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Student Events are sponsored by ALCOA Foundation and BAE SYSTEMS
Students are reminded that they are welcome to attend any of the
technical paper presentations as well as Environment Track, Enterprise
Track, and Education Track programs.
In addition, there are student programs designed to meet their needs as well as the needs of members who are early in their
career. These sessions highlight job search skills, professional licensing, and graduate school, as well as a variety of
ground-breaking, innovative technologies in the research stage. All conference attendees, regardless of how long it's been
since you were a student, are welcome to attend any of these student sessions.
For young students, you may be interested in our childrens outreach activities.
Don't forget to stop by the Coffee Shop in between sessions!
Cookies
and coffee/tea are sponsored by Ford Motor Company
Student Programs and Activities Committee, l-r: Heather Hendrix,
Stephanie Swindle, Dr. Beth Todd and Christina Nix.
Not shown:
Tanya Andrews, Jill Clark, Lindy Rich, Stormy Speer.
Wednesday:
Student Activities Committee
8:00 - 12:00am
Student Transition Team Task Force
10:00am - 12:00pm
Career Resources Center
Noon - 5:00pm
Student Section Vitality
1:00 - 3:00pm
Graduate Students SIG
3:00 - 5:00pm
Thursday
Career Resources Center
9:00am - 5:00pm
How to Work a Career Fair
9:00 - 9:50am
An Introduction to Evolutionary Algorithms
9:00 - 9:50am
Finding Scholarships
10:00 - 10:50 am
Selecting a Job Offer
11:00 - 11:50am
Adaptive Structures and Smart Materials
11:00 - 11:50am
Building Your Resume
1:00 - 1:50pm
Acquire, Analyze, and Present with National Instruments LabVIEW Graphical Development 
2:00 - 3:00pm
Resume Writing
2:00 - 2:50pm
Interview Skills
3:00 - 3:50pm
Student Region Meetings
4:00 - 6:00pm
Networking Night
6:00 - 10:00pm
Friday
Career Resources Center
9:00am - 5:00pm
How to Work a Career Fair
9:00 - 9:50 am
Student Region Representative/Newsletter Editor Training
9:00 - 10:50 am
Team Tech Competition Practice
9:00am - 12:50 pm
Hydrogen Fueled Transportation
10:00 - 10:50 am
Student Section Vitality Committee Meeting
10:00 - 11:50am
Ground Source Heat Pumps: Description, Design,
and Environmental Benefits
Student Section Vitality Committee Workshop
1:00 - 4:50pm
SWE Counselors & Faculty Advisors Meeting
1:00 - 3:30pm
Technical Paper Presentation Competition Practice
1:00 - 5:00pm
How to Install a Car Seat to Protect Your Child
2:00 - 2:50 pm
Self Defense
3:00 - 3:50 pm
Transitioning from School to Work
4:00 - 4:50pm
VIP Reception
6:00 - 7:00pm
Achievement Awards Banquet
7:00 - 10:00pm
Saturday
Technical Presentation Competition
7:00 - 10:50am
Team Tech Competition
8:00 - 10:50am
Finding Scholarships
9:00 - 9:50am
Student Ideas Exchange--Increasing
and Maintaining Membership
9:00 - 9:50am
Membership Meeting
9:00 - 10:50am
Combustion and Propulsion Systems
10:00 - 10:50am
Student Ideas Exchange-Fundraising
10:00 - 10:50am
Student Leadership Luncheon
11:00am - 12:50pm
Is Graduate School for Me?
1:00 - 1:50pm
How and Why of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
1:00 - 1:50pm
Student Ideas Exchange--Outreach Programs
1:00 - 1:50pm
Student Section Counselor/Faculty Advisor Ideas Exchange
1:00 - 2:50pm
Self Defense
2:00 - 2:50pm
Now That I Have A Job,How Can I Invest
Some Of This Money?
2:00 - 2:50pm
Student Ideas Exchange--Leadership Development
2:00 - 2:50pm
How to Install a Car Seat to Protect Your Child
3:00 - 3:50pm
Subject Matter Expert (SME) Bowl
3:00 - 4:50pm
Salary Negotiations
4:00 - 4:50pm
Student Mentoring Banquet
6:00-8:00pm
Student Awards Ceremony
8:00pm - 10:00pm
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Career Resources Center
Wednesday, Noon - 5:00pm
Thursday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sponsored by Exxon Mobil Corporation
Ready for that interview? If you decide you don't have enough hardcopies
of your resume, stop in and take advantage of the availability to
print or update your resume while you're at it. Take advantage of this great
opportunity! Computers, copiers, printers, and internet access will be
available in the Career Resources Center. Access to web based email will
be provided.
How to Work a Career Fair
Thursday, 9:00 - 9:50am;
Repeated Friday, 9:00 - 9:50 am
Presented by: Angelia Knight, PHR, University of Alabama
Learn how to use a Career Fair to expand your professional network.
Information will be presented on how to decide who you want to talk to,
how to approach them, and what you want to walk away with.
An Introduction to Evolutionary Algorithms
Thursday, 9:00 - 9:50am
Presented by: Charles L. Karr, PhD, University of Alabama
In order to survive and thrive in nature, organisms must be capable of
adapting to demanding, highly competitive environments. Evolutionary
algorithms are computer programs--a type of artificial intelligence--that
loosely model the natural processes by which organisms adapt, change,
and improve over generations. As search routines, evolutionary
algorithms have proven themselves to be extremely robust - capable of
finding highly effective solutions to a wide variety of complex problems.
This talk will describe the basic mechanics of evolutionary algorithms and
focus on several applications to engineering problems, including effects of
wind gust on aircraft, problems with filament winding, and problems in
heat transfer.
Finding Scholarships
Thursday, 10:00 - 10:50 am;
Repeated Saturday, 9:00 - 9:50 am
Presented by: Stephanie Swindle, Southern Company
We all hear about scholarships that do not get awarded because of no or
few applicants, but where are they? Learn how to use your skills as an
engineer to track down scholarships, determine eligibility and successfully
compete for them. Information about SWE scholarships among others
will be provided.
Selecting a Job Offer
Thursday, 11:00 - 11:50am
Presented by Dupont
Life is about choices. Everyone dreams of landing a job where all your
expectations are met. However, often times technical professionals make
career decisions based on the information received in an interview, details
provided in a job description, or information read in a company
prospectus. Benefit packages, opportunities for advancement, work
culture, company vision and salary all play important roles in
determining whether a job offer is the right one for you. This session will
help you identify the key factors for selecting a job offer. Learn how to
objectively compare opportunities against your vision of the ideal job.
Come learn how to select the job that's the most satisfying and
challenging so that you won't have to worry that you let your best
opportunities slip away.
Adaptive Structures and Smart Materials
Thursday, 11:00 - 11:50am
Presented by: Keith Williams, PhD, University of Alabama
Certain materials can adapt microstructurally to their environment which
creates significant changes in the properties that engineers use in design.
This presentation is an introduction to how smart materials work with a
look at some applications and demonstrations of their behavior.
Building Your Resume
Thursday, 1:00 - 1:50pm
Presented by: Bethany Bankowski and Stephanie Swindle,
Southern Company
A resume is a piece of paper that projects the essence of who you are.What
do recruiters look for in terms of content? What experiences do they like to
see undergraduate students have and how can you plan for these
experiences? What's the most effective way to present these on your resume?
Acquire, Analyze, and Present with National Instruments LabVIEW Graphical Development
2:00 - 3:00pm
Presented by National Instruments
Does your text-based program take too long to develop? Have you considered virtual instrumentation? Come take a crash course on the LabVIEW 7.0 Express graphical development environment to help you build measurement and automation applications quickly and easily. In a very short time, you can learn the concept of graphical programming and see different sides of LabVIEW - from data acquisition to remote application control over the Internet to mathematical analysis. Gain exposure to the graphical programming environment to help decrease your program development time, making you more productive with a new software language.
Resume Writing
Thursday, 2:00 - 2:50pm
Presented by Dupont
What makes your resume stand out? What needs to be in your resume?
What should you leave out? How should it be formatted? What are the key
words that help or hurt you? How can you customize your resume for
specific job opportunities? This workshop will review the fundamentals as
well as offer ideas for making the resume one that will lead to your next job!
Interview Skills
Thursday, 3:00 - 3:50pm
Presented by DuPont
Your resume demonstrates that you have the skills to match the position,
but now it's time for the all important interview. Part of any successful job
search includes being prepared for the interview. This session will cover
basic interviewing techniques used by employers and provide you with
skills to help you succeed in landing the job.
Student Region Meetings
Thursday, 4:00 - 5:50pm
Business or business casual is recommended attire.
Sponsored by Alcoa Foundation
Learn what is going on in your Region and within the Society, and meet
other students from your Region. These Student Region meetings are the
business sessions for students. Decision-making at the region level takes
place, COR issues are discussed and SME (Subject Matter Expert) bowl
participants are selected.
Networking Night
Thursday, 6:00 - 10:00pm
(See special events for details)
Student Region Representative/Newsletter Editor Training
Friday, 9:00 - 10:50 am
Presented by: Student Activities Committee
Learn the responsibilities of being a Student Region Representative or
Student Region Newsletter Editor, including COR issues. Students who are
interested in either of these positions in the future are invited to attend.
Team Tech Competition Practice
Friday 9:00am - 12:50 pm
Attire for participants: Casual
(see also Team Tech Competition, Saturday, 7:00 - 10:50am for details)
Hydrogen Fueled Transportation
Friday, 10:00 - 10:50 am
Presented by: Clark Midkiff, PhD, Director, Center for Advanced
Vehicle Technologies
The proposed hydrogen economy will dramatically affect the transportation
and power generation sectors of our economy, and open many new
challenges and opportunities for engineers. A broad description of the
potential hydrogen-fueled transportation system based on fuel cell vehicles
will be provided.The talk will briefly review fuel cell technology and describe
the environmental, economic and security problems that could be addressed
by a transition to a hydrogen energy system. Engineering challenges and
opportunities related to reduction of fuel cell costs, hydrogen production,
and hydrogen storage and distribution infrastructure are enumerated.
Student Section Vitality Committee Workshop
Friday 1:00 - 4:50pm
Danielle Forget Shield, P.E., SWE Student Vitality Task Force Chair
AGENDA:
1:00 - 2:00 Student Section Administration and Operations
Presented by Tricia Berry, SWE Region C Student Leadership Coach
What makes a SWE section successful and why all those forms? Do you have defined responsibilities for your section leaders? Get a handle on SWE section organizational issues and all that paper work. Join us to learn the nuts and bolts of maintaining a SWE student section.
2:00 - 3:00 Leadership
Presented by Patrick Kelley, SWE Region E Student Leadership Coach
How can you become an effective leader? Discover good leadership skills and explore your personal leadership style. You will immediately be able to use what you learn in this session to improve a variety of areas within your SWE student section.
3:00 - 4:00 Strategic Planning
Presented by Teresa Kulesza, SWE Regions A & J Student Leadership Coach
Where do you want your SWE student section to be in one year? Two years? After you have graduated? This session will introduce you to the big picture and an effective strategic planning process. You will build a plan for your SWE section from basic goal-setting to long term planning.
4:00 - 4:50 Fund Development for Student Sections
Presented by Freda Zifteh, SWE Region D Student Leadership Coach
How does your section find the funds it needs to operate? Explore new funding possibilities and use targeted messages and methods aimed at the right resources.
Ground Source Heat Pumps: Description, Design,
and Environmental Benefits
Friday, 1:00 - 1:50 pm
Presented by: Steve Kavanaugh, PhD, University of Alabama
This presentation provides a description of ground source heat pumps
and their comfort, efficiency and performance advantages. An overview is
provided that discusses design constraints and successful application
methods. The environmental benefits of the technology are compared to
conventional and advanced alternative heating and cooling systems.
Technical Paper Presentation Competition Practice
Friday 1:00 - 5:00pm
Attire for participants: Casual
(see also Technical Paper Presentation Competition, Saturday, 7:00 -
10:50am for details)
How to Install a Car Seat to Protect Your Child
Friday, 2:00 - 2:50 pm;
Repeated Saturday, 3:00 - 3:50 pm
Presented by: Janice Hagler, Tuscaloosa Safe Kids
Protecting vehicle occupants during an accident is a significant engineering
problem.Automotive components are designed to interact with passengers in
a pre-determined way, including child safety seats. This demonstration will
show the correct way of placing a child into a safety seat to reduce injuries.
Self Defense
Friday, 3:00 - 3:50 pm;
Repeated Saturday, 2:00 - 2:50 pm
Presented by: Janice Hagler, Tuscaloosa Safe Kids
This session will provide "hands-on" interactive demonstrations on methods to improve your personal safety habits.
Transitioning from School to Work
Friday, 4:00 - 4:50pm
Presented by DuPont
After attending 16+ years of education, how do you adjust to this new world
called work? Come learn about the expectations, excitement, fear, and
exhilaration that you will encounter in your first years of the work world.
VIP Reception
Friday, 6:00 - 7:00pm
(See special events for details)
Achievement Awards Banquet
Friday, 7:00 - 10:00pm
Sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation
(See special events for details)
Technical Presentation Competition
Competition: Saturday, 7:00 - 10:50am
Attire for participants: Business.
Sponsored by Rockwell, Lockheed Martin Corporation and Honda
Manufacturing of Alabama
Regional finalists compete against each other from papers submitted
in March. They will present their work on research, co-op, and other
technical projects. The national winners are eligible for cash prizes
of $1,500, $1,000, and $750 for first-, second-, and third-places, respectively.
AGENDA
7:00 Region D - Abimbola Balogun, School of Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
7:30 Region E - Crystal L. Mattson, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rowan University
8:00 Region F - Kerri Rossmeier, Smith College
8:30 Region G - Leah Boyd / Catherine Almquist, Paper Science and Engineering Department,
Miami University
9:00 Break
9:15 Region A - Emily J. Ma, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
9:45 Region B - Ashley Hendricks, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
10:15 Region C - Annie Reza, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, Leena Nakama
and David Rempel, Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley
10:45 Close
ABSTRACTS
A Highly Compliant Passive Antenna for Tactile-Mediated Maneuvering of a Biologically Inspired Hexapedal Robot
Presented by Emily J. Ma, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Region A
A highly compliant sensorized antenna probe can provide mobile robots with tactile information about immediate surroundings for exploration and localization. Analogous in structure and function to insect antennae, this type of antenna probe can be especially useful for feedback to highly dynamic and complex platforms such as fast running legged robots, providing direct information about the geometry of the environment in a robust manner despite the rapidly changing state of the system. Inspired by the effectiveness of cockroach antennae for feedback during rapid legged locomotion, we have designed and calibrated a passive artificial sensorized antenna for feedback control to biologically inspired hexapedal running robot. We then suggest the process for designing a simple wall-following controller based on the sensor calibration and the robot's running and turning dynamics, and present preliminary results.
Reduction of Fecal Bacterial Load in Produce Irrigation Water Using Peroxyacetic Acid
Presented by Ashley Hendricks, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Region B
Production of fresh fruits and vegetables for public consumption is a major agribusiness throughout the world. For low rainfall areas, this intensive agriculture can only be achieved by application of large quantities of irrigation water, typically diverted from a river source impacted by surface runoff and municipal discharges. Such waters often contain high concentrations of fecal bacteria. Reducing the fecal load in this irrigation water would help reduce the probability of a foodborne illness outbreak associated with consumption of fresh produce.
Protein Expression in the Lateral Epicondyle Under Repetitive Loading Conditions
Presented by Annie Reza, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, Leena Nakama and David Rempel, Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Region C
The human elbow is one of the most versatile structures of the body, allowing for flexion, extension, rotation, and hinge action. This range of motion is made possible by the intricate anatomy of the elbow, which makes use of bones, tendons, muscles, and ligaments. These structures help transmit loads to produce movement. Because of its abilities for varied movement and almost constant usage in both daily life and athletics, the elbow encounters a fair share of acute and overuse injuries, which can cause great pain. One of these overuse injuries is commonly known as tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is characterized by severe pain originating in the lateral epicondyle, the tendon located on the outer area of the elbow. This condition, also known as tendinosis, involves the degradation of the lateral epicondyle and is accompanied by dense populations of fibroblasts, vascular hyperplasia, and disorganized collagen1.
Epicondyle samples will be obtained from female New Zealand White rabbits that undergo repetitive loading for either 40 or 60 hours, in two-hour increments, three days a week for seven weeks. The flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscle on one hand is stimulated to repeatedly contract, resulting in an overstraining of the common extensor tendon at the lateral epicondyle, which induces tendinosis. The other limb is not receiving a stimulus and therefore acts as a control. Giemsa staining will be conducted to assess the number of white blood cells within the paratenon. Immunohistological analysis will involve antibody staining for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and type III collagen. This project will focus on the quantification of these proteins and structural components, which we expect to have a greater staining intensity in the loaded groups.in the loaded groups.
Characterization of improved photo-definable thermally sacrificial polymer materials for the fabrication of micro-channel systems
Presented by Abimbola Balogun, School of Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Region D
Systems comprising of photo-acid generators (PAGs) and (poly(propylene carbonate)) [PPC] were studied to investigate the affects of PAGs on the acid catalyzed decomposition of the PPC, and to choose a PAG with suitable imaging characteristics to be used in the fabrication of highly functional microfluidic systems. To do this, PAG-polymer systems were prepared by varying the particular PAG used in each formulation, and the impact of the different PAGs on a variety of film properties were monitored. Polymer films were made by spin-coating silicon wafers with PAG-PPC solutions, soft-baking the wafers to remove excess solvent, and then exposing them to UV light to photochemically generate acid. The exposed films were heated on a hotplate at 115ºC to decompose the exposed regions of the films. The properties measured during the course of this study were the contrast (i.e. extent of decomposition), sensitivity, and amount of residue left on the exposed regions after decomposition. The strength of the acid generated from the various PAGs was correlated with the decomposition properties of the materials. The results of these studies and a selection rule for PAGs for the PPC system will be presented.
Remediation of Abandoned Coal Mines Utilizing Alkaline Injection Technology
Presented by Crystal L. Mattson, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rowan University, Region E
In July 1997 and December 2001, field trials of alkaline injection technology (AIT) were performed with the injection of fluidized bed ash into an abandoned coal mine located in eastern Oklahoma. Water samples from the mine's seep have been taken continually through the life of the project. Analyses of the samples allow determination of what is occurring within the mine during the treatment period. At this point in time, the second injection is still proving to be effective in treating the acid mine drainage problem. Continual monitoring of the water escaping the mine through the seep will show what the effective treatment time is for the second alkaline injection. This project may give insight on how to apply this new technology to other sites in need of remediation.
VERTIG-0: Vestibular Research Team In Gravity Zero; Human Performance: Changes in Spatial Orientation and Vestibular Behavior as a Result of Changes in Gravity
Presented by Kerri Rossmeier, Smith College, Region F
The neurovestibular system is a key component to one's sense of balance, equilibrium, and spatial orientation. On Earth, the force of gravity interacts with the vestibular system, specifically the otolith organs, to provide a basis for spatial orientation. In the absence of gravity, however, this interaction no longer exists. The Vestibular Research Team In Gravity Zero (Vertig-0) conducted an experiment to compare a person's spatial perception due to supine static tilt and upright static tilt on Earth (1.0-g), in hypergravity (1.8-g), and in microgravity (ca. 0-g). Our hypothesis is three-fold. First, upright static tilt on Earth produces better spatial perception than supine static tilt. Second, in microgravity, static tilt results in poor spatial perception. Finally, at 1.8-g, spatial perception due to supine static tilt is comparable to that on Earth. To test these hypotheses, supine and upright static tilt tests were performed on human subjects. The tilt was achieved through slow rotation, approximating a static environment, and thus imparting only linear acceleration. Each test subject's perceived orientation was recorded throughout 20 iterations and analyzed. The supine static tilt experiment was conducted on Earth, in microgravity, and 1.8g. The upright tilt experiment was conducted only on Earth (1.0-g). For qualitative mechanical analysis, two models of the vestibular system were designed, and constructed, and their behavior analyzed in all test environments. These models also served as part of the educational outreach effort, as an adjunct component of presentations for students of various ages. Through knowledge obtained from this research, we expect to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the effect of gravity on human spatial perception.
Effects of Photocatalysis on Paper Mill Wastewater Effluent
Presented by Leah Boyd and Catherine Almquist, Paper Science and Engineering Department, Miami University, Region G
Many organic compounds such as resin acids, unsaturated fatty acids, diterpene alcohols, organic sulfur compounds, chloroform, terpines, and organochlorides are present in wastewater from various types of paper mills. Many of these compounds are toxic at concentrations below 1ppm and can act as mutagens and carcinogens to the surrounding wildlife. These compounds are hard to treat through traditional wastewater treatment plants because they are resistant to bacteria degradation and often can destroy many of the useful bacteria cells. In addition, some pollutants in the pulp and paper wastewater may be endocrine disrupters, present in trace amounts. Should future environmental regulations limit the discharge of these types of compounds a tertiary wastewater treatment process may be necessary.
In this study, a feasibility assessment was conducted on the use of photocatalysis as a secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment process. Titanium dioxide in a photocatalysis reactor was used to oxidize the toxic and non-toxic organics into carbon dioxide and water in various types of pulp and paper mill wastewater. The optimum conditions were attained using 1g/L of Degussa P-25 titanium dioxide with filtered wastewater from a nearby paper mill. By using these conditions, 98% of COD and BOD were removed and the toxicity and turbidity were significantly reduced/eliminated.
After the best operating conditions were established within the test apparatus, the wastewater samples from various paper mills were tested in the reactor. The results showed that the reactions are concentration dependent and, in some cases, time dependent. The photocatalytic reactor was most efficient at COD levels below 500 mg/L. However, this process has also reduced the toxicity in highly concentrated samples.
Photocatalysis with titanium dioxide proves to be effective at treating various types of wastewater streams below 500 mg/L COD to reduce the COD, BOD, toxicity, and color. Efforts are underway to investigate potential methods to incorporate this technology into current paper mill wastewater treatment processes.
Team Tech Competition
Competition: Saturday, 8:00 - 10:50am
Attire for participants: Business.
Sponsored by The Boeing Company
Team Tech Competition was introduced in 1992 by the Boeing Company
to emphasize the key role of teamwork and interface with industry. Teams'
presenters compete for prizes of $5000 for first place, $2500 for second
place, and $1250 for third place. Competing teams, ranging from four to
twelve students and representing a minimum of three engineering
disciplines, were formed in Fall 2002. They submitted an initial, interim,
and final report of a project of their own choosing. In addition, each team
has been working with an Industrial Advisor, responsible for ongoing
evaluation of the team's progress. The teams and their projects will be
evaluated in five areas. All students are invited to attend the practice and
competition sessions to learn how to prepare for this competition. These
presentations demonstrate the work that can be accomplished when
people strive to work together.
AGENDA
8:00am
Introductions
Region G
University of Kentucky -
Robot Mounted Water Cannon Development
Team Leader: Darryl E. Whitley
Region H
Iowa State University
ISU Disk Cutters
Team Leader: Susie Fitzenberger
8:45am
Break
Region H
University of Illinois
Urbana - Stop the Clock / Delay Line Replacement Project
Team Leader: Brooke Elliot
Region B
University of California Los Angeles
Cryogenic External Leak Test
Team Leader: Rebekah Tanimoto
Region B
University of California Los Angeles
Website for Security Threat Information
Team Leader: Paggy Wu
10:00am
Break
Region B
Cal State University Pomona
Moving Pictures Expert Group
Team Leaders: Laura Sanders and Marissa Intrarakha
Region B California Polytechnic State University
Mid-Level Security Monitoring System
Team Leaders: Maria Ergueta & Jill Jackson
11:00am
Close
ABSTRACTS
Region G University of Kentucky
Robot Mounted Water Cannon Development ,Team Leader: Darryl E. Whitley
The Robot Mounted Water Cannon Development project focuses on the redesign of the a high velocity water cannon manufactured by Ideal Tool & Manufacturing Company located in Lexington, Kentucky. The original design of the high velocity water cannon incorporates a robot which the cannon is mounted onto for logistical purposes when operating the cannon in its marketed environment. The problem with the current design is that when then the high velocity water cannon is fired it does a one-hundred and eighty degree flip and finishes on its barrel. As one can infer this is unwanted result and can cause considerably damage to the more expensive robot it's attached to. The goal of this project is to come up with a better way of absorbing the shock from the water cannon. There are numerous ways of absorbing the forces due to cannon. This has required substantial research on the various solutions and their impact on the constraints of the project.
Region H Iowa State University
ISU Disk Cutters, Team Leader: Susie Fitzenberger
The production of abrasive disks consists of three distinct steps. The first step involves cutting the disks from a sheet of abrasive material. These disks randomly fall into bins, where they are stored until being shipped off-site for the second part of production. This step requires that the disks be manually sorted into columns, so that all disks face the same direction. The final step occurs back on-site, where another machine adheres buttons to the non-abrasive side of the disks.
The second step of the current process has been identified as problematic. It is labor intensive, time-consuming, and costly. Therefore, the manufacturer wishes to replace this step with a more efficient process. Our task is to modify the existing machine or develop an intermediate mechanical process to align the pieces into columns on-site. Our final output will include drawings of the modification using CAD, or a similar program, and a cost analysis of the new production technique.
Iowa State University Team Tech has completed a system displayed in computer drawings to collect abrasive disks in columns and successfully orient them. The system includes a vibrating table, along with a conveyor track and visual orientation system. The vibrating table collects disks in receptacles, while the conveyor track maintains empty receptacles under the table. The visual orientation system verifies the orientation of disks and separates them as necessary. The team has experienced the phases of engineering process along with learning how to effectively collaborate with teammates and industry, which is necessary in designing a new mechanical system. One important step of the design process included testing a prototype of the vibrating table. This was crucial in determining adjustments necessary to improve its performance.
Region H University of Illinois - Urbana
Stop the Clock / Delay Line Replacement Project, Team Leader: Brooke Elliot
The purpose of this project was to learn more about the engineering process. To do this, our team was asked to create a delay line for Northrop Grumman. The idea of a delay line is that by sending a signal through it, the consumer would be able to control the time at which the signal comes out. To accomplish this goal, our team needed to complete several tasks. First, we needed to research what company produced chips that met the criteria that Northrop Grumman required. Due to a number of factors, we would be able to determine which company to use, and therefore, which software to use to program our chip. Then we needed to decide what was going into our chip. We needed to create a hardware design that would actually create the delay we wanted, but also be programmable, anywhere from 4 to 500 nanoseconds. Once we decided on the hardware design, we would be able to code our chip. To complete these tasks, our team first split up into two teams, research and architectural. One team created a hardware design for the chip and the other team researched companies. Midyear, we regrouped and reformed into two teams, a group to finish research and another to work on our presentation for another milestone of our project, Engineering Open House. In the last part of the process, we used VHDL to code a chip that contained each piece of our hardware design. Throughout the year, we met with our industrial advisors several times and kept up constant contact with them. This project has taught us a lot, not only about the engineering process, but also about teamwork and communication and dealing with the obstacles that come our way.
Region B University of California Los Angeles
Cryogenic External Leak Test, Team Leader: Rebekah Tanimoto
The purpose of this test which is performed by the project engineer at Boeing is to measure the external leak rate from the Main Fuel Valve Cap-Housing join under simulated flight conditions. The simulated conditions are: Cryogenic temperature, and full operating pressure.
Our task will be to possibly design a better procedure for this experiment.. We would want to obtain consistent results upon various leak tests. We would also want to possibly change or redesign the leak detection method used in this experiment, which would involve research of different sensors.
The sealing method of this experiment is currently performed by tape. We also want to investigate different seal options, and possibly design a more efficient way of sealing. We will also try to minimize the liquid Nitrogen leak into the sensing method. We have also thought about changing the shape of the capture tubes to give the flow more surface are.
In the end, we want to document all of this procedure so that it can be passed on to other engineers in order for them to perform this test using the same procedure and obtain the same results.
Region B University of California Los Angeles
Website for Security Threat Information, Team Leader: Paggy Wu
The interactive real-time website for Security Threat information project is intended to be a source of information for internet security. Its purpose is to help Symantec, as well as other companies and governmental agencies, make their interaction with the internet more secure. These agencies would be able to search the website for the latest threats on the internet. Since we haven't finished our project yet, there are no results for the time being.
Region B Cal State University Pomona
Moving Pictures Expert Group, Team Leaders: Laura Sanders and Marissa Intrarakha
The purpose of our project is to extend upon the idea of letting passengers on an airplane view different movies at the same time at their individual seats. In addition to this idea, we are improving it by sending MPEG-4 files, which is a better economical way of viewing video files. Our target market would be commercial airlines that provide in-flight videos.
Region B California Polytechnic State University
Mid-Level Security Monitoring System, Team Leaders: Maria Ergueta & Jill Jackson
Our project was the design, development, and testing of a "smart space" for a restaurant that allows the owner to remotely monitor his business with the use of sensor technologies, sponsored by Hewlett Packard Laboratories of Palo Alto, CA. The Smart Space Restaurant system was created to function as a small business owner's resource for monitoring productivity when not on site, and ultimately assist the restaurant owner/manager in providing timely food service and attaining efficient appliance usage. After surveying local businesses, we teamed up with Café Roma and designed the Smart Space to fit their most significant needs:
· Food tracking - Restaurants interested in providing timely service to their customers have difficulty knowing how long it takes for hot food to be delivered from the kitchen ready window to customers. Some dishes may wait significantly longer than others until the entire table order is filled. An efficient system for collecting this data is needed.
· Efficient appliance usage - Restaurant owners fear appliance failure, such as meat refrigerators or storage freezers. An undetected failure could ruin a great deal of food, and ultimately cost the owner both money and business. Wasted energy is another costly element if doors are left open for too long or too often. A method for verifying that appliances are in order is important for the owner's peace of mind and pocketbook.
Our "smart space" records data from the RF (Radio Frequency) food tracking system and appliance usage, manipulates the data, and provides a user-friendly interface in which the owner can retrieve and view the data. By discreet placement of RF tags on the underside of dinner plates and appliance monitoring within the kitchen area, the system allows the owner access to a great deal of information while preserving the privacy and intimate dining experience of customers. Likewise, inconspicuous contact and temperature sensors located within the kitchen do not interfere with the chef's workspace.
Ultimately, Hewlett-Packard proposed this problem to the Cal Poly team with hopes that we could find a creative, cost-effective, and non-invasive restaurant solution with the potential to be modified for other small business applications.
Student Ideas Exchange--Increasing
and Maintaining Membership
Saturday, 9:00 - 9:50am
Interactive session to share and learn techniques for generating student
section membership.
Membership Meeting
Saturday, 9:00 - 10:50am
Participate in the Society's annual business meeting. Welcome new
officers, cheer for Section award recipients and hear presidential address.
Combustion and Propulsion Systems
Saturday, 10:00 - 10:50am
Presented by: John Baker, PhD, University of Alabama
The Magnetically-Assisted Combustion Experiment (MACE) program
seeks to develop a better fundamental understanding of how magnetic
fields influence combustion related phenomena. This understanding is
being developed through the use of laboratory based and microgravity
experiments examining the impact non-uniform magnetic fields have on
flames. Using both optical imaging and holographic interferometry,
insight into the impact that magnetic fields have on the physical transport
processes associated with flames is being gained.
Student Ideas Exchange-Fundraising
Saturday, 10:00 - 10:50am
Interactive session to share and learn techniques for student section
fundraising.
Student Leadership Luncheon
Saturday, 11:00am - 12:50pm
Sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corporation
(See special events for details)
Is Graduate School for Me?
Saturday, 1:00 - 1:50pm
Presented by: Nancy Knight, Iowa State University
Are you considering whether or not you should go to graduate school? Do
you wonder about the application process, your graduate school options,
and the way the system works? Common myths about graduate school
will be explored as well as career transition and timing issues.
How and Why of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
Saturday, 1:00 - 1:50pm
Presented by: Charles Haynes, PhD, PE, Alabama State Board of
Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors
Learn what the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is, what it can do for
you, and how to prepare to pass it.
Student Ideas Exchange--Outreach Programs
Saturday, 1:00 - 1:50pm
Interactive session to share and learn techniques for student section
outreach programs.
Student Section Counselor/Faculty Advisor Ideas Exchange
Saturday, 1:00 - 2:50pm
Presented by: Student Activities Committee
Informal discussion time for student section counselors and faculty advisors.
Self Defense
Saturday, 2:00 - 2:50pm;
Repeated from Friday, 3:00 - 3:50pm
(See above description)
Now That I Have A Job,How Can I Invest
Some Of This Money?
Saturday, 2:00 - 2:50pm
Presented by: Angelia Knight, PHR, University of Alabama
Financial planning for new graduates--note that this seminar is geared
toward novices.
Student Ideas Exchange--Leadership Development
Saturday, 2:00 - 2:50pm
Interactive session to share and learn techniques for developing leaders in
your student section.
How to Install a Car Seat to Protect Your Child
Saturday, 3:00 - 3:50pm;
Repeated from Friday, 2:00 - 2:50pm
(See description above)
Subject Matter Expert (SME) Bowl
Saturday, 3:00 - 4:50pm
School logo shirt is recommended attire.
Sponsored by Exxon Mobil Corporation
The Exxon Mobil SME Bowl is a contest with a "College Bowl"
atmosphere. Student teams representing the ten SWE regions compete to
answer engineering and SWE-related questions. Signups for the teams
take place at the Student Region Meetings. All students are encouraged to
come and test their talent and knowledge or just cheer on and support
their favorite Region. Cash prizes are awarded to individual SME Bowl
winners and to the Region of the winning team.
Salary Negotiations
Saturday, 4:00 - 4:50pm
Presented by: Angelia Knight, PHR, University of Alabama
Once you have a job offer, find out how far you can go in negotiating your
starting salary.
Student Mentoring Banquet
Saturday, 6:00-8:00pm
(See special events for details)
Student Awards Ceremony
Saturday, 8:00pm - 10:00pm
(See special events for details)
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