Author: ML Tlachac
Advisor: Elke Rundensteiner
Category: Graduate
Abstract/Description:
Detecting depression, a prevalent and costly issue, is vital for society. As such, I have trained machine learning models to detect depression from crowd-sourced text messages with an F1 score of 0.81. Given the private nature of texts, I’m working on generating anonymous text messages to make this a sustainable solution.
Authors: Makayla D’Amore; Johann Bradley; Robert Connor; Rory Sullivan
Advisors: Holly Ault; James Hanlan
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description:
The Amager Resource Center (ARC) is an inter-municipal waste management company operating in Copenhagen, Denmark and its surrounding municipalities. Recently, Copenhagen has decided that the waste collection process in the city will be taken over by ARC starting in 2022 using e-trucks. These electric waste collection vehicles benefit the environment and workers as they are quieter, more efficient, and prevent the employees from breathing in harmful gas. Our group worked to design E-truck fleet recommendations for ARC specifically focusing on reducing capital investment through minimizing travel duration and distance traveled per E-truck.
Author: Donna Murillo
Advisor: Michael Timko
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description:
This experiment analyzed the effect of subcritical water hydrolysis on natural poultry feathers for the isolation of high-value amino acids. Subcritical water hydrolysis is the process by which water in the range of 100 – 374 C converts and breaks down biomass into micromolecules. Often this process can result in the production of high-value products from poultry feathers. Poultry feathers are approximately 90 percent protein, which suggests that poultry feathers can be used to produce valuable amino acids. A non-toxic, economically viable, and environmentally favorable way to break down these poultry feathers is by subcritical water hydrolysis. In particular, this experiment focused on the effect of temperature on the hydrolysate. The hydrolysis machine was operated at three different temperatures (210, 230, and 250 C) at a constant flow rate of 10 mL / min. Differences between the hydrolysates were defined by performing Total Nitrogen, Chemical Oxygen Demand, and Nelson-Somogyi method testing. Initial hydrolysate analysis testing suggests that a low operating temperature and an operating time below 10 minutes may assist in getting optimum protein levels. No amino acid testing was conducted. All amino acid related results will be available at a later date.
Authors: Timothy Cotter; Allyson Kearns; Allison Sichler; Aiden Wright
Advisors: Selcuk Guceri; Stephen Kmiotek
Category: Undergraduate
Abstract/Description:
To alleviate modern society’s reliance on plastic, our team explored compostable alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. This study examines the processability and properties of organic fiber-reinforced composites, constructed using a combination of PLA or a potato starch-based matrix, and natural fibers such as flax, cotton, or jute. To characterize the resulting material, our team studied the matrix-fiber adhesion, chemical composition, mechanical strength, and biodegradability of the samples. This investigation allowed our team to infer potential applications for our product, as well as issue guidance for future exploration.
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.
See video at: https://video.wpi.edu/Watch/s3CMk8c9
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.