Numerical Modeling of Wind Turbines for an Educational Wake Simulator

Numerical Modeling of Wind Turbines for an Educational Wake Simulator

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, Bin Wu, and Tyamo Okosun

Undergraduate

Oral Presentation

Wind energy is a growing source of alternative power generation across the globe. As such, expansion of an experienced and skilled work force will be necessary of the coming decades. To assist in the education of the future wind energy work force, a wind turbine wake simulator is under development. One of the largest effects on a wind turbines’ efficiency is the wake of another turbine. However, the characteristics of a turbine wake cannot be easily observed, and it can be difficult visualize numerical data. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate wake phenomena generated by various designs of utility-scale wind turbines. Six variations of a utility-scale wind turbine design were modeled, with three wind velocities simulated for each turbine. The results from these simulations portrayed a variety of characteristics of the wind turbine wakes. Visualizations of the CFD results will be integrated with an interactive 3-D software.

Roll Heat Exchange Modeling

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, Bin Wu, and Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

Oral Presentation

In a hot steel rolling, the work rolls are subjected to an excessive amount of heat transferred from the hot steel strips and the friction between the steel strip and the work roll, which in return cause a non-uniform thermal expansion (thermal crown) in the surface of the work roll. The thermal crown has a significant effect on the final profile and the flatness of the product which makes it necessary to study the behavior and the distribution of the heat in the work roll. The problem arises due to the heterogeneous method of symmetrically extracting the heat across the work roll surface. The thermal crown can be controlled by a sophisticated and a more controllable cooling system. A numerical approach based on the finite difference methods will be used to build a new work roll heat exchange model that will be capable of uniformly extracting the heat across the work roll and better control the thermal crown profile. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques will be used to simulate the new model and extract data to be verified with the actual rolling mills data.

The Making and Shaping of Steel Visualization

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, John Moreland, and Lucas Phillips

Undergraduate

Oral Presentation

To make steel many processes at many types of facilities are required. It is difficult to understand all the processes involved and how diverse equipments work by everyone. To address this, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) has created a reference called “The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel (MSTS),” typically referred to as the “Steel Wheel.” However, the Steel Wheel only provides the names of processes. AIST wants to produce a set of 3D processes to provide better understanding of the processes listed on the Steel Wheel. The aim of this project is to produce a set of 3D models and animations that can be used for a web-based, interactive Steel Wheel to be hosted on AIST’s website and for general education about the making, shaping, and treatment of steel.

Virtual Training Module Development

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou and John Moreland

Undergraduate

Oral Presentation

In partnership with Purdue’s school of Technology, an online educational tool is being developed to evaluate for one the effectiveness of head mounted displays as an aid in the educational field. Currently many online courses fall short in delivering the on-site experience to the students, an experience that is many times essential for many hands-on type of learning. Recording a first person perspective while performing the desired learning activity can be done with Google glass, all while hands free. For this, modules of the AWAKE program, an education program designed to teach in-demand skills to veterans and the unemployed, were created virtually in an online course complete with lectures, work demonstrations, documents, and online resources. Ultimately, such material’s effectiveness is to then be evaluated by students and instructors themselves.

Cold Rolling Mill Redesign

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz and Don Gray

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

A rolling mill is a machine whose primary goal is to reduce the thickness of a material while keeping the overall shape uniform. Hot and cold rolling are primary processes in the production of steel products, for example. To help students understand the metallurgical changes that take place in a metal as it is rolled, an automated single high reversing cold rolling mill was designed and built by an engineering senior design team over ten years ago. The product from this mill was not perfectly flat and the end result has been more wavy than desired. Therefore, a project was undertaken to redesign and upgrade the mill. The redesign and rebuilding started in January of 2014 and was finished in December of 2014. The upgrades to the rolling mill included replacing the original PLC with a digital one, aligning the rolling table for correct input angle of materials, tensioning the belt drive, and adding a stepper motor with encoder. The rolling mill is now capable of reducing the thickness of aluminum up to 71%. The original goal of the project was to obtain a 75% reduction, so the redesign/rebuilt was considered a success. The mill also has the capability of showing in real time the thickness of a material as it is being rolled. The cold roll mill will be used for demonstrations in various materials classes and will be part of laboratory experiments by students taking an advanced course in engineering materials.

Cyclopropane Rearrangement

Mentor(s): H. W. Pinnick

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

Cyclopropanes are highly strained compounds which undergo unique reactions as a result. These compounds are often prepared by the reaction of activated dicarbonyl compounds with 1,2-dibromoethane. We have found that these products rearrange to give dihydrofurans when exposed to small amounts of nucleophilic reagents. This process was studied and is being extended to other systems. This research has explored the reactions discovered during the preparation of these useful cyclopropane compounds. The dihydrofuran products are difficult to prepare in other ways, and thus this provides a useful pathway to make these compounds. Similar cyclobutane compounds were examined as well. Understanding the chemical mechanisms for the cylopropane rearrangement reactions gave insight into applying this process to other systems. One future direction to this research could be preparing compounds with possible activity against the enzyme which destroys β-lactam antibiotics in the body and is an important application of this chemistry.

Differences in Metabolite Composition of the Antimicrobial Oral and Anal Secretions in Breeding vs. Naive Nicrophorus orbicollis

Mentor(s): Curtis Creighton

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, excretes oral and anal secretions that provide antimicrobial protection, but the protein composition of the secretion is not known. Burying beetles use small vertebrate carcasses as a food source for their young and give extensive bi-parental care. Anal and oral secretions are used to preserve the carcass for the brood, with little decay. Little is known about the metabolites present in the secretions that preserves the carcass for the young. This research is being done in order to discover mechanisms at the molecular level, and identify the metabolite composition of the oral and anal secretions. Furthermore, to discover the differences between breeding vs. naive N. orbicollis as well as male vs. female. Differences will be determined in chemical composition of the oral and anal secretions of breeding vs. naive, and male vs. female N. orbicollis, potentially identifying compounds likely involved in burying beetle parenting and demonstrating relative male vs. female parental involvement in burying beetles. Gas chromatography/ mass spectometry, SDS-PAGE, and protein assays are being used in order to collect data on the metabolites that are present in the secretions. The gels will be sent out to identify the small proteins of interest.

Digitization of Film Cameras

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz and Don Gray

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The digitization of 35mm SLR film cameras has been attempted by development of an easily insertable module using light sensors, integrated circuits, and SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera technology. The module will allow users to modify their film camera to capture a picture digitally. There are millions of film cameras, many high-end, in storage. This device would allow the use once again of these cameras, creating an alternative to purchasing expensive digital DSLRs. For this project the CCD (Charged Coupled Device) sensor and the CMOS sensors were researched and one had to be chosen. Based on financial and size constraints, the CMOS sensors were a perfect choice for this project. CMOS sensors are better than CCD sensors because of the speed at which output is created, can be implemented with fewer components, uses less power, and costs less. After extensive research on how 35mm SLRs and digital cameras work, and some actual trials, building the module appears to be doable.

Enones as Precursors for Preparing Cannabinoids

Mentor(s): H. W. Pinnick

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The goal of this project is to prepare enones by using an aldol condensation of aromatic aldehydes. The model aldehyde systems were 2,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde and 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde. The first condensation reactions used acetone with sodium hydroxide as the base. The 2,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde reaction worked better than the 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde one and a 24 hour reaction time gave a higher yield than 48 hours. Both carbon and hydrogen NMR spectral analysis confirmed the product structures. The condensation reactions using pinacolone were run in ethanol as a solvent and these were much slower than the acetone reactions. Reasonable results required on the order of 6 days and longer reaction times gave lower percentage yields. NMR analysis confirmed the expected structures. The acetone products are solids but the pinacolone-derived products are oils.

Hovercraft Design of Steering System and Propulsion System

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

Our team, in conjunction with another team, is proposing to fix the existing Purdue University Calumet hovercraft that has been sitting in storage for the past several years to make it race ready. Upon completion, through analyzing, redesigning, and repairing we are looking forward to participating in a regional competition come this summer/fall. The competitions are hosted by the Hoverclub of America and allow high school and College students, along with other independent teams to come together with seasoned and knowledgeable professionals in the hovercraft world to compete and learn from one another. Since this is a private competition our hovercraft would have to follow set guidelines and regulations from the Hoverclub of America.

Hovercraft Redesign and Renovation of Lift Engine, Throttle Control, and Driver Seat

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The existing Purdue University Calumet hovercraft is in poor condition. The engine responsible for providing lift to the craft is mounted on an angle which is out of the engine’s range of operation. It is causing poor oil circulation as the lift engine is designed to sit level with the ground. There is currently no throttle system allowing control of the hovercraft’s speed or control of the lift speed. The current seating arrangement adds too much weight and has no safety features.

This project will fix and produce a raceable craft with the intent to enter an entry level racing competition.

Hovercraft Renovation and Redesign

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz and Don Gray

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

Two teams are working to fix the existing Purdue University Calumet hovercraft to make it race ready. Upon completion of thoroughly analyzing, redesigning, and repairing, the plan is to participate in a regional competition come this summer/fall. The competitions are hosted by the Hoverclub of America and allow high school and college students, along with other independent teams, to come together with seasoned and knowledgeable professionals in the hovercraft world to compete and learn from one another. The hovercraft will have to follow set guidelines and regulations as promulgated by the Hoverclub of America. Problems that currently exist with the hovercraft are improper ignition and safety wiring, a lack of an adequate steering system, a non-functional lift engine, and a lack of a functional throttling system for both the thrust and lift engine alike. In addition to these main problems weight distribution and the overall weight of the vehicle are also factors that must be attended to in order to make this craft race and competition ready. Therefore the objectives to be accomplished are: (1) fix the front lift engine and adjust the mounting platform, (2) design and build a throttle system for the front lift engine and rear fan engine, (3) replace the lift engine fan entirely using a more efficient design, as shown by CFD analysis, (4) design and build a new steering system, (5) improve the propulsion system, and (4) fix the seating to reduce weight of the craft as well as increase safety of the driver. After fixing these issues, the craft will be ready for entering competition.

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge 2014/2015

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The Great Moonbuggy Race 2013 was NASA’s last Moonbuggy race after twenty years of competition. The replacement race is called the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. The specifications for this Challenge are a bit different than those for the Moonbuggy races. Instead of needing to fit within a four foot cube, the vehicle now needs to fit within a five foot cube. Another major difference is that pneumatic tires are no longer allowed, with much bigger fenders required. Two Rovers were designed at PUC to enter the first Rover Challenge. These were called the yellow and red Rovers. Both the red and yellow Rovers were taken to the NASA Rover Challenge in April 2014. The red Rover encountered significant problems during testing at the competition, and was not entered into the race. Last minute problems were fixed onsite allowing the yellow Rover to race. The yellow Rover made two runs at the competition, and finished 8th in the college division. During the Fall 2014 semester, the team worked on both the red Rover and the yellow Rover, which had sustained damage during the competition, to make them ready for the April 2015 competition. The preparation of both vehicles has been ongoing during the Spring 2015 semester as well.

Precursors for Cannabidiol Analog Preparations

Mentor(s): H. W. Pinnick

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The objective of this project is to synthesize compounds that can be converted into cannabidiol (CBD) analogs. The hope is that some of the final CBD analogs could be applied as potential pharmacological tools to treat diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and neuropathic pain. The project involved a study of the esterification of 3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid to obtain the methyl ester. This derivative should be useful for elaboration into the key compounds to use as precursors for analogs of CBD. In the first phase of the project, Fischer esterification of 3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid using methanol and acid catalysis was tried. Unexpectedly, this failed to yield significant amounts of the ester so additional methods were studied. Addition of organo lithium reagents to the benzoic acid will be studied later this semester. Analysis of products was done using NMR spectroscopy and melting points.

The Synthesis of Cannabidiol (CBD) Derivatives via Different Reaction Pathways

Mentor(s): Harold Pinnick

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The objective of this project is to synthesize compounds, which can be converted into Cannabidiol (CBD) analogs, via different reaction pathways. CBD is a major chemical compound that is found in Cannabis, which is more commonly known as marijuana. CBD could be applied as a potential pharmacological tool to treat diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, neuropathic pain, and epilepsy. The main reaction pathway studied thus far is a two-phase reaction. The first phase is the Fischer esterification of 3,5-methoxybenzoic acid to obtain methyl 3,5-dimethylbenzoate. The second phase involves converting the methyl ester product into a Grignard reagent, as the ester could be used as a precursor for deriving analogs of CBD. Further experimentation is required to see if this pathway could work to derive CBD analogs. Other reaction pathways will be conducted and the products for all phases of the pathways will be verified by 13C NMR spectroscopy.

The Identification of Inhabitant Microorganisms across Genetically Modified and non-Genetically Modified Plants via Diagnostic Testing

Mentor(s): Nicole Evans

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are imbued with a number of desirable traits and serve as the progenitors of great debate, with the consensus of current research championing the stance that no risks have arisen from such alteration. The practice has spurred some individuals to take a “wait and see” approach, contending that harmful consequences could be observed in the long term due to unforeseen factors. In order to further explore potential benefits and/or complications resulting from the implementation of genetic engineering across different varieties of flora, experimentation was conducted to analyze microbial populations on many types of plants. Eleven samples were selected for use, with the plant species of corn, tomato, spinach, and Cosmos flowers receiving focus for experimentation. The samples’ seeds were first planted on June 10th, 2014, with growth being monitored for research throughout the span of approximately eight weeks. Subsequently, the extraction of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the 11 samples occurred in two phases: DNA extraction from crushed plant seeds and DNA extraction from matured plant leaves, with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis being implemented for visualization to analyze genes. Subsequently, the relative number and identity of habitant microorganisms were analyzed. The data yielded showed varying trends and was insufficient, thus encouraging additional investigation for the relationship between plant GMO status and microbial size.

3D Modeling of a Virtual Campus

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, John Moreland, and Lucas Phillips

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

We have created a video that integrates 3d technology with filming to show the Purdue Calumet campus. This video is being created for incoming students to persuade them to choose Purdue Calumet as there college. This is a short six to seven minute video including information about each school offered here at Purdue. There will also be a 3d model of our campus in the video that shows different areas of our school and maps the campus. We will be using Autodesk 3ds max to make the 3d model and Sony Vegas Pro for the video editing software. This video has a short introduction showing different shots from around campus. The video then goes into each school were it states awards and achievements, and show videos of different labs available for each school. There is a section about the dorms here at Purdue, graduation, and it also showcases local attractions such as Chicago and the dunes. There will also be a section that shows the 3d model and maps through the campus virtually.

Design and Life Prediction of Large Industrial Equipment through Finite Element and Fatigue Analysis

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, Bin Wu, and Armin Silaen

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

The objective of this project is to structurally analyze a wind turbine, and compare the base design with an actual operating conditions to predict its life. An FEA (Finite Element Analysis) model of the wind turbine will be designed based on engineering drawings. Then FEA data fatigue analysis will be integrated to predict the remaining life of the equipment. The results will be analyzed to identify the causes of stress concentration and stability disorder. Virtual reality visualization will be employed to visualize the simulation results and get a complete package for structural analysis and life prediction of large equipment. The final product will be usable by operators and engineers to optimize existing equipment designs, reduce downtime and lost production, improve equipment inspection plans, and identify areas of opportunity for new equipment designs.

Design of a Flue Gas Desulfurization Unit Using CFD and VR

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou, Armin Silaen, and Bin Wu

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

A computational fluid dynamics study of the Unit 14 FGD (flue gas desulfurization) absorber at the NIPSCO Schahfer Generating Station was conducted and software will be created for researchers, plant engineers, operators, and other personnel to visualize the simulation results inside the absorber. Understanding the flow characteristics could benefit the amount of the sulfur the FGD system absorbs which would create less pollution. An absorber is complicated component of a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system which is why modeling the system is the best way to understand the system. The flows are counteracting which means understanding them without CFD and virtual reality would be very complex and time consuming. The CFD modeling will provide a detailed flow characteristic of the absorber and virtual reality will be used to make learning software for NIPSCO. This software will show a 3D model of inside the absorber at the Schahfer Generating Station.

Heads-Up Assisted Lockout-Tagout System (HALT)

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou and John Moreland

Undergraduate

Peg-board Presentation

Lock out - tag out is a standard safety procedure used in industry to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not started again during maintenance or troubleshooting procedures. It requires that hazardous energy sources be isolated and rendered inoperative before any repair procedure is started. While some lock out - tag out procedures are straightforward, others can be complex and may involve multiple members of a crew, span shift changes, or remain in place during long-term shutdowns. These procedures can be quite lengthy and may be located in distant or inconvenient locations. The HALT system will provide a means for viewing complex procedures on a head mounted device (HMD) in the field where they are needed. This will allow the worker to immediately access the procedure and have both hands free to perform the work. This will ensure that the lock out or tag out is completed properly, efficiently, and in the safest way possible.

A Case Study of Students’ Acquisition of Mathematical Fluency during Inquiry-Based Instruction

Mentor(s): Diana Underwood Gregg

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

This study was designed to help the researchers investigate how students learn basic mathematics facts and develop mathematical fluency in an elementary school that uses an inquiry approach to instruction. The researchers will elaborate upon five major ideas resulting from their research: students’ number sense, students’ understanding of 10, the importance of student-centered instruction, the acceptance of multiple ways to solve a single problem, and the role of correct versus incorrect answers. These ideas concern students’ math reasoning skills and the ways in which the classroom atmosphere contributes to student learning. The researchers will also provide a further analysis of the roles of the teacher, students, and tasks in an inquiry-based classroom, as well as the ways in which students’ basic facts knowledge is assessed.

ASCE – AISC 2015 Student Steel Bridge Competitions

Mentor(s): Chien Chung Chen and Robert Rescot

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) have established a national competition where engineering students from colleges and universities compete to construct a 1:10 scale model steel bridge (Max width: 5’, Max height: 5’, Max length: 21’). The goal of the competitor is create an efficient bridge model that will meet all requirements given by the hosts. The Pratt truss design was chosen as most efficient design for this case. A simple but stable lateral design was created to reduce weight. The final dimensions of the bridge are 19’ long, 1’ 9” tall and 3’ 9” wide. Two structural analysis software, Risa 2D© and Risa 3D©, were used to model the loading effects and optimize the design of the bridge. The results showed the bridge would deflection a total of 0.163” in the vertical and 0.011” in the lateral. The final sizing (width x height x wall thickness) of the members from largest to smallest are as followed: tubes (3/4” x 3/4” x 1/8”), (3/4” x 3/4” x 1/16”), and (1/2” x 1/2” x 1/16”). The bar’s diameter is 1/4”. Joint analysis resulted in using 1/8” thick gusset plates and passed all stress loadings.

Conducting Temperature-dependent Research of Material Properties of Hydrogels using an Atomic Force Microscope

Mentor(s): Kim

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) allows high-resolution imaging and material characterizations at the atomic level. The AFM has the ability to perform measurements of elastic modules at the micro- or nano-scale level. Our research will focus on temperature-dependent research of the elastic properties of hydrogels using the AFM. Hydrogels serve as important biomedical materials for drug delivery and tissue engineering due to their mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Since a variety of biomedical applications employ hydrogels over a range of temperatures and humidity, it is necessary to accurately measure its mechanical properties in a controlled environment. / The cantilever tip is a critical component of the AFM which is used to scan the sample. This tip is very sensitive to environmental factors such as noise and vibrations, which may affect the accuracy of results. In order to overcome this problem, we have devised an environmental chamber with regulated temperature and humidity for the AFM. A vibration table and noise reduction foam have been installed inside the chamber to eliminate vibration and noise. Using a temperature kit with a thermocouple would allow the temperature of the sample to be regulated thus allowing temperature-dependent research to be conducted. The use of potassium sulphate will enable control of humidity inside the chamber. / Preliminary research on measuring elastic stiffness of hydrogels has been conducted at ambient temperature. Hence, the construction of an environmental chamber will help make control and accurate measurements of the properties of hydrogels using the AFM.

Design of a 3D Printable Prosthetic Cover

Mentor(s): Bipin Pai

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

Prosthetic devices are expensive investments for patients who have to use them. It is important for a patient to feel comfortable with their prosthesis in order to obtain the full benefit from it. This research focuses on the development of a low cost cover for a prosthesis for pediatric transtibial amputees that would protect the device from impacts as well as improve the aesthetic appeal of the prosthesis. Three-dimensional printing was the manufacturing method used because of the low manufacturing cost as well as the low weight of finished products. Autodesk® Inventor was used to develop the three-dimensional geometry for a design. The results showed that the protective cover can withstand an impact force of up to 200 pounds, which is strong enough to withstand the impact of a kicked soccer ball or a child kneeling on it. Also, the protective cover adds more shape to the prosthetic to make it have a similar profile as a healthy leg. This increases the aesthetic appeal of the device and should make the user more comfortable with their prosthesis. The cover has a manufacturing cost of about $40. This low cost design will protect a prosthetic device from impacts and will improve the appearance of the prosthesis.

Designing Storm Sewer System on 45th Avenue in Gary Indiana

Mentor(s): Chandramouli Viswanathan and Martin Brown

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The purpose of this project is to redesign the storm water sewer system from Grant St. to Kentucky St. along 45th Avenue. The redesigning of the storm water sewer system will be used to decrease the large amounts of flooding that occurs along this section of roadway. The new storm water sewer system will decrease the amount of flooding that has caused damage to the local residents housing, yards, and belongings. Also, the new system will decrease the amount of accidents that occur to commuters and pedestrians. When the water builds up at low points in the road and freezes, during the winter months, it can cause for unsafe driving and walking areas for commuters. The steps taken to come to a conclusion of the results included testing the existing conditions against latest sewer standards, working together with the City to develop new criteria for this improvement, conducting field surveys to prepare the preliminary data for design, analyzing designs against the new criteria and creating a new storm water sewer design based on the final recommendation. The new designed system will create a more efficient storm sewer system for this stretch of road in the City. Also, it will help residents to be at peace about the safety of their homes and belongings. This report includes the details of the current storm water sewer system and landscape details and the scope of work and results of the newly designed system.

Developing Pathogen TMDL for Deep River System in Northwest Indiana

Mentor(s): Chandramouli Viswanathan and Joe Exl

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The current Deep River-Portage Burns Waterway Watershed is in a state of improvement. The Deep River system is located in Northwest Indiana and drains through cities such as Merrillville and Hobart to Lake Michigan. It drains roughly 180 square miles and is considered one of the largest watersheds that is connected to Lake Michigan. When a river system floods, the river can become contaminated with many different types of pathogens and nutrients. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has listed the Deep River system in Northwest Indiana as a contaminated creek. The purpose of this project is to conduct a Watershed Management Plan by using a program called Hydrological Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF). HSPF is a function of another program called Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Non-point Sources (BASINS 4.1). When the model is complete, it will help provide this area with a safe sustainable clean watershed. It will also bring recreational, economical, and tourism use in Northwest Indiana for years to come. Finally, the model is a great source to analyze the Deep River-Portage Burns Waterway Watershed for the future.

Flood Modeling 3D Lab for Civil Engineering Curriculum

Mentor(s): Chandramouli Viswanathan

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

Little Calumet River System located in Northwest Indiana is used in this study. This watershed is located in the southern tip of Lake Michigan. During 2008, due to the hurricane storm Ike, a major flood occurred in this river system. Huge property damages were reported from local communities.

In most civil engineering programs, it was not economically viable to develop a physical laboratory setup to simulate flood scenarios. Flood model had been simulated by HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS models but only in form of numbers or graphs. Thus, a three dimensional (3D) virtual lab module was needed for flooding case studies and visualizing hydraulic simulation results. Both models have been updated by adding in a sluice gate simulation that occurred in real life, a 100 year flood plain, and retaining walls that were added in after the flood.

This visualization based lab module provided an intuitive way for hydraulic learning. This was important because it allowed users to have a visual sense for river behavior studies instead of dealing with numbers and charts. Furthermore, one’s abilities in the virtual environment was much wider than in the real world due to accessibility and safety limitation. Thus, this visualization product would be not only a good material for lectures and lab, but also a good assistant for related engineering works.

G Protein and K+ Channel Interactions

Mentor(s): Radmila Sarac

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

G protein-gated Inwardly Rectifying Potassium channels (GIRK) are involved in the flux of K+ into and out of the cell during specific cell signaling. As stated in the name, this specific subset of the Kir family (inwardly rectifying K+ channels) is activated when a G Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) is activated. The Gβγ protein of a G protein complex interacts with the channel and gates the GIRK channels. Inwardly-rectifying potassium channels play an important role in the regulation of membrane potential in essential cells; mainly studied are those found in the heart and brain. An understanding of the modulation of these channels is necessary to address issues caused when these channels malfunction. This research aims to determine whether regions of the intracellular potassium channel protein interactions with G protein subunits are specific between subunits (GIRK1 and GIRK4 subunits), and if the intracellular termini interactions play a role in the G protein binding.

Maximum Power Point Tracking

Mentor(s): David Kozel and Constantin Apostoaia

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The demand for clean energy sources has increased the use of photovoltaic, PV, systems. Rooftop PV systems must be able to generate power in urban and suburban environments where partial shading at different times of the day is almost unavoidable. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is a technique used in photovoltaics to maximize the output power of a PV array for a given set of conditions. The purpose of this research is to understand and explore various MPPT techniques that provide the most efficiency over a wide output power range and test them under different conditions. The conditions in which the techniques will be tested include shading and different array configurations. With the research complete, a controller that uses a control algorithm exclusively for MPPT is to be designed, built, and tested. The findings of this research will lead to a better understanding of MPPT techniques used in photovoltaic systems as well as a constructed system that uses the designed controller for an optimized power output. This research will be done in parallel with another team focusing on the development of a grid tie system for a PV array and both systems will be combined into one.

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

During the spring 2014 semester, the NASA Rover Challenge senior design team helped the previous rover team to prepare Purdue Calumet's Red and Yellow rovers for the April 2014 competition. Both of the Rovers needed to have non-pneumatic tires to replace their pneumatic tires. The Red Rover also needed fenderes with a minimum of 120 square inches, which were fabricated in the PUC Wood Shop. At the competition, the Red rover was not entered due to mechanical failure, while the Yellow Rover took 8th place. Upon returning from the competition, and during the following fall semester, the team worked to fix the problems that took the Red Rover out of the competition, replacing and designing new parts. The Red Rover had been originally built by an earlier senior design team, and had several plastic parts which had broken at the competition. These parts were removed, technical drawings made, and new parts were manufactured both at the PUC Machine Shop and through outside sources. At the same time, work was also done on the Yellow Rover to help better prepare it for the compeition in 2015. The contro arms of the Yellow Rover were damaged during the race, and needed to be replaced. The team removed the current control arms, determined their dimensions, and came up with new technical drawings so that the control arms could be manufactured. Due to scheduling constraints with the PUC Machine Shop, the new control arms would have to be sent out to be manufactured. New shocks were also ordered during the semester, and a new shock angle was determined which would reduce the stress placed upon the control arms. This would keep the control arms from deforming again during the race.During the middle of the semester, the team was informed of the new rules for the 2015 competition, which required that the Rovers not have tires. A large portion of the rest of the semester was spent coming up with ideas for new wheels for the rover, which would be passed on to the new team to complete and test before the competition. The senior design team graduated in December, 2014, with plans to assist and advise the new spring 2015 senior design team, and hoped to attend the competition in April 2015.

Photovoltaic Grid Tying

Mentor(s): Constantin Apostoaia

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The purpose of this research is to investigate the different ways of using and developing a grid tying system, specifically for a photovoltaic (PV) array. A grid tying system would require exploration into the various techniques of power inversion, harmonic reduction, and phase synchronization. This research would eventually lead to the designing, modeling, building, and testing of a grid tying system, to prove that the specifications of integrating the photovoltaic system into the electrical grid are met. By creating an efficient and properly tied in PV panel array we hope to obtain measurable results from the project which we can use for analysis of the grid-tied PV systems to study the total harmonic distortion on the inverter output current at the point of common coupling to the grid and compare the obtained values with the limits specified by the regulating standards such as IEEE Std 519-1992, [1]. The findings of this research will lead to a better understanding of the process of integrating a photovoltaic array into the grid via components designed and built. This research is done in tandem with another team researching various techniques of maximum power point tracking, and both systems will be combined.

[1] IEEE Recommended Practices and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power Systems, IEEE Standard 519, 1992.

Robotic Football: An Adaptive Throwing-Receiving System

Mentor(s): Don Gray

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The University of Notre Dame hosts an annual Intercollegiate Robotic Football competition. In an effort to establish a foundation for future Purdue University Calumet engineering teams, this project will design, build, and program a robotic quarterback and receiver that adhere to the competition committee’s constraints, thus creating a platform on which future teams can grow. The quarterback and receiver will use an adaptive and automated throwing-receiving system in order to complete a football pass without human intervention. Research and development of a universal drive base for robot construction facilitates building multiple units in a timely fashion, reduces costs, and increases reliability. The universal drive base contains a variety of mechanical and electronic systems: DC motors and planetary gearboxes for movement, an Arduino microcontroller, XBee wireless communications, and game controllers. Receivers will be able to track the ball using a vision system consisting of the Pixy CMUcam5 that interfaces directly with the Arduino microcontroller. These devices will allow a robot to communicate and move in real time, no matter which role is assigned. Utilizing the universal drive base, a top end system for each robot can be built in order to give it a role as a specific player — such as a catching system for a receiver robot or a throwing system for a quarterback robot. Through groundwork laid by this project — and the hopeful implementation of robots into a classroom setting — future engineering teams will readily design robots for robotic football competition.

The Effects of Environmental Temperature on Immune Response, Reproductive Behavior, and Development in the Burying Beetle Nicrophorus Orbicollis

Mentor(s): Curtis Creighton

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The burying beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis uses small vertebrate carcasses as a food source for its offspring, preserving the carcasses with oral and anal secretions. Because the species occupies different latitudes of North America, N. orbicollis is a good model system for researching the local adaptation of populations and the effects of temperature on reproductive behavior. It was hypothesized that beetles found at different geographic locations will elicit specialized immune responses adapted to their region of origin. These specialized immune responses will affect reproductive success by making tradeoffs that are advantageous in each beetles' home range. Burying beetles from three native populations located in Oklahoma, Indiana and Wisconsin were placed in breeding chambers of three different temperatures, each representing the average temperature of one of the collection sites during the breeding months. Hemolymph, oral and anal secretions were collected and the levels of the immune enzymes phenol oxidase and lysozyme were determined. The data was analyzed to determine whether these organisms’ immune responses are locally adapted to the temperatures found in their home ranges. This research contributes to the knowledge of how an insect allocates resources to competing physiological needs. There are also implications for how adaptations may be specialized in different populations of a species and how organisms may respond to the pressures of climate change.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on Human Cognition

Mentor(s): Bin Chen

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neurostimulation that uses electrodes to stimulate brain activity. It has become a popular subject for research because of its effects on treating neuropsychiatric conditions as well as improving human cognition. Previous studies have claimed that tDCS can lead to enhancements in the motor cortex and working memory. The goal of this experiment is to manufacture a tdcs device that will generate a constant 2mA current and then use the device to test if it has a positive effect on the ability of facial recognition. Twenty volunteers will participate in the facial recognition learning task for four weekly sessions. Half of the group will have active tDCS devices and half will have inactive tDCS devices. The subjects will look at a powerpoint presentation with slides of faces. After the presentation, a quiz will be administered. This will be repeated each session. A statistical analysis will be performed on the results to indicate whether tDCS applied on the frontal cortex can enhance the facial recognition abilities of the volunteers. We hypothesize that tDCS will improve the volunteers’ facial recognition ability and that the group with active devices will perform better on the quizzes than the control group. The results may be helpful in future research in the area.

Brain Training Games

Mentor(s): Lucy Yang

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

I am currently working with Chris Markovich under the supervision of Lucy Yang to create games that stimulate brain activity. The games are written using C++ with OpenGL, and brain activity is being monitored with an EEG monitor. The project is still a work in progress, and our current goal is to connect the data provided by the EEG monitor to the games to update their difficulty and progress in real time. We have not been able to do any testing with human subjects, as we have been waiting since last semester for approval from the Student Research Office.

Generalizations of Gumbel Distribuition

Mentor(s): Gokarna Aryal

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The Gumbel distribution, also known as the log-Weibull distribution or the double exponential distribution, is used to model the distribution of the maximum and the minimum of a number of samples of various distributions. The Gumbel distribution has practical applications in many environmental settings, such as predicting natural disaster and analyzing month- or annual- maximums and/or minimum levels of precipitation. Using parameter estimation methods, such as the Method of Maximum Likelihood, we will try to fit real world data to the Gumbel distribution. At this point, often times a data set exists that closely follows a distribution, yet not quite a perfect match. In these instances, generalizing the distribution to find additional parameters will allow us to account for the offset of the match from our data set to the Probability Density Function with specified parameters who display a close, yet not perfect, match. Using some previously established generalizations, such as the Transmuted Gumbel and the Exponentiated Gumbel distributions, the aim of our research is to make further generalizations that can help us to better interpret and fit a broader class of data sets, and ideally find more applications of the Gumbel distribution. Real world environmental data, such as snow fall records and wind speed records will be used during this analysis.

Identification and Characterization of Neuronal Enhancers

Mentor(s): Nicole Evans

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

Human development and human disorders are regulated by genes and proteins. This process is controlled by DNA sequences known as enhancers that turn on and off specific genes allowing cells to have identical DNA content and yet be different in form and function. Surprisingly little is known about enhancer function, therefore the purpose of this research identify a set of neuronal specific enhancers for in depth analysis. This study utilizes the model organism Drosophila melanogaster using both wild type and multiple types of mutated genomic sequences. Our work began with the generation of recombinant vectors involving the transformation of bacteria. Analysis of our vectors was performed by agarose gel electrophoresis, quantification, and size analysis using GeneTools (Syngene). This work is currently underway with the ultimate goal of identifying enhancers, determine their location, structure and function, and comparing the biochemical activities of each enhancer.

Numerical Stability of Anisotropic Polytropic Stellar Systems

Mentor(s): Shawn Slavin and Nicolae Tarfulea

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The observations of globular clusters in dynamic quasistatic equilibrium have begged for the investigation of models describing their distribution structures, and their evolution across time. Candidates for such distribution models have been proposed, such as the King family of solutions to the Fokker-Plank equation, and in particular the family of solutions to the Lane-Emden equation of hydrostatic equilibrium, known collectively as polytropes. In the case of any model, stability is a necessary condition for its legitimacy as a description of a globular cluster, or stellar system. Globular clusters are a significant constituent of our cosmic neighborhood; modeling of these stellar systems offers a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of their evolution. The scope of our research was to expand on Dr. M. Hénon’s initial numerical investigations of the stability of generalized polytropes with isotropic velocity distributions. We consider the broader case of polytropic models with anisotropy in their velocity distribution. We have employed a Monte-Carlo method to generate initial spatial and velocity distributions, and finally analyzed their evolution by implementing Sverre Aarseth’s NBODY6 dynamic integrator, while observing the Lagrangian radii of the system throughout the light-crossing time. Our analysis has revealed sufficient conditions for stability, and thus the relevancy of the polytropic model as it pertains to globular structure. Polytropes are traditionally discussed for their application to thermodynamic processes, and so their effectiveness in describing stable star clusters highlights the similarities between distributions of gases and stars in equilibrium. This striking similarity implies the value in integrating concepts from seemingly distinct fields of physics, as the underling physical processes are ultimately related.

Synthesis and Activity of Palladium Catalysts for Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Reactions: Comparison of Heating Methods

Mentor(s): Libbie Pelter

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The energy required for a chemical reaction can be supplied by conventional thermal heating (i.e. Bunsen burner or oil bath) or by microwave heating. Chemical reactions utilizing microwave heating have been reported and in some cases these reactions are faster and show better product selectivity. Increased usage of microwave heating in chemistry raises two questions. Does the use of microwave heating increase the efficiency of chemical reactions and are the effects observed in microwave heating simply a result of more efficient heating or are they due to a “microwave effect”? Transition metal catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions have become crucial steps in the industrial synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. The modification of transition metal mediated synthesis through the development of methods using microwave heating could significantly enhance the sustainability of these reactions. / Earlier experiments in our research group have shown significant differences in selectivity and reactivity of transition metal catalyzed reactions with respect to the heating method used (thermal vs. microwave heating). In this study we compared the reaction rates and product yields for palladium catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions using microwave and thermal heating in an attempt to answer these questions.

Interactive GIS Tool for Regional Planning and Economic Development

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou and Doreen M. Gonzales-Gaboyan

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

The Alliance for Regional Development is a groundbreaking coalition of leaders in business, government, and academia working together to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the tri-state region. Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin are the three states involved in the Alliance for Regional Development. This project is combining data and developing an interactive tool for regional planning and economic development, providing a geographic inventory from twenty-one counties of each state for roads, major truck routes, airports, railroads, passenger and commuter rail, trails, land use parcels, population density, and administrative boundaries. The outcomes of this project is to provide geographic inventory of transportation and logistics assets across 21 counties in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, integrate tools that add analytical capabilities to the Regional Decision Maker system, and provide key information to companies that are considering moving to the region.

Virtual Arms in HMD

Mentor(s): Chenn Zhou and John Moreland

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

In virtual reality environments experience through head mounted displays (HMD’s), such as the Oculus Rift, there is a lack of immersion largely in terms of interaction. While standard tools are useful for traversing 3D world, they are far more limiting than normal human interaction with objects or environments. The most logical way to interact with a virtual world is the same way people interact with the physical world around them: using your arms and hands to intuitively move or touch objects. Through the use of Myo armbands in conjunction with the Oculus Rift HMD it is possible to have arm movements translated into a virtual environment in order to naturally interact with virtual objects. Using these technologies we have developed some guidelines and best practices for some of the things that work best for this type of experience. We cataloged the techniques we developed by making code libraries and demonstration programs.

Experimental Analysis of Superconductors and Their Properties

Mentor(s): Robert Kramer

Undergraduate

Poster Presentation

We desire to investigate the properties of superconducting materials as well as design our own functioning superconductor that will exhibit those theoretical properties. This will involve the use of an Economy Superconductivity Kit to use as a frame of reference in terms of experimental findings. The development of our own functioning superconductor will include the use of Y2O3, CuO, and BaCO3. Our experimental findings that properly exhibit the Meissner effect will then be used as a direct comparison to various published data and eventually lead to improvements to our design based on the data comparison. The development of our own superconductor will potentially benefit the field of solid state and condensed matter physics in terms of aiding the understanding of what mechanisms facilitate superconductivity in designated materials. Further developments on the design/model could be applied to other well-established fields (medical/scientific research/cryogenic cooling/maglev trains).

Catalytic Conversion of CO2 into Commodity Chemicals

Mentor(s): Libbie Pelter

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

Carbon dioxide, the most oxidized and stable form of carbon, is an abundant and inexpensive carbon source. Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen or hydrides is one attractive way to utilize carbon from this source. Ruthenium catalyzed hydroboration of CO2 has been recently reported, in addition to the more widely explored catalytic hydrogenation. The search for more efficient, more selective catalysts for utilization of CO2 in the synthesis of useful chemicals will continue to be an important research subject. We propose to synthesize ruthenium catalysts and to evaluate reaction conditions to design a catalyst that will activate CO2 found in gas mixtures. The catalyst is synthesized through first working up a ruthenium(III) tris(triphenylphospine) trichloride and then reacting the complex with a Schiff base to produce the catalyst. The compounds formed in reactions at present show indications of the desired product in which the next step would be to test the CO2 sequestration ability of the catalyst. Multiple instrumentation methods are used to characterize the product of the synthesis before testing the catalytic abilities of the product. Furthermore, another synthesis has recently been identified as a possiblity that may show promise of more efficiently producing the ruthenium-Schiff complex product. These are the current research goals for the Ruthenium Catalyst CO2 Sequestration Research Project.

Development of Technology for Domestic Water Reuse

Mentor(s): Dr. Nnanna

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

The preservation and effective use of water is becoming increasingly important as a growing world population continues to place stress on the availability of freshwater resources. Water is often excessively treated for non-potable household applications. Greywater, which is generally defined as all household wastewater excluding toilet water, can provide an alternative source of water when it is properly treated. While many studies have been carried out on the characterization and utilization of greywater, limited research has been done on integrating a compact, commercial greywater filtration system into individual households. The proposed design is a low cost, low maintenance filtration system that would allow for the reuse of domestic greywater for toilet flushing. Samples of greywater would be collected from domestic bathrooms, kitchens, and washing basins for analysis. The characteristics of the greywater would determine the type and extent of treatment necessary to meet applicable water quality standards. Subsequent design and construction of the greywater filtration system would allow for additional testing and refinement. As toilet flushing is often the largest source of domestic household water use, integration of domestic greywater filtration systems into areas with inadequate freshwater resources would ensure significant reductions in the volume of water supplied to households, the water bill per household, and the amount of wastewater produced per household, while helping to conserve water resources.

Electric Vehicle Kart 2

Mentor(s): Dave Kozel

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

The Electric Vehicle Grand Prix (or EVGP) is a student competition sponsored by Purdue University’s West Lafayette Campus. The competition takes place annually on the infield of the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway. Students design, construct or modify, and race electric go-karts. The purpose of the competition is to expose and interest students in electric vehicles. The main objective was to modify the current PUC electric kart 2 to make it more competitive and robust. There are two main changes to the kart. Since the course has a lot of turns, each rear wheel is now powered separately and controlled to spin at the optimal speed through the turns. This required the design, and installation of the appropriate sensor system needed for measuring the degree of each turn and the reprograming of the two motor controllers to use the turning angle to optimize the karts performance. The kart was made more robust, through the design, construction, and installation of a front bumper for the vehicle. The outcome is an electric vehicle that is fast, lightweight, and efficient enough that it can be competitive and complete the upcoming races in May 2015.

NASA MOON BUGGY 2015

Mentor(s): Harvey Abramowitz

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

Purdue University Calumet (PUC) will look to better its eigth place finish from 2014 in the second year of The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge in Huntsville, AL (a successor to NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race). Students are challenged to create a Rover capable of traversing a simulated surface of another world. NASA has plans of landing humans on Mars by the 2030’s, and this Challenge will encourage students to learn and think about how to move about on surfaces other than Earth. Teams will be ranked based on design, safety and time to complete the simulated other worldly course. Growing on, now, years of experience, obstacles only become more difficult and include simulated asteroid debris, an ancient stream bed, and erosion ruts and crevasses. This is an international competition with the Challenge televised worldwide.. PUC will be entering two ROVERS for the 2015 competition. PUC Rover One is an improved version of the 2014 Rover. Rover One features a brand new design, including improvements in steering, drivetrain, suspension and recumbent seating, and takes advantage of the new rules which allow a, longer, 5 foot wheelbase. PUC Rover Two is based on the design of the last Moonbuggy built at PUC in 2013, hoping to complete the first of its competitive races in the 2015 competition. Unlike Rover One, Rover Two features a 4 foot wheelbase which dates the Rover to earlier NASA stipulations. Rover Two features a truss-like aluminum frame and front-suspension only, unlike Rover One.

Plant Capacity Analysis and Optimization

Mentor(s): Masoud Mojtahed and Joe Tarach

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

This project focuses on increasing the filling and packaging productivity for a paint manufacturing company. The layout and flow of the filling and packaging process can largely affect productivity. The focus is on three filling stations that are located in two separate plants. The containers filled in each line vary between ½ liter, quarts, gallons, 3.5 liter, and 5 gallon containers. The current productivity rate is about 16 gallons per man-hour. The goal is to increase the filling and packaging productivity by 50 percent while decreasing down time. Several problems with the current layouts in the three filling stations have been observed and identified. This paper presents modified filling station layouts accompanied by calculations that show improvement in the productivity of each production line. Efforts were made to reduce wasteful motions and usage of space in each manufacturing cell. Automating certain steps are also discussed and recommended.

Purdue University Calumet's Formula SAE Student Organization

Mentor(s): Masoud Mojtahed

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

Formula SAE is an annual international competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). FSAE is comprised of students from a variety of majors, brought together with a common interest in designing, building, and testing racecars. Each year, universities and colleges from around the world participate in the competitions, in which teams are judged based on the design, performance and cost of their cars.

This determined team of six is not shy to say that we are among the brightest in our classes and we look forward to turning this dream of ours into a reality. As seniors we design, manufacture, and test different vehicles for SAE projects. But this year, our team would like to introduce the Formula One Autocross car; the fastest, most exciting - and most engineering-involved endeavor there is. It is considered to be the most prestigious senior design project any engineering student could take on.

At present we have a few mechanical parts that are usable. We also have rough 2D- and 3D-designed drawings and have consulted with our professors, automotive shops, and various companies. We believe we are ready to move forward with this project.

This project encompasses all aspects of engineering and the majority of the parts in our car are designed from scratch by students and then integrated into a high performance race car. Your contribution would not only help this year’s FSAE team, but also future FSAE teams who would be able to work off our parts, vehicle, and design.

With this award, our team can get one step closer to reaching our goal of introducing the Formula One program to our university.

Traffic Modeling for Wireless Service Quality

Mentor(s): Besma Smida

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

During the last two decades, wireless communication usage has intensified and expanded. Worldwide mobile data traffic has doubled over the past year and is expected to continue to grow at a similar rate as new applications emerge and smartphone sales continue to increase. This increasing demand is outstripping the capacity of fundamentally vulnerable and unpredictable wireless networks and hence reducing the quality of service (QoS). U. S. Cellular (USCC), like others wireless network providers, is facing that challenge. To accommodate the rising demand USCC needs a traffic model and Radio Access Network (RAN) capacity forecasting for QoS.

The goal of this project is to perform Traffic Modeling with the objective of characterizing the traffic demand of various Grade of Service (GoS) and Quality of Service driven traffic streams on the air-interface as well as the Evolved Node B (EnB) for a 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network.

The project involves learning Matlab and R programing to analyze statistically and mathematically the data from U. S. Cellular using Queue Theory to verify how the 4G LTE network can offer a service with high quality. These tools will provide a way to forecast the growing demand and figure out where will be the high traffic areas. The problems with U. S. Cellular 4G LTE network can be identified and solved through results of the study of the data; therefore, the company will receive a plan to improve the Quality of Service of its 4G LTE network and offer better services to its customers.

Hurricane Data Analysis

Mentor(s): Gokarna Aryal

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and monsoons. There are many names for one formidable force of nature. Hurricanes affect many coastal areas around the globe. They hit hard and fast, but the damages can vary by the category of each hurricane. For example, the destructive power of a hurricane can range anywhere from knocking over a couple of stop signs and minor flooding, to practically drowning an entire city (for example: New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina (2005)). While the mystery as to how hurricanes form has been solved, it is another thing entirely to predict how each and every hurricane will react once it makes landfall.

In this study, we gathered information about hurricanes that affected the United States for last several years. With the help of sources, such as the National Hurricane Center of the NOAA and the Proceedings of the national Academy of Science, we will study the basic characteristic of hurricanes and their overall economic impact. Statistical methods including but not limited to hypothesis testing, regression analysis will be used. To help interpret our findings, we will use statistical software R to analyze the subject data.

Primary Productivity of a Restored Prairie and an Old Field in Taltree Arboretum, Valparaiso, Indiana

Mentor(s): Young Choi

Undergraduate

No Preferred Presentation

Prairie restoration has been a means to increase plant species diversity and to promote ecosystem functioning. According to the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BD-EF) hypothesis, promotion of species richness and diversity would enhance primary productivity and complementarity. While primary productivity is a measure of ecosystem function, complementarity among diverse species is a way to maintain stability in primary production and other ecosystem functions. We tested the BD-EF hypothesis by comparing plant biomass production in a high-diversity restored prairie and a low-diversity old field that were located in Taltree Arboretum, Valparaiso, Indiana. In doing so, we hypothesized that the plants in the restored prairie would produce higher biomass than the old field. The restored prairie exhibited an increase in aboveground biomass production from 2011 to 2014, while the opposite was true for the old field. The belowground biomass decreased in the old field during 2012 – 2014 while it fluctuated in the restored prairie during the same period. Our results suggest that the high species diversity has promoted primary productivity upon the development of restored prairie community, supporting the BD-EF hypothesis. The reduction of biomass in the old field was likely due to a decline of the most dominant species (Solidago nemoralis), suggesting a lack of complementarity by other species in this low-diversity community. However, the evidence is not conclusive yet to support the complementarity effect of BD-EF hypothesis. A longer-term monitoring is needed.