Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Scanning Kelvin Probe Techniques, Nicholas D'Angelo Jr., Hongbo Cong

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The original scope of this work was to advance the understanding of corrosion properties of additively manufactured (AM) materials by correlating microstructural defects in AM materials to the material conventional counterparts utilizing a scanning kelvin probe [Ametek VeraSCAN Electrochemical System]. However, upon the initiation of project research, it was observed that the system was not operational due to unknown hardware and software problems. The evolved scope of this work was to reconcile the operational issues and develop a repair and mitigation plan. After extensive troubleshooting, it was determined that the software was not properly configured, and the electrometer had permanently …

Reaction Kinetics Of The Hydrogenation Of Phenol In A Tubular Reactor, Michael Selzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The reaction kinetic parameters for the hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone are determined for the liquid phase reaction with the palladium catalyst supported on an electrospun PVDF membrane. Runs of the reactor were completed at catalyst loadings of 40, 50, and 60 g/m², and tube diameters of 0.187 in and 0.25 in with a runtime of ten hours. One-dimensional and two-dimensional models of the experimental setup were developed. Fitting data to the one-dimensional model found that the pre-exponential factor was 2.50 x 10⁴, the activation energy was 7.69 kJ/mol, and the order with respect to phenol …

Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Release By Chitosan-Heparin Nanoparticles, Jacob Ress

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chitosan and heparin were used to synthesize nanoparticles using polyelectrolyte complexation. The optimal mixing ratio was determined to be 1:4 by studying the particle characteristics of zeta potential and dynamic light scattering of the ratios 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5 and 1:6 (chitosan: heparin). The particles were loaded with the antibiotic polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and the release was measured over 335 hours using the dialysis membrane incubation method and detected via ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Around 80% of the encapsulated PHMB was released over the measured period. The goal of this part of the study was to determine the drug release behavior …

Human Powered Vehicle Frame Design, Analysis, Manufacturing, And Testing, Christopher Reed, Kole W. Williams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The University of Akron Human Powered Vehicle Design Team began this academic year with a mission to create a practical, lightweight, safe, and efficient human powered vehicle. The main objectives of ZC18 were inspired by competition in the 2018 Human Powered Vehicle Challenge at ASME E-Fest East. In addition to adhering to the rules of this competition, scoring high on the submitted reports, and competing well in the racing events, the team set a goal to assist in furthering knowledge related to the topic of human powered vehicles.

ZC18 was constructed nearly completely in the University of Akron’s Design Center …

Correlation Of Electrospun Polyvinylpyrrolidone Fiber Mat Thickness With Basis Weight, Fiber Diameter, Pore Size Distribution, And Air Permeability, Leah Mcpherson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project developed correlations between electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone fiber mat thickness, basis weight, fiber diameter, pore size, and air permeability. The hypotheses were thinner fibers produce thicker mats, pore size decreases with fiber diameter, pore size and permeability decrease as basis weight increases. Project results could be used for modeling or quality control purposes.

Fiber diameter distributions were analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope and FibraQuant 1.3 software. Four conditions were chosen for further study: 0.284 ± 0.104 µm, 0.379 ± 0.128 µm, 0.520 ± 0.138 µm, and 0.733 ± 0.177 µm. Lower PVP concentrations produced thinner fibers.

Sample thickness (nm) …

Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries: Design And Experimentation, Matthew George

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Vanadium flow batteries (VFB) are a type of battery that has potential as a grid-scale energy storage solution. An original design for a lab-scale VFB is presented herein, along with a procedure for electrolyte preparation from V₂O₅ using oxalic acid. The flow cell is constructed from Delrin, Teflon, Kynar, Santoprene, Nafion, graphite plate, and porous carbon. Two diaphragm pumps along with polyethylene, PVC, and Santoprene tubing are used. The active area is 58 cm². The battery was charged using a DC power supply at a constant current of 4 A with corresponding initial voltage of …

Swagelok Adjustable Check Valve Setting Device, Brandon Sours, Paul Olson, David Race, Nick Rimpf

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Check valves are used to control the amount of flow through a valve and only open when a certain pressure is reached. The path of the fluid is strictly in one direction, which allows the valve to prevent any back flow within a system. They are also one of few self-automated piping system components that do not require assistance to open or close. Some check valves use a combination spring-and-nut compression assembly to set an opening pressure. As the nut is used to set the spring compression, and by extension the opening pressure, problems tend to arise when adjusting the …

Design Of Shape-Conforming Nosecone For Optimal Fluid Flow From Transonic To Supersonic Range, Anna Tombazzi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modern flight vehicles, such as rockets, missiles, and airplanes, experience a force caused by forebody wave drag during the flight. This drag force is induced when the frontal point of each vehicle breaks the pressure wave during flight. Efforts to reduce this wave drag force to improve flight efficiency include modifying the nosecone profile of the flight vehicles to lower the drag force.

This project revolved around creating a design to make the transformation of nosecone shapes from a ¾ Parabolic profile to a ½ Power Series profile possible, mid-flight. Using a novel nosecone assembly, shape memory alloys (SMAs) and …

Molded Features In Pdms For Fabricating Bacterial Cellulose For Various Geometries, Mitchell Habegger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of producing features on bacterial cellulose (BC) is to facilitate the elongation and alignment for cells, in this case Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast (NHDF) cells. The elongated cells have applications in wound healing, tissue engineering, disease diagnostics, and many other fields. Experiments were run to test the effectiveness of transferring features to BC sheets from features induced by fracturing on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and those duplicated from molds with existing features. The features were duplicated to BC sheets by either air drying or Guided Assembly-Based Biolithography (GAB). The research results showed that fracture inducing on PDMS produced very small …

Modeling The Effect Thickener Structure Has On The Oil Release Of Grease, Dana Cressman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our hypothesis was that the thickener type and micelle concentration of grease affected its viscoelastic properties. Measurements were made using a TA AR G2 rheometer and calculations were made using TA rheometer analysis software to characterize the viscoelastic response of grease under oscillatory shear and frequency tests. The oscillatory frequency tests determined the critical micelle concentration. The oscillatory stress tests were taken at temperatures from 5 to 65 degrees Celsius to create a master curve based on time temperature superposition of the measurements. The crossover points of G’ and G” on the oscillatory stress tests demonstrated where the grease transitions …

Galvanic And Pitting Corrosion Of A Fastener Assembly, Julie Shallman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research focuses on coupled galvanic/pitting corrosion of AA7075 when combined with stainless steel in a fastener assembly. A one-dimensional mathematical model of a well-mixed thin film electrolyte is developed to predict the damage profile of the AA7075 surface when its protective coating is damaged. The damage exposes the galvanic couple. A time dependent system of partial differential equations for potential, chloride concentration, aluminum ion concentration, and damage is developed and solved numerically. Two approaches to calculate the current density within aluminum pits are discussed. The first is a current balance between the cathodic, anodic and passive portions of the …

Modification Of Bacterial Cellulose Using Organosilanes To Enhance Cell Adhesion And Growth, Kristi Ferrato

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project, drying bacterial cellulose (BC) to maintain its structural integrity, and treating BC with organosilanes 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as well as with various concentration of gelatin to increase the cells per area was studied. Drying BC with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) by soaking the BC in ascending concentrations of ethanol and HMDS did not protect the structural integrity of the BC grown in lab but did for the BC grown in Dr. Siriporn Taokaew’s lab. Freeze drying also did not fully protect the structural integrity as the BC was placed in a freezer for several hours at -20oC …

Applying Control Logic To The End Of The Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel Based On Downstream Capacity To Reduce Overflow Of Akron’S Wastewater Collection System, William Troyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

During the Akron Waterways Renewed Program, the city of Akron is studying ways to improve efficiency in the existing sewer system while also reducing the number and scale of combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. Real time control logic can be developed to reduce CSO events by improving flow and storage capacity. Looking at one point in the system, when the target capacity of the downstream pipe was increased from 20% to 80%, the peak volume of overflow from the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel decreased from 9,067 gallons to 5,965 gallons the total system overflow increased from 10.3 million gallons to …

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Piezoelectric Design, Letia Bass, Michaela N. Mccrae, Ethan W. Goodman, Joesph W. Mazur

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is a continuation into the design and implementation of a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) device that will be used to conduct high frequency testing on tire tread compounds. The design requirements necessary were to design a device that will produce a target frequency of 10 kHz with a 0.05% strain, while being at room temperature. The 3-D model developed by the previous year’s students was improved upon and new parts were designed as well. The assemblies (most importantly the connector piece) were 3-D modeled using Creo Parametric and analyzed with COMSOL Multiphysics. A new design involving flexures was …

Navigational Heads-Up Display, Alex Walenchok, Nicholas Seifert, Joshua Reed, Joshua Humphrey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

One problem drivers face is distraction from looking at their mobile device while navigating rather than watching the road. This problem can be solved with a heads-up display placed directly on the driver’s windshield. By using a mobile device with a custom GPS application, the following design will be able to send GPS data to a device that will display navigational information on a car windshield. The design includes two primary components, a mobile device and a System Unit, where the System Unit is composed of a portable power supply, a single board computer, and a display. For the design, …

Enhancement Of Instruction Pamphlet Insertion Machine, Zachary Skraba, Colton Rentsch, Brad Ruhaak, Abdulwahab Almuhwish, Faris Almulhim

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, we were tasked with improving the current operation of a pamphlet insertion machine for Weaver Industries. Located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Weaver Industries is a company whose mission is to “maximize the independence and personal fulfillment of individuals with disabilities.” The main operation of the prototype is to assist the handicapped operator by automating the process for one of their products, a “Kong” dog toy. Currently, the workers manually insert each pamphlet into the cardboard packaging by hand. Over the past three years, there have been three separate design groups tasked with building and improving upon each …

Mht Assembly Line, Sean Lundholm

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this report is to record the process followed and steps taken to design and implement a new product assembly line. While the implementation of the line required more than what is in this report, the projects outlined are those I was personally involved in and responsible for. This report will outline why the project was required, the steps taken to complete the project, and the challenges faced. Throughout the progression of the project, many different parts and areas were considered. As each of these was brought into focus, new challenges presented themselves and were dealt with accordingly. …

Sandia Senior Design Collaboration: Vacuum Sensor Design, James L. Valerio, Eric J. Black, Joseph P. Bednarz, David R. Warther

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Sandia National Laboratories has requested a fully mechanical device to close a circuit after launch has occurred and the device enters a vacuum. Intended for applications in rockets and missiles, the device must fit in a 36 degree wedge with a 6.8 inch radius that is 6 inches in height and be ready to bolt onto a rocket. The pressure switch must be prevented from actuating until a launch acceleration ranging from 20 to 27g is detected. The pressure switch must close the circuit after a pressure of 10^-1 Torr is reached and before a pressure of 10^{-6 …}

Evaluating Augmented Reality For Space Telerobotics Training, John Karasinski

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Despite the extensive previous research into manual tracking, to the author’s knowledge there exists no study in the literature addressing human performance or workload changes in manual tracking tasks between traditional computer monitors and mobile, augmented reality headsets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of several factors on human performance and workload in a three-axis manual tracking task. Recent advances in computing hardware have enabled a new generation of augmented reality stereoscopic devices, such as the Microsoft HoloLens, which have yet to be evaluated in the literature. The Microsoft HoloLens provides depth cues to the user …

A Twitter-Based Study For Understanding Public Reaction On Zika Virus, Roopteja Muppalla

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In recent times, social media platforms like Twitter have become more popular and people have become more interactive and responsive than before. People often react to every news in real-time and within no-time, the information spreads rapidly. Even with viral diseases like Zika, people tend to share their opinions and concerns on social media. This can be leveraged by the health officials to track the disease in real-time thereby reducing the time lag due to traditional surveys. A faster and accurate detection of the disease can allow health officials to understand people's opinion of the disease and take necessary precautions …

A Model For Seasonal Dynamic Networks, Jace D. Robinson

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Sociotechnological and geospatial processes exhibit time varying structure that make insight discovery challenging. This paper presents statistical model of systems with seasonal dynamics, modeled as a dynamic network, to address this challenge. It assumes the probability of edge formations depend on a type assigned to incident nodes and the current time. Time dependencies are modeled by unique seasonal processes. The model is studied on several synthetic and real datasets. Superior fidelity of this model on seasonal datasets compared to existing network models, while being able to remain equally accurate for networks with randomly changing structure, is shown. The model is …

A Simulation Method For Studying Effects Of Site-Specific Clutter On Sar-Gmti Performance, Marcus James Campbell

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Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an invaluable tool for detection of ground moving targets when combined with processing techniques of ground moving target indication (GMTI). This work investigates a simulation methodology for studying impact of site-specific ground clutter on SAR-GMTI performance. A terrain model is proposed and is based on digital terrain elevation data (DTED) and national land-use land-cover data (NLCD) as provided by the US Geological Survey. The proposed physical optics simulation method capitalizes on high-fidelity digital target models in combination with the proposed terrain model. SAR phase history is generated for a moving commercial target in situ of …

Multiscale Modeling Of Hemodynamics In Human Vessel Network And Its Applications In Cerebral Aneurysms, Hongtao Yu

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Three-dimensional (3D) simulation of patient-specific morphological models has been widely used to provide the hemodynamic information of individual patients, such as wall shear stress (WSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and flow patterns, etc. Since patient-specific morphological segment was only restricted locally, boundary conditions (BCs) are required to implement the CFD simulation. Direct measurements of the flow and pressure waveforms were often required as input BCs for 3D CFD simulations of patient-specific models. However, as the morphology develops, the feedback from this topological deformation may lead to BCs being altered, and hence without this feedback, the flow characteristics of the morphology …

Virtual Doctor: An Intelligent Human-Computer Dialogue System For Quick Response To People In Need, Stavros Mallios

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One of the challenges of our society is the existence of chronic-related conditions and diseases among the elderly and people at risk. Apart from the welfare of people, a significant impact of this phenomenon is the accumulation of high financial costs for both individuals and health care systems. In order to address this issue and to reduce its effects, many efforts have been made towards preventing, identifying in early stages and, generally, managing chronic-related medical conditions and diseases. As a result, there has been a keen research and market interest in health monitoring devices during the past few decades. Nevertheless, …

Demonstrating The Functionality And Efficacy Of Blockchain-Based System In Healthcare Using Simulation Tools, Jad S. Mubaslat

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Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been a rapidly growing industry and area of academic research since Bitcoin's launch in early 2009. Blockchains have already been applied in spaces outside of finance, such as healthcare. This work explores the Bitcoin blockchain and a blockchain-based care coordination system through the use of modeling and simulation tools. Two agent based models are constructed: one to represent the Bitcoin blockchain, and a second to represent a blockchain-based care coordination system, MDChain. Insight is provided that is relevant to current issues within the Bitcoin community and predictions are made as to its future. The feasibility of …

A Multi-Formal Languages Collaborative Scheme For Complex Human Activity Recognition And Behavioral Patterns Extraction, Anargyros Angeleas

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Human Activity Recognition is an actively researched domain for the past few decades, and is one of the most eminent applications of today. It is already part of our life, but due to high level of uncertainty and challenges of human detection, we have only application specific solutions. Thus, the problem being very demanding and still remains unsolved. Within this PhD we delve into the problem, and approach it from a variety of viewpoints. At start, we present and evaluate different architectures and frameworks for activity recognition. Henceforward, the focal point of our attention is automatic human activity recognition. We …

Fabrication And Characterizations Of Lagp/Peo Composite Electrolytes For All Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries, Jeremy J. Lee

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With the rise of electric vehicles and increasing dependence on mobile electronics, the demands for lithium-ion batteries have followed in tandem for their high energy and power densities. However, traditional lithium-ion batteries consisting of liquid electrolytes have limited operating temperatures and are susceptible to ignition and subsequent fires. Recently, battery research has diverged into solid state chemistry to address the aforementioned issues. In this research, we systematically investigate a series of ceramic/polymer lithium-ion conducting composite electrolytes, i.e. Li1.4Al0.4Ge1.6(PO4)3 /lithiated polyethylene oxide (LAGP/PEO). Lithiated PEO was prepared with two different lithium salts, LiBF4 and LITFSI. The impacts of the LAGP on …

Use Of Adaptive Mobile Applications To Improve Mindfulness, Wiehan Boshoff

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Mindfulness is the state of retaining awareness of what is happening at the current point in time. It has been used in multiple forms to reduce stress, anxiety, and even depression. Promoting Mindfulness can be done in various ways, but current research shows a trend towards preferential usage of breathing exercises over other methods to reach a mindful state. Studies have showcased that breathing can be used as a tool to promote brain control, specifically in the auditory cortex region. Research pertaining to disorders such as Tinnitus, the phantom awareness of sound, could potentially benefit from using these brain control …

Domain-Specific Knowledge Extraction From The Web Of Data, Sarasi Lalithsena

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Domain knowledge plays a significant role in powering a number of intelligent applications such as entity recommendation, question answering, data analytics, and knowledge discovery. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence and Semantic Web communities have contributed to the representation and creation of this domain knowledge in a machine-readable form. This has resulted in a large collection of structured datasets on the Web which is commonly referred to as the Web of data. The Web of data continues to grow rapidly since its inception, which poses a number of challenges in developing intelligent applications that can benefit from its use. Majority of …

Sensor Data Streams Correlation Platform For Asthma Management, Vaikunth Sridharan

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Asthma is a high-burden chronic inflammatory disease with prevalence in children with twice the rate compared to adults. It can be improved by continuously monitoring patients and their environment using the Internet of Things (IoT) based devices. These sensor data streams so obtained are essential to comprehend multiple factors triggering asthma symptoms. In order to support physicians in exploring causal associations and finding actionable insights, a visualization system with a scalable cloud infrastructure that can process multimodal sensor data and Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) is necessary. In this thesis, we describe a cloud-based asthma management and visualization platform that …