MSE Senior Capstone Design 2013
On May 3rd and 10th, Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) students, faculty, and industry advisors convened to observe the final Capstone Design Project presentations. The Senior Capstone Design Project course educates UCONN’s MSE students in innovation in the materials engineering arena, leadership, and provides the students with a deep exposure to real-life challenges. Through their final year, students planned, designed, and researched projects dealing with unsolved material issues local companies face. The 19 projects were sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems, Sikorsky, Rockbestos-Suprenant Cable, Delta Industries, and Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Specialty Metals, among others. The projects involved materials ranging from carbon fiber composites, nickel-based superalloys to yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings. Challenges also encompassed the modeling of the heat flow in electron beam welds and the casting of objects in complex geometries.
The MSE department presented awards to the top three student project presentations. 1st place ($1500) was awarded to Gabriel Paun for his project A Predictive Model for Specification and Control of Advanced Electron Beam Welding sponsored by PTR-Precision Technologies, Inc. The project’s goal was to use an advanced electron beam welding process to join and repair nickel based superalloy, which is the material used in aircraft turbine blades. Paun focused on using computer simulation to simulate heat flow during welding, and analyze the results to predict welding parameters which would be output to control PTR’s newest welding system, which can fire multiple simultaneous electron beams.
The 2nd place ($1000) was awarded to Bryan Liggett for his project entitled Design Method to Predict End Properties in 300 Series Stainless Steels Based on Specific Chemistries. Liggett presented results that indicated that variations within the chemical composition ranges allowed by the standards set for stainless steel grades can alter their strengthening behavior during manufacturing. Typically these complex commercial alloys contain at least seven variable alloying elements that significantly their response to rolling and drawing processes. A method to predict steel behavior during processing has been proposed and its potential advantages and drawbacks were discussed. Ulbrich’s Shaped Wire Division sponsored this study.
The 3rd place ($750) was awarded to Jason Chan for his project presentation A Predictive Model for Filtration Efficiency sponsored by KX-Technologies. Chan presented that filtration is one way to address one of today’s biggest issues with water in developing and developed nations. The performance of these filters is affected by factors such as flow rate and total flow volume, and more importantly, by the materials that comprise the filters. There is clearly a need to optimize and understand the capabilities of these filters. Such an understanding would save time from constant testing, reduce costs, and provide insight on their performance. Chan proposed an empirical model to predict the performance of these filters.
Faculty member Dr. Harold Brody maintains strong collaborative relationships with local companies to provide students with real-world problems and with industry advisors to work with MSE faculty to guide the students through their Senior Capstone Projects. “We are very appreciative of the continuing strong support of regional industry for our educational program, which is unique among public universities in New England. I am pleased to see so many graduates of the UConn-MSE program advance to leadership positions and to return to campus as industry advisors to our Capstone Design Project students,” says Professor Brody.
MSE thanks the Senior Capstone Design Judges 2013:
- Robert Klancko, Klancko and Klancko Associates
- Thomas Cameron, Ultimate Ni/Ti
- Jason Brown, General Dynamics-Electric Boat
- Edward Kurz, UConn-IMS Associates Program
(Left to right) Teaching assistant Daisy Ramos, Senior Capstone Design Project Competition 1st place winner Gabriel Paun, 3rd place winner Jason Chan, 2nd place winner Bryan Liggett, and Professor Hal Brody.
All Senior Design Projects 2013
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Title: Welding Process Qualification |
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Sponsor: |
Delta-Industries |
Title: Corrective Action for Surface Corrosion of 7075 Forgings
Sponsor: Consolidated Industries
Industry Advisors: Tim McHenry, Christopher W. Jackson, Graham Clark
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Prabhakar Singh
MSE Student: Kayla Molnar
Title: Corrosion Reduction in Concentrated Solar Power
Sponsor: Alstom Power
Industry Advisor: Dr. Ripi Singh
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Prabhakar Singh
MSE Student: Alexander Franchino
Title: Materials and Device Design for Next Generation Ultrasonic Transducers
Sponsor: United Technology Research Center
Industry Advisors: Dr. Joseph Mantese and Dr. Tony Vincitore
Faculty Advisor: Dr. George Rossetti
MSE Student: Kayla Nicewicz
Title: Develop Criteria for Selection of Polymeric Compound for Specific Cable Applications
Sponsor: General Cable Corporation
Industry Advisors: Koksal Tonyali and Chris Medling
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Mei Wei
MSE Student: Timothy Plourde
Title: Design of a Wear Resistance Coating for Diesel Fuel Injection Application
Sponsor: Stanadyne Corporation
Industry Advisors: Angie Cheung and Joseph Paganini
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Avinash Dongare
MSE Students: Connor O’Neill and Patrick Brueckner
Title: High Temperature Aging of Carbon Fiber / Bismaleimide Composites
Sponsor: UTC-Aerospace Systems
Industry Advisors: Michael Folsom and David Grulke
Faculty Advisors: Prof. Puxian Gao
MSE Student: David Wikholm
Title: Design Characteristics of Alternate Anaerobic Adhesives
Sponsor: UTC Aerospace Systems
Industry Advisors: Michael Folsom and David Grulke
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Bryan Huey
MSE Students: Zackary Hixon, Jacob Wrubel and Stephen Consoles
Title: Design a Method to Predict End Properties in 300 Series Stainless Steels Based on Specific Chemistries
Sponsor: Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Specialty Metals – Shaped Wire
Industry Advisors: Erica Pehmoeller and Chris DeConti
Faculty Advisor: Prof. C. Barry Carter
MSE Student: Bryan Liggett
Title: Bonded Joint Design
[Multidisciplinary MSE, ME, and MEM]
Sponsor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Sikorsky innovations, Inc
Industry Advisors: Paul Inguanti, Dr. Michael Urban, William Fallon
Faculty Advisors: Profs. H.D. Brody (MSE), E. Jordan (ME), and Z. Bzymek (MEM)
MSE Students: Ryan Adams, Blake Knox, and Scott Sperl
ME/MEM Students: Nikolay Kolev, Michael Minopoli, Wade Moore, and Ryan McGuire
Title: Aluminum Brazing
[Multidisciplinary MSE and ME]
Sponsor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Sikorsky innovations, Inc
Industry Advisors: Paul Inguanti, Dr. Michael Urban, William Fallon
Faculty Advisors: Prof. Theo Kattamis (MSE) and Prof. Eric Jordan (ME)
MSE Students: Jillian Falcetti, Adam Marco, and Brian Becerra
ME Students: Haruka Kanesaka, Ashley LaPlante, and Eric Parsons
Title: Thermal Barrier Coatings for Thermoset Composite Materials
Sponsor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Sikorsky innovations, Inc
Industry Advisors: Paul Inguanti, Dr. Michael Urban, William Fallon
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Radenka Maric
MSE Student: Erik Rogoff
Title: Nondestructive Detection of Ply Wrinkles in Thick Composite Laminates
Sponsor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Sikorsky innovations, Inc
Industry Advisors: Paul Inguanti, Dr. Michael Urban, William Fallon
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Bryan Huey
MSE Students: Cody Donecker and Stephen Wieczerzak
Title: Tooling and Processing Optimization for Complex Geometry, Nonferrous Castings
Sponsor: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Sikorsky innovations, Inc
Industry Advisors: Zachary Stone, Tapas Mukherji, Paul Inguanti, William Fallon
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Harold D. Brody
MSE Students: Drew Capolupo and Timothy Batt
Title: A Predictive Model for Filtration Efficiency
Sponsor: KX -Technologies, Inc
Industry Advisors: Andrew Lombardo and Dr. Frank Brigano
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Pamir Alpay
MSE Student: Jason Chan
Title: Design Paradigm for Oxidation Resistance
Sponsor: Pratt and Whitney Aircraft
Industry Advisors: Daryl Slade Stolz
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Rainer Hebert
MSE Student: Austin Poucher
Title: A Predictive Model for Specification and Control of Advanced Electron Beam Welding
Sponsor: PTR-Precision Technologies, Inc
Industry Advisors: John Rugh and Gary LaFlamme
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Pamir Alpay
MSE Student: Gabriel Paun
Title: Improved Sunlight Resistance for Cable Jacket Compounds
Sponsor: Rockbestos-Suprenant Cable Corporation, Inc
Industry Advisors: Dr. Daniel Masakowski
Faculty Advisors: Prof. R. Ramprasad and Dr. Fiona Leek
MSE Student: Brandon Moffitt
Title: Improve Predictive Criteria Relating Chemistry and Process Parameters to Strength of Hot Rolled Steel Reinforcing Bar
Sponsor: Nucor Steel Connecticut
Industry Advisors: John Brasell and Charles Hyatt
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Harris Marcus
MSE Students: Cody Unger and Nicholas Santoro
Published: May 15, 2013
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