Authors: Sophiya Litovchick; Haley Hauptfeld; Linda Puzey
Advisor: Robert Krueger
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: The Teaching and Learning Materials Development Project is an ongoing collaboration between Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and teachers at the Presbyterian Primary School in Dwenase, Ghana. Prior to the project, a lack of classroom materials made it difficult for younger students to understand the curriculum. Teaching and Learning Materials are physical tools that aid the teachers with their lessons and build a better educational foundation for students. This project established an authentic partnership with the teachers through the method of co-design; which relies on close communication to create a solution alongside the community. This formed an educational exchange that built a foundation for cross-cultural development between the WPI students and the primary school teachers.
Authors: Giovanni Mannino; Jenna Currie; Eric Lopes
Advisors: Darren Rosbach; Laureen Elgert
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: Sustainability is a term that houses a lot of different meanings, yet the most common is the term surrounding one’s impact on the environment, which is hard for institutions to maintain. Almost always, an institution’s sustainability is marked by their carbon footprint emissions and the goal of this project is to find a way to help Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s monitor and manage their carbon emissions and therefore their environmental impact. This was achieved in three steps: -Establish indicators that are appropriate, useful, and relevant to the institution. -Develop a tool based on these indicators to assess current, past, and future sustainability efforts. -Implement and engage the staff and the public through use of the tool, and align current sustainability plans with other institutions similar to Tower Hill. Through experience, which included guided tours and interviews, and research, we were able to undergo this plan and not only view Tower Hill’s carbon footprint emissions, but also view the change in emissions over time and show which sources serve as more impactful to the overall footprint. More research relayed back different recommendations for Tower Hill to lower their carbon emissions, and ultimately make them more sustainable.
Author(s): Yi Jie Wu; Sarat Buasai; Alexander McMahon
Advisors: Adam C. Powell; Aaron Deskins; Walter Towner
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: The development of solar technology, one of the most dominant renewable energy sources, is critical towards the goal of reaching a fully sustainable future. An increasing demand for solar cells causes an urgent need to produce higher-purity silicon, the main material of new generation cells, at a lower cost. Yet, the dominant Silicon manufacturing method, the Siemens process, is a costly, fuel intensive, and perilous process, resulting in many casualties. The proposed alternative innovation, however, will produce the desired Silicon, directly from Silicon Dioxide (silica). This process will use a molten salt electrolysis process and a novel metal bath, MgF₂-CaF₂-YF₃-CaO-SiO₂, with low viscosity and volatility, as well as high ionic conductivity and SiO2 solubility. The purpose of this project is to study the feasibility of the Molten Salt Electrolysis technology by analyzing the thermodynamics and mass and energy balance of the process, optimizing the performance through cell design, and determining economic viability to scale up the process. The team found that the silicon growth rate on the cathode can reach 1.13 mm/hr at a current density of 1 A/cm2 and an operating temperature of 1100 C°. Each cell unit (1m x 1m x 6.25m) has one rotating cathode tube in the middle surrounded by four 1/4th anodes tubes equidistant apart; the plant design is a network of multiple cell units. The cost analysis shows that a 2 billion dollars capital investment on the technology pilot plant will be able to break even in 11 years by selling the Silicon at $3 per kg, a reduction in the current average price of more than 55%. The silicon production through Molten Salt Electrolysis will allow the process to operate solely on sustainable energy at lower electricity consumption and without any CO₂ emissions, taking the next step towards a sustainable future.
Authors: Mikayla Fischler; Kyle Heavey; Arianna Kan
Advisor: Berk Calli
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: Recycling industry is struggling under tight profit margins, changing waste policies, and fast evolving waste market regulations. One notable issue is processing the highly contaminated single-stream recycling waste generated by the world’s growing population and consumption practices. To help provide a solution, this project contributes to the long-term goal of developing a waste-sorting robot to efficiently sort single-stream recyclables. Such technology will also change the role of recycling workers from handling the hazardous, and sometimes toxic waste streams to being robot and process supervisors. Robotic solutions would allow faster and more precise sorting of the waste streams, reducing the percentage discarded but essentially recyclable. Enabling the processing of currently discarded materials can also result in a significant decrease in landfill use. Our goal for this project was to develop a test bed suitable to simulate a real-world recycling plant environment containing a robot capable of identifying and removing cardboard from a stream of mixed recyclables. The test bed we developed consists of three major components: the frame, the arm, and the control system. At the conclusion of our project, we succeeded in constructing an X-Z Cartesian platform together with its rail system and steel frame housing, a five-joint linkage arm that is mounted on the Cartesian platform, and a three-jaw gripper designed for effective cardboard picking. The control system was designed and successfully tested. A software stack was selected and the control abstraction functions were developed as a base for the future applications to build upon. Such outcomes provide the main architecture for establishing a robotic waste sorting experimental setup at WPI.
Authors: Tsuiyee Ng; Yusheng Feng; Aidan Kennedy; Erika Miyajima; Sydney Seo
Advisor: John Sullivan
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: 3D printing plays a significant role in many projects at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Currently, the WPI Makerspace does not have an effective means of recycling waste material from 3D printing. To address this issue, the team designed an inexpensive proof-of-concept system that repurposes waste PLA into filament. The system produced a printable recycled filament with diameters relatively close to commercial spools. The team also developed recommendations for future system improvements.
Authors: Sarah Duquette; Ashley Kishibay; Alexandra Miller; Benjamin Schade
Advisors: John Sullivan; Stephen Kmiotek; Jerome Schaufeld
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: Estimates show that the United States recycles less than 10% of plastic waste. In an effort to improve this situation, the group developed and tested a prototype to recycle expanded polystyrene – a form of plastic that has exorbitant shipping costs due to its high volume to weight ratio. Our prototype design reduces shipping costs by two orders of magnitude enabling small municipalities to recycle with minimal investment. Cost estimates for a local compaction facility and transport to a state-wide recycling facility are less than the current land-fill expenses for small municipalities.
Abstract/Description: Lignocellulose biomass is a common feedstock for second-generation ethanol. However, when lignocellulosic biomass is hydrolyzed fermentation inhibitors along with the preferred sugar molecules are created. The goal of this project was to detoxify the lignocellulosic biomass and remove all furanic compounds using biochar as an adsorbent.
Abstract/Description: This experiment examined the effect of sub-critical water hydrolysis as a pretreatment for anaerobic digestion of macauba nut shells for production of renewable methane. Renewable natural gas was made from macauba nut shells with and without pretreatment using subcritical water hydrolysis as the pretreatment. The control reactor had an average solid content of 16.9%, an accumulated volume of biogas of 17.6 liters and an average methane composition of 38%. The pretreatment reactor had an average solids content of 4.4%, an accumulated volume of 22.5 liters and an average methane composition of 67%. The accumulated energy of the pretreated reactor was 97.9 MJ/kg and the control reactor was 4.69 MJ/kg. This shows that the pretreated reactor produced almost 21 times more energy per kilogram of macauba shells used to feed and start up the digestor, meaning that this pretreatment performed far better than the control.
Authors: Lindsey Giorgi; Eric Motler; Jacqueline Kral; Brian Corcoran
Advisor: Lauren Mathews
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: The landfill in Hilo, Hawai`i has closed, leaving all waste generated in the area with nowhere to go, besides Kona’s landfill. The majority of the restaurants in the Hilo area have a strong takeout culture. Most restaurants use single-use takeout containers, which contribute largely to the solid waste produced in Hilo. This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing a reusable takeout container system in Hilo. Restaurants in Hilo were interviewed and the public was surveyed through an online form. Using the data that was collected, a business plan for the County and pamphlets for the restaurant owners and public were developed to aid in the start-up of a reusable takeout container system to decrease the amount of plastic waste in landfills.
Authors: Kristophe Zephyrin; Ryan Candy; Hannah Murray; Maggie Ostwald
Advisor: Rob Krueger
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description: This project focused on the co-design and construction of two bridges alongside residents in Dwenase, Ghana through the combination of our classroom knowledge and the local knowledge of our partners. We used the design and construction of bridges as a vehicle to provide hope and demonstrate the ability of the locals within Dwenase to execute their own development projects that address significant local issues so they can become self sufficient from outside agents. During this project we learned as well about internalizing the art of active listening, participating in thoughtful conversation, remaining open minded to project fluidity, and having an empathetic presence. The challenge of actively applying these character traits is what helped us grow as individuals and professionals