All posts by Dr. Samandari

Team Btech

Project Code name BTech
Project Title Sensor Design for Impact Survivability
Abstract This work describes the research, designs, and findings in the senior design project this team has worked on. Over the course of this past school year, this team was formed to complete impact survivability testing on an accelerometer for BTech Acoustics. The accelerometers being tested are used in environments in which they could be subject to high amounts of shock. The sensors must be able to continue to function properly after being exposed to those high amounts of shock, so this team’s goal is to test and observe at what point the sensors no longer work so improvements can be made on the design. The main objective for this semester was to design an experimental set up for the testing and be ready for testing next semester when the accelerometers are available. Using a Hopkinson bar, the accelerometers will be struck with increasing force until a signal is no longer received from the device. Due to closures on campus, the team was not able to complete impact testing. The project was shifted to research that could be completed remotely. Also, in this report will be the details of simulations run by this team of what would be seen with the device being tested in a conical shock tube. The shock tube was designed by the team and the simulations were completed using Comsol
Faculty advisor Dr. Wenzhen Huang
Sponsor Bachand Engineering and BTech Acoustics
Team lead Adam Dellicker
Team Members Brendan Coveney; Nicholas Costa; Alex Larrimore
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Video link TBA

Team MADWEC

Project Code name MADWEC
Project Title Design of a Power Take Off for MADWEC
Abstract MADWEC stands for Maximal Asymmetric Drag Wave Energy Converter. It is a system that aims to translate the oscillating behavior of waves and convert it to power and store such power offshore. A system such as this needs to be implemented into the power market, as it is possibly one of the only options to deliver electrical needs offshore. This power is created through the difference in position of a buoy and the PTO, which held in a constant position as the waves rise. This project is aimed at creating low cost power in hopes of being a cheap solution for many different needs.
Faculty advisor Dr. Dan MacDonald and Dr. Mehdi Raessi
Sponsor Dr. Dan MacDonald and Dr. Mehdi Raessi from UMassD
Team lead Gregory Browne
Team Members Chris Meninno; William Michaud;Nicholas White
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Video link Link

Team Fish Transportation

Project Code name Fish Transportation
Project Title Simplified Fish Passage
Abstract The 23-ft high tremont dam located in West Wareham is currently blocking the herring and shad fish migration upstream which affects their spawning. Not only does this affect the fish, but it is also against environmental codes and standards. Due to Tremont’s dam obstruction to the seasonal fish migration, a simplified fish passage must be designed and implemented at that location. The Marine Renewable Energy Collaboration had some requirements that this project must meet. The designed fish lift mechanism must ensure fish safety. Another design requirement specifies that the design must be powered through renewable energy sources only, meaning that the hydro-power offered by the river must be utilized to power up the fish lift. This will ensure that the city will not have to keep paying recurring bills to power the fish lift. The final design requirements suggest that any designed mechanism should be seasonal, meaning it could easily be removed at any point throughout the year. This is due to the severe weather conditions and intense overflow conditions in the winter time where the lift could be damaged. The team is only required to build a 1 ft prototype to demonstrate the physicality and plausibility of the design. The prototype must be one foot because the water flume is only capable of testing equipment up to one foot high. Various designs were developed, assessed and tested. Finally, the double-helix archimedes screw, that is self powered by the water flow, was chosen as the final fish transportation design.
Faculty advisor Dr. Afsoon Amirzadeh Goghari
Sponsor The Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative
Team lead Peter Tarabay
Team Members Thomas Donanue; Edward Huynh; Dan Dao; Nichole Mathieu;
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file Available open reasonable request
Video link TBA

Team WoundChek

Project Code name WoundChek
Project Title Design and build a prototype handheld UV exposure apparatus
Abstract This project’s sponsor is WOUNDCHEK™ Laboratories, a company that develops novel diagnostic products to improve outcomes in wound care. This team was tasked with developing a new clinical device that will diagnose chronic wounds, along with a complementary laboratory device that will test how effectively the clinical device works. The development of these devices was aided by the faculty team advisor, Don Foster, insight from the sponsor, and another senior design team from the biology department. The clinical device acts as a phone case for a Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone, and has its own circuitry, including batteries, UV LED lights, and two targeting lasers. This device functions by purging the oxygen out of polymer diagnostic tabs using UV light. The correct distance the clinical device needs to be to the polymer diagnostic tabs is determined by the intersection of the two targeting lasers. The complementing laboratory device was only partially developed as per the vision of the sponsor, and does not function at this point in time. In the future, the clinical device will be marketed and sold to hospitals, along with the diagnostic tabs the device uses, while the sponsor will further develop the laboratory device for their own testing.
Faculty advisor Mr. Don Foster
Sponsor Dr. Jack Wilkens from WoundChek Laboratories
Team lead Roman Wordell
Team Members Juan Rios; Eric Mosley
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file TBA
Video link TBA

 

Team Hydrophobic

Project Code name Hydrophobic
Project Title Fabrication and Characterization of Super-Hydrophobic Surfaces
Abstract Super Hydrophobic Surfaces have a multitude of applications. This paper will highlight the uses and applications of these surfaces and include detailed fabrication methods used to generate samples which display superhydrophobic properties. Super Hydrophobic Surfaces (SHS) are surfaces that are highly resistant to water or other liquids. SHS are characterized by their topography and chemical properties. Many of these properties and interactions can be observed in nature, such as the lotus flower, which repels water through its surface chemistry and the microstructures on the leaf. This natural phenomenon can be replicated by researchers to create anti-corrosive, anti-biofouling, anti-icing and other desirable properties for surfaces. The focus of this project notes the importance and benefits of not only the hydrophobic chemistry and the nanostructure, but also a microstructure fabricated on the surface. By observing prior attempts to create an artificial super-hydrophobic surface, the team has created a method that uses a Micro/Nano-scopic roughness known as a dual scale roughness. By using a microstructure created by CNC machining, and using a spray coating consisting of chemically altered nanoparticles on a surface, the overall surface energy will increase resulting in a high contact angle, and a SHS. By conducting tests, such as a water droplet test, contact angle of test, and sliding angle test to determine if the restraints listed above are met to classify the surface as super hydrophobic.
Faculty advisor Dr. Hangjian Ling
Sponsor Dr. Hangjian Ling from UMassD
Team lead Max Shangraw
Team Members Nathaniel Joyal; Michael Tierney; Andrew Martin; Andrew Steele
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file Available open reasonable request
Video link Link

Team MBTA

Project Code name MBTA
Project Title MBTA Instrument Sensor Mount
Abstract The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is always seeking ways to ensure a safe and reliable mode of transportation for those who live in and around Boston. The ability to predict failures of components due to excessive vibrations is one method in which they can reduce delays or shutdowns of car operations. The MBTA has reached out to our team at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to analyze vibration data from two of their most common suspension systems mounted in the cars of their red line service. Using two pairs of triaxial accelerometers our team is seeking to gather data from both coil and chevron suspension systems and analyze the data in order to provide the MBTA with recommendations to improve rail car performance. In order to use the accelerometer on the railcars our team has been required to design a mounting bracket paired with a tether, that could securely mount the sensor to the rail car with no impact on the data being gathered. Interpretation of the data using Fast Fourier transform and other methods of analyzing raw data, will provide a view into the performance differences of the two suspension systems and their effectiveness to dampen vibrations during rail car operation.
Faculty advisor Dr. Wenzhen Huang and Dr. Hamed Samandari
Sponsor The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Team lead Nicholas Piantedosi
Team Members Nicholas Piantedosi;Christian Souaiden;Cameron Peterson; Hitoo Wah;Dominic Calcasola
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Video link Link

Team Lubricant Effectiveness Characterizer

Project Code name Lubricant Effectiveness Characterizer
Project Title Bearing Torque Characterization Test Rig
Abstract The sponsor for this project, Nye Lubricants Inc, specializes in the production and testing of industrial-grade, synthetic lubricants, used extensively around the globe. They have chosen to sponsor this project to further expand their knowledge of how a lubricant performs over time and under extreme conditions. This project involves extensive testing of various Nye-produced lubricants inside a controlled bearing. The inner race of the bearing will be spun at high speed, with a torque sensor gripped around the outer race to measure the internal torque experienced. The torque value between the inner and outer race will provide the effectiveness rating of how well the lubricant performs over time and under extreme environmental conditions. A co-engineering team consisting of mechanical and electrical engineers will design, construct and test the machine according to Nye Lubricant’s requirements.
Faculty advisor Dr. Vijay Chalivendra and Dr. Jun Li
Sponsor Jason Galary from Nye Lubricants, Inc
Team lead Peter Lunn
Team Members Nathen Arruda; Ryan Proulx; Cameron S Whittle; Peter S McGrory
Evaluation form link 
Zoom link link
Video link Link

Team FSI

Project Code name FSI
Project Title Modifying a Fluid Dynamics Facility for Fluid-Structure Interaction Studies
Abstract The effects of fluid induced vibrations (FIV) can damage a structure or result in a catastrophic failure of an entire system. The study of fluid structure interaction (FSI) allows for analysis of materials that are subject to a variety of liquid flow situations. Flexible structures, or those that are not rigid, will begin to oscillate in this flowing environment due to an asymmetrical pressure distribution on the body of the structure. This is a result of the frontal pressure distribution, delivered by the environmental flow and the vortices or ‘eddies’ that form in the wake around the submerged structure. Observation of a test specimen, using principles of FSI, can prevent these catastrophic failures like the collapse of the Tacoma Narrow Bridge in 1940. If airflow around the bridge had been taken into consideration during the design process, the bridge’s historical collapse would have been avoided. Experimentation in the field of FSI ensures the safety of future structures when introduced to these naturally occurring, and sometimes substantial, varying frequencies. With this in mind, Team FSI has improved upon an existing product that replicates the natural oscillation of a test piece under specific flow conditions. These specified parameters and the direction of oscillation can both be altered to create a more accurate and in-depth study of the fluid’s effects on the test piece. The original test apparatus presented to the team was capable of free vibration studies and has now been outfitted with the ability to perform forced vibration experiments as well.
Faculty advisor Dr. Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh and Dr. Amit Tandon
Sponsor Dr. Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh from UMassD
Team lead Jake Hatch
Team Members William Strickland;Victor Adaji;Madeleine Mckinney;Pascal Alexis
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file Available open reasonable request
Video link TBA

 

Team Fountain

Visit us at https://wishingwell.sites.umassd.edu/

Project Code name Fountain
Project Title Wishing Wells
Abstract In an effort to reduce plastic water bottle usage and help to reduce humanity’s carbon footprint, students from Wesleyan University built a portable water station that filters and cools hose water, and then dispenses it to multiple bottle-filling stations. This project was called the Wishing Well, and the plans are open-sourced at wwells.org so that the public could build it and make a difference. The Wesleyan team built their design with the use of a machine shop and intended to release additional plans so that the average person could replicate it without one before abandoning the project. UMASS Dartmouth students take over the next step, utilizing the existing design concepts to design, build, and test a version of the Wishing Well without any tooling or processes too complex for the general public. Steps will then be taken to construct detailed documentation that will allow the common person to replicate the Wishing Well without the need for special equipment.
Faculty advisor Dr. Afsoon Amirzadeh Goghari
Sponsor Jamie Jacquart, Assistant Director of Campus Sustainability and Residential Initiatives, from UMassD
Team lead Madison Zenni
Team Members Kate remy; Zack Magalhaes;Jessi Gallant
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file Link
Video link Link

Team Chamber Design

Project Code name Chamber Design
Project Title Characterization of the Life-time of Under-Water Super-Hydrophobic Surfaces
Abstract A common issue among large water vessels today is the buildup of both barnacles and rust on the outer surface of water-bound vessels. A method to combat such buildup, is through the design and creation of specialized surfaces to be applied or implemented on the vessel’s outer surface. This surface creates a protective layer of air between the precious materials. This project’s sponsor, Dr. Hangjian Ling, has spent his time researching the longevity of superhydrophobic surfaces and methods to extend their life. With that in mind, our team was asked to design, prototype, and manufacture an experimental testing facility for use by both Dr. Ling and his graduate students. The research performed with the chamber will attempt to better understand and study superhydrophobic surfaces and their interactions with water droplets. This group worked in conjunction with the “Surface” group to create a better overall product that has the ability to test their samples while maintaining safety and manufacturing standards.
Faculty advisor Dr. Hangjian Ling
Sponsor Dr. Hangjian Ling from UMassD
Team lead Samuel Almeida
Team Members Olivia Brochu; Benjamin Gershman; Tim Post; Aleksey Bourgoun
Evaluation form Link
Zoom link Link
Report file Available open reasonable request
Video link Link