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Undergraduate Expo 2005
| Study and investigation are what is underway for this year’s annual Undergraduate Exposition. The theme is “Quality Leadership and Innovation in Action.” Students will present their Senior Design projects along with Undergraduate Research and Enterprise Team projects. A distinguished panel of judges made up of University faculty members and corporate representatives will critique the projects in three categories: abstracts, posters and presentations. Student participants from all engineering and science disciplines will compete for a wide range of cash prizes. The goal of the Undergraduate Exposition is to provide an opportunity for students to present their research, design and independent study projects. Students will gain professional experience and build their resumes through direct exposure to real world problems and competitiveness. The Expo will not only serve as a means of showcasing the hard work of many of Michigan Tech's talented students, but also the quality of education that is afforded to Michigan Tech students because of the generous donations made by members of industry. Projects will be judged within their respective classes – Undergraduate Research, Senior Design, and Enterprise. Undergraduate Research participants will compete in three (3) categories – abstract, poster, and presentation. The Enterprise teams will compete in the poster and presentation portion of the competition. Finally, Senior Design teams will compete amongst themselves for the best poster. Many of the
projects to be displayed are sponsored by industry. Through sponsorship,
industry is able to link up with the fresh, new engineering talent
at Michigan Tech and contribute significantly to their education
and the mission of the University. Members of industry and various
academic department advisory boards will be on campus to view the
various projects. The projects and posters will also be available
for viewing by the campus and community throughout the day. Enjoy your day
as you witness America’s premier engineering students create
the future.
The Expo is a combined effort of the Department of Educational Opportunity
and the College of Engineering. If you are curious as to how you
can participate in next year’s Expo or would simply like more information
surrounding the event, please contact Mary Raber at (906) 487-2005
or mraber@mtu.edu |
Click on the snapshot for a larger image. 
College of Engineering Dean Bob Warrington with guests from Universidad del Turabo in Puerto Rico touring Expo 2005 
Visitors touring the Expo in Memorial Union Ballroom 
Mary Raber and Randi Woodward and Sherry Saarinen of College of Engineering |
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The effects of annual hibernation on the structural properties of
black bear femurs Sponsors: MTU SURF Program, Michigan Space Grant Consortium Abstract:
It is known that bone strength is greatly reduced by disuse such
as prolonged time in space and extended periods of bed rest due
to injury, illness, and other causes. This condition is known as
disuse osteoporosis and is due to a lack of mechanical stimulation
to the tissue, which leads to increased bone resorption and decreased
bone formation. It takes a remobilization period of approximately
2-3 times the length of the disuse period to regain lost bone strength.
This remobilization period is not available for black bears, which
experience annual disuse by hibernating for 6 months of the year.
It would be expected that the cumulative deficit in regained bone
each year would contribute to a decline in bone strength with age
in bears. However, it has been shown that unlike other species,
black bears maintain normal bone formation during periods of disuse
(hibernation) and are able to elevate bone formation during remobilization.
Furthermore, though their disuse and remobilization periods are
approximately equal in length, their cortical bone material properties
do not decline with age. However, changes in bone architecture may
have a stronger effect on whole bone strength than changes in material
properties. The purpose of this study was to determine if the structural
properties of black bear bones are negatively affected by annual
periods of disuse. We hypothesized that the mechanical properties
of black bear femurs would not decline with age because bone formation
does not decline during disuse and is greatly elevated during remobilization.
For this study, 14 black bear femurs were removed from hunter-killed
bears. Once cleaned of soft tissue, they were tested to failure
in three-point bending while force and displacement were recorded.
After fracture, the bones were reconstructed and histological sections
of the fracture were prepared. Segments of the bone were also removed
for later microstructural and compositional analysis. The cross-sectional
moment of inertia at the fracture was determined using a custom-written
macro. Ultimate stress and energy to failure were calculated from
the load-displacement data and regressed against age (an indicator
of annual disuse periods). It was found that when males and females
were considered separately, ultimate stress did not change with
age for males or females. Energy to failure also did not change
with age for females, but significantly (p=.034) increased with
age for males. When males and females were grouped, ultimate stress
significantly (p=.023) increased with age whereas energy to failure
did not change with age. This is further evidence that black bears
possess a mechanism that helps them to avoid the deleterious effects
of disuse on bone strength. This study is part of a larger project
that may lead to the development of therapies that help to combat
disuse osteoporosis. |
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Time Dependent and Failure Properties of Novel Anterior Cruciate
Ligament Replacement Grafts Sponsors: Linvatec Inc Abstract:
2005 Summer Bioengineering Conference, June 22-26, Vail Cascade
Resort & Spa, Vail, Colorado Clinical Relevance: If the surgeon
chooses to use an allograft to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL), then the Tutoplast® patellar (PT), achilles
(AT) or folded anterior tibialis (ATT) tendons can be expected
to provide structural properties similar to or better than the
fresh frozen non-irradiated patellar tendon (FPT) graft. Introduction:
Allograft tissue for ACL reconstruction is scarce because of limited
donor availability. Other tendons could be used as an ACL graft
if their structural properties were similar to currently used
tendons such as the FPT graft. The purpose of this study was to
compare the structural, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties
of sterile, solvent dehydrated AT, PT and ATT grafts to the gold
standard of the fresh frozen patellar tendon grafts. The AT, PT
and ATT were prepared using a unique preservation technique to
sterilize the graft as well as provide a longer ’shelf-life’.
Methods and Materials: All grafts were harvested from middle-aged
donors (average age = 54 yrs, range 25-76 yrs). The AT, PT and
ATT samples were hydrated according to the manufacturer’s
protocol (Tutogen Medical Corp.) and FPT samples were thawed at
room temperature prior to testing. ATT samples were folded in
half to form the graft. FPT samples were bisected longitudinally
using an oscillating bone saw to form grafts. The cross-sectional
area and length of each graft was measured. Tests were conducted
on a servo-hydraulic uniaxial test machine (Instron Corp, Model
8872). Each graft was mounted in previously described grips [1-3].
ATT testing was performed by looping the middle of the tendon
over a bar at the base of the materials testing machine and gripping
the two free ends with a freeze clamp. PT and FPT testing proceeded
by potting each bone block end into tensile fixtures. AT testing
included potting the bone block into a tensile fixture while holding
the other end with a freeze clamp. Grafts were pre-tensioned at
an initial load of 75 N for 5-10 minutes under displacement control
in series with an extension coil spring, which simulated the stiffness
and travel of the Linvatec graft-tensioning device used intra-operatively
(spring rate of 35 lb/in). To characterize the viscoelastic properties,
each graft was preconditioned for 10 cycles at 0.1 Hz between
0 and 3% strain. The 11th cycle was held at 3% strain while the
sample relaxed. This displacement was held constant while the
decreasing load was measured at 4 Hz until the load changed less
than 0.1 percent over 1 minute. After a sufficient time for recovery,
as determined in preliminary testing (24 hours), the grafts were
cycled between 20 and 100 N at a rate of 0.33 Hz until less than
a 0.1% change in displacement was seen with consecutive cycles.
This loading represented intra-operative in vivo preconditioning
of the graft prior to tibial fixation. To characterize the failure
properties, load-to-failure tests were performed following the
creep test after full recovery of the graft (24 hrs). Each graft
was preconditioned as described above and then pulled to failure
at a strain rate of 2 percent/s [1,2]. Structural and mechanical
properties were determined for each graft and compared using ANOVA.
Results: The PT relaxed statistically slower than the ATT and
AT, while the change in stress over the test period showed the
ATT to be statistically greater than the 3 remaining grafts. Finally,
there were no statistical differences between the 4 grafts for
the stress at the end of time dependent and failure properties
of novel anterior cruciate ligament replacement grafts.
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Characterizing Flammability Behavior of Hydrogen in Air Sponsors: MTU SURF Program Abstract:
An area or growing interest is the use of hydrogen as a clean and efficient fuel source. This increased use poses an increased safety hazard because of hydrogen's very flammable and powerfully explosive nature. To reduce this risk, it is essential to characterize the flammability behavior of hydrogen so that it can be properly handled. A crucial aspect of that information is the range of hydrogen-air mixtures that are flammable. The lower and upper endpoints of this range are known as the flammability limits in air. Another important measurement is the maximum combustion pressure for a specific hydrogen ratio which shows the relative strength of that deflagration. Both of these will be explored in this study. To obtain the needed data, many different ratios of hydrogen and air were mixed and ignited in an automated 20 Liter combustion sphere. The combustion sphere monitored pressure and temperature changes to determine if the mixture should be classified as flammable. It also recorded the maximum combustion pressure for each mixture. Plotting this information gives a clear picture of hydrogen's flammability limits in air which shows what concentrations of hydrogen in air should be avoided to ensure safe usage. |
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1st
Place Award Senior Design Projects
Pezeshk, Aria, Evans, Kevin W., Nnorukah, Adaobi G., Novack, John
P., Advisor:
Mr. Donald Secor, Instructor, ECE Sponsors: John Deere This project entails designing a method for remotely monitoring the pressure level in pressurized clamps used to clamp pieces to a fixture. Once clamped to the fixture, these pieces are moved by computer control to various machines where different machining operations are performed. It is very important not to attempt an operation on a piece that shows poor clamping, as evidenced by low clamp pressure. The clamping device must send a signal to all of the machines, indicating which piece is poorly clamped and where it is located, so that the appropriate action can be taken. |
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2nd
Place Award Senior Design Projects
Cross, Alan R., Grzegorczyk, Keith R., Hiltunen, Thomas J., Kazakos,
Nikolaos D., Gauss, John W. Sponsor: Linetec Paint is received and stored in standard containers of 55 gallon, 30 gallon, & 5 gallon sizes. Proper thinning, blending and allocation of the paints are important to the operation of the process. Lintec wants a highly accurate level detection system that could be applied to the outside of their containers (55 gallon, 30 gallon, & 5 gallon) to determine the precise level of paint in the container. This device should be intrinsically safe to be compatible with the solvents and solvent-based paints that Linetec uses. Two units will be built for company use. Knowing the exact level in the container will improve the thinning and blending operations while also improving the accuracy of paint usage. This device would also eliminate the cleaning associated with using paint sticks to determine paint levels. |
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3rd
Place Award Senior Design Projects
Price, Kathryn E., Anderson, Lindsey D.,
McCaw, David W.,
McKenna, Amanda M.
Rank, Timothy R.,
Rathbun, Aimee A.,
Scherer, Kristopher C.,
Torrance, Tiffany A.
Sponsor: Michigan Technological University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The purpose of this study is to propose a remediation alternative for the Torch Lake Superfund site (Houghton County, MI) to be implemented in the event that the No Action Plan currently being implemented by the U.S. EPA proves ineffectual. Goals of the alternative remediation include stabilizing copper-contaminated sediments and promoting benthic life with the lake. Criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the No Action Plan as well as of the remediation alternative are developed, including acceptable timelines for attainment of acceptable copper concentrations in the water and sediment. The recommended method of reclamation is a sediment cap composed of silty sand, constructed in phases. The cap will reduce the copper flux from the sediment into the water and provide a suitable habitat for benthic organisms and fish spawning. The initial test phase covering 15 acres will be monitored for 4 years to evaluate its effectiveness. Funding will be obtained from Federal and State grants as well as the residual CERCLA allocation. Although Superfund sites require no work permits, the intent of applicable permitting laws will be followed. To educate the public, informational meetings will be held and school outreach projects will be initiated. The project will be executed in corroboration with the EPA and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) of Houghton County. |
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Honorable
Mention Award Senior Design Projects
Barkell, Brent M., Hagan, Sean P., Hehnlin, Justin R., Rice,
Robert R., Lauzon, David R. Sponsor: Smiths Aerospace The purpose of this project is to design, develop and test a Dual Resolution Camera (DRC). Smiths Aerospace already has the audio and data recording capability designed, what they are lacking is the DRC. This camera will provide a coninuous video recording of cockpit instruments and activity in an airplane. |
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Honorable
Mention Award Senior Design Projects
Carli, Joe R.
Carli, Joe R., Sisson, Cameron M.,
Kuczmarski, Sean T.,
Wolodkiewicz, Jeff R.,
Okeke, Raymond
Sponsors: Bechtel The WCE Bechtel team is designing a safety device that warns users about the presence of electromagnetic energy within coaxial cables. The device will aid technicians in determining if cellular equipment is energized without physically breaking connections. |
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Honorable
Mention Award Senior Design Projects
Ruxton, David A., Bosk, Greg R., Brooks, Andrew W. Sponsors: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. In September 2004, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. contracted the School of Technology to design and build a device to assist in the removal of shell liners from grinding mills. Current work practices were considered time consuming and dangerous. We designed a small, portable device to be taken inside the mill and use hydraulics to pry the plates out, creating a safer and more efficient work environment. |
1st
Place Award Enterprise Poster Presentation
3nd Place Award Enterprise Poster Presentation
College of Engineering
~ The College of Engineering would like to thank all of the private and corporate sponsors of each of the Enterprise and Senior Design Teams. ~ Special thanks also goes out to each of the faculty advisors to the Undergraduate Research students, Senior Design Project, and Enterprise Teams. ~ The College of Engineering would like to thank all of the judges who gave of their time and talent to help make this years Expo a success. ~ To all of the support staff who are the behind the scenes heroes. Thanks! We couldn’t do it without your help.
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