Through the RISE program, mechanical engineering undergraduate students leverage our state-of-the-art facilities working alongside internationally-renowned faculty to tackle cutting edge projects that impact our society. The Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Symposium (MEUS) is the accumulation of the students’ work.
During the day, seniors in ME 490 will present their RISE projects in 20 minute presentations. Everyone is welcome to attend these sessions and ask probing questions!
Sophomores and juniors conclude their projects with a poster session during the evening reception, where students will be available to discuss their projects in detail. The posters will also be on display during the day, if you are unable to attend the reception.
The public is invited to peruse the posters, attend presentations, and interact with the students throughout the day.
Complete poster and presentation schedule details can be found in the Symposium Schedule. RISE project technical abstracts can be viewed below.
Posters (ME 290 and 390)
Pace BuddyStudent: Sarah Corbe
Instructor: Noel Perkins
Abstract: The objective of this project is to create an autonomous line-following robot that paces a runner at a specific speed and distance on a track. The project was inspired by existing autonomous robotic technologies, and the desire to expand and enhance functionality to amateur, professional, and military training. Through extensive research and calculations, a next design of our concept was created. These include mechanical and electrical components such as power train and batteries to fulfill our desired speed and lifetime requirements as well as reflectance sensor arrays to detect the lanelines. This prototype proves the mechanical functionality of our design, but our next effort will focus on the controller.
Driving Surrogate Full Car ConversionStudent: William O'Neal
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
A Systematic Approach towards Efficient Chemical Doping of Molecular SemiconductorsStudent: Adithi Jagannadhan
Instructor: Kevin Pipe
Abstract: The chemical doping of molecular semiconductors has received a lot of attention in recent years due to rather unconventional transport phenomenon (i.e. dynamic disorder), that limit their charge transport capabilities and doping efficiency in contrast to inorganic counterparts. In the former case, considerable fluctuations of the equilibrium lattices are believed to be responsible for the formation of sub-bandgap features such as the apparent band energy offset ~0.9 eV above (or below) the HOMO (or LUMO) level [1], which are intimately linked to poor doping efficiency, whereas in the latter case such features are absent. In the present work, we systematically investigate the factors that are responsible for this energy band-offset in molecular semiconductors, by comparing how the intercalation of conventional (ionic) dopants and non-traditional (molecular) dopants alters the band structure, density of states, and local charge densities around the interacting dopant-host admixtures. These tasks are accomplished computationally, by performing first predicting the crystal structure of various molecular semiconductors with and without dopant intercalation. Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations are then performed in CRYSTAL17 to query how changing the molar ratio of dopant atoms/molecules to host may influence the bandgap or the effective bandwidth of the reference (undoped) systems. Here, we demonstrate this effect for a 1:1 admixture of dopants and host, which in some instances represents the practical upper limit of chemical doping in these systems, before reduction in the electrical conductivity sets in (i.e. dopant reserve regime). Finally, we use these findings to suggest how combinations of molecular and ionic doping could be used to further push the limits of chemical doping in molecular semiconductors.
1. Saltzmann, I., et all (2016). ACS, 49. 370.
Capability Exploration for Large Scale CNC Inflatable Bladder MakerStudent: Jackson Teener
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Paper Sessions (ME 490)
1. Thermofluids I
Electrochemical Interface Kinetics of Evaporated Lithium on Li7La3Zr2O12 Solid-State ElectrolytesStudent: Issac Loo
Instructor: Jeff Sakamoto
Abstract: As the world shifts to renewable energy, more portable electronics, and electric vehicles, the demand for improvement to energy storage solutions, specifically batteries, has increased. In order to match these needs, the fundamental electrochemistry of current batteries needs to change. Li-ion batteries dominates the battery market due to their high energy capacity, rechargeability, and long life. In most Li-ion batteries, the cathode is a metal oxide, the electrolyte is an ionic liquid, and the anode is graphite. However, Li metal anodes are highly desirable in comparison to graphite anodes because they can offer very high energy densities that can potentially fulfill the energy storage needs. Solid state batteries are a solution to incorporating Li metal anodes into Li-ion batteries. With the discovery of the solid state electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) that has the potential to replace liquid electrolytes, there is motivation to explore different applications techniques of Li metal onto LLZO. Evaporating Li metal is one method of fabricating thin layers of Li metal on LLZO with thicknesses comparable to electrode thicknesses in real devices. Utilizing impedance spectroscopy, critical current density tests, and tafel plots, the interface kinetics of evaporating Li metal on LLZO was investigated and the thickness of evaporated Li metal anodes was suggested for good electrochemical performance.
Li-Ion Battery, impedance spectroscopy, critical current density, evaporated Lithium, solid state electrolyte
Comparing Measured and Analytical Air Fuel Ratios of Engine ExhaustStudent: Ryan Sebastian
Instructor: Andre Boehman
Abstract: Whenever running a test engine, it is important to calculate the air to fuel ratio of the reactants. The reason for this being, that it will indicate how complete the combustion process is likely to be and confirms the operating condition of the engine. In other words, it will allow you to calculate the emissions leaving the engine, more importantly the harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide or NOx. Determining the air fuel ratio of a standard engine is as easy as dividing the air flow rate by the fuel flow rate entering the engine, but when exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is introduced, the calculations for the system become a lot more complex. EGR is the process of rerouting a percentage of the exhaust gas back into the firing chamber to reduce the temperature during the combustion process. I have performed an air fuel ratio analysis using the emissions for four different piston types across seven different testing conditions in a single-cylinder diesel engine and found a way to accurately reflect the EGR percentage in the AFR. With this report, I provide detail on my air fuel ratio analysis. Through an alternative air fuel ratio analysis, two separate equations based off what emissions data you have can be used to accurately calculate the AFR reflecting the EGR percentage. The first method, which factors in the CO2 in the exhaust and the EGR entering the engine had a correlation of 0.81 and average percent difference of -2.15% when compared to the reference AFR. The second method, which replaces the CO in the exhaust with the difference of EGR leaving and entering the system had a correlation of 0.85 and average percent difference of -3.61% when compared to the reference AFR. My completion of air fuel ratio task and comprehensive results demonstrate that these two methods can be used to accurately calculate the air fuel ratio of the reactants by looking at the emissions and factoring in the EGR percentage.
Temperature Regulation of Prosthetic Liners and Additive Manufacturing of Ankle Foot OrthosesStudent: Ryan Posh
Instructor: Albert Shih
Abstract: An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is a passive medical device designed to give ankle support to patients lacking muscle control or strength. Traditional methods of manufacturing these AFO’s is a time-consuming approach involving plaster moldings and frequent modifications. This process demands many patient visits for measurements, fittings, and modifications. The introduction of 3D scanning technology and additive manufacturing can reduce this process to a one-day visit, in which the patient can be assessed, scanned, and fitted with an AFO. When 3D printing AFO’s, the print orientation is an important consideration, which affects the strength and compliance of the device, as well as the amount of support material needed and the time taken to 3D print. The amount of time it takes to print an AFO is not yet short enough to realize a one-day visit for a patient. Therefore, the goal of this research project was to optimize the anisotropic material properties of the device, while also decreasing the 3D printing time. The approach to this challenge was to print the part in an optimized orientation and to build the support material with an optimized geometry and in a manner that requires the extrusion tool head to have to change fewer times between support material and model material. This was accomplished by developing an optimization code in Matlab and analyzing static stress conditions of the material during 3d printing. This method reduces the 3D printing time by approximately 5%, and the effectiveness of this time reduction is still being explored.
2. Smart Design I
Inflatable Cargo Retention Student: My Do
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Inflatable Pocket Storage CompartmentStudent: Betty Wan
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Active Porosity Vehicle TrimStudent: Paul Powers
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Cargo MatStudent: Ankita Sharma
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Inflatable Roof Surface for Improved Towing AerodynamicsStudent: Paul Gerisch
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Medical Device-Based Mechanotransductive Growth Studies for Correcting Short BowelStudent: Sarah Wang
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
3. Thermofluids II
Strain Engineering of the Carrier Mobility in Molecular SemiconductorsStudent: Yuanzhen Fan
Instructor: Kevin Pipe
Abstract: The properties of semiconducting molecular crystal have received much attention because of its wide use in flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, due to poor electronic (or spatial) overlap between nearest neighbor molecules, the charge transfer rate in these material systems are traditionally low, leading to lower carrier mobilities than in inorganic counterparts. In this project, we investigate the optimal crystalline configuration (or mechanical space) for charge transport in triclinic, monoclinic, and orthorhombic molecular crystals by introducing strains along the principal transport directions (i.e. π-π stacking plane). To achieve this, we applied a coupled molecular dynamic (MD) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach to determine the electrical response to engineering strain (±10%) in the linear elastic regime. All calculations are based on a supercell size of 3×3×3 to incorporate the effects of long-range correlation that naturally occur at the material scale. The compressed crystal shows a higher transfer integral and mobility value. Upon application of 10% compressive strain, enhancements in the transfer integral as much as 400% was observed. On the contrary, upon applying 10% tensile strain, a 36% reduction in the intermolecular transfer integral was observed, indicating that the electrical response to tensile strain is not as detrimental to charge transfer as is normally assumed. This suggests that other factors, besides the electronic overlap, such as Jahn-Teller distortions (i.e. symmetry breaking distortions), which are intimately tied to shearing effects, may play an integral role in defining the highest mobility configuration. Here, we report the optimal configuration for high mobility for prototypical triclinic (TIPS-Pentacene), monoclinic (naphthalene) and orthorhombic (rubrene) molecular crystals.
Image Processing of Infrared Images for applications in Heavy Duty Natural Gas Combustion EnginesStudent: Margaret Poppe
Instructor: Volker Sick
Abstract not yet available.
Parallelized, real-time, metabolic-rate measurements from individual DrosophilaStudent: Milco Cipriani
Instructor: Edgar Meyhofer
Abstract not yet available.
Automatic Leak Detection and Mitigation in Electro-Pneumatic DevicesStudent: Brandon Mason
Instructor: Kira Barton
Abstract: Electro-pneumatic systems are often used in automated manufacturing settings, such as material handling systems. These machines typically operate on an open communications platform (OPC), and are often controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC). In automated electro-pneumatic systems, leaks can be detrimental to their performance, leading to poor production levels; therefore, it becomes vital to detect and correct these leaks as quickly as possible. In recent years there has been an increasing level of interest in using data analytics to assist fault detection in manufacturing systems, including leaks; however, there is a lack of data to perform such analytics for fault detection in manufacturing. This paper proposes a data driven approach to enable data analytics in a factory environment by detect leaks utilizing pre-existing process control data from PLCs, and machine learning algorithms. The advantages to such an approach are: (1) Likely no additional investment necessary, as there is no special equipment or sensors required (2) The data being monitored is already located in the process control systems PLC (3) Machine learning can be used to detect abnormal cycles due to their repeatability. The approach was demonstrated on a pneumatic gantry in the SMART testbed, where leaks were detected with a precision of 100% after a small set of initial testing data. This approach should be extensible to industrial environments due to the use of off the shelf equipment, and a control system framework that is common to most industrial environments.
4. In Quest for Sustainable Solutions
Problem Framing Outcomes PaperStudent: Maya Makhlouf
Instructor: Shanna Daly
Abstract: Engineers are problem solvers; but because of their natural way of thinking, they can be constrained by the types of solutions they generate when solving problems. Problem framing is one way to aid engineers and designers in exploring a range of ideas that they may not consider on their own. The ability to consider a wide range of ideas is crucial for engineers as they seek to solve complex problems. Paradigm-relatedness is one dimension on which ideas can range from more incremental - ideas that refine and improve existing solutions - to more radical - ideas that approach a problem from a new perspective or seemingly unrelated angle. Problem framing can be used to facilitate this shift along the paradigm-relatedness spectrum. Both incremental and radical framing were tested and the shift along the paradigm-relatedness spectrum was quantified. Varying techniques for framing were used ranging from minimally explicit to very explicit. The shifts from these varying methods were compared and trends between the type of framing (incremental or radical) and the shift made were observed. By better understanding how framing impacts the types of ideas people generate, we can design better problem framing tools and methods to help engineers and designers develop diverse solutions to the complex problems they are solving.
ENGR 355: Finding Genuine Fieldwork OpportunitiesStudent: Abby Chapin
Instructor: Steve Skerlos
Abstract: Understanding the needs of the consumer or your project partner precedes what we think of as traditional engineering and often goes overlooked for the sake of saving time and money. Investing time in understanding why and for whom you are making a product connects them to your process and increases the chance of product use. This semester, I focused on learning how to perform an effective needs assessment and how to use ethnographic design approaches in preparation for my summer project’s fieldwork with Dexter Community Schools (DCS). I will be using active and passive observation to understand how students learn; interviewing teachers to understand how they could potentially use the new flexible learning spaces (adaptable spaces for any project or lesson); and creating surveys or activities to get an in-depth look at what students will require from these spaces. When at DCS, I will observe student-run environmental impact assessments related to the local construction in the surrounding community. These observations and interviews with teachers and students will inform my needs assessment on the creation and modification of flexible learning spaces within each building. After the 6-week observation and needs finding period, I could continue this project with more in-depth needs-filtering or revisit the progress of the flexible learning space implementation to revise my previously found needs.
Untapped WavesStudent: Jordan Case
Instructor: Karl Grosh
Abstract not yet available.
Untapped WavesStudent: Anna Hardig
Instructor: Karl Grosh
Abstract not yet available.
Determining Feasibility of Carbon Neutrality on Campus BuildingsStudent: Kate Peterson
Instructor: Steve Skerlos
Abstract not yet available.
5. Dynamics and Controls
Quadrotor Trajectory Optimization using motion primitivesStudent: Sunbochen Tang
Instructor: Anna Stefanopoulou
Abstract not yet available.
Analysis of Parametrically Resonant Micromirror DynamicsStudent: Nadim Bari
Instructor: Kenn Oldham
Abstract: High frequency electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors are used in a variety of applications involving fast optical scanning. Here, a form of structural health monitoring is done on a 1-D parametrically-resonant MEMS torsional micromirror for use in biomedical imaging. Structural health monitoring can have significant advantages for assessment of practical mirror failure modes. The mirror’s nonlinear dynamics under a duty-cycled square wave excitation are analyzed for failure by changes in the torsional spring constant, loose/ faulty wiring, and changes in viscous damping. The mirror’s dynamics exhibit equilibrium when its steady state angular velocity and rotational amplitude are zero or when its steady state angular velocity and rotational amplitude reach a limit cycle. The mirror is defined to have failed when its steady state angular velocity and rotational amplitude are zero. Numerical simulations are performed to make changes to the mirror’s structural properties and obtain the steady state time, phase, and frequency responses. A voltage perturbation is then applied to the steady state response to observe changes in the proceeding dynamical behavior. Stability analysis, changes in the rational amplitude, and time required to reach steady state after changes to the mirror’s structural properties and a voltage perturbation input are recorded and assessed for trends to predict the mirror’s failure for each failure mode.
Dynamic Modeling of Lithium Ion Battery Cells to Characterize Aging and Thermal StrainStudent: Matthew Schafer
Instructor: Anna Stefanopoulou
Abstract not yet available.
Implementation of LSPI Protection AlgorithmStudent: Alexander Eskenazi-Gold
Instructor: Anna Stefanopoulou
Abstract not yet available.
Pace BuddyStudent: Ellen Rombach
Instructor: Noel Perkins
Abstract: The objective of this project is to create an autonomous line-following robot that paces a runner
at a specific speed and distance on a track. The project was inspired by existing autonomous
robotic technologies, and the desire to expand and enhance functionality to amateur,
professional, and military training. Through extensive research and calculations, a next design of
our concept was created. These include mechanical and electrical components such as power
train and batteries to fulfill our desired speed and time-between-charge requirements as well as
reflectance sensor arrays to detect the lanelines. This prototype proves the mechanical
functionality of our design, but our next effort will focus on the controller.
Prosthetic Test Rig Design and Controller Applications to Physical SystemsStudent: Justin Holmer
Instructor: Elliott Rouse
Abstract not yet available.
6. Smart Design II
Design of a Smart Acoustic Window DeviceStudent: Vladimir Krokhmal
Instructor: Bogdan Ioan Popa
Abstract: Metamaterials, i.e. materials having properties not yet found in nature, have formed a scientific field that is now becoming a popular research direction in the engineering community. Among the different types of metamaterials there are ones that are able to direct and manipulate sound waves – acoustic metamaterials. An important application for these materials is noise control. It has been theoretically shown that active acoustic metamaterials containing controllable electronic circuits are capable of much larger sound attenuation compared to passive structures and materials. In this paper we demonstrate that an active acoustic metamaterial unit cell designed in B.I. Popa’s lab acts as an efficient non-reciprocal device when operated using a specifically designed Arduino-based digital filter. In order to verify that the unit cell had desired functionality, we performed experiments by sending sound waves to the activated device from one side and measuring the sound at different points in the field behind the device with a microphone. The experimental results indicate that the acoustic wave sent by the speaker cancels out with the sound wave produced by the activated metamaterial device directly behind the unit cell. This leads us to believe that by assembling a number of unit cells together, we can achieve complete noise cancellation behind the area covered by this structure thus creating an “acoustic window”.
Keywords: acoustics, control, design, digital filters, metamaterials
Inflatable Steering with Tailor-able Steering FeelStudent: Hao Luo
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Inflatable Silicone 3D Printed Cargo Retention AttachmentsStudent: Blaise Nugent
Instructor: Diann Brei
Abstract not yet available.
Engineering students' product design idea generation, development and selection behaviorStudent: Varghese Vadakumcherry
Instructor: Shanna Daly
Abstract: Currently, engineers must be well versed to use design principles, in order to solve open-ended problems (Clough, 2004). This reflects on the importance of training engineering students on how to develop their design skills (ABET Board of Directors, 2016). Ideation, when conducted properly, can lead to the creation of innovative and novel designs that could be used to develop the final solution (Brophy, 2001). However, students are finding it harder to generate multiple, creative ideas and are more focused on variations of existing ideas (Nigel, 2001). Research suggests that a major cause of this is that students get fixated on a particular concept or component of concept, which limits the exploration of the solution space (Jansson et al., 1991). This self-limiting behavior leads to less innovative ideas being developed.
The CSED learning blocks are online tools that can contain relevant information on best practices on various topics in Front-end design, including idea generation, concept development and concept selection. The aim of the study is to use think aloud and interviews from participants, to observe and analyze how students conduct idea generation, concept development and concept selection. This data is then used to compare their ideation approaches, before and after going through the learning blocks. The results of this study could provide a general idea of students’ ideation behavior. We would be able to understand the best practices and self-limiting behavior used during ideation and the effect that the learning blocks have in promoting these best practices.
Key Words: Open-ended design problems, Ideation behavior, CSED Learning Blocks
