SENIOR DESIGN EXPO 2014 - VCU School of Engineering

Transcription

SENIOR DESIGN
EXPO 2014
PROJECT ABSTRACTS
2014
SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS
Acknowledgements from the Dean
The VCU School of Engineering Senior Design Program and Expo is a platform for our undergraduate
students to pull together all of the information and skills they have earned over the past four years in order to
not only solve a real problem but also to gain the experience of presenting these solutions to industry
professionals, academic peers and members of the public. Thanks to the partnership between faculty, students,
and local industry, the School of Engineering seniors have an opportunity to apply rigorous academic
principles, innovative ideas, exemplary teamwork and excellent communication skills to these projects.
Faculty mentors and advisors of the VCU School of Engineering provide guidance to the senior design teams.
Their support is invaluable to our students and the Senior Design program. The School of Engineering thanks
members of the faculty and staff for the time and expertise they invest in this enterprise.
The local engineering community also plays a critical role in making the Senior Design Program and Expo an
experience for our seniors that really prepares them for life after college. Our industry friends lend their
support in many ways. This includes mentoring student teams, judging projects at the Expo, and providing
vital funds and donations of supplies so that students are free to explore their most innovative ideas. Private
support also covers the cost of the event itself, which allows us to share our students’ designs with the greater
Richmond community. A committee of external volunteers dedicated extensive time and effort to ensure the
success of the 2014 Senior Design program and Expo. I extend my sincere thanks to all the members of the
Sternheimer committee, who spent many hours reading through student grant applications and evaluating each
one. Specifically, I would like to thank Tyler Berry, Mechanical Design Engineer, Colonial Engineered
Solutions; Shahrzad Grami, Data and Process Manager, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.; William K. Lamp,
Principal, Engineers Plus; Behnam Moradi, Fab 6 QA Manager, Micron Technology; Bruce Ferris, Managing
Partner, SPARK Product Development, LLC; Jim Stenglein, Mechanical Design Engineer, Hauni; Long
Nguyen, Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Power Distribution Inc.; Vince Lovejoy, General Manager, Jewett
Automation; and Michael McGarry, CTO, Genworth Financial. I would also like to thank Mark A.
Sternheimer whose generosity allows us to recognize excellence in design and innovation.
Finally, we must acknowledge that presenting their designs at a location like the Science Museum of Virginia
provides the students with even more of an incentive to strive for excellence. We owe a debt of gratitude to
Mr. Richard Conti, Director and CEO of the Science Museum of Virginia, and his staff for hosting the 2014
Senior Design Expo at the museum. This is the fifth year that we have been privileged to showcase our
projects at the museum, and I feel that this venue in particular enhances our students’ work and allows us to
inspire and engage young audiences to consider a career in engineering and science. I understand that
visitation to the Expo exceeded 1,000 visitors in 2013, and I anticipate even greater attendance this year. It is
especially gratifying to meet the youthful visitors to the museum and it is inspiring to observe the interaction
between our seniors and these aspiring scientists.
As evidenced by the continued success of the Senior Design Expo, I am pleased to say that the partnership
between faculty, students, and the engineering community is as strong as when the School first opened its
doors nearly 18 years ago. Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and everyone involved for a job well done.
Sincerely,
Barbara D. Boyan, Ph.D.
Dean
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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FROM THE DEAN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
v
PREFACE
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MARK A. STERNHEIMER, SR. GRANT FOR SENIOR DESIGN
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2014 SENIOR DESIGN EXPO ADVISORS
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THANK YOU
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BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
1
$300 Oxygen Concentrator for Use in Developing Nations
3
Antimicrobial Endotracheal Tube for Pediatric Patients
4
Coated Pulmonary Silicone Stent and Delivery System
5
Device for Determining the Extent of Peripheral Neuropathy
6
Head-Controlled Mouse for Patients with Limited Upper Limb Mobility
7
High Throughput Mechanobiology Testing Assay
8
Improved Device for Passive Dorsiflexion
9
Nanoparticle-based Drug Delivery for Cancer Treatment
10
Robotic Platform to Guide and Assist Infants Who are Blind or Visually Impaired with
Crawling and Exploration
11
System to Automatically Level an Arterial Line Transducer
12
Topographical Cues on Biomimetic Electrospun Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
13
Transitional Device for Patients with Motor Disabilities
14
CHEMICAL AND LIFE SCIENCE ENGINEERING
15
Biodevice
17
Commissioning and Quality Control of Melt Blown Extrusion System for Manufacture of
Polypropylene Filters
18
Electrospinning of Vegan Proteins
19
Fabrication of an Analytical Microfluidic Device
20
Photosynthetic Battery System Design with Incorporated Photosystem II
21
Sustainable Delivery Mechanisms for Type I HIV Treatment
22
Synthesis and Addition of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles to Engine Oil to
Increase Lubricity Flow Chemistry
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Table of Contents
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
25
Self-Parking and Accident Aware Golf Cart
27
Smart Irrigation System
28
VoIP Security Robot
29
Wireless Transceiver Footprinting
30
COMPUTER SCIENCE
31
AMC Technology: Softphone Toolbar
33
CapTech: Oledos: A JavaScript Knowledge Repository
34
Honeypot Deployment and Malware Analysis
35
Innovative Solutions Consortium: Ranking Proposals
36
Integration of Reference Biological Networks into a Reference
37
Mobile Application for Miniature Ultrafine Particle Sizers
38
OneMind Health, Inc.: Referral Communications System
39
RAA’s Rapid Response Vehicle Positioning System
40
VCU HR eForm
41
Vehicular Network Testbed
42
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
43
Assisted Hand Rehabilitation
45
Audio Frequency Model of a Wireless Communication System with Dynamic Spectrum Access
46
Black Silicon Solar Cells
47
Multi-Functional Intelligence UPS for High Power Electronic Devices
48
N.E.D. Noise Enhancement Device
49
Target Recognition and Deformity Reduction for UAV Platforms
50
MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
51
Alternative Energy System for the VCU Rice Center
53
Arena Race Car Design Optimization
54
Arena Racing Chassis, Team B
55
Arena Racing Frame Optimization
56
Arena Racing Stock Car Optimization
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Table of Contents
MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING—continued
Arena Racing Structural Frame Design—Team A
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Design and Construction of an Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Fusor
59
Formula SAE Steering System
60
General Aviation Transmission Engine
61
Harnessing the Power of the James River to Create Alternative Energy for GRTC Buses
62
Human Powered Vehicle
63
Improving the Efficiency of an Arena Racing Car Roll Cage—Team E
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Nuclear Spent Fuel Pool Improvements
65
Remote-Controlled Aircraft
66
Robotic Tank Inspection System
67
Universal Valve Spring Compressor
68
Untapped Human Energy
69
VCU Formula SAE—Suspension Design Team
70
WTVR Tower Enhancement
71
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
73
Biomass Fuel Recirculator
75
Construction of a Freeze-Drying Appliance
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Distal Touch V2
77
Nanomagnet Computing using SAW Technology
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Nuclear Reactor Simulator
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VCU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
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VCU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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VCU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES—continued
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Preface
The Senior Design program has been part of the School of Engineering curriculum since 1999 and is a
requirement for graduation. The capstone experience provides an opportunity for VCU School of Engineering
students to complete a hands-on design project in their chosen field of engineering. The program also teaches
leadership skills in a collaborative environment and provides students the opportunity to develop projects that
may lead to product innovation for the benefit of society.
In 2002, the School of Engineering held its first Senior Design Expo. This free, annual public event allows
the senior design teams to share and demonstrate their prototypes with the greater Richmond community. The
Expo is the culmination of eight months of effort for the design teams, and is an important day for the students,
the faculty advisors, and for the industrial and organizational sponsors who have supported the teams.
The Expo also serves the greater purpose of inspiring the next generation of engineers. Recognizing that an
introduction to the field of engineering must begin early in life and that there is an intrinsic value in having
young people interact with engineers, the School of Engineering invites middle and high school students to
attend the Expo to discuss projects with student team members and to learn more about studying engineering
in a university or college setting.
For questions or comments, please contact Dr. Afroditi V. Filippas, Associate Dean for Undergraduate
Studies, at [email protected] or (804) 827-4097.
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The Mark A. Sternheimer, Sr. Grant for Senior Design
Mark A. Sternheimer, Sr. is the President of Sternheimer Brothers, Inc. Founded in 1930, Sternheimer Bros., Inc. owned and operated a chain of
apparel and shoe stores in Virginia. Mr. Sternheimer has served the VCU School of Engineering as a member of the Foundation Board since
1999 and continues to be an avid supporter of the school. His generous contributions have most recently offered students the opportunity to
apply for Senior Design project funding through the Sternheimer Grant process.
Senior Design groups have the opportunity to apply for the Sternheimer Grant during the fall semester of their senior year. This year 32
applications were submitted to a committee of industry experts from across all disciplines. The committee has historically favored projects that
are innovative in nature and have objectives that will positively impact the world.
The VCU School of Engineering would like to thank the individuals who served on the Sternheimer Grant Selection Committee and
congratulate the winners of the 2014 Sternheimer Grants!
2014 Sternheimer Grant Selection Committee
Tyler Berry ‘12
Mechanical Design Engineer
Colonial Engineered Solutions
Shahrzad Grami
Data and Process Manager
Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.
William K. Lamp
Principal
Engineers Plus
Behnam Moradi
Fab 6
QA Manager
Micron Technology
Bruce Ferris
Managing Partner
SPARK Product Development, LLC
Jim Stenglein
Mechanical Design Engineer
Hauni
Long Nguyen ‘02
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Power Distribution Inc
Vince Lovejoy
General Manager
Jewett Automation
Michael McGarry
CTO
Genworth Financial
2014 Sternheimer Grant Winners
A Robot Platform to Guide and Assist Infants
Sean Megahan, Muhammed Naqvi, David Parker, Ross Petrella
Ashley Robinson, Munif Saza, Nitin Panwar, Dreanna Perkins
Topographical Cues on Biomimetic Electrospun Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Bhavya Vendra, Devon Mason, Imran Khatri, Sarah Ayad, Sarah Cameron
Austin Marvin, Cameron Brinn, Dylan Rodene, Jordan Carroll, Shadeed Drakeford
James Dwyer, Vesna Bacic, Thao-Nguyen Truong, Ryan Lee, Adarsh Siva
Assistend Hand Rehabilitation
George Brimmer, David Choe, Samuel Pak, Kenny Truong
Jarrett Elliott, Michael Roberts
Nathan Condrey, Akhila Wijayaratne, Hussain Alaithan
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Faculty and Industrial Advisors
Additionally, the VCU School of Engineering would like to thank the dedicated faculty and industrial advisors and
judges for their support of and participation in the 2014 Senior Design Expo.
2014 Faculty and Industrial Advisors
Dr. Tom Arodz
Dr. Christopher Lemmon
Dr. Paul Wetzel
Dr. Gary Atkinson
Mr. John McKinzie
Dr. Kenneth Wynne
Dr. Jayasimha Atulasimha
Dr. James McLeskey
Dr. Weijun Xiao
Dr. Supriyo Bandypoadhyay
Mr. Devon Miller
Dr. Hu Yang
Dr. Sama Bilbao y León
Mr. James Miller
Dr. Meng Yu
Dr. Michael Cabral
Dr. Karla M. Mossi
Dr. Wei Zhang
Dr. Charles Cartin
Dr. Ruixin Niu
Dr. Daren Chen
Dr. René Olivares-Navarrete
Dr. Wei Cheng
Dr. Dianne Pawluk
Dr. Alen Docef
Dr. Michael Peters
Mr. Tim Ellison
Dr. Peter E. Pidcoe
Dr. Ding-Yu Fei
Mr. Richard Rosenthal
Dr. Afroditi V. Filippas
Dr. Robert Sexton
Dr. Stephen Fong
Mr. Krisan Singh
Dr. Carol Fung
Dr. Vaibhav Sinha
Mr. Todd Furbee
Mr. Janusz Slawek
Mr. Frank Gulla
Dr. John Speich
Dr. Frank Gupton
Mr. Michael Spinelli
Dr. Rebecca Heise
Ms. Meredith Stockman
Mr. Steve Hunt
Dr. Hooman Tafreshi
Mr. Rajbans Joshi
Dr. Zhifang Wang
Dr. Robert Klenke
Dr. Jennifer Wayne
Mr. Rudy Krack
Dr. Xuejun Wen
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Thank you
The VCU School of Engineering would like to thank the
Science Museum of Virginia
for their generosity and use of the museum for our Senior Design
Expo. Their continued support helps to make the Expo a great
success year after year!
Science Museum of Virginia ● 2500 West Broad Street ● Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 864-1400 ● www.smv.org
HOURS ● Monday - Saturday, 9:30 am –5 pm ● Sunday, 11:30 am –5 pm
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BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
$300 Oxygen Concentrator for Use in Developing Nations
Biomedical Engineering
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Anand Gandhi
Meher Malik
Shalin Shah
Clint Yeaman
Rebecca Heise, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the third leading cause of death, claiming over
130,000 lives in the United States alone. COPD affects millions more worldwide, where treatment is neither
accessible nor affordable. Oxygen therapy through the use of oxygen concentrators has been identified as the
major treatment option for individuals suffering from COPD. Oxygen concentrators pose significant
limitations for use in developing nations: (1) Frequent power shortages render the device unreliable for use,
(2) Large initial cost makes it undesirable for purchase by hospitals and individuals, and (3) Maintenance is
often nonexistent due to complexity of existing designs and scarcity of replacement parts. The aim of this
project is to create a working prototype of an oxygen concentrator that can function in developing nations.
The prototype will utilize pressure swing absorption (PSA) to obtain an oxygen purity level of at least 70%.
Ambient air will be pressurized and channeled through a silica bed and molecular 5A zeolite to selectively
remove water and nitrogen, respectively. Purge flow and counter-current depressurization will be employed to
regenerate the sieve beds for long term use. The design will utilize readily obtainable materials that should
provide for easy maintenance and replacement in the case of failure. Cost-effective polyvinyl chloride
pressure vessels and readily available zeolite adsorbents will be employed to reduce the price of the product to
$300. Battery backup will be integrated into the design to compensate for the inconsistent grid power found in
developing nations. The device will be able to provide oxygen therapy with medical grade oxygen to patients
at a low-cost in the challenging environments of developing nations.
3
Antimicrobial Endotracheal Tube for Pediatric Patients
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Taylor Illman
Santosh Mylavarapu
Theodore Salter
Nathan Veilleux
Industry Advisor
Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a condition contracted within the hospital that affects many patients,
both in the adult and pediatric settings. The prognosis of VAP can be determined by examining the outer and
inner surfaces of the intubated endotracheal tubes. Circulating bacteria commonly adhere to the plastic tubing,
colonizing into what is known as biofilm. Often, these biofilms can be aspired into the lungs, resulting in
VAP. Current treatment protocol is entirely dependent on knowledge of the local flora and will vary from
hospital to hospital, though antibiotics are widely utilized. In many cases, the development of a biofilm allows
for an aggregate cell colony to become increasingly antibiotic resistant. Solutions to this problem have been
researched in the adult population. Biocide impregnated tubes, surface modifications to existing endotracheal
tubes and antimicrobial coatings have been tested and were fairly successful in reducing the incidence rate of
VAP; however, such research is nonexistent in the pediatric setting. Pediatric patients have underdeveloped
immune systems, and if they are undergoing mechanical ventilation, their host defenses may be further
compromised making them more susceptible to infection. In other words, the pediatric population would
benefit from a similar, modified solution. The fall semester was dedicated to research in order to find the ideal
antimicrobial agent, both cost efficient and effective in its application. For the scope of the project, our
proposed solution consists of a high performance bactericide/antibiotic, Silver Sulfadiazine, interspersed in a
polymer matrix to minimize biofilm formation. Polyurethane will be used to optimize coating adherence to the
endotracheal tube, of which will also be made of polyurethane. Cytotoxicity assays will be conducted using
lung endothelial cells to first determine what effect Silver Sulfadiazine might have in a pediatric patient. In
addition, in vitro bacterial testing, diffusion monitoring and mechanical stimulation will provide a means to
determine the efficacy of our design. Following design completion, final testing will commence in a mucus
lab to recreate the resident flora within the endotracheal tube as a more sophisticated method to reproduce
clinical conditions.
Acknowledgements: Bruce Rubin, MD, Mark Marinello, MD, Kenneth Wynne, Ph.D., Dennis Ohman, Ph.D.,
Gregory Buck, Ph.D. Rebecca Heise, Ph.D.
4
Coated Pulmonary Silicone Stent and Delivery System
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jessica Buckwalter
Shane Diller
Gretchen Schreyack
Rachel Takahashi
Industry Advisor
Narrowing of the airways, clinically labeled as pulmonary stenosis, prevents individuals from receiving
adequate airflow to the lungs. It has many etiologies, some benign and others malignant. Pulmonary stenosis is
treated through the insertion of a tracheobronchial stent into the airway, be it the trachea, bronchi, or both
using a Y-shaped stent. Stainless steel stents are commonly used for cancerous airway occlusions, but are
outlawed in the United States for use in non-cancerous causes. This is due to the tendency for granulation
tissue to grow through the mesh walls of the metal stents. Full encapsulation of the metal stent by granulation
tissue typically occurs within a year of implantation causing restenosis, therefore these stents are only used in
cancer patients with a short life expectancy. Silicone stents, the focus for this project, are used in noncancerous
patients that are considered surgical risks. Restenosis remains an issue in silicone stents due to formation of
rings of granulation tissue (composed of fibroblasts) around the ends of the stents. The granulation tissue
production is likely a result of constant motion of the stent during breathing and bacterial infections from
inhabiting a non sterile environment. The proposed solution for resolving this issue is to engineer a stent
coating consisting of a polymer and drug that will inhibit the attachment and growth of fibroblasts. Human
Embryonic Lung Fibroblasts (HELFs) will be used for testing purposes. The research required will commence
with coating FDA-approved food grade silicone sheets in prospective polymer and drug combinations and
culturing both HELFs and normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) on the sheets. Assays including
cytotoxicity, cell attachment, cell migration, and inflammatory response of the coated and uncoated sheets and
later the actual silicone pulmonary stents, will be conducted to verify a reduction in migration and growth of
HELFs, as well as healthy growth of NHBEs relative to the control. Alongside the establishment of a coated
polymer stent is the design of a delivery mechanism. Silicone stents are folded, twisted, crushed, and on
occasion inadvertently torn while forcefully being inserted into a rigid tube of a fixed diameter. This could
result in improper delivery, a need for additional stenting procedures, and ultimately a waste of hospital
resources. Expected deliverables of this endeavor include a fully coated silicone pulmonary stent, a
functioning prototype of the delivery system, and a 3D animation of the improved delivery system/procedure.
5
Device for Determining the Extent of Peripheral Neuropathy
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Lindsey Coover
Jennifer Wayne, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Tyler Crosse
Victoria Spott
Peripheral neuropathy, a symptom characterized by numbness and pain in the hands and feet, is a condition
caused by damaged and diseased neurons of the peripheral nervous system. Because it is associated with
many chronic conditions such as diabetes and AIDS, and also with anti-retroviral treatments, peripheral
neuropathy is prevalent worldwide. If left untreated, complications can arise such as foot ulcers, infection, and
amputation. The idea for this project came from Engineering World Health’s Legacy Projects, a list of device
ideas for development that are aimed at addressing prevalent medical conditions in developing countries. The
most widely used method of diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy utilizes detection of vibration on the foot. The
team will construct a device that is low cost, automated, and easy to use that can be utilized by non-medical
professionals to determine the extent of peripheral neuropathy present in an individual. The design
incorporates vibrators strategically placed at bony prominences on the foot, specifically at the hallux and
malleolus. The foot bed of the device will be constructed from 3D-printed plastic that fully encloses the
operating circuitry of the device. This device will automate the application of vibration and regulate the
diagnostic process while making it administrable by non-medical professionals. This information will allow
healthcare workers to determine which individual s are most at risk for complications, which can be lifethreatening in resource-limited settings.
Acknowledgements: Dr. Simon Mest, podiatrist
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Head-Controlled Mouse for Patients with Limited Upper Limb
Mobility
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Matt Bienvenu
Akkarin Chirachaturaphak
Neil Leutze
Hung Nguyen
Kimberley Overby
Paul Wetzel, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
People with limited to no mobility of their upper limbs are unable to navigate a computer using a traditional
mouse. There are alternative mouse options available such as, the Quadmouse, Headmouse, and Easy Input,
but they are costly and do not fully address the problem. The objective of our project is to design a cost
efficient, head-controlled alternative to a traditional mouse with all the functions available. The device will
allow physically impaired patients the ability to interact with and navigate a computer.
The proposed product is an affordable head-controlled mouse for patients with high spinal cord injuries (SCI)
or limited mobility of their upper limbs. The design of the head-controlled mouse utilizes a position, motion
and switching sensors, and a central processing unit. Taking costs and the user’s physical capabilities into
consideration, the switch and method of performing clicking functions will be selected. Once the hardware
components are chosen and obtained, circuitry and software will be developed.The device will be compatible
with standard computers, requiring additional software. Then the hardware and circuitry will be encapsulated
into a single housing unit for each individual.
The goal of this project is to design and develop an alternative, affordable way for people with SCI to interact
with a computer. Enabling these users with SCI to use a computer by means of a hands free mouse will
provide them with infinite opportunities to learn and communicate via a computer."
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High Throughput Mechanobiology Testing Assay
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
David Bedford
Dalton Berrie
Hillary Hardiman
Illya Kajan
Christopher Lemmon, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
In order to standardize research involving cell interaction with surface characteristics a standardized
mechanobiology assay kit is proposed, whose surface properties closely approximate biological tissues. Many
researchers could benefit from a ready made assay to test cell-surface interactions. These types of interactions
could affect cell signaling further affecting cellular differentiation, proliferation, and morphology. Some
interactions could even cause changes in DNA uptake, transcription, and cell-cell adhesion. It is therefore
highly desirable for researchers to be able to test these interactions to ensure accurate conclusions. The
proposed kit will allow researchers to bypass the need to first create and test their own hydrogels before being
able to test cells and collect relevant information. For researchers without a background in mechanics the step
of making the surface to interact with the cells. Furthermore, the kit will standardize results across the field
creating reliable reference points and reproducible results.
Polyacrylamide hydrogels are made within a 48-Well Tissue Culture Plate. To produce the different stiffness
gels within the well plate, polyacrylamide will be made in varying stiffnesses. The stiffness is modified by
changing the percentage of acrylamide to bisacrylamide monomers. Each stiffness will be tested using a
texture analyser to ensure accurate properties. It is also important to ensure that an appropriate volume of the
gel is used in the plates to guarantee optimal hydrogel-cell interactions.
After plating cells on the hydrogels, a mixture of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation media will be used
to test how the surface influences cellular differentiation given the factors available for differentiation down
any morphology pathway. The cells will then be stained biologically and immunofluorescently to test for
differentiation markers.
The kit will also include software to control a microscope and reagents to test for desired cell functions. While
production of the well plates is in process, open source software will be used to compile a platform which will
run a microscope and collect data. The end result should be able to run the microscope and move the
microscope platform to collect images.
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Improved Device for Passive Dorsiflexion
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Khaled Alhajeri
Craig Hamman
Nadiah Hassan
William Hutchens
Wyatt Taylor
Ding-Yu Fei, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
A significant clinical problem that patients face during and after major surgery is the formation of a blood clot
due to poor circulation, known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Complications arising from DVT, such as
pulmonary embolism, cause one in 100 hospital fatalities (Hirsh et al., 1996). In order to prevent DVT in
postoperative patients, a device was designed to flex the patient’s foot at a set interval to improve blood
circulation. The initial design used a pneumatic pump to raise the patient’s foot. The pneumatically driven
system was too loud, and was replaced with an electric motor drive system powered by a 12V rechargeable
battery.
This system was not ideal due to the awkward mounting of the motor, loud operation and
uncomfortable fit. Two new systems were proposed: one based on a hydraulic pump and the other based on a
rear latching system. Both systems will be quieter and more practically mounted. The final prototype will be
chosen based on efficiency, ease of use, and price. Planned additions include an EMG circuit to monitor
muscle activity, programmable flexing intervals, and aesthetic improvements to make the device more
commercially attractive. A microcontroller will be used in conjunction with the EMG to shut off the device in
the event of abnormal muscle activity. The microcontroller will also be used to offer programmable flexing
intervals. The aim of the final device is to be safe, comfortable, and efficient.
Acknowledgements: Richard J. Freer, James Ailsworth, Tri Nguyen
Literature Cited
Hirsh, J., and J. Hoak. "Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism." American Heart
Association (1996): 2212-245. Print.
9
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Nitin Panwar
Dreanna Perkins
Ashley Robinson
Munif Saza
Hu Yang, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and results in 45,000 new cases a year in the United
States alone. Despite medicine’s best efforts to treat the disease, it inevitably causes 8,000 deaths per year.
Following the surgical resection of a cancerous lesion, the exposed wound’s leading edge may still contain
cells which are prone to malignancy, possibly resulting in a recurrence of cancer in the patient. Direct topical
application of anti-cancer drugs such as Doxorubicin and Daunorubicin in an appropriate carrier can reduce the
likelihood of such recurrence though many current carriers are limited by both the diffusion rate and carrying
capacity, which severely limits the efficacy of the drugs. Our team proposes using diatoms which are nanoscaled silica based algae have a porous exoskeleton that offers a viable option for drug delivery. Their high
surface area is able to be functionalized for a wide spectrum of pharmaceuticals. Additionally the diversity of
frustule morphology amongst diatoms allows for the attainment of a desired drug elution rate which can be
measured by in vitro testing. Furthermore, cross-linking the diatoms within a PEG (poly(ethylene glycol))
diacrylate matrix will allow for secondary compound* delivery as well as anti-microbial features to assist in
wound healing ,further enhancing patient recovery.
10
Robotic Platform to Guide and Assist Infants Who are Blind or
Visually Impaired with Crawling and Exploration
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Sean Megahan
Muhammed Naqvi
David Parker
Ross Petrella
Dianne Pawluk, Ph.D.
Peter E. Pidcoe, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
In order to help teach an infant who is blind or visually impaired to crawl and explore, the SIPPC robotic
platform (originally developed by Dr. Pidcoe for infants with cerebral palsy) will be modified to allow
it to detect the surroundings of an infant, and help him/her navigate towards a target using haptic
feedback and variable assistance from the motors. For this initial prototype, rather than tracking
individual targets, the robot itself will be tracked in relation to the target. This will be done by the
parent (equipped with a smartphone} focusing a camera at the robot from behind the target. The camera
will ascertain the distance and orientation from the parent to the child by comparing the number of
pixels in a calibration image of the spherical marker to the pixel ratios in the phone video stream. This
data is passed to the robot. The robot will inform the infant by providing haptic feedback (information
about the distance and orientation of desired movement). In order for the infant to learn this association
between feedback and desired movement, there will be a combination of training scenarios paired with
robot movement Initially, the robot will be used extensively in order to move the infant in the correct
direction. However, with practice the association between haptic feedback and desired movement should
be learnt. As a result the supporting movement provided by the robot (but not the haptic feedback) is
faded. Thus, the infant will be able to use solely the haptic feedback to be aware of the location of
rewarding objects. Doing this without physical contact with the parent will teach the infant how to
explore independently, which is very important for cognitive development.
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System to Automatically Level an Arterial Line Transducer
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jessica Arble
David Dasco
Melissa Sinclair
Paul Wetzel, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
An arterial line is a medical device used to continuously measure blood pressure of patients, usually those in
intensive care units. An arterial line consists of a pressure bag, a pressure transducer, and a needle and tube
that are placed into a peripheral artery. In order for the arterial line to properly measure blood pressure, the
transducer must be level with the fourth intercostal space of the patient’s chest. For patients who must be
monitored continuously, an inaccurate reading could be dangerous. If a nurse has multiple patients to attend to,
she may not see if a patient with an arterial line has changed positions. The patient may then experience a rise
or fall in blood pressure, but the machine may not register it as being at a critical level even though it is. Also,
the patient’s movement itself may cause the machine to sound a false alarm, causing the nurse to stop whatever
work they were doing to attend to the patient. This can lead to errors in the workplace if false alarms pull
nurses away from more serious issues.
A system to automatically adjust the arterial line transducer with the heart has been proposed. The system will
include sensors, a microcontroller board, a motor and track, and various other electrical and hardware pieces.
The system will determine vertical position based on the location of the sensor placed on the patient. Any
change in position will be transmitted through the program, and the motor will adjust the level of the
transducer accordingly to keep the transducer level with the heart. This system will save time, since nurses
must spend time at least once every two hours adjusting the arterial line. Our system will automatically check
every five minutes to ensure the patient’s heart is still level with the transducer, ensuring a timely and accurate
reading. If the heart and transducer are not level, our system will move the transducer to be level with the
patient’s heart. The development of this system will help prevent medication errors and result in more efficient
nurses.
12
Topographical Cues on Biomimetic Electrospun Scaffolds for Bone
Tissue Engineering
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Sarah Ayad
Sarah Cameron
Imran Khatri
Devon Mason
Bhavya Vendra
Rene Olivares-Navarrete D.D.S,
Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Fractures and other bony defects place a significant burden on the US healthcare system, but current solutions
either fail to stimulate bone growth or are inconsistent in their efficiency. By stimulating the body’s natural
regenerative capabilities using an osteoinductive scaffold, we aim develop a novel biodegradable scaffold
designed to mimic the extracellular matrix after osteoclast resorption of bone to induce new bone formation by
initiating mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts.
Electrospun scaffolds will be produced with micron-scale fibers of varying topography using incorporated
hydroxyapatite to create an osteoinductive surface. Several methods will be employed to vary the fiber
geometry, thus modifying the surface topography to induce osteoblast formation. Human mesenchymal stem
cells will be seeded on our scaffolds and their osteogenic qualities will be evaluated by quantifying levels of
mRNA and proteins commonly associated with stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts.
We have fabricated several iterations of scaffolds by varying five design parameters, including polymer
concentration, hydroxyapatite concentration, and scaffold geometry. These scaffolds vary in fiber alignment,
macro- and micro-scale roughness, and chemistry, all factors that have been demonstrated in the literature to
affect stem cell differentiation. We are now in the process of finalizing our design before fabricating scaffolds
for cell studies.
Our scaffolds will provide a template for osteoblast formation by mimicking the extracellular hierarchical
structure of bone, which will promote the natural healing process. Ultimately, we aim to yield scaffolds that
can be used to regenerate tissue in small bone defects without the dependence of fixators, grafting materials, or
exogenous bioactive molecules. Our final product will act as a replacement for traditional therapies and be
superior to emerging bone tissue engineering products.
Acknowledgments: Sharon Hyzy M.S, Tea Arapovic PhD, Ryan Clohessy B.S.
13
Transitional Device for Patients with Motor Disabilities
Project Members
Matthew Hirsch
Kristin Serwan
Natalie Sympson
Faculty Advisor
Paul Wetzel, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Motor disabilities present challenges for many daily tasks. Most people want to keep their independence and
be able to travel outside of their homes. The process of getting into and out of a car becomes much harder
when one has a disability such as paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury. The goal of our project is to assuage
this issue through a well-designed transfer system to allow transfer to and from a wheelchair and other
locations such as cars, a bed, or a mat table under an individual’s own power or with the assistance of one
additional individual. Our design is focused around our client whose abilities are restricted by a level C-5/C-6
spinal cord injury.
Over the course of the semester, different design iterations have been considered. One design included a
sliding board with a seat and a strap that the user would pull on to move the seat to the next position. Another
consideration was an isolated board with a center scissor lift that would allow the board to be leveled to the
height of the desired transfer. This was not feasible however due to the fact that the isolated system would
have to start on a level surface. A final consideration was having one end of the board fixed to the wheelchair
and the other free to move with a scissor lift. The side with the scissor lift would be able to be raised or
lowered to become even with the transfer destination.
The current and likely final design has a board bridging the distance between the wheelchair and the place to
which the person is planning to move. This frame encloses a wheeled track with a seat on it, and a geared
system linked to a crank on the chair. The user moves onto the seat and straps themselves in with an elastic
belt closed by Velcro panels. They then use the crank that is next to or in front of them to move the seat across
the track from the starting position to the ending point. The seat will incrementally climb the track every time
the lever is pulled, using a cog or rack railway design.
The deliverables are a working prototype as well as a video of our client utilizing our assistive device to
accomplish a transfer with the help of one individual. We are also considering a pulley system in place of the
gear system. Prototypes are in the process of being completed to determine which system will suit the user
more based on the forces required to move the chair. In order for the device to be used by an individual with
motor disabilities the whole apparatus must be as light and small as possible. We are looking into alternative
materials such as composites to make a lighter structure. Currently we think the lightest materials with the
necessary strength and versatility of structure is fiberglass or carbon fiber. Based on cost and the need to have
a completed prototype before March, we will likely settle on fiberglass for the prototypes made in this class.
14
CHEMICAL AND LIFE SCIENCE
ENGINEERING
Biodevice
Chemical and Life Science Engineering
Project Members
Cabell Lamie
Aaron Rowane
Carolyn Song
Adil Suleman
Allison Yaguchi
Faculty Advisor
Xuejun Wen, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
This project aims to use a technology called cell microencapsulation to secrete drugs to the body using a
mutated human cell line. In this case, the target application is neutropenia, the drastic decrease of white blood
cell counts that often accompanies chemotherapy treatments. The current treatment for neutropenia utilizes
injections of human granulocyte stimulating factors (hG-CSF). hG-CSF increases white blood cell counts over
time. For many, treatment can be unaffordable, especially when coupled with chemotherapy and
hospitalization costs. Dosage of G-CSF is also based on weight, but weight categorization is limited to two
dosage groups. This project aims to make a much more manageable, affordable, and appealing device that can
produce similar or better results than previous methods on a more personalized basis. Our approach is to create
a hollow fiber tube that will house cells transfected to produce and secrete hG-CSF. The permeability of the
tube and number of cells within the tube will be altered to achieve the desired secretion of the protein. This
approach will be exponentially more cost effective and much less invasive to the patient.
Figure 1: Cell Microencapsulation
17
Commissioning and Quality Control of Melt Blown Extrusion System
for Manufacture of Polypropylene Filters
Project Members
Sudan Abdur-Rahman
Carter Berry
Armand Melendez
Jessica Nicholson
Chelseay Reynolds
Faculty Advisor
Frank Gupton, Ph.D.
Rudy Krack
Industry Advisor
Todd Furbee
Delta Pure Filtration
Melt blown processes are a developed technology; however, advances in die formation have allowed for the
production of finer fibers and presented additional manufacturing difficulties. Impediments to continuous and
reliable production have been fiber breakage and hardness. This project addresses these difficulties and will
further enhance the consistency and economic viability of melt blown filters.
A statistical approach has been chosen for increasing the reliability of the melt blown extrusion process.
Manufacturing recipes will be determined utilizing a full factorial design of experiment using every
combination of critical process parameters. The optimal combination will be determined by the parameter
setting that produces filters that are the most statistically coordinated with industry standard weight, uniform
diameter, and greatest particle removal efficiency. A filter cartridge test stand has been designed and will be
assembled in order to objectively measure removal efficiency.
This project will provide operating recipes that will increase the manufacturing rate and profitability of filters
produced through melt blown extrusion. The filter cartridge test stand is crucial to the identification of
effective filters, and, hence, the formulation of process recipes.
18
Project Members
Cameron Brinn
Jordan Carroll
Shadeed Drakeford
Austin Marvin
Dylan Rodene
Faculty Advisor
Frank Gupton, Ph.D.
Rudy Krack
Industry Advisor
Nutriati
Krisan Singh
Michael Spinelli
Rapid population growth on a global scale has been seen in the last half century contributing to a proportional
increase in a demand for reliable and sustainable food production. The object of this project is to create a meat
analogue to mimic the texture of muscle fibers using the process of electrospinning to form fibers constructed
from vegan proteins.
The first step toward achieving these vegan fibers is to benchmark the electrospinning process by replicating
processes from publications known to result in electrospun nanofibers. The literature consulted specified
conditions for the spinning of gelatin and zein proteins. Once these benchmarks were successfully completed,
they will provide a starting point for spinning more nutritionally valuable proteins such as those found in
chickpeas and soy beans. The largest foreseeable challenge will be the identification of a suitable solvent with
which to spin the proteins. Most conventional electrospinning solvents are not safe for use in food production.
In order to overcome this problem, a food grade solvent or solvent system should be used to create the
spinning solution. Barring this approach, it must be demonstrable that any hazardous solvents used are
completely evaporated in the electrospinning process and that no trace amounts exist in the fibers produced.
The end goal of this project is to yields edible vegan proteins that can be safely and reliably electrospun.
Electrospun proteins could eventually lead to the development of an inexpensive meat alternative. This
product, produced by chickpeas, would have the potential to mitigate the harmful environmental effects
associated with raising livestock. Additionally, due to the simplicity of the process and the inexpensive nature
of the feedstock, this product could serve as an alternative food source for famine stricken countries and by so
doing, help to alleviate global hunger.
Acknowledgements: Hu Yang, Donald Aduba, Xuejen Wen
19
Project Members
Vesna Bacic
James Dwyer
Ryan Lee
Thao-Nguyen Truong
Adarsh Siva
Faculty Advisor
Kenneth Wynne, Ph.D.
Wei Zhang, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Analytical chemistry is currently facing a dire deficit of cheap analyte identification devices that are both
reusable and compact. In developing countries where lab testing is not readily available a market exists for a
portable tool that could test biological samples in real-time. Microfluidics, a broad category dealing with the
manipulation of fluids on a small scale, offers a potential solution to this problem. Through the development of
a one-time use, easily disposable microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip,” many of these problems could be solved.
In order to create the microfluidic device, a polymer coating can provide the hydrophilic and hydrophobic
gradient for necessary for confined flow in a microfluidic chip. The glass surface and polymer coating will
represent the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, respectively. The channels for fluid flow will be
constructed by the exposure of the photosensitive polymer through a process known as photolithography. A
change in analyte concentration can be measured using variances in what is known as the streaming potential.
Several fluid flow control options will also be evaluated, including the integration of a small-scale valve
needed to manipulate pulsed-flow.
So far, our senior design team has obtained the necessary training for fabrication work in the Wright Virginia
Microelectronics Center at VCU, and several group members already have experience working in the clean
rooms. The goal for the end of this spring semester is to have a working prototype that meets the entire criteria
outlined above. If successful, this device and research could provide valuable insight into the manufacturing
feasibility of a “lab-on-a-chip” as a disposable, affordable analytical tool as well as promote VCU as a
pioneering university in the field of microfluidics.
20
Photosynthetic Battery System Design with Incorporated
Photosystem II
Project Members
Dilan Bellinghoven
Paul Lee
Kelly Lipps
David Nichols
Daniel Tiea
Faculty Advisor
Stephen Fong, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Sustainable fuel sources have become a large area of interest in the energy industry. A potential method of
energy production is the utilization of photosynthesis in electrical systems. Photosynthesis is the biological
process by which plants convert sunlight into metabolic energy. Sunlight is the most abundant energy source,
yet it is not being utilized to its full potential. Photovoltaics attempt to harness the sun’s energy through
synthetic processes that convert light into direct current electricity; however, it too has several disadvantages
such as its high inefficiency and lack of storage capacity. The proposed project will aim to utilize solar energy
by combining aspects of safe, biological components of photosynthesis, the storage capability of batteries, and
the energy sustainability of photovoltaics.
There have been efforts made to isolate the photosynthetic reaction centers and relocate them to a synthetic
environment where the energy produced can be harnessed and stored. So far, there has been minimal success
in creating a photo-bioelectrochemical device that produces electrical power using this integrated process. This
project will replicate a previous experiment using photobiofuel cells to generate fuel in aqueous solutions. We
will try to mimic and improve upon a prototype where a photosystem II-functionlized photoanode and
electrically wired bilirubin oxidase/carbon nanotubes-modified cathode system are used to generate and store
solar energy without the production of any wastes.
So far, the project has been in the preliminary research phase. Because this is a new and emerging field of
research, few experiments of this nature have been conducted, and thus very little literature exists currently.
Essentially all of the information needed to begin the prototype design and testing phases has been collected.
The actual construction of the prototype will begin in March of 2014.
The technology of this new and emerging field has the potential to improve upon the efficiency of converting a
limitless energy source into a usable form with no waste products. A device of this nature could lead to
sustainable and clean source of energy that can be used anywhere sunlight is plentiful, providing electricity
where it may otherwise be unavailable.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Dr. Fong and Dr. Jenson for their help with the Senior Design
project.
21
Sustainable Delivery Mechanisms for Type I HIV Treatment
Project Members
Firas Al-Shatti
Rebecca Banton
Laura Hayward
David Presnall, Jr.
Shivani Shah
Faculty Advisor
B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.
Michael Peters, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
More than 35 million people worldwide are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and more
than 70% of these individuals live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the HIV patients residing in the third
world countries of Africa are faced with the burden of traveling back and forth from their village to a health
facility in order to receive medication. This is met with the added difficulty of limited access to transportation
resulting in the process of getting treatment more inconvenient. In order to alleviate some of the burden of
travel, sustained delivery mechanisms for the HIV treatment drug Nevirapine will be designed.
The goal is to reduce the required health visits to approximately twice a month, while providing a convenient
form of drug delivery based on the patients preference. These mechanisms are targeted specifically towards
third-world countries, with Mali selected as an example polity. To meet this goal, it is necessary to design a
system that is simple to use, reliable, and convenient. To accomplish this, we propose two options. The first is
a pump similar to that used by diabetes patients for insulin administration. This device will be mounted outside
of the patient’s body, with a subcutaneous auto-injection mechanism. It will be easy to operate and will contain
the option to either be placed on the patient’s arm or hip, depending on the patient’s preference. As an
alternative, for patients who prefer not to utilize a needle, we propose a modified oral delivery system.
Currently, Nevirapine is administered as an oral tablet or suspension. The objective is to design a lipid
nanoparticle to contain the drug within an oral tablet. This would presumably permit it to target the lymphatic
system more directly (since HIV primarily affects this structure). By this method, the requisite dose could
theoretically be reduced since Nevirapine would be deposited where needed rather than evenly distributed
throughout the body. Additionally, the use of nanoparticles will allow for control of the release rate, reducing
the drug concentration ‘spike’ associated with an initial dosing.
These options will provide patients with the ability to take more control over their treatment by choosing the
delivery mechanism that would work best for them, while at the same time reducing their time spent traveling
for treatment.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Dr. Christopher Brooks from VCU’s School of World Studies
for his insights into developing societies, and Dr. Edwards from Intelliject for his advice and direction.
22
Synthesis and Addition of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles to Engine Oil to
Increase Lubricity Flow Chemistry
Project Members
Kathleen Barron
Michael Burkholder
Maricarl Hidalgo
Clayton Miller
M. Aziz Suleman
Faculty Advisor
B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The purpose of the project is to implement a more suitable and efficient process to create nanoparticles that
reduce friction in engines and machinery when added to lubrication oils. Our project will focus on progressing
from a batch process to a microwavable continuous flow process for nanoparticle synthesis. We will focus on
zinc and copper oxide nanoparticles, which will derive from their respective acetate or nitrate. After honing in
on experimental parameters which have proved to produce the ideal nanoparticle shape, we will then test the
particles to identify which variety most effectively reduces the friction coefficient.
The methodology of the project has been divided into three phases: the research phase, the lab stage, and the
testing stage with Afton Chemicals. The first stage was dedicated to understanding t he chemistry in both
batch and flow processes, and comparing the results of the two. The conventional and microwave batch
heating will be completed during the fall semester; continuous flow chemistry will conclude at the beginning
of the spring semester. During the lab testing, concentration, temperature, time and pH will be the
manipulated variables. Lastly, testing of the nanoparticles for reduction of the friction coefficient will be
conducted during the end of the spring semester.
Developing a continuous flow process that creates nanoparticles while reducing the friction coefficient of
machinery will cause a more efficient engine. This will cause a decrease in oil consumption and improved
efficiency of the machinery. The use of continuous flow chemistry will demonstrate its advantages over batch
processes. Batch-to-batch variabilities will be eliminated and it will also cause a lower consumption of oil,
which will have a positive effect on the environment. The ability to use less oil will cause less contamination
in water systems and soil when the machinery is discarded or in case of an oil leak.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thanks Ph.D. candidate Kendra Woodberry for her guidance and Afton
Chemicals for their partnership in this project.
23
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Self-Parking and Accident Aware Golf Cart
Computer Engineering
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Greg Brown
Caleb Johnson
Michael Elkins
Omar Youssef
Charles Cartin, Ph.D.
Robert Klenke, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Self-Parking and Self-Driving Vehicles are one of the most significant technological leaps that mankind has
developed. However, as with many technologies there are failures that can occur and a resulting need to repair
these failures. J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College is starting a program to train students to repair selfparking vehicles. To build this training program, they want to develop their own modifiable, self-parking
vehicle that is cheap to build and easy to repair. Our project is to continue the development of a cheap and
easily repairable simulation of a self-driving vehicle for student training.
This project has been in development prior to our working on it so our first approach was to identify what
progress has been made on the vehicle, as well as what parts are currently available to us for use. We have also
looked into how some autonomous vehicles currently function as to design the closest thing possible to an
actual self-driving or self-parking car.
We have recently identified the optimal sensors and placement of the sensors for the final design of our
vehicle. We have also found out how we will be communicating with these sensors as well as what processing
platform we will be using to accomplish the task of self-parking. We have also designed our program flow
chart and begun our pseudo-coding so once the parts have arrived we should be prepared to start working on
the vehicle immediately.
In summary, we are designing a cheap and easily repairable Self-Parking Golf Cart in order for J. Sergeant
Reynolds to train students on how to repair this new technological advancement. We have analyzed what was
currently in the vehicle as well as what current autonomous vehicles use today and found the optimal parts for
our vehicle. We then designed our program flow chart and are currently waiting for the parts we require to
arrive to begin working on the vehicle.
Acknowledgements: Salah Garada, Charles Swaim, Alan Crouch, Lawrence Schwendeman, David Barrish
and Melissa Gay
27
Smart Irrigation System
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Scott Francy
Gaurav Shah
Industry Advisor
Modern irrigation systems have the ability to operate on a schedule and even sense if it is raining to disable the
system. These systems are still inefficient though because the potential still exists to overwater or underwater
the lawn. There are more sophisticated ways to control the overall water output combining both feedback
control and feed forward control.
An irrigation controller could make better decision to maximize efficiency if it had access to the necessary
data. This project seeks to provide this necessary data allowing the controller to make control decisions
proactively rather than solely relying on sensors and feedback, which is reactionary. The next evolution of
irrigation system create a watering schedule not only based on time or schedule, but also dynamically adapts
based on forecasted weather conditions. Research yielded two options: statistical based, predictive control
based on past weather conditions and the second was through a direct interface to the weather forecast. A
decision was made to use the real-time and multiple day forecast information due to the options available for
the interface.
To reach maximum efficiency, it was determined the controller would need to have advanced notice of the
weather, current measurements of weather conditions and also track recent weather. By combining these three
concepts, a base-watering schedule can be created and then altered if locally connected sensors contradict the
weather report. Also, through tracking of the total rainfall and watering volume, the controller can identify
when enough water has been delivered and the program can be dynamically altered to not run again until the
next weekly time period begins.
This solution would not only result in cost savings, but could conserve a significant amount of water. The
concept of this controller could not only be applied to small-scale irrigation systems such as residential
installations, but also large-scale systems that would be found in agriculture or golf courses.
28
VoIP Security Robot
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jeremy Eaker
Casey Ferguson
Mohammed Hossain
Industry Advisor
As the market for home surveillance explodes, our goal was to design a simple, user friendly, consumer grade
surveillance robot. We set out to ensure that users will have the same capability of a high-grade surveillance
systems including ease of use and wide surveillance area. By using mobile platform that will host one
surveillance camera we would lower cost of a multi-camera system and potentially ensure blind spots in the
surveillance area do not occur.
To control the mobile platform, we chose to have a user give the robot voice commands through a web connect
using a microphone so that extra hardware such as a joystick or control pad are not necessary. These voice
commands will be sent to an Avent mini module that hosts the website and will translate the specific direction
commands into hexadecimal values to be sent via Bluetooth to the mobile platform.
The timeline of the project is going better than expected, preliminary tests using a Bluetooth compatible
Nintendo Wii remote demonstrates that the communication between the devices is working properly. The next
step is to build a website so that the user then can control the robot remotely.
29
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jarrett Elliott
Michael Roberts
Industry Advisor
In our security-conscious age, cyber identity
is a critical issue for data security and
information assurance. Due to MAC and IP
address spoofing capabilities, it is nearly
impossible to confirm the identity of a
device communicating on a network. This
project will research and implement
capabilities for identifying a wireless device
based on its unchangeable physical
characteristics which factor into its
electromagnetic
transmissions.
By
discovering
and
identifying
these
distinguishable features, and establishing
benchmarks used to identify each device,
trust of a wireless device’s identity can be
established at a higher level of certainty. Security would therefore be established not only through password
protection, but also by the physical characteristics of data transmission nuances for each device. This will
enable networks to keep a higher standard of security that to date has not been possible within the information
technology community.
The project will utilize a BladeRF Software Defined Radio, along with open-source Linux-based GNU radio
software to observe and record the WiFi frequency spectra of any devices requesting access to the wireless
network. Signal processing algorithms developed in this project will be run to find distinguishable features of
different WiFi devices. The features will be then fed into a neural network algorithm, which will be trained to
determine if there is a match between the known features of trusted WiFi devices and the features of the
device being observed. If the neural network determines a match, the device will be allowed to connect to the
network.
30
COMPUTER SCIENCE
AMC Technology: Softphone Toolbar
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Michael Defibaugh
Alex McKibben
Iryna Wilson
Janusz Slawek
Rajbans Joshi
Customer service is a very important function of every organization. In order to provide good customer
service a company must use reliable software. Implementing a client application using technologies like
asynchronous communication and SOAP based Web Services could significantly improve not only customers’
experience, but provide better work environment for customer service providers.
While developing softphone toolbar we used a virtual environment provided by AMC Technology in order to
test the asynchronous communication with the Web Services. We used an Agile development methodology to
first create a prototype, and then added functionalities on each iteration.
We were able to develop a fully functional softphone toolbar that satisfies all the requirements. The software
works in the real environment, provides clean, simple user interface, and has an extensible design that can be
enhanced in the future.
Although the softphone toolbar is built mainly to improve the customer service provider’s work environment
by providing user friendly interface and displaying customer information, it also ensures better connection
between an agent and a client, thus improving overall customer service quality.
33
CapTech: Oledos: A JavaScript Knowledge Repository
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Brittany Davis
Brandon Hughes
Stefanie Kenyon
Janusz Slawek
Tim Ellison
JavaScript today is one of the most widely used technologies in web development. Over the past few years,
many new JavaScript frameworks and libraries have been created. There are many JavaScript frameworks and
libraries which have functionalities that others do not and others are simply built on top of other frameworks or
libraries. With this in mind, where can a web developer go to make decisions on which JavaScript framework
or library to use?
We have worked with CapTech this academic year to create a website, called Oledos, which will help its
developers make better websites in a shorter amount of time. The website will have the ability to show basic
information of the 12 most popular JavaScript technologies including how difficult it is to learn the
technology, which JavaScript technologies it is compatible with and create a sample application which utilizes
the compatible technologies. If a developer is uncertain about a particular technology, a colleague will have
the ability to vote and show whether or not a particular technology works well with another.
In this project, we designed and built a website. While working on our prototype, we used the Agile
Development methodology in which we discussed our progress with our mentor, Tim Ellison, every week.
After researching the different JavaScript libraries, we have some basic information, which JavaScript libraries
are compatible with one another, and a sample application. The sample application includes the code and a
simulation of a Dice Game.
Even though there are many different JavaScript frameworks and libraries to choose from, many of them are
compatible with one another. Most the JavaScript frameworks and libraries that we were working with were
compatible with jQuery, one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks.
34
Honeypot Deployment and Malware Analysis
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Sujoy Chatterjee
Paul Morck
Robert Stump
Carol Fung, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
To create an automated system of malware collection, monitoring, and analysis that can be deployed and
maintained easily. This project is important because it allows protection against the compromising of a
computers integrity.
The design approach started with research, and then went to building separate modules, testing those modules,
and then finally integrating all the modules together into the honeynet.
A virtual network linking the honeypots and honeywall together has been created. Data collection and analysis
has started.
With the data we collect using the honeypots, we can help better protect against further attacks by analyzing
what the attacker uses to get into the system. The honeypots can also serve as a warning sign of an attack in
progress. This system could be implemented in many different scenarios, from a personal computer to a bank's
server.
35
Innovative Solutions Consortium: Ranking Proposals
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Chunghao Hsieh
Michael Kessinger
Justin Risch
Janusz Slawek
Steve Hunt
Richard Rosenthal
Assigning ranks is a classic and long standing challenge in Computer Science. We are ranking the proposals
submitted by third parties in order to see how well they met the needs of a project, which is defined by
Innovative Solutions Consortium (ISC). This should ultimately lead to a more efficient means of finding the
optimal solution to a given problem on the criteria provided by ISC.
For example, if there was a project submitted by ISC to build a bridge, the solutions submitted for that would
answer criteria related to that project, such as how much time it would take, how safe the bridge would be, and
how much it would cost. Safety is paramount and so we would not want to accept an unsafe solution. From
there, it’s up to ISC to choose if they want the most inexpensive solution, or the timeliest? Based on the
parameters ISC selects when reviewing the proposals, our algorithm should find the most optimal solution.
The design we are implementing is based heavily on the previous method of completing this process, in order
to reduce the amount of time needed for learning the new system for those who had previously used the pen
and paper method. It is a website that allows ISC to submit a project, which others will submit their proposals
for. Once the submissions are in, a select group of judges will be able to evaluate their responses, and give
them scores for each category. On the final page of the site, ISC will be able to sort the proposals based on
their scores. To achieve a measure of how well a solution suits their needs, ISC can then choose how important
each category is. From there, the solutions are re-sorted by their newly calculated scores.
Acknowledgements: Jack Jackson
36
Integration of Reference Biological Networks into a Reference
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Brett Ellerson
Myounghun Kang
Tim Voll
Tom Arodz, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The purpose of this project is to develop a database-based pipeline for integrating multiple biological networks
into a single unified network. The ultimate goal of the project is to construct a unified human reference metanetwork covering all major types of functional element that play a role in cell functioning and their known
interactions.
The database stores known information about multiple types of biological entities that are collected from
online knowledge repositories. It also holds relational information of the structure of connections between
biological entities that are extracted from existing sources of biological network. We successfully designed a
relational database using Python data processing and integration methods to populate the database with
information collected from online repositories.
The output of this project will be the prerequisite information for computational discover of disease-related
pathway from multi-assay studies.
37
Mobile Application for Miniature Ultrafine Particle Sizers
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Taylor McCorkill
Nathan Taggart
Lucas Schronce
Daren Chen, Ph.D.
Meng Yu, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
According to US EPA, ultrafine particles (UFPs), considering as air pollutants, are defined as airborne
particles with the diameters less than 100 nm. Primary emission of UFPs is from combustion sources, such as
motor vehicles and coal-fired power plants. UFPs are thus omnipresent in the ambient, especially in the
residential proximity to highways and urban area, and in the areas where the traffic density is expected to be
high. Recent heath studies have evidenced that UFPs may be particularly relevant to pulmonary and
cardiovascular diseases, cancer and mortality. At VCU we are developing a miniature sensor to measure the
size distribution of UFPs at the personal level. Both the hardware and software are under the development. In
order to tap into the computing power of smart phones, this project calls for the development of an app for
Android or IOS system to process the raw data collected and display the personal UFP exposure level.
Input: raw data (voltage and current) detected by external hardware sensor
Output: ultrafine particle sizer distribution
Develop an app for Android or IOS system to process the raw data collected and display the personal UFP
exposure level. This process is based on the “constrained least square method”.
So far we have proven that smart phones possess sufficient computing power to compute the necessary
calculations.
Since we have established that the computations are possible on a smart phone, it serves as encouragement for
the development of the hardware device since we now know that we can easily add the computational power
of the smart phone to the sensor.
Acknowledgements: Jingjie Zhang
38
OneMind Health, Inc.: Referral Communications System
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Ryan Bell
Benjamin Le
Eric Stansbury
Janusz Slawek
John McKinzie
The application being developed is an online web application for communication of referrals between general
practitioners/dentists and specialized providers. The motivation behind the development of this application is
to find a secure, regulated way to transfer medical data and referrals, which is not allowed by simple web
communications and email as that constitutes a HIPAA violation, that will allow for faster communications
and saving natural resources by avoiding the use of standard communications of physical mail and faxing.
The construction of the application is performed in Microsoft development environments of Visual Studio for
Web, ASP.Net, and C#, all used to develop a system of classes which interact with each other and use
communications with databases. The basis around this construction is based off of an agile/scrum style
approach to development with short sprints of work being done and delivered each week, and based off of a
similar system already created by OneMind Health, Inc.
As of now, the current state of the application provides basic database operations to be performed with the
database for users. The main focus of the project up until this point, for now, was to set up the project with in a
very abstract architecture to provide a system that will be very loosely coupled to make maintenance, testing,
and changing much easier and less costly upon the system.
In conclusion, the current state of the project, as based on the problem, emphasizes basic user capabilities on
separated objects within the system as the general early focus was to set up a stable and well-designed
architecture.
Acknowledgements: Matthew Thomas
39
RAA’s Rapid Response Vehicle Positioning System
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Farheen Azam
Joshua Hensley
Prathika Kasireddy
Carol Fung, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) was looking to add rapid response vehicles (RRVs) to their
arsenal of vehicles that responds to medical emergencies. RRVs are equipped to deal with most emergencies
and are smaller than ambulances so that they can respond faster and reduce costs at the same time. Their
current system deploys only ambulances to all of their calls; the RAA is meeting their time and coverage goals,
however, the survival rate can still be improved. They would like to have the RRVs respond to the truly lifethreatening calls (deemed “Priority 1+”) in order to minimize response time and maximize the survival rate of
patients with such emergencies.
Knowing that the RAA currently responds to 90% of Priority 1+ calls in their jurisdiction within 8 minutes and
59 seconds, we planned on shrinking the time constraint down to 4 minutes and 59 seconds for ambulances
and RRVs alike. We gridded the city of Richmond into one kilometer squared blocks. Then, given the call
volume data for the last 5 years, we plotted out the probabilities of a call coming from each block in a 12-hour
interval. We added on the possible combinations of ambulance placements and their 4:59 coverage of the city
based on the ambulance posting locations also provided by the RAA. We then placed the RRV in each block
and placed it in the spot which offered the highest percent of call volume coverage
We created a program that takes in the number of the ambulances, the number of RRVs and the time of the
day, to output the optimal locations for the given number of RRVs. An HTML output file is created to show
the coverage maps for both ambulances and rapid response vehicles as well as the percentage of calls covered
for the corresponding map. After placing the ambulances and RRVs, we achieve 90% call coverage with 4
ambulances and 3 RRVs, regardless of the time of day.
Introducing the Rapid Response Vehicle system will significantly improve the emergency medical service
coverage in the City of Richmond, provided the vehicles are positioned in the right places. Our program strives
to accomplish this goal, but we only work on the placements of RRVs since ambulance positions are already
optimized. Our results show that in order to comply with the standard of reaching 90% of calls within the time
period and cutting down response time to four minutes and 59 seconds, the RAA needs to have at least 7 cars
in total. For the survival rate, going by the general formula, this means that 90% of callers can be reached
within 5 minutes, and the survival rate is at a minimum of 50% (whereas 10% with the old standard). Although
the survival rate doesn’t seem to be high enough, we predict it is much higher than 50% in reality.
Acknowledgements: Danny Garrison, Rob Lawrence, and Janusz Slawek
40
VCU HR eForm
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Richard Kotulski
Peter Lee
Joseph Pennington
Brandon Webb
Janusz Slawek
Meredith Stockman
In today’s day and age, the use of paper and ink has been surpassed by technology. Documents, books, and
other paper materials have now been converted into electronic form, allowing them to be distributed easier.
Not only does this allow for easier distribution, but it allows for a cleaner, greener product for the consumers.
The goal for our VCU HR eForm project was to create an application for the VCU Human Resource
Department that provided a paperless way to send forms to new employees. From this application, employees
would be able to complete the forms and send them back, all electronically without any paper. Filled out
forms then populate into a PDF file. This allows HR to directly send these eForms into their system instead of
having to scan in a packet of paper, creating a faster and more efficient application process for both sides.
Not only did we want to make this a paperless project for HR, we also wanted to make an efficient and easier
process for the department. The application stores all the new employee information, from the application,
into a database where HR admins have access to create, delete, and look up the employees.
In conclusion, we have created an user-friendly, secured application for the new employees to fill the
necessary forms out for HR. The information is stored into a database, where HR admins can create and
delete. But most importantly, this application allows for a paperless process for HR.
41
Vehicular Network Testbed
Computer Science
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Lily Hood
Elliot Shapiro
Matthew Shifflett
Wei Cheng, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
In this project, we will be designing and implementing a system in which drivers (of the remote control cars)
can tell where they are on a particular road with specifications as far as what lane they are in, what tag they
have just passed (indicates location), street, city, state, country, speed limit, school/construction zone, and what
type of lane they are in (one way, turning lane, HOV lane, exit ramp). The drivers and other users can view
this and other gathered information either in a web or a mobile application.
Information about a particular RC car is gathered as the car drives over RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
tags embedded in the road surface. RFID readers as well as the Linux Development Board (LBD) are installed
on the RC cars. The RFID reader will be used to collect the information from the RFID tags, which will be
sent through the LBD to the MySQL database via Internet. By querying a database using the ID of the tags and
RC Car ID, information about the car's location and other things can be procured. This information can be
accessed through a web application or smart phone application.
So far we are in the process of integrating the Linux Development Board with the RFID reader and connecting
them to the server. We have successfully developed a prototype for a web service and android application that
for now is accessing and displaying pseudo-data, but will eventually display the information that is stored on
the RFID tags once everything is completely integrated.
There are several reasons for creating a tracking system with specific detail. Knowing which lane one is in can
help drivers negotiate complicated intersections or road exchanges by providing better directions. Sometimes
the commonly used G.P.S will think that you are continuing onto a road when you have exited just because the
roads are so close in proximity. This is one thing we hope our design will help solve. Additionally, in the case
of an emergency, rescue personnel can know exactly where an accident occurred (i.e. the last RFID tag that the
car was recorded as passing) and make their way directly to the scene. Drivers whom an accident might affect
will be directed around the accident or given a different route. Finally, a potential for having very specific
location data would be for the development of automated automobiles. For example, if there are multiple RFID
readers on a car, maybe the location of different parts of the car could be recorded and used to keep cars from
hitting each other.
Acknowledgements: Janusz Slawek
42
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Assisted Hand Rehabilitation
Electrical Engineering
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
George Brimmer
David Choe
Samuel Pak
Kenny Truong
Michael Cabral, Ph.D.
Weijun Xiao, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Every year, 700,000 people in the US suffer a stroke – the equivalent of a stroke every 45 seconds. It is
believed that the majority of recovery takes place within three months of a stroke, but recent studies have
shown that a recovery length of more than a year may be necessary to achieve close to full recovery. In
addition, the physical toll on both patient and therapist can slow or exacerbate existing injuries. The
prohibitively large cost of rehabilitation has produced the opportunity to design a cost-effective alternative
solution.
This project’s primary goal is to create a portable device that can provide similar results to rehabilitation with a
trained professional. The team has employed an iterative design process and the current revision utilizes a
linear actuator to provide the movement needed to clasp and unclasp the hand. This design will minimize the
amount of effort required by a medical professional, as well as simplify the manufacturing process necessary
to build it.
45
Audio Frequency Model of a Wireless Communication System with
Dynamic Spectrum Access
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Amos Ajo
Mohamed Keita
Rahel Mekonnen
Bethel Temesgen
Ruixin Niu, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
As society’s usage of wireless devices and services continues to increase at a staggering rate, the industry and
consumer demand for access to the wireless spectrum is far outpacing the FCC’s antiquated spectrum
allocation policies and the wireless industry today faces a scarcity of available spectrum. In 2002, the FCC
released the “Spectrum Policy Task Force Report,” calling for smarter and more efficient approaches to
spectrum management and allocation. This was the impetus for engineers to develop designs for Dynamic
Spectrum Access (DSA) networks. DSA is a broad term but defined by a taxonomy of methods in which
secondary users (SU), an unlicensed users of the wireless spectrum, may opportunistically access spectrum
allocated to, or owned by, a primary user (PU) so long as the PU quality of service (QoS) can be minimally
affected.
In our project we will model such a system of a PU and SU, but rather than using RF devices for wireless
communication we will use soundcards of computer laptops as ‘radios’ to wirelessly communicate via audio
waves. Using MATLAB we will program a PU transmitter (TX) to modulate digital data over an audio carrier,
as well as PU receiver (RX) which will record, demodulate, and recover the binary source sent by the TX. To
make this design more interactive, we design a GUI which will allow users to type brief text messages for the
PU transmit and receive, providing users a tangible example of how wireless spectrum is used.
Packaging the PU transmissions to be transmitted in bursts, we will simulate bursty wireless traffic and
underutilization of the PU spectrum. A SU radio will be programmed in a software-defined radio (SDR) toolkit
called GNU Radio, such that it may opportunistically access the PU channel during the null periods of the PU
transmissions. It will employ a spectrum sensing algorithm to recognize the presence of the PU, ensuring that
it fully relinquishes the PU channel spectrum when PU bursts commence. Performance of our system will be
measured based upon the error rate performance of our PU transmissions, particularly a comparison of PU
error performance with and without the presence of an active SU. We will also use GNU Radio to create a
visible FFT waterfall plot to visually display the audio spectrum activity which the will audibly heard.
We hope for our project to be an academic exercise which will, in a novel and intuitive way, convey the
potential which DSA systems and methods have in reforming the current spectrum management and allocation
policies.
46
Black Silicon Solar Cells
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Chase Anderson
Dominici Nguyen
Kamaldeep Singh
Yevgeniv Mikutin
Gary Atkinson, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Black silicon (b-Si) solar cells are the current industry standard in semiconductor solar cell fabrication because
of their higher efficiency characteristics over traditional solar cells. The traditional or basic solar cell
fabrication contains simply a junction between positively doped and negatively doped silicon, and metal
contacts to extract excited electrons. Though effective, these traditional cells introduce losses in the form of
reflection, transmission, and heat. B-Si solar cells combat reflection by utilizing a textured surface to redirect
reflected wavelengths back into the substrate, and combat transmission by applying a reflective surface at a
strategic depth beneath the junction to redirect escaping wavelengths back into the substrate.
The focus of this project was to develop a more economical way to texture the surface of silicon, while still
exploiting the other key features of industrial b-Si solar cells: bulk thinning and reflective rear surface.
Currently in industry, advanced and expensive patterning and etching techniques are used to texture the silicon
surface. The approach around the industrial process was the utilization of a glass nano-particle solution. In
theory, the solution would simply be spun onto the silicon wafer, allowing a random distribution of particles
across the surface. The areas of exposed silicon would be etched, leaving a peak at the location of a
nanoparticle, thus creating a textured silicon surface.
Successful development of this theorized process can revolutionize the processing of b-Si solar cells,
significantly reducing production costs, and provide the public with a cheaper energy alternative.
Water Cross Section
Industrial b-Si Surface Texture
Photo: U.S Department of Energy NREL
47
Multi-Functional Intelligence UPS for High Power Electronic Devices
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jasdeep Kandola
Rameez Khimani
MacPherson Stevens
Raleigh Waters
Zhifang Wang, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Our project aims to solve electrical power issues and enhancing the micro-grid capabilities in the VCU School
of Engineering West Hall. Dr. Dmitry Pestov, who is scientist the Nanomaterials Core Characterizations
(NCC) lab located inside the building, presented us with an opportunity to investigate an issue that remains
problematic for the high-end equipment within the NCC lab. The lab experiences a “flickering” problem
caused by power outages that can cause serious damage to the extremely sensitive equipment running
experiments. This flicker is caused by the delay in initial startup of backup generators located within the VCU
School of Engineering’s micro-grid, and does not provide enough quality power to allow stable operation or
shutdown of the important equipment that is not protected by an expensive Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) Device.
By understanding how power is supplied to the NCC and how the devices react to the power in normal and
outage conditions we designed and implemented an intermediate device that can detect low power quality
conditions and alert the host device to safely shut down. The device is a multi-functional intelligent UPS
system which conditions the power based on the type of dirty power being applied to it, as well as
communicate to the device during extended power outages to safely shut it down. The system enables
protection of equipment that could be subject to otherwise very "dirty" power, which would potentially
damage the expensive equipment. A method was developed to ensure that power delivered to sensitive
equipment is within acceptable operating parameters, as well as document and collect data.
Our device will allow students and faculty to successfully and accurately conduct experiments using the
devices in the NCC without the fear of unexpected disturbances or damage. It also continues the schools green
micro-grid initiative and expands upon its previous success within the small scale micro-grid that the School of
Engineering uses, and could allow expansion of the micro-grid to automate the efficient use of resources
campus-wide.
48
N.E.D. Noise Enhancement Device
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Allan Christie
Ellis Gillespie
Industry Advisor
As the US economy moves further into the service industry, more and more people find themselves working in
cubicles and industrial office buildings. In these spaces, the workers are subjected to industrial noises coming
from HVAC units, computer servers, etc. The tones heard in industrial noise can be described as dissonant.
Dissonant tones produce a negative emotional response. What can be done to combat the noise?
If a corresponding frequency is added to the dissonant noise, different chords can be created, depending on
which frequency is chosen, and how they correspond to the frequency of the noise. A corresponding
frequency can be chosen that creates a major chord with the noise. Major chords produce a positive emotional
response. If we create an environment with a major chord instead of dissonant tones, it’s possible that the
emotional response in that environment can be improved.
This is achieved through digital signal processing. The noise is collected through a microphone. The signal is
amplified through a pre amp, which outputs into an analog to digital converter microcontroller input. The
microcontroller performs Fourier analysis to determine the frequency and amplitude of the noise. Using this
information, the microcontroller determines the frequency and amplitude that will create a pleasant sounding
major chord. This frequency is output through a digital to analog converter, amplified and sent to a speaker.
This could be applicable not only in the work place, but also in the home kitchen, next to the refrigerator. The
design is relatively simple, and the cost of manufacturing is very low. Once people experience having their
rooms “tuned” to be more pleasant, it will become the norm.
49
Target Recognition and Deformity Reduction for UAV Platforms
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Luis Castrillon
Benjamin Young
Alen Docef, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have a large potential in the commercial industry due to their size and cost.
Visual operations such as land surveying, topographical measurements, crop monitoring, and many other
applications can be implemented into a UAV much more economically than a manned vehicle and without the
restrictions of using a pilot. One major setback that is keeping the UAV industry from expanding is the
limited means of interfacing the UAV to its surroundings without the use of a teleoperator all while producing
only the most relevant of information to a given situation. Providing basic algorithms for clearing deformities
seen in many aerial images from a UAV will create a base upon which specific target recognition algorithms
may be developed with reduced difficulty.
The UAV lab at VCU annually takes part in the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems competition in which an
aircraft must fly within an allocated airspace and spot targets. The airspace is small enough so that the aircraft
is banking more often than not. We will be filtering and designing our algorithms based on the requirements
of the competition. First, each image will be run through a few basic filters where noise will be eliminated,
and features of interest will be exaggerated. If the image is moderately deformed then it will be run through
noise reduction filters, such as Gaussian and Median, to eliminate as much of the deformities as possible.
Then the image will be tested for targets. Methods for detecting targets include histogram analysis, bimodal
color distribution, edge detection, and alphanumeric comparison.
The first step taken has been to utilize Matlab to develop the experimental algorithms since it has many
prebuilt toolboxes involved in image processing. Simultaneously, hardware is being constructed for the
purpose of running and developing our software. To be able to process the images from the competition, a
stand-alone, modular system is needed so that our hardware does not interfere with the UAV’s hardware. For
this we have created a physical server to manage the image stream while running filters on the Graphical
Processing Unit. As it stands, the hardware is nearing completion, and a select number of algorithms have
been evaluated and chosen for experimentation.
To finalize, processing images taken from an unmanned vehicle can impact the scope of commercial
utilization and acceptance of this technology. The reduction of deformities and implementation of specific
target recognition can ease this transition. Our aim is to have all developmental stages for software and
hardware completed by the end of 2013. We will begin next semester by implementing our algorithms in C
and test benching them on the hardware.
50
MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR
ENGINEERING
Alternative Energy System for the VCU Rice Center
Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Donielle Bibby
Tyler Kimbrough
Paul Phau
Emilie Soares
James McLeskey, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The primary focus of this project is to decrease the carbon dioxide footprint of the VCU Rice Center by
creating a sustainable alternative energy system. Through the Dominion Foundation, and support from the
Carbon Awareness Partnership (CAP) Program, the team is designing an integrated system composed of solar
panels, wind, and hydro-powered turbines, along with a curriculum that will educate local teachers on how
nature can be harnessed to produce sustainably generated energy.
In order to place the wind and hydro turbines correctly, feasibility studies will be performed in order to
determine their optimum location. These studies consist of mounting anemometers in different locations for an
adequate time period and collecting the wind and flow data. Solar panels are already installed on the roof of
the Rice Center’s dock; therefore the team must integrate these with the new components to create a holistic
system.
Attempts to record the flow of the river have been made. Due to limited, inconsistent flow, integrating hydro
turbines has not proven to offer any benefits. Anemometers have been mounted in a possible prime location
and will be recording data for the month of December.
The implications of this feasibility study have the potential to provide a great service to the VCU Rice Center
by providing a source of alternative energy to assist in the cost of power usage. The system will also be a
small step in the right direction in conserving our precious natural resources.
Acknowledgements: The Dominion Foundation, James T. McLeskey - Project Faculty Advisor, Anne B.
Wright - VCU Rice Center Coordinator, Bradley Rodriguez - Graduate Assistant, John Devincinzi - VCU Rice
Center Facilities, and Carl Beckelheimer - Energy Manager
53
Arena Race Car Design Optimization
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Benjamin Lootens
Michael Murphy
Matthew Vold
Frank Gulla, M.S.
Industry Advisor
This project is to evaluate and improve on the existing design of an Arena Racing car. The improvements are
necessary in order to reduce barriers to entry into the sport, facilitating the its expansion. The main areas for
improvement are ease of manufacture, cost of manufacture, and driver safety.
Team F has selected to simplify manufacture, with an anticipated reduction in cost, while maintaining the
current level of safety for the driver. To this end the team intends to investigate the cost savings of a welding
machine versus human labor, perform stress simulations using a variety of and different amounts of material,
and different methods of fastening the components of the roll cage together.
Thus far, the team has taken measurements of the car's chassis and created a 3D electronic model based on
those measurements.
Stress simulation using a variety of materials will allow economic comparisons between chassis designs based
on the price of materials. Stress simulation using reduced material in the roll cage will allow safety
comparisons between different amounts of materials.
Acknowledgements: Ricky Dennis
54
Arena Racing Chassis, Team B
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jihad Alsaffar
Ryan Boler
Andrew Knox
Kevin Kopp
Frank Gulla, M.S.
Industry Advisor
Arena Racing USA desires the ability to
expand their business to multiple cities
within the U.S., and eventually other parts
of the world. The current method of chassis
fabrication is inefficient due to the fact that
they can only construct one chassis at a
time, which takes several days to complete.
Our team is exploring new methods of
fabrication which can cut down on
manufacturing time and financial costs. 3D
computer models are being developed and
analyzed in order to provide a basis for
actual construction. We would also like to
enable the process to be conducted locally,
in Richmond, to reduce shipping time and
cost.
Welding of materials has become a primary
focus because this process takes up a considerable amount of time and money. By reducing the number of
welds required, Arena Racing USA will be able to fabricate the chassis quicker and cheaper.
A new chassis design which can be mass produced will enable Arena Racing USA to keep up with the demand
required to expand beyond Richmond, VA.
Acknowledgements: Ricky Dennis, Founder & CEO of Arena Racing USA
55
Arena Racing Frame Optimization
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Ryan Holleran
Austin Kirkland
Brian Grimm
Muktadir Rahman
Frank Gulla, M.S.
Industry Advisor
This report presents engineering analysis with
the intention to improve manufacturability of
the chassis used for Arena Racing cars. The
purpose of this design is to allow the Arena
Racing USA to expand to 5 different cities
next year. There are many possible ways to
improve manufacturability; however, this
design focuses on analyzing two different
improvements.
The first is providing a
detailed drawing and the second is simplifying
the shape of the chassis.
To improve manufacturability the design of the current chassis was simplified. This was done by removing
members as well as taking out any unnecessary bends. In order to test how much we can simplify the design
without sacrificing too much safety, two different chassis models are analyzed. The first model was built by
just reducing the amount of members, while the second was built by slightly reducing the members but also
rearranging the current ones in a more efficient way
The current progress to date is a clear definition of the term manufacturability, a full Solidworks model (shown
below) of the frame, some force/displacement analyses, and several new conceptual designs. The simulation
results from the unmodified design confirm that the current design is sound, but is possibly over
designed. The results from the modified designs will confirm if the new models are safe and more efficient.
After all models have been simulated the hope is that the new designs will be lighter, cheaper, while at the
same time retaining safety. The current achievements are very promising and there is a better idea of how to
optimize the frame. It is also the hope that a representation of the time and money saved can be given to the
organization to better evaluate their options.
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Ricky Dennis, founder of Arena Racing USA, for the opportunity to
work on this project and for his continued support.
56
Arena Racing Stock Car Optimization
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Robert Haley
Rebecca Pidcoe
Seth Seav
Micheline Zakhary
Frank Gulla, M.S.
Industry Advisor
This project addresses concerns presented by
Arena Racing USA, a stock car racing
company founded in 2002. The Arena Racing
USA 2013-14 race schedule runs from
November to April. Currently, it only exists in
Richmond, VA, at the Richmond Coliseum. In
the next ten years, Arena Racing plans to
spread to multiple cities around the United
States. Before expansion can begin, their
current stock car needs to be improved.
Conceptualizing, designing, testing, and
implementing these improvements is the
objective of this project.
The focus of this project is on the car’s roll
cage. The goal is to make it cheaper, quicker,
and easier to build. Currently, the roll cage takes around 9 hours to weld, and uses tube mild steel. The new
design decreases this time by simplifying roll cage design and weld locations. Current safety standards will be
at least maintained and possibly improved in the process. The roll cage previously had no design drawings or
stress test data available. Several computerized models were made, including that of the current design, in
which changing variables are weld spots, geometry, tube cross-section, and material. Mechanical stress tests
on these models were analyzed under crash loading conditions, and an optimized model is derived.
Acknowledgements: Ricky Dennis Founder of Arena Racing
57
Arena Racing Structural Frame Design — Team A
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Austin Booher
Adam Morris
Trudy Stewart
Matt Viveiros
Frank Gulla, M.S.
Industry Advisor
The Arena Racing organization is looking to optimize their current design and manufacturing process of the
Arena Racer car. With plans to expand rapidly in the years to come, a revised design to replace the current
outdated frame is much needed.
The chosen approach is one that has been selected for realistic results. First, the team is analyzing the current
frame using modeling software and CAE analysis to understand the extent at which the current frame is
designed. This approach was chosen because it is obvious that the current frame was not engineered, rather
built to mimic the frames used in racing organizations like NASCAR®. After completion of the analysis the
team will be able to see how much the design can be simplified and appropriately do so.
To date, the team has completed an accurate 3D model of the current frame in SolidWorks®. This model is
now under analysis using the SolidWorks® plugin ANSYS Workbench®. The team is looking to get results
soon that will give us an insight of how much simplification can be done to the current chassis.
In conclusion, the team is pushing for a new design that successfully improves the manufacturability without
compromising the safety for the Arena Racers.
Acknowledgments: Ricky Dennis, Phillip Viveiros
58
Design and Construction of an Inertial Electrostatic Confinement
(IEC) Fusor
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Nibras Adbalameer
Matthew Giffen
Paul Harper
Caleb Massey
James Miller
Sama Bilbao ý Leon, PhD.
Vaibhav Sinha, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The VCU Inertial Electrostatic (IEC) Reactor capstone senior design project will provide the Department of
Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering a neutron generator. An IEC fusion reactor uses a high voltage cathode
within a vacuum chamber to ionize deuterium gas within the chamber. The resulting charged particles
accelerate along the potential difference to the center of the chamber to collide at high velocities, thus
overcoming the coulomb barrier to produce fusion between the deuterium ions. This deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion yields a measurable fast neutron flux. Governed by the ideas of simplicity, ease of maintenance, and
safety, the assembled device consists of six integrated systems: the vacuum vessel, power supply, deuterium
system, instrumentation, vacuum system, and shielding. These systems are modular in design to allow for
streamlined upgrades and/or modifications in the future. This completed device will serve as both a learning
and research tool for future students and faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in the areas of radiation
detection, fusion, neutronics, and materials science.
We would like to acknowledge and thank both Richard Hull for his help and assistance and Dominion for its
partnership and monetary support of this initiative.
59
Formula SAE Steering System
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Hussain Al Khawajeh
Joseph Cannella
Tucker Matthews
Zachary Mullins
Savraj Singh
Industry Advisor
The purpose of this project is to design a steering system suitable for the Formula SAE race car here at VCU.
This car has been a work in progress for many years now and in order to make progress towards getting it on
the track, a steering system is critical.
Getting this car up and running within the next few years will be a monumental step for the VCU engineering
school as it shows our students are capable of taking challenging work into their own hands to compete with
the best of the best. If successful this will be a major stride in the overall completion of the vehicle and
towards the success of the FSAE race team. We are working in conjunction with another design group whose
main task is to design the suspension for the vehicle because there are several key parts to both projects that
intersect and rely on one another.
This system is being designed from the ground up, taking multiple possible solutions into consideration that
are plausible to work with the existing structure. After research was done on other similar cars we decided on a
rack-and-pinion design based around an existing rack that was already in the possession of the FSAE team.
Currently we have done much of the SolidWorks CAD modeling for the design, and we are almost done with a
MATLAB code that will give us crucial calculations to base the rest of our design off of. The most important
factor in our design is the safety of the driver so all designs will be thoroughly analyzed to ensure the quality
of the work.
By the end of the start of the next semester we plan to have all the elements designed and analyzed on the
computer and be ready to start the fabrication and installation on the car. The final results of both this project
as well as the suspension system will place the Formula SAE car in an excellent position for design teams next
year to begin the final stages of construction before the vehicle is ready to compete.
60
General Aviation Transmission Engine
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Thompson Acquah
Ryan Andrews
Eian Dyer
Darin Stiefvater
Kyle Williams
Industry Advisor
General Aviation is dying; those who leave are not being replaced because of the high cost of entry and
ownership. This is where our group has the chance to change this. The project will utilize two 130 HP fuel
injected Yamaha three cylinder engines that will drive a contra prop for a fixed wing aircraft. Our focus will
be on designing the bearing assembly for the shafts and improving the motor mounts with the capability of
flying without motor modifications. This project was proposed to us from an Industrial Engineer/Safety
manager, Mr. Michael Arndt.
We plan on accomplishing this by using the two engines with aftermarket ECUs driving a contra prop, with
each engine turning its own propeller. This will increase efficiency and eliminate asymmetric torque. The
idea of our project is to design and build a general aviation engine that improves upon the reliability, power
per unit fuel, reduces noise emissions and increase the life term of the engine. A motor mount has been
designed in SolidWorks to give us a blueprint for the physical model to be manufactured in the spring.
To this date we have a feasible product designed and prepared for fabrication. Since what we have designed is
only a prototype, the true results of the product will be revealed when the product goes through multiple
vigorous testing. We cannot recreate tests with our resources.
In conclusion, our goal is to design an engine system that can be built by any competent machine shop with off
the shelf parts to a set of open source instructions. If we succeed in our goal to design, build and test this
engine, others will take our design and build copies of it.
Acknowledgements: Michael Ardnt, Charles Cartin
61
Harnessing the Power of the James River to Create Alternative
Energy for GRTC Buses
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Justin Farmer
Anel Mesic
Douglas Self
Edin Smajlagic
Frank Gulla
Industry Advisor
The goal of this project was to use the James River as an alternative power source for the GRTC Buses. The
motivation for this project was to use a clean energy source to improve air quality and reduce fuel cost.
Different techniques for river power generation were analyzed along with energy storage and distribution. A
cost analysis and the feasibility of each option were examined. A run-of-the-river system was selected as well
as battery powered buses. Distribution and the charging system will be done through traditional power lines
and a central hub respectively. This project can be implemented at other cities that have a river source and
public transportation system (buses).
62
Human Powered Vehicle
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Spencer Boice
Kendall Caskie
Abdiwahab Hassan
Geoffrey Oldland
Mohini Ved
Industry Advisor
The purpose of our design was to challenge us
engineers to create, develop, and expand on the
advantages of using a human powered vehicle.
Our design advantages provide a safe and
efficient mode of transportation that is easy to
drive and cost effective. Above all, the human
powered vehicle does not use any fossil fuels, but
instead, uses free energy that will can stored
making it renewable and eco-friendly.
Our team has performed extensive research into
previous projects on human powered vehicles.
We evaluated many types of designs for safety,
ease of manufacturing, competitive pricing, and
performance. Selecting the finest features from these previous designs helped us make clear and precise
calculations. The strength of the vehicle was tested using Matlab codes for varying forces on the frame based
upon the ASME challenge requirements. This approach guided us in making a three dimensional model in
SolidWorks which visually demonstrates the structural strength and stability of the vehicle.
The final design chosen for the human powered vehicle resembles a recumbent style bicycle with two wheels
in the front, one in the back, and a single seat. The gears on the bicycle were bought to give speeds up to 20
miles per hours and are capable to be driven over different terrains. In additional to our recumbent vehicle, our
team has installed a Dynamo that will harness the free energy from the bicycle. This added feature will charge
a 12 Volt battery which can be used to power lights, cell phones, or even emergent medical situations.
Our team brainstormed and analyzed various ways and methods to build our design based upon the safety of
the vehicle, budget, bicycle performance and material strength. This approach led us quickly into the design
phase where we made three possible designs and further improved them into one coherent design. The best
design was constructed into a three dimensional model using SolidWorks and was built here at Virginia
Commonwealth University. Using the principles of engineering and good teamwork, our group strengthened
one another skills making the design effective and successful.
Acknowledgements: Agee’s Bicycle shop
63
Improving the Efficiency of an Arena Racing Car Roll Cage, Team E
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Russell Galiano
Jonathan Oaklander
Ethan Wade
Frank Gulla
Industry Advisor
The group’s design project focuses on improving the roll cage of an Arena Racing car based on various design
constraints. One of the main problems about the roll cage that the project group is looking to improve is the
time it takes to weld the roll cage. The group is focusing on getting the welding time below nine hours. There
are also many other aspects such as safety and cost that the group is focusing on improving.
The project group’s approach to the problem starts off with drawing the roll cage in Solidworks since there are
no CAD drawings of the roll cage already made. After this is done, the group will perform stress tests in
Solidworks for different scenarios. These scenarios include actions such as removing certain bars from the roll
cage and/or decreasing the diameter of the tubing where possible. The main design goal this project group is
striving for includes improving the safety of the roll cage while also reducing the time it takes to weld it.
The group has started working on producing a CAD drawing of the roll cage using Solidworks. The group has
also begun coming up with different ideas on how to improve the safety and also ways to test this physically.
One idea that is not finalized includes building a guillotine-like structure that will have an arm attached to it.
The arm attached will be dropped onto different types of surfaces including a bar similar to those used on the
roll cage and a flat surface. This guillotine-like structure is being used because the project group is
determining whether a flat plate or tubing should be used in the design of the roll cage.
The team will continue to explore various ways to improve the roll cage. The CAD drawing is proving to be
more difficult to create than it seemed and is not completed quite yet. Once the drawing is complete, the
project group will have a better idea on how to improve the roll cage.
Acknowledgements: Ricky Dennis - allowing the project group to take measurements of the roll cage.
64
Nuclear Spent Fuel Pool Improvements
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Danny Conde-Delapena
Eric Hogarth
David Mazzocco
James Miller, M.S.
Industry Advisor
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant catastrophe of March 2011 was a reminder that if spent nuclear
fuel assemblies are not immersed within a spent fuel pool (SFP), then airborne radioactive material can be
leaked into the environment. This project studies how different arrangements of spent nuclear fuel assemblies
can affect the sensitivity of the time that is required until the tops of these spent fuel assemblies are exposed.
Using information from the Fukushima Daiichi and other facilities like it, results were obtained using multiple
computer programs to simulate the unregulated heat within the SFP. These programs were analyzed for
several different arrangements of the fuel assemblies within the SFP in order to determine their effect on the
time require to expose the tops of the spent fuel assemblies.
Above: Example of a Spent Fuel Pool (SFP)
65
Remote-Controlled Aircraft
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Jacob Gentry
Austin McCoig
Joseph Santuk
Aaron Scholze
Jayasimha Atulasimha, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
The SAE Aero Design is a Series of competitive engineering events that are held in the United States every
year. This competition invites colleges from all around the United States to construct a model airplane within
the constraints issued by the SAE rules committee. These include designing the airplane within certain
dimensions, weight, engine requirement, and being able to care a given payload. Our team was given the task
of redesigning and constructing such a remote aircraft based on last year’s airplane.
The initial objective had been to simply redesign the aircraft built by previous team at VCU, but due to crashes
and unsuccessful flights, the aircraft was unlikely operable. Therefore this year we elected to build and design
and new aircraft. Are advisor, Jayasimha Atulasimha, had us redesign an airfoil, wingspan, and body length for
our aircraft. With our new design considerations, we were confident that we would be able to obtain a stable
and successful flight.
According to SAE rules committee, the plane could only use specific types of RC airplane engines. We redesigned a fuselage decrease the total drag that the aircraft would experience partnered with a larger wing span
to increase lift. One major goal was to correct deficiencies such as stability issues that previous teams had
experienced. We studied the old wing, and realized the gap between the wing and the aileron. Numerous
calculations were then performed to design, optimize, and build a new wing and ailerons using such
engineering programs as XFLR5, SolidWorks and MatLab.
This project gave us an opportunity to learn the basics of aeronautical engineering and the study of fluid
dynamics. This project tested us on our knowledge that we obtained while being Mechanical Engineers at
Virginia Commonwealth University. Also we learned how to do basic electronics and wiring, painting and
refinishing, working with different brittle materials (foam and balsa wood), and how to fly an RC aircraft. The
flight tests will be used for performance data and further analysis on the plane to better enhance the design.
66
Robotic Tank Inspection System
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Industry Advisor
Nicholas Baldwin
Joshua Bruns
Cody Jones
Christopher Strickler
John Speich, Ph.D.
Devon Miller
The visual inspection of complex shipboard storage
tanks by workmen is a difficult, time-consuming,
and potentially hazardous task. Huntington Ingalls
Industries - Newport News Shipbuilding has a
desire for a semi-autonomous device to perform
these inspections thus limiting the time needed for
manned entry. Design criteria and performance
expectations were outline by Newport News
Shipbuilding and detailed by the design team as the
project progressed. The most influential of these
criteria are: the device is to be deployable by a two
man team into a series of 4’x4’x4’ linear tanks
through a 20” opening in the bottom of one of the
bays. Once in the tanks the device should be able to
move from bay to bay through the existing
openings and inspect the entire interior volume of
each using an onboard camera. The unique
geometry and limited accessibility of the tanks renders off the shelf robotic systems unable to address the problem.
The design team’s approach utilizes a unique carrier platform to deliver a robotic arm along a lightweight flexible
rail system. A camera mounted to the end of the robotic arm is capable of inspecting and recording the tank’s
interior. The mount used to attach the camera allows it to carefully inspect around known obstructions within the
tank bays. A two rail system is attached to a single expandable support beam that is mounted between the vertical
surfaces of each bay. Installation of the lightweight but robust support rod is simple and rapid. The rails are flexible
and allow for offset alignment between individual bay openings within the tank. The carrier is also designed for
maximum support while remaining flexible enough to traverse the linear tanks. Spring loaded wheels, on top and
bottom, capture the rails and allow for fluctuations in the rail’s surface and location.
The calculations and simulations performed by the design team have shown this design to be a lightweight, strong,
and financially viable approach to the stated criteria. At the end of the Fall semester the major dimensions have
been finalized and components sourced. The work performed during the Spring semester will include a four bay
mock-up (provided by Newport News Shipbuilding) to help with design optimization and testing. Further
development and testing should also prove the design capable of additional tank refurbishment tasks such as
sampling, blasting, and coating.
Acknowledgements: Huntington Ingalls Industries -Newport News Shipbuilding
67
Universal Valve Spring Compressor
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Chris Davis
Joshua Eubank
Bryce Melton
Charles Quann
Industry Advisor
It is a reoccurring challenge for auto repair shops to
compress the valve springs of large cylinder heads or
cylinder heads with canted valves. Devices on the
market are inadequate for many cylinder head
geometries, leading to delays in repair time, and even
danger to the parts and operator. Eubank Automotive
has sponsored a project to develop a single device that
will provide the necessary force and degrees of freedom
to work on a wide variety of engine models. This tool
must be able to be constructed with a budget of $3000.
A tool like this could significantly improve the speed
and efficiency of removing the valves from automobile
cylinder heads.
The design team began by identifying the shortcomings
of current mechanisms and addressing each in turn. Following this, the design team brainstormed, sketched
and discussed the most cost effective way to meet the criteria. After choosing a preliminary form of the design,
preliminary drawings in SolidWorks were created, incorporating the necessary degrees of freedom and range
of motion for the device. Stress analysis was conducted on this model, and necessary adjustments were made.
Forces for this analysis were based off of the maximum spring force that would be generated from the largest
valve springs Eubank Automotive would service (1200 lb.) including a 1.5 factor of safety.
Thorough brainstorming and application of analysis tools has led to a viable solution, which is several hundred
dollars below budget. The device will have five degrees of freedom and compression will be achieved by
means of a rack and pinion. To date, a SolidWorks model has been developed, a parts list has been
constructed, and a stress analysis has been analyzed. The design team is confident that the prototype, when
constructed, will meet the expectations and requirements set forth before conceptualization.
While the implementation of this device will not be radical or widespread, this design will be quite useful for
Eubank Automotive, and possibly for similar automobile repair shops. The universal nature of the design will
lead to reduced service time and contribute to overall efficiency.
Acknowledgements: The Design team would like to acknowledge Dr. Charles Cartin, and Eubank Automotive
for their advice and support throughout this project.
68
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Hussain Alaithan
Nathan Condrey
Akhila Wijayaratne
Karla M. Mossi, Ph.D.
Figure 1 – Predicted temperature distribution of the
human body with the device on. Units in C°
Industry Advisor
The constant fear of over-heating, exhaustion and
dehydration amplifies the dangerous conditions our
soldiers are exposed to on the battlefield. Each year,
the Department of Defense reports at least 5,500
soldiers affected by heat related injuries. To reduce
these heat injuries, the military has introduced
convection cooling systems for the soldiers to wear
underneath their body armor. These current systems
are extremely heavy, have limited operation times
and require heavy battery packs that require
frequent recharging. Compact, lightweight, high
efficiency thermometric generators are being
proposed to replace the current power source and
eliminate many of the struggles faced by the present
system. These generators would convert the excess
radiating body heat into usable electrical energy to
power the cooling system. The suggested upgrades
to the military cooling systems will improve the
working conditions of our soldiers while reducing
their chances of a heat stroke.
Extensive research on thermoelectric technology has been conducted by the design team. Preliminary
computer automated drawings of the human torso, body armor and the cooling fans have been illustrated with
respect to research results. As shown in Figure 1, a heat transfer analysis of the human body has been
performed to calculate the most efficient areas to place the thermoelectric generators. Mechanical, thermal and
impact testing is being executed to ensure the thermoelectric generators will survive the rugged working
conditions of the military. By late April 2014, the team will construct a functioning prototype of the enhanced
military cooling suit.
Acknowledgements: A special thank you goes out to Dr. Karla M. Mossi for lending equipment and
instrumentation. This project would not have happened without her expertise and guidance.
69
VCU Formula SAE—Suspension Design Team
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Michael Albensi
Steven Carlin
William Hutt
Thomas Rodina
William Sanderson
Robert Sexton, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Automobiles are one of the most technologically advanced pieces of machinery that almost all of us interact
with every day, and take for granted. Rarely do we consider the amount of innovation and problem solving
involved to produce a safe, reliable, consumer driven product. In the case of Formula SAE, the goal is to
produce a Formula-style, budget-conscious product that meets the requirements of a weekend autocross racer.
The experience gained by students participating in an FSAE program is valuable to leaders in any engineering
industry and provides exposure to the students and their university.
A current and pressing issue faced by VCU’s FSAE program is the practical manufacture of a working and
tunable suspension system. This requires a design that is cost effective, reasonable to manufacture, inherently
adjustable, and adaptable post-production.
Utilizing existing parts for the race car as the starting point and constraints, we have performed research
gathering information about fundamental suspension design, trends within the FSAE community, as well as
information on available tools and techniques to develop a working concept. Using CAD modeling programs
such as SolidWorks, Performance Trends Suspension Analyzer, and CarSim we have successfully created a
working virtual prototype. This detailed model gives us the ability to simulate, analyze, and modify the
system under a range of conditions so that an optimum design can be realized before it is manufactured.
We have begun by designing a solid suspension geometry as well as the fabrication of key constraining
components. Upon the culmination of the design process, we will move forward to purchase and manufacture
remaining components of the system. The project goals will be substantiated by both track-based and
simulation-based testing.
The successful completion of this system will demonstrate many concepts used in the automotive industry and
further the goals of FSAE at VCU. Our design aims to provide a reliable racing platform that will enable
future design teams to drive the project to its completion.
70
WTVR Tower Enhancement
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Xavier Becker
Kirsten Bright
Alicia Cella
Andre Galante
Jessica Gerrald
Prentiss Hyde
Paul Kurth
Bianca Spinelli
Industry Advisor
The objective of the project is to perform static and dynamic analyses on the existing tower, and to explore
possibilities of retrofits, if needed.
The WTVR tower was constructed in 1953 and is known as the ”First TV Tower of the South.” This is a selfsupporting tower constructed by Lehigh Structural Steel Co. The tower is located on West Broad Street in
Richmond, Virginia and towers over the city at a total height of 761 feet.
The first objective was to convert the original drawings from the 1950s into a 3-D model in SolidWorks. The
current stage of modeling can be seen in the figures below. The next phase in the modeling process is to
generate models of the existing equipment on the tower, so that the team can accurately analyze the effects of
wind, ice, etc.
Then, a static dead load analysis will be performed, along with a vibrational analysis to
determine if the tower can withstand the effects of nature.
71
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Biomass Fuel Recirculator
Multidisciplinary
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Juan Deynes
Justin Hicks
Jonathan Jarratt
Alexander Laake
Joshua Sidhu
Marlon Wilkins
Industry Advisor
Dominion Virginia Power recently converted the Hopewell Power Station from using coal to biomass, or
waste wood, as fuel to generate electricity. The Biomass Fuel Recirculator project arose from an identified
deficiency of the existing biomass fuel feed system at the power station.
Under normal operating conditions, the current fuel feed system in the Hopewell Power Station drops fuel
from the fuel silo onto a drag chain inside of a long and enclosed horizontal shaft. The drag chain then plows
the fuel across the tops of two sets of metering bins, one for each boiler; the fuel falls into these bins, is
weighed (to determine flow rate), and is inserted into the boiler for combustion. At the end of each set of
metering bins along the horizontal shaft, a dribble chute collects excess fuel. Each dribble chute contains a
screw conveyor that can carry the excess fuel in one of two directions, either into the base of the metering bin
system, or through another chute to a collecting cart at the bottom floor of the station. Once these carts are full,
the fuel has to be taken manually back into the wood pile.
This multidisciplinary project seeks to develop an engineered solution for the described problem, namely an
open system that requires manual removal of excess fuel. After multiple design considerations and CAD
simulations, a tubular drag chain with circular steel plows covered in a low friction polymeric material was
chosen to solve the problem. This tubular drag chain will transport the excess fuel back into the fuel silo
eliminating the dribble chute and the carts at the bottom of the station floor. With this new and optimized
system design, the team aims to reduce unnecessary waste of man hours with the automatic re-circulation of
leftover biomass fuel, therefore making the Hopewell Power Station more efficient and successful.
Acknowledgements: The project team would like to thank Dr. Robert Sexton, Dr. Michael Cabral, and all the
numerous employees and contractors of the Hopewell Power Station that provided expert advice, current
system specifications and operation scenarios, and professional insight.
75
Construction of a Freeze-Drying Appliance
Multidisciplinary
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Stephen Farmer
William Gerhardt
Robert Muse
Parker Short
James McLeskey, Ph.D.
Industry Advisor
Currently the choices for consumers wishing to freeze dry their food for long term preservation are limited.
Models are available; however they are generally expensive, and bulky. We have designed a consumer model,
single meal capacity freeze drying machine. There is a rise in the interest among common demographics for
“being prepared”. Understanding that the freeze drying technique can extend the life of existing food stores to
25 years, our design aims to vastly increase the usage of lyophilization as a food preservation technique.
Bringing this device to market will allow our team to be among the first of those to capitalize on this emerging
market demographic. Now that our team is nearing completion of our design we propose to create a fully
functioning prototype for presentation at the senior design expo in the spring.
Our approach was to use thermal electric coolers to create a small scale sublimation chamber, as well as a
small scale cold trap. This allows the size of the device to meet the requirement of achieving a table top
model. Further, we have designed the device to operate on a single 20A, 120 volt circuit. This allows the
device to be powered by readily available counter top power outlets. Lastly our approach focused on ease and
practicality of using the device. We have calculated that our device can run on a 12 hour cycle time with set it
and forget it operation.
We have completed our theoretical design and calculations. All of the system components have been specified
and the design documents are currently being created. Our next design goal is to build a working prototype
and complete sufficient empirical testing to show the actual device indeed meets the engineered standards, and
conforms to the design requirements outlined in the design proposal.
Figure 1: Sublimation Chamber
76
Figure 2: Electrical System Overview
Distal Touch V2
Multidisciplinary
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Lindsey Carr
Shannon Howard
Stephen Miller
Thomas Mooney
Industry Advisor
Our project’s aim is to promote safety in workplace environments that require precision by distancing workers
from potential hazards, while still providing the same level of precision as current tools. For our project, we
decided to prototype a product that replaces the thick rubber gloves in current chemical containment glove
boxes.
The first version of our project, which was completed two years prior to our own, was a glove interfaced
wirelessly with a robotic hand. Unfortunately, the previous team ran out of time, and did not complete their
project; only three of five fingers worked, and the responsiveness of the system was not fully debugged. Our
goal is to finish their project, and from there create an arm. By finishing the previous team’s work, we
analyzed their methods, and improved on their design. This included minimizing production costs as well as
making the design as simple and efficient as possible. Once analysis was complete, we initiated the following
processes: simulating the armature in Solidworks to ensure it is a plausible design, recalculating values to
compensate for the reduction of microcontrollers from six to one, and writing a basic code for the interface
between input from the glove and output to the armature.
Our model takes into consideration the need for dexterity within the enclosure, so the hand itself has five
separate fingers with all of its respective joints to allow for the most natural motion possible. This is also true
for the arm, where each joint is designed to emulate human anatomy in order to make each gesture comparable
to the user. We will use a high-tolerance 3-D printed plastic for the entire hand. In contrast, the rest of the
armature will be made from a lightweight yet durable metal, such as aluminum. From the programming
standpoint, we will be using a moving average noise reduction filter to account for input noise and smooth the
signal.
We have concluded that our project is another step to improving the lives of workers in potentially hazardous
environments. Based on our results and considerations, we feel as though our project can be a viable tool in the
workplace.
77
Nanomagnet Computing using SAW Technology
Multidisciplinary
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Sam Bower
Harrison Brooks
Hennessy Fraher
David Gawalt
Michael Roberts
Gary Atkinson, Ph.D.
Supriyo Bandypoadhyay, Ph.D.
Joshua Smak
Industry Advisor
As microelectronic components continue to decrease in size, it is essential to develop new technology for
smaller and more energy efficient microelectronics. Currently, transistors are the leading technology for
computer chips and logic; however transistors dissipate a significant amount of energy from parasitic
capacitances, resistances, and leakage current. An alternative, nanomagnet logic, is much more energy
efficient but lacks a clocking mechanism other
than applying an external magnetic field.
Switching of nanomagnet polarization states by
surface acoustic waves (SAWs) will serve as a
proof of concept for further nanomagnet clocking
applications. Aluminum interdigital transducers
are deposited onto black lithium niobate
piezoelectric substrates, and then a voltage is
placed across the two sides. This launches a
SAW across the surface, rotating the magnetic
polarity of the less elliptical nickel nanomagnet in
a pair. figure 1.
Thus far, we have successfully created our mask
layouts, documented process steps, and fabricated
one mask.
Nanomagnet polarization based logic may prove to be an energy efficient method for future logic based
computer chips. Fabrication of this design will enable us to test proof of concept and analyze efficiency.
Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge Mr. Vimal Sampath for all his aid in our project. Mr.
Noel Souza for his knowledge and experience. Dr. Atulasimha for his direction and specific knowledge to our
project.
78
Nuclear Reactor Simulator
Multidisciplinary
Project Members
Faculty Advisor
Roclun Barber
Eric Davies
Timothy Downing
Daniel Metz
Andrew Miller
Nicholas Morton
Sama Bilbao y León, Ph.D.
Afroditi V. Filippas, Ph.D.
James Miller, M.S.
Industry Advisor
The VCU Nuclear Simulator provides a solid technical and visual approach to simulating a commercial
pressurized water nuclear power plant. The simulator provides several benefits for VCU including: a hands on
learning instrument that can be used in various nuclear engineering courses, an opportunity for undergraduate
students to gain experience in nuclear modeling and simulation, as well as a community outreach tool to
expand the public’s knowledge of nuclear technology.
The 2013/2014 Nuclear Reactor Simulator Senior Design Team plans to upgrade the current simulator model
by interfacing LabVIEW with RETRAN, a professional computer program used by major nuclear utilities to
model the thermal hydraulics of a nuclear power plant. The coupling of the RETRAN model with the
LabVIEW visual operator interface allows for increased design flexibility, real world accuracy, improved
calculation time, and accelerated development of additional reactor models. Other modifications to the
simulator include developing the capability to simulate basic accident scenarios and the creation of a
streamlined instructor’s terminal with the ability to display and control all simulator parameters.
Acknowledgements: Justin Osborne, Allison Bell
79
VCU School of Engineering
The VCU School of Engineering, located on the Monroe Park Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University
in Richmond, Virginia, was founded in 1996. The School initially had four departments: Mechanical,
Biomedical, Electrical and Computer, and Chemical and Life Science Engineering. Computer Science was
transferred to the School of Engineering from the College of Humanities in 2001. The Mechanical
Engineering Department became the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in 2010. Each of
these departments offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees. The founding class graduated in May of 2000.
The VCU School of Engineering, housed in three state-of-the-art engineering facilities, boasts more than
300,000 square feet of the very highest quality classroom and laboratory space, including East and West Halls,
the C. Kenneth and Dianne Harris Wright Virginia Microelectronics Center, and the Institute for Engineering
and Medicine.
In 2007, the School of Engineering partnered with the Schools of Business and the Arts to create the VCU da
Vinci Center, a place where students learn to develop innovative products in an interdisciplinary team
environment. The School is currently working with the School of Medicine and VCU Life Sciences to
develop the VCU Institute for Engineering and Medicine. The School has also successfully partnered with the
College of Humanities and Sciences to establish a $3.5 million Center for Nanomaterials and Characterization
to serve faculty and students in engineering, chemistry, physics, and medicine.
Since the founding class, enrollment has grown to over 1,500 total undergraduate students and approximately
240 graduate students. There are 77 members of the teaching and research faculty. Our goal is for VCU
Engineering to be the national model for innovation in engineering and research.
VCU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SENIOR ADMINISTRATION AND DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
Dr. Barbara D. Boyan, Dean, School of Engineering
Prof. L. Franklin Bost, Executive Associate Dean, School of Engineering
Dr. Afroditi V. Filippas, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, School of Engineering
Dr. Zvi Schwartz, Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives, School of Engineering
Dr. Gerald Miller, Chair, Biomedical Engineering
Dr. B. Frank Gupton, Chair, Chemical and Life Science Engineering
Dr. Krzysztof Cios, Chair, Computer Science
Dr. Robert Klenke, Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Gary Tepper, Chair, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
81
VCU School of Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees
CHAIRMAN
Mr. William H. Goodwin, Jr.
Chairman
CCA Industries, Inc.
PRESIDENT
Mr. Clifford A. Cutchins, IV
Partner
McGuire Woods LLP
The Honorable George F. Allen
Mr. Wayne L. Hunter
Managing Partner
Harbert Venture Partners
Mr. Jason Roe ‘01
President
ERNI Electronics
Mr. Arthur D. Hurtado
Mr. John Sherman, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
Invertix Corporation
Mr. Hugh A. Joyce
President
James River Air Conditioning Co., Inc.
President
George Allen Strategies
Mr. Bill Lamp
Ms. Jennifer Boykin
Vice President, Engineering
Newport News Shipbuilding
Mr. John A. Luke, Jr.
Mr. Bradford A. Crosby ‘01
Contracting Officer
US Navy
Mr. Mark Cruise
Principal
Engineers Plus
Chairman & President & CEO
MWV
Mr. Oscar Martin, Jr. Ph.D. ‘09
Chief Innovation Officer
Dupont Teijin Films
Vice President, Applied Technologies
Altria Client Services
President
VCU School of Engineering Alumni Board
Mr. Larry Cummings
Mr. Richard E. Posey
Marketing Leader, Strategic Partnerships
TRANE
Retired President & CEO
Moen, Inc.
Ms. Marguerite Davis
Mr. E. Bryson Powell
Mr. Mason Dirickson
Mr. Martin Prakken
Mr. Hans de Koning
Ms. Anne G. Rhodes
Owner
The Davis Collection
Sr. Vice President, Human Resources
Infilco Degremont
President
FLEXiCELL
President
Midlothian Enterprises, Inc.
CEO
BluePrint Automation Group
Community Leader
Mr. Brian Riopelle
Ms. Mary Doswell
Sr. Vice President, Alternative Energy
Solutions, Dominion Resources
Mr. Thomas E. Gottwald
President & CEO
NewMarket Corporation
Mr. Lewis Edwin Harvie
President
KSB, Inc.
82
Chair, IP Litigations/Patents Department
McGuire Woods, LLP
Mr. Paul F. Rocheleau
Chairman
Cupron, Inc.
Chairman
Va. Life Science Investments, LLC
Director
Applied NanoTechnology, Inc.
Former Vice Chairman
Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.
Mr. Greg Sitkiewicz
Cuff Business Manager
GE Healthcare—Patient Care Solutions
Mr. Kirk E. Spitzer
Alfa Laval, Inc.
Mr. Jeffrey T. Stanfield
Human Resources Director
DuPont Teijin Films Americas Region
Mr. Mark A. Sternheimer, Sr.
President
Sternheimer Brothers, Inc.
Mr. Charles A. Williamson
CEO
CapTech Ventures, Inc.
Mr. Robert W. Woltz, Jr.
Retired President
Verizon Virginia
VCU School of Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees
FOUNDING & EMERITI
TRUSTEES
Mr. Malcolm S. McDonald
Mr. Hugh R. Stallard
Mr. John L. McElroy, Jr.
Mr. Richard G. Tilghman
Retired Chairman & CEO
Signet Banking Corp.
Bell Atlantic—Virginia, Inc.
Mr. William W. Berry*
Retired President
Vepco
Chairman Emeritus
Wheat First Union
Retired Chairman
SunTrust Banks, Inc., Mid-Atlantic
Mr. James C. Cherry
Retired Chairman, Mid-Atlantic Banking
Wachovia Bank, N.A.
Mr. William S. Cooper, Jr.
VP & Deputy Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Federal Reserve Bank
Mr. Thomas D. Eilerson
Chairman
EDC
Mr. Joseph C. Farrell *
Retired Chariman, CEO & President
Pittston Company
Mr. Thomas F. Farrell, II
Chairman, President & CEO
Dominion Resources, Inc.
Mr. J. Carter Fox
Chesapeake Corp.
Mr. Robert M. Freeman *
Former Chairman & CEO
Signet Banking Corporation
Mr. David L. Milby *
Former Sr. VP of Operations & Procurement
Service
Philip Morris USA
Vice President
CREE
Chairman & CEO
Carpenter Company
Mr. E. Bryson Powell
President
Midlothian Enterprises, Inc.
Retired President & COO
Dominion Virginia Power
Reynolds Metals Company
Mr. Sean Hunkler
Vice President, Manufacturing
MEMC
Mr. E. Morgan Massey
Mr. Kenneth Wright
Chairman
Wright Properties, Inc.
EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEES
Michael Rao, Ph.D.
Mr. Walter S. Robertson, III
President & CEO
Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.
President
Virginia Commonwealth University and
VCU Health System
Mr. E. Clairborne Robins *
Barbara D. Boyan, Ph.D.
Mr. Bruce A. Henderson *
Mr. Richard G. Holder *
Chairman Emeritus
James River Corporation
Mr. Robert E. Rigsby
Mr. Dwight Schar
Former President
NVR, Inc.
Mr. C.T. Hill
Former Chairman, President
SunTrust Bank
Chairman Emeritus
CSX Corporation
Mr. Robert C. Williams
Mr. S.F. Pauley
Mr. Bruce C. Gottwald
Former Chairman & CEO
Imation Corporation
Chairman
Ukrop’s Super Markets/First Market Bank
Mr. Hays T. Watkins
Mr. Wayne K. Nesbit
Former Chairman & Director
Wyeth Consumer Healthcare
Chairman
NewMarket Corporation
Mr. James E. Ukrop
Mr. Wolfgang Schubl
Former President
Weidmuller,Inc.
Alice T. & William H. Goodwin Chair in
Dean, School of Engineering
Virginia Commonwealth University
Mr. R. Scott Rash, CFRE
Executive Director
Chief Development Officer
School of Engineering Foundation
Mr. Thomas Seifert
Advanced Micro Devices
Mr. Richard L. Sharp
Managing Director
V10 Capital Partners
* Deceased
Mr. Jeremiah J. Sheehan
Reynolds Metals Company
Chairman
Evan Energy Company
83
For more information about the senior design program or VCU School of Engineering, please contact:
VCU School of Engineering
601 West Main Street
P.O. Box 843068
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3068
804.828.3925
www.egr.vcu.edu

SENIOR DESIGN EXPO 2014 - VCU School of Engineering

Transcription

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