Hydraulic Engineering Commons^™

Nfpa Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, Rachel Wasik, Kimberly Griggy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this project is to design a system which prioritizes safety and efficiency that uses human power converted to hydraulic power to drive a bicycle. This project is being done to compete with other university teams in making the best vehicle that runs on fluid power. It will help the members of the team to gain design and testing experience, learn about fluid power systems, and gain experience with working as a team and sharing/distributing responsibilities.

Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, Bryce Towne, Ethan Andrews, Carter Moore, Andrew Sobel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is a competition held by the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) that challenges students to create a hydraulically powered vehicle to compete in four different races over two days. The vehicle has to be fully powered by hydraulics, with human power (such as pedaling) being used to move the hydraulic fluid. Electronics and pneumatics can be used to control the flow of the hydraulic oil. Vehicles also must have an energy storage device to take advantage of regenerative braking. The final competition was at the Norgren facility in Colorado from April 12th to April 14th. …

Barriers To Technology Adoption In The Water Treatment Industry, Ian Adams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project focuses on barriers to technology adoption in the drinking water treatment industry. The scope of this project considers these barriers as they relate to general technology and with a specific focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins. To better understand these barriers, prior research and case studies are analyzed. The case studies include reports provided by Fontus Blue, a water treatment software provider based in Akron, Ohio. The case studies exhibit the benefits and challenges of integrating new technology, including AI systems. With the context of these case studies in mind, a survey was distributed to …

Potential Water Treatment Residual Used For Eutrophication Prevention: Varying Bake Time And Wet-Dry Release Experiments, Noor Fahoum

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A challenge faced today in water ways is the excessive growth of algae due to eutrophication. These harmful algal blooms create problems for the environment and safety concerns for the use of water for drinking purposes. An increase in limiting nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are one of the factors that contribute to eutrophication. This is a concern for the Akron Water Treatment plant where preventative measures are being taken to avoid the potential formation of harmful algal blooms and the cyanotoxins they may release in the water. Through various studies, water treatment residuals (WTR) have been found to …

Reduction Of Energy Consumption Through Pump Efficiency Analysis, Riley Dodds

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Water scarcity, global warming, lack of fossil fuels, and future Green Act goals and legislature are at the forefront of policy change and election discussion within the United States. As civil engineers these topics are heavily discussed and challenged within the field and new solutions along with innovations are in constant demand. Within the community of Akron, the Akron Water Supply Water Plant continues to actively innovate and solve numerous concerns ranging from the quality of water to the overall operating costs. Energy consumption cost Akron Water Supply over $952,914.32 and 14,411,960 of kilowatts per hour of electrical energy to …

Implementation Of Real-Time Decision Support Technology At Akron Water Reclamation Facility, Hunter Durbin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Advances in computer science, data analytics, hardware, and software are changing the way that sewer collection systems are able to operate. By combining these technologies into something called a Real-Time Decision Support System (RTDSS), operators of sewer collection systems can make operational decisions supported by data being recorded throughout the sewer system in real-time. A RTDSS has the potential to optimize the available capacity of a sewer collection system at a lower cost compared to traditional construction solutions. The City of Akron is in the process of implementing a RTDSS in their sewer collection system. This report analyzes how the …

Artificial Intelligence In Wet Weather Infrastructure, Matt Hammerstein

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Effective management of runoff from rain and snowmelt is critical as increased water flows can negatively affect efficiency and reliability at treatment facilities, as well as potentially damage property or the natural environment. Implementation of artificial intelligence for real-time decision making and support in wet weather infrastructure is a recent technological development; as such, a problem has emerged: experience and knowledge of best practices for successful implementation is limited. Artificial intelligence is being employed to inform operational decisions that are intended to improve the efficiency and reliability of physical wet weather infrastructure. The goal of municipalities and utilities in utilizing …

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 …

The Effect Of Green Structures On Hydrology In Urban Areas Of Akron, Ohio, Brooke Hayes, Brian Long

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Stormwater runoff is a major environmental concern in dense urban areas. Runoff in these areas contributes to flooding as well as water quality problems in the streams, lakes, and reservoirs downstream. The Cuyahoga River is the receiving waterbody for the City of Akron’s stormwater runoff. Currently, combined sewer overflow (CSO) from the city's outdated sewer system is the overriding reason for poor water quality in the Cuyahoga River.

Implementation of green infrastructure is one way to mitigate problems associated with stormwater runoff from urban areas. In this study, hydrologic modeling of the Little Cuyahoga watershed was conducted to determine how …