Share your favorite photos from the summer!

The University of Minnesota crew:

Faith, Hannah, Jose, Brad, Alek and Alyssa

Home Stretch!

Dear CCEFP REUs! 


Congratulations!  You're on the home stretch -- just about ten days to go, but who's counting? I sure hope you have enjoyed working in a university laboratory, on a research team and learned all you could about fluid power in the last 10 weeks! 

Your final CCEFP REU deliverable for this summer is to complete your last blog submission and prepare a formal research poster, presentation or paper -- the option is yours!  (You've likely had this on your radar for several weeks now). 

Final REU Blog, due by August 8
Provide your final summary of your research project (the process, the end result, did you meet your objectives, what are the next steps, what weren't you able to complete, etc.); what will you take away from the summer experience (personal, professional or otherwise); and what advice might you have for a new REU entering the research environment.  Feel free to include any parting words, as well.  Also, share a picture of your poster, presentation or paper on your final blog.

Reflection about the ethics discussion..

I feel extremely lucky I was able to attend the ethics discussion with our very own Professor at the University of Minnesota. It was very interesting to hear how Engineering is viewed by others, and the true importance of it. Backing up a bit more, when I think of ethics the first thing I think of is what is the RIGHT thing when no one is looking? My ultimate dream within obtaining a Mechanical Engineering degree is to work defense company. Something about keeping our country safe through defense is inspiring and patriotic. However the question arises, is it ethical what we are creating to keep our country safe? Those lines become extremely blurred, and something we as people will be debating within ourselves forever. On to my research; I'm in the process of completing our DAQ system of the HST Turbine. There was a trip to UMN- Morris campus where there is a Wind Turbine for research and it has been extremely inspiring. The noises a turbine makes is like a scream as it cuts through the air, just simply surreal. It's hard to believe the research is winding down.

Week 7 Blog

I know it's a little late, but it slipped my mind the other weekend and I'm trying to win that amazon gift card..

I knew I wanted to be an engineer in the 5th grade when I failed. I couldn't successfully switch out my electric scooter's back tire for a bike tire so that I could add gears to the electric scooter. Everyday after school I would run to my garage and try and figure out how to get the new idea working. The farthest I got was down the driveway and then the back wheel proceeded to fall off. So why did I realized I wanted to be an engineer when I was frustrated and failing? Because I wanted the resources to finish that project. Knowledge, funding and guidance is all I wanted back then. So I'm glad I failed.

Back to my research... I finally got my heat transfer to successfully incorporate itself in the net heat release calculations, improving the accuracy of the calculation! Now I have the goal of installing a raw O2 sensor in the exhaust system. This is proving difficult because of the lack of information on the part and there is no corresponding controller. I'm going to try and figure it out with our systems and if I cant, we are looking at buying the controller to go along with it. That's all for my research.

Have a good week.

-Brad

The Balance Between Personal and Public Use of Land

With a rapid increase in the world's population comes a vast increase of necessity as well. The demand for utilities such as water, electricity and gas, among others, keeps rising day by day and such needs require for the expanding of current available technology. Unfortunately, the companies that provide such utilities do require space to meet the needs of its customers, and sometimes these companies attempt to find the cheapest alternatives to do so. Reading the two articles on this issue I found myself supporting the side of those private landowners, whose land means more to them than to giant corporations seeking to use it. I believe that companies should not be able to forcefully expand pipelines under the land of private landowners because it is ethically wrong. I think that companies should find alternative routes that use public land rather than private ones. In the case that it cannot be done, companies should try their best to financially compensate families for the land that they use, and not only so, but make the pipelines as safe as they can to the best of their abilities. The companies should try to cause as small of a disturbance as possible when doing so, provide proper maintenance, and provide financial compensation in case of accidents.

The value of and the balance between land and energy

First and foremost I think there need to be a balance between the publics demand for pipelines and personal values of land. What must be taken into account by pipeline builders is lost value of land and cost of pipeline construction; with this they should find the "cheapest" route. So if land owners do happen to suffer the presence of a pipeline, the should receive reimbursement financially. I just don't think there is a way around the need for pipelines considering the time and effort needed to become either more efficient or natural gas independent.

Engineers are behind the scenes with these projects, but they should act as though the public is watching their work. The engineers need to truly consider that balance I mentioned earlier. It may be hard to undermine all the business savages, but playing off a truly balanced value pipeline as the most cost efficient will keep them happy.

Anyways, I'm excited to see what our Ethics discussion has in store for us today!

Values of Land and Energy

The conflict between personal interests and public interests is a common issue that comes with decisions made by higher ups. Because in the end, it is impossible to satisfy everybody's needs. It is true that providing cheaper energy for the public will benefit a lot of people, but on the other hand it is true somebody has to suffer from it. Unfortunately, I simply do not have enough knowledge to make a judgement whether this project will do more harm than good. In the end, the most important aspect to making such decisions is to consider the overall picture in order to maximize the pros and minimize the cons done to society. This includes the short term and long term consequences of large scale operations. From reading the articles, the short term effects are obvious. The public values of providing cheaper energy and the personal values of tearing down land will be a imminent result from building the natural gas pipeline. The longer term effects are extremely difficult to predict. And this is actually where engineers do play an important role in this controversial subject.

One of the main concerns is the dangers of hydraulic fracturing. This method is relatively new and has become quite popular in harvesting natural gas. However, the long term consequences have not been decisive as there are cases where leaks occur and cases where they do not. These factors are decided by how the pipelines are built and ultimately engineers are the ones who design them. I believe it is the engineers' responsibility to firstly choose whether to partake in potentially risky projects and if they do, to do the best of their ability to prevent accidents from happening.

Ethical Engineering Decisions

Advancing technology (especially energy sources) to be beneficial to cities, societies, and the people in them is, is without doubt a good thing. When I was first reading each of these articles, I was siding with the natural gas companies. My thoughts were that these normal everyday farmers and landowners were just being stubborn and unwilling to change for the better. After all, these pipes are going to be unseen underground, yield minimum restrictions to the property owner's land, get paid by the government for the land, and the New England area will have a more direct, cheaper source of natural gas. This all sounded good to me, and I felt as if the land owners would agree with the decision after a few years. 

But upon pondering this issue, I feel like I have a more complete understanding of what is really going on. I am not so sure the natural gas corporations are innocently trying to give a cheaper product to the New England area. These guys are thinking about the increase in revenue. They, the corporations, say that they are installing this pipeline will tremendously drive down the cost for the homeowner's and industry's energy bill. Is this what will really happen? No, what will happen is that the corporations will say that they have to pay for the construction cost of the pipeline and that they wont have the same (or more) profit margins if the price is decreased for the New England natives. So the first problem is the cost will remain high.

Another supporting argument that the companies are only looking out for their profit margins, is how they seem to treat the citizens of the towns whose land will be interrupted. I feel like their attitudes, especially with the case in Pennsylvania, are along the lines of we will listen to what you have to say to a point, but it doesn't matter anyways because we are going to lay a pipeline wether you agree or not. They have the power to do this because they know that their monetary power can persuade the elected government representatives to allow them "eminent domain". I believe this is particularly wrong when the corporations are trying to bury their pipes right through the middle of a nature preserve. That precisely contradicts what it means to preserve the land. This is problematic because if this ideology is allowed to progress, Yosemite will be made into a land mine so that a company in Silicon Valley will save $5 a month on their electric bill. I am no tree hugger or extreme nature conservationist, but I do have a problem with a monopolistic company being allowed to destroy everything in its path so that its profits will increase. 

The last problem that I see with this decision is how little the companies are willing to negotiate with the local citizens. Each of the articles read as if the companies can roll over anything that the locals say by appealing to the federal and state governments. Do the people's concerns matter at all? I feel like one way to improve this situation is to really be serious about compensating the natives. This can be done in two ways. First, the upfront payment for the landowner's land can be more substantial. I guarantee that the land that these pipeline companies want is worth much more to them than the appraised value of the land. So the companies can estimate what the land is really worth to them based on the profits that they expect to gain. The second option is to introduce a monthly plan to the residents of disturbed land. This can be thought of as the corporations have to pay rent for their pipes to be buried in the landowners earth. The owners of the land may even be able to set their cost to rent the space. If the corporation thinks that the owner's price is set too high, they can choose a different route in search of cheaper option, or take the financial blow, like everyone else in the economic society has to. If either of these options were implemented, the deal would be more mutually beneficial. The new technologic expansion would happen, benefitting the natural gas industry, while the landowners would get an increase in wealth for renting out their land. 

Engineering decisions should be made on this basis: what is the best, most mutually beneficial option that will progress the health, well-being, and opportunity of the society. The natural gas pipeline decision appears to not place much emphasis on the well-being of anyone who is in the path of the pipeline route. 

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my opinions. Sorry for any errors that might be present in my spelling, grammar or logic. 

Chris Maurice            

Week 7

I don't know when I wanted to become an engineer but all my life I've been dealing with putting stuff together and taking it apart. From Lego blocks to computers to cars, I've been putting things together and taking them apart.

For me when I learn about how something works its either winging it or I've read or heard about how something works. I can't dictate when I understood how things work because everyday is a learning experience. My problem-solving skills grew overtime due to being taught by my parents and teachers how to figure things out with what you got. It also helps that I'm a gamer because gaming deals with a lot of problem solving whether it be simple or complicated. 

Another reason I became an engineer is because I am a hands-on learner and I don't want to behind a desk for extended amounts of time. Also the pay is sweet!

Land, Energy, and the Engineers

Public and personal values of land and energy often disagree—especially when one’s interests threaten those of the others. The two articles, “A Pipeline Threatens Our Family Land” and “Natural Gas Pipeline Plan Creates Rift in Massachusetts,” are told from landowners’ perspectives in response to natural gas pipelines potentially dissecting their land. Introducing the pipelines would involve tearing up the land and requiring the landowners to maintain a clear path along the pipeline. Should a landowner refuse to comply, the pipeline companies would invoke the federal right of eminent domain.

The disagreement between the public and personal values may stem from a lack of understanding and negotiation. From the companies’ perspective, the pipelines serve the interest of the public and the private landowners will also benefit. Therefore, the disagreement from one landowner should not be enough to compromise a $3 billion project that could benefit many people. From the landowner’s perspective, the companies lack respect for their private ownership, alternative energy solutions may exist, and the “negotiations” are a façade because landowners will be strong-armed into compliance if they don’t comply willingly. Neither the corporations nor the landowners approach the disagreement with an earnest appreciation for the other’s interests, which is often the first step to a peaceful negotiation.

Engineers have the power to bridge the disconnect between corporations and people. Engineers understand the practical implications of introducing new pipelines. They could respond to the concerns of land-owners with critical analyses. They could validate alternative solutions and discuss them with corporations. Engineers bring evidence, and the potential to find the best solution for all involved. 

Engineering Ethics

I think it be incredibly intimidating to think we are all entering this field of engineering that can often be very controversial. While engineers make a vast positive impact on the world, some initiatives can have negative side effects like discussed in the pipeline articles. As I was reading the discussions about personal vs. public property, I began relating it all to bioengineering as I have a lot of interest in the medical sciences. Many of my classes at University of Illinois have discussed things from stem cell research to genetically modified organisms. Where do we draw the line between respecting tradition and the ways things have always been done and pushing limits to truly innovate? Ethics is clearly a concern in all types of engineering and I look forward to learning more!

week 5

Its been basically the same with me coming to the same school I go to for research but I have learned new things such as how to use Jack Simulation and how to use the Microsoft Kinect with it. I also enjoy spending time with my research associates and with our Ph.D student. Not much else except this:

These are my coworkers Shae and Kiffinae and man are they funny!

Week 8

To be honest, as being from Pennsylvania (about 75 miles Northeast of the intended route for the Central Penn Line) and attending school in New England (the Kinder Morgan Pipeline), I know a bit about the situation in Lancaster, less so with the situation in New England as I am more acquainted with the Northeast's attempts at alternative energy such as wind and solar, and having been to that area of the state a few times over the years, I feel I may be a bit biased about anything that occurs within the state.  Also, growing up on a fairly large plot of land, in the middle of the woods nonetheless, I believe that public value of the land is important but not as important as personal value of the land.  Especially when it comes to pipelines and how the maintenance of the pipelines and trails caused by the pipelines will fall upon the owners of the land and how any sort of issues with the pipes (leakage, etc.) could harm the people living on the land.  Also, given that these are privately owned pipelines by companies such as Kinder Morgan and Williams, it has no benefit to the people who privately own the land who wound subsequently have to maintain the land (especially the farmers whose land they plan on cutting through, but Williams has stated that they can just plant on top of the pipelines! No problem!).  So, ideally for companies such as the two aforementioned companies they have the pleasure of not having to maintain anything other than the pipe and if there is no evidence of something like a pipe leak have no need to maintain the area at all, thus the burden of maintenance will fall on the owners of the land.  Specifically with regards to the Central Penn Line that will be running through Lancaster it would be degrading to the land in the area, especially the watershed areas and forests, that would be - in my opinion - detrimental to the area as a whole, especially with the amount of funds that Lancaster has put into land conservation.  Given that the plans will be running through protected lands in the Fishing Creek Nature Preserve could have a huge impact on the quality of the water is considered to be exceptional and has globally rare fish that is only found in the Chesapeake watershed, the Chessie (Chesapeake Logperch) and would break up protected lands in the area.  Then there's the whole other issue of the Central Penn Line attempting to run through Amish-held land, which I'm not going to get into.  Long story short, seizing privately held land, or land that is under conservation, and building a pipeline through it under eminent domain laws, forcing the burden of maintaining the land onto the property owners, subsequently making the land harder to insure and decreasing property values is not something that I agree with - or am comfortable with - on any level from a personal standpoint.

From an engineering standpoint, I do understand the need for expanding the infrastructure of the country to better suit the growing energy needs.  I especially understand the need of avoiding the transport of natural gas via trains given how poorly the rail cars for carrying oil are designed and the oil industries lack of willingness to switch to rail cars that don't explode while carrying crude oil.  However, I do not believe that digging through conserved land and forcing property owners to let pipelines be built through their land is the proper answer, especially with the risks involved of having a pipeline run through the area.  I think, the priority of engineers should be working on improving the quality of the piping, improving the ease of maintenance, along with researching the areas through which the pipes can be run in a way that will have the least effect the environment.  Ideally, though, I do agree with Tim that the best solution would be a decentralized grid with a focus off of fossil fuels, which is something that Nescoe and New England are trying to do with larger sections of wind farms (off shore and on shore), solar, and other alternative energy sources.  I believe that Engineers should be trying to switch away from conventional fossil-fuel dependent energy sources and try to improve alternative energy sources, as we are meant to be trying to help people (in my personal opinion, anyway) and hurting the environment is not a good way to go about doing so.  Unfortunately, given that decentralized grid is unlikely to happen due to big business lobbying in the government, working to improve the pipelines and find the best routes that do not impact conserved land or large patches of people's property should be the top priority of engineers involved with the projects.

Wow, this wound up being longer than I planned on it being, but being from near an area of one of the proposed pipelines I have had a lot of exposure to the discussion previously.

Week 7

I realized i wanted to be an engineer when i was in 8th grade and we were making rockets in shop class. That's when i wanted to learn about how the rocket worked and how much thrust was needed in order for it to take flight. I always had a question for everything, "how does that work?" My thirst for knowing how things worked lead me down the path of engineering. If it was possible to have a major that had all the engineering disciplines i would definitely be in it. Mechanical, electrical, civil, etc... i like it all. Ever since i was little i wanted to be able to design a car or motorcycle, and that hasn't changed. I also think about how to make things better every single day. I have a couple ideas ranging from creating certain apps to developing various household products that can improve the quality of life for people. Hopefully one of my ideas will actually become a product in the near future.

*Update*- I have finally figured out how to create sites for joints on Jack and now i am proceeding to create a task simulation and collect assessment reports on the individual tasks that the virtual humans will be doing. Everything is coming together perfectly even though it took me forever to figure out how to create a site for a joint.

Land, Energies, Engineers and the little guy in the middle.

This is something that I feel very strongly about, and that is the siezure of land by one private entity from another. Unlike critical infastrucutre such as roads or parks, that are paid for and used by the public piplines are built by private entities. They are not a public resource or infastrucutre, they are a private investment and with the exception on taxes paid from profits the public sees no other benifit. It is amazing that one private entity can build something to profit from, and then ask landowners to help foot the bill of maintence. This is futher complicated by the argument that more gas will lower prices which is unfortunatly not true. It is well documented that there is already a surplus causing rock bottom pricing, and it is doubtful that futher supply would continue to drop pricing.
So this means for the engineer working on the pipeline they are implicit in siezing someone else land, building underneath it and then asking the landowners to maintain the surface above it. It is equivilant to asking suburbanites to maintain grass free strips on thier front lawn so the utilites can more quickly access thier pipes. What we need to do sooner is develop a decentralized grid, not reliant on fossil fuels so that the need for large trips of land to move energy around the country is reduced, but as long as the little guys and gals have less power and not government granted monopolies people will continue to suffer.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/natural-gas-prices-drop-on-greater-than-expected-surplus-1405004266
http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-17167.pdf

Land/Energy Use, & How Engineers Can Help

     As someone who has ties both to the engineering and environmental justice communities, the issues of land and energy use and how engineers interact with those issues are very important to me. As far as land/energy use policies go, I understand that the public depends on infrastructure -- often built on private property -- for their heating, electrical, and water needs. On the other hand, I also understand that few communities are happy about the risks usually associated with such infrastructure (e.g. gas/oil leaks, water contamination, flooding, ecosystem disruption, etc.). I believe proper land/energy use should try to balance the immediate needs of the larger public with the rights of landowners and the needs of smaller communities.
      That being said, I think engineers can help find this balance by reducing the risks associated with proposed and existing infrastructure, and also by reducing the demand for new infrastructure. For example, engineers can help reduce the risk of a gas leak by designing better pipelines, or by outlining safer operating conditions. Likewise, engineers can help reduce the need for a new gas pipeline by improving the efficiency of appliances that run on natural gas.
      Of course, the work of engineers is only helpful if people choose to use it. I can design a leakage-resistant pipeline, but it's not helpful if my bosses decide that it's too expensive compared to a less safe alternative. I see a few options for dealing with this dilemma as an engineer: I can attempt to design a product that both solves the problem and is cheaper than its alternatives, or I can try to work for a company that considers the public's needs, desires, and rights alongside its own profit. Neither of these is a great solution, especially in an uncertain job market where engineers may feel they have no choice in employer or project, but I still feel that it's important for engineers to take some responsibility for how their products are used.

When did I know I wanted to be an Engineer?

Hey CCEFP, So when did I know I wanted to be an Engineer? That's a great question. It all started when I was younger and coming home from school I'd watch my grandfather work on cars. Occasionally I would lend a hand and watch him assemble parts, and modify items to get them to properly work. Over the years as my grandpa became unable to work on cars as much I slowly began to have an appreciation for everything he did. Watching him measure fluids and repairing a junk car was simply amazing. However it just wasn't my grandpa who I am thankful for getting me into Engineering. It's also been my brothers, whenever I needed something that required taking apart, they were always the first to bring out the saws, drills, manuals, and often time just rig something to work. I'll never forget a few days before the football season started I needed a saftey neck collar. I ordered one online and to my disappointment it didn't fit. My oldest brother Tony brought out screws, measuring tape, and staples to make it work. I was simply inspired by everyone. Finally I decided to pursue my dreams, and proud to say I am Engineering student, the first of my family. While the road hasn't been the easiest, it's been rewarding.

Land certainly has different values from different perspectives. From a personal view, it is something that you personally own and can do what you will with. However, from a public view, some amount of land also has to be used to support infrastructure. When these two views collide, as we see in the article, I think that it becomes very difficult to find the right course. Our society is supposedly built on not putting the group before any one individual, but at the same time that individual will still be consuming some of the energy that becomes available. In light of energy use, I think that it is fair to ask someone to have a pipeline go through their land. However, I also believe that it should be made as safe as possible, and that the individuals sacrificing their land should get full recompense for the lost property, plus the possible decrease in property value. I believe that engineers come into this equation by studying and implementing ways to minimize loss of property, maximize safety, and plan routes so that the least possible impact is felt. If full recompense is given, safety is maximized, and impact of the gas line/project is minimized, I believe that it is ethical.

Week Eight

It's hard to know where exactly to stand on the issues presented in the two gas pipeline articles. On the one hand, no one wants the environment they live in to be overdeveloped or commercialized, but at the same time, we all still depend heavily on fuel and would be just as angry to suddenly be short on it or to have to pay exorbitantly high energy rates. Consequently, I don't really think it's an engineers responsibility to make decisions for the public, but rather to help them truly understand all the options.

Scientists and engineers have an upper hand on both the public and the corporations in cases like this because they understand better than anyone what the implications of certain technologies actually are. To someone in the neighborhood, an oil pipeline seems corrupt and disruptive; to the head of a fuel company, it sounds like a big moneymaking prospect. An engineer, however, has the ability to actually examine the proposal from a scientific perspective, gleaning its pros and cons and determining whether it is in fact better than other options.

Thus, while engineers often get lost in the background of these projects with corporate PR people doing most of the dealings with the public, I think it is the ethical responsibility of all scientists to help people understand the technologies they specialize in so that they can make informed decisions. Maybe people would be okay with gas pipelines if it ended up saving them money on energy, or maybe they would rather pay the extra while seeking alternative forms of fuel; either way, the best way for the public to form their opinion is if they are equipped with all the facts. Corporations have an agenda and therefore can't always provide this unbiased information, but scientists and engineers can, and thus it is important for them to act as a go-between in these kinds of controversies.


NOTE TO DONNY: Black Panther appreciates the recognition of her bowling abilities, and is still reveling the aftermath of her very graceful strike.

Week 8

Engineers can sometimes be viewed in a cold and calculating light and often times I can see where both sides make valid arguments. No one should have their property, that holds so many of their cherished memories, torn away from them. While at the same time, humans are constantly progressing and change is an inevitable and a natural part of modern day civilization. Engineers get the bad reputation of unintentionally destroying peoples personal valuables by building new structures that are more efficient and utilize better technology. But if you look at the big picture, engineers are just trying to help accommodate everyone by making energy systems more efficient and more available to all citizens. For example here at the U of M, a new oil line was turned down by the residents here because it was deemed 'Dangerous' and people thought it was infringing on their rights. But when I drive by the area where it was to be built, I see them shipping the oil by train! This seems like a much more costly and dangerous solution than just building the pipeline in the first place. There is a healthy balance between what the numbers say and what the people say, but often times the result is leaning heavily towards one extreme.

Week 7

Hey y'all.

So, engineering for me was one of those things that was just natural, I guess.  I come from a family with a large number of engineers in it (primarily EE) so I grew up around engineering and in a family with a large emphasis on the STEM fields.  I think the first time I realized I really wanted to be an Engineer was in high school though, starting to apply for colleges when I had to actually start thinking about what I wanted to go to school for.  I've always enjoyed math and science, more applied than theoretical, and I always enjoyed talking to the engineers I knew about what they were designing.  The exposure from my family was definitely a big influence on what I wanted to do, though Mechanical and EE are closely intertwined they aren't overly similar.  I originally started out with acoustics (a subset of Mechanical) and would, ultimately, probably enjoy doing thermofluids-related acoustics or power-related acoustics, which combines my enjoyment of STEM and music, a hobby I really need to get back into.  I also always was more analytical and enjoyed problem solving, so engineering just made sense.  I mean, I can't really think of any other major that I would enjoy as much as engineering (mechanical or EE, as I have done way more EE than originally planned by my university's mechanical curriculum), especially with how my senior year will be starting in just over a month.

Research is going fairly well, right now I'm working on coding some proof-of-concept pressure sensors for one of the HPEH devices while awaiting parts to come in so I can begin designing static pressure sensor circuits (more specifically, figuring out which op-amps to use in order to optimize the circuit for voltage output).  I've updated some reports from previous undergrads that have worked on the HPEH projects either through REUs or as part of undergrad coursework at GT as I have modified some of the parts they had previously created.

- Tanya

Week 7 Post

Hi everyone!

I didn't decide to be an engineer until my senior year of high school.  Science and math were always my favorite subjects, but I didn't really begin seriously considering what my major would be until I began applying to colleges over the summer of senior year.  Since I preferred the more applied parts of science and math (rather than the theoretical), I decided to apply to mostly engineering schools.

As for a research update, I have been running a lot of tests on my lubricant filtration test stand here at MSOE these past few weeks.  Though I haven't quite put my finger on it yet, I think I am very close to solving the research problem presented to me seven weeks ago.  My project is to determine why a return line filter generated more static electric charge than a similar tank mounted filter.  After my most recent rounds of testing, I believe that the difference in charge generation is caused by the different types of filter bowl materials and layouts.

-Sophia Dolan

Week 8 Topic and REU Webcast

Meeting Name: 2014 REU CCEFP Special Topic Webcast Series
Invited: REU Students of the CCEFP
Summary: Special topic presentations conducted by guests of CCEFP
Invited By: Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 1:00 pm Eastern / 12:00 pm Central

Presentation:

"Everything You Needed to Know About Ethics Awareness" by Professor Jennifer Alexander, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Homework:
Please read these articles and prepare a blog in preparation for the webcast.

Blog Topic: 
Students should consider the relationship between the personal and public values of land and energy, and should consider how engineers, who usually work privately and quietly, might be connected to this large and controversial subject.

• "A Pipeline Threatens Our Family Land," by Ann Neumann, NYT July 12, 2014
• "Natural Gas Pipeline Plan Creates Rift in Massachusetts", by Tom Zeller, Jr., NYT July 10, 2014

Instructions:
To participate in the teleconference, dial: (866) 865-2157 ; enter the conference number: 7519913217#.
To view the presentation: https://umconnect.umn.edu/webcast2014/

Why engineering? (and a research update)

Hi everyone,

     I only decided I wanted to be an engineer fairly recently - I'm still not sure which discipline (civil
or mechanical) I want to be. Engineering has been on my list of possible careers for a while, probably since sophomore or junior year of high school. However, when I applied to colleges, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to study. I was considering German, archaeology, architecture, physics, and engineering, so it didn't really make sense for me to attend a school that forced you to pick a major when you applied. By the end of my first year at college (after I had taken courses in most of my potential majors), it became clear to me that I was most interested in physics or engineering. Only in the past year (my sophomore year of college) did I realize that pure physics was not the path for me - while the more theoretical physics was OK to learn about, I loved the more practical-oriented sections of my physics courses (DAQ systems, designing electrical circuits, etc.)

EOH robot competition - an annual favorite of mine

    While I only recently decided engineering was right for me, I've been interested in engineering since quite a young age. My family visited the U of I's Engineering Open House every year since I was five or six years old, and that weekend was often a high point of my spring semesters growing up. I was really fascinated by the thousand cool things you could do with physics, chemistry, and various types of engineering, especially as I got older and could understand more and more of the science behind the exhibits. I guess those weekends at EOH were really the first time I was interested in engineering. The different design challenge exhibits (such as the egg drop, newspaper tower, aluminum foil   boat, toothpick bridge, etc.) always drew me in, and I would spend hours designing my structure, testing it, and trying to improve it. So I guess that I've loved those aspects of engineering for nearly my whole life, even though I didn't focus in on them until recently.



     As for my research, it's starting to intensify. My post-doc mentor has returned, so we're really starting to dig into debugging the hydro-mechanical transmission model. In the next week we also hope to build a model of a different configuration option for the same transmission, and determine which configuration would be better to use in real-life applications (one option requires a very costly component, but the other option might not operate very well).

Week 7

Hello everybody,

So when did I know that I wanted to be an engineer? I have always wanted to be an engineer, right!? Not right. It wasn't until my later years of high school that I chose to pursue the engineering course of life. My ideal professions went something like this: when I was around 5-10 I wanted to be a farmer (obviously because I wanted to be just like dad), after that I dreamed of being an astronaut (that was my space kick that never really left), next I kind of forgot about what I wanted to be when I was older because I had more important things going on like puberty, sports, and this terrible institution called middle school, and finally around my junior year of high school I realized that engineering would be rather neat. I have always been good with STEM related material and I am good at working with my hands so it was a perfect fit. I could also pursue my love of space by becoming an aerospace engineer.

As for a research update, my research is going well. That is all for now.

This post is dedicated to Xris, Black Panther , and Fire Fly for their wicked awesome bowling skillz.

-Don

Week 7

To be honest, I never really understood why I wanted to become an engineer. I've always been a wishy washy person and never had a set goal in mind about my future. Math and science were my favorite subjects so I figured choosing engineering would be the most logical choice. I guess my interests in building legos or making awesome hot wheel race tracks are the closest thing to why I chose mechanical engineering. But pretty much everyone I knew loved playing around with toys like that!

The robotics REU student and I have finally finished building the prototype to rotate the arm. The next step is to test the pneumatic actuator as it is necessary to generate the muscle neuron response with precision of just several milliseconds. The largest challenge we are facing is finding an instrument that can give us confidence that the precision is indeed correct. We are currently testing various leftover accelerometers and encoders to determine which one has a sampling rate higher than a thousand per second. There are only two weeks left before my partner leaves, so we are trying our best to make the finished product fulfilling all the requirements.

And thanks for your post Don! The humid heat of the South is not nearly as bad the scorching dry heat of the desert. I'm at least willing to go out and sight-see in Atlanta's weather. I'm glad you're enjoying the plentiful breakfast foods in Milwaukee.

Week 7

I suppose like most young engineers I was always a tinkerer. From helping my dad get our snowmobiles running to taking apart all of my toys and putting them back together. I was fascinated by how things worked and how much more advanced we have become in just 50 years by looking at all the old equipment on my grandfather's farm as a child. In high school I was a little discouraged when I found out how much math there is involved in engineering. Fortunately, I was able to take an engineering course in high school that allowed me to 3D print tools/parts and covered a lot of what engineers do today. It really struck me at that moment that this is what I wanted to do with my life.

As for a research update I have finished one of my projects, the pilot operated check valve demonstrator (just working out a few kinks), and am in the process of setting up my test circuit for modeling the different check valve poppet styles. I have almost completed machining my check valve manifold design (machining is a lot harder than I thought!) and that should be the last of what I need for my data acquisition. Can't wait to begin taking some real data and seeing what is actually going on in there!

Week 7 from Vandy

Hey guys! I hope everything is well in your part of the country.

Studying engineering has always seemed so obvious to me growing up, even if I didn't know exactly what the discipline completely entailed. During my adolescent years, my time after school was spent working with my dad on various projects around the house, in the yard, and especially on the family cars. This type of work was never really optional, or something that I ever even took pride in. It was just normal activity that was a part of life for me.

So, when time came along to begin making decisions about areas to study in college, I was able to study what engineering was all about. After understanding that engineers build, problem solve, and work on mechanical projects all day, it seemed so obvious to pursue this field. It has allowed me to take pride in and use the skills that I grew up learning, as well as further develop and learn new analytical methods to aid in problem solving. I am now a senior in school, and looking back it is hard for me to see any area that would fit me better than engineering.

My research is really advancing nicely. I have been testing a material known as Metal Rubber to see how its resistance changes when incremental loads are applied. Testing this material has lead to an opportunity to write a portion of a conference paper, where I describe my testing methods and give an analysis of the results that were found. I do like to write, so I saw this to be a pretty cool opportunity!

Have a nice weekend!

Chris Maurice
Auburn University
Senior - Mechanical Engineering

Tim's thinking.

I am not really sure if I ever decided I wanted to be an engineer, life just kind of pointed me at this path. My father used to play chess with my grandad, and I always wanted to play, but he told me that first I had to just sit and watch, and learn how to play that way first. So for hour upon hour I would sit in silence watching my dad and grandad in their mental duel, moving pieces with care and thought, and somewhere in those hours I developed a real skill for being able to stare at something and quickly figure it out. Fast forward and here I am at Illinois staring at people walking and graphs of CO2 tank pressure outputs and figuring out what is going on.

Emily the Engineer

Hi y'all. Hope everyone is well. Can you guys believe we only have 3 more weeks left!!!

Honestly, I don't think I really wanted to be an engineer until it came time to start filling out those college applications. When I was little I KNEW I wanted to be a teacher, then later I was convinced I could make it as an artist, and as I got older, my interest in Biology and Chemistry led me to want to be a doctor.

My parents really pushed me to pursue engineering. When I discovered bioengineering I was excited that it encompassed all my previously desired career paths. I could still be a teacher if I wanted by becoming an engineering professor. I could still be an "artist" by working an industry job designing medicines or prosthetics. And I could still be a doctor as bioengineering fulfills many premed requirements. I love the flexibility of my field and am excited to see where it takes me.

Shout out to my roomie from Bootcamp Hannah! Looks like you are having a blast up in Minnesota :)

The Est. of Kiffinae, The Engineer

HEYYYY YALLLLLL!!!!!!


Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summer!  Alyssa, at 9 months that is AWSOME! I see a future engineer or maybe even expert scientist in the near future.


  I first started to show interest in learning in my 4th grade math class.  I was the only one that would volunteer to do problems on the board even if I had no clue what I was doing. (lol) My interest of knowledge continued with me til about 6th grade then I "became a teenager" or "too cool for school". My sophomore year of high is when my love for knowledge came back to me...That kinda sounds a little corny BUT that's ok:) I've always been the one to modify all ways of doing things growing up but  became a problem solver my freshman year of high school.  My first inclination towards engineering was when I was at an all womens engineering conference at Gerogia Tech when, I think, I was about to go into 8th grade of 9th grade.  Seeing other women achieving such greatness was a amazing and for me, an African American woman, it made me want to strive to become great because I am a double minority.  Learning the numbers from what you can make in a year, to how many engineers are needed, to only a certain amount are pursing engineering made me pick engineering in general to major in.  At the same conference I heard a woman who was an INdustrial Engineer speak and she reminded me so much of myself so I decided to research the major to gain more information.  The more I found out, the more I loved ISE!!! I knew it because it was an obvious happy medium for me.  I could, depending on which route I decide to take talk to customers...I LOVE TO TALK!(lol)....or I could be more hands on, such as manufactoring or maintainence. 


I am so happy that I am an engineer in the making! #ISE








Peace, Love, Happiness,




Kiffinae Sanders

Week Seven

I'd never actually thought about it much before this blog post, but I've had an interest in problem-solving ever since I was a kid. When I was in elementary school, I used to come up with little inventions all the time and build them out of things I found around the house (most often cardboard and scotch tape, high-tech of materials that they are). I made a little box that could sort coins for you (apparently it was too inefficient to sort out my tooth-fairy money by hand), an extendable straw that enabled me to drink out of the bathroom faucet while sitting in my bedroom, and a press-down waffle cutter that could cut my Eggo's in the exact same proportion every morning (note: this one never came to full fruition, as I wasn't allowed to use any materials sharp enough to successfully cut through the waffle).

Looking back, everything I built was largely unnecessary, but it was still a chance for me to identify problems I faced in my life (and what delightfully simple problems they were back then!) and come up with a plausible and efficient solution. I've never really put two and two together before, but now that I'm thinking about it, it's no surprise I've ended up on the path that I'm on and with the academic interests that I have.

As far as a research update goes, you all got a fairly good recap of our project at the webcast on Wednesday, but I'll hit the highlights anyway. We've finished up all our testing with Newtonian fluids and have found that the symmetric depth texture reduces friction somewhat more than the linear slope depth texture and certainly more than no textures at all. We then wanted to investigate what would happen with non-Newtonian fluids, so we've mixed up several samples of polyisobutylene (PIB) in mineral oil and are now running tests with that.

This fluid is slightly shear-thinning and produces normal forces at high shear rates, which is very interesting and obviously different than what we were testing with before. We're only partway through testing right now, but so far we've observed that, while the symmetric depth texture reduces friction significantly, the linear slope depth texture hardly differs from our flat plate reference. Right now, I'm working on testing with different concentrations of the PIB solution, as well as with samples that contain PIB of a higher molecular weight than before, so it will be interesting to see if the results are dependent on either of these factors.

Hope everyone's had a good week!

Nikita

Week 7 Blog: When did you know you were an engineer? Plus, update us on your research, please!

Most of you have just over three weeks left of your summer research experience.  Can you believe it!?  Time does fly -- and it does so faster as we age!  I can say so from experience. 

Speaking of growing up....

Week 7 Blog Topic:   When did you know you were an engineer?  Plus, a brief research update.

I have a nephew, Elijah, who I easily identified as a budding engineer, even at 9 months of age.  I took him for a bike ride, we stopped for a picnic, and he observed that if he moved the bike wheel back and forth, the pedals moved simultaneously.  He put the two and two together.  (You can catch it on YouTube, if you'd like:  Elijah is a Little Engineer.)  Since then, he's always had an affinity for understanding how things work.  It's fascinating!   His mom, my sister, posted a picture of him at daycare just this week, learning how to launch rockets.  Knowing Elijah, he's less interested in the rocket and more interested in learning about how the gadget operates.  And you best bet, I'll be the auntie encouraging him to pursue engineering in fluid power! 

 

So, when did you know you like to understand how things work?  How to problem-solve?  How to make something better?  How to tinker? When did you realized that you had an inclination towards engineering?  What was the thing that first garnered your attention?  Share with us how, when and why you knew you'd be an engineer! 

Also, now that you're in the depths of your project, give us a research update as well.  Especially since you had a blog break last week. 

Thank you!!

Alyssa

Week 5

Hey y'all, sorry my week 5 post is terribly late, but better late than never, I suppose.  Anyway, I'm really enjoy the Atlanta area and GT thus far, exploring the city and greater Atlanta area has been a lot of fun.  I've done some less tourist-y things, along with some of the more "must hit" kind of tourist things, like the Aquarium and the High Museum of Art (which had a pretty stellar dream car exhibit, if nothing else as I don't quite get modern art).  I've gone to a few of the outdoor festivals in the area, along with some Georgia Tech-run things, like a performance of The 39 Steps which was well done.  So yeah, so far I'd say exploring the area has been going pretty well.

Hope everyone else is having a good summer.

- Tanya

Week 5 - Random Stuff

My Project

The free piston engine I'm working with is very interesting and cool to me. The way the piston pairs work and the capabilities of this engine intrigue me very much. However, the specific spot in research we have come to is a little repetitive and less intriguing. I have found myself often manipulation test data processing in matlab, and I believe this will continue as we proceed with more test data to determine the system's optimal settings. I do see the importance in this process though and am excited to help out!

The 4th of July

On another note, the 4th was great! Hope everyone had a good one too. Some friends and I got a party bus out to Lake Minnetonka, where we took a couple boats out to lake Minnetonka for the day. There were some bruises and headaches, but overall a successful 4th!

Week 5 Post (Late)

Hey everybody,

I know this is technically week 6, but seeing as how I forgot to post for week 5 I am taking care of that now. Since this is a open blog topic I am going to talk about brunch. So you all may remember that I am from Wisconsin and am doing research at MSOE. While I have been to Milwaukee plenty of times in my life, I have never lived here. After living here for over a month I can safely say that this city is obsessed with brunch. Literally every bar, restaurant, and food eatery serves brunch, and I love it! I personally believe that breakfast food is the best food ever. I would eat breakfast for every meal if I could. As you can imagine this brunch seen is right up my alley. So if any of you every want to get brunch with me I'll be in Milwaukee until August 8th! 

I dedicate this post to Jonathan. I hope that you are enjoying the humid heat of the South. I also hope that you are not spending all of your time indoors. 

- Don

My 4th of July Wknd

Hey Hey Hey,


I have yet to upload any of our photos taken as a whole but trust me they are coming.lol.  Since this is kind of a less formal blog this week i decided that it would be kind of appropriate to use (LOL) in at least one sentence.lol. But last weekend, 4th of July wknd, I was fortunate enough to travel back to home( ATL).  This was only my second time being home since school ended at the begining of May.  Although I am not allowed to stay home for more than a weekend due to work and being in school I did not think I would have that much fun.  Little to my surprise, I DID!!!! It was soooooo great as always to be around and spend time with my family but not even that I was able to see friends that I haven't seen all year.  We went to the city and went to a few parties but laying in my own bed was probably THE most exciting thing.lol.  This summer has been AWwSOME! I have met soo many new people and traveled a few places that have brought me extreme joy.  As this summer continues I would like to go on more adventures and of course learn new things! "A brain is a terrible thing to waste!"


Peace, Love and Happiness,


Kiffinae Sanders

Week 5

G'day all, better late then never as they say.

My situation is different then many of you, I am 29 and married and this is the second summer I have spent away from my wife and dogs. I wanted to share the importance of having someone in your life who will support you no matter what difficulties that your desires may bring. My wife has stood by me through my bachelors as I stood beside her in law school, and let me say there is nothing more wonderful in life than facing difficulty with someone you care about and who cares about you. Sappy, yes, but I dont think anyone will disagree with me.

Tim

Summer colds are no fun

In the spirit of my summer sinus sickness, you're invited to relax, recuperate and take the week off from blogging!   If you've missed any posts, this is a good time to catch up! 

We're taking inventory of your submissions.  As a reminder -- those who complete 90% of the assigned blog posts are eligible for a $25 Amazon e-gift card!!

Alyssa

After a long weekend back at it!

Allllright everyone! I'm back here at the University of Minnesota after a long much needed weekend. So an update on how things are going with my research. Everything has been extremely hands on which is the way I like it. My PhD mentor Biswa and I will be working on putting together our Hydrostatic Transmission (HST) finally. Think of it as big legos, we have all the pieces, now just need to assemble everything together. I have successfully identified all the sensors we will be using in our HST and now creating a system of how to implement it to get realtime results. I'm solely in charge for the data of this project. After that we will turn to our good friend Matlab / Simulink to see ideally the results we should get before we turn it live. Here is a picture of what we are working with, as you can probably imagine the pumps/motors are HUGE in size. Comparing to Faith whose doing the Bio-Engineering research, one of our pumps is easily the size of her entire project.

Halfway Update

At Lake Calhoun with a friend from college

Hi everyone,
My research continues to go well. I've nearly finished a simulation of a hydrostatic transmission, a previously researched version of the transmission I'll be focusing on. The simulation was sort of a practice exercise for me, to familiarize me with building and debugging simulations. In the next few days I'll wrap up the hydrostatic simulation and begin building the hydro-mechanical simulation that my research centers on.

Aside from research, my Fourth of July weekend was fantastic. I kept busy, seeing an outside performance of Love's Labors Lost, visiting the Mall of America, watching the Minneapolis fireworks, playing beach volleyball at Lake Calhoun, and hiking at Frontenac State Park near Redwing, Minnesota.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Week 5

Hi all!

This past month researching with CCEFP has been amazing!  My research is going very well.  My project is to determine the cause of increased electrostatic charge generation on return line mounted filters, and although I haven't pinned down the cause yet, I've made a lot of progress.  I think that by the end of the summer I will be able to figure it out.

Outside of my research, I had a great Independence Day with some of my colleges here at MSOE.  Five of us traveled down to Chicago (about an hour and a half drive from Milwaukee) and spend the long weekend exploring the city.  I've never been to Chicago before, and I really like exploring new cities so this weekend was a blast for me!  I think my favorite part was the Science and Industry museum in Chicago, which had a ton of really cool exhibits.

I hope everyone else's project is going well!

Sophia Dolan

Week 5 in Nashville!

Hi everyone,

I am going to use my free blog to tell you all about how AMAZING 4th of July in Nashville is. I went downtown for a free concert featuring three bands. My favorite was Striking Matches, and the two lead singers are actually directly from Belmont school right here in Nashville. After the performances, I got to see the coolest fireworks show EVER accompanied by the Nashville symphony. It was an experience like no other. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be doing research at Vanderbilt where I can also experience the amazing Nashville culture.

Happy halfway point everyone!

Week 5

Getting the xbox kinect to fully function with the simulation was a huge accomplishment. The main goal of the summer was to basically use the kinect in the simulation to examine the stresses the operator would experience. Also, being able to import solidworks files into the simulation is a big step as well. I feel as though everything is falling into place, I couldn't be anymore excited. 

The most exciting part about the summer, besides the CCEFP opportunity of course, is the fact that I have my own apartment now. I now know what it takes to live in the real world. It's a very exciting time in my life as well as a learning curve.

Week 5 at Vandy

Hey guys, sorry for not posting last week.

I can give you a little update about my research though. My overall goal for the project is to test the sensing capabilities of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Embedded elastomers. The CNTs will offer greater strength and sensing capabilities to be used in our Strain Energy Accumulator. Energy will be stored in the accumulator as strain of the elastomeric material (much like an animal balloon) and resistance measurements should be able to detect any tears or cracks that may develop. We are working on methods of embedding these vertically aligned CNT's and hope to have a working material by the end of summer to test.

For this week, I would like to say that the summer has been super fun so far. My fellow co-workers have enabled me to understand the World Cup, although I am still grieving the U.S.'s loss. It also amazing to be placed in such a great city. Nashville is truly one of a kind and has some amazing musical talent. Everyone here plays an instrument (and is exceptional at it) and they expect you to be able to jam as well. I have visited the Opryland Hotel, the Dukes of Hazzard Museum, waterfalls, the beautiful Cathedral here in town, and just about every guitar shop in the city. It has been a great time so far and am happy that only half of the summer is completed!

Have a happy Independence Day!

Chris Maurice

Week Five

I can't believe it's already July and I'm already halfway through my research experience! We've gotten a lot done already, but it still feels like there's so much left to tackle, so it's crazy to think there are only five weeks left.

Outside of my research, which has been very interesting and is teaching me a lot, I've been having a really positive overall experience at UIUC. Since I'm from Champaign, I'm obviously no stranger to this area, but this is the longest amount of time I've been able to spend here since I started college, so it's been nice to explore and appreciate it again! Last weekend, my friend and I drove half an hour out of town to see the rodeo, and the weekend before that, we made the trek all the way up to Chicago to attend a public viewing of the USA-Portugal game in Grant Park (photos attached!). Both were really fun and great chances to get away from the lab for a while and spend sometime out and about.

Within the lab, I've been having a great time getting to know the other students in my research group, as well as the other groups who share our office space with them. I'm the only non-UIUC student here, but my familiarity with the campus and its surroundings means I have a lot of friends, interests, and experiences in common with the people I work with, so it's been very easy to fit in. Luckily, everyone here is into soccer, so I have plenty of folks to commiserate with over World Cup drama.

We've started testing non-Newtonian fluids on our textures this weeks, and the results have been promising so far! I should have some more finite updates on that in the coming weeks. Until then, hope everyone is doing well and has a great Fourth of July!

Nikita

World's 3rd Largest Crane in UMN's Backyard (kinda)!

The world's 3rd largest crane was delivered to the site of the #NewVikingsStadium yesterday.

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://bit.ly/1nZ5CDv