from the DEPARTMENT HEAD Pratt & Whitney – UConn Center of Excellence with funding of many research projects from several UTC divisions. We are also expanding our distance education activities; we now offer graduate courses at UConn Avery Point and Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, and transmit courses electronically to other sites.
Dear Colleagues and Friends, We are happy to share with you our department’s annual report highlighting the activities of the 2010-2011 academic year. Currently, the Mechanical Engineering department is home to 25 tenured and tenure track faculty, three professors in residence and one lecturer. Two new colleagues joined our department in Fall 2011. The department is continuing to expand its research portfolio with an increasing number of research grants and a growing graduate student population. Of the 142 graduate students in the department, half are pursuing their doctoral degrees. Seventeen M.S. and five Ph.D. degrees were conferred in the last academic year. Between July 2010 and June 2011 faculty received new research grants and contracts totaling $9.1 million. In the same period the Mechanical Engineering faculty published 113 journal articles and contributed 102 conference publications or presentations. Our faculty members continue to serve on the editorial boards of major technical journals and conference organizing committees. Our research partnership with industry is growing under the
The demand for our undergraduate program is stronger than ever with a current overall enrollment of 458 students. A total of 97 bachelor’s degrees were conferred in the last academic year. The capstone Senior Design project course featured 41 projects sponsored by 27 companies and organizations. One of the project teams placed first in the ASME Old Guard Competition during the 2010 ASME-IMECE conference. This is the first time that UConn Mechanical Engineering students, among participants representing Mechanical Engineering programs all around the world, won this first place prize. This year our senior class has a record enrollment of 150 students. The department has increased its support for undergraduate students engaged in summer research at various research laboratories in the department with additional funding from a recently awarded NSF-REU grant in Sustainable Energy Systems. While we are proud of our past accomplishments, we continuously strive to improve our program and find ways to better serve our students, engage in research and development activities with our federal, state and industrial partners for economic development in our state and the nation. I hope you will enjoy learning about the activities of our department documented in this publication. We always welcome your feedback on our programs. With kind regards, Baki M. Cetegen United Technologies Chair Professor and Department Head
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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2010-2011 QUICK FACTS 27 23 3 1
faculty members tenured/tenure track faculty professors-in-residence instructor
142 graduate students 458 undergraduate students 113 journal articles published 102 conference papers published 106 active research projects $5.1M in research expenditures $28.4M in active research projects $9.1M in new research awards
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
ME Undergraduate Enrollment
Research Breakdown 2011 DEd 7% DoE 8%
NIH 1%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
NSF 34%
Ph.D. Enrollment
Part Time
Full Time
State 9%
DoD 17%
NASA 3% Other 2%
Industry 19%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
M.S. Enrollment
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
Part Time
Full Time
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NEW FACULTY
Ikjin Lee, Assistant Professor Research Areas: Design Analysis & Design Optimization under Uncertainty Dr. Ikjin Lee joined the department as an Assistant Professor in fall 2011. Dr. Lee received his B.S. (2001) and M.S. (2003) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University and his Ph.D. (2008) in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa, where he was a postdoctoral research scholar from 2008 to 2011. His primary research interests include analysis and design optimization under system input uncertainties especially focusing on weight reduction of systems for better energy efficiency.
Zhuyin Ren, Assistant Professor Research Areas: Computational Fluid Mechanics and Combustion Dr. Zhuyin Ren joined the department as an Assistant Professor in fall 2011. Prior to that, he was a Fluid Specialist at ANSYS Fluent and a Mechanical Engineer at GE Global Research Center. He received his B.S. (2001) in Engineering Thermophysics from University of Science and Technology of China and his Ph.D. (2006) in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, where he was a research associate from 2006 to 2007. His primary research interests include turbulence and combustion, statistical methods for turbulent reactive flows, and modeling and simulation of reactive flows with detailed chemistry.
Prof. Robert Gao was awarded the 2010-2011 academic year Mechanical Engineering Research Excellence Award for his contribution to our department’s research and graduate education. Prof. Tai-Hsi Fan was awarded the 2010-2011 academic year Mechanical Engineering Teaching Excellence Award for his effective teaching in both undergraduate and graduate courses. University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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RESEARCH PROFILE
Prof. Wilson K. S. Chiu
performance at the nanoscale The reduction-oxidation cycling of the nickel-based oxides in fuel cell and battery electrodes is directly related to cell performance. A greater understanding of nickel redox mechanisms at the microstructural level can be achieved in part using transmission X-ray microscopy to explore material oxidation states. Prof. Wilson K. S. Chiu’s lab, in collaboration with other researchers, use nondestructive X-ray nanotomography combined with X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy to study samples containing distinct regions of nickel and nickel oxide compositions. The nondestructive nature of the X-ray nanotomography measurements allows for sample preservation and can facilitate in situ observation of fuel cell and battery electrodes in controlled oxidizing or reducing environments and under operational conditions. Such measurements could realize the direct three-dimensional observation of nickel oxidation and the structural modifications that result from lithium deintercalation in batteries and performance degradation in fuel cells. This work demonstrates full field XANES nanotomography as a technique that enables investigation of microstructural and chemical evolution in energy materials. Images courtesy of Applied Physics Letters 98: 173109, 2011.
Schematic of the transmission X-ray microscope applied in the full field XANES nanotomography.
The distinction between Ni oxidation states is distinguished by primary features at in the X-ray absorption spectra.
The location of Ni and NiO can be identified in the 3-D volume, and its phase size distribution calculated.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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academy of distinguished engineers 2011 Allan J. Brockett Allan Brockett was inducted into the UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers for his support and dedicated service to UConn Engineering. He is the Vice President of Engineering - Module Centers for Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford. During his 32-year career with the company he has held positions of increasing responsibility in systems and module center engineering and operations. Mr. Brockett led the development and production of a wide range of gas turbine hot section technologies for which he was recognized by the two Robert J. Collier trophies of the National Aeronautical Association in 2001 and 2006. He has fostered strong alliances between Pratt & Whitney and the UConn School of Engineering for several years. He led Pratt & Whitney’s establishment of the Center of Excellence at UConn for research in the field of advanced sensors, diagnostics, and controls for use in aircraft propulsion systems. He also spearheaded the United Technologies Corporation’s effort establishing the “Engineering Ambassadors” program between UConn and several other universities, aimed at attracting greater numbers of qualified female and minority students into engineering professions. He serves on the Advisory Boards for the Georgia Tech’s Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, the UConn School of Engineering, and the Pennsylvania State University Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. He is also Board Chairman for Infotech Aerospace Services - Puerto Rico, and a director for Infotech Enterprises - India. He earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University. As a part of his induction ceremony, Mr. Brockett presented a seminar titled “Design for Variation” to students, faculty and guests.
Hadi Bozorgmanesh Dr. Hadi Bozorgmanesh was inducted into the UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers as a distinguished alumnus. He is currently the Director of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the UConn R&D Corporation. Before joining UConn, he was the Senior Vice President for corporate development of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), La Jolla, CA. He is regarded as an authority on high-tech defense and energy technologies. As a co-inventor of thermal neutron activation technology for use in airport safety, he was honored with induction into Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Laureate Hall of Fame (1989). Thermal neutron analysis and related nuclear based devices were commercially developed by SAIC and are used in airports and other high-traffic transit centers for bomb and counterband detection. During his long career with SAIC, he served as Operation Manager at the San Francisco unit; Corporate and Senior Vice President for Corporate Development at SAIC in La Jolla; President and Managing Director of SAIE France; and Chairman of SAIC Europe Ltd. and SAIC Ltd. Dr. Bozorgmanesh led SAIC’s development of a $300 million/year subsidiary, SAIC Europe. He also secured the contract for, and oversaw design of, a bomb-detection system to screen cargo and freight trains traveling through the Eurotunnel. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn (’70), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (’77) in nuclear science and engineering at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. As a part of his induction ceremony, Dr. Bozorgmanesh presented a talk on “The Intrapreneurial Mind” to an audience of students, faculty and guests. University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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International Outreach:
Dual M.S. Degree Program with Italy and Spain
This year the School of Engineering kicked off the FIPSE-Atlantis EAGLES Dual Master of Science in Engineering program, a collaboration between the University of Connecticut and Drexel University with Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Universidad Politecnica de Madrid in Spain. This program is aimed at developing “Engineers As Global Leaders in Energy Sustainability” (EAGLES), and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and led by Drs. Mun Choi (Dean of the School of Engineering), Carolyn Lin (Associate Dean of the Graduate School) and Elizabeth Mahan (Associate Executive Director of the Office of Global Programs). In this exchange program, students studying for their M.S. degrees will receive a second Masters degree from their partner institution upon one year of study. The participating students will focus on graduate-level coursework and research in the multidisciplinary area of sustainable energy and power systems. Upon completing the requirements, they will receive M.S. degrees from both UConn and their respective home institution. In exchange, UConn students wanting to obtain a second M.S. degree in these two top European technical universities will study there and gain international experience. As a first cadre of students participating in this program, UConn is hosting three M.S. degree students Fabio Poretti and Luca Lucera from Italy, and Mario Llorente from Spain. They are not only gaining new perspectives by studying engineering in a new environment, but also enjoying the college lifestyle in a different setting.
Graduate Research Competition First Place: Hafez Bahrami, Ph.D. Candidate ‘Transient Heat-Mass-Charge Transport Phenomena in a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) Using Pure Methanol as Fuel’ Advisor: Prof. Amir Faghri
Second Place: Edward Moore, Ph.D. Candidate ‘Model-Based Bayesian Structural Health Monitoring in Plates’ Advisor: Prof. Kevin D. Murphy
Third Place (tie): Timothy Kurp, M.S. Candidate ‘Adaptive Sensing forWireless Monitoring Systems’ Advisor: Prof. Robert Gao Eric Sirois, Ph.D. Candidate ‘Pre-Operative Planning for Percutaneous Heart Valve Intervention’ Advisor: Prof. Wei Sun
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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SOME RECENT GRANTS AND CONTRACTS “Assessment of Reduced Order Modeling of Flame Extinction in Bluff Body Flames,” Baki M. Cetegen and Michael W. Renfro, Pratt & Whitney, 08/15/10-6/30/11, $40,000. “Thermodynamic Modeling of a Rotating Detonation Engine,” Baki M. Cetegen, AFRL – Innovative Scientific Solutions Inc., 9/01/10-12/31/12, $120,778. “FIPSE/Atlantis Program on Engineers as Global Leaders for Energy Sustainability,” Mun Y. Choi, Department of Education, 09/01/10-08/31/14, $208,000. “Senior Design Projects,” Thomas J. Barber with all department faculty, various corporate supporters (ongoing), $254,000. “Adaptive Control Logic for Turbo-Fan Engines,” Chengyu Cao, Pratt & Whitney, 01/01/11-12/31/11, $56,600. “Pilot Induced Oscillation Suppression under Off-Nominal Conditions Using L1 Adaptive Control,” Chengyu Cao, NASA/ ZONA Technology Inc., 02/01/11-08/31/11, $20,000.
“Fuel Cell Heat Transmission and Storage,” Amir Faghri, Boeing Company, 02/25/11-12/31/11, $120,000. “Controlling Protein Release via Intermolecular Hybridization,” Tai-Hsi Fan and Y. Wang, National Science Foundation, 07/01/10-06/30/13, $316,839. “GOALI/Collaborative Research: Electrically-Enhanced Precision MicroRolling,” Robert Gao, National Science Foundation, 04/01/11-03/31/14, $268,022.
“Single Crystal Theoretical Development of Phase Field,” Brice Cassenti, Department of Defense / United Technologies - Pratt & Whitney, 01/01/11-12/31/12, $30,662.
“Collaborative Research: Multivariate Remote Process Sensing for Improved Observability in Injection Molding,” Robert Gao, National Science Foundation, 09/01/10-08/31/13, $362,779.
“Computational Framework for Phase Field Prediction of SX Cracking,” Brice Cassenti, United Technologies - Pratt & Whitney, 01/01/2011-12/31/2012, $30,662.
“Workshop/Collaborative Research: 2011 NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop,” Robert Gao, National Science Foundation, 02/15/11-02/14/12, $8,500.
“Ignition Studies of Premixed Hydrocarbon and Vitiated Gas Mixtures at Atmospheric and Low Pressure,” Baki M. Cetegen and Michael W. Renfro, Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc., 07/01/10-12/31/11, $90,000.
“Active Tool Wave Cancellation in LWD Acoustic Tools,” Robert Gao, Schlumberger-Doll Research Center, 07/01/1006/30/12, $296,156.
“Bluff Body Stabilized Flame Dynamics and Blowoff Studies,” Baki M. Cetegen and Michael W. Renfro, Pratt & Whitney, 01/01/11-12/31/11, $60,000. “Partially-Premixed Bluff-Body Flame Dynamics and Acoustic Coupling in Vitiated Flows,” Baki M. Cetegen and Michael W. Renfro, National Science Foundation, 06/01/10-05/31/13, $325,000.
“Availability Analysis Methodology for Competitive Assessments of GTE Applications,” Yen-Lin Han and Jiong Tang, Pratt & Whitney, 08/01/10-12/31/10, $35,532. “Characteristic Length Scales of Growing Nanorods,” Hanchen Huang, Department of Energy, 04/01/1103/31/14, $510,000.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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“EAGER: Visualization of Protein Folding for Nano-Machine Design,” Horea Ilies, National Science Foundation - CMMI, EDI, 08/01/10-01/31/11, $55,896.
“High Resolution XRadia X-ray Micro-computed Tomography System,” Wei Sun, UConn Provost Office Major Equipment Award, 07/01/10-06/30/11, $450,000.
“Introduction of Composite Materials to New Products,” Eric H. Jordan, Hamilton Sundstrand Co., 01/01/1112/31/11, $114,760.
“Hemodynamic Investigation of Percutaneous Aortic Valve Deployment,” Wei Sun (Pre-doctoral Fellowship for Eric Sirois), National Science Foundation / Graduate Research Fellowship Program, 08/01/10-09/30/13, $122,500.
“Life Prediction for Ceramic Coatings,” Eric H. Jordan, Pratt & Whitney, 01/01/11-12/31/11, $60,000. “TRAC: Prototype Instrument Development for Laser Cleaning and Durability Measurements of Thermal Barrier Coatings,” Eric H. Jordan and Michael Renfro, National Science Foundation, 10/01/10-09/30/12, $200,000. “NDE of Thermal Barrier Coatings,” Eric H. Jordan, National Science Foundation (subcontracted by Southwest Sciences), 08/14/10-08/15/12, $99,768. “REU Site: Engineering Next Generation Energy Processes and Systems,” Kevin D. Murphy and Michael Renfro, National Science Foundation, 03/01/11-02/28/14, $299,242.
“Chemical Reactor Networks for Jet-Stirred Reactor Modeling,” Chih-Jen Sung, Beihang University, 05/01/1112/31/12, $35,000. “Dynamic Analysis of IBR Type Structures,” Robert Gao and Jiong Tang, Pratt & Whitney, 11/01/10-12/31/10, $25,000. “Rapid and Robust Evaluation of Bridge Load Carrying Capacity after Damaging Events,” Jiong Tang and R. Christenson, Department of Homeland Security National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (NTSCOE), 07/01/10-06/30/12, $200,000.
“The Development of Control for Hybrid Projectiles,” Nejat Olgac, Department of Defense / Association of Research Libraries / University of Hartford, 06/01/10-12/31/10, $40,000. “The Effect of Airborne Contaminants on Fuel Cell Performance and Durability,” Ugur Pasaogullari and T. Molter et al, University of Hawaii / Department of Energy, 01/01/11-05/22/13, $1,710,676. “Performance Testing of Axiome Advisors’ Fuel Cell with Conventional Gaseous Fuel,” Ugur Pasaogullari, Axiome Advisors / National Science Foundation, 10/01/1001/31/11, $20,000. “Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells for Air Independent Portable Power,” Ugur Pasaogullari, P. Singh and S.-Y. Park, Northrop-Grumman, 09/10/10-03/15/11, $25,000. “Role of Animal Models in Transcatheter Valve Intervention: A Mechanistic, Age-dependent Study,” Wei Sun, National Institute of Health/ National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 05/01/11-04/30/13, $413,826.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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UConn Mechanical Engineering FACULTY Thomas J. Barber
Professor-in-Residence Ph.D., New York University, 1968
Computational and Physical Fluid-Dynamics
Baki M. Cetegen
United Technologies Chair Professor and Department Head Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1982 Combustion and Fluid Mechanics
Theodore L. Bergman
Wilson K. S. Chiu
Heat Transfer and Thermal Manufacturing
Heat and Mass Transfer and Nanomanufacturing
Zbigniew M. Bzymek
Mun Y. Choi
Design and CAD Modeling
Combustion, Heat Transfer, Optical Diagnostics, Soot Processes
Chengyu Cao
Amir Faghri
Professor Ph.D., Purdue University, 1985
Associate Professor Ph.D., Warsaw University of Technology, Poland, 1967
Assistant Professor Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004 Dynamics and Control
Professor Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1999
Professor and Dean of Engineering Ph.D., Princeton University, 1992
Professor Ph.D., UC, Berkeley, 1976
Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics
Brice Cassenti
Tai-Hsi Fan
Applied Mechanics
Biofluidics and Biotransport
Professor-in-Residence Ph.D., Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, 1972
Associate Professor Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003
www.engr.uconn.edu/me University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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FACULTY continued Robert Gao
Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor Ph.D., Technical University of Berlin, Germany, 1991 Sensing, Mechatronics, Biomechanics
Eric Jordan
United Technologies Professor of Advanced Materials Processing Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1978
Experimental and Theoretical Mechanics
Yen-Lin Han
Kazem Kazerounian
Thermo-fluid transport phenomena in MEMS devices
Design, Kinematics and Robotics
Assistant Professor-in-Residence Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2006
Hanchen Huang
Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor in Sustainable Energy Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles, 1995 Synthesis and properties of nanostructures (interfaces)
Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago, 1984
Tianfeng Lu
Assistant Professor Ph.D., Princeton University, 2004
Combustion and Computational Fluid Mechanics
Horea Ilies
George Lykotrafitis
Computational Design and CAD/ CAM/CAE
Cellular Mechanics
Associate Professor Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2000
Assistant Professor Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 2005
This year, Profs. Tai-Hsi Fan and Ugur Pasaogullai were both promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Congratulations to both! University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Kevin D. Murphy
Associate Professor Ph.D., Duke University, 1994
Nonlinear Dynamics and Vibrations
Nejat Olgac
Professor Ph.D., Columbia University, 1976
Control Systems and Vibrations
Chih-Jen (Jackie) Sung
Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor in Sustainable Energy Ph.D., Princeton University, 1994
Combustion, Propulsion, Laser Diagnostics, Fuel Chemistry
Jiong Tang
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2001
Structural and System Dynamics and Control
Ugur Pasaogullari
Associate Professor Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2005
Transport Phenomena in Fuel Cells
Michael W. Renfro
Associate Professor and Associate Department Head Ph.D., Purdue University, 2000
Combustion and Optical Diagnostics
Marcelle Wood
Lecturer and Assistant Dean M.S., University of Connecticut, 1988
Bi Zhang
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies Ph.D.,Tokyo Institute of Technology, 1988
Precision Design and Manufacturing
Wei Sun
Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2003
Tissue Biomechanics
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Jamie Maciaszek engineers mechanical solutions to biological problems. Jamie Maciaszek is a doctoral student working with faculty advisor Prof. George Lykotrafitis on cutting edge research in cellular mechanics and adhesion mechanisms related to sickle cell disease.
Graduate Fellowship Recipients Department of Education GAAN Fellowships
Chris Robak Travis Ward Robert Nesbitt Kristin Kopp-Vaughan Charles Bonas
American Heart Association
Jamie Maciaszek
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Eric Sirois
NIH-NRSA Fellowship
Thuy Pham
Using an atomic force microscope to measure the elasticity of red blood cells, Jamie detects changes in surface adhesion receptors by quantifying their frequency, distribution, and average binding force. Jamie says “it is fascinating to study how nano-scale changes in human cells can lead to extraordinary problems in the human body. By utilizing engineering tools and principles, I am able to better understand the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease and hopefully discover new therapeutic targets.” Jamie was recently awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship for this project from the American Heart Association in conjunction with the UConn Health Center and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Jamie graduated with honors from Lehigh University in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering. As an undergraduate she used in vitro experimentation and computational modeling techniques to simulate endothelial cells in flow conditions associated with atherosclerosis. “This project sparked my interest in using mechanical engineering methods to solve biological problems,” she comments. Over the past two summers Jamie has trained and mentored undergraduate students as part of the Northeast Alliance Summer Research Experience. Jamie says “I really enjoyed teaching lab techniques and time management, and the opportunity to work with two female high school students was very rewarding.” In time away from the lab Jamie enjoys running, swimming, hiking, cooking, shopping, and “anything else to stay active.” She’s an avid Yankees and Jets fan, and she comments that her close relationships with family and friends helps her to stay grounded. “A balanced approach to scientific research helps foster creativity and consistency in my work.”
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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bright ideas from student entrepreneurs Today’s engineering students need to prepare for a working world where innovation is a key component of success. The D.E. Crow Innovation Prize was designed to help Mechanical Engineering students turn their entrepreneurial inspirations into a marketable product, by awarding seed funds to students with a strong idea and a sound business plan. This spring a panel of judges chose three inaugural 2011 prize recipients from a field of enthusiastic applicants.
recent books Theodore L. Bergman Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, (with A.S. Lavine, F.P. Incropera and D.P. DeWitt), John Wiley & Sons, 1048 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0471457282, 2011.
First Prize winner Nishang Gupta was awarded $6,000 for his project “Reverse Engineering of a Voltage Regulator.” Gupta’s plan involved optimizing technology for an inexpensive voltage regulator to improve voltage consistency for rural Indian farmers who lack access to a reliable electrical grid. Two other projects received runner up prizes of $ 2,000 each: “The Corner Office” by Bruno Chima and O’Rayne Clark and “Virtual Cardiovascular Fitness” by Hemal Shah, Andrew Jorgensen and Matthew Hock.
Introduction to Heat Transfer, (with A.S. Lavine, F.P. Incropera and D.P. DeWitt), John Wiley & Sons, 960 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0471457275, 2011. Amir Faghri Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer Authors Amir Faghri, Yuwen Zhang and John Howell Global Digital Press, 974 pages, ISBN13: 978-0984276004, 2010
The winning teams were presented with their prizes on May 25, 2011 at the ‘UConn CT Venture Group Event’, organized by the Connecticut Technology Council. The students prepared posters and chatted with audience members about their plans.
Robert Gao Wavelet: Theory and Application for Manufacturing, (with R. Yan), Springer Heidelberg, 238 pages, ISBN 978-14419-1544-3, 2011. Ugur Pasaogullari Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry Modeling and Diagnostics of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells, (with C.Y. Wang), Springer, 394 pages, ISBN-13: 9780387980676, 2010. Pictured above from left to right: Dr. Mun Y. Choi, Dean of Engineering; Nishang Gupta; Dr. David E. Crow and Dr. Baki Cetegen, Head of Mechanical Engineering
For more
ME faculty publications, visit
www.engr.uconn.edu/me/publications
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Prof. Wei Sun
RESEARCH PROFILE
getting to the heart of the matter Dr. Wei Sun’s lab is working to improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease by applying a unique combination of state-of-the-art computational simulations with rigorous experimental evaluation. In the Tissue Mechanics Lab (TML) techniques such as planar biaxial testing, tissue fatigue testing, vessel inflation testing, steady and pulsatile cardiac flow testing, and examination of tissue microstructure are used to quantify the mechanical properties of living tissue. This information is then implemented into dynamic solid and fluid mechanical simulations. These simulations are being used to better under-
stand how the cardiovascular system works, and how the body interacts with implantable devices. One example is the Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Annuloplasty procedure, in which two stents connected by a bridge are inserted into a patient’s coronary sinus. This minimally invasive procedure is capable of reducing or eliminating mitral valve regurgitation. Currently, widespread use of this procedure has been prevented by poor performance during clinical trials, mainly due to device fracture in vivo. In the TML, virtual reconstructions of this procedure (figure below) have been used to identify regions of peak stress, and to give insight into future design improvements. Another area of interest in the TML is minimally invasive aortic valve replacement. In this procedure, a new valve is delivered to the patient’s aortic root using a transcatheter procedure. Through collaborations with area hospitals, TML has developed the ability to turn pre-operative patient CT scans into realistic predictions of valve deployment outcomes using comprehensive solid and fluid mechanical simulations. These techniques may one day improve device design and use, and ultimately benefit patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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2011 Pratt & Whitney lecture by Prof. Mike Dunn awards, honors and patents Thomas J. Barber Teaching Scholar Award, Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL), 2011. Theodore Bergman “Flow-through Apparatus for Microscopic Investigation of Dissolution of Pharmaceutical Solids,” (with R.H. Bogner, K. Greco, D.J. Michaels and S.J. Chawarski), U.S. Patent No. 7892492, February 22, 2011. What should a pilot do if confronted with a cloud of potentially deadly volcanic dust on a commercial flight filled with passengers? This year’s Pratt & Whitney Distinguished Lecturer, Prof. Micheal Dunn of The Ohio State University and Director of The Ohio State University Gas Turbine Laboratory, had some practical answers.
Baki M. Cetegen United Technologies Chair Professor in Thermal Fluid Engineering, 2011. Amir Faghri “Thermal-Fluids Management System for Small Direct Methanol Fuel Cells,” (with Z. Guo), U.S. Patent No. 7829211, November 9, 2010.
His timely presentation, titled ‘“Volcanic Ash – Aircraft Engine Encounters,” provided information on the challenges volcanic ash presents to the airline industry. Covering known engine damage mechanisms, recommendations on preparing air crew to recognize and respond to cloud contamination, and techniques for safe operation of an engine until an aircraft can move out of a contamination area, Prof. Dunn concluded his talk with the current state-of-the-art in dust cloud migration prediction in gas turbine engines and a discussion of how an air crew can manage cloud contamination beyond what was predicted by ground controllers.
Robert Gao Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Electron Devices Society, 2008-present.
The Pratt & Whitney Distinguished Lecture was established in 2010 with a gift to the Mechanical Engineering department from UTC Pratt & Whitney. Each year, an authority in gas turbine technology is invited to present a lecture at UConn, accompanied by a visit to Pratt & Whitney Engineering and United Technologies Research Center.
Bi Zhang Fellow, International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), 2011.
Hanchen Huang Visiting Professorship, Royal Society of London KTP, 2010. Elected Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, 2011. Chih-Jen Sung Elected Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, 2011.
Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2011.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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A winning combination:
undergraduate student Nishang Gupta brings an entrepreunerial spirit to sustainable energy work Nishang Gupta is a senior pursuing a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Finance. Nishang’s interest in these fields started when his high school physics teacher invited him to join a team of students working to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. When he set off for his first year as an undergraduate at UConn, it felt natural to continue with this focus by supplementing his course work with applied research experience. As a lab assistant in Dr. Ted Bergman’s lab, Nishang had a chance to work first hand on a project developing an accurate method for measuring the effect of increased carbon dioxide exposure on plant biomass growth. Nishang has further applied his interest in sustainable energy to volunteer positions in the local and larger communities. Working as a volunteer for the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, and as a volunteer for the Town of Mansfield’s Clean Energy Task Force, he helped to increase the number of households and commercial properties signed up for clean energy options available through the electric grid. Nishang was also able to volunteer on-site in India for government’s national conference to plan improved power reliability through the integration of alternative energy systems.
This experience, coupled with his interdisciplinary academic curriculum, allowed Nishang to obtain two internships at GE Energy. He worked on developing a strategy to successfully introduce GE technology into emerging energy markets, such as India, by targeting sectors with the most potential for energy savings. In May, Nishang was awarded the D.E. Crow Innovation Prize for the design and marketing of a low-cost voltage regulator for farmers in the developing world. He plans to pursue this project in his senior design course, and present his results to the Government of India. In the future, Nishang hopes to remain involved in the field of sustainable energy, as an engineer, researcher, investor...or perhaps all three!
Nishang also developed his interest in finance by cofounding Nishex Investments, LLC, a non-profit organization designed to introduce young adults to the world of investing while simultaneously building their wealth. Nishang volunteering at Om Shanti Retreat, which has the largest solar powered facility near New Delhi, India.
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Mechanical Engineering Lands an NSF-REU Grant in Sustainable Energy
REU student Meghan Negus uses a microscope to learn more about biofuels
REU Participants Students
Advisors
John James Turner V Baki Cetegen Kyle R. Bragshaw
Wilson Chiu
Meghan Negus
Nick Leadbeater
Brian C. Allan
Ugur Pasaogullari
Breanne S. Muratori
Jeff McCutcheon
Karan Ojha
Richard Parnas
Nirav Patel
Baikun Li
Tulsi Patel
Alex Agrios
Christine Vogel
Wei Sun
This summer the Mechanical Engineering Department, in collaboration with faculty from the Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; and Chemistry departments, kicked off a comprehensive, three-year undergraduate research program focusing on relevant problems in energy generation and systems. This year, nine undergraduates teamed with nine faculty members on projects that addressed challenging engineering problems in fuel cells, combustion, dye-sensitized solar cells, and bio-fuels, to name a few. Along with these research efforts students participated in a host of other activities. These included external seminars given by local leaders in the energy industries, a series of discussions on engineering ethics, and a number of workshops on (i) how to do research and (ii) how to communicate engineering concepts effectively. The program concluded with all of the students participating in an end-of-program mini-conference of faculty, REU participants, graduate students, and engineers from industry. They described the details of their research progress, as well as laying out future work. Although the summer program has ended for this year, a number of students have continued their research into the academic year with the expectation of completing a larger body of research and publishing their findings. This program was funded through the National Science Foundation REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) Site Program, with additional support being provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Engineering Dean’s Office. Another installment of this program will begin REU student Karan Ojha worked with next May. Prof. Richard Parnas on biodiesel fuels.
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Prof. Ugur Pasaogullari
RESEARCH PROFILE
energy for tomorrow Dr. Pasaogullari’s research group is focused on understanding the role of transport phenomena in electrochemical energy systems. Electrochemical energy systems, like fuel cells, differ from other chemical energy conversion systems, like the internal combustion engines, as fuel and oxidizer stay separated and interactions between reactants occur through transport of charged species between electrodes through an electrolyte/separator. In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a central focus for the group’s research, many factors affect the transport of the charged species (i.e. protons) across the electrolyte (e.g. polymer electrolyte membrane, PEM) but the most important is the water content. Properties of the gas diffusion layers (GDL), which are porous layers made of carbon paper or cloth are found to affect the water content of the membrane significantly. In order to reach very high power densities, which enables smaller and cheaper PEFC systems, it became essential to understand the micro-porous
X-ray computed tomography of a carbon-paper based gas diffusion layer used in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, showing carbon fibers, liquid water clusters and open pore space.
An experimental fuel cell system in use by a large research project. Three ME faculty (Profs. Pasaogullari, Tang and Chiu) are involved in this program funded by DoE.
characteristics and the morphology of water distribution in GDLs. In collaboration with NISSAN Motor Co., Kyushu University (Japan) and Xradia Corp., X-ray micro tomography of porous GDLs was conducted to investigate the porous microstructure as well morphology of liquid water distribution. By tuning the X-ray imaging parameters and analysis of obtained tomography images, it became possible to separate phases (carbon, air, water) in the porous GDL. Information related to water morphology obtained from the study is essential for design and optimization of next generation GDLs. X-ray computed microtomography (mXCT) of a carbon paper based gas diffusion layer is shown in the figure on the left. Gas diffusion layers are used as structural support for thin membrane-electrode assembly, and also provide essential duties such as reactant distribution and heat and electron conduction.
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Pratt & Whitney Gift Enables Laboratory Improvements The School of Engineering and the Mechanical Engineering Department have received a generous gift of $100,000 from jet engine giant Pratt & Whitney to support undergraduate and graduate education in Connecticut. In May, three of Pratt & Whitney’s top engineers—Paul Adams, Senior Vice President of Engineering; Al Brockett, Vice President of Engineering – Module Centers; and Thomas Prete, Chief Engineer of Hot Section Engineering—presented the University of Connecticut with a financial gift enabling the School of Engineering to purchase a gas turbine module and to make much-needed upgrades to its undergraduate laboratories. “This gift underscores the rich, multi-layered and symbiotic relationship that exists between UConn and Pratt & Whitney. Together, we are recruiting, training and nurturing exceptionally well trained engineering graduates who bring value to commercial industry and to the state,” remarked Dean of Engineering Mun Choi. Mr. Prete concurred, saying “This gift to the School of Engineering underlines Pratt’s commitment to a long-term, productive relationship with the educational community. We are excited by the engaged dynamic that has been created with the University of Connecticut, and we look forward to continuing to build on this relationship in the years ahead.”
From left to right: Baki Cetegen, ME Department Head; Thomas Prete, Chief Engineer of Hot Section Engineering, PW; Mun Y. Choi, Dean of Engineering; Paul Adams, Senior VP of Engineering, PW; and Allan Brockett, VP of Engineering Module Centers, PW
The new gas turbine module is an important new addition to a required course taken by all junior-level undergraduate mechanical engineers. In this laboratory course, students conduct hands-on experiments that help them explore in practice the theory and experimental methods they have previously learned about. Two years ago, Pratt & Whitney established a Center of Excellence at the University of Connecticut that set the stage for the company’s engineers and UConn faculty and students to collaborate on the design and development of more efficient gas turbine engines. The center provides a core for activities in combustion, advanced sensing, diagnostics and controls that will aid the development of next-generation commercial and military aircraft propulsion systems.
Gas turbine module purchased with funds from Pratt & Whitney gift.
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RESEARCH PROFILE
Prof. Eric Jordan
making a splash with protective coatings Dr. Eric Jordan, a Mechanical Engineering faculty member who also serves on the graduate program faculty in the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Department, joined UConn in 1979. His current work focuses on thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for gas turbine engines, which are ceramic coatings that allow gas turbines on aircraft and power plants to run hotter and burn less fuel. With faculty collaborators and partners at Inframat, Inc., he has developed a new method of fabricating such coatings directly from chemical precursors, called Solution Precursor Plasma Spray. This technique has been successfully used to deposit thermal barrier coatings that are currently undergoing testing in gas turbines under a contract from the Ohio Aerospace Institute. These new chemical precursor-based coatings have unique properties, and TBCs made this way are being investigated for commercialization. Dr. Jordan is conducting other fundamental research on the composition and performance of temperature sensing coatings and the development of computer models to predict thermal barrier coating failure. Other research involves the development of optical methods to estimate the remaining life in coatings, which will allow coatings to be replaced only as needed, potentially resulting in large monetary savings on preemptive replacement. Dr. Jordan is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and the Academic Advisory Board to the U.S. Department of Energy’s UTSR program. He has also served as an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology. University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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ME Senior Wins First Place in International Competition Maxim explains his project at Senior Design Demonstration Day 2010
Mechanical Engineering senior Maxim Budyansky placed first at the ASME International Old Guard competition in November 2010. The competition took place at the 2010 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Vancouver, Canada. Maxim’s presentation was based on his senior design project, titled ‘Coherent Gradient Sensing Shearing Interferometry Adapted to the Nano-World.’ Budyansky worked with teammate Christopher Madormo on a project sponsored by Prof. George Lykotrafitis, who also served as the team’s faculty advisor. The goal of the project was to develop an optical technique that would ultimately allow for quantitative measurement of curvature and mechanical properties of cellular specimens. This successful project was recognized with the Faculty Award at the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Demonstration Day event in April. The award is granted to the Mechanical Engineering design team that most successfully applies fundamental Mechanical Engineering principles to design solutions. Budyansky also placed first with his presentation on the project at the 2010 ASME Northeast Regional Student Professional Development Conference at Union College, allowing him to participate in the international competition. Three of the five other top awards in the competition went to UConn students, who were competing among more than a dozen area universities. Sponsor and project advisor Prof. George Lykotrafitis commented that “(Budyansky) is self driven, inquisitive, and very bright. His work has been outstanding and while still a senior he prepared a manuscript for journal publication based on his independent study work. In particular, he demonstrated an ability to focus on the important portions of the problem, to go beyond what was asked of the project, and to provide physical explanations for his analysis.”
University of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Tom Barber, head of the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design program, expressed his pride in Budyansky’s accomplishment, and noted that it speaks to a larger success. “Feedback from industry tells us that communication and teaming abilities are important requisites for new engineers. In the Senior Design course we prepare students in these skills through presentations and competitions. What Maxim achieved competing at the international level demonstrates that UConn Mechanical Engineering has been successful in meeting these goals.” The first place prize at the ASME International meeting included a certificate of achievement and a check for $2,000. This is the first year that one of UConn’s Mechanical Engineering students, among participants representing Mechanical Engineering programs all around the world, won first place. In 2006 another Mechanical Engineering senior, Matthew Teicholz, received the second place award in the same competition. Budyansky is currently a graduate student at the Entrepreneurial Biomedical Engineering program at Johns Hopkins University.
2010 Senior Design Team featuring Christopher Madormo, Prof. George Lykotrafitis (faculty mentor) and Maxim Budyansky
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Engineering Ambassadors Program thrives with UTC Support nology, engineering and mathematics) path, then we achieved a success,” said Engineering Diversity Program Coordinator Sonya Renfro.
Engineering students know first-hand that engineering applies scientific concepts as tools in the creation of new and better products and services. Unfortunately, secondary school children are not usually introduced to engineering as a course of study and a path to a rewarding career. Engineering students at UConn now have a new avenue available to them for outreach to the larger K-12 community, thanks to a program sponsored by United Technologies Corporation (UTC) called UConn Engineering Ambassadors. Engineering Ambassadors places UConn’s School of Engineering in an elite four-school association with Penn State, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Each week, UConn’s Engineering Ambassadors travel to schools throughout Connecticut with the goal of introducing school-age children and teachers to engineering, both as a profession and a way to understand and improve the world around them. In particular, some programs focus on engaging under-served populations who can bring new insights and perspectives to engineering and problem solving. This past fall the group started holding weekly trips to the Woodstock education system, introducing engineering to the K-12 students.
The Engineering Ambassadors program owes its genesis to UTC, whose $50,000 startup donation supports the group’s activities. UTC has vowed to continue their financial support for the coming years. “UTC has provided us with the catalyst we need to move forward, so that we can truly increase awareness about what engineering is all about,” said Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education & Diversity Marty Wood. Beyond school outreach, the Engineering Ambassadors are also working on their own to help promote engineering. During the semester, team members volunteer at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, with a common goal of informing the public about engineering, often by engaging them in stimulating activities. Through their demonstrations, the Engineering Ambassadors hope to instill simple engineering lessons and plant the seed for future students in the field. “Most people aren’t thinking about engineering, and they don’t understand that almost everything they use on a day to day basis has been created by engineers,” said 6th semester biomedical engineering major Christine Filosa, “And raising that awareness is our overall goal,” she added. Adapted from an article By Nick Gagliardi published in the UConn School of Engineering’s eMaginations March, 2011
Students give a presentation on engineering tools.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to engage our youth [in engineering], most students truly have a lot of fun with our activities,” said Leah Pruzinsky, a junior in the engineering program at UConn. In the coming years, they plan to expand their visits to include up to 30 schools throughout the state. Although their main goal is to support the creation of engineering clubs at the middle and high school levels, the Engineering Ambassadors do not limit the students to engineering in general. “If our presentation leads students anywhere on the STEM (science, techUniversity of Connecticut - Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Tylaska Marine: UConn alumn builds company, creates jobs Tylaska Marine is a small manufacturer of high end sailing hardware. Its original product line consisted of a quick release shackle which helped revolutionize the release of loaded spinnakers. The invention is now used on every entry of the America’s Cup yacht race as well as on the majority of boats in every major racing event throughout the world. Tylaska Marine began from the need of Tim Tylaska to find a way to release his towed hang glider from behind a motor boat. Other release devices at the time tended to require more force to activate as the load increased, eventually making them impossible to operate. While still an undergraduate, Tim made a crude cam type release mechanism that somehow worked. By trial and error of changing the curvatures, it seemed to release with the same activation force regardless of load. The invention remained a curiosity until Tim, just finishing his Ph.D in mechanical engineering at UConn, happened to show the device to his advisor Prof. Kazem Kazerounian. Dr. Kazerounian encouraged Tim to use his engineering background to figure out why the device worked. After analyzing the mechanism using vector calculus, Tim was able to come up with a differential equation that resulted in a solution curve very similar to the shape of an opening flower petal or nautilus shell. Tim CNC machined a device to the exact solution set and it amazingly opened with the same release force regardless of load. The invention worked!
Founder and President Tim Tylaska in the plant.
Tim applied for a patent on the device and started making them in his basement. Since Tim was from the sailing town of Mystic, the majority of the demand for the product was for releasing sailing spinnakers. The product line grew, the operation moved from a basement to another building until Tylaska Marine built its own shop and finally its own 70,000 sf industrial park. Tylaska Marine now has distribution in 42 countries and a product line of almost 100 items, with the shackles used in a large variety of industrial and military applications besides the original sailing market. Tim Tylaska is proud to say that it still manufactures all its products 100% in the USA. It has avoided the need to send production overseas by manufacturing most of its components in house and implementing many cost saving methods. Tylaska also generates almost 100% of its own power using its own solar array. These cost saving techniques have helped Tylaska succeed as much as the products themselves.
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UConn’s Formula SAE Team Races Ahead A group of dedicated UConn students worked hard to design, build, and test drive “an entirely new car” for this year’s International Formula SAE Competition at the Michigan International Speedway. Problems with a brake light failure hurt the team’s overall score, but they sailed through the technical inspections and scored in all of the technical events. Despite their set-back the UConn Formula SAE team had its best showing yet, finishing at # 37: up 26 places from last year’s position at # 63. Formula SAE is a student design competition in which teams are challenged to design and build a racing car to meet a set of requirements. Designed to “promote clever problem solving,” the annual Michigan event brings together students from across the country and the world to find unique solutions to the problem of designing a fast and reliable vehicle. Last year, technical inspection problems disqualified the UConn car from some of the dynamic events. The team was serious about learning from their past mistakes, and wanted to be sure this year’s car would measure up to the technical testing. They set themselves the goal of scoring in at least the top half of the 120 participating schools,
preferably within the top quarter. Team member Donald Conroy said: “the car ran well in the autocross event and gave the drivers a good look at what Saturday’s endurance track would be like. Saturday morning we hit the track confident that our car would complete the endurance/fuel economy event.” What they didn’t foresee was that half way through the course the stock wiring connector for the brake light would vibrate loose. When the team pulled in for the driver change after lap 14, this brake light failure meant they were not permitted back on the track. Being unable to finish the race was “frustrating, unfortunate, and it hurt our overall score and standing. But, in general, we were pleased with the performance of the car under race conditions.” There were no seniors on the 2011 team, so the entire group will have the chance to reunite for next year’s competition. They’re already setting goals for their next race; planning to test the car during the summer and continue to make improvements. On the top of the list is a schedule that allows more validation time, and a lot more checking of the brake light connector.
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Senior Design Program The UConn Senior Design Project Program is a hallmark of success for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In this two-semester course, senior students are mentored by department faculty and industry engineers as they work to solve real-life engineering problems for company sponsors. Students learn about the principles of design, how ethics affect engineering decisions, how professionals communicate ideas and the day-to-day implications of intellectual property. In the course of a year, the student teams learn to synthesize data analysis, judgment, technical skills, creativity and innovation to design, optimize and manufacture a prototype model, or to perform product simulations. Over the past 10 years, the program has grown from 22 seniors working on 11 industrially sponsored projects to
2011 Senior Design Class 98 students working on 41 industrially sponsored projects. Many of these seniors have been offered jobs from their company sponsor before graduation, and four patents are pending from Senior Design projects completed in the last five years. In addition, one of our senior design students placed first in the ASME National Conference competition for best oral presentation. The culminating experience of the senior design program is the annual Demonstration Day event at the close of the academic year. When the program was small, this event was held in available space within the Engineering Department buildings. This academic year, the School of Engineering held its first all-school senior design demonstration day. All of the graduating engineering seniors were united under Gampel Pavilion’s roof before a large and attentive audience of students, sponsors, university officials, state policy makers, families and faculty. Visitors and students explored over 120 senior design team projects from every discipline on display in Gampel by engineering students from every discipline. Among the 120 projects displayed was a “helicopter sonar unit load/upload fixture� developed for HABCO, a small Glastonbury, CT-based firm providing ground support and testing equipment
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to the U.S. military, defense and aerospace manufacturers, industrial and power generation providers, and medical The HABCO student team shows their UConn spirit device manufacturers. Team members designed and constructed a prototype hoist intended to lift a nearly 400 pound sonar unit from a ship onto a helicopter. The fixture is designed to incorporate collapsing features, enabling compact storage and loading door clearance aboard a frigate. A critical limitation for the team in designing the unit was the need to maintain stability in “sea state 3” conditions. In addition to considering an optimal design, the students had to consider what materials offered greatest durability and strength for the hoist, caster treads, and hubs. The team tested their prototype and verified their calculations using finite element analysis. HABCO personnel were impressed with the prototype and have begun to show it to prospective customers.
included Smith College students. The team developed a Lab Pulse Point of Care Tissue processor that takes onsite personnel through the major steps in sample preparation: fixation, dehydration and embedding. These steps are typically completed at an off-site laboratory. The students explained that their apparatus will not only save valuable time in getting tissue sample results prepared for diagnostic analysis – thereby reducing patient anxiety – but will also reduce the potential for errors that can emerge in busy, high volume laboratories. All of the projects began with a problem challenge provided by an industrial or private sponsor. Sponsors provide students with an exceptional opportunity to apply classroom skills toward genuine design problems. This year’s commercial sponsors included Alstom, ASML, Bevilaqua-Knight, Capewell, Courtbridge Consulting, Creatac, Energy Beam Sciences, General Dynamics/Electric Boat, GKN Structures, HABCO, Hamilton Sundstrand, Henkel Loctite, Jacobs Vehicle System, Maks PacRim Renewable Energy, Nufern, OSIM, Otis Elevator, Pratt & Whitney, RBC Bearings, Sikorsky, TTM Technologies, Westinghouse Electric, and Wiremold.
A multi-institutional team sponsored by Energy Beam Sciences of East Granby, CT developed a tissue biopsy apparatus that may be installed in physicians’ offices for on-site tissue preparation. The team of ME students, joined by biomedical engineering seniors, also
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