming process. However, the Tridex machine lacks a compatible autosampler …

The Ice Chuck, Joseph Chavez, Joshua Putter, Ledane Ram, Nicholas Washington

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance: Brazing is one of the most important methods currently used in the production of the complex electronics that drive aerospace, medical, and many other industries. This process of brazing involves joining components together by melting thin metal foils between them. To ensure strong bonds between small components, braze foils are often machined into complex shapes called preforms. Since these foils are so thin (0.0005” - 0.002”) and have relatively low melting points compared to other metals, they are often difficult to cut accurately without either damaging them by clamping or causing them to warp from the heat added during …

Surface Autonomous Vehicle For Emergency Rescue (Saver), Mit N. Patel, Garrett L. Rawlings, Rafael G. Rosas-Soto, Andrew E. Skow, Ty P. Teodori

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Problem Significance: Advances within the space industry are expected to continue with the development of NASA’s Artemis missions, which are due to launch in 2024. To mitigate the risks inherent to spaceflight, NASA Search­and- Rescue (SAR) must be prepared and equipped to respond to unpredictable and dangerous scenarios, such as a launch abort. According to NASA studies, 26 out of 28 launch aborts culminate in a capsule splashdown in the open ocean. Former NASA astronaut Jay C. Buckey emphasized that launch aborts are violent procedures, during which the crew capsule may become damaged and present a hazardous environment; in …

Everhot, Mason Brady, Isabel Burgess, Blair Stratman, Devon Mattie

ENGS 89/90 Reports

Significance: There is seemingly nothing more frustrating than running out of hot water during your morning shower or having to wait minutes for the water to heat up. Despite these shortcomings, water heating is the average homeowner’s second largest energy expense, accounting for almost 20% of total household energy consumption in the US. Additionally, roughly 12,000 gallons of a household’s annual water use is wasted in waiting periods for adequately hot water, representing over 22% of the household’s yearly water usage. The most common residential Domestic Hot Water (DHW) systems today focus on low upfront costs. EverHot’s optimized system has …

Molten Regolith Electrolysis Processing For Lunar Isru: Financial And Physics Analysis Of Spacex Starship Transportation, Cheyenne Harper

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the following research is to explore molten regolith electrolysis (MRE) methodology for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) of Highlands lunar regolith, to be explored during the initial Artemis missions. An analysis of potential commercial launch providers for MRE-equipment based on technology-readiness level (TRL), payload mass support, and $ USD/kg payload price is provided. SpaceX is ultimately proposed as a launch provider of MRE equipment following multi-factorial analysis, with the SpaceX Starship human landing system (HLS) variant proposed for supporting MRE payload. Finally, customers of regolith-derived oxygen, aluminum, and silicon are distinguished to form the business case for operating …

Impact Of Climate Change On Storms And Coastal Morphodynamics, Kelsey Perez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Storms have been impacting coastal morphodynamics directly due to its intensifying effects over the years. Climate change has caused an exponential impact on storms and therefore morphodynamic changes in the coasts. A specific land that has constantly been threatened is Dauphin Island, a barrier island in Alabama. Over time, it has experienced a total land loss of 100 ft of shoreline over the past of 3 decades and an overall 16% land loss of the island due to the intensifying effects of storms due to a changing climate. In this study, we use Hurricane Ivan as an example. In order …

A Finite Difference Model For Induced Hypothermia During Shock, Dylan S. Lyon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The modified Fiala model from Westin was implemented with conditions for circulatory shock and hypothermia. The purpose is to model Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation (EPR), a procedure for inducing hypothermia in patients. Cold tissue temperatures reduce metabolism exponentially, greatly extending the window of anaerobic metabolic activity before permanent deoxygenation damage. EPR in patients undergoing hypovolemic shock can preserve the patient until primary surgical care and blood transfusions are attainable., thereby increasing survival rates. The main applications of EPR are military in-situ stabilization for transit to clinical care and extending the survivability of patients requiring prolonged surgery before blood transfusion. The …

Fluid-Structure Interaction For A Deformable Anisotropic Cylinder: A Case Study, Jared T. Decker

Honors Undergraduate Theses

For a structure designed to interact with the surrounding fluid, structural deformation under loads induced by fluid flows is an important factor to consider, and one which is traditionally difficult to account for analytically. Coupling the finite element method for structural analysis with the finite volume method for the determination of fluid response allows for accurate simulation of the pressure and shearing loads applied by the fluid onto the fluid-structure interface, while also determining localized structural displacements that would cause changes to the geometry of the interface. This work seeks to simulate the behavior of cylinders with varying heights and …

Targeting T Cell Glycolysis To Mitigate Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Kevin Ezhakunnel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hematological cancers account for nearly ten percent of cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Patients who fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy must often undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat their malignancy. A significant complication following this procedure is Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), which occurs when donor T cells mount an immune response against recipient tissues. Immunological research has highlighted the role of aberrant T cell metabolism, specifically a shift toward aerobic glycolysis, as a key driver behind the occurrence of this condition. The transcription factor FoxK1 has been revealed to be a key regulator …

The Architecture Design Of Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure Using Viable System Model Approach, Mahdi Boucetta, Niamat Ullah Ibne Hossain, Raed Jaradat, Charles Keating, Siham Tazzit, Morteza Nagahi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Exponential technological-based growth in industrialization and urbanization, and the ease of mobility that modern motorization offers have significantly transformed social structures and living standards. As a result, electric vehicles (EVs) have gained widespread popularity as a mode of sustainable transport. The increasing demand for of electric vehicles (EVs) has reduced the some of the environmental issues and urban space requirements for parking and road usage. The current body of EV literature is replete with different optimization and empirical approaches pertaining to the design and analysis of the EV ecosystem; however, probing the EV ecosystem from a management perspective has not …

Effective Project Management And The Role Of Quality Assurance Throughout The Project Life Cycle, Monier Madison Ouabira, Hengameh Fakhravar

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Quality is a fundamental requirement in effective project management. Effective project management entails a steady focus on quality management as well as achievement of all user requirements as defined during the requirements engineering phase of project implementation. Quality assurance must be executed throughout the project development cycle as a new normal in reducing errors and challenges during project development. Conducting quality assurance throughout the project development cycle has many benefits to both the project as well as the project development team. Understanding the research approach to use is critical in achieving high-quality findings in projects. There is a need to …

Complex System Governance As A Framework For Asset Management, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, James C. Pyne, Charles B. Keating, Dragan Komljenovic

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Complex system governance (CSG) is an emerging field encompassing a framework for system performance improvement through the purposeful design, execution, and evolution of essential metasystem functions. The goal of this study was to understand how the domain of asset management (AsM) can leverage the capabilities of CSG. AsM emerged from engineering as a structured approach to organizing complex organizations to realize the value of assets while balancing performance, risks, costs, and other opportunities. However, there remains a scarcity of literature discussing the potential relationship between AsM and CSG. To initiate the closure of this gap, this research reviews the basics …

The Technology Transfer Network Dynamic In The Information Technology Industry Of Yucatan, Mexico, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos, Ana Maria Canto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The present paper explores the technology transfer linkages among universities, research centers, and private companies in Yucatan, Mexico's information technology industry. Social network analysis (SNA) was used as a method to identify the structural characteristics of the technology transfer collaborations, and the changes in the patterns of interactions among institutions over the years. Data were obtained from the National Council for Science and Technology repository (CONACYT). Associations formed to enhance technology advancement and innovation practices between 2010 and 2018 were analyzed in this study. Network transitivity, the patterns of triadic configurations, and heterophily were compared to uncover the evolution of …

Interactive Agent-Based Simulation For Experimentation: A Case Study With Cooperatve Game Theory, Andrew J. Collins, Sheida Etemadidavan

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Incorporating human behavior is a current challenge for agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS). Human behavior includes many different aspects depending on the scenario considered. The scenario context of this paper is strategic coalition formation, which is traditionally modeled using cooperative game theory, but we use ABMS instead; as such, it needs to be validated. One approach to validation is to compare the recorded behavior of humans to what was observed in our simulation. We suggest that using an interactive simulation is a good approach to collecting the necessary human behavior data because the humans would be playing in precisely the …

Human Characteristics Impact On Strategic Decisions In A Human-In-The-Loop Simulation, Andrew J. Collins, Shieda Etemadidavan

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a hybrid simulation model of the agent-based model and cooperative game theory is used in a human-in-the-loop experiment to study the effect of human demographic characteristics in situations where they make strategic coalition decisions. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a computational method that can reveal emergent phenomenon from interactions between agents in an environment. It has been suggested in organizational psychology that ABM could model human behavior more holistically than other modeling methods. Cooperative game theory is a method that models strategic coalitions formation. Three characteristics (age, education, and gender) were considered in the experiment to see if …

Blockchain For A Resilient, Efficient, And Effective Supply Chain, Evidence From Cases, Adrian Gheorghe, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour, Unal Tatar, Omer Faruk Keskin

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the modern acquisition, it is unrealistic to consider single entities as producing and delivering a product independently. Acquisitions usually take place through supply networks. Resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness of supply networks directly contribute to the acquisition system's resiliency, efficiency, and effectiveness. All the involved firms form a part of a supply network essential to producing the product or service. The decision-makers have to look for new methodologies for supply chain management. Blockchain technology introduces new methods of decentralization and delegation of services, which can transform supply chains and result in a more resilient, efficient, and effective supply chain. This …

Surface And Interfacial Phenomena Between Soil And Oil, Md Firoz Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crude oil and motor oil spills on land have severe environmental consequences that pose threats to both humans and natural resources. It is particularly important to know the flow behavior of oils to protect terrestrial ecosystems from this kind of damage. The spreading kinetics, contact angle (CA), and droplet baseline studies of crude oil and motor oils were investigated over several realistic soil-based matrices composed of topsoil (silt-dominant), sand, clay, and moisture. It was found that with an increase in moisture content (MC), the spreading area decreased, and initial spreading time increased for all given oil. The initial CA generally …

Solubility Measurements Of Hydrophobic Solutes In Supercritical Carbon Dioxide And Subsequent Impregnation Into Paper Substrates For Surface Modifications, Arghavan Beheshtimaal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supercritical Fluids (SCFs) have received a great deal of attention for their various applications in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and materials processing. In this study, we investigate surface modification to paper substrates using supercritical impregnation (SCI) techniques, with applications in food packaging. One of the key factors required for this study is understanding the solubility of hydrophobic solutes in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Polar compounds are poorly soluble in scCO2 due to their lack of polarity and frequently co-solvents are also introduced to enhance solubility. In this study, the maximum solubility of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD)/n-heptane and vegetable wax (VW)/n-heptane solutions …

A Scalable Framework For Map Matching Based Cooperative Localization, Chizhao Yang, Jared Strader, Yu Gu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Localization based on scalar field map matching (e.g., using gravity anomaly, magnetic anomaly, topographics, or olfaction maps) is a potential solution for navigating in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied environments. In this paper, a scalable framework is presented for cooperatively localizing a group of agents based on map matching given a prior map modeling the scalar field. In order to satisfy the communication constraints, each agent in the group is assigned to different subgroups. A locally centralized cooperative localization method is performed in each subgroup to estimate the poses and covariances of all agents inside the subgroup. Each agent in …

Residential Dwelling Design And Construction Planning, Jodi Beery

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report presents a step-by-step guide in building a hypothetical residential dwelling in Wayne County, Ohio. The project begins with the initial site investigation phase, which gathers general information about the physical site of proposed construction as well as the requirements of the governing body of the area; applications for permits and inspections for example. Next, phase is the site design which includes creating plans for the building footprint, pavement areas, and utility locations. The next phase in the design will be the building plans which will include floor plans and associated material lists for the construction of the home. …

Analog & Digital Remote Synthesizer, Adam Brunner, Andrew Cihon-Scott, Scott Grisso, Linus Wright

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop and design an analog synthesizer musical instrument that integrates embedded digital hardware into the design to enable control from a remote source. The use of digital hardware enables the potential for a wide range of convenient features such as sound profile saving and loading, output recording functionality, and the ability to accept digital input from another musical instrument utilizing the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). In addition to the synthesizer itself, this project also includes the design of a companion application that can be hosted on a wide variety of consumer computing …

Lateralized Laryngoscope Blade, Kenneth Gregg, Steven Innocenzi, Jacob Myers, Regina Neugebauer, Clarence Noronha

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Tracheal intubations are one of the most common surgeries that occur since they are necessary for most patients under anesthesia. Given the frequency, an error with a relatively low chance of occurring can still provide a large problem both for the patient and the hospital. We studied teeth damage that arise during tracheal intubations to determine if improvements could be made to the process to lower the chance of it occurring. Given this, we set out to improve the laryngoscope to provide a product with a novel approach that sweeps into the mouth from the left side before traveling the …