*********************************************************** Very important: All projects MUST include a variety of realistic constraints, such as economic factors, reliability, aesthetics, ethics, and social impact. *********************************************************** Wish-list projects (undone) Proposer (JQuinn): MSWindows program to open EDS/EDAX and XRF spectra, plot, rescale, colour, print, and peak-identify. Proposer (JQuinn): Battery-operated ring-light for stereo-zoom microscopes and macro-cameras. RGBWIrUv concentric and variable angle. Remote (bluetooth or equiv) control from Android (touch screen) device. Proposer (JQuinn): Stabilized (vibration reduced) articulated-arm with 1/4"-20 macro-camera mount. 360-degree arc, 2'x2' reach. Proposer (JQuinn): Pop-up roof-hatch for handicap access to a generic passenger van. Proposer (JQuinn): Blue-tooth, serial, or USB record vertical/horizontal motion recorder (encoder), over 3 meters, 200Hz, 1mm step (or better), 0 sec to 1000 sec, with slider. Proposer (JQuinn): Life-sized outdoor art BCC, FCC, HCP, etc... crystal models. Proposer (JQuinn): Retrofit optical microscope (reflection and transmission) with hi-intensity LEDs and water-cooled optics for low-light measurements. Proposer (JQuinn): Retrofit optical microscope (reflection and transmission) with microgigapan capabilities. Proposer (JQuinn): LED cube (nominally 10x10x10) to display user-selectable crystallographic planes. Proposer (JQuinn): Cryogenic impact-tester for small polymer samples. Hold orthorhombic samples with all edge dimensions between 2 and 20mm. Sample immersed in LN2 bath, with bath dropping 1.0+/-0.5 seconds prior to impact. Proposer (JQuinn): Solder reflow oven with reflection/transmission microscope for imaging up to 200C. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2023 thru Spring 2024 Dry Chemical Powder Dispenser Kevin Beagen, Anthony Cucinello, Andrew Kiffer, Christian Saby Many university students in graduate programs face the challenge of weighing materials with a highdegree of accuracy. The dry chemical powder mixer aims to solve this problem by automatically proportioning dry powders to a very high degree of accuracy, allowing measurements to be accurate and repeatable due to the lack of human error. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B RIIMS: Bicycle Rims: Braking & Regenerative Inertial Integrable Motor/Mechanical System Alexander Basquial, Charlie Crawford, Patrick Lewis, and Hannah Murdolo While cycling is a common mode of transportation, cyclists often experience repeated non-recoverable losses of their kinetic energy when braking. Our system would be designed to recover the lost kinetic energy of a moving bicycle that’s normally lost as heat to brake pads. From a mechanical standpoint, we can foresee accomplishing this by storing kinetic energy in a flywheel or elastic energy in a spiral power spring. However, from an electrical standpoint, this could potentially be accomplished by rotating a dynamo generator to decelerate the bicycle wheel, and use the principle of magnetic induction to charge a battery. With an electrical design, solar power could potentially be integrated for additional power generation for inertial assist. The final design for our system will incorporate one or a combination of the following courses of actualization to provide inertial and acceleration assist to the cyclist. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Algae Air Purifier Ameen Adeyeye, Yaseen Jalili, Abbas Zaidi Poorly ventilated rooms without the capability of opening apertures like doors and windows can have a slow but negative impact on long staying occupants. We aim to create a photobioreactor system to propagate algae, Chlorella vulgaris, within a container aerated by an air pump and filtered by installed air filters in hopes of achieving better indoor air quality. The photosynthetic algae will consume the CO₂ exhaled by the denizens of the room, releasing O₂ to be inhaled accordingly, combining the utility of a conventional air filter with relatively oxygenated air. Sensors will measure important properties of the algae medium, including pH and CO₂ concentration, to monitor its effectiveness as it propagates. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2022 thru Spring 2023 (TAPP) Titania Aided Photocatalytic Purifying Filter Tatiana Rascoe, Gabriela Zanko, Julia Greco, and Gene Castro Lack of access to safe water sources leads to millions of cases of bacterial and viral illnesses each year. To improve water quality and reduce the strain on healthcare systems within these regions, our product aims to remove physicaland biological pollutants from drinking water by utilizing ultraviolet germicidal irradiation via sunlight. The filterwill consist of a coarse filter, a biochar stage, and a photocatalyst coated filter material. In the presence of UV rays, oxygen radicals produced by the photocatalyst will bind to the contaminants, deactivating them into less harmful forms. This product will greatly improve water quality without an artificial UV source. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HiTTM (High Temperature Testing for Materials) Joseph Cerafice, Aidan Donnelly, Helen Tran, Kayle Watson Expanding material testing settings is vital to measure several crucial mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, since material testing contributes to a better understanding and quantification of whether a certain material or treatment is appropriate for a certain application. A testing environment that often causes difficulty is a high temperature environment which is especially relevant in the case of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) as it can experience changes to their elastic moduli at high temperatures. While the elastic moduli of bulk materials at these temperatures is known, specialized materials such as composites or coatings remain unknown. Introducing HiTTM, high temperature testing for materials, the modification of the impulse excitation device to operate in a high temperature environment of dynamic testing is required. HiTTM’s goal is to introduce accessibility, convenience, and efficiency, all in one design. It uses the Fourier transform of the vibrations a material makes when struck to determine its dynamic elastic properties. In a high temperature environment, the apparatus and devices required for the test would need to be suitably adapted. Under the right constraints, this vibration occurs at the material’s resonant frequency, which is then used to compute the properties using common formulas. The project is to developa low cost add-on application to a box furnace that can deliver comparable precision by adapting ASTM E1876 for a high temperature environment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Detachable Van-Ramp for Handicap Accessibility Sebastian De Gris, Alex Mukamal, Michael Perez, Sarah Sammons Most handicap van ramps used to aid wheelchair users in entering and exiting the vehicle are both permanent fixtures and occupy cargo space. Those ramps which do accommodate these limitations are professionally modified, which can cost well over twenty-thousand dollars. Both a materials and design approach resolve these issues by providing a structurally-optimized, space saving, yet removable attachment suitable for universal implementation. One possible solution consists of an extendable ramp located on the roof of the car, which can be easily lowered andraised back up, giving users accessibility without losing cargo space or having a non-removable fixture. The design of the ramp also optimizes material and extrinsic properties such as strength-to-weight ratio, aerodynamics, andcorrosion resistance. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fall 2021 thru Spring 2022 Controlled Atmosphere Sample Transfer System Robert Anderson, Allen Bethencourt, Alvin Zhang, Nyron Sawh The Quantum 2000 is an industrial grade XPS analyzer developed by PHI Physical Electronics. A controlled atmosphere sample transfer system would provide a mobile environment that can be purged of air contaminants via a Nitrogen or Argon gas. This will allow one to apply a final treatment (such as UV irradiation) before being placed in the analyzer. Possible customizations include: 1) The ability to attach non-permanently so it can be used only when needed 2) Take measurements to confirm treatment application (likely via laser) before entering into analyzer. 3) Modular design for different treatments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thermoelectric Waste Heat Energy Harvester Tyler Salmeri, Vivian Su, Steven Holder, Donald McMahon Wood burning stoves are subject to energy losses as a result of several different processes, including convection through walls/structure, part removal, radiation and infiltration. While modern natural gas furnaces may run at efficiencies upwards of 98%, waste heat is still generated at sufficient enough levels for one to take advantage of the Seebeck Effect. By utilizing p-n junctions and the Seebeck effect, a thermoelectric generator would allow the generation of electric energy from the losses of heat. A thermoelectric generator device would be used for a wood burning stove and generate energy from the excess heat to charge an external battery for future use. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Z-Stream Device Nazid Quadir, Evanna Plakas, Tonni Sherard, Roseann Walker, and Alexandra Zararis Surface charge measurements are needed for many industrial applications such as wastewater treatment, paper making, and textile recycling for good quality products to be created. To find surface charge, you would calculate the zeta potential, which cannot be directly measured. We use streaming potential to find zeta potential. Our device will measure streaming potential, fluid conductivity, and pressure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Permeability Test Cell Sanjana Ali, Jordan Friedberg, Alvin Kim, Manosh Majumder Permeability measurements are important for materials because it measures gas transport through materials, It is a standard measurement for organic and inorganic membranes which can be applied to many industries. Such industries consist of food packaging, fuel cells, and batteries. Our design, a permeability test cell, will allow these industries to measure the permeability of the membranes by measuring the pressure difference of the desired gas such as compressed air, helium, and oxygen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cryogenic Impact Tester Minyao Zheng, Mujtaba Raja, and Zhongkai Wong Studying the fracture surfaces of soft polymers is useful for many industries and educational institutions, such as universities, filter manufacturers, and companies. However, it can be difficult to produce a consistent break on soft polymers without making the sample brittle. With a cryogenic impact- tester, a sample immersed in liquid nitrogen, which will “freeze” the soft polymers and make them brittle, will be broken by a hammer immediately after it’s out of liquid nitrogen. Cryogenic Impact-tester allows a clean fracture surface to be studied. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2020 thru Spring 2021 GenuBrace Peter Buffolino, Mayumy Cordova, Hao Li, Brian Hartmann Knock knees (GenuValgum) is a knee disorder which is tied to many well known conditions such as ALC injuries and Osteoarthritis. GenuBrace is an adjustable knee brace for adults who have active symptoms of knock knees. Patients will have their braces custom 3D printed based on knee images from their physician. Users will be able to adjust the level of support using a tuning dial on the GenuBrace, connect with our app which syncs calendar reminders to inform user when to adjust their GenuBrace based on activity, and connect the GenuBrace with smart home workouts which will give recommendations on support adjustment levels based on the chosen workout. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Affordable Catalytic Muffler and No-Spill Gas Attachment Alisha Walia, Michael Verni and Sarah Sammons According to the EPA, 5% of U.S. air pollution is generated by gasoline powered lawn mowers. Cutting down on lawn mower emissions can significantly impact our mission, which is to reduce air and groundwater pollution caused by lawn mowers. Preventing fuel leakage would also help us achieve our goal since gas mowers are a major source of gas spillage and result in an annual spill of over 17 million gallons. Our team proposes an external emission filtering device based on a scrubber model to reduce emissions of harmful gasses, and a spill proof 3D printed gas nozzle attachment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Passive Improved Solar Still Desalination Charles Clark, Varun Jhawar, Szymon Luchowski, Rohan Chandakkar A Solar Still is a passive desalination device that converts salt water into potable drinking water by using solar energy to evaporate and distill the salt water. Creating an efficient, cost effective solar still can allow groups anywhere around the world with access to sunlight the ability to create clean drinkable water. Augmentations can also be selectively added to the solar still design to further improve the yield of clean water while keeping costs minimized. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anti-Vibration Camera Mount for Macro-Photography Joseph Heinz, Alvin Chen, Ener Chen Macro photography is used across the world both as a hobby and a profession. This design will feature a portable near-universal DSLR camera mount that provides full 360° arm rotation, two feet reach, and vibration-reduction material. The camera mount will be made out of two main materials - carbon fiber for lightweight durability to keep the mount as well as the camera intact, and a shock absorption and damping material known as sorbothane to break material contact for immense vibration reduction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BIRD Box (Bio-Indicating Rehabilitation Design Box) Emma Peleg, Elinor Coats, Nylette Lopez, James Cotrone Urbanization of Long Island has caused the destruction of natural hydrological cycles, leading to an increase in flooding, runoff, and habitat loss in the Atlantic Flyway, a prominent migratory path for birds. BIRD Box is a redesigned green-infrastructure system intended to retain/absorb excess stormwater while generating a habitat for coastal migratory birds. To ensure growth and to provide user-friendly information about the health of the habitat, BIRD Boxes are equipped with bio-indicating sensors for pH, water level, and salinity which can be accessed via a website for individual users or as bulk data for engineering purposes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2019 thru Spring 2020 Smart Shelves Rhianna Ruggiero, Hope McDavid, Austin Choi, Brandon Chen A lot of time can be wasted trying to locate items due to poor organization. More specifically, this happens in libraries where readers can spend much time locating books on shelves. Books can also be put back in the wrong spot which makes them almost impossible to find. One solution to this problem is the creation of a smart bookshelf, called “Smart Shelves”, that can reveal the location of books to users through lights. The bookshelf would work using a microcontroller and sensors which would allow the shelf to memorize where a book was placed. Users will scan a book’s barcode which tells the system which book is about to be put on the shelf. The shelf will then light up which cubby the book should be placed in. Sensors on the shelf can tell where the book is and will allow the shelf to know if a book was placed incorrectly. To check out a book it can either be searched using the system which will cause a light to turn on where it is located, or it can be taken off the shelf after browsing. The book will then be scanned with a barcode scanner letting the system know that the book is getting checked out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bicycle Generator Gregory Cotron, William Sink, Zishi Wang, Zhu Peng Electronic devices are becoming more and more essential to our daily lives. As such, keeping these devices charged is becoming a prominent problem. Bicycles are extremely common and becoming increasingly popular as urban centers strive to be more eco-friendly. Our project is for a bicycle generator that uses the rotational energy of the bike wheels to turn a dynamo and generate electricity. This electricity will be stored in a battery or go directly into the device’s battery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stroke Rehabilitation Glove Anderson Seecharan, Anthony Heinz, Jared Ocasio, Mohammed Yafaie Strokes have been on the rise in America over the last several years. Our project will involve helping patients with light to moderate strokes by having a glove that will help support and stimulate the muscles of the hand. In conjunction with the glove, there will be an app associated with it to communicate with the glove. This communication will help the patient control the amount of resistance or stimulation being given from the glove. The idea will have an app on the doctor’s end seeing how the patient is going and possibly giving tasks. We will design the glove using CAD. The hope is that we will work with someone in Stony Brook hospital to give input on the design. We will then work on the app. The final design of the glove will hopefully end up in pre-FDA testing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Self-Contained Anaerobic Digestion System Lauren Asfour, Natalie Hersh, Greg Mangarelli, Elyssa Torres A lead factor in climate change is food waste, wherein approximately 50% of all produce is thrown away annually. The goal of this proposal is to create an anaerobic digestion system for the average homeowner that gives people the opportunity to create usable energy from their scraps. The self-contained anaerobic digester will be an allin-one system that has an eco-friendly design. The design of this digester will include a section that can grind larger organic material, such as banana peels, that would ordinarily be slow to degrade. This process would be accomplished using durable blades that could break the waste into easily digestible pieces. To make this process accessible, the grinder will be electrically powered through green energy or mechanical action. Wastes including carbohydrates, fats, and other organic matter can be placed inside the digester with water, producing methane gas. Sensors would be used to monitor water levels to alert the user when more has to be added. The methane could then be route to storage for use in a multitude of applications such as gas turbines, gas cooking stoves, or home-heating. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HVAC Sensor Attachment for Failure Detection Benjamin Reilly, Devlin Donnelly, David Reiter, Grant Gyldenvand Air conditioning units and small-scale HVAC systems fail when they are needed most, often with no indication why, how, or that they failed. These devices either fail and keep attempting to run with no indication of failure or shut off with no warning when a critical condensation level has been detected. This makes maintenance and service difficult because diagnostics must be completed first. One solution is an installable sensor kit designed for household consumers. This solution contains sensors placed at specific locations to monitor and differentiate between the possible under-performing components in HVAC systems. These sensors are controlled by a microprocessor and send warning to a user when critical values are reached that indicates oncoming failures in specific components. This allows for ease of maintenance, improved reliability, and increased appliance lifespan by earlier and more accurate failure detection. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thermoelectric Waste Heat Energy Reclamation System Carl Schmidt, Alexander Wong, Conner Muraglio, Joseph Asher As society faces mounting energy concerns, secondary energy reclamation techniques are of increasing usefulness and application, allowing systems to run more efficiently and harvest more energy per unit fuel source. Waste heat is a primary form of energy loss which under ordinary circumstances cannot be reclaimed. Internal combustion engines epitomize this notion, as they lose over 60% of energy to thermal losses. This proposal will utilize thermoelectric materials to create an electric circuit which can recoup energy loss from a desired system. This design is most practical on a smaller scale, everyday application such as an exhaust pipe for a wood-burning furnace. The overarching plan is to design a system which will be most efficient at generating electricity, while also being realistic and pragmatic in regard to the scope of the system’s manufacturing and application. The Center for Thermal Spray Research (CTSR) at SBU will assist in the design creation and requisite material procurement. This design will ultimately be comprised of a system of thermoelectric plates which harvest a quantity of energy from waste heat through an exhaust pipe. The prototype design will be made up of a 6x6 inch plate with doped thermally sprayed materials arranged in series across the plates but can ultimately be manipulated to fit more complicated geometric configurations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2018 thru Spring 2019 BAC Alert Watch John Gomez, Angela Hui, Jakob Reilly, Monika Singh Roughly a quarter of undergraduate students experience sexual assault throughout their college career. Over half of these cases involve the use of alcohol, by either the perpetrator, the victim, or both. A BAC alert watch, comprising of 1) a means to measure and monitor blood alcohol content (BAC) continuously, and 2) a means to alert the user and designated support systems of the BAC, is proposed to promote bystander intervention, awareness of potential dangerous situations, and reduce the number of alcohol induced sexual assault cases that occur on campus. ----------------------------------------------------- Pill Identifier Device Elan Bronshtein, Promit Chowdhury, Julia Eng, Sally Phan Poor medication adherence is an issue for independent seniors due to visual, auditory, and mental degeneration. A pill identifying device is proposed to help patients distinguish between their overabundance of easily confusable medications. This personal-use device will be able to identify a pill, and both audibly and visually communicate information about its use, dose, and side effects. The portable gadget will also be able to alert the patient about administration times to help them adhere to their medication schedule. ----------------------------------------------------- Eraser Magician Pedro Arias, Sonam Tharkay, Zuhair Sattar, Fangzhou Zhang Many professors find value in writing some concepts out during class. However, copying and erasing the board can take away valuable time from the lecture. The Eraser magician would be able to erase the board automatically without leaving any residue behind while simultaneously making sure it doesn’t interfere with the class at hand. The proposed device is comprised of a comprised of a rail and carriage system to guide the eraser and scanner assembly around the board. A microcontroller is integrated into the system to allow for the user to control the speed and shape the assembly moves around the board. The goal is to be able to erase and scan the whiteboards effectively and at a steady rate. ----------------------------------------------------- Emergency Alert Device for the Deaf Eric Linko, Michelle Niles, Zayyan Swaby, Md. Tahzeeb Tarique While the average person is arguably unprepared for possibly emergency situations, said unpreparedness is exponentially higher among the deaf community. A wristband that vibrates in response to a signal sent over AM frequencies would aim to assist deaf individuals in recognizing that there is an emergency. The signal would be sent out by a predetermined authority figure, such as a school administrator or a security officer, and would trigger the device to respond by mimicking the S.O.S. Morse code signal (three dots, three dashes, three dots) through vibrations. In addition to its primary function as an AM receiver, it can also function as an AM transmitter for the purpose of transmitting an emergency signal itself. The usage of AM frequencies would be useful in places where cell phone signals are very low, intentionally restricted, or just plain nonexistent. ----------------------------------------------------- Conceptual LED Display Juval Varlack, Albert Xiao, Rudgerry Ribert, Zachari Mantica Many students pursue degrees in various STEM disciplines. For these students, visualizing 3D Concepts using 2D resources can be quite difficult. Conventional teaching methods rely heavily on planar diagrams and textbooks to study the phenomena. A true 3D visual aid is needed to support these concepts. The proposed device would display static and dynamic 3D images using a very dense LED matrix. Logic boards for input control and a protective casing which will support the display are also needed. The goal is to accurately and effectively display crystallographic and chemistry concepts using 3D images for a classroom size of 1024 square feet. ----------------------------------------------------- The Kinetic Charger Emran Ghous, Nicholas Bradica, Sidhu Pathiyil, Matthew Gardner During long distance hikes, through-hikers find the need to periodically stop and recharge their devices due to a lack of available power. A portable device is needed which utilizes kinetic motion to charge electronic devices and thus provide hikers with the ability to convert their mechanical energy into electric power. The proposed device would consist of a gear assembly encompassing retractable cables, a generator connected to the gear assembly and a battery. The goal of this device would be to reduce the number of necessary stops that hikers would need to take throughout the course of their trip. ----------------------------------------------------- Articulated Camera Arm Zeyu Chen, Bingxu Jin, Xuxing Zhang Some researchers utilize macro photography as one of tools to observe samples. Macro photography requires the camera to be static in order to capture a clear image. A regular camera mount occupies much lab space, while current articulated arm mounts often generate significant vibrations during movement; the operator often needs to wait for substantial time for the camera stabilizes. The proposed device is an articulated arm mount with built-in vibration isolators that reduce the vibration transmission and help the camera to stabilize in less than ten seconds. This device is also capable of flexible positioning, ensuring the reaching angle of the camera (45 degree on each direction). Moreover, this device is compact and occupies less lab space. ----------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2017 thru Spring 2018 Bio Send: Wearable Device for Continuous Monitoring Physiological Parameters Pat Benedetto, Jordan Liebman, Andy Queliz-Tejada, Jessica Quizhpe Exerting energy while exposed to extreme temperatures can lead to a number of health issues. Individuals who are at risk of developing temperature related ailments, would benefit from consistent monitoring of their health metrics. This can be done through the use of a wearable upper arm band that continuously measures and monitors body core temperature, oxygen saturation levels and heart rate through the use of non-invasive sensors. Detection of abnormal physiological parameters, like low oxygen levels for example, will alert the user and a third party so necessary precautions can be made to prevent any health issues from worsening. ----------------------------------------------------- GasLight CO2 Sensitive Lighting James Bylicky, Tara Blittner, John Saputo, Michelle Nevins In a room with automatic light sensors, the lights will turn off after little or no movement. A proposed hybrid CO2 and motion sensor provides a method to both 1) Detect motion through a passive infrared sensor and 2) Detect CO2 concentration emitted from a human exhale in order to keep the lights on by determining human occupancy. The proposed design consists of three central components: a CO2 sensor, a central logic unit to record and process data, and an electrical relay capable of turning on and off a light. The goal is to keep the lights on effectively for a room size of 300 m^3. ----------------------------------------------------- Centripetal Force Water Filtration System Felicia James, Jerin George, Joy Abasolo, Mckingsley Williams Clean drinking water is not easily accessible in disaster affected areas. Lack of clean water will ultimately lead to various diseases and severe dehydration. The centripetal force water filtration system provides clean drinking water from contaminated water sources. The device consists of multiple filters, water passes through the filters using centrepetal force driven by a mechanical device powered through a rechargeable battery. ----------------------------------------------------- Garden Maintenance System Katarzyna Bramska, Ryan Gao, Lee Stetson, Zach Torpie The Garden Maintenance and Monitoring System idea will be designed to effectively combine soil pH, moisture, and light sensor probes via an arduino system as well as automatically water small plants such as beans, strawberries, etc. The system will measure soil runoff collected below the soil container. Once the water reaches a pH from water certain level in the collection unit, it will be pumped up into a reservoir container and reused to water the plant again. The automatic watering system as well as pH, soil moisture, and sunlight sensors will be controlled and monitored with an Arduino. ----------------------------------------------------- Cyclist Safety Device to Prevent Rear-End Collisions Chen (Kevin) Hao, Sebastian Puerto-Arenas, Sau (Jimmy) Lim, Jason Cheng When navigating complex roads or densely populated streets, cyclists are in danger of accidents with neighboring cars and other cyclists. Rear end collisions are the leading cause of cycling fatalities in the United States. Adding on lowered visibility situations, cyclists blind spots, the lack of bike lanes, and comparative size making cyclists difficult to see exacerbates the situation. A device that can sense oncoming traffic, predict rear end collisions and alert drivers of the cyclist's presence is necessary to prevent potentially fatal outcomes ----------------------------------------------------- 40-yard dash device Jingyue Zheng, Constantine Sargentini, Ilya Stotland, Barnabas Mako, Kelly Pabon "Short sprints are commonly used to determine the speed and acceleration of athletes. These tests, such as the 40-yard dash, are timed during solo training sessions. However, studies have shown that athletes obtain better results when racing a physical competitor, such as in a game. Therefore, in order to achieve optimal performance during training, that accurately represents an athlete's skills, a means of simulating a sense of competition is needed. The primary design goal is to create a mechanical pulley system which can be programmed to move a rope at a desired pace and attach a marker to the rope so that athletes can race against an imaginary opponent. By doing this, athletes will provisionally receive better results in training, and ultimately decrease their 40-yard dash times. ----------------------------------------------------- Smart Dispenser Justin Cohen, Alexandrea Innes, Matthew Mannetta, Macky Li Commercial buildings often have several bathroom stalls that may have insufficient amounts of toilet paper. The Smart Dispenser serves as a communication system that allows the custodial staff to get updated when the toilet paper supply is diminished. Using an optical sensor to distinguish the color of the toilet paper from the cardboard roll, the supply is always monitored. A GSM wireless communication device will be used to send a text message to the custodial staff once the optical sensor detects the color of the cardboard roll. A LED light will be used in the event that the notification system fails to increase reliability of the product. All electrical components will be encased within the dual toilet paper dispenser in order to reduce the exposure of wires in the environment. ----------------------------------------------------- Longboard Power Bank Aasif Jain, Dohee Kim, Hanjie Tan, Kenneth Luong The Longboard Power Bank is one of the solutions to extend battery life for USB devices. The design will convert mechanical energy produced from rinding the longboard into electrical energy. This can be done with the help of dynamos attched to the wheels of the longboard. The dynamo will generate electricity as it rotates with the wheels. The current generated from the dynamo will be stored in the power bank which will be used to charge USB devices. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2016 thru Spring 2017 "Automated Sealer for Trash Bags and Other Purposes" Taryn Black, Sergey Gelman, Olivia Higgins, Lauren Slater, Abdullah Yar An automated novel sealing mechanism for the medical industry that closes trash bags from inside the trash receptacle. The invention facilitates the disposal of waste, mitigates interaction with hazardous medical waste, and saves time spent on tying the trash bag. Both mechanical and electrical subsystems of the closing mechanism are controlled by an Arduino. Weight and infrared sensors are implemented to activate the sealing system for an accordingly timed seal based on the weight or intrinsic height of the waste. The determined full bag will be closed permanently with cable ties. ----------------------------------------------------- "D.A.B.: Drug Accountability Bracelet" Chukwuka Otuonye, Nitasha Roy, Teresa Martusciello, Mack McGuinness, Nicholas Olynik The Drug Accountability Bracelet (D.A.B.) is a wearable device focused on the detection of illicit drug usage. When a drug such as cocaine is used, it will metabolize in the liver. The unique metabolite, benzoylecgonine, is excreted through bodily fluids. Primarily urine is used to detect this metabolite, but benzoylecgonine also appears in sweat. This correlates to an individual's usage of cocaine. Typical detection processes require several days after individuals' use of cocaine. However, the D.A.B. will be able to quickly detect the metabolite either by an electrochemical reaction or based on acidity within 24 hours. Additionally, this device will include a heart rate sensor to determine if the individual is wearing the device. ----------------------------------------------------- Self-sorting Recycling Machine Jacqueline McGlynn, Joseph Giambalvo, Kharese Gittens, Oluomachukwu Agwai, Yeonjae Ji In recycling processes, proper separation of plastics, glass, and aluminum refuse is vital. Even in recycling outlets where separate bins and adequate labels for recyclable material is clearly displayed, wrong refuse are often dumped into the wrong bins. This design will tackle this issue by automatically sorting glass bottles, plastic bottles, and aluminum beverage cans and placing them into the proper recycling bin. The design will incorporate the use of photoelectric and inductive sensors to identify the composition of the recyclable and traffic the recyclable into its allotted bin via the use of motor-driven sliders. ----------------------------------------------------- "Automated Wiping System" Diming Lu, Jiawei Zhou, Oliver Lockwood, Richard Pak The automated wiping system is a device that is used to efficiently and quickly erase the markings on a whiteboard. This device has an adjustable top and bottom bar, which is attached to the top and bottom of the whiteboard, acting as the frame for the device. The frame gives the wheels that are attached to a vertical bar the direction to travel. The vertical bar is assembled piece by piece which allows user to freely adjust the width of the wiper. It also encases the motor, that powers the movements of the wheel. On the side which meets the surface of the whiteboard, is the dry eraser. This device will clean whiteboards faster, which will allow teacher to have more time and focus on teaching. ----------------------------------------------------- H2Woah - Water Consumption Monitoring Device Narmin Hasanat, Zachary Licht, Howard Siegfried, Andrew Sullivan, Antonio Xu Liu Despite efforts to reduce wasteful water use, showering is still one of the largest contributors to an individual's water consumption. H2Woah aims to provide users with real-time feedback concerning their showering habits in an effort to drive down waste. The minimally invasive shower head attachment offers a quantifiable and relatable unit in the form of dollars spent per shower, with relation to the cost of water based on location. An easy-to-use LCD display will indicate features such as a live feed of the monetary cost of the shower, and temperature. Longterm showering trends can be tracked using a compatible mobile application. ----------------------------------------------------- "Steam n' Clean" Kevin Aguila, Sergio Daly, Daniel Melin, Colin O'Connor, Stanley Shaji In everyday life most people have to either steam or iron their clothes in order to look presentable for work or a social occasion. Currently many people live fast paced lifestyles that leave no time for these tasks. Within this age of technology there lies the means, with which, to automate past technologies. This design will steam clothes automatically, resulting in one less thing for people to worry about. The scope of this project encompasses a fully automated and programmable steamer with the addition of a UVC light for dissipating bacteria buildup. Our design will both steam and refresh clothing. ----------------------------------------------------- "Emergency Siren Detection System" Jorge Bonilla, Richard Chen, Aidan McNaughton, Alexander Schreiber The inability of a driver to perceive and/or locate the source of an emergency siren frequently results in collisions with emergency vehicles. A device capable of detecting and alerting a driver of the presence of an emergency vehicle will act to absolve this issue. The proposed design will distinguish and locate an emergency siren and inform the driver of these parameters by utilizing multiple frequency detecting sensors. The device's processing unit will be situated inside of the passenger vehicle, with the sensors being housed and mounted externally. ----------------------------------------------------- "Up-N-Atom Safety Walker" Richard Pilla, Sean Samaroo, Keemari Thompson, Matthew DeKoning Currently, wheeled safety walkers are very barebones, and consist of cheap parts, and in some cases present new dangers to the elderly and disabled. This design will improve on contemporary designs and incorporate additional safety features. Using infrared and ultrasonic sensors, the walker will detect obstacles and alert the user to prevent tripping. The alert will be based around a vibration system. Additionally, a locking wheel brake system will be connected to touch-activated handles and lock the brakes after the handles are released to prevent slipping while sitting or leaning on the walker. A switch will also be included to allow the user to either disable the obstacle alert system, wheel brake system, or both. ----------------------------------------------------- "The Sea-Bass" Rohan Sanyal, Tyler Yee, Naveed Ahmed, Lautaro Epstein, Sebastian Woznicki Access to electricity is important to everyday societal functions. Our project aims to create a device to generate and store electricity by utilizing turbines rotated by flowing water. The electricity produced would be stored in a lithium-ion battery and be accessible through an outlet housed within the body. The body will be secured using a line and will be semi-submerged in a source of flowing water. The majority of the chassis will be manufactured through 3D printing so as to reduce the rolling resistance that the turbines will endure, allowing for a higher rotations-per-minute (RPM) to produce more energy. The energy harnessed will provide ample power to operate various electronic devices. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2015 thru Spring 2016 ------------------------------------------- "Phennix -Autonomous Early Wildfire-Seeking Drone" Edward Gildersleeve, Valliappan Lakshmanan, Martin Nunlee, Nicole Pasquino, Geoffery Rippy Presently, wildfires are most often detected by manned monitoring stations, aircraft flyovers, or members of public alerting authorities. This design will allow for the detection of wildfires in the early stages of formation without the need for constant human surveillance. Using GPS guided autonomous drones, equipped with emission sensors and infrared cameras, this design will survey a preprogrammed region and report back suspected wildfire locations. This sensor package can be retrofitted to any and all drone applications presently in use for the same monitoring methods. ------------------------------------- "DoorMann - Automated Car Door Collision Prevention System" Albert Marciniec, Michael Andreassi, Kevin Paray, Devon Bisson, Chiranshu Bhatia Opening a car door poses a risk of collision with unknown obstacles in the path of the door=E2=80=99s travel. This system will detect obstacles in the path of travel via ultrasonic sensors, and apply a sufficient force to the car door to bring it to a stop before collision occurs. The completed design will be both compact and robust, and be adaptable enough to fit onto any standard car door. ------------------------------------- "Solar Paneled Air Dispersal Extension (SPADE)" Michelle Duong, Ieisha Hinson, Linda Jin, Donald Liu, Ammarah Zaidi Having a car parked in the sun for long periods of time will cause the interior temperatures to rise and become uncomfortable upon e ntering the vehicle. Through usage of solar panels,fan units, and reflective windshields, it will be able to decrease the temperatures of the vehicle, while also limiting the amount of heat that will enter the vehicle. This extension will be ideal for use on hot days such as the Summer. ------------------------------------- "Bottle Muncher Can Jammer" Muyiwa Adeyeye, Andy Bertrand, Paula Brugnoni-Cobo, Yi-Hsin Chen, Jason Lai Plastic bottle and cans have large volumes that take up a lot of space. Therefore, to maximize the number of plastic beverage bottle and cans in one recycling bin, the Bottle Muncher Can Jammer will crush them with two cylindrical rollers with teeth that will pull the bottle through a narrow slit and crush them to one eighth of their original sizes. This way, the owners can recycle more bottles and cans as well as decreasing garbage bag usage and save money in the long run. ------------------------------------- "Vox Pump" Skyler Cange, Robert Harmon, Arvind Mangadu, Danny Nghieu, Nicole Vogel Most modern bicycle pumps are designed to be externally mounted onto the bicycle frame or the saddle rails, often left exposed where they can be subjected to debris, theft, and damage from impacts. The Vox Pump would reduce these instances from occurring. The Vox Pump is small enough to be mounted inside of a bicycle=E2=80=99s seatpost for safe = storage . It will have an alarm system that, when armed, will transmit an alert signal to the owner if the bicycle is moved excessively while the owner is away from the bicycle as a theft deterrent system. ------------------------------------- "Training Block Sensors" Yunlong Li, Natalia Popova,Thomas Quinto Practicing sprinting starts is a time consuming process. The training block sensor system builds on existing training blocks to help the coach collect runners starting reaction time from the first steps reaction, the second steps reaction, and the runner's velocity after the third step. The system's device will collect this data and place it in a table for a quick view, and can graph certain results together for a nice view of tens of data points. The system device allows for as many profiles to match the number of runners on a team, and for quick changing time between profiles using a touchscreen. Once the sensor system is set up a coach can leave the sprinters to practice on their own. ------------------------------------- "Good Vibrations - Audio to Haptic Feedback Device" Isabelle Cortes, Hannah Leonard, Brian Maddock, Nicole Moro, Madeleine Unger Hearing impaired people only recognize sound input though low frequency vibrations. Good Vibrations is a wearable product that recognizes a range of frequencies, which are put into three categories: low, medium, and high. Once the category is determined, the device will produce corresponding light and haptic feedback. This increases safety by alerting the user of danger by transforming audible alarms into vibrations and increases the quality of life by allowing a level of immersion into the surroundings that hearing impaired people may lack. ------------------------------------- "The Everyday Wheelchair" Thaylor Cacador, Kevin Chow, Tashi Sangpo, Brandon Shafran, Patrick Neville The proposed design is a wheelchair which gives the user a comfortable outdoor riding experience while maintaining the great indoor functionality of current wheelchairs. The lever operation will attempt to replicate a rowing motion to utilize a natural motion for extended use. The design will include a third rear wheel with two large front wheels positioned on the frame for optimal weight balance and comfort, a hand operated lever with adjustable height to allow for individual customization, and integrated suspension in the frame positioned by the third wheel. ------------------------------------- *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2014 thru Spring 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Peltier Camping Kit Fatimah Ashekun, Jessica Barnett, Vilyana Kalinkova, Richard Schmoll, Chatrik Sodhi If you get in a dangerous situation while camping and you are without access to outlets to charge your dead phone, what do you do? The Peltier Camping Kit utilizes the Seebeck Effect to produce electricity, without being connected to a major power source. All that's needed is a heat gradient, which will be produced by a grill and a cooler. The immediate thermal gradient between the two sides of the Peltier device will induce a voltage, which will then be transferred to a charging station that will store the energy as electricity. You can cook and keep drinks cold, all while charging your USB devices. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Timing Device for Pinsetting Motor Activation David Colucci, Andrea Gabriele, Jared Ferraro, Kyle Jaworowski, Larry Nembhard Older bowling alleys spend thousands of dollars a year on electrical costs to run the old fashioned motors that set the pins. These motors run continuously throughout the day once the lane is turned on. We aim to build a device that maximizes the efficiency of older pinsetting machinery. After a predetermined period of inactivity on the lane, the timing device will shut the motor off. The timing device will easily tap into the existing circuitry of the lanes and will be cost effective. Our project will allow bowling alleys to save money in electrical costs and energy, without the need for a complete and costly renovation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Multipurpose Bike Lock Ali Islam, Naomasa Miki, David Wang, Yuwei Wang Bike owners typically pump their bike once a week. With our integrated bike pump and lock design, bikers will always have a pump with them wherever they go. The primary goal of our design is to provide a multipurpose lock to prevent theft, flat tires and accidents at night. The coil of the lock will be made from thick high-carbon stainless steel, making it much tougher to break. The pump is integrated into the lock head. Additional functions include a reflective coating for night-time riding. This design will provide safety, convenience and ease of use for all bikers. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Parkinson's Cup Ramey Baul, Anamul Haque, Steeve Lebrun, Kiranjit Singh Parkinson=E2=80=99s is a degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system due to the death of dopamine creating cells. The most relevant symptom of this disorder includes mild to severe tremors. Extensive research to fight this disorder and figure out the cause of such disorder is still under way. We seek to create a versatile cup that interacts with the movement of those afflicted. The cup will counteract the tremors of the person to prevent spills. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Anaerobic Biogas Generation System for Residential Use Joseph Byun, Jessica Cruz, Alicia M. Elliott, Rachel Fenwick, and Tom Orvis Compostable materials composed over 50% of the U.S. municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in 2012, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The combustion of methane generated from anaerobic decomposition of this material can serve as a renewable, carbon-neutral energy source, simultaneously decreasing unnecessary contribution to the MSW stream. Our biodigestion system will safely produce and capture methane-containing biogas from compostable waste for residential use. The system will serve as a controlled environment, with the opportunity to monitor moisture, pH, and temperature levels, thereby facilitating the anaerobic breakdown of the waste by methanobacteria more efficiently than is typically achieved in nature. The process will generate combustible biogas and soil-enriching fertilizer solids as byproducts. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Circultification Tower Brian Bedney, Gordon Burrows, Jimmy Lee, Adrian Otreba, Ling Rong Qiu As the costs of heating homes rises yearly, new innovations need to be created to save homeowners money on their heating bills. The Circultification Tower is a system that will save homeowners money on their monthly heating. Designed to combat the effect of thermal stratification, the tower will circulate the relatively much warmer air from the top of the room and mix it with the cooler air towards the ground level of the room. Equipped with two fans, the tower will be able to mix the air in the room consistently, which will increase or maintain the room temperature. This saves the homeowner money from having to increase or turn up the heat in a room. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Improved Stove with Particulate Reduction System Michael Brauner, TianHe Qu, Lacey Schwab, Justin Wong To be environmentally responsible, the burning of hydrocarbon fuels should not be entirely eliminated, but used more efficiently. Improved make burning hydrocarbon fuels much more efficient but the ultrafine particles that are emitted are more harmful to human health than the fine particulates emitted from traditional stoves. The goal of our project is to create a system that will reduce the amount of these harmful ultrafine particulated exiting from the exhaust. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sustainable Supplement to Single-Use Coffee Pods (3SUCP) Olesya Bylim, Michael Penn, Alia Rafiq, Megan Salazar, Devin Sullivan Last year alone, more than 6 billion single-use-cups of coffee grounds were discarded in landfills. The excessive amount of time and effort needed to separate the coffee pod into its individual components stands in the way of sustainable disposal. Our team's proposal is to create a device that receives coffee pods and automatically separates, cleans, and prepares the single-use-cup for recycling. This multi-step process involves separation of the aluminum lid, plastic cup, paper filter, and coffee grounds into easily recyclable components. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Automated UV Towel Sanitation and Drying System Priya Dadd, Srujana Khanchibhotla, Fabiel Nunez, Kevin Thorp, Weishi Yan The continuous use of a damp towel over a period time creates the perfect environment for bacteria and fungus to grow (e.g., dermatophytes such as athlete=E2=80=99s foot and ringworms). Our solution is to create an easily portable and mountable towel disinfectant system. The system would be able to properly dry and sanitize towels (using UV-C technology) before every individual use. Our initial cost analysis is ~$200. This design ensures our model does not overheat and does not waste electricity. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Self-Watering Irrigation System Alison Egbon, Joseph De Molfetto, Samiha Shakil Conserving water is an important issue in society. Over the past decade droughts have been intensifying in the United States, and for much of 2014, 30% of the country has been in a moderate drought. Gardens require a large amount of water to maintain. The selfwatering irrigation system will provide an efficient way to water a small garden, requiring no contribution from a home water supply and very little maintenance. The device will use an air-to-water technique which will condense the humidity in the air to produce water. The water will reach the plants through a drip system. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CPR Training Mat Kilian Cardo, John Biore, Joseph Savelli, Andrew Zhang Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a technique when, executed properly, has the potential of saving a human life. However, cases exist where individuals practicing this technique were unable to deliver adequate compressions, and failed to properly stimulate the heart. With the introduction of the CPR training mat, one will be able to accurately monitor the depth and force of each compression, ensuring the technique is performed in a uniform and efficient manner. -------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2013 thru Spring 2014 Sheri Bossong, Peter McChensey, Mier Muller, Kumar Persaud Solar Powered Wastewater Treatment Station Abstract: In developing countries, there is an inadequate method for treating wastewater leading to an increase in disease and illness due to unsanitary conditions. The solar powered wastewater treatment station is to supply areas that do not have access to water treatment facilities an easy, convenient, efficient and cheap way to handle their solid waste. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Weixiang Fang, Brittany Gaddy, Danielle Lieber, Sean Wilson Household Water Conservation System As fresh water scarcity increases, there is a growing need for water conservation. This can be achieved on a household scale by recycling the cold water that is normally wasted when waiting for hot water when taking a shower. Currently existing hot water recirculating systems focus mainly on providing hot water instantaneously, which requires an inefficient, energy intensive process. To improve on this, the system will be made on-demand to limit energy inputs and focus on maximizing the amount of water saved. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Angela Horstman, Eric Agruso,Joseph Nowak, Michael Dolan, Oleg Shayko Mobile Bicycle Generator with a Solar Assist Throughout the world not only is there a need for electricity; there are many areas that lack an easily accessible source. By harnessing a natural source along with energy from transportation we will create easier access to a power source. The worldwide daily use of bicycles and the increasing demand for electronic devices creates the need for people to use both regularly. Our product will merge the two similarly to how the modern automobile has. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Gyeongmin Choi, Kai Suen Heavy Metal Testing Kit Designed for Soil and Food The industrial development is growing larger. Industries often discharge polluted water into lakes or rivers, mainly in China and India. The land nearby usually absorbs these water, and hence the land is contaminated by heavy metals. Yet, when these lands develop into farmland, the products grown are then contaminated as well. There are many testing kits for Pb in industrial products and there is a need for a new method to test for toxic contamination, not just for big farmland, but also for household. The idea is to develop a test kit that gives a simple field test for fruit, vegetable or even the soil whether they are contaminated or not. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ram Pandya, Srujana Kanchibhotla, Mohammed Shahed Angular Knee Measure with Digital Display Physical rehabilitation is an integral part in enhancing and restoring functional ability to those that deal with physical impairments or disabilities. It is imperative that those undergoing this treatment have the ability to exercise properly at home to maximize results. Our goal is to create a multi-featured goniometer that is affordable to the general public, so that it can be used to ensure proper form during exercise and rehabilitation without the immediate guidance of a professional. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dominic Silva, Steven Rosner Jawad Mourabet, Benn Yiufat Lam Carbon Monoxide Suppression Device Exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) is incredibly dangerous. Currently, carbon monoxide suppression systems are not available for residential use. Our portable device aims to prevent illnesses and/or deaths caused by carbon monoxide exposure by lowering the CO concentration via a catalytic oxidation reaction. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chantal Douglas, Juliana Rogin, Emma Tobias Automated Safety Harness Fall Alert System A safety harness can prevent injury from an initial fall; the harness fails to protect the wearer from the risk of suspension trauma. The goal of our project design is to reduce rescue response time between victim and rescue personnel, and facilitate communication between the two parties in the event of a fall accident. This device is intended to be used by safety harness wearers who are in remote locations and cannot execute self-rescue or receive help from a person nearby. This design will automatically alert emergency personal and a programmed primary contact with the victim's GPS location. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Motorcycle helmet with air purification system Zachariah Smith, Rob Carroll, Harshdeep Banwait, Ryan Gaudreau As the amount of traffic worldwide increases, poor air quality on the road has become an increasing problem. Air conditioning provides fresh air for automobiles, but motorcycle riders have yet to find a way to overcome this problem. A new motorcycle helmet design with active filtration system would be a primary step towards providing clean air to riders. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dana Angelo, Kenneth Brown, Cicely Li, Katherine Mora, David Skaritka User Retractable Training Wheels Current bicycle training wheels do not effectively or safely promote children's progression to two-wheeled bicycling. Our goal is to design a training wheel system that will enable the user to lift the wheels to different heights while riding. A safety system will automatically engage the wheels to the ground to prevent the rider from falling. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kirill Nitikin, Filip Magda, Karl Rosello, Matthew Granata, Ian Sutherland Modular Pipe Diagnostic and Repair System Cracks in pipes are difficult to both detect and repair, potentially causing significant property damage. Our aim is to create a device which will be able to traverse a pipe in order to locate pipe cracks with a series of cameras. The device is intended to function mostly autonomously using a pneumatic movement system. After a crack is located, the device will attempt to fix the crack with an epoxy deployment apparatus. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2012 thru Spring 2013 Gerard Harley, Greg Smith, Binal Sheth, Devin Feeney Portable Water Filtration System Water contamination can cause widespread disease and death in areas of the world with poor access to potable water. People in areas without a supply of clean water either in remote locations, disaster zones, or undeveloped areas need an effective and efficient way to treat their water. Our goal is to create a low cost and portable water filtration system to be used by individuals or small groups when there exists a need to filter local water. Thomas Fann, Phil Bryan, Cathy Chan, Elaina Anderson "Methane Extraction System" Domestic water wells near hydraulic fracturing sites often have high levels of methane contamination. Methane is safe to consume, however in levels over 1%, the probability of asphyxiation and household explosions rapidly increases. This system is designed to sense the amount of methane in the water and subsequently remove the contaminant before the water exits the faucet. Collin Olson, Mike Inglima, James Ging, Agnes Hur "Low Cost Point-of-Use Water Filtration System" A low cost water filtration system is being designed for single families in impoverished areas. The filter will focus on removing particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals; contaminants most commonly responsible for causing adverse health effects. Cloth, charcoal and chitosan filters will be used as filters, and solar panels will aid in extending the lifetime of the filters. Eric Chung, Amey Mohite, Alvin Chun, Crystal Yu "Pump-Filtration System by Multi-step Process" Recent advances in water filtration have created new and exciting prospects for drinkable water delivery system to many countries. Combination of easy accessible materials enables high quality filtering and optimization of multiple processes and techniques used in intricate water treatment system. Traditional water pump, specifically linear-type positive displacement pumps have potential to be improved in terms of its cost efficiency by instead, using reciprocating-type pump. In summary, the combination of the current techniques into highly compatible multistage system is producing increased efficiency in water delivery and filtration. Erik Perez, Edema Oviawe, Carlos Vasquez-Ortiz, Seemab Yousuf Emergency Water Desalination System Safe drinking water is extremely limited or non-existent after an emergency situation when people are stranded at sea or only have access to the ocean. In order to address this need, we are converting saltwater to portable drinking water. This process usually requires a large-scale desalination plant and plenty of dependable electrical power--neither of which is available in this type of situation. By using a compact reverses osmosis desalination system we will provide a portable solution that can be attached to a typical safety flotation devices or emergency kits and provide about a bottle of drinkable water. Luis Inamagua, Sergio Arauz, Timon Sewpal "Integrated Child Car Seat" The basis of our design is to integrate a child safety seat into an adult car seat. The seat will differ from conventional car seats by providing proper side and neck restraints while still employing the recommended five point safety harness system for a child under the age of 8. The use of power seat technology will enable the adult seat to convert into a child seat with the push of a button. Jenny Powell, Joseph Vierling, Josef Gaster Kinetically Powered Heated Gloves In any cold weather situation it becomes important to protect the body’s extremities from exposure and keep them comfortable. Traditional heated gloves rely solely on battery power or chemical heating, and are therefore limited to the life of the battery or to the chemical reaction. In an attempt to reduce battery waste and lengthen the use cycle of the heated gloves, a combination of a self-inductor coil and a magnet with a rechargeable battery circuit can be used. The inductance coil will harness the kinetic energy of the wearer and supply it as electrical energy to power the heating coils. Ryan Killian, Pallavi Kundu, Michael Miller "Improved Wireless Waterproof Headphones" Our senior design plan is to design a headphone/earphone set that is wireless, waterproof, and aesthetically pleasing. This headphone will be used primarily under low-pressure situations. The headphone will be designed to receive an FM radio signal to play music/sounds from sources including MP3 Players, laptops, and radio stations. The headphone will run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and will have an estimated life span of 2000 hours. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Fall 2011 thru Spring 2012 Giorgio Guidi, Carolina Jackob, Jill Geraghty, Steve Knox Automotive Cooling System Locking Radiator Cap A radiator cap is being designed that prevents removal when high temperature and pressure are present in he cooling system (radiator) of an automobile. Removal of said cap in these conditions can result in the rlease of hot pressurized steam which can cause harm to operators. Introduction of an elastomer in the design of the standard cap will create a locking mechanism that prevents the removal at high internal temperatures as a safety measure. The elastomer will be compressed by a washer when a nut is tightened on a bolt, exherting lateral pressure on the inside of the radiator filler neck. In addition, the locking elastomer will be designed with a method for safe removal by a knowledgeable operator or technician. Tim Ela, Andy Hsiao - "Indoor Environmental Analyzer" In a world seeking green energy solutions and cutting down costs, very rarely does both the environmentally friendly and cost efficient approach agree. Cutting down on heat loss in homes and buildings can save money and save the environment. The current methods and services for detecting heat loss in buildings, however, are much too costly for the average home owner to afford. By connecting low priced sensors to smartphone devices, the costs can be greatly reduced. The device will be composed of several environmental sensors including a temperature sensor, to measure temperature drops, a humidity sensor, to help regulate indoor humidity, and a dust sensor, to analyze indoor pollutant concentrations. These low priced components, combined with a user friendly interface via phone software, will create a product that can be used by a typical home owner. Kevin Nastos, Dan Israel, Alicia Azzara, John Yacobellis Electricity from Auto Exhaust Due to the fact that 62% of the energy from an internal combustion engine is lost through exhaust gases and fuel prices are increasing, it is becoming more important to conserve energy. Exhaust gasses are a wasted source of energy which can be harnessed through an alternative energy system. Our proposal is to use the free energy of a car's exhaust to rotate a turbine wheel which will generate energy through a magnetic induction system. This will optimally assist in charging the battery or a series of smaller batteries which can be used to power on-board systems. This will help to improve the efficiency and reduce emissions. Gordon Chin, Calvin Ng LifeBan A heart rate/blood pressure monitor band worn on the upper arm could record the raw data in the form of blood flow velocity and frequency of pulses onto a flashdrive. The raw data can be synced onto a computer at the user's request and be analyzed to obtain heart rate and blood pressure for diagnostic purposes. Another function of the device would be to alert nusers via their cellular device of their condition (silent heart attacks) and their contacts as well as emergency responders if a cardiovascular event were to occur. Kayleigh Reamy, Deanna Quickle, Matthew Ross, Tom Kirshenheiter Bump-It: A Portable, Energy-Generating Speed Bump for Construction Zones Numerous vehicular deaths and injuries in construction zones necessitate a system to increase driver awareness and control speed. This speed bump's design is portable for ease of transport and installation. The top crest also collapses under the weight of the car, transforming the potential energy into electricity which will be utilized to power warning lights, aiding to increase awareness without further straining the power grid. Ben Li, Qiyuan Wu, Panagiotis Orkopoulos, Radu Thomas, Zhihao Chen Oil Skimmer Project Oil spills such as the 2010 BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico underline the need to contain the disastrous leaks that accompany deep-water drilling. A new oil skimmer design, particularly of the drum and scrapper components, can improve the efficiency of this process. By optimizing the surface area, the skimmer can take a better advantage of the different viscosities of oil and its properties with respect to water, leading to a bigger oil quantity/time ratio versus that of existing skimmers. Alyson Slanover, Aswitha Vempati, Chris Solomon Panic Cane Physically immobile and constrained people with dementia may wander and need to be located by a caregiver or emergency personnel. The goal of this project is to create a multifunctional assistive cane which includes an in-built tracking device to notify quickly the location for immediate response. Additionally, a light and panic button will be incorporated and easily accessible in state of distress promoting security and safety of the user. Jialiang Xian, Gordon Chen, Jack Yu, David Yao Cane/Reacher Our design is a cane with a built-in reacher that will eliminate the need for the user to bend down to pick up items. The reacher will be fully enclosed inside the cane and the cane handle will be coupled with a lever to initiate the push-and-pull mechanism for the reacher. The reacher will expand from the bottom half, allowing the user to retrieve hard to reach items. The handle design will implement ergonomics for maximum comfort. Umair Syed, Bradley Lesperance, Meng Li, Calvin Leung, Poornima Peiris Power Step: The Battery Charging Shoe The aim of this device is to transfer the energy produced by the walking/running movement to generate electricity, through the use of piezoceramics embedded in the heel of the shoe and protected by a gel-like substance. The impact/vibrations from running/walking will activate the piezoelectric material to generate electrical energy. In turn this energy would be used to charge handheld devices such as cell phones, iPods, GPS units, etc. Our design will encourage people to be healthy while they help make clean energy. Daniel Ross, Daniel Migiorino, Krista Jados Modular Piezoelectric Mats Our project consists of a regenerative power mat that generates electricity for charging either batteries or large capacitance capacitors that would then be put to use for other needs. The mat will generate electricity through the use of piezoelectric materials embedded in the mat. Piezoelectric materials generate electricity when compressed or otherwise strained. By placing the mat where there is high foot traffic, such as the entrance of a building it could be used to generate electricity, through having many people walk over it, straining the material embedded into the mat. The mat could also be placed in areas of high vibration to generate electricity through the same means *********************************************************** Fall 2010 thru Spring 2011 2010/11 Digital Stethoscope Amanda Chin Beach Shark "Net" Jack Davidson, Sean Cortes, Adel Djam StepNClean - Water Filtration Backpack Tom Schaefer, Christopher Hirschman, Riston Rocchio, Patrick Szeto GeeseBGone! Steven Ditta, Zheng Guo, Lukas Tierney Gap Minder for Commuter Trains Michael Flaherty, Lin Xi , John Hu, Frank Miceli Isothermal Bio-Shipping Box Daniel Lee, Konrad Kozdra Robotic Surveillance Christopher Lang, Mark Ku, Jean-Marie Caidor, Erik Barcus GoGo Gadget - Portable Chemical Sensor with Mobile Phone App Sal Marino, Feliks Peysakhov, Alex Raffio Fan-Plate - Portable, Foldable Plate Jordanna Kendrot, Gloria Choi, Alex Poznanski, Shun (Helen) Sun Solar-Powered Traffic Light Jose Santana, Uzair Shujaa, Miguel Pacheco Self-Contained Water Purification System Steven Cava,Felix Claudio, Jacob Dorfman, Kevin White *********************************************************** Fall 2009 Phantom: Remote Control Aerial Video Surveillance Gene Lider and Craig McCarthy Device for the Load and Deflection Testing of Model Truss Bridges Matt Fox, Eddie Long, and Rakesh Roy Proposer (JQuinn): (in the works for 2009/2010) Steel rig for testing of aluminum truss bridges. Should include loading to 1000 pounds with no deflection of the rig. Should include measurement of vertical bridge deflection in 0.001" increments. Truss mounts should be pivots with one-side translating +/- 1" along the horizontal plane. Strain gauges are a desired option. The Solar/Fuel Cell-Powered Cellphone Julian Tawfik The Stand Up Fanned Up: Advanced Clothes Dryer Michael Guggenheim, Matthew Thorstensen, and Jason Wang Carbon Fiber Roll Cage Brian Rodriques Rumble Cane Safid Bakar, Juan Pinales, Edgar Suarez, and Matthew Walker Reel-less Fencing System Steven Lam, Katherine Flynn, and Dereck Singh The Auto-Spotter Eugene Redko, Steve Beierle, and Eric DiGiovanni “In-Floor Dining Table” Istiague Baig, Jesse Custodio, and Javon Williams “Patient Care on the Move” Jason Kubasky “Frosty’s Home: Isothermal-Shock-Resistant Backpack” Matthew Dittler, Richard Triolo, and Ming Chen *********************************************************** Fall 2008 Prof. Christopher Weyant Solar Water Agitation Device to Reduce Mosquito Breeding Grounds by Muhammed Hussain, Kevin Li, and Jawad Rana Past efforts to help farmers in third world countries raise fish has resulted in large, fully stocked ponds that are now stagnant. These ponds are acting as breeding grounds for insects such as mosquitoes, promoting the spread of malaria. This project would be a water-agitation device run on solar power that can be built with local sustainable materials. Carbon Fiber Matrix Horseshoes by Christopher Berghorn This project will examine the applicability and functionality of carbon fiber/polymer matrix composites for high performance horseshoes. Wear capabilities, durability, biocompatability, and processing techniques will be examined and compared against current metallic models, to develop an improvement over existing designs. Piezoelectric Materials Testing Platform by Mukta Sundaresh and Nancy Shum A materials testing apparatus will be designed to explore the electrostriction effect in piezoelectric materials where deformation will be observed as a result of an applied electric field or source. The platform will become a universal platform for the nanoindenter in order to measure nanoscale deformation in piezoelectric and smart materials when electric signals are provided. Electricity Generating Shock Absorber by Thierry Lamour, Josh Landecker, and Alex Roertgen A device to harness the energy lost in shock absorption will be designed. The goal is to harness the kinetic energy of the up and down movement of vehicles and produce usable electric energy. Rising Net Pool Safety System by Giancarlo Alaimo, Christopher Del Gatto, and Kaleb Burnett Six people drown in pools in the United States every day. In order to help save lives by reducing drowning deaths, this project will involve designing a rising net pool safety system that can sense a drowning victim in a pool and automatically lift them out of the water. Liquid Nitrogen Level Detector by Jake Ranneklev, Jason Shank, and Dustin Tovar A level detecting device will be designed in order to sense the height of liquid nitrogen in a Dewar connected to the energy dispersive spectroscopy system on a scanning electron microscope. The device will also sound a warning alarm when liquid nitrogen levels are very low. Proposer (JQuinn): (unfinished) Remote LN2 height-sensor and alarm. Sensor with digital or analog height display to show liquid height between 3" and 24", in 1" increments. Below 3", the sensor would have audible alarm and visible alarm for atleast 72 hours. Sensor would also contain, low battery alarm for 72 hours. Standard batteries (AAA, AA, 123, 9V) must be used. Final object must be liquid and cryogenic tight. There also exist dimension/size constraints. Wheelchair for the Blind by Mustafa Arzomand, Marc Laroque, Jude Safo and Gary Williams) Mobility for disabled persons is important for improving their quality of life. For visually impaired people who also have mobility difficulties, self- sufficiency can be very difficult. This project will design a wheelchair that can sense surroundings and be able to move through areas with obstructions with minimal guidance from the user. Apparatus for Biofluidic Study by Jason Hamilton and Joanna Sisalima In patients with inflammatory disease, such as diabetes, decreased oxygen levels in the blood are related to the pathways and flow rate of red blood cells. A device will be designed for the in situ observation of blood flow in microchannels. This experiment simulates blood flow in the body’s microvascular system and will investigate cell function as a function of flow rate. *********************************************************** 2007-2008 A Thermoforming Machine to Manufacture Plastic Body Panels for an Off-Road Vehicle John Baglione An over/under type of thermoforming machine is described that comprises of three basic elements: an oven, a vacuum table, and a mechanism to move the plastic from the oven at the top to the vacuum table below. Scatterflex Saagar Govil, Eyal Bar-Kochba The development is reported of a flexible, non-heating light source suitable for the quantitative optical microscopy of biological tissues in-vitro or in-vivo. Two designs have been created: The first device consists of a polymer pouch containing a gel in which silica nanospheres are suspended, attached to a filtered fiber optic input. The second device is similar in principle but the suspending medium is solid silicone rubber. Braille Watch Mikael Marra, Angelica Tenazaca, Jennifer Jean Braille watches are of necessity touch-based, requiring that designs incorporate tough, touch-resistant materials. Classic designs involve two hands to indicate hours and minutes but unfortunately the hands tend to be brittle and subject to breakage through constant touching. A new design is proposed in which the hands are replaced by two concentric rings wholly supported by the base plate. Car Safety System Malav Mehta, Amr Sayed Ahmed The C.S.S. is designed to measure and analyze a driver’s brain signals, and to activate an alarm system when it determines that the person is falling asleep. Production of Porous Concrete Through Forced Air Injection Xenophon Papasimakis Porous concrete is typically made using chemical admixtures or air- entraining materials such as porous rock or flyash. A new method of producing porous concrete is proposed, involving a design that uses compressed air to form air bubbles in concrete. Implementation of an in-situ Dust Displacement Device Onboard the Next Generation Martian Rover Scott Perl The cameras onboard the Martian rovers must be kept safe from the harsh environment in terms of dust contamination, mobility assessment, and localization. An in-situ solution for camera lens integrity is proposed involving a device that uses magnetic fields within the range of cameras’ lenses to attract and later repel the ferromagnetic dust particles from the cameras’ field of view. *********************************************************** 2006-2007 Design for Safer Cooling of Pipe-Welds Onsite (Matt Elvin) Non-Intrusive Power Harvesting for Safer Bicycles on Campus (Jason Kim and Ganesh Singh) Direct-Write Thermoelectric Power Harvesting for Automobiles (Zachary Norwood) Materials for Electronic Smell Sense (Peter Simicic) Laser-modification of Collagen for Improved Cell Adherence (Ted Feldman) Piezoelectric Power Harvesting for Automobiles (Jack Burke and Ekram ullah Khan) *********************************************************** 2005-2006 High Temperature Dynamic Impact Tester Students: Sal Kutub, Timothy Lee Technical Advisor: Prof. Andrew Gouldstone Abstract: Contact mechanics methods (i.e. hardness, indentation) are often used to understand the mechanical properties of thick films on substrates. However, such systems are typically subjected to dynamic loads during service. In addition, a number of industrial characterization tests involve dynamic loading, from commercial systems to hammer strikes. No systematic test exists as yet. The goal in this project is to build a well-controlled impact tester for thermal spray coatings on substrates, with the capability to operate at elevated temperatures. Apparatus to Laser Ablation Coat the Inner Diameter of Pipes Students: Mir Anwar, Kelvin Montero Technical Advisor: Prof. Henry J. White Abstract: The cost of petrochemical based products is governed by the price of materials of construction used in the processing of hydrocarbons. To extend the life of the construction materials, coatings must be used to bring down the coking problem faced by the industry. The solution lies in coating the construction materials with a coke-resistant film. Laser ablation is a technique that is used to deposit coatings of a variety of materials on a suitable substrate. On a laboratory scale it could be used to coat the material on small coupons but on an industrial scale, a little engineering is involved to devise a mechanism to coat inside cylindrical surfaces. Sometimes economics dictate the materials of construction to be used for a particular application. The use of more corrosion-resistant materials usually increases costs and tends not to be a viable option. A solution to this problem could be to use an inferior material and coat it to resist corrosion and extend life. On a laboratory scale this is usually done on coupons, but on an industrial scale it needs to be extended to coat both the inner and outer diameter of piping. Apparatus to wrap individual DNA molecules Students: Gary Bunch, Peter Gin Technical Advisor: Prof. Jon Sokolov Abstract: The biomedical industry has suffered over the course of time due to the inability to extract a length of DNA long enough in order to examine it in detail. The problem exists when just a few of the “code letters” are arranged in a manner unsuitable for healthy DNA, and that this arrangement must sometimes be viewed in a long strand of DNA to detect. Using conventional methods, only undesired lengths are obtainable, the longest presently equal to about 1 mm. The effect of having longer (up to 100 mm) strands of DNA would obviously yield a respectable leap and better data for use in disease control and understanding in the biomedical field. An apparatus capable of extruding a long single strand of DNA will be designed and built. Crystal growth furnace for Synchrotron UV-assisted chemical vapor deposition of wide-bandgap semiconductor nanostructures. Students: Jenee Gatkins, Vyonna Chweya Technical Advisor: Prof. Carlos Rojo Abstract: The synthesis of wide-bandgap semiconductor low-dimensional structures is fundamental to the fabrication of enhanced electronic and photonic devices. However, controlling the nucleation and growth of low-dimensional structures (nano-wires and nano-porous particles) remains as one of the major challenges associated with bottom-up nanofabrication strategies. A synthesis reactor for GaN nanostructures will be installed in the U11 beamline at the NSLS at Brookhaven National Lab. The ultimate goal of this project will be to determine the effect of UV photons on the selective deposition of wide-bandgap nanostructures. Development of a remote environmental chemistry laboratory for soil testing and monitoring. Student: Ingrid Gaborova Technical Advisor: Prof. Gary Halada Abstract: A remote sensing system with wireless Ethernet/internet compatibility that would allow for development of a remote environmental chemistry (soil testing and monitoring) laboratory. This would be linked to a web page for development of remote education lab experiments for middle school through high school (and possibly college) students. The sensing system is in regards to the remediation and understanding of “brownfield” sites, which are sites that have low to moderate levels of industrial byproducts or residue in likely contaminated areas. Design of system to measure electrical properties of sprayed materials. Student: Evan Rorke Technical Advisor: Prof. Richard Gambino Abstract: This project is concerned with the design of a device that will test the electrical properties of sprayed materials. The device is intended to be used while being connected to a Keithley Multimeter to determine the material.s electrical properties. The device works by connecting to the metal strips with four contact points, with one set working as a source of current and the other measuring the potential drop along the strip. The commercial application of the device is in the electronics field for both labs and companies who wish to establish the reproducibility of their fabrication processes. Designing experimental tool for Raman Spectroscopy of organic molecules/materials. Student: Chidiebere Nwankpa Technical advisor: Prof. Gary Halada Abstract: The objective in this project is to adapt/modify an already existing spectrochemical prototype cell for use with an existing Raman spectroscopy microscope in the surface analysis and corrosion lab. Part of the objective is to utilize the cell in the examination of different organic molecules like citric acid, which is a minor organic acid with a PH of 1. We plan to us it in examining some large bio macro molecules found from degradation of organic molecules in order to investigate the interaction organic molecules with metals of different sorts and properties. **********************************************************
2004-2005 Project Description: Designing A Slurry Reactor System for Containment of Nanosized Metal Particles Point of Contact: Professor Devinder Mahajan Nanosized materials are considered the next frontier with potential applications in multiple disciplines. Nanosizing results in a larger surface area per unit volume that could result in enhanced reaction rates during an important class of reactions, namely catalyzed synthesis of clean fuels (fuels containing no sulfur or nitrogen). One of the reactions of commercial interest is the synthesis of clean hydrocarbons by catalyzed hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, also known as Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis. For commercial F-T synthesis, carbon monoxide and hydrogen reactants are typically obtained by steam reforming of natural gas and the reaction utilizes cobalt or iron-based materials as catalysts. The use of these nanosized materials is an attractive option to increase the space-time-yield of clean fuels but poses a challenge in the containment of these fine particles in the reactor. The project will assess various options to design a process that utilizes nanophase catalysts.
06/03/2004 Project Description: Develop a Sediment Washing Mixer Point of Contact: Prof. Clive R. Clayton Environmental remediation of lake, river and other sediments as well as soils by application of chelators and surfactants utilizes a mixing process. This project aims to simulate the industrial scale mixer for laboratory scale studies of the efficacy of cleaning solutions. The physical, mechanical and chemical components of the industrial mixing process must be analyzed and understood in order to build a portable bench top system.
05/26/2004 Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Development of an Ultra-Low Load NanoMechanical Probe for BioMaterials and Small-Volume Structures Point of Contact: Prof. Andrew Gouldstone Indentation experiments are ideally suited for the investigation of mechanical and coupled behavior of small volume structures, as they require minimal specimen preparation and can be performed repeatably and quickly on a single specimen. Traditional hardness testers are typically found in many metallographic labs, yet the loads they apply range from many kg down to 10g. Instrumented indenters have been developed to apply loads to a lower limit of less than 0.01g, yet the complex depth-sensing abilities of these machines greatly increase the time of experiments (~20-30 minutes per indent), time of calibration, and the cost ($100-200k). In this study, we will aim to develop an inexpensive alternative to such machines. We will design and build a nano-hardness tester that is capable of applying a single dead weight load of (0.1 -1g) to press a hard (e.g. diamond or WC) indenter tip into a specimen, with a spatial (horizontal) resolution of ~1 micron. The quick, repeatable and simple application of such loads (and subsequent observation under optical and/or electron microscopy) will allow mechanical and functional probing of a number of different small volume samples, and the the mechanical variation in complex bio-materials, composites, coatings and thin film multilayers. The depth of mechanics and engineering involved in this project make it appropriate for a team of 2 people.
05/26/2004 Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Design of a Jet-polisher for TEM specimen preparation Point of Contact: Prof. Perena Gouma This project involves the design and fabrication of a small polishing unit for thinning transmission electron microscopy specimens (of 3mm diameter) to electron transparency. The operating principle of such a polisher involves the simultaneous application of voltage and of a jet stream of an electrolyte (commonly a very corrosive chemical) onto the material to be thinned. The student/s to be working on this project will have to design and fabricate the electro-polishing cell, the jets, and the electronics controlling the voltage and the temperature (-30°C-50°C), current, and flow rate of the electrolyte. Extra points will be given for adding a timer and automatic shut-off control to this unit when a hole is made in the specimen.
05/18/2004 Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Enviromental chamber for in-situ confocal and atomic force microscopy of living cells Point of Contact: Prof. Miriam Rafailovich Advances in tissue engineering rely on our ability to engineer new materials which allow for proper cell migration, proliferation, and differentitation. Nanotechnology allows us to design materials at the molecular level. Hence, we can in principal control the mechanical, chemical, and topographical properties on a nanometer scale. In order to fully exploit this abilitly, we must first understand the effects of each of these factors on cell dynamics. Cells respond to external stimuli in a complex manner that triggers a cascade of events resulting in integrin creation, construction of actin scaffolding, and gene expression. Since these processes normally occur over several days, it is important to have the ability to be able to culture cells directly under the microscope lens. Cell culture requires precise control over temperature, PH, and gas content, while maintaining overall sterility. I would like to challenge a student to come up with a desing for a mini cell incubator that fits into the confined enviroment of the confocal microsope or the atomic force microscope, while at the same time can maintain physiological conditions for prolonged times. Veeco Instruments, which is the parent company of Digital Instruments and Topometrix AFM is very interested in this project and their engineers will work closely with the student in interfacing the atomic force microscope with the cell stage.
05/18/2004 Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Development of a high-pressure chamber for X-ray studies of III-nitride crystal growth from metallic solutions Point of contact: Gary Halada and J. Carlos Rojo Large GaN single crystals substrates are needed for the fabrication of novel III-nitride semiconductor devices for high- power, high temperature electronics, and short wave-length opto- electronics. While high pressure, flux growth is among the most promising approaches to growth GaN crystals, there is still a profound lack of understanding of the thermodynamics and growth kinetics associated with this growth technique. The optimization of this crystal growth process critically depends upon the understanding of the effect of the operational conditions (pressure of nitrogen, temperature, and chemical composition of the solution) and structure of the solution on the chemical composition and crystalline quality of the resulting crystal. This project involves design of a chamber to carry out characterization of the liquid-gas interface under conditions that can lead to the growth of III-nitride single crystals. Requirements: The chamber should be able to withstand high pressures (up to 100 bars). The chamber is equipped to heat the metallic solution up to temperatures between 800 and 1400 oC. The chamber must be compatible (in size and materials) with a typical beamline set-up at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory (specifications on the exact facilities will be provided student will need to coordinate with beamline personnel on design.) The chamber must have a pathway appropriate for X-rays and must interface with standard X-ray detectors.
05/05/2004 Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Weldment Design Point of Contact: Prof. Henry J. White, Alok Chauhan This design project will address structure, properties, processing and performance of weldment systems. Students will select weld processes to design solidification substructures within material systems (of the students choice). The students will learn about welding processes, material specifications, limiting factors controlling design of solidification substructure, and âhow to prepare metallographic specimens". At the conclusion of this project, it is expected that a poster will be produced that illustrates all five solidification substructures common to weldments: planar, cellular, cellular dendritic, columnar, and equiaxed. (# of Students: 2)
Posted project for Fall 2004 Project Description: Powder Mixer Point of Contact: Jim Quinn This project will conceptualize, design, and fabricate a powder mixing system for SLS/RP (selective laser sintering/ rapid prototyping) powders. Students will select a powder mixing process. They will optimize the process for the types of powders used, such as polyamide, copper-filled polyamide, glass-filled polyamide, and stainless-steel. The fabricated mixer will be implemented to blend constituents as well as recycling of new and used powders. An important design issue will be the ability to minimize aerosolized powder during addition, mixing, and extraction of the powder. Another issue will be minimizing mixer contamination and cross contamination. Another issue will be easy of cleaning. Funding for components will available from the SLS/RP lab and lab-fee. The SLS/RP lab is a College facility, which is high profile with many visitors from industry, government, on-campus, alumni, WISE, STEP/CSTEP, and local K-12 schools.
09/07/00 Posted project for Fall 2000 INTEGRATED WAFER SCRIBE AND BREAK APPARATUS FOR SILICON WAFERS AND WAFERS COATED WITH POLYMER LAYERS. We need to design a setup for samples having various sizes up to 3" diameter with thickness up to 200 mils. For samples with polymer coatings up to a micron, clean cuts must be made in the polymer as well as having the proper scribe marks for cleaving the silicon (using a diamond tip with adjustable tension). The design must include methods for conveniently mounting specimens while avoiding chemical contamination and the breaking must be done in such a way as not to have the polymer surface absorb debris from the break. Advisor: J. Sokolov
09/13/00 Fall 2000 Advisor: Prof. Gary Halada Topic: Sample Stage for Glancing Angle EXAFS This will involve design and development of a tilting sample stage with a stepper motor for use at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory to create the capability to perform Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy of this surface films. Initially, the stage will be designed to be compatible with port X10B but should be able to be used at similarly configured ports elsewhere. Design group is limited to two people. Students will need to make several visits to the beam line at BNL and work with personnel there to ensure a compatible design. Knowledge of CAD software required.
09/13/00 Design and Fabrication of an instrument for in-situ measurement during thermal spray processing. Thermal Spray Processing is a technique of applying thick coatings on substrates by a variety of methods - such as Plasma flame, Combustion flame, High Velocity flame, Low Pressure Plasma spraying etc. During the coating process, coating and substrate build up stresses due to the solidification of molten material and due to a difference in thermal expansion of the two dissimilar materials. Level of these stresses governs the functional response of coating-substrate system. Stresses in the coating and substrate can be estimated by measuring the response of substrate during the coating process. This project would include the design and fabrication of an instrument to measure and record the changes that a sample undergoes during the coating process. Measurements such as dimensional change and temperature history need to be measured and recorded. The instrument also needs to have a capability of measuring the coating thickness during spraying. Design considerations : * Ruggedness - since it will operate in a very hostile processing environment. * Portability - since the instrument will have to be used with different coating systems. * Possibility of designing this to be used in a vacuum chamber. Prof. Sampath: Room 105
09/15/00 Micro Langmuir Trough for Rheological Measurements of Ultra Thin films. Miriam Rafailovich and Jonathan Sokolov The mechanical response of ultra thin films can provide us with a fundamental understanding at the molecular level of the structure property relationships that play a role in viscosity, friction, and modulus. At the same time an understanding of these processes is important in the design of lubricants and coatings. The proposed project involves the design and construction of a miniature Langmuir trough with computer controlled barriers for pressure and area sensing. The trough should have the capability for an RF modulation to be applied to the barriers. The change in surface pressure could then be detected either by a Pt plate electrode coupled to a lock in amplifier or with an atomic force microscope. The first part of this project is the design of the trough and the second part involves interfacing the motors with existing amplifiers of the computer controlled electronics of the atomic force microscope.
09/13/00 Design and Fabrication of Special Fixtures and Data Acquisition system for Thermal Spray Processing. Thermal Spray Processing is a technique of applying thick coatings on substrates. These coatings are applied by a variety of methods - such as Plasma flame, Combustion flame, High Velocity flame, Low Pressure Plasma spraying etc. Depending on the purpose of spraying and the subsequent testing, substrates vary greatly in shape, size and material. During the spraying process, these substrates need to be held in fixtures - either stationary or rotating. While forming the coating on substrate, it is also important to measure and record temperature variations. This project involves the design and fabrication of fixtures that would accommodate a large number of standard samples simultaneously - for both stationary condition and rotating carousel. In addition to providing various methods of holding these substrates - such as magnetic holder, clamps, screws and vacuum chucks - the fixtures must provide for external cooling by cold air guns or closed circuit water. The fixtures must also have the capability of mounting thermocouples / pyrometers to monitor the temperature of substrate during coating. A temperature sensing / recording unit (such as a Data Acquisition System) will be part of the fixture. Design considerations : * Fixture designs need to dovetail with the existing equipment in the lab (mainly the spray booths and rotating carousels). * Material selection * Temperature data acquisition in case of a rotating fixture (either by using slip rings or by wireless transmission) and in the vacuum chamber. Prof. Sampath: Room 105
Advisor: Prof. Richard J. Gambino 09/11/00 Design and Construction of an Electric Current Consolidation System for Powder Metal Processing It has been shown the metal powders can be rapidly consolidated into dense products by passing a large current through the powder compact. The system used for this process generally consists of conducting electrodes and an insulating tube containing the metal powder. The design problem requires material selection for the time/temperature conditions of the process. It has been calculated that the temperature of the compact rises to 900 C in about 0.3 seconds. A design with a replaceable tube liner is acceptable. The electrodes must be able to carry currents up to 200 amperes without heating to the point that they deform plastically or melt. Electrical insulation must be provided for the ends of the electrodes so that the apparatus can be put into a hydraulic press. The system will be used to make composites of magnetic metals with magnetic oxides for permanent magnet applications.
09/11/00 Design and construction of a miniaturized slurry drill for cutting small discs Advisor: P. I. Gouma This project will involve designing a simple device which will be used to cut mini discs (3mm in diameter) from metallic, ceramic, and composite materials. These mini discs are typically used for the examination of materials in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The principle of operation of this device will be similar to that of the slurry drill equipment used in construction. The device should be easy to assemble and operate. Material selection for the main body of the device as well as for the drilling bits is a very important and critical process of the project. The hardness of the material from which discs will be cut willvary, depending on the material system used, and this is a design aspect to be carefully considered. Once a particular desing has been chosen, construction of the device is expected to be carried out. Ideally, the device will also include controls for its automatic shutt off once discs of appropriate thickness have been cut. (a two people team is required to work on this project)
09/07/00 Posted project for Fall 2000 Industrial Application for an Instrumented Standard Hardenability Device Faculty Advisor: Dr. Henry J. White Hardenability is a measure of the depth to which steel will harden when quenched from its austenitizing temperature (Ac3 = 910 - 203 (C «) - 15.2 (Ni) + 44.7 (Si) + 104 (V) + 31.5 (Mo) + 13.1 (W)). The proposed design project involves the construction of an instrumented end quench device which will determine the cooling rates that lead to a particular level of hardening for a given steel. The challenge will be instrumenting the apparatus to accurately monitor temperature and time during the heating and cooling cycles. It is recommended that (1) current standards (ASTM A914, ASTM A304, and ASTM A255) be used as the basis for design and (2) that hardenability and cooling characteristics of different steels be measured utilizing existing theory. The resulting data will be used to select the proper welding conditions (i.e. voltage, current, travel speed, preheat temperature, etc.) required for each steel to avoid the formation of susceptible microstructures. Required Reading 1. ASTM Standards (see text). 2. Republic Alloy Steel handbook, 1968 3. Hess, et. al., " The Measurement of Cooling Rates Associated with Arc Welding and Their Application to the Selection of Optimum Welding Conditions", Welding Journal, 1943 4. G. Krauss, Principles of Heat Treatment of Steel, 1979.
Below are posted some of the projects for Fall 1997.
Fall 1997
An enviromental enclosure and temperature controled stage for atomic force
microscopy
Motivation: Atomic force and friction force microscopy is very sensitive to the conditions on the first few moecular layers of a surface. Consequelty adsorbed water, simply due to ambient humidity can significantly affect reuslts. Furthermore, in order to obtain the moleuclar scanning resolution it is esential that air transients be minimized
Project: Construct a plexiglass enclosure to mount on the air table of our Dimesnion 3000AFM where dry gas can be circulated and the humidity measured and controlled. Design temperature and humidity sensors that can be interfaced with a computer feedback control system.
Advisor: Prof. Miriam Rafailovich
Fall 1997
Scanning Hall Effect Microscope
Advisor: Prof. Gambino
Since the invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) and the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) many other scanned tip microscopes have been demonstrated. The objective of this project is to design and build a mechanism for scanning a small metal tip (like a needle point) over a flat surface. The surface might be a thin metal film deposited on a glass microscopy slide or the polished surface of a semiconductor crystal. The xy motion, the area which can be scanned, must be at least 0.1 mm by 0.1 mm with a resolution of at least +/-100 nm. The tip will be used in contact with the surface but a mechanism will be needed for lifting the tip off the surface when the xy scanner is in motion.
The microscope will be used to create an image or a map of the distribution of Hall voltages on the surface of the sample. In a semiconductor the sign and magnitude of the Hall voltage depends on the distribution of impurities (p and n regions). In a ferromagnetic metal the Hall voltage depends on the arrangement of magnetic domains. During operation it will be necessary to apply a magnetic field to the sample and to pass a current through the sample. Therefore, the magnetic and electrical properties of the materials used in the construction of the mechanism will have to be considered in the design.
Fall 1997
Advisor: Dr. Jim Quinn
Topic: Digital control of X-ray diffractometer
Design and implementation of software and hardware to control a Philips X-ray diffractometer. There are several possible avenues of approach. The chosen approach must consider the detection and discrimination of the raw signal; the motion of the theta drive; the shutters, limits, and interlocks; the plotting/outputting of spectra; and appropriate control via parameterization.
Additional Information:
Fall 1997
Title:
Project:
Design and fabricate a system of parts compatible with a vacuum
environment by which a substrate can be held in place and two
different masks can be brought in contact with the substrate surface
at given times. The masks must be compatible with one another,
i.e., they must be properly positioned and aligned so that the
patterns produced by the two masks have the desired relative
orientation and shape.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that the substrate may have to be protected by suitable shutters before and after the use of the masks.
The system should be designed, built and tested.
ADVISOR: F. JONA, OLD ENG. 302.
Fall 1997
Temperature controlled sample holder for neutron reflection experiments:
Aim: design a temperature controled vacuum chamber which mounts on a beamline at the NIST or BNL neutron reactors. The chamber must mount on a goniometer, have windows to allow entry/exit of the neutron beam, and have an computer controlled temperature sensor. The chamber must also be designed to hold at least 10E-08 Torr vacuum, to prevent polymer degradation. This chamber will be used to study in beam polymer dynamics, phase transitions, and crystalline ordering.
Mentors: Miriam Rafailovich, Jonathan Sokolov and D. Nguyen (BNL scientist)
One or two students required.
Fall 1997
Title: Uniaxial Traversing Stage For Thermal Cycling Rig
Personnel required: Two
Skills necessary: Windows-based data acquisition and control programming.
Advisor: A. Newman, Hvy Eng. Rm. 009, aenewman@ccmail.sunysb.edu
The Thermal Spray Laboratory produces coatings by injecting powders into various types of plasmas and flames. A type of coating that is very successful in the aerospace industry is the thermal barrier coating (TBC), used currently on jet engine blades. This coating permits the exterior of the blade to reach temperatures several hundred degrees above the melting point of the substrate metal. The primary cause of TBC failure is thermal fatigue. Hence, an accelerated test is required for examining potential next generation coatings. The requirements for the thermal cycling rig are: 1) to traverse the samples from a cold zone to a hot zone, 2) to monitor the coatings temperature, and 3) to record a picture of the coating after each cycle. A single computer to control the data acquisition, CNC controller, and framegrabber would be favorable. Our laboratory has a tube furnace, traverse slide, controller, and computer available for this task. Other components necessary to complete the design project will be purchased, with the assistance of TSL, after approval of the design concept.
Fall 1997
Design and Implimentation of an Environmental Chamber for Sliding Wear
Tests
The objective of this project will be to design a chamber around an existing wear test machine in order to be able to conduct tests at high temperature (up to 500C) and under vacuum or inert gas atmospheres. Hence, the chamber must be able to withstand high temperatures, vacuum and high pressures. The chamber will be transparent in order to monitor the surface during testing. Furthermore, it will be required to monitor the tempearture of the test specimen.
Design Advisors: Prof. Sanjay Sampath and Dr. Saifi Usmani.
Fall 1997
Design and Construction of a Dry Sand Rubber Wheel Abrasion Test Set-Up
The objective of this project will be to design and fabricate an abrasion test set-up according to ASTM Standard Test Method. The project involves collecting information on the requirements of a set-up, collecting raw materials and other components, designing the set-up and implementation of the design strategy.
Design Advisors: Prof. Sanjay Sampath and Dr. Saifi Usmani.
Fall 97
Title: Design of a Hot Air Polymer Spray Gun
POC: Prof. Herbert Herman, 632-8510
Description:
Polymer spraying represents an emerging sector of thermal spray technology.
This project entails the design and implementation of a device capable of
heating and accelerating air and injecting polymer powder into the heated
air stream. Such a gun design would allow polymeric coatings and
composites to be deposited without using a traditional combustion process.
It is envisioned that a serpentine heater will be used to heat inert gas or compressed air. The gun nozzle must be designed to produce high gas velocities. The inlet gas pressure, volumetric flow rates, power, and powder injection rate must be optimized or "tuneable" to melt polymer powders with a range of melting points. The proper powder injection angle is critical to deposit coatings with high deposition efficiencies with corresponding high densities. This project requires knowledge of thermal transport, polymer science, fluid mechanics, and component integration.
08/15/2018 JQ.