Student Research
Each year our students present at the Union University Scholarship Symposium. Below are some recent presentations.
Annual Research Projects
Spring 2023
Maximizing Basketball Shooting Accuracy
Presenter: Philip J. Becker
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Basketball is a universal sport that is played and enjoyed by people all around the world. However, everyone has varying techniques for how they play the game, which in turn greatly affects and impacts their performance. The aim of this experiment was to maximize the accuracy of successfully shooting a basketball and analyzing various factors that contribute to shooting accuracy: shoe type, number of steps taken before the shot, shooting stance, shooting form, the type of basketball being used, clothing being worn, and whether an audience is present. The Design of Experiment (DOE) statistical method is used to measure the effects of these variables by completing three trials of eight runs with all shots being taken from the free throw line. This experiment will conclude the ideal and most important factors for basketball shooting accuracy by using the 16th fractional factorial design method.
Developing a Portable Hydroelectric Generator for Sustainable Power Generation
Presenters: David Ebrahim, Nathan Golden, and Noah Simpson
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Hydroelectric generators have been a reliable source of renewable energy for years. However, large hydroelectric plants can be expensive to build and maintain, making them unsuitable for small-scale power production. In this project, we aim to create a small hydroelectric generator that can be used in rivers for small-scale power production. Our generator will be designed to harness the kinetic energy of flowing water and convert it into electrical energy. We will focus on creating a cost-effective and efficient design that utilizes 3D printing. Our goal is to provide a sustainable and reliable source of electricity for rural communities that lack access to traditional power grids.
Creating A Tunable Astable Multivibrator
Presenters: Jacob Arehart and Jacob Carbonell
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project explores the creation of square waves utilizing the classic astable multivibrator circuit. Transistors are implemented to generate oscillating square waves that can be sent to a speaker. Potentiometers are used to vary the frequency of the waves which will in turn vary the speaker output. A second method is also implemented for comparison. Five hundred and fifty-five (555) Timer chips are used to generate the square waves, again using potentiometers to vary the output frequency. The two circuits multivibrators are then combined to investigate the creation of intervals with differing input frequencies.
Recreating a Tone Generator with a Simple Circuit
Presenters: Ethan Brasher and Michael Kirk
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project will explore the use of capacitors and potentiometers to develop a simple tone generator. Our goal is to see how accurately we can achieve different notes with this simple circuit. Tone generators are used in many common applications such as alarm systems, children's toys, and emergency sirens. They work by converting an electric signal into sound. We replicate this common device by creating a simple circuit that varies the pitch by changing the resistance with a potentiometer. Capacitors filter out the signal to reduce noise and create a smooth note. Finally, a simple speaker outputs this signal into discernible noise.
Factor Affecting Growth Rate of Fish
Presenter: Vishal Gaurav Karmacharya
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
There are many factors that affect the growth rate of fish. The most widely affected parameters are water quality, temperature, food, water volume and population. This experiment aims to determine which one of those factors is the most determining one. The factors are tank size, water changes, temperature, food and population. The proposed fish for use in this experiment is the common convict cichlid (Amatitlania Nigrofasciata) since they are readily available. The temperature high and low proposed are 74°F and 82°F for a high. These are the chosen temperatures because even though 74°F is on the lower end of the scale, it is not inhumane to keep this particular species at that temperature long term since they experience similar conditions in their natural habitat. Eighty-two °F is the higher end of temperature that they experience in the wild. Water quality is to be monitored using an API water tester that measures ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The high factor for water changes will be doing weekly water changes at fifty percent at each time and on the low end would be doing a water change of the same volume every other week. As for food, some of the most popular brands commonly used in the hobby at two price ranges with an option as inexpensive as Aqueon brand to something as high end as Fluval insect-based flakes will be utilized. The next criteria to be experimented with is tank space with high being ten gallons of water volume and low being five gallons. Population would be the other factor. The high would be six in one aquarium and low would be three. This experiment is a fourth fractional factorial design on an experiment that has five factors.
Sound Frequency Manipulation
Presenters: Laralin Dixon and Laura Jin
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project creates a basic three-band audio equalizer using three filters: a high pass for treble, a low pass for bass, and a band pass for mid-range. These filters manipulate the frequencies of sound, thereby varying the prominence of bass and treble that can be heard. An RC circuit is used to create the equalizer, which is visually represented by LED lights and audibly represented by a speaker. Three potentiometers are used to control the intensity of the frequencies passed through each of the filters which allows a user to manually change audio broadcasting from the speaker.
Applying the DOE Method to Study Hand Washing Techniques
Presenter: Timothy Boccarossa
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
All of us remember the COVID-19 posters placed on just about any wall with free space: “WASH YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS.” This poses the question: What is the optimal method for washing your hands? This project seeks to answer this question by using the power of the Engineering Design of Experiment (DOE) method while integrating the disciplines of Biology and Engineering. The DOE will use eight fractional factorials to determine which factors most affect how clean your hands are after washing them. The factors that will change are time, temperature, drying, touch, number of soap pumps, the use of water, and the type of soap.
Potentiometer-controlled LED Cube
Presenters: Philip Becker and Colby Davis
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The purpose of this project is to construct a functional and visually appealing LED cube, which is a 3D display made up of a matrix of LEDs arranged in a cube shape. LED cubes can find practical application in diverse settings such as businesses, schools, museums, and by individuals to cater their visual, educational, and entertainment needs. This LED cube was constructed by soldering LEDs in the Engineering Lab on a circuit board and then utilizing an Arduino, resistors, and a potentiometer to program the cube to display various patterns, shapes, and colors. This project demonstrates the successful integration of hardware and software to create a complex and visually appealing electronic device.
The Use of Potentiometers with DC Motors
Presenters: Jewelia Black and Mikaila Rogers
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project explored the usefulness of potentiometers by analyzing their effect on the speed of DC motors. The potentiometers change the resistance that the voltage must pass through to get to the motors in the circuit which, as a result, changes the speed at which the motors run. To accomplish this, we designed a circuit in which two potentiometers are connected to two separate motors positioned on the left and right side. The motors themselves are used to turn two wheels on the left and right side to replicate a car. In order to visually show the effect of the potentiometers there are LED lights connected throughout the circuit that vary in brightness depending on the potentiometers resistance.
Creating a Wave Simulator with a Simple Circuit
Presenters: Daniel Lancaster and Nate Thomas
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project explores circuits, but more specifically potentiometers. Potentiometers are manually adjustable variable resistors with three terminals. Adjusting the potentiometer allows the user to change and regulate the current of a circuit. For our project, we will use a motor and gears attached to a wall to create small waves in a thin and long tank of water. The goal of this project is to simulate waves crashing into the shore at variable frequencies. Adjusting the potentiometer in circuit with the motor will allow us to have frequency variations and change the wave amplitude.
Audio Filtering with Op Amps and Potentiometers
Presenters: Garrison Harold and Braeden McAlister
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project explores the behavior of potentiometers and op amps in different audio filtering applications. The design demonstrates how potentiometers can be used to isolate different bands of frequencies in analog audio signals. The intensity of these bands can be adjusted independently of each other using potentiometers. This project also demonstrates how op amps can be used to combine multiple audio sources. The design encapsulates all of these ideas and allows for the filtering of audio using op amps, while also demonstrating how their intensity, and combining audio sources.
Diesel Engine Cycle and Applications
Presenters: Ian Banderchuk, Braeden McAlister, and Aldric Zeak
Faculty Project Advisor: Georg Pingen
This project highlights important aspects of a diesel engine. The evolution of diesel engines is outlined followed by details involved in specific applications of diesel engines. Common applications include, but are not limited to, the common automobile, tractors/agricultural equipment, generators, eighteen wheelers, military/emergency vehicles, boats, and railroad locomotives. Further, comparison with the basic textbook diesel engine process is made for chosen applications and adaptations that make these engines possible. When possible, efficiency, power output, and work loss are also noted. Finally, models of renowned diesel engines have been constructed to illustrate their respective aesthetic, structural and size differences, along with their different applications.
LED Potentiometer Color Wheel
Presenters: Ian Banderchuk and Aldric Zeak
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The goal of this project is to display an arrangement of twenty-four red, green, and blue LED lights in a circuit controlled by three potentiometers. Each potentiometer controls one of the colors, allowing each color to be individually adjusted for intensity by changing the amount of current flowing into each color. The result will be a visual display of a range of changing colors, which essentially creates a simple “color wheel.” Varying levels of current achieved by adjusting the potentiometers will emit colors such as orange, yellow, purple, pink, and many more.
Maximizing Solar Energy Production through Dual-Axis Sun Tracking Systems
Presenters: Paige Bizzell, Vishal Gaurav Karmacharya, and Parker Rice
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Today, solar energy is one of the leading sources for renewable energy. Maximizing the power collected from the sun enables more power to be generated. This power can be maximized through the angles in which solar panels receive light from the sun. This project seeks to maximize the power produced from a solar panel through tracking the sun through the sky. There will be two dual-axis solar tracking devices in which the solar panel will be mounted. One system will track the sun with photoresistors sensing and subsequently positioning the solar panel in the best path of light. The second system will track the sun every hour through predetermined angles which have been theoretically calculated. These two systems will be compared to see which has the greatest output of power.
Using Renewable Energy to Construct a Solar Charging Station
Presenters: Philip Becker, Timothy Boccorosa, and Cooper Champine
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
For this project, we used the principles of renewable energy to design and implement a solar powered phone charging station on Union University's campus. Our goal is to provide a sustainable and convenient solution for students to charge their phones in a semi-remote location on campus. We constructed a custom size solar panel using solar cells and a weatherproof frame. We conducted various tests to determine the efficiency and reliability of the solar panel, including measuring the power output and monitoring the battery storage capacity. We also designed a user-friendly charging station that includes USB ports for students to plug in their phones. The station is equipped with safety features to protect against overcharging and short circuits. The completed project will be installed in a high-traffic area on campus without access to power. This project demonstrates the power of renewable energy through solar cells in small-scale applications.
Constructing a Battery Charger with Basic Circuitry
Presenters: Jonathan Brewer and Micah Valdivia
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
In this project, we explore the concepts behind constructing a battery charger using basic circuit components. The building block of the project will be a timer which will serve the dual purposes of both charging and monitoring the voltage level of the charging capacitor. The goal of the project will be to create a homeostatic mechanism for the charging capacitor where the timer will regulate the amount of current going into the charging capacitor until it is fully charged at which point it will cut the current being supplied to it until it has been discharged into a supplied battery at which point the timer will resupply current to the charging capacitor. The charging of a battery is also controlled by a transistor to prevent excess charging current from damaging the battery.
Using COMSOL to Model Particle Flow Through a Digital Twin Design
Presenter: Timothy Boccarossa
Faculty Project Advisor: Georg Pingen
Diseases caused by irregular bone marrow such as leukemia affect thousands of people each year. While there have been great strides in medicine, bone marrow diseases, and specifically what causes them, are still greatly unknown. This research project seeks to marry engineering and medicine using COMSOL, a computational fluid simulation program, to model a 3D designed counterpart blood growth plate that is being designed and tested at Vanderbilt University by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Engineering a Solid Solution: The Process of Developing and Optimizing a Torque Arm Bracket
Presenters: Paige Bizzell, David Ebrahim, Nathan Golden, and Noah Simpson
Faculty Project Advisor: Georg Pingen
Diversified Conveyors International (DCI) LLC is a conveyor system designing and fabricating company based out of Memphis, TN. The company typically works with large logistic and supply chain companies that need a network of conveyor systems to sort and deliver goods in various elevations of a warehouse. Due to the aerial nature of the company's conveyor systems, motors mount directly onto the shaft of the drive assembly. These shaft-mounted gear reducers require a torque arm to secure the equipment to the drive and prevent free rotation of the motor. The team from Union University is assigned the task of designing, fabricating, testing, and implementing a torque arm bracket applicable to a myriad of motors and drive assemblies utilized by DCI.
Designing a Prolink Quality Testing Device
Presenters: Nathan Cole, Samuel Eudy, and Parker Rice
Faculty Project Advisors: Jay Bernheisel
and Georg Pingen
Hitachi Energy manufactures fuses for high-voltage circuits in distribution transformers. Our team sought to improve the testing process for these devices, primarily known as Prolinks. We crafted a specification detailing how a machine would automatically test each device for six key parameters. Specifically, our machine is designed to decrease cycle time, reduce operator dependence, and decrease quality issues There were three phases in the project: first, we researched and selected the best testing method for each of the six parameters; second, we evaluated the financial feasibility of the project; finally, we wrote the specification that Hitachi pitched to machine builders. Our presentation will highlight the documents we created, overview one of our specific designs, and explain the reasoning behind our design decisions.
Filling the Freezer: Maximizing Growth in Feeder Rabbits
Presenter: Paige Bizzell
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Raising meat rabbits are a staple for farmers and homesteaders attempting to lead a self-sustainable life. With the low start-up cost, fast maturity, and high return of investment, raising rabbits can be a fruitful endeavor leading to a freezer full of high-quality meat. Optimal living conditions and quality feed greatly contribute to the final weight of juvenile butcher rabbits. To optimize the growth of rabbits, this experiment will focus on the following factors: Living Space, Type of Food, Amount of Food, and Competition. Over the course of two weeks, this study will attempt to find which factor will cause the highest effect on growth rate by conducting an experiment of a half-fractional factorial design.
Automated Pressure Decay System
Presenters: Philip Becker, Cooper Champine,
Andrew Eschen, Myles Gibson
Faculty Project Advisors: Georg Pingen
and Jay Bernheisel
Pressure testing is a method used in manufacturing to locate leaks or cracks in piping within radiators. This process is extremely tedious for workers and requires a significant amount of time and resources. The aim of this project is to replace this method of pressure testing with an automated system that would remove the need for a worker to manually perform the test. This solution would improve efficiency and effectiveness in manufacturing plants that perform pressure testing by creating an Arduino-based prototype with select parameters that can be tailored to meet certain criteria and specifications to determine whether a pressure test has passed or failed.
Potentiometer Project
Presenters: Ryan Keeton and Caleb Krueger
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project explores how potentiometers are implemented in a video game joystick. Our project will demonstrate how the joystick can be used to control several outputs. The joystick acts as a potentiometer by adjusting the resistance felt to multiple outputs. Therefore, depending on the direction of the joystick, one or even multiple outputs can be affected and tuned to a wide variety of user defined settings and reset very easily. In this project, LEDs are used as the outputs so that the brightness changes based on where the joystick is moved to. In addition to LEDs, we also use a DC motor to demonstrate the usefulness of the joystick in controlling different types of outputs.
Spring 2022
Exploring LiDAR navigation for Use in Quadruped Robots
Presenters: Nathan Golden and Noah Simpson
Faculty Project Advisor: Georg Pingen
For this project, we developed a 3D printed dog that can navigate the environment it is in. It will be demonstrated at our symposium table. It involves LiDAR, which uses light to determine how far an object is away from the sensor with incredible accuracy. Quadruped robots are also advancing quickly. Their legs allow them to climb stairs, stabilize themselves, flip themselves over, climb over objects, etc. Combining these two technologies is a great way to understand how they both work. Our project was to make a robotic dog that incorporates both LiDAR and quadruped movement. We 3D printed a skeleton of our robot that we would fill with electrical components. We used two microcontrollers as the brains of our robot. They control the legs and interface the LiDAR with the robot. Using the LiDAR, the dog will be able to walk into a room and completely map it out.
Maximizing the Dart Gun's Range — A Design of Experiment
Presenter: Cooper Champine
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Nearly every child that grew up in the last two decades has played with Nerf guns. Even today Nerf guns manage to stay fully stocked in stores. I discovered as a child that blowing darts through half inch PVC pipes was more effective than using the guns provided. The scope of this experiment is to maximize the distance flown; this can be done by changing many different identifiable variables such as angle, pressure of the chamber, dart type, inside or outside, and barrel length. To minimize the variability and improve consistency, I will be using a preexisting PVC air cannon. To better utilize the Design of Experiment (DOE) method, a half fractional factorial design is being planned which results in 16 test runs rather than 32.
Maximizing Thrust of a Drone
Presenter: Nathan Golden
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Drones are being used everywhere nowadays. Drones fly using thrust. Thrust can be created by spinning a propeller blade. To maximize the thrust four factors were identified: motor orientation, number of blades on the propeller, voltage of the motor, and angle of twist in the blades. A 3D printed test stand, that uses a scale to determine the thrust of the motors, was used. Four unique blades were 3D printed with different angles of twist and number of blades. Using half factorial design, eight tests with different combinations of variables were created. To analyze my results, a normal probability plot and a Pareto chart were created to determine which factors changed the thrust output the most.
Maximizing Bike Speed
Presenter: Noah Simpson
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
Bicycles are a great tool for used for many different reasons. One reason is mountain biking. Five identifiable factors were tested to see which would affect the bikes speed. These five factors are tire size, weight, gears, heat, and distance traveled. In this experiment, sixteen tests were run to examine the factors that affect the bike's speed. These tests then showed how to maximize the overall speed of a mountain bike. After the testing portion of this experiment, Normal probability and Pareto plots were used to analyze the data. These plots visually show how, and which factors affect the maximization of a mountain bike's speed.
Using High-Pass Filters to Control a Car Engine
Presenters: Nate Barnard, Tim Boccarossa, and Adam Sills
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project will investigate the applications of high-pass and low-pass frequency filters used in conjunction with operational amplifiers. For this project, we will construct high-pass, low-pass and band pass filters both in hardware and through software simulations. After building the filters in software and hardware, we will use our filters to simulate operation of a car motor based on traffic light signals. For example, when the simulated traffic light is green, our system will pass along a voltage that will rev an electric motor. When the simulated traffic light is red or yellow, the filters will pass along a signal telling the motor to stop or slow down.
The Low-Pass Filter and the Process of Sound Refinement
Presenter: Vishal Karmacharya and Nathanael Madison
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This research project is an exercise of using low-pass filters to solve problems as relating to sound. Low-pass filters have been used for decades when it comes to the electronic display of sound. It filters out higher frequencies but allows lower frequencies to pass through. Thus, a typical application is a speaker which has a lower range of pitches (for example: subwoofers). In a passive filter, this works by having an arrangement of capacitors and either inductors or resistors and an operational amplifier. Generally, an active low-pass filter is used for the purposes of sound as it refines changing frequencies better than a passive filter. In the present, low- pass and high-pass filters are ever less present because of the ever-increasing prominence of digital methods. Even so, this project will use a passive filter for the purposes of proving a concept rather than actual production. In this, a mixed frequency input is fed through the filter and then refined based on the arrangement of the filter itself.
Low Pass Filter used as a "Bass Boost"
Presenters: Philip Becker and Paige Bizzell
Faculty Project Advisor: Jeannette Russ
Our project involves the design of a low pass filter implemented in CircuitLab simulation software and on a prototype board. We demonstrate how the filter can be used in audio amplifiers or speaker systems. An active low pass filter can be used to reduce high frequency noise and or a staticky/hiss type of distorting sound/noise. This works by directing lower frequency bass signals to larger bass speakers. The active low pass filter when applied to audio applications is often referred to as a "Bass Boost" filter.
Understanding the Effects of Temperature and Humidity on High-Voltage Generators
Presenters: Roger Baker, Cade Crowder, and Kyle Roach
Faculty Project Advisors: Jay Bernheisel and Georg Pingen
High-Voltage generators are commonly used in industry as a solution to high-output backup or portable power. These generators require the usage of special dielectric materials in order to withstand the harsh conditions to which these machines are subjected. Our team, in conjunction with Nidec Corporation in Lexington, TN, measured and quantified the effects of humidity and temperature on the insulating, or dielectric, materials used in the manufacturing of these generators. In order to measure these effects, we designed a sensor to collect and log information about the insulators and its environment. We also built a test chamber for controlling the temperature and humidity to which the insulators were subjected. This data will be used to help Nidec Corporation continuously improve their production process.
Applying the DOE method to Kicking a Soccer Ball
Presenter: David Ebrahim
Faculty Project Advisor: Don Van
To kick a soccer ball more accurately, an experiment is planned by applying the DOE method in kicking a soccer ball by including different factors that could affect the accuracy of the kick. Factors like the orientation of the ball, steps taken before kicking, shoe type, ground type, target distance, different foot spots, and kick type are part of this experiment. A 16th fractional design is implemented with 8 runs to conduct. The goal is to minimize the distance between each ball kicked and the preset target. The data is gathered using Excel; analysis graphs show how each factor affects the distance between each ball kicked and the preset target.
Microgrids: An Interactive Model
Presenters: Sydni Caruvana and Caleb Steele
Faculty Project Advisors: Jay Bernheisel and Georg Pingen
This presentation seeks to demonstrate and explain the operation and composition of a microgrid at a fundamental level with the aid of an interactive microgrid model. A microgrid is a power network in which a community or isolated system can operate in tandem with or independent of a larger power grid. The presentation will discuss the various components of a microgrid and will include methods of power generation, transmission, control, as well as end uses (power drains). The discussion will also cover the many benefits and detriments of the generation methods in microgrids implemented in various locations and contexts. All information will be delivered at a level understandable by the general public and will convey limited technical details.
Automated Measuring of Airflow Across Variable Sized Heat Exchangers
Presenters: Shawn Ross and Trey Tidwell
Faculty Project Advisor: Georg Pingen
Heat exchangers are used all around us from air conditioners, to heavy machinery, and even for hospital generators. In order to determine how effective a heat exchanger is, it is important to gather as much information as possible. This could include things like measuring the inlet and outlet fluid temperature, as well as the rate that the air moves across the face of the heat exchanger. Measuring that airflow by hand can be difficult and oftentimes unreliable, a way to automate measuring airflow is needed while also being able to adjust to multiple sized heat exchangers. By using aluminum extrusions and stepper motors, the frame can be easily swapped between sizes to allow for any size heat exchanger to be measured. Making a measurement device that can be easily changed between sizes and accurately record key points of data is the goal of this project.
Spring 2021
Battery Life of a Laptop and How to Maximize Use Time
Presenter: John Charles Tidwell III (Trey)
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Almost everyone in school nowadays has a laptop, with a large amount of school work needing to use online resources. Also, almost everyone has experienced the pain of leaving their charger behind when their laptop has little to no charge left. The outcome of this 8th fractional factorial design of experiment is the duration of use of a laptop once fully charged. The overall objective expected of this experimental project is to maximize this operational duration knowing what consumes the battery's charge and to what extent. Factors affecting the outcome of this design of experiments are Brightness, Sound, Background program running, Streaming online, Multiple tabs open, and the environment (outside or room temperature). The results from this design of experiment will benefit the laptop users with tips to change settings and other ideas to conserve a battery's charge life.
Regenerative Braking: A Study on Efficiency
Presenters: Emory Craft, John Mayer, and Reagan Oliver
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that converts a moving vehicle's kinetic energy into storable electrical energy. The team researched the regenerative braking process and thought about how to improve the efficiency of it. The potential solution that was researched and designed took advantage of thermoelectric generators. These generators convert thermal energy, in the form of a temperature gradient, directly into electromagnetic energy through a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. The team proposes that these devices be implemented near the surface of brake pads in addition to normal regenerative braking systems to collect some of the heat loss that escapes to the atmosphere.
Maximizing Precision
Presenter: Roger Baker
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
The design of this experiment investigated the effects of four factors on the precision of a commercially available small-bore rifle. The objective of this experiment is to maximize the level of precision to be similar to a custom competition rifle. The four factors are the type of ammunition, the torque on the action screw, taping the barrel, and removing the barrel band. As guided by the full factorial design of experiment, a combination of these factors will be changed for each shot group and the group will be measured for distance between impact points. The smallest distance yields the highest precision. This will be repeated until all combinations of the variables have been tried. Each experimental run will then be repeated three times to replicate the data. Lastly the results will be compared to a more expensive competition rifle.
Assistive Eating Device (AED)
Presenters: Michael Drury and Tobey Taylor
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition caused by damage to the immature brain. Symptoms can include, problems swallowing, walking, reduced range of motion due to muscle stiffness, and tremors. These symptoms impact many aspects of everyday life for these individuals, and many require full time care and assistance. West Tennessee Healthcare contacted Union University regarding a patient who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. The patient has trouble using a fork to pierce food items and spillage when delivering food to her mouth and when drinking out of an open cup. Her posture is also adversely affected during mealtime. Because of these challenges, she has to rely on assistance from others to enable her to eat. West Tennessee Healthcare asked us to design a device that will enable the patient to eat with little to no assistance that she could use while in their care as well as at her own home. After researching Cerebral Palsy and common solutions for the challenges these patients face, we decided to build a device that would help support her arm through the motion of eating and drinking. Our device is based off a simple four-bar linkage utilizing cleverly placed rubber bands to offer the assistance needed to make her arm nearly weightless. The device will support her arm using a sling, which wraps around the center of her forearm and is attached to the top of the four-bar, which provides support and further simplifies the device. We have utilized primarily 3D-printed components in our design to save weight as well as money.
The Compost-Heated Coffee Dryer
Presenters: Palmer Bell, Benjamin Marsch, and Dakota Stedman
Faculty Advisors: Jay Bernheisel and Georg Pingen
Coffee is a worldwide staple beverage, and all who drink it rely on coffee farmers from Nepal to Guatemala to Ethiopia and elsewhere to produce the coffee bean. According to Red Beetle Coffee Labs, our client, many of these farms are not massive industrial or agricultural operations, but small businesses run by local families. The current methods for drying beans for shipment are either too expensive for small operations or suffer from inconsistencies like inclement weather. For this project we were asked to provide a cheap and reliable method so that coffee farmers could improve their economic options. We were also asked to incorporate compost heat in the design to incentivize local farms to use their waste sustainably. We began with a comprehensive study of current methods, noting their strengths and weaknesses, and then began developing a controlled dehydrating coffee shed with compost as its heat source.
Sun Tracking Solar Panel
Presenters: Michael Drury, Luis Larrinaga, and Davina Norris
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
The tilt angle of a solar panel is an important component of solar panel design. The tilt angle has a large effect on the power produced by a solar panel. Many solar panel systems have fixed tilt angles that are optimized for the location of the solar panel. A fixed angle system may be optimized for the average position of the sun, but that does not mean it is optimized for every position of the sun. The alternative to this method is to have a system that allows the solar panel system to track the sun through the sky. This ensures the tilt angle is optimized for every position of the sun throughout the day. For this project we will build a small-scale sun tracking solar panel system, utilizing an Arduino and servo-motors. We would also like to include a Wi-Fi transmitting system so that we can collect solar panel data on a laptop away from the elements, however this is not a priority of the project. We will compare the power output per day with a fixed tilt angle to the power output per day with the sun tracking. The sun tracking system will require power to run the Arduino and motors, we would like to compare the power used by this sun tracking system to the power increase due to the sun tracking system.
Capturing Energy from Sound
Presenters: Benjamin Marsch and Tobey Taylor
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Engines, generators, pumps, and all other machines lose significant amounts of energy to the environment in the form of useless heat and sound. Although many scientists and engineers have tried to recapture that heat using various clever methods, fewer efforts have been made to recapture the lost sound energy. We are interested in exploring how much energy exists in such sound. In this study we will attempt to quantify the energy carried in sound lost from a power-producing system. We will then explore some possible methods to extract that sound energy and convert it back into useful energy, noting the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
Exploring Compliant Mechanisms for an Adjustable Thickness Airfoil
Presenters: Emory Craft, John Mayer, and Reagan Oliver
Faculty Advisors: Georg Pingen and Jay Bernheisel
The team investigated compliant mechanisms as a method for dynamically adjusting the thickness of the cross-section of an airplane wing, or an airfoil. Doing this in-flight will improve the performance characteristics of the wing. The team used many different technologies and software, including CAD, topology optimization, and multi-physics finite element analysis packages. During the design process, many airfoils were printed with different materials to determine which material would be best. The final airfoil design was implemented into a functional RC airplane.
Testing for Microbiological Contaminants in Water Filtered by Ceramic Water Filters
Presenters: Luis Larrinaga and Davina Norris
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Contaminated water is a major problem in many parts of the world, killing thousands of people every year. Transformation Nepal is an NGO which works to provide water filtration solutions for the many people in Nepal who suffer from contamination in their water supplies. Our team was tasked with developing methods of testing the ceramic water filters manufactured by Transformation Nepal to be implemented in the new water filter factory. Our team designed a testing set up to meet the needed constraints and criteria. The testing lab had to fit a 350 square foot room, be adaptable for a wide range of temperatures, and be able to test 2 to 3 filters out of every batch of 150 filters. Our set up is capable of filling about five water filters at a time, and 2 different brands of bacteria tests were run on each filter. By using a model of our designed set up, we were able to create plans for a testing lab and recommend a brand of bacteria tests as well as testing procedures to Transformation Nepal.
Spring 2020
Benchmarking 3D Printed Prototypes: A Fractional Factorial Design of Experiment
Presenters: Emory Craft, John Mayer, and Reagan Oliver
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Prototyping can be an expensive task, especially for custom-made components. The purpose of this project is to determine how companies are able to prototype products in a less expensive manner using 3D-printed models to test compressive strength. The ultimate compressive strength of various samples, which is the stress required to rupture a specimen, will be examined. Using a 3D printer, a specimen can be produced and tested in hopes of finding a proportional compressive strength scale factor between the 3D-printed part and a real specimen. With this inexpensive technique, engineers can use the data to appropriately select material, infill pattern, and percentage infill.
Gerdau Autonomous Printer Head Project
Presenters: Ainsley Duncan and Jared Lavelle
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The purpose of this project was to design an apparatus capable of autonomously printing labels on different size stacks of steel as they roll down a conveyor. This system has to adjust the height of the printer head automatically to accommodate for the individual heights of the stacks of steel as they move underneath the printer head, as well as rotate the printer head to be able to print on the angled bars. This project was proposed by Gerdau, a company that manufactures four different types of molded steel: flat bars, right angle bars, U-shaped bars, and rebar. This system only needs to work for the flat bars, right angle bars, and U-shaped bars.
Factor Effects on Acidity and TDS in the Coffee Brewing Process
Presenters: Ben Marsch and Tobey Taylor
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Coffee is a bold and complicated drink, conferring the same boldness to those millions who drink it daily. Acidity and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) are key factors that affect how enjoyable this complicated drink is to the drinker, and therefore, these factors are of interest in a coffee study. Acidity can affect how the subtle flavors in coffee emerge, and TDS is a measure of the strength of coffee. While nominative claims about these measures for coffee quality cannot be made, we can predict how factors in the coffee-making process affect them, so that aficionados can make their own decisions. A 2-level factor analysis over 4 factors of interest — water temperature, Aeropress pressure, grind type, and water type — will be used. A quarter-fraction reduction for ease will also be used. With a normal probability plot, the interaction of each factor on acidity and TDS will be determined.
Experimental Water Filter Design and its Effect on pH
Presenters: Michael Drury, Davina Norris, and Luis Larrinaga
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
The pH values of water can signal high levels of chemical contaminants such as lead. Effective and affordable water filtration is crucial for the development of many countries. The effect of different components in a homemade water filter on the pH levels of contaminated water will be examined. Although pH is not a perfect indicator of the purity of water, because of the possibility of biological contaminants, it provides quantitative value of the chemical impurities that we can analyze. According to the EPA the acceptable pH range for safe drinking water is 6.5-8.5; this gives a range of values in which to compare our filtered water. To develop our filters, a plastic bottle, activated charcoal, gravel, sand, and a washcloth or coffee filter will be used. The half fractional factorial method was implemented to create eight different experimental runs, using high and low values for each variable. Using this technique will allow a test of the effectiveness of each variable without building 16 different filters. The same amount of water, from the same source, will be run through each filter three times. To test the pH of the water before and after filtration, a digital pH meter will be utilized. The values from this experiment will be recorded and analyzed using Excel. Using these results, the most effective water filter and the variable that effects the PH the most will be examined.
AIR 2.0: Testing the Winds
Presenters: Andrew Dougan, Adam Lynn, and Stuart Milam
Faculty Advisors: Georg Pingen and Jay Bernheisel
Have you ever wondered how the airplane wing allows the airplane to lift off the ground? Fluid pressure is the answer! In this project, the team will experimentally study said pressure distribution around a 3D printed NACA0012 airfoil. This will be accomplished through a PLC-driven data acquisition system and student-designed mounting provisions inside of the test section. The focus of this study will be seeing how these pressures change as a function of the angle of attack. The project team's data acquisition system and setup can be used by future students in the highly anticipated Union MakerSpace to enable future studies of aerodynamics.
Spring 2019
Energy Saving Lighting for the PAC (P)
Presenters: Davina Norris, Kyle Roach, and Dakota Stedman
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project involves the construction of an audio amplifier with the LM386 Low Voltage Audio Power Amplifier chip. A protoboard will be used to solder a circuit that includes capacitors, resistors, a voltage source, a potentiometer, a speaker, and an audio input. We hope to use this project to demonstrate the usefulness of a potentiometer in particular, but also how connecting standard circuit components together can produce an interesting and useful project. We will implement the circuit in PSpice, a circuit simulation software to confirm an accurate design, but also to show the different voltage and current values associated with our design. Our plan is to connect the circuit to a phone playing music to demonstrate how the value of the potentiometer affects the audio output.
A Pressing Matter: Crushing Objects with Hydraulics (P)
Presenters: Emory Craft, Regan Oliver, and Dakota Stedman
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
This project will demonstrate the applications of hydraulics and Pascal's Law which states, “In a fluid at rest in a closed container, a pressure change in one part is transmitted without loss to every portion of the fluid and to the walls of the container.” In other words, a very heavy object can be placed on top of a large piston, and a light object on a small piston, and the system will be at equilibrium. With this information in hand, we decided to demonstrate this principle using a hydraulic press. With one small piston feeding a fluid into four large pistons, we can create a force strong enough to crush a can, and we hardly have to try! In addition to our poster, we will have a working prototype to show how it works.
Working Model of a Jet Engine Using 3-D Printed Parts and Compressed Air (P)
Presenters: Adam Lynn, Benjamin Marsch, and Davina Norris
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
For this project, our team attempted to assemble a model of a jet engine. The purpose of this model is to clearly demonstrate how a thermodynamic gas turbine cycle functions. The model is primarily made with 3D-printed parts and manufactured bearings. For safety reasons, and to ensure a realistic build, we replaced the combustion process with a compressed air input. For observational purposes, the model casing is also built with a half-cylinder of clear piping. Our project poster will describe and explain the functions of each component of the model and how those components contribute to the overall thermodynamic cycle. The particular cycle demonstrated in this project is known as a Brayton cycle.
Steel-fully Colorful (P)
Presenters: Ainsley Duncan, Adam Lynn, and Stuart Milam
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Looking to improve your coloring skills? Under different thermal conditions, certain metals develop different colors which depend on its temperature. We plan to investigate the effects of exposing metals to various temperatures along with changing the time that these metals are heated. Using a heat treatment oven, we seek to produce different hues using various types of iron-based materials. This study of the heat-dependent coloring simulates the tempering process, in which the colors are used to determine the temperature. The tempering process is used to decrease the brittleness of the material. This affects many common tools, from knives to screws, which are often colored for decoration. Specifically, we will attempt to recreate this ornamental coloring in screws and other small metal objects.
Survey of Potential Sources of Renewable Energy for Union University: Solar Energy (P)
Presenters: Gabriel Garneau, Matthew Owen, and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
Over time, using renewable energy will become more and more important to sustainable infrastructure and ethical responsibility. Currently, Union University uses only as much renewable energy as our energy providers choose to sell us. This project will look at how Union could make an intentional decision to use renewable energy for its day to day operations. Since energy infrastructure is very costly, we discussed how some of the potential hurdles might be tackled, and the payback period. We will present how renewable energy in the form of solar panels can be introduced to Union University considering both the cost of implementation and other restraining factors, and the potential benefits from both an environmental and economic aspect. We will also consider effects of the Green New Deal as we look into renewable energy options.
Smith Chart Research Project (P)
Presenters: Mark Carbonell and Andrew Dougan
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
This project explores the various applications of the Smith Chart. The Smith Chart is a graphical tool used for solving mathematical equations without solving tedious calculations. More specifically it allows one to work through a complex electrical, magnetic, and frequency-based problems in a reasonable timeframe. A more specific example would be that it is used in the design of an electrical network that has the load impedance match the input impedance of the line. Our project poster outlines the process of matching impedances and has several examples worked out to show how various types of matching can be solved using the Smith Chart. We also performed research into the theory and mathematical background leading to the creation and operation of the Smith Chart.
Impedance Matching Network (P)
Presenters: Thomas Foster and Kaylee Owen
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
For this project, we created a MATLAB program to calculate characteristics needed for a selected impedance matching network topology. In transmission lines, some of the supplied power can be reflected back toward the source. To minimize this wasted power, an impedance matching network can be added between the source and the load. However, impedance matching characteristics are tedious to calculate by hand. Thus, our user-friendly MATLAB code, streamlines this process.
A Demonstration of Piston Power (P)
Presenters: Gavin Hamann and Ethan Morris
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
This project involved the construction of a functioning gasoline engine model driven by compressed air in order to help students gain a better understanding of the thermodynamic principles of an engine. The project will include two detachable engines. The first engine will be a complete and functioning engine with a clear top so as to see the piston mechanism from overhead. The second engine will be a replica driven by the first, but with a cutaway of the engine block to display the pistons more prominently. Both engines will be color coded to help students visualize the engine components more easily. This project also serves as a prototype for a possible engineering summer camp.
Guitar Distortion Pedal (P)
Presenters: Michael Drury, Ben Marsch, and Ben Nyguyen
Faculty Advisor: Jeanette Russ
Our team attempted to build a working electric guitar distortion effects pedal circuit. The purpose of the circuit is to clip the waveforms on audio input from an electric guitar to produce a “distorted” sound output. We clipped these wave forms using a series of LEDs, which we substituted for diodes. We also included a potentiometer to control the intensity of our distortion effect, which can be achieved independent of the total volume of the music. We spliced this pedal circuit into an instrument cable, and our proof-of-concept is playing an actual electric guitar through an amplifier with and without the effect.
Matching Networks: Matlab Code (P)
Presenters: Palmer Bell, Gavin Hamman, and Davis Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
The purpose of this project was to create a MATLAB code that allowed the user to select one of 5 matching network topologies, input data, and receive the specific output data. The input data includes characteristic impedance of feedlines, frequencies, load impedance, and relative permittivity.
Rectangular Waveguide (P)
Presenters: Jared Lavelle and Grant Wise
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
A waveguide is a special form of transmission line consisting of a hollow conductive (typically metal) tube designed for the transportation of electromagnetic waves. Waveguides can be considered one of the earliest types of transmission lines, and understanding their operation is an important part of electromagnetics. They may be thought of as conduits for electromagnetic energy, the waveguide itself acting as nothing more than a “director” of the energy. Our research focuses on a particular waveguide design, the rectangular waveguide. We will examine their theoretical analysis, physical characteristics, and industrial use.
Condenser Unwinder Design Project (O)
Presenters: Mark Carbonell and Matthew Owen
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
High voltage bushings such as those produced by ABB Inc. in Alamo Tennessee can be 2-22 feet in length and weigh up to 1000 pounds. The primary component of the bushings is the condenser core, containing a copper or aluminum conductor wrapped with alternating layers of insulating and conductive oil-impregnated paper. Occasionally bushing failure will occur during testing or operation and it becomes necessary to unwind the condenser to determine the failure source. The Condenser Unwinder Design Project, undertaken by the project team on behalf of ABB Inc, aimed to design a device to unwind the paper from high-voltage bushing condenser cores. Primary functions of the device include the ability to automatically and safely unwind paper from the cores, provide a means to measure paper distances and lengths, and dispose of waste paper. The team furnished fabrication drawings for the device to ABB Inc. at the conclusion of the project.
Wireless Telemetry for Temperature and Current Measurement (O)
Presenters: Thomas Foster, Gabriel Garneau, and Kaylee Owen
Faculty Advisors: Georg Pingen and Randal Schwindt
For this project, our team worked with Nidec, an alternator designing and manufacturing company, to design a wireless telemetry system that transmits data from an alternator's rotor to an external receiver. Specifically, the designed system needs to transmit temperature measurements from the rotor windings and current readings from the exciter while the alternator is in operation, meaning that the rotor is spinning at approximately 1800 rpm and a hardwire connection is impossible. Most of Nidec's alternators are four pole machines, so the design will need to transmit four temperature measurements (one for each rotor pole's windings) and one current measurement since the exciter provides a single current to all four windings.
Audio Amplifier (P)
Presenters: Emory Craft and Reagan Oliver
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project involves the construction of an audio amplifier with the LM386 Low Voltage Audio Power Amplifier chip. A protoboard will be used to solder a circuit that includes capacitors, resistors, a voltage source, a potentiometer, a speaker, and an audio input. We hope to use this project to demonstrate the usefulness of a potentiometer in particular, but also how connecting standard circuit components together can produce an interesting and useful project. We will implement the circuit in PSpice, a circuit simulation software to confirm an accurate design, but also to show the different voltage and current values associated with our design. Our plan is to connect the circuit to a phone playing music to demonstrate how the value of the potentiometer affects the audio output.
Wireless Tracking for Manufacturing Efficiency (O)
Presenters: Gavin Hamann, Davis Johnson, and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisors: Georg Pingen and Randy Schwindt
For this project, our team set out to help the Lexington branch of Nidec, Leroy-Somer more closely track the work put into each of their products. Currently, Nidec is manufacturing industrial scale alternators and needs a reliable way to track each project as it moves through the process flow. Our team researched several wireless tracking options and is recommending two primary options as the most effective solutions. The first solution is high-frequency RFID tracking using part order documents as a carrier for the RFID tag. The second option is Bluetooth tracking, again, using part order documents as a carrier for the Bluetooth tags.
Social Mobility Device (O)
Presenters: Angel McQuiston, Daniel Porter, and Conner Wilson
Faculty Advisors: Randal Schwindt and Georg Pingen
A device was developed for a young child with physical and mental disabilities that will allow for more freedom and enjoyment of the outdoors while being fully supported. The device can act as a swing that provides support for the child's neck and head and can act as a cart the child can sit inside and ride. The support in the device is crucial because it enables the child to participate in recreational activities that would otherwise be impossible because of the physical disability.
Effect of Microfluidic Boundary Conditions on Flow Topology Optimization (O)
Presenter: Gabriel Garneau
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The goal of this research is to provide engineering designers with insights regarding the importance of including microscopic effects in the design process. The recent review article on “Topology Optimization for Microfluidics” by Chen highlights the increased importance of design optimization techniques for micro-scale applications, however, most topology optimization frameworks applied to micro-scale applications consider only macroscopic flow solvers. Building on the initial work by Negrete, we have developed a flow optimization framework that models microscopic/rarefied effects such as velocity slip, creep, and temperature jump using the Navier-Stokes equations and will show its application to the optimal design of a Knudsen Pump.
Spring 2018
Safely Parachuting Army Men (P)
Presenters: Angel McQuiston and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
This project attempts to optimize the flight time of parachuting army men. This will be accomplished by altering several variables of the parachute designs, including, shape, material and folds. There will be limitations on the size of the parachute and will begin with a similar area cloth for each different designed parachute. The parachuting army men will be consistently dropped from a constant height and each sample parachute's flight time will be noted. This will help determine the optimum design for the slowest fall.
Analysis of Paper Airplanes (P)
Presenters: Ethan Morris and Daniel Porter
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
The goal of this project is to analyze the flight times and distances of various paper airplanes. For the first part of the experiment, eighteen airplanes with various factors will be designed. A specification of High, Medium, and Low variable type has been assigned for each factor. The factors are adhesive, plane face, plane length, wingspan, wing fins, plane rear, weight, and rear fins. A Taguchi Orthogonal Array was used to determine the combination of factors and levels for each airplane. The testing involved using an electric motor launcher to catapult the airplanes, while using a stopwatch and tape measure to measure the flight time and distance, respectively. The second part of the experiment we be to determine which is the best airplane design from the first part based on our criteria and compare it to the design of the paper airplane that holds the world record for longest flight time.
Implementation and Analysis of Micro-scale Boundary Conditions for the Navier Stokes Equation (P)
Presenter: Gabriel Garneau
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The Navier-Stokes-Fourier, NSF, equations are an essential tool in analyzing flow systems with large Knudsen numbers – occurring for example at the micro-scale or in space applications. One area of particular interest is the relationship between the fluid and the stationary boundary. In systems with large Knudsen numbers, the traditional NSF equations and boundary conditions fail to account for the velocity slip and temperature jump at the interface. Therefore, implementing these conditions is crucial for large Knudsen number flow analysis. In collaboration with researchers at CU Boulder we have worked to add these boundary conditions to an existing NSF solver and will present the current state of this work.
AIR 1.0 Aerodynamic Improvement Research (P)
Presenters: Andrew Dougan, Ainsley Duncan, Nyla Gwan, Joshua Johnson, Luis Larrinaga, Jared Lavelle, Adam Lynn, John Mayer, Stuart Milam, Addison Turner, and Grant Wise
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Aerodynamic designs can lead to improvements ranging from better fuel economy to sports performance. Three aerodynamic enhancements were tested to three common shapes: a cube, a sphere, and a cylinder, to compare their respective forces of drag. These modifications include adding a trailer tail to the cube, adding golf ball dimples to the sphere, and reshaping the cylinder into an airfoil. These shapes were attached to the top of Dr. Pingen's car and used a load balance to obtain the force of drag.
Aerodynamic Analysis of Uvex Areo Helmet and Garneau Road Helmet (P)
Presenters: Gavin Hamann, Ethan Morris, Kaylee Owen, Matthew Owen, Daniel Porter, and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The goal for this project was to quantify the difference in drag between the two bicycle helmets. Specifically, to quantify any power advantage (in Watts) offered to the cyclist by the Uvex aero-helmet when compared against a traditional helmet. To do so, a 2 concomitant test was designed using the wind tunnel facilities at Young Touchstone, as well as full-scale and scaled models tested on the roof of Dr. Pingen's van. Results will be discussed.
Rubber Band Airplane Design (P)
Presenters: Gabriel Garneau, Joshua Johnson, and Matthew Owen
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Rubber band powered airplanes will be tested to experimentally optimize airplane performance. Better performing airplanes will be defined as those that fly farthest and fastest. A collection of airplanes will be purchased that vary in different properties, such as airfoil design, dihedral angle, wing position, and weight distribution. By changing these factors and determining their respective impact, we hope to learn about general flight principles on any scale.
Condensing Water from the Air (P)
Presenters: Carson Brown, Abbey Pfenninger, and Josh Shoemaker
Faculty Advisor: Don Van
The phenomenon of the condensing phase change was studied in order to design a device that condenses water from the air to be used for humanitarian purposes. Air is heated in a container using solar energy. A fluid at the dew point temperature (the temperature at which the moisture in the air will condense) of the warm air is pumped through the warm air in a series of pipes. The humidity in the air condenses and collects on the pipes. The design uses a direct energy conversion to change the phase of moisture in the air to liquid water and could aid peoples in need of clean drinking water and water for sanitary, medical purposes. The condensed water is filtered and may be used immediately or stored in a tank for use at a later time. Depending on the exact water amount needed, the size of the device will change. For applications needing less water, the design is portable, while it may need to be stationary for applications requiring large amounts of water. At the Scholarship Symposium, we will present our design work to produce a minimum of one gallon of water a day.
Shifting with Circuits (P)
Presenters: Ainsley Duncan, Jared Lavelle, Adam Lynn, and Stuart Milam
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
Electronic frequency filters are quite popular today, especially when working with audio devices. However, for this specific project, filters will be manipulated to mimic automobile RPM control modules. A device that will take an electric signal to simulate shifting gears will be created. This simulation will be conceptualized with the help of P-SPICE and implemented with materials provided by the Union University Engineering Department. We will model RPMs as an AC voltage with varying frequency and use filters to isolate different frequency ranges.
Electronic Filters (P)
Presenters: Palmer Bell, Andrew Dougan, and Joshua Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project will explore the use of electronic circuits to build filters. An electronic filter will allow certain frequencies to pass through a circuit while blocking others. The filters will be used to make an audio equalizer, which controls elements such as bass and different pitches. How the filters are created from simple resistors and capacitors will be demonstrated. At least three different filters will be used to pass low frequencies, high frequencies, and a band of frequencies.
Optimization of the Cost and Efficiency of Solar Panels (P)
Presenters: Palmer Bell, Luis Dominguez, Andrew Dougan, Ainsley Duncan, Gavin Hamann, Jared Lavelle, Adam Lynn, Stuart Milam, and Anthony Russo
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Curious about residential solar power arrays? New developments and incentives have made solar power more affordable and accessible than ever. This project compares materials and technologies for power generation, installation methods, and financial considerations for grid-tied residential solar power arrays. Traditional panels, the Tesla company's roof tiles, fixed and movable arrays, tax incentives, and solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) are all reviewed.
Visual Sound (P)
Presenters: John Mayer, Anthony Russo, and Grant Wise
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
This project will analyze the benefits of DC filters in the development and control of audio signals. Using high pass, low pass or band pass filters, resistors and capacitors can be connected to output only a certain range of frequencies. In an active filter setup, these filters can also be combined with op-amps and second-order filters to allow for sharper frequency control. These filters will be used to control the output signals of an audio jack, and they will be tuned to respond to bass, mid-range, and treble frequencies. The final goal is to create an LED frequency analyzer along with additional display lights that respond to music tempo.
Bicycle Tire Rolling Resistance (P)
Presenters: Mark Carbonell, Thomas Foster, Gabriel Garneau, Nyla Gwan, Davis Johnson, and Joshua Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The goal for this project was to quantify the difference in rolling resistance for bike tires of different widths. An experimented was conducted that allowed us to measure and quantify differences in the rolling resistance between three different tire widths. To ensure we achieved accurate results, two concomitant testing methods were used. The team then used data analysis skills learned in EGR 342 to obtain quantifiable results for the rolling resistance of each tire. Results will be discussed.
The Handy Helper (O)
Presenters: Cory Johnson and Abbey Pfenninger
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
The basis of this project was to create a device to help a cerebral palsy (CP) patient put on latex gloves as independently as possible since his work requires him to do so multiple times a day. The specific CP patient, for whom this project was conducted, has full use of his left hand and limited use of his right hand. In this project two design ideas were adapted from existing designs that were used for different purposes. The first possible solution was a 3D printed insert to expand the glove. This design required a coworker to come in and pre-set inserts into the gloves. The patient would then use the pre-set gloves throughout the day. The second option was a vacuum chamber similar to what doctors use to put on sterile gloves. The gloves would be placed around the lip of the vacuum chamber by the patient. The gloves would then be inflated by a vacuum pump connected to a chamber. Both designs were tested with the CP patient to determine the best option.
YTEC Booster: Evaporative Cooling Research and Development (O)
Presenters: Corbin Anderson, Carson Brown, and Josh Shoemaker
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
This presentation outlines the research and development of a nozzle misting system. This system uses the effect of evaporative cooling to decrease the temperature of the air entering a heat exchanger and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the heat exchanger in emergency situations where temperatures exceed 120°F. This project facilities and resources for experimentation were provided by Young Touchstone's Research and Development department, a company in Jackson, TN that manufactures radiators. A mathematical model was developed by the team to predict the temperature that can be achieved within certain parameters. This model was then used in the design of the final product.
Spring 2017
Smith Chart: Graphical Aid for Impedance Matching
Presenters: Corbin Anderson and Rachel Brewer
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
A Smith Chart is a graphical aid designed to assist in the design of matched circuits and impedance matched transmission lines. The purpose of impedance matching is to transfer all of the power from the input signal to the load. This is accomplished by preventing any signal reflection from the load, making for the best performance of the transmission line or circuit. Smith Charts are used to design matching networks of representative topologies. Existing computer software is also used as an additional resource to verify findings and aid in our understanding. Additionally, how the Smith Chart works and how it was used to obtain our solutions is also explained.
Controlling and Remotely Monitoring a Solar Hot Water Heater in Honduras
Presenters: Rachel Brewer and Brady Chandler
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
This past spring break, a team of Union engineering students installed a solar hot water heating panel on the roof of a Honduran orphanage. Building on the previous team's project, we took their design of the solar hot water panel and focused on the system-level implementation. Our solar hot water heating system features a controller for regulating the flow of the water though the system. In addition, we also included a Wi-Fi monitoring system that measures both inlet and outlet temperatures, which corresponds to the water entering and exiting the heating panel in Honduras respectively. With the remote monitoring system, we are able to have real-time monitoring of the temperature information from anywhere with Wi-Fi access.
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Presenters: Carson Brown, Abbey Pfenninger, and Conner Wilson
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
The effects of the shapes of boat hulls on the speed of toy boats based on a constant power will be studied. The design will include several different hull shapes, a paddle wheel, and a motor compartment. The paddle wheel will be powered by a small motor run by a AA battery. The supplies, excluding the motor and the battery, will be 3D printed using the Union University Engineering Department's 3D printer.
Wind Tunnel Design Feasibility Study
Presenters: Mark Carbonell, Thomas Foster, Gabriel Garneau, Joshua Johnson, and Kaylee Owen
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Access to an operational and accurate wind tunnel is a valuable and useful resource, and the goal of this project was to explore the feasibility of designing and constructing such a wind tunnel. The team examined different designs and considered the most viable options based on research of both the balance system used within the wind tunnel, as well as the wind tunnel itself. More specifically, certain limiting factors of the design are size, cost, noise, and power consumption. Also important was the department's ability to construct/house the wind tunnel itself. Using thermodynamic principles, and accepted wind tunnel design rules, the team considered if a wind tunnel design exists that adequately facilitates the needs of the engineering department and fits within the available space and budget.
Solar Hot Water Heater
Presenters: Nyla Gwan, Chase Hampton, Davis Johnson, Daniel Porter, and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
For the past two years, Union University's engineering program has sent students to Honduras on Go Trips. The goal was to provide a solar hot water heater in order to save money for the local orphanage. Our team decided to develop an analytical and numerical model to study the effects of different design parameters. The heater model can be used by future teams to improve the solar water heater design. We used a basic thermal resistance network as the foundation of our analytical model. We also implemented a more comprehensive numerical model in COMSOL and will be comparing the results of both models. Use of COMSOL and our analytical model enables the study of different design implementations, hopefully resulting in improved solar water heaters to be installed and constructed by future teams.
Picture Perfect Heat Loss
Presenters: Angel Claudio, Sam Jeong, and Joshua Shoemaker
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Heat transfer occurs in three ways: through conduction, convection, and radiation. Union dormitories are controlled environments in which each resident can control the temperature of the room. The heat transfer between the dorm and the outside environment is compensated by the AC and heating units. Our team will analyze the potential heat transfer between the dormitory and the outside environment using a thermal imaging gun. In our attempt to measure heat transfer between the dormitories and the outside environment, we will go to multiple rooms in four different buildings of the Quads and buildings in Heritage.
On Top of Topology: A MATLAB Program for Impedance Matching
Presenters: Brady Chandler and Cory Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
For this project, a program in MATLAB to design impedance matching networks was created. The program can solve each of the five impedance matching topologies that were covered in the EGR 365 — Electromagnetics course lectures. For the program to solve the matching networks, the user is prompted for certain information that is needed, such as load impedance, feed-line characteristic impedance, and frequency. Once the input information is given, the user chooses the matching network topology that they want to use. Based on their selection, the program may need more information to move forward in the solution. Once there is sufficient information for the program, it will solve the matching network to give the user the desired quantities, which can include line length, characteristic impedance, capacitance, and inductance.
Effects of Potentiometers on Blinking LEDs
Presenters: Ethan Morris, Matthew Owen, Kaylee Owen
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The EGR 262 class is an introduction and overview of a variety of topics related to building and analyzing simple circuits. The goal of this project is to use a limited number of components to demonstrate topics we have learned in the course, with a specific requirement to use a potentiometer in our design to show the effects of varying circuit resistance. A circuit using transistors, capacitors and resistors to induce a blinking pattern between two LEDs was constructed. We will use a potentiometer to vary the amount of power reaching the lights and will investigate how we are able to affect the timing, brightness, and pattern of the blinking.
Application of Potentiometers in Variable Speed DC Motors
Presenters: Gabriel Garneau, Robert Hampton, and Joshua Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
To analyze the behavior of a potentiometer, this project explores the effect of using a potentiometer to drive a dc motor. The potentiometer provides one way to control the speed of dc motors, and variable speed motors are critical in numerous applications. A basic dc motor driven by a variable speed controller operates on the principle of an electric current inducing a magnetic field as it passes through the stator coil. This magnetic field repels the permanent magnetic field, causing torque on the stator coil and resulting in rotational motion. In order to control the torque, and consequently the rotation, the circuit uses a potentiometer to control the amount of current flowing into the stator coil.
Wireless Battery Charger Circuit
Presenters: Davis Johnson, Ashton Lund, and Daniel Porter
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
In this project, we will use passive elements to create a series of two circuits that can charge a battery wirelessly. This has numerous applications, from being able to charge electronics without needing a cord, to making an external power source feasible for medical devices such as pacemakers. While this technology is already in existence, it is not commonly used because it has an extremely limited range of approximately 3 cm. The limited range is due to the number of capacitors it requires to produce any range at all. We will be building on this basic idea by adding a potentiometer to better control the amount of voltage transferred from the transmitting circuit to the receiving circuit. We will also attempt to use that information to minimize the amount of voltage lost in the transaction.
Potentiometer Application in a Chladni Plate
Presenters: Mark Carbonell, Angel Claudio, and Thomas Foster
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The goal of this project is to demonstrate the application of potentiometers using an interactive and simulating method. To achieve this, the project team has created a tone-generator driven Chladni plate with variable pitch. A Chladni plate operates by vibrating a sheet of metal with a particulate on its surface, which causes the particulate to form geometric patterns corresponding to certain frequencies. Vibration of the plate is achieved by placing a speaker below the plate surface, and the resulting sound waves cause flexural movement. The potentiometers are used to alter the pitch of the tone-generator in order to achieve the proper frequencies for geometric patterns to form. A frequency generating circuit is used in conjunction with and amplifier to drive the speaker, which is affixed below the plate. Using the potentiometer to change the tuning resistance of the frequency generator circuit allows the team to finely adjust the system resonance.
Investigation of Microfluidics Boundary Conditions
Presenters: Matthew Owen
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
From experience, we know that a fluid sticks to surfaces and that the temperature of a surface and the fluid immediately adjacent to that surface are equivalent. This physical understanding, however, is approximate and becomes less and less correct as we consider smaller devices, such as lab-on-a-chip devices. At small length-scales, fluids slip along surfaces and experience a temperature jump. To exhibit the importance of considering these boundary conditions for engineering designs, two different problems are considered. First, we used an expansion of FEMDOC implement by Dr. Pingen to model a Knudsen Pump, which works specifically because of the micro-fluidic boundary conditions. Second, we revisited a heat sink optimization problem to see if micro-scale would cause the designs to have a different solution.
Backup Power in an Industrial Setting
Presenters: Zachary Benson, Andrew Ford, and Samuel Jeong
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt and Georg Pingen
Backup power is a common concern in industry. However, because every business is different, there is no universal solution. Our team partnered with local aluminum plant Tennalum to design such a system. The goal is to reduce lost productivity in the event of an extended power outage. There are many factors that must be taken into account for this design. Those that will be explored include cost, environmental impact, size, and convenience or practicality. In order to determine the most effective system to be implemented, the impact of each of these factors must be determined, and then a solution selected that satisfies both the technical requirements as well as the goals of the customer. The details of making such a decision will also be explored, such as quantifying goals and interpreting the result into a final decision.
Volume Controlled Speaker
Presenters: Nyla Gwan, Gavin Hamann, and Addison Turner
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
Our team decided to build a circuit that uses a potentiometer to vary volume of sound and display rough volume level via lights. We will use P-spice to analyze the circuit and determine various aspects of the circuit. The circuit will then be implemented using a prototyping board and tested for functionality. The circuit will use the potentiometer as a volume knob. As the volume increases from mute, the lights in the circuit will begin to turn on, indicating the level of volume.
Spring 2016
Filters in a Circuits Kind of Way
Presenters: Abigail Pfenninger, Josh Shoemaker, and Caleb Smythe
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The goal of this project is to investigate the applications of filters in a circuit, including both active and passive filters. A passive filter is made completely of passive components, and is the simplest form filters, which may include a combination of resistors and capacitors. And active filter includes both active and passive components, thus allowing for an op amp, for example, to be used. We will use these types of filters to demonstrate how they work.
Applications of Solar Power: Cookies and Hot Water
Presenters: Corbin Anderson, Carson Brown, Angel Claudio, Cory Johnson, Matthew Owen, Abigail Pfenninger, Josh Shoemaker, Riley Welch, and Conner Wilson
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Solar energy can be harvested to power a variety of devices. The three teams from Thermo-Fluid Sciences used this principle in their final projects. Groups 1 and 2 built separate solar ovens to bake the best cookie. Group 3 worked with a team of seniors on their solar hot water heater to be installed at Orphanage Emmanuel Honduras during spring break to reduce their power consumption. These tasks were completed using the concepts learned in the class. Each team will outline and present their analysis and prototypes.
Soil Moisture Control Design with a Variable Speed Pump
Presenters: Chelsea Johnson, Nathan Parke, and Erin Picard
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Water is a precious and crucial resource for developing nations. Its use in agriculture is often governed by instinct rather than science. When water is scarce, this method can often result in less than optimal use of the resource for crops. By implementing soil moisture sensors in fields, water can be used most efficiently. This test setup uses moisture sensors and a variable speed pump to distribute water in a small sample of soil, illustrating how the larger concept can benefit agriculture in developing countries.
Design and Implementation of a Solar Water Heater for Orphanage Emmanuel
Presenters: Seth Guiler and Chelsea Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Orphanage Emmanuel has a need for lower power consumption. The 50 hot water heaters currently in use consume approximately 28% of the total power usage. By replacing the traditional electric water heaters with solar powered water heaters, the orphanage could save up to $5,000 per month in electricity costs. As an initial prototype, a solar water heater was designed, constructed and tested in the U.S. A copy of the prototype will be constructed and installed at the orphanage by the GO Honduras team and Guiler over spring break. Testing will be conducted in Honduras and adjustments made to the design if needed.
Sample Coffee Roaster
Presenters: Connor Bailey, Chris Boccarossa, and Levi Hartsfield
Faculty Advisor: Joy Moore
In the coffee industry, roasters generally order large amounts of unroasted (green) coffee beans from farmers. Roasting machines are then used to produce large amounts of roasted coffee at one time. Since smaller batches of beans do not roast properly in bigger machines, a large batch must always be used for testing purposes. Sample roasting machines exist to provide roasters with a means to try out new coffee beans without having to purchase a large quantity of the beans. These smaller size roasters also allow people to refine their roasting technique on a particular kind of bean. Current sample roasters on the market are either extremely expensive or do not roast well. The goal of this capstone project is the design and fabrication of an affordable sample size roaster which maintains quality roasting functions, including good temperature control and good heat distribution.
Poly Pellet Automation
Presenters: David Brewer, Ryan Harris, and Andrew Smith
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
Our project, sponsored by General Cable, is to make the process of moving the poly material, which is used to make the plastic wire jackets, from storage to the manufacturing lines leaner. Lean manufacturing is utilized by manufacturers to stay competitive in today's market and is primarily based on making processes more efficient and minimizing waste as much as possible. Currently, each line operator must use a forklift to transport a Gaylord (a large open-topped cardboard box) full of poly material to the designated production line. Our project, using a piping system, will replace this current manual method with an automated system to bring the needed poly material to the production line, thereby saving General Cable time and money.
Rectangular and Cylindrical Waveguides
Presenters: Andrew Ford and Jeremiah Murila
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
The intent of this project was to research and delve a little bit deeper into the realm of transmission lines and make a few discoveries of our own. Waveguides are a very unique form of transmission line because their design looks deceptively simple while their applications are quite intricate. Waveguides are considered higher order transmission lines for one particular reason: waves that propagate in waveguides have at least one significant field component in the direction of propagation. TEM transmission lines do not have any field components in the direction of propagation.
Process Optimization through Sensor Installation
Presenters: Beau Fant and Jonathan Vailes
Faculty Advisors: Don Van and Randy Schwindt
Streamlining industrial process can lead to better reliability, decreased downtime, and increased profits. In an attempt to achieve these goals for a local company, modern digital sensors were installed on a machine used for an existing process. Previously, this process was monitored manually and operator error or distraction could lead to process failure resulting in loss of time and money for the company. In order for proper calibration of the sensors, the new process layout had to be redesigned to fit in the old system. Calculations were necessary to verify that the sensors would perform properly in the new design. The addition of digital sensors allows for the continuous monitoring and storage of process conditions. By having more information easily accessible to the operator, process failure can be reduced.
Honduras Photovoltaic System
Presenters: Nathan Parke and Erin Picard
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
This project is the design of a photovoltaic system (aka solar panel system) for Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras. Orphanage Emmanuel currently faces a monthly power bill in excess of $20000. Our goal was to introduce solar power to the orphanage and get them started in the direction of reducing their external power consumption. This project involved researching and choosing the proper solar panel, inverter and other components, as well as determining the specifics of mounting and installing the system. This project will culminate in a trip down to the orphanage over Spring Break where we will install the PV system on site.
Electronic Filters: Sound Cancellation Headphones
Presenters: Jeremiah Marcellino, Riley Welch, and Conner Wilson
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The purpose of this project is to learn and demonstrate electronic filters: what they are, how they work, and how we can use one in application. We used PSpice analysis to explore different types of electronic filters. The three specific filters we are working with for this project are high-pass, low-pass, and band-pass. After using PSpice, we analyze and design our specific filters with hardware. A specific application that the filters can be used for is shooting ear protection. This is ear protection that has microphones and amplifiers that allow you to hear everyday noise and conversation, but blocks out loud and intense noises such as gunshots. This can be used for shooting hobbyists, competitors, or military and police.
ABB Gas-Detector-Relay Design Change Project
Presenters: Aaron Hively, Jeremiah Murila, and Samuel Wills
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
This project aims to improve a product produced by ABB, a company that produces technologies in the power and automation industries. The product is a gas-detector-relay (GDR), which detects gas buildup and sudden pressure changes in a transformer in order to prevent transformer explosions. The team's job is to redesign part of the device to make it easier to calibrate a very important pressure switch in the device. This particular switch is designed to trip whenever there is a surge in pressure in the transformer. When this happens, the switch cuts the power to the transformer, which stops the pressure buildup. Some other goals of this project are to make a mathematical model of the pressure switch system, to improve the 3D part models of the switch system, and to do an economic analysis of the new design compared to the old one.
Filters: Design and Technological Application
Presenters: Corbin Anderson, Carson Brown, Andrew Edmiston, and Cory Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
Our project involves designing and building a filter and using it in a specific application. A filter is an electronic circuit that, depending on the desired output, uses certain frequencies and omits others. The applications of filters are many and varied. For example, they are often used in the music industry to enhance studio recordings, or they can be used in image blurring technology. Also, with the aid of filters, computers and other machinery can be programmed to respond to certain sound frequencies, so that, for instance, a light comes on when you clap. For our presentation, we will present the specifics of our prototype, discuss the calculations that optimize the design, and demonstrate a special application of the technology.
Pneumatic Nail Gun Shot Detection
Presenters: Dillon Lisk, Emily Pace, and Josh Wakefield
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
The goal for this project was to develop a nail shot counter for Stanley Black & Decker that can accurately detect when a pneumatic nail gun fires. The first of two major components of this project was to develop software to sift through thousands of pressure measurements and pick out the pressure drops indicative of a nail being fired. The program then outputted the times that these pressure drops occurred. The second major component of this project was to design a pressure reading collection and processing device based on a Raspberry Pi and compare it to a pressure sensor logger constructed by Stanley Black & Decker. The best design was then utilized by Stanley Black & Decker to better design their air compressors.
The Smith Chart
Presenters: Beau Fant and Aaron Hively
Faculty Advisor: Randy Schwindt
Transmission lines are developed so that a particular load is given the correct matching network. This keeps the power supplied across the line from being wasted. During the first World War, a chart was created so regardless of any load value a match can be quickly found. The four types of matching networks are a stub, a shunt, a lumped element, and a quarter wavelength. Given the value of the line impedance and load impedance, a unit impedance can be plotted on the Smith chart to solve for any topology. Each topology has its own rules as to solving for its matching network.
Spring 2015
General Cable Automated Splice Detection Device
Presenters: Matthew Bentley, Will Duncan, Chris Lanham, and Eric Ramirez
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
General Cable is a manufacturer of copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty, and communications markets. This project focused on designing an automated process to detect a cable splice during the manufacturing process using a Hall Effect Sensor. In order to keep the manufacturing line running continuously, an operator must periodically splice together two reels of wire, but this splice must be removed from the finished product. The splice removal process generates large amounts of scrap, and the automated splice detector helps to reduce this scrap by increasing efficiency through automation. This device also makes the operator's job easier, allowing the splice to be cut more reliably.
Effects of Production Method and Feedstock on Biochar Quality for Sustainable Water Treatment
Presenter: Matthew Bentley
Faculty Advisor: Jay Bernheisel
Biochar is a sustainably produced, carbon-rich material produced through pyrolysis of biomass. It is a valuable soil amendment and carbon storage technology, and it has recently begun to be used as a sustainable water treatment method. Similarly to activated carbon, biochar has high surface area and porosity, allowing it to adsorb many pollutants that cause significant health problems throughout the developing world. The temperature of pyrolysis is related to the surface area and porosity of the char, which provides it with more adsorptive capacity and is indicative of its quality as a water treatment method. Pyrolysis temperatures in a Top-Lit Up-Draft Gasifier and Two-Barrel Retort are measured with different feedstocks to compare the quality of biochar produced as well as identify considerations for sustainably producing biochar in the developing world.
Characteristics of a Transmission Line Based Characteristic Impedance and Load Impedance
Presenters: Will Duncan and Chris Love
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
Transmission lines are used in everyday life to bring electrical power to all the plugged-in devices in everyday homes. However, besides the impedance of the load of the device the consumer wishes to power, the transmission line has an impedance of its own. Various characteristics of a transmission line are defined by the load and the characteristics impedance of the line, and the purpose of this project is to easily solve for all of them using MATLAB. The program will prompt the user for, at a minimum, the load impedance and the characteristic impedance of the transmission line. Using the given load impedance ZL and transmission line characteristic impedance ZO, the program calculates and displays the reflection coefficient ( Γ ), the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), the first distances that result in a minimum or maximum voltage( dmin and dmax), and plots the magnitude of voltage (|V(z)|) as well as the time dependent voltage (v(z, t)) with respect to the distance.
Infinite Topologies
Presenters: Zachary Benson and Erin Picard
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
Our main purpose was to create a MATLAB script to match a transmission line's impedance to a load using a number of different impedance matching topologies. These topologies include a quarter-wave transformer at the load for a purely real load impedance and at dMAX and dMIN (maximum and minimum voltage locations, respectively) for complex load impedances, a lumped element topology, a short stub topology, and an open stub topology. Impedance matching allows maximum power to be transmitted, which increases the efficiency of power lines. Another effect is that musical instruments produce less buzzing when impedances are properly matched. These applications, among others, make impedance matching an important aspect for infrastructure as well as our daily lives.
EGR 210's Study of Smart Materials
Presenters: Rachel Brewer, Brady Chandler, Andrew Ford, Samuel Jeong, Paul Langford, John Villarreal, and Zach Wadley
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
The EGR 210 class is studying the development of two "smart" materials and will be demonstrating the two materials during the UUSS poster presentation. Team A is looking into piezoelectric materials that produce a voltage in response to a stress being applied. There are many applications of piezoelectric materials including its use in high voltage and power sources, sensors and actuators. Team A's goal is to show the ability of a piezoelectric material to be used as a small-scale generator. Team B studies memory shape alloys, using the specific example of "muscle wire." Memory shape alloys contract or expand depending on the temperatures or currents to which they are exposed. We investigate the possibility of using muscle wire as motors to simplify the design of mechanisms.
Implementing a Multigrid Solver for Flow Topology Optimization
Presenter: Chelsea Johnson
Faculty Advisor: Georg Pingen
Modeling, analyzing, and optimizing fluid flow is a complex and sometimes prohibitively costly procedure, involving the simultaneous solution of many equations. While typical iterative approaches lower the computational storage requirement, they often sacrifice accuracy or time to do so. The multigrid method is a solver that has been shown to decrease both time and storage cost of fluid problems while obtaining a sufficiently accurate solution. In our research, we investigate the implementation of a multigrid solver into an existing topology optimization program and will present the results of this work.
Matching Cost: The Cost of Resistance
Presenters: David Brewer and Beau Fant
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
The objective of this project was to create a program that solves for impedance matching network parameters by requesting key variables, such as frequency, wavelength, load impedance, and line impedance. This objective is met by solving for five different topologies. The necessity of finding matching impedance is to eliminate power loss due to reflection. This program is also supposed to not only help speed up impedance matching but to add another level of real world application. It adds in a factor of money, which allows the user to know roughly what it will cost for them to accomplish their goal. This should prove highly useful to anyone looking have an effective matched impedance and minimum cost evaluation.
Compressed Air Marshmallow Blaster: Effect of Varying Barrel Length and Projectile Size
Presenters: Ryan Harris, Joshua Guthrie, and Jonathan Vailes
Faculty Advisor: Ethan Wilding
Projectiles have been the subject of countless experiments in an attempt to better understand the factors that affect their flight. We decided to investigate how a marshmallow flies as it is launched from a compressed air cannon. To begin, we constructed a marshmallow cannon and decided to vary the size of marshmallows shot and the barrel length in an attempt to find the ideal combination to achieve the longest and smoothest flight of a marshmallow. The cannon was designed to be able to consistently fire marshmallows of different sizes using detachable barrels and a common air chamber. We also wanted to study the result of different air pressures used to launch the projectile and the effect that has on the different sizes of the marshmallows.
Savings from Solar Power: Solar Panel Station Experimental Review
Presenters: Chelsea Johnson and Andrew Smith
Faculty Advisor: Ethan Wilding
Last fall, a group of students installed a solar panel to power an instructor's computer station. The project converts solar energy to electric power, saving the university several kilowatt-hours per week. We propose to conduct an experimental review of the project to determine its cost versus its benefit and calculate the efficiency of the system as installed. We propose to pursue the following three goals:
- Calculate the average power stored daily by the solar panel;
- Determine the average power used by the instructor's station per week; and
- Conduct a cost analysis and determine the overall benefit or cost of the system per semester
The Union Central Fountain: A Space for Tradition and Community
Presenters: Shane Caver, Joshua Guthrie, Andrew Tan, and Zach Wadley
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
Two of Union's strongest values are in its thoughtful traditions and its vibrant community. In 2014, we showed our welcome to the freshmen through a new tradition called "Lest We Forget," in which they take a stone from the PAC fountain and walk it to Miller Tower while upperclassmen line the way with candlelight. This reminds us of Joshua's story in scripture in which he set up twelve stones to remind Israel of God's provision for them. For us here at Union, however, there is currently no set place to deposit the stones for the Lest We Forget tradition. Thus, in this, our engineering senior project, we have set out to design a new fountain and gathering space for Union University. The fountain is meant to be located to the East of Miller Tower at the end of the Great Lawn across the street from the Grant Center and it will accomplish two primary goals: to serve as a destination for the Lest We Forget tradition and to foster Union community through an inviting space. To communicate this design concept, we have produced construction documents using Revit software and a physical, scaled, functional mock-up of the area for further exploration and study.
Smith Chart
Presenters: Shiva Hemmatian and Dillon Lisk
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
The Smith chart is a graphical tool used for analyzing electrical transmission lines and designing matching networks without having to use complicated formulas. When designing matching networks — circuits to ensure maximum power transmission between different impedances — it is necessary to locate a position along the line where the input impedance has particular characteristics dependent on the matching network type. By graphically transforming normalized impedances into reflection coefficients, the Smith chart allows identification of these points using compass and straightedge, after which relatively simple formulas can give the values of the components in the matching network.
Study of the Function and Use of High Pass, Low Pass, and Band Pass Filters
Presenters: Rachel Brewer, Sam Jeong, and John Villarreal
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
For our project we are showing the construction and physical use of high pass, low pass, and band pass filters in circuits. Each filter is itself essentially a small circuit that allows only certain frequencies through given an input signal. High pass filters allow higher frequencies through, low pass filters allow lower frequencies through, and band pass filters allow a band of frequencies through (they exclude both high frequencies and low frequencies). In our project we will study how different circuit elements affect the performance of the filters. That is, which frequencies are excluded given certain circuit conditions?
Audio Equalizer Using Filter Circuits
Presenters: Connor Bailey, Brady Chandler, and Levi Hartsfield
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
In EGR 262, we have been assigned the task of using a set of filters in a circuit, and we have been challenged to find an application of such filters. We have discussed the importance of high-pass, low-pass, and band-pass filters, and one application of these filters is to use them with audio and audio effects. There are two ways to do this that we have found. One way to do this is by using variable, sliding resistors to control sound frequencies. The other way, which we prefer, is to explore these filters and the union of music with an LED display. We will attempt to create a device that recognizes certain frequencies and turns on LEDs based on the frequencies heard. Namely, the circuit we have researched and are planning on implementing will be an audio equalizer.
Impedance Matching Using Matlab
Presenters: Chris Boccarossa and Emily Pace
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
One of the primary focuses in electromagnetics is the concept of impedance matching: matching a transmission line's impedance to a load's impedance to achieve maximum power transfer. This can be achieved a variety of ways, with a variety of electrical components. A program in Matlab was created that utilizes five of these methods, which are referred to as topologies. The program first prompts the user for the desired topology. Next, the user is asked to input the transmission line impedance and load impedance. The command window in Matlab then returns the parameters for the selected topology. These parameters, when applied to the transmission line, cause the line impedance to match the load impedance. Electromagnetic applications rely on the strength of signals and therefore rely on maximum power transfer. The purpose of this program is to provide a quick and easy way to solve impedance matching problems.
Analysis of Shrouds in UAV Design
Presenters: Shiva Hemmatian, Michael Kelly, and Andrew Love
Faculty Advisors: Don Van and Randal Schwindt
AgriImage is a developer and seller of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) meant to survey farmland. Their basic design is a quad-copter comprising of four arms each extending from a central body ending with an exposed propeller, but each exposed propeller can be potentially harmful for the users and bystanders. A solution to protect the customer and others from these blades can be found in a covering called a shroud. The overall goal of this project is to research shroud designs in order to provide a safer drone to the customer and while additionally researching the effects the shroud will have on flight dynamics. There are specific three goals of this project. The main goal of this project is to study the aerodynamics of an existing shroud design created by AgriImage . This will be done using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the use of which will shed light on velocity, pressure and direction of airflow at specific locations around the shroud in the design. The second goal of this project is to research and compile the necessary information needed for an effective shroud design. This compilation will be in the form of a paper detailing critical design parameters and each's effect on flight dynamics. The third goal of this project is to improve the camera functionality of a mounted GoPro camera that is included in the UAV setup. This improvement will enable the ability to remotely change from video to picture mode, or vice versa, while the UAV is in flight. Consequently, this improvement will provide a remote trigger to take pictures or record video.
Lossless Lines: Voltage and General Considerations
Presenters: Seth Guiler and Shane Caver
Faculty Advisor: Randal Schwindt
Our project was to use the program MATLAB to examine the characteristics and related voltage of a lossless transmission line. We input a load impedance (Z_L), transmission line's characteristic impedance (Z0), and frequency into the program. From inputted information, the program finds the Voltage Reflection Coefficient (Γ), Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (S), First Voltage Maximum (dmax), and First Voltage Minimum (dmin) characteristics as well as determines and plots both voltage with respect to distance (v(z)) and animates voltage with respect to both distance and time (v(z ,t)). This program facilitates the computation of the voltage at different points and times along an ideal transmission line along with other characteristics of the ideal transmission line. The purpose of this program is to significantly reduce the amount of time used to calculate transmission line characteristics.
Frequency Isolation of Electronic Signals through Filters
Presenters: Andrew Ford, Aaron Hively, and Samuel Mitchell
Faculty Advisor: Jeannette Russ
The purpose of this project is to explore the function, construction, and application of electronic filters. Initially, PSpice analysis will be used for experimentation of various filter types, namely high-pass, low-pass, and band-pass filters. These filters will be further analyzed in hardware form using various electronic waveform frequencies. One potential application of filters, the band-pass filter in particular, is the isolation of particular frequencies. In utilizing this application, it is the goal of this project to produce a filter that isolates and emits, via a speaker, a single frequency. An example of a specific desired frequency could be the standard 440 Hz, A4, tuning note as well as other musical tuning frequencies.
Spring 2014
Engineering Graphics - Final Projects
Students in EGR 105 were assigned to produce part drawings for a complex mechanism, assemble the mechanism, and animate the mechanism using PTC Creo in order to demonstrate their solid modeling skills. Below are four sample mechanisms from this year's class:
Project 1: MusicBox by Samuel Jeong
Project 2: Kinetic Sculpture by Joshua Guthrie
Project 3: PlayStation Controller by Aaron Hively
Project 4: Rubik's Cube by John Villareal
Thermal-Fluid Sciences I (EGR 250), Final Projects
Project 1: Wind Tunnel Pressure Measurements
Students: Seth Guiler, Michael Kelly, Emily Pace, and Jonathan Vailes
The objective of this project was to add pressure sensing capabilities - a pitot-static tube - to the existing department wind tunnel in order to enable more quantitative measurements. We designed and implemented a setup that measures the dynamic pressure of the fluid and outputs the corresponding flow velocity utilizing Bernoulli's equation. The pressure value needed to calculate velocity is the difference between stagnation pressure and static pressure, which is the dynamic pressure. We connected a pitot-static tube to a differential pressure sensor to measure the value. This sensor relays the value to MATLAB where the pressure values are converted to velocity values.
To prove the concept we loaded up our setup in a car and took a ride on the interstate. We tested our setup at different speeds and compared the calculated values to the speedometer values. The results were accurate concluding this setup's effectiveness at measuring wind speed. This assured that the readings gathered in the wind tunnel were generally accurate. A PDF version of a poster we presented at the Union University Scholarship Symposium
Project 2: ProTec Anti-Friction Metal Teatment
Students: Beau Fant, Shiva Hemmatian, and Chris Lanham
ProTec is a Christian-led company out of Memphis that produces an anti-friction metal treatment for industrial, automotive, agricultural, and aviation applications. The goal of ProTec is to reduce the wear and tear in metal components by treating the metal surfaces. Our experiment attempts to determine how much longer ProTec treated bearings will last compared to untreated bearings in the event of oil starvation. To simulate this, the metal was pretreated with ProTec using resistance weights applied to the lever arm seen in the picture. The bearing and wheel were then wiped clean, three drops of oil were added to simulate residual oil left from oil starvation, and the apparatus was then run to failure under a weight of 3 pounds, which represents the "stall" weight for bare metal found from previous experiments.
By running the pretreated metal under a weight of 3 pounds, we recovered the approximate amount of time it takes for ProTec to wear off. When all of the ProTec treatment wore off, the mechanism would stall, leaving bare metal on metal contact. The same experiment was run without pretreating the bearings. The results can be seen in the graph below. In terms of time to failure, ProTec clearly outlasts plain oil. We also observed that lower pretreatment loads resulted in longer run-times, possibly due to less wear on the bearing during the pre-treatment time, resulting in a smaller surface area. A PDF version of a poster we presented at the Union University Scholarship Symposium.
Project 3: Home Energy Study/Improvements
Students:Chris Boccarossa, Chelsea Johnson, Jeremiah Murila, Nathan Parke, and Erin Picard
In this project, we analyzed the heat losses from Dr. Pingen's house and sought to make improvements to the energy efficiency of the home. By using a thermal imaging camera that shows temperature differences, we identified problem areas in the home and calculated the amount of heat lost through these places per year. Then, we determined the amount of money that could be saved by investing in a few home improvements and calculated the return on investment.
After identifying the largest problem areas in the home, we chose four to quantitatively analyze. We used the convective heat transfer equation to perform our analysis. Our results showed us that Dr. Pingen was losing approximately $35.35 yearly through these four problem spots. The return on investment for this estimation is 6 months.
This is an example picture taken by the FLIR thermal imaging camera. The purple spot is a place in the ceiling that is missing insulation. You can see the large temperature difference between that spot and the well-insulated ceiling. A PDF version of a poster we presented at the Union University Scholarship Symposium.
Project 4: Computational Fluid Dynamics using Matlab and the Lattice Boltzmann Method
Students: David Adams, Zachary Benson, David Brewer, and Dillon Lisk
We designed an experiment to analyze the effect of Mach number and model resolution for the Lattice-Boltzmann method, a solver for the Boltzmann Transport Equation that approximates incompressible flows. Our goal was to determine the mesh size and Mach number required to determine accurate coefficient of drag values for incompressible flow (RE=20) over a cylinder. The Lattice-Boltzmann method requires the region of interest to be divided into a mesh of arbitrary dimensions. It then analyzes the behavior of the flow in each mesh cell. Smaller meshes are pretty quick to solve, but result in relatively imprecise results, while large meshes, which result in improved accuracy, become exponentially more costly from a computational perspective. To improve our computational efficiency, we made use of Matlab's Parallel Computing Toolbox and CUDA GPU implementations as part of this project. Our results show how many degrees of freedom are generally required for an accurate coefficient of drag. One can see that the Mach # chosen has a significant effect on the results. A PDF version of a poster we presented at the Union University Scholarship Symposium.
Major Design - Final Projects
During the senior year of the engineering program students take a 2-semester major design course (EGR 491/492), working on a significant engineering project. These projects are often sponsored by local industry partners. An overview of two of this year's projects is provided below:
Project 1: Scrap Wire Reclamation
By Dylan Baker, Cody Giles, Todd Jones, and Kian Jost
Sponsoring Organization: General Cable
The General Cable plant in Jackson, Tennessee, produces Ethernet cable, composed of four pairs of insulated copper wire twisted together. During the process, scrap wire is inevitably produced. This scrap wire has reclaim value; however, separating the wire into insulation and clean copper yields a significantly higher reclaim value. Currently, General Cable only has a method for separating single strands of wire, but a considerable amount of their scrap is in the form of two strands twisted together which must be sold at the lower reclaim price. The goal for our capstone project is to develop a method for separating and sorting these twisted strands of wire into insulation and clean copper using the knowledge we have gained from the engineering curriculum. Final Presentation (.pdf)
Project 2: Cabling Innovations
By Alex Wainscott, William Murray, and Grace Morriss
Sponsoring Organization: General Cable
Our team was tasked by General Cable in Jackson to implement a design to bunch wire on an existing Cecco jacket line. The end goal is to provide a lay length (3-5 inches) that will allow for the proper quality assurance standards, specifically crosstalk, to be passed for category 5 wire. The economic motivation behind this project involves an ability to manufacture more category 5 wire as well as a potential for $90,000 dollars in cost savings through labor reduction. The focus of our design will be a proof of concept demonstrating how a bunching stage could be built for full scale production in the future. Final Presentation (.pdf)
Fall 2013
Experimental Methods (EGR 342), Fall 2013. Final Project
Aero/TT Helmets - How much faster are they really?
Aero/TT Helmets - How much faster are they really?
During this semester of EGR 342, students have been presented with the challenge to determine the "on-road" benefit of the use of aero/time-trial helmets in comparison to traditional road cycling helmets. As part of this project, students have been given the following assignment:
"The marketing department of a major helmet manufacturer has hired you (the students in EGR 342) to experimentally determine the effectiveness of their Aero/TT helmet in comparison to standard road biking helmets. First, determine how the quality of Aero/TT helmets is determined and what their key characteristics are. Then design/propose an experimental procedure to determine the "on-road" effectiveness of the Aero-helmet and perform the proposed experiments. Present your results in an oral (in-class) presentation and on a marketing flyer that will be shared with the sponsor, including detailed test results for the sponsor's helmets."
We are very thankful for the great support of our Sponsors and Supporters who are providing us with advice and equipment (helmets, power-meter, GPS, etc). We would like to thank our sponsors and supporters — Bell Helmets, Bicycle City, Catlike, Cobb Cycling, Hubcity, Kask Helmets, PowerTap, Rudy Project, and Uvex.
Multiscale Flow Analysis using the Hydrodynamic Boltzmann Transport Equation
Zach Benson, Phillip Johnson, Dillon Lisk, Andrew Tan & Georg Pingen
Collaborators: Kurt Maute - University of Colorado at Boulder
Undergraduate Research - Project started Fall 2013
The goal of this research project is to develop a multiscale flow analysis algorithm for low and moderate Knudsen number flows. One application that we are considering is a coating process to increase the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries function by allowing lithium-ions to travel from the anode to the cathode during the discharge process as illustrated in the figure at right. When the batteries are re-charged, those ions are moved back to the cathode side of the battery passing through the separator. Generally, the more "free" lithium-ions are available, the more charge a battery can carry. However, as a battery undergoes its life-cycle (heating and cooling), cracks appear and attract lithium-ions, using up "free" ions and thereby reducing the charge that can be carried by the battery. It has been shown that by coating the cathode particles with a thin layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD), the lifetime of these batteries can be improved by a factor of more than 5. However, achieving this coating process in a fashion applicable for mass production requires multiscale modeling. Phillip has been working on the necessary theory development for the Boltzmann Transport Equation. Andrew has been studying the use of Finite Element Methods, and Zach and Dillon have been studying basic flow problems using a parallel C++-based flow solver developed by our collaborators.
References: 1. Microstructural Characterization of Li-Ion Batteries Using Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy. www.azom.com.
Intro to Engineering (EGR 101), Fall 2013, Water Balloon Launcher Final Project
Students in Dr. Pingen's and Dr. Schwindt's EGR 101 class were assigned the task to apply the Engineering Design Method to design a "launcher" to "fire" water balloons at targets placed at distances between 50 and 115 feet. Launchers could use a compressed air cannon, catapult/trebuchet, or crossbow/slingshot mechanism to launch the water balloons. Each launch was scored based on distance and accuracy with the highest scoring design being the Catapult shown to the right and designed and constructed by Rachel Brewer, Victor Comer, Garrett Floyd, and Aaron Hively.
Aside from launching water balloons in below freezing temperatures, the competition was a success, allowing each of the 5 teams to explain and display their engineering designs. One team designed a catapult, one team a trebuchet, one team an air cannon, and 2 teams used a slingshot mechanism. Executive summaries for the catapult designed by Rachel Brewer, Victor Comer, Garrett Floyd and Aaron Hively and the trebuchet designed by Brady Chandler, Caleb Dahl, Bryce Miller, and Damion Utley. The slingshot designed by Andrew Ford, C.J. Neal and Bridgette Steiner, the slingshot designed by Alex Garey, Sam Jeong, and John Villareal, and the air cannon designed by Jordan Daughrity, Sonny Neal, Brady Webb, Quincy Gantt, and Cole White are demonstrated in the following video clipAdditional pictures from the design competition are also shown below: 
Thermal-Fluid Sciences II (EGR 450), Fall 2013, Final Projects
Students in Dr. Pingen's and Dr. Van's EGR 450 course worked on 2 different final projects this fall. One student designed a water distribution system for the town of Milo, Maine, while 2 teams of students studied the lubricating properties of the anti-friction metal treatment ProTec.
Project 1: Water Distribution System
Joshua Guthrie designed a new storage tank and water distribution system for the town of Milo, Maine. The primary objectives of his project were to design a new water tank based on a 24-hour demand cycle with appropriate fire reserve, selecting appropriate pump and pipe sizes. Further, Joshua designed the water distribution network for a new subdivision in Milo. Details of Joshua's work can be seen in his presentation.
Project 2: ProTec
Two teams of students (Team A: Cody Giles, Kian Jost, and Taylor Mayo. Team B: Matt Bentley, Eric Ramirez, and Andrew Tan) investigated the properties of the anti-friction metal treatment ProTec. Team A focused its attention on the effect of ProTec over time and the ideal Oil/ProTec mixture (see presentation for details). Team B compared ProTec to pure motor oil - as shown in the Figure below — and to several alternative metal treatments (see presentation for details).
Spring 2013
Thermal Fluid Science I (EGR 250), Spring 2013 Semester Project
Rocket Mass Heater
During 2011/2012 students from the Moroccan engineering school — ENSAM — collaborated with personnel from the International Development & Relief Board — IDRB — on the design of a Rocket Mass Heater for an elementary school in Bab Berred, Morocco. Union students and faculty collaborated with ENSAM students and IDRB personnel on the installation of the Rocket Mass Heater as well as other heating and insulation projects for the elementary school in Bab Berred. The installed Rocket Mass Heater is shown in the Figure.
The objective of the RMH installation in Bab Berred has been to provide the school with an efficient and clean means of heating its classrooms during the cold winter months. The installed RMH (engineering drawing shown), designed to burn wood, is a great start. However, the ministry of education in Morocco provides coal to the school districts and it is desirable to use this coal as a heating source. In an effort of ongoing collaboration, ENSAM, IDRB, and Union have continued work on this project and it has been our objective this semester to explore variations of the RMH that permit the use of coal.
One of the modifications made to the original design was to chip out a channel in the mortar beneath the burn chamber to create a lower air intake as coal requires air-flow from below (see Figure). This was covered by a grate on which the coals burned. Coal required more draft to burn cleanly and stay alight. The best way to start a coal fire in the rocket mass heater was to light the coals externally and place them in the burn chamber when they were already burning.
During the Spring 2013 Semester, students designed and constructed a coal based Rocket Mass Heater, details of which are displayed in the attached PDF Poster (attach PDF). Further, teams of 4 students each designed and constructed portable "Pocket Rocket" stoves, which competed in a cook-off competition to see which stove could boil 1-liter of water in the shortest amount of time. Videos displaying each team's pocket rocket are displayed next.
Team A: (Lydia DeWolf, Joshua Guthrie, Eric Ramirez, Zach Wadley)
Team B — Competition Winner: (Will Duncan, Andrew Tan, Matt Bentley, Taylor Mayo)
Team C: (Shane Caver, Jon Vunk, Cody Giles, and Chris Love) - no video available
We would like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Ron Friesen, who worked with us weekly throughout the semester and invested countless hours into the project. We would also like to thank our local and global supporters without whose support this project would not have been feasible: Dale's Recycling, Fireplace Center, IDRB, Jackson Fire-Department, The Chimney Doctors, TVA: Johnsonville Fossil Plant, Union University Art Department, and Union University Facilities Management.
Rocket-Mass Heater
Big rocket-mass header in action
Fall 2012
Experimental Methods (EGR 342), Fall 2012. Study of the Effectiveness of Aerobars
During this semester of EGR 342, students were presented with the following scenario:
"You are working as test engineers for Profile Design. Engineers working for Profile Design's product development department have recently developed a new set of aerobars for road bikes. While it is widely believed that aerobars can considerably reduce the aerodynamic drag felt by a road-biker, leading to an improvement in bike speed, the improvement has not been quantified. The marketing department at Profile Design is planning to submit a 2 page article to next month's "Cycling" magazine, proclaiming the revolutionary and cost efficient speed gain that can be achieved by adding these $70 aerobars to a standard road bike. Your project testing team has been tasked with the design, execution, and analysis of a reproducible experiment to quantify the speed gain observed by recreational bikers that typically average 18mph when riding without aerobars..."
The students performed experiments, comparing the cycling speed at constant heart-rate for aerobars and regular road-bike handlebars, leading to an average increase in speed of 1.41mph and a standard deviation of σ=1.03mph. Performing a Student-t test, the students showed that the aerobars resulted in at least a 0.546mph increase in speed at a 95% confidence level. Further, students were presented with test results obtained using a power meter at different velocities, as shown in the Figure. Using the theoretical relation between power and velocity
Where W is the power, KA is a coefficient based on the drag coefficient, cyclist frontal area, and density (KA=CDAρ/2), V is the cyclists velocity, and F is a force due to rolling resistance. Utilizing this equation, students found a reduction in KA from 0.254 for regular handlebars to 0.198 for aerobars, reinforcing the considerable benefit obtained through a more aerodynamic cycling position.
Final Project
For their final project, students in EGR 342 worked in 2 teams and submitted executive summaries of their studies.
Team 1: Zac Baker, Cody Giles, William Murray, Rainer Pires, Zach Wadley, and Alex Wainscott — investigated the effect of pressure on the performance of soccer balls. Executive Summary of the Project (.pdf)
Team 2: Dylan Baker, Alex Charles, Todd Jones, Taylor Mayo, Grace Morriss — undertook a project entitled: "Take your Best Shot" to determine the shooting position with best accuracy and precision.Executive Summary of the Project (.pdf)
Thermal Fluid Science II (EGR 450), Fall 2012 Final Project
Aero/TT Helmet Design
During the Fall 2012 Thermal-Fluid-Sciences II class, student teams were tasked with the design of aero/time-trial cycling helmets using a combination of literature research, wind-tunnel tests, and analysis using computational fluid dynamics.
As illustrated in Figure 1 to the right, the 2 student teams started with an existing helmet, analyzed and designed an improved aerodynamic shape, and manufactured the final helmet using fiberglass composites.
The design process and steps taken during the construction process are illustrated in the following two videos created by the teams.
- Team A: James Avery, Dylan Baker, Thomas Drury, Joel Ingram, Phillip Johnson, Rainer Pires
- Team B: Todd Jones, Scott Kahler, Caroline McConnell, William Murray, Alex Wainscott
Spring 2011
Pseudo 3D Thermal - Fluidic Topology Optimization
Caroline McConnell & Georg Pingen
Undergraduate Research Spring 2011 - Spring 2013
Caroline McConnell has worked with Dr. Pingen on the development and implementation of a pseudo 3D thermal-fluidic topology optimization in order to determine optimal design for heat sinks. Caroline used Matlab to implement the pseudo 3D flow solver using the lattice Boltzmann method and a dual-layer topology optimization framework as illustrated in the figure.
The developed optimization framework was tested using the design of a heat sink as shown in the figure below. Blue represents prescribed fluid regions to reduce inlet and outlet effects. Red represents prescribed solid material. Flow is driven by a pressure difference between the inlet and outlet. The objective is to maximize the heat transfer from the thermal base-layer. Analytically, an optimal number of straight fins can be determined assuming flow between parallel plates.
Using a heat sink design with 7 possible fins as shown, an optimal design was determined with 3 active heat sink fins as shown in the following figures, which illustrate the design iteration process as well as the velocity and temperature distribution for the final design. For additional details, the interested reader is referred to Caroline's poster (.pdf) from the ASME conference or the full paper (.pdf) published in the proceedings for the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 2012 - IMECE2012.
Undergraduate Research Grants
Fall 2020
- Jay Bernheisel and Davina Norris: "Testing for Microbiological Contaminants and Arsenic in Water Filtered by Ceramic Water Filters from Nepal"
- Georg Pingen and Emory Craft: "Reducing Flow Separation using Variable Thickness Airfoils"
Fall 2017
- Georg Pingen and Gabriel Garneau: "Fluid Design Optimization using Boltzmann's Equation and Discontinuous Galerkin Methods"
Fall 2016
- Georg Pingen and Matthew Owen: "Computational Microfluidics Study of a Knudsen Pump"
- Randal Schwindt, Rachel Brewer and Brady Chandler: "The Experimental Design Optimization of a Solar Hot Water Heater for Orphanage Emmanuel"
Fall 2015
- Georg Pingen, Seth Guiler, and Chelsea Johnson: "Development of an Appropriate Solar Water Heating Solution for Orphanage Emmanuel"
- Randy Schwindt, Nathan Parke, and Erin Picard: "Honduras Photovoltaic Project"
Fall 2014
- Jay Bernheisel and Matthew Bentley: "Design and Optimization of a Top-Lit Up-Draft (TLUD) Biochar Gasifier for Soil Amendment"
- Georg Pingen and Chelsea Johnson: "Fluid Design Optimization Using Multigrid Solvers"
Fall 2013
- Georg Pingen and Zachary Benson: "Development of Kinetic Theory Model for Macro- to Micro-Scale Applications"
- Don Van and Alex Charles: "GoPro Camera Drone"
Fall 2011
- Georg Pingen and Caroline McConnell: "Thermal Design Optimization"
Fall 2009
- Jay Bernheisel and Bradley Kiddie: "Union Engineering: IEEE Robot Design Competition Project"
Summer 2008
- Jay Bernheisel and Will Trautman: "Motion Research Using the Sankyo SR8438 Robot"
Fall 2007
- Jeannette Russ and Blake Waggoner: "Engineering Robotics"
Fall 2006
- Jeannette Russ, Zack Jackson, Joshua Shrewsberry, Jeremy Sullivan: "Autonomous Robot Design"
Fall 2005
- Randy Schwindt, Ginger Allen, Jon Brasher, Jeremy Sullivan, Josh Armacost, Joshua Brooks: "Solar Energy Business Feasibility: A Study for Missionaries in Northern Africa"
Fall 2004
- Jeanette Russ, Ginger Allen, David Foster, Weston Gentry, Andy Robinette, Josh Shrewsbury: "The Little Box: A Device for Assisting Children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI)"
Fall 2003
- Don Van, Christina Johnson and Stephen Yzaguirre: "Revisit the Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle for Efficiency Enhancement"