ENGINEERING DESIGN

SHOWCASE 2015
JUNE 4, 2015
THE PAVILION, UC DAVIS

AGGIE ENGINEER?
REPRESENT!
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SPONSORSHIP
SPONSORSHIP
The Engineering Design Showcase 2014 is made possible by the generous
support
of our sponsors.
The Engineering
Design Showcase 2015 is made possible by the generous
support of our sponsors:

Chevron
Boeing
Sandia National Laboratory
Robert Frankenberg (UCD 92, UCSF 01)

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

I want to especially thank the judges who have
taken time to be here today to evaluate our students
projects. The College of Engineering appreciates the
close relationships we enjoy with our guests from
industry. Your feedback will enable our programs to
improve our quality of instruction and experience of
students. On behalf of the entire faculty in the College
of Engineering, I am grateful that you have joined
us today.

Sincerely,
Jean-Pierre Delplanque
Professor and Associate Dean,
Undergraduate Studies

Jean-Pierre Delplanque

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

THE PAVILION, UC DAVIS

The UC Davis College of Engineering

is pleased to share with the campus
community the efforts of the senior
design teams and engineering clubs.
Together, these students and aspiring
professionals have endured hours
of drafting, modeling, prototyping,
testing, and analysis to complete these
projects on top of an already rigorous
curriculum. The senior year coursework
is the culmination of years of meticulous
and precise study and presents students
with the opportunity to apply their skills
and knowledge in order to engineer
solutions to a variety of problems and
needs. The faculty and the administration
of the College are proud and thrilled
to host this event so that members of
the public and our partners in industry
can see and experience the quality of a
UC Davis engineering degree. We thank
our guests for their time and attention,
and we appreciate our students for their
hard work. Please enjoy the showcase!

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #1: RFIELDS SYSTEMS: ASSET TRACKING
SYSTEM
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Brent Allen, Austin Bartholomaus,
Michael Sticlaru, Eric Telles
Advisers: Dr. Andre Knoesen, Nicholas Hosein
Designed for the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food
Science, our system aids in automating the grape harvesting
and wine-making processes. By tracking the location, weight,
time, and type of grapes harvested, we have created a
wireless tracking system that will automatically record your
wine data for an efficient winery. Using state-of-the-art RFID
technology, we ensure that our system performs optimally in
any agricultural setting.

TEAM #2: SHAREDROBE MOBILE APPLICATION

Department: Computer Science
Team members: Dhawal Chandra, Ajit
Ravisaravanan, Jessica Sheu, Megan Yee
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
The goal of our application is to encourage sustainability in
fashion through a sharing economy. Sharedrobe encompasses
all aspects of ones outfit that one may need: tops, bottoms,
dresses, bags, shoes, and accessories, all of which are made
available for any user of our application to rent. In our app,
individuals may enroll as members of the app, upload their
garment images, and edit their garments descriptions and
prices. They may also search other users garments by styles
and geographical proximity. If a user decides to rent a piece
of clothing, they may select the amount of days they need
it, then pay rental cost and service accordingly. This is a
fantastic way to obtain clothing specific to the occasion -- such
as a wedding, prom, or any other event -- without needing
to actually purchase expensive garments or accessories to
complete your outfit.

TEAM #3: DINKY AUTONOMOUS CAR PROJECT

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Andrew Chung, Samuel
Dawson, Justin Laguardia
Adviser: Lance Halsted
The NATCAR and Freescale Cup competitions challenge
participants to construct an autonomous race car. The
NATCAR competition entails following a white line on a dark
carpet, while the Freescale Cup has competitors attempt
to stay within a white lane bordered by black edges. Our
car won the Freescale Cup West Regional and National
competitions and will represent the US at the Worldwide
Finals in Germany. All cars are built with a 1/10-scale chassis

and navigate a track using one or more cameras. Our design

features a 2-D camera, custom PCB, and closed loop speed
control.

TEAM #4: SYSTEM FOR TEMPERATURE AND

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION MONITORING (STEM)
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Robin Johnston, David Killeen,
Jeffrey Kung, Chad Timmons, Erik Zhang
Adviser: Dr. Andre Knoesen
Monitoring plant health and conserving water are two
important considerations in regards to agriculture, especially
given the current drought. Plants take in water through rainfall
and regular watering and lose water through transpiration
from the leaves. If growers can quantify the amount of water
that is available to the plant and how much the plant loses
through transpiration, they can water more efficiently. STEM
accomplishes both of these goals by monitoring soil moisture
and temperature at different depths in the ground around a
plant and looking at the leaf temperature of the plant, which
will correlate to whether or not the stomata are opened or
closed and thus whether or not water is evaporating from the
leaves.

TEAM #5: PROJECT ATLANTIS: SECURE

MESSAGING WITH OTP
Department: Computer Science
Team members: Andrew Brandes, Ricardo
Matsui, Daniel See, Jonathan Vronsky
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
With recent events, security and privacy have become major
topics globally, and new revelations on mass surveillance
and the ever-increasing power of computers have shown
how existing Internet traffic encrypted with SSL and VPN
can be problematic if the communication is recorded, since
that communication may be decrypted as more powerful
computers become available. The Atlantis project solves this
by providing private, end-to-end encryption using the one
time pad technique which guarantees the message cannot
be decrypted as long as the pad is not compromised. The
app requires Atlantis users to start their conversation with
an in-person meeting, allowing their devices to exchange a
completely random pad outside of any network. This pad is
then used to encrypt future messages for transfer across the
Internet. Because the pad is random and is never reused, it is
not possible to decrypt the messages without the pad, even
with any amount of computational power. Atlantis therefore
provides privacy-aware customers such as journalists and
businesses, with a convenient platform for secure messaging.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #6: HANDWRITTEN DIGIT RECOGNITION

USING FPGA BASED HARDWARE ACCELERATION
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Amandeep Dhaliwal,
Ajit Punj, Chenkai Tan
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
Using an Altera FPGA development board with an built in
ARM based processor and attached camera, handwritten
digits shown in front of the camera were recognized and
displayed using a trained neural network algorithm. To ensure
quick digit recognition, we used the FPGA for hardware
acceleration by allowing the FPGA to handle computations
that were slow in C code.

TEAM #7: FPGA IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGIT

RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Kaila Balancio,
Lillian Deas, James Ginley
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
The goal of this project is to develop an FPGA based hand
written digit recognition system which is capable of reading,
recognizing and displaying, via VGA, the values of the
handwritten numbers rapidly. The digit recognition system is
entirely implemented on the Altera DE1-SOC board in the
form of an integrated hardware-software system.

TEAM #8: HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DIGIT

RECOGNITION SYSTEM DEMO
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Eduard Alfonso, Jack Chen, Jimmy Yu
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
This project consists of having an Altera DE1-SOC FPGA
board capture an image from a projector screen using the
camera on the board. The image is then processed by our
software to determine what digit(s) it is at a fast rate and high
accuracy. Our software for digit recognition utilizes a region
of interest, segmentation, resizing algorithm, and finally a
neural network as a classifier to determine the most probable
digit for the recognized image.

TEAM #9: HUMMINGBIRD RFID READER

Department: Computer Science
Team members: Arjun Bharadwaj, Dustin
Ellis, Huu Tan Nguyen, Scott Turner
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
This project reads RFID tags implanted in hummingbirds to
allow researchers to track where these birds travel in their
migration patterns. The readers are placed on hummingbird
feeders, and once the tag is read the data is sent to a
database where researchers can look at the collected data.
This data can be accesses on the web or via an android
application on a Researchers phone.
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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #10: BIODIGESTER EFFLUENT PROCESSING

FOR USE AS ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Ashwin Bala, Tanner
Garrett, Brandon Roosenboom
Adviser: Dr. Ruihong Zhang
To convert the effluent waste stream of a biodigester to a
usable form of organic fertilizer. This is done through a multistep process that incorporates various filtration and chemical
methods. The project shows the improvements in economic
viability of biodigesters that can be made via recycling the
waste stream of these systems.

TEAM #11: INTELLIGENT AUTONOMOUS RACE

CAR
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Ronald Lai, Shawn Xiang, Patrick Yu
Adviser: Lance Halsted
Designed and implemented using a KL25Z microcontroller,
PCB, DC and servo motors, bluetooth, and 2D and linescan
cameras, our autonomous vehicle operates using a 7.2V
battery to traverse along Freescale and Natcar tracks in 6
ft/sec or faster.

TEAM #12: AMPEROMETRIC GLUCOSE

BIOSENSOR
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Myles Donahue, Christopher
Roberts, Christopher Stadick
Adviser: Dr. Tina Jeoh, Dr. Michael
Delwiche, Dr. Ruihong Zhang
Continued growth in the biofuels industry has created a
need for a method of easily and continuously measuring
the concentration of sugars, such as glucose, in a solution.
Effectively monitoring glucose concentration throughout
hydrolysis (saccharification) of a biomass is critical to
advancing biofuel production technology. The amount of
glucose produced by cellulase enzymes during this process
indicates the extent of conversion and measurement of this
change provides information that may be used to improve
the hydrolysis reaction. The time intensive sampling methods
typically used today for determining sugar concentration
only produce discrete data points. Our proposed solution for
improving the determination of glucose concentration is able
to provide real-time measurements at a relatively low cost.
The biosensor that we have produced uses an immobilized
enzyme specific to glucose that can be easily replaced by a
user when needed. While we focused on the measurement
of glucose in solution, the system can be adapted for the
detection of other substrates by changing the enzyme that
is immobilized. This flexibility, reduced cost, and real-time
measurement capability make this biosensor valuable for the
biofuels industry as well as groups interested in tracking other
substrates.

TEAM #13: BII-BOT BLADE INTERIOR

INSPECTION (RO)BOT
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Audrey Lee, Annabelle Li, Brent
Marriott, Raleigh Moyher, Julie Wurzbach
Adviser: Dr. Steven Velinsky
Bii-Bots purpose is to travel down the interior of wind turbine
blades to look for fatigue indicators such as cracks. Wind
turbine blades are about 50m long and can get smaller than
10cm by 20cm. Therefore, a person cannot visually inspect
the inside of the blade. This robot was designed to fit into a
space 10cm by 20cm and travel along slightly rough terrain.
The robot is remotely controlled using a video-game style
controller. Bii-bot uses a first person view camera to obtain
live video feedback to the person controlling the robot. It has
a modular gripper arm that can be used to re-glue cracks on
the glue lines.

TEAM #14: PLANT SCHEMATIC &

SPECIFICATIONS FOR PRODUCTION OF
ON-PURPOSE PROPYLENE FROM METHANOL
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Alice Rystov, Miguel
Turcios, Anais Quintero, Akash Yadav
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
A plant design is being proposed for the large scale
manufacture of on-purpose propylene. The plant is proposed
to be located in Trinidad & Tobago and aims to produce 500
million lbs/year of propylene from methanol feed, utilizing a
two-step catalytic mechanism.

TEAM #15: HYDROPONIC GROWTH CABINET

Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Jorman Heflin, Timothy Tran
Advisers: Dr. Ruihong Zhang, Heiner Lieth
A design and prototype of a hydroponic growth cabinet
intended to grow multiple plants and crops. The cabinet
includes developmental technology, such as sensors,
specialized lights, and a micro-controller for monitoring and
user interface.

TEAM #16: TRAVEL DIAGNOSTIC EYE

PRESCRIPTION INSTRUMENT
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Jacquelyn Lim, Frank Mai,
Natalya Shelby, Rose Hong Truong
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
There are very few optometrists in developing countries,
resulting in millions of people without proper vision to learn
and work at their full potential. Vision Vanguard is minimizing
this disparity in access to eye care by creating an instrument
that provides a prescriptions without requiring the user to
have any specialized skills.

TEAM #17: CAMERA-BASED ORCHARD

NAVIGATION VIA TETHERED SUAV
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Bryce Anglin, Brian
Broderick, Hunter Kepon
Advisers: Dr. Stavros Vougioukas, Dr.
Stephen Robinson, Dr. Cristina Davis
This project showcases an autonomous flight system that is
capable of collecting and processing visual information to
assist in the automated navigation of a utility vehicle. The flight
system consists of a pair of stereoscopic cameras mounted on
a tether-powered Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The tether
operates from a retractable reel housed beneath a landing
platform, and provides power to the copter from the ground
vehicle battery through a stepped power system. This system
could allow the utility vehicle to autonomously traverse an
orchard, which is an important step in fully automating
harvesting. Being able to autonomously harvest an orchard
would reduce labor costs and allow us to keep pace with our
growing populations growing food needs.

TEAM #18: DUALCOOL WATER MAINTENANCE

SYSTEM DESIGN MODIFICATION
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Jacob Aman, Joseph Kohn,
Joe Moquin, Stefano Skouritakis
Advisers: Dick Bourne, Steve Short (Integrated
Comfort Inc.), Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn
DualCool is a retrofit system, designed and built by
Integrated Comfort Inc., which mounts to existing rooftop air
conditioners. These units use evaporative cooling to reduce
the load on an AC unit. The DualCool system uses water to
wet an evaporative media. Air is then blown across the wet
media allowing for water to evaporate and the air to cool,
which is used to cool the condenser. The evaporative cooling
technique is an efficient process that helps reduce the load
on the air conditioning system, especially in hot weather. A
utility water supply is used by the DualCool unit to replenish
water lost to evaporation. The utility water contains varying
concentrations of minerals that can accumulate as the
evaporation process occurs. If not monitored, these minerals
can clog the small pipes in the system and can degrade
the performance of the DualCool unit. Currently, Integrated
Comfort uses a constant flow rate bleed valve to drain water
from the system, and a float valve to replenish the system
with new utility water. Although this method works for the
system, the goal of this project is to improve the ability to
control hard water buildup within the DualCool system while
reducing water waste. To improve this process, there will be
real time monitoring of the mineral concentration within the
supply water and flow rate of water into the system. By doing
this, the timing of water leaving the system through a bleed
rate can be controlled through a motorized valve.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #19: POINT OF CARE BLOOD ANALYSIS

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Dustin Hadley, Jun Quintos,
Casey Trevino, Jacob Weersing, Lucy Wu
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Tuberculosis is one of the predominant infectious diseases
worldwide that remains a public health concern. The
Mycobacterium bovis that causes this infection can also
infect humans. Currently, many tuberculosis testing methods
require multiple doctors office visits, or rely on antibodies
or PCR, which take time and cost money. There is no current
assay that is designed to test multiple samples at the same
time, while focusing on lowering costs and reducing testing
time. Our objective is to develop a POC biosensor that uses
aptamers developed by the Revzin lab, for the detection of
IFN---a biomarker commonly used for diagnosing TB. The
goal of this device is to create an aptamer based assay that
can process multiple samples on site, and be as specific as the
tests using antibodies. To fill the above criteria of developing
a TB diagnostic device that tests for the mycobacterium
cheaply, quickly, and accurately, we will build an aptamer
based biosensor that incorporates ergonomic incubation test
chips to assay for IFN- in whole blood, with a software to
run the necessary voltammetry and calculations needed to
give a diagnosis.

TEAM #20: MOBILE APP DOGGY DOOR THE

PUPPY PORTAL
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Tyler Freitas, Daniel Kapulkin,
Yiran Li, Richard Tong, Kuo Hao Tseng
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
This design project revolutionizes the common doggy door,
enhancing security and customization by implementing a
wirelessly enabled microcontroller, wireless camera, and
RFID scanner to allow pets controlled entry in and out of your
home, while keeping stray animals and intruders out.

TEAM #21: WALKER OFFLOAD FORCE

MEASUREMENT DEVICE FOR CEREBRAL PALSY
PATIENTS
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Ben Bazor, Megan Howes,
Shalini Majumdar, AnnaLisa Smullin
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Current methods of clinical gait analysis are limited for
cerebral palsy (CP) patients who use assistive devices.
Therefore, clinicians subjectively assess a patients reliance
on his or her walker. Our device, InvisiForce, accurately
measures the offload force a patient applies to their walker
to aid clinicians in the evaluation of CP patients. It is a lightweight and reusable device that attaches to the walker
handles and uses a force sensor to determine the weight
placed on the walker. InvisiForce is compatible with multiple
8

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

walkers, accommodates CP patient variability, and can

quantify balance. The data generated from our device will be
used by a multidisciplinary team to guide surgical planning,
monitor recovery, assess treatment efficacy, and ultimately
improve patient care.

TEAM #22: TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED BIRD

PERCH TO GAUGE AVIAN RESPONSE TO
ANTINOCICEPTIVE DRUGS
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Carissa Beck, Darren Hentschel,
Juan Martinez Aceves, Christopher Needham
Advisers: Dr. Joanne Paul-Murphy, Dr. Vijay K.
Raghunathan, Dr. Martinus M. Sarigul-Klijn
The goal of this project was to create a device to test
birds reaction to thermal stimuli to understand the effects
of avian antinociceptive drugs. A perch with a heatable
and coolable foot plate and bird monitoring system was
designed. This system will be used by Dr. Paul-Murphy in
her research with small birds. The thermal system in the
perch uses thermoelectric elements to heat and cool the
foot plate. Coolant is pumped through the perch to stabilize
the temperature of the thermoelectric elements. A pair of
microcontrollers drive the thermoelectric elements at different
intensity levels according to user inputs and set off an alarm
in the event of a system fault. A consistent test environment
is necessary to avoid alerting the bird of thermal changes
prematurely. The operators controls are on a tethered remote
distanced from the enclosure reducing noise audible to the
bird. To avoid changes in tone or pitch the cooling loop runs
at at a constant speed. The temperature of the foot plate must
respond to operator input with less than a second latency.
To minimize latency the temperature control elements must
be inside the perch. These elements must be small enough
to fit into the body of the perch, and the perch itself must
be small enough to be comfortably gripped by the birds.
Thermoelectric elements were chosen because they are silent
and small enough to fit into the perch.

TEAM #23: FORMULA SAE DRIVETRAIN

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Craig Asanuma, Lucas Bolster,
Gordon Chen, Kyle Krueger, Hagop Parnoustsoukian
Advisers: Dr. Jae Wan Park, Dr. Roland
Williams, Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn
The UC Davis Formula Racing team is a student design team
challenged to design, build, and race a formula-style electric
vehicle for the International FSAE competition. Competing
universities are tasked with designing and fabricating a
vehicle suited to the weekend autocross racer that can be
sold to a manufacturing firm for mass production. This project
focuses on the powertrain system for UC Davis 2015 electric
vehicle. Like all components on the vehicle, the powertrain
needs to respond to the rules and challenges set forth by
the Formula SAE Electric competition. To respond to the

formidable acceleration, cornering, efficiency, and top speed

requirements, the system consists of two major components: a
front reduction drive and a limited-slip differential. The front
reduction drive includes a co-axial planetary reduction (3:1)
and a second sprocket-to-sprocket reduction (2:1) to provide
the final 6:1 ratio, ideal for the track layout and size while
keeping weight low. The second major component, a Torsen
limited-slip differential, will help to get all of the power to
the ground when accelerating out of a corner. The success
of the vehicles design will be evaluated against 19 other
universities in a number of static and dynamic competition
segments at this years competition taking place June 17-20
in Lincoln, NE.

TEAM #24: FORMULA ELECTRIC RACECAR

BATTERY AND POWER MANAGEMENT
ELECTRONICS
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Henry Herndon,
Jonathan Tao, Hengjiu Kang, Yi Lu
Adviser: Dr. Andre Knoesen
The Formula Racing team at UC Davis is currently designing
its second all-electric open-wheel, single-seat racecar for the
FSAE-Electric competition. We are building on our success
from last year to create a new vehicle this year. Critically
underpinning the ability of the vehicle to compete successfully
is the battery monitoring and electronic networking system.
This system is designed to automotive standards and includes
cell voltage monitoring, temperature monitoring, current
sensing, user controls, instrumentation, logging and telemetry
systems.

TEAM #25: FORMULA SAE SUSPENSION

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Josh Aguilar, Julian Enis,
Rocco Holloway, Yash Nagda, Sean Raley
Adviser: Dr. Stephen Velinsky
This project involves designing, analyzing, building, and
implementing a suspension for the Formula Racing 20142015 electric car. The front multilink and rear trailing link
design packages well with the powertrain and chassis while
allowing for the desired handling characteristics.

TEAM #26: FSAE ELECTRIC: CHASSIS

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Kimberly Barr, Diego Ugaz
Advisers: Dr. Steven Velinksy, Roland Williams
The Formula Racing team at UC Davis competes in the
annual FSAE Electric Competition in Lincoln, Nebraska. For
the 2014-15 season, the team is designing a completely new
suspension and powertrain. As such, it has been the chassis
teams goal to design a rigid, lightweight, and safe steel
space frame to accommodate these subsystems. It is a highly

collaborative process requiring careful design iterations

while maintaining FSAE rules compliance. Using last years
techniques, the chassis team hopes to minimize fabrication
time and hone skills necessary for creating strong, clean
joints for maximum rigidity.

TEAM #27: SK PORTABLE WATER DISTILLER

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Ronald Cortez, Richard
Kanadi, Kai Lun Lee, Liwei Lu
Advisers: Dr. Martinus M SarigulKlijn, Dr. Nesrin Sarigul-Klijn
According to the World Health Organization, 750 million
people around the world lack access to safe water,
approximately one in nine people alive (2014). Lack of
access leads to poor hygiene and disease, causing an
estimated 280,000 deaths yearly (Tropical Medicine and
International Health 2014). Safe, clean water is critical to
human prosperity. As one potential solution, this project
demonstrates the transformation of water from a non-pure
form into clean water that is safe to drink. The primary
objective of this project is to design and produce a proof-ofconcept portable water distiller that operates using a method
called vapor compression evaporation. The design goal is to
build a device which can generate pure drinking water from
any dirty water source, while also being easy to transport,
operate, and maintain. The system operates by generating a
low pressure environment which allows water to evaporate
at room temperature. A compressor and a novel heat
exchanger design cause the pure water vapor to condense
after being separated from the dirty source. The final device
demonstrates a prototype that can be further developed into
a refined product.

TEAM #28: RECONFIGURABLE DESKTOP

GRINDING MACHINE PROGRAMMABLE
MOTOR MODULES
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Numair Ahmed, Erik
Contreras, Hector Herrera, Alvin Lieu
Advisers: Dr. Cristina Davis, Dr. Stephen
Robinson, Michael Schirle
This motor-module prototype establishes the groundwork
for a reconfigurable desktop machine that would allow
users to adapt the machine to a workpiece. Potential uses
of the machine include grinding, sanding, detailing and
printing parts in a repeatable manner. Additionally, its small
size and low cost make it ideal for hobby and educational
purposes. The design of the project primarily focuses on
accurate tracking and programmability of the machines endeffector (or tool), and robustness to withstand stresses during
operation. As such, the modular linkages that comprise the
machine feature high-torque motors to counteract vibrations
and improve stability. The design utilizes the 211 compact

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

stepper motor joined with a custom-built 1:175 ratio gearbox,

the Arduino Mini 05 microcontroller coupled with two
stepper motor drivers, and a position sensor, all contained
in a 3D-printed PLA housing module. Further developments
include implementation of an efficient battery pack that will
allow untethered operation, wireless communication via
bluetooth, faster speeds, and additional degrees of freedom
(DOF).

TEAM #29: MACHINE LEARNING APPLICATIONS

FOR NASA DROPLET IMAGE ANALYSIS
Department: Computer Science
Team members: Ramya Bhaskar, Rylan
Schaeffer, Willie Huey, Amanda Ho
Advisers: Dr. Ben Shaw, Dr. Xin Liu
Our project tackles the problem of analyzing images of fuel
cell droplets with various machine learning techniques for
purpose of image recognition. The goal is to determine the
correct radius as a function of time of a moving combusting
droplet, taking into account obscuration of the image due to
sooting, and loss of resolution due to diffraction. Our final
product is aimed to assist NASA research into efficient fuels,
for the purpose of ground and space travel. We tackled the
problem with two similarly related, but distinct algorithms, one
implemented in Matlab and the other in C++. The programs
both implement the Hough Circle Transformation in seeking
and measuring the objects size and diameter, but how each
program executes and tackles different scenarios differs.

TEAM #30: DRY POWDER LOADING

AND MEASUREMENT MECHANISM FOR
INTRATRACHEAL DELIVERY
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Steven Biasca, Michelle
Gonzalez, Walter Kemphaus, Alberto Luna
Advisers: UC Davis Medical School CTSC,
Dr. Jean-Pierre Delplanque, Carlos Ruvalcaba,
Dr. Cristina Davis, Dr. Stephen Robinson
The dry powder, simvastatin, is injected into the trachea of
laboratory mice to test the intratracheal administration of
drugs. Currently, the simvastatin loading process requires a
researcher to manually fill a syringe with 50 micrograms of dry
powder, which can take a full day. This device would improve
the efficiency of research involving small laboratory animals
and different dry powders by increasing the rate at which
samples can be prepared. The loading and measurement
device uses inter-particle and electrostatic forces to accurately
weigh out multiple instillations of dry powder in a repeatable
fashion. Researchers will ideally be able to initiate the loading
and measurement device by the use of a switch, allowing
them to perform other duties as the shells are loaded with dry
powder. The device is composed of three subsystems: the dry
powder loading and charging compartment, the volumetric
metering system, and the rotating shell holder tray. The

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

simvastatin powder will be loaded directly into the opening

of a hollow aluminum cylinder; the dry powder will then land
on a vibrating metallic mesh that will charge the particles.
Once positively charged, the dry powder continues through
the equally charged cylinder, counteracting wall-to-particle
forces with repulsive electrostatic forces. The simvastatin is
then volumetrically metered through the revolving divot that
separates approximately 50 micrograms of dry powder into
five equivalent rotations. Finally, the dry powder settles into
the shells within the rotating tray, preparing it for transport to
the injection mechanism.

TEAM #31: EXHAUST GAS VENT AUTONOMOUS

CAP CLOSE-OFF SYSTEM FOR REDUCTION OF
HVAC ENERGY LOSSES
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Daniel Foster,
Trevor Silva, Carter Tong
Advisers: Mr. Ryan Devine (M&G
DuraVent), Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn
With the world trending towards energy savings, there is a
constant desire to eliminate energy losses due to convection
through furnace exhaust vents. Natural gas heaters in homes
do not have a way of automatically opening and closing their
vents which allows for leakage. The HVAC energy losses that
are accompanied with the constant leak or influx of air add
to the significant inefficiencies within a residential setting.
The design and implementation of an exhaust vent cap can
increase residential heating and air conditioning efficiency
by blocking undesired air exchange. Minimization of HVAC
losses through the vent is facilitated by a rotating cap driven
by one of the following methods: electromagnetism or elastic
nitinol memory wire. The electromagnet design includes a
return spring as a fail-safe option to immediately open the
vent should the electrical system fail in any way. The nitinol
design makes use of the same return spring in order to close
the vent during the nitinol cool-down process after the system
has been shut off. Both designs will inhibit undesired airflow. Our sponsor M&G Duravent, Inc. has supported both
designs, providing funding and equipment and allowing use
of their state of the art testing equipment to determine which
design is more successful.

TEAM #32: MOBILE CLOSED LOOP CONTROL

VARIABLE GAS FLOW TEST BENCH
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Christian Hernandez, Dennis
Kong, Mingfang Su, Chengyu Zheng
Advisers: Brad Bon, Erin Mussoni, Mike Gherini,
Dr. Stephen Robinson, Dr. Cristina Davis
The purpose of this project was to design a closed loop
flow bench for testing and characterization experiments of
single and mixed gases. It was built to handle steady and
transient flows in a vacuum environment to retain gas purity.

In addition to this, the device also has the ability to control

pressure and temperature values which can then be collected
by a data acquisition system compatible with LabVIEW.
Pressure, temperature and flow rate measurements were
obtained at the downstream and upstream side of the Unit
Under Test (UUT). In order to accurately adjust temperature,
our team designed a temperature control subsystem using
thermoelectrics modules and PID controllers to cool and heat
the test gas to a specific temperature. To control pressure
and flow rate values, we implemented numerous pumps,
valves, mass flow controller, and tanks specifically made
to meet design requirements. High pressure Stainless steel
tubes and fittings were chosen to ensure that our system
could withstand a pressure of 1000 psig during testing.
An infinity tank was installed after the unit under testing to
simulate atmospheric conditions for more reliable pressure
readings. Additional design and control considerations have
also been taken to ensure that there are no phase changes
when adjusting thermodynamic properties of the gas. All of
these requirements have been met while remaining compact
enough foreasy transportation. Finally, a 3D CAD assembly
of the entire system was created to show the positions and
routing of every single components.

TEAM #33: CARBON NANOTUBE THIN FILM

AUTOMATED SPRAY FABRICATION SYSTEM
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Arick Jones, Ahmed Khan, Napang
Kongsitthanakorn, Ronald Miranda, Simranjot Singh
Advisers: Dr. Ken Loh, Dr. Cristina
Davis, Dr. Stephen Robinson
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) exhibit superior mechanical,
electrical, thermal, and other properties compared to
conventional materials. The intrinsic piezoresistive properties
of CNTs allow the fabrication of high-sensitivity thin film
strain sensors that could be applied to any size and shape.
The vision is to employ these sensors for structural health
monitoring (SHM) of large aerospace, mechanical, and civil
structures. As a step towards this motivation, Professor Ken
Lohs Nano-Engineering & Smart Structures Technologies
(NESST) Laboratory has devised a novel CNT solution for
spray applications by dispersing CNTs in polyelectrolyte
solution and mixing with latex. This technique has been
demonstrated in the past using a manual, hand-controlled
spray procedure. Automation of the spray process allows
for both scalability of substrate deposition area, as well as,
enhancement of the electromechanical (sensing) properties
of CNT by improving the coating quality. The objective of
the project is to design and prototype a 3-axis automated
CNT thin film spray fabrication system. The systems 30x24
base and 18 height is designed to fit into a standard fume
hood. It allows precise control of film thickness, uniformity,
and capability of coating surface areas as large as 9x11.
Thickness and film uniformity is assessed via scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and profilometry. In addition, the
morphologies and film formation of the yield is statistically

investigated using the Taguchi method for the Design of

Experiments.

TEAM #34: SOLAR-PACK

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Jaspreet Buttar, Steven
Dunbar, Zishan Huq, Ranesh Kumar
Adviser: Dr. Charles Hunt
The Solar-Pack is a lightweight, flexible, portable solar
panel with a built-in battery pack of 5500 mAh that charges
electronics on the go. Its unique modular design allows it to
be easily attached to any surface, ranging from a backpack
to a bike. It can also be easily recharged through a USB
port and when compared to some of the similar products
on the market, this device was designed to be more userfriendly while keeping manufacturing costs low at $160.
These features allow the user to charge their mobile devices
with less cables and spend less time at home waiting.

TEAM #35: HAND WRITTEN DIGIT

RECOGNITION SYSTEM
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Julian Lin, Yudong
Shen, Matthew Song
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
Using an Altera DE1-SOC board and a 5 megapixel camera,
our project performs digit recognition of various hand written
digits projected on a wall. The camera captures images which
are analyzed using a combination of FPGA hardware and
SW algorithms. The system analyzes the images captured
by the camera at speeds of at least 10 images per second.

TEAM #36: MEDICAL MAKE-A-THON, HACKING

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IN 30 HOURS
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Kenneth Chang, Gabriel
Jagoe-Seidl, Janek Jobanputra, Aaron
Kho, Anthony Leung, Htet Ma,
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
BMES at UC Davis is proud to present the result of their first
annual biomedical hackathon, the Medical Make-a-thon! The
goal was to in 30 hours study, design, and finally create
a medical device using the TEAM Design, Prototyping, and
Fabrication Facilities. This Make-a-thon was a showcase of
engineering students and their ability to shine in any given
project, under a short amount of time.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

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TEAM #37: SUCTION-BASED PEDIATRIC LIVER

RETRACTOR
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Manuel Cisneros, Gregory
Del Rosario, Rocio Lozano, Gloria Shin
Advisers: Dr. Benjamin Keller, Dr. Anthony Passerini
The current standards of liver retractors are designed with a
fully-grown adult in mind; downsized versions for pediatric
patients do not fully account for the difference in liver position
and shape, rendering many retractors unsuitable. Even the
slightest shear trauma can increase the level of friability in
pediatric livers due to the lack of a fully developed liver
capsule. All of these factors indicate that the current status
of liver retraction leaves much to be desired. Our aim is
to design an effective liver retractor tailored to the unique
hepatic anatomy of pediatric patients. We are designing the
only suction-based retractor specifically for pediatric use. This
design solution minimizes harm by utilizing an air vacuum
to effectively distribute the force required for retraction. Its
design and implications have been tuned to be simple and
user friendly while also being safe for the patient.

TEAM #38: DIGIT RECOGNITION

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Elly Chau, Maggie Lai
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
A string of digits is displayed on a screen and capture by the
camera. Programming the FPGA board, we use software and
hardware to find out the string of digits.

TEAM #39: NUMBER RECOGNITION SYSTEM

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Philip Chan, Chan Lu, Jessica Ma
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi
Developed an FPGA and ARM processor based hand written
digit recognition system, capable of reading, recognizing,
and displaying handwritten numbers. The system digitizes a
projection of the handwritten number with the camera and
finds the region of interest. Once the region of interest is
found, it separates and normalizes the digits. It then passes
the digits through a neural network to determine the number
that was most likely projected on the screen. The hardware
consists of a DE1-SoC FPGA board and Terasic TRDB-D5M
5 megapixel digital camera. The firmware was developed
in Verilog to convert the image to black and white and
pre-process it for the ARM processor. The main software,
developed in C, reads in the image, normalizes the digits,
and sends the digits into a neural network to determine the
number.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #40: 2-AXIS PRESSURE SCANNING

SYSTEM FOR FLUID DYNAMIC RESEARCH AND
EDUCATION
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Steven Lawrence, Jeffrey
Lee, Alex Lerikos, Brian Orr
Advisers: Dr. Stephen Robinson and Michael Schirle
Correctly measuring drag is crucial for the study of airflow
over an aerodynamically intensive body. The 2-Axis Pressure
Scanning system will use a pitot tube to scan the velocity
profile in the wake of aerodynamic bodies and calculate the
momentum deficit for drag analysis. Our scanning system
consists of a pitot tube mounted on the end of a 2-axis
carriage which is driven by stepper motors. This will measure
pressure across a plane downstream of an aerodynamic body
of interest. A microcontroller will handle user specifications,
motion control, and computations on the collected pressure
sensor data. The motor control and data acquisition will be
programmed in the Beaglebones native Java, however users
will interact with the system through an IPython Notebook
environment. Pressure data will be acquired by a differential
pressure sensor, which can be switched out depending on
the requirements of the system. The final system is designed
to fit with the dimensions of the clients wind tunnel and be
accurate for airspeeds ranging from 1-30 miles per hour.
The 2-Axis Pitot Scanning system will greatly assist professors
and students with aerodynamic research and education by
demonstrating bernoullis law and finding drag of bodies for
reference.

TEAM #41: FAST, INEXPENSIVE AND

REPRODUCIBLE QUALITY CONTROL OF OLIVE
OIL THOUGH ENZYME-MEDIATED ALDEHYDE
PROFILING
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team member: Lucas Murray
Adviser: Dr. Marc Facciotti
Olive oil is one of the most common, healthiest and yet widely
mislabeled every day diet products. Recent studies found that
more than 69% of the extra virgin oil sold in US supermarkets
is rancid, while no inexpensive testing method is currently
available to consumers. Our team has developed a rapid,
inexpensive and accurate technique to measure oil quality.
We have built an electrochemical sensor that incorporates
engineered enzymes to detect a spectrum of aldehydes that
serve as a proxy of rancidity. Computational analysis and
custom hardware that includes signal filtering, processing and
optimization of chemical kinetics allows us to perform multicompound detection and hence olive oil quality control in a
highly reproducible manner. Current and future collaboration
with olive oil producers and distributors will pave the way
for a widely-applicable platform with far-fetching consumer
applications.

TEAM #42: WEINBOT: A ROBOTIC FLOOR

CLEANER FOR REDUCING WINERY WATER USE
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Ardalan Moazeni, Egan
McComb, Kyle Turner, Natalie Pueyo Svoboda
Advisers: Dr. Cristina Davis, Dr. Stephen
Robinson, Dr. David Block, Charles
Chik Brenneman, Michael Schirle
The Water-Efficient Industrial Navigating Robot (WEINBot)
is a proof-of-concept automated industrial floor care vehicle
that can effectively dislodge and collect solid grape waste
from typical concrete winery flooring with minimal water use.
Successful collection of solid waste before manual hose-down
greatly reduces the labor and water requirements during
crush season, when typical cleanings are a tedious chore that
can use hundreds of gallons of water. While the device does
not have the full array of sensors and software algorithms
to robustly navigate the uncontrolled winery environment,
basic control and sensor technologies are included so that
limited demonstrations of those functionalities required for
full autonomy may be accomplished. In this way, our device
will serve as a good foundation for potential further robotics
research to develop the automation techniques required to
navigate the bustling winery environment.

TEAM #43: COMS: CARBON DIOXIDE AND

OXYGEN MONITORING SYSTEM
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Zibran Chaus, Carlos Flores,
Fulbert Jong, Alejandra Perez, Giuliana Pistone
Advisers: Dr. Andre Knoesen
COMS is a low power and low cost device that detects
and monitors the Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen levels in the
surrounding environment. Using standards set by OSHA, the
device will alert the user with an audible cue when the unsafe
thresholds are reached giving the user ample time to remove
themselves from the toxic environment.

TEAM #45: FLY ANESTHESIA PAD

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Po-Hao Chen, Duan Harrion,
Denise Nguyen, Keisuke Sasaki
Advisers: Dr. Martinus Sarigul-Klijn,
Ken Fry, Michael LaVasseur
In the biomedical industry, the drosophila melanogasterthe
common fruit flyis normally used for drug and genetic testing.
The fruit fly has a high reproduction rate and a central nervous
system that strongly resembles that of humans, making them a
valuable resource in research. In order to observe and test on
the fruit flies, researchers use carbon dioxide as an anesthetic.
The current standard tool for this process is the fly pad, a flat

surface that slowly releases carbon dioxide. Once the fruit

flies are anesthetized, scientists sort the flies for observation
using brushes, dragging them across the surface of the fly
pad. Currently, the most popular fly pad designs allow for
even carbon dioxide distribution through a fibrous surface,
but the material causes damage to the flies and requires
constant replacement due to clogging. Our objective is to reengineer a fly pad with optimal carbon dioxide distribution
and the ability to efficiently remove flies. To achieve this, our
redesigned fly pad uses an aluminum frame with glass laid
over the base. Channels that have been cut into the walls of
the frame allow carbon dioxide to flow along the two long
sides of the pad and into the central work area. The flies are
then sorted into two pits in two corners of the fly pad, sent
through tubes powered by material conveying pumps, and
filtered into collection vials or a disposal site.

TEAM #46: HUMAN-ROBOT INTERFACE

Department: Computer Science
Team members: Daniel Chen, Laura Demesa,
Steven Rodriguez, Justin Salanga
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
Interfacing a quadcopter with Google Glass for a effective
and intuitive way to control and utilize the quadcopter.
Quadcopter camera gimbal is controlled by head gestures
on Google Glass, with aerial live-feed relayed back.
Controls are included for the capture of video and pictures,
and all media is stored and posted to a server when Glass
has internet connectivity.

TEAM #47: AUTOMATED SENSOR FOR

COUNTING PEACH TREE SEEDLINGS
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Andrew Barber, Amy
Freitas, Daniel Robles, Erin Whelan
Adviser: Dr. David Slaughter
Each year, disease resistant peach tree rootstock is planted
from seed in Sierra Golds nursery. Variability in germination
rate, and consumption by birds create uncertainty in the
number of marketable seedlings available for sale each year.
Currently, workers are used to count the seedlings which is
time intensive and costly. Weve designed a moving platform
with an imaging system that will take photos of the peach
seedlings while traveling though the furrows. A created
counting algorithm will process the photos and come out
with a count of how many seedlings there are through use of
imaging software.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

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TEAM #48: PRE-LOAD FIXTURE FOR THE

INTRODUCTION OF BENDING STRESS
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Ian Boilard, Ty
Kennedy, Joe Marsh, Scott Rice
Advisers: Mr. Mitchell Olsen (Hill
Engineering), Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn
Residual stresses are present in many materials and are
caused by manufacturing processes. The introduction of
these residual stresses influences material properties. That
is not to say that all residual stresses are unfavorable. Hill
Engineering specializes in measuring residual stresses.
They note that residual stresses can be particularly effective
in slowing and stopping crack growth that is caused by
fatigue or stress corrosion. Essentially, residual stresses can
strengthen materials and make them less likely to fail when
introduced carefully. However, quantifying the residual stress
in a material can be very difficult. One way to validate
measurement techniques is to introduce a known stress within
a test specimen as a standard for comparison. The fixture
built for this project was designed to exert a known stress
on a test specimen to a high precision which can then be
tested using existing residual stress measurement techniques.
The fixture was designed to integrate smoothly with Hill
Engineerings test and optical measurement equipment at its
facility. Precision instruments and materials were selected
to ensure accurate repeatability for which existing residual
stress measurement techniques could be validated.

TEAM #49: SAFETY SYRINGE FOR SENIOR

ARTHRITIS PATIENTS
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Tyler Hunter, Luis
Mercado, Mike Perlic
Adviser: Dr. Ruihong Zhang
Individuals who require frequent injections of medication are
often forced to self-inject, usually at home with no supervision.
The introduction of safety syringes stemmed from the need to
provide a method of injection to these individuals that reduces
the risk of needle-stick injury or incorrect dosing. However,
most existing safety syringes have not been designed for the
highly variable hand, finger, and wrist strength and dexterity
of their users. This is particularly problematic for seniors with
arthritis, who must frequently self-inject but have reduced
strength and dexterity due to both age and the symptoms of
arthritis. Our goal is to collect hand strength data to develop
a sizing chart for syringe users based on age, gender, and
physical health in order to make the self-injection process as
comfortable and safe as possible. We plan to present our
completed sizing chart, modified syringes used for testing
and validation, and our safety syringe prototype design in
SolidWorks at the Design Showcase.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #50: DAM-FREE HYDROKINETIC TURBINE

Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Melissa Cartwright,
Petra Eberspacher, Emily Iskin
Advisers: Dr. Ruihong Zhang, Dr. Kurt Kornbluth
Our client in Kafue, Zambia has designed and built a
working power-generating turbine system. The electricity
produced will be used by local fishermen to run refrigerators
for fish storage. The system consists of a turbine submerged
in the Kafue River, followed by a gearbox connected to a
3 kW generator, both on a barge. The gearbox transfers
the mechanical energy from the low-speed, high-torque
turbine shaft to the high-speed, low-torque generator shaft.
The gearbox is not performing at maximum efficiency. Our
project focuses on designing, modeling, building, and testing
an improved gearbox with a gear ratio of over 1:100. We
designed a sprocket and chain system consisting of three
pairs of sprockets. We built a prototype of the gearbox
that we then tested against certain design constraints. The
design will be accessible to and reproducible by other local
fisherman.

TEAM #51: AREION 4 SEAT ELECTRIC GENERAL

AVIATION AIRCRAFT
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Calvin Davis, Louis Edelman,
Benjamin Holmquist, Catherine Mamon,
Alejandro Pensado, Dillan Thung
Adviser: Dr. Cornelius van Dam
Areion is a modern aircraft designed to compete in the 2020
Electric General Aviation NASA ARMD Design Challenge.
The RFP challenge asks the team to consider the difficulties of
deploying battery or fuel cell systems due to underdeveloped
technologies and infrastructure. The aircraft must meet the
threshold (goal) requirements of 4 passengers, 500 (800)
nautical mile range, 400 (800) pound usable payload, 130
(175) knots cruise speed, and a 30 minute reserve flight
time. In order to meet the requirements, Areion utilizes a
unique configuration with advancements in aerodynamics,
materials, and energy storage. It is configured with a single
electrically driven pusher propeller, wake control system,
twisted trapezoidal wing, lifting canard, and retractable
landing gear. Natural laminar flow technology on the lifting
surfaces and fuselage and the unique Prandtl-Horten-Jones
lift distribution providing for significant drag reductions
over contemporary aircraft as well as controlled tail-less
flight. Areion makes use of strong and lightweight carbon
fiber construction. Gaseous hydrogen fuel cells power its
propulsion system with an independent battery reserve.

TEAM #52: D-VOLT 474 AIRCRAFT

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Douglas Fox, Kirk Kelly,
Alexander Lee, Christopher McDaniel
Adviser: Dr. Cornelius van Dam
One of the most exciting and promising developments in
travel, aviation included, is the burgeoning interest in electric
vehicles. Electric motors offer a number of advantages over
conventional engines powered by petroleum-based fuel,
generally including reliability (as they contain fewer moving
parts), efficiency, diminished environmental repercussion
(electric motors have the potential to be powered entirely
by renewable energy sources), greater torque at low shaft
angular velocities, and lower noise emission. Unfortunately,
large-scale implementation of electric vehicles remains
hindered by the current limitations of electrical energy storage
technology (which includes batteries, capacitors, and fuel
cells, although we will limit our discussion to batteries) as well
as the inadequacy of existing infrastructure, which extends
to both the scarcity of commercial charging stations and
the additional load on the power grid. Besides its usually
prohibitive cost, one of the chief drawbacks of contemporary
battery technology is its inherent weight. The low specific
energy of batteries or other electrical energy storage devices
reduces the range of any vehicle powered by electrical
energy relative to that of a similar vector motivated by
conventional fuel. This limitation has the greatest impact on
electric aircraft, which have especially strong dependencies
of required energy and power on the vehicles weight
compared to those of automobiles or watercraft. Designing
an aircraft that successfully avoids restrictively low values
for range, cruise velocity, cabin dimensions, rate of climb,
payload, and other performance parameters while ensuring
safe, comfortable travel for its passengers has become the
central challenge of electric aviation.

TEAM #53: MAKING AETHER A REALITY

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Gursevak Badesha,
Max Danilevsky, Danny Nguyen, David
Stanley, Paul Suarez, Derrick Yabut
Advisers: Dr. Cornelius van Dam, Nathan Blaesser
Electric power has been an increasingly important avenue of
an alternate energy source to fossil fuels for vehicles. Electric
fuel has already shown promise in cars today. The logical
step is electric aircraft. A design of an all electric general
aviation aircraft is presented, entitled Aether, that proves to
be a worthy design to fly by 2020.

TEAM #54: ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT DESIGN

ZAPDOS BY TEAM FLY-N-CHARGE
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Roberto Alvarez, Hung Dong, Nicole
Foust, Luis Hernandez, Alvaro Ponce, Zuhair Shaikh
Advisers: Dr. Cornelius van Dam, Nathan Blaesser
With the call for more eco-friendly aircrafts, Team ChargeN-Fly present Zapdos, the legendary creature of the sky.
Possessing contra-rotating propellers to use as much of the
airflow as possible and an H-Tail to improve handling and
stability, Zapdos will incorporate both tried and tested as
well as state of the art technologies, such as lithium-sulfate
batteries, in order to provide a renewable and cost-effective
mode of air transportation to enthusiasts and flight trainers
alike.

TEAM #55: SOL TERRA

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Punit Pandit, Matt Stevens,
Joey Waters, Jeffrey Won, Stephanie Zhu
Adviser: Dr. Cornelius van Dam
The Sol Terra is an fully electric general aviation aircraft that
is designed to meet the wants and needs of future air travel.

TEAM #56: BATTERY OPERATED AIRCRAFT 140A

(BOA 140A)
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Kevin Arcalas, Hwang Rak Choi,
Andrew Chung, Gino Estantino, Eric Wong
Advisers: Dr. Cornelius van Dam, Nathan Blaesser
Batteries are becoming the new standard to power aircrafts,
due to its higher mode of efficiency than traditional gas
powered aircrafts, in addition to leaving a negligible carbon
footprint. Therefore, the BOA 140A was designed to meet
the criteria of a four seated aircraft powered solely through
batteries. This craft was designed to have a range distance of
750 nautical miles, a total payload of 700 pounds, a cruise
speed of 140 knots, and a power reserve for emergencies to
last 30 minutes. Because this aircraft can be improved with a
more efficient battery technology, it was designed with future
capabilities in mind, which is in five years, where we predict
the mass of batteries to decrease and its energy density to
increase.

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TEAM #57: ALL-ELECTRIC GENERAL AVIATION

AIRCRAFT DESIGN
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Geoffrey Christensen,
Junette Hsin, Ethan Kellogg, Keshavan
Kope, Ben Schellenberg, Michael Starr
Adviser: Dr. Cornelius van Dam
For years electrically-powered aircraft have struggled to reach
beyond the experimental stages and enthusiast markets and
enter the general aviation world, primarily due to limitations
in battery technology. Our team has developed a conceptual
design for NASAs ARMD challenge: a highly efficient, allelectric aircraft using technology allowing the aircraft be to
production ready by 2020. This twin-prop aircraft features
a low-drag fuselage, composite materials, and seating for
1 pilot and 3 passengers to travel a maximum range of 520
nautical miles in just under 4 hours. Additionally, our design
considers necessary advancement in energy-storage systems
to realize the design by 2020, as well as required changes in
airport infrastructure to support this type of aircraft.

TEAM #58: J.E.F.F. JUST ELECTRIC FRIENDLY

FLIER
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Jer-Yen Hsu, Richard Lau,
Richard Wilson, Steven Wong, Kewen Wu
Advisers: Dr. Cornelius van Dam, Nathan Blaesser
The Just Electric Friendly Flier is a design submitted in
response to NASAs 2014-2015 Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorate Design Challenge RFP. J.E.F.F. is an allelectric general aviation aircraft ready for service in 2020
and is designed to keep up with the projected advances in
energy storage technology in mind. It is a low wing, high
t-tail aircraft powered by two 150 horsepower electric motors
mounted in its wing. It accommodates up to 4 passengers
and a maximum of 800 pounds of payload. It has a range of
800 nautical miles and cruises at 140 knots.

TEAM #59: SCUBA STINGRAY TAKING

ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION TO NEW HEIGHTS
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Camille Binter, Brandon Lee,
Ujit Satyarthi, Andres Zuniga, Samuel Zuniga
Adviser: Dr. Cornelius van Dam
The goal of the SCUBA (Specialized Craft Using Battery
Advancements) Stingray is to revolutionize the electric
general aviation industry. Prior to the formation of SCUBA,
the potential for electric aircraft was limited to only small,
single passenger craft capable of short flights ranges. The
low performance of these existing aircraft has resulted in the

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

need for more efficient and reliable battery packs. SCUBA

plans to tackle these issues by utilizing experimental battery
technologies in order to make electric aircraft more relevant
and affordable. SCUBAs first electric vehicle, the Stingray, is
a four-seater, general aviation electric aircraft that consists of
a hybrid battery pack system utilizing advanced Lithium Ion
batteries as well as the experimental, yet proven, Aluminum
Air battery system. In addition, the plane will employ the
most advanced engineering technologies available, such
as composite materials, to maintain high efficiency and
performance. It is intended that the Stingray be a multipurpose
aircraft, taking part in fields ranging from flight training to
reconnaissance to leisure. The Stingray is designed to be a
strong competitor against combustion engine GA Aircraft.
This aircraft is a major step towards making more affordable
and sustainable modes of aerial transportation. SCUBAs
potential success will certainly bring the potential of electric
transportation to new heights as well as inspire others to
undertake the challenges of this industry.

TEAM #60: MOBILE ANIMAL MONITOR

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Anuj Bhardwaj, Brad Harris,
John Meeker, James Nguyen, Kunihisa Tamura
Adviser: Dr. Andre Knoesen
The team designed a wireless sensor network to monitor
domesticated animals and aspects of their environment, public
shelters specifically. As caretakers are not always present,
issues like cold nights and bad air quality go unnoticed. Our
device solves this by reading long-term environmental data,
then giving cloud access to shelter employees.

TEAM #61: NATCAR CHUCKSGON

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Zheng Zheng Jiang, Lejin Lin, Zixin Lu
Adviser: Lance Halsted
This project presents the design of an autonomous race car
that utilizes the FRDM-KL25Z microcontroller to compete in
the Freescale Cup and NATCAR competition. This car features
an adjustable camera stand design that allows the dual
linescan cameras to face the racecourse in different angles
and heights. In addition to the innovative hardware design,
this car also features the algorithms to make sharp turns,
accelerate in straight lines, and maintain smooth transitions
in the track. We designed the car to be competitive against
other cars. It performed very well in both class competitions.

TEAM #62: UCD FLIGHT TRACKER

Department: Computer Science
Team members: Kirsten Cahoon, Nina
Kaushik, Nick Layton, Rupali Saiya
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
We have developed a web based application, where users
can easily input their travel information. Our search engine
will output the best priced flight option during the time range
specified by the user. The search bot will continuously check
in the background for random variations in the prices, and
will notify a user if there is a flash sale, or a drop in price, on
a particular flight during their time range. In addition to the
standard inputs of source, destination, and dates, we have
fields where users can named their own price, preferred
airlines, and preferred route. The option for all of these extra
user inputs is something that pre-existing search engines lack
today.

TEAM #63: DELTA (DELAY-TOLERANCE

APPLICATION)
Department: Computer Science
Team members: Tiffany Chan, AJ De Las
Alas, Stephanie Tran, Viet Tran
Advisers: Dr. Xin Liu, Dr. Prasant Mohapatra
DELTA is Android-based application designed to run on tablet
computers. This application wants to address self-control in
preschool children with high rates of impulsivity. Schweitzer
and Sulzer-Azaroff had done a study that demonstrated
that self-control in these children can be increased by using
the shaping procedure, which is that the longer the delay
to receive the award means the rewards are increased.
Therefore, the goal of this project is to replicate the study
and to see whether the group of preschool children are able
to obtain or increase their self control with this type of delay
gratification.

TEAM #64: CHEMICAL PLANT DESIGN PROJECT:

THE PRODUCTION OF ACROLEIN FROM THE
CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF PROPYLENE

oxidation of propylene then followed by phase separation

and fractional distillation. There is a strong demand for this
chemical and we want to plan a chemical plant that produces
acrolein with processes that will maximize our profit. Also
we planned our chemical plant so that it follows all the
existing regulations on the chemical that are involved in our
production and makes as small negative environment impact
as possible.

TEAM #65: PRODUCTION OF ETHANOLAMINES

FROM ETHYLENE OXIDE AND AMMONIA
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Tony Ting Li, Christina Lum,
Travis Ludlum, Christopher OConnor
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Ethanolamine production is currently of great interest in
several industrial fields, ranging from energy to detergents
and even to surfactants. Current ethanolamine production
includes three chemical products: monoethanolamine,
diethanolamine and triethanolamine. These products are
produced from three separate reactions, beginning with
the reactants of ethylene oxide (EO) and ammonia (NH3).
There is particular interest in monoethanolamine production
due to the rising demand for its ability to capture carbon
dioxide emissions. Our objective is to design and analyze the
development, engineering, and construction of a chemical
plant that will produce ethanolamines in Beaumont, Texas,
along the Gulf Coast. The final deliverables of the project
will be a conceptual design package in AspenTech for the
plant, along with a complete economic and environmental
evaluation. Overall, there will be two major design paths
that will be analyzed. The first path will attempt to generate
the maximum profit product distribution, and the second path
will operate such that 60% of the product will be MEA, or
monoethanolamine. Major variables that will be analyzed
and changed are the feed concentrations and rations of the
EO and NH3, as well as reactor temperature and pressure.

Department: Chemical Engineering

& Materials Science
Team members: Oscar Granados, Yong
Lee, Andres Soohoo, Raymond Wang
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Acrolein is used as a chemical intermediate for methionine (an
essential amino acid used in animal feed), gluteraldehyde,
and cycloaliphatic epoxides. Direct uses include fuel additive
to prevent microbial degradation and industrial watertreatment applications. Acrolein is produced by the catalytic

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

17

TEAM #66: GRASS ROOT PRODUCTION OF

ACROLEIN THROUGH PROPYLENE OXIDATION
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Faizan Ali, Ryan Cohn,
Bradley Costa, Javier Mares
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
This grass-root design will be able to produce 60 million
pounds of acrolein per operating year using a method of
propylene oxidation. Besides acrolein, acrylic acid will also
be produced as a side product of this plant. The intended
purity for this plant design is 99.0 wt% or greater for both
acrolein and acrylic acid, which will allow both chemicals to
be sold on the market. The planned operating conditions for
the intended plant design is between 600 and 800 F and
pressure between 20 and 80 psia. All operating conditions
were determined by maximizing the production of acrolein
while minimizing the operating costs of the plant. The plant
will utilize packed bed reactors using a bismuth molybdate
catalyst, heat exchangers, and distillation columns. All of
these units are sized according to a throughput that results in
60 million lbs of acrolein per year. Utility and feed materials
will include steam, propylene, natural gas, cooling water
and electricity. The catalyst will have to be replaced yearly
during the schedule downtime of the reactor so as to prevent
deactivation of catalyst and loss of conversion in the reactors.
Also both oxygen and nitrogen will be obtained from the
atmosphere so as to minimize the operating cost of the
reactors.

TEAM #67: LIQUID PHASE ETHANOLAMINE

PLANT DESIGN AND SIMULATION
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Anais Flynn, Aaron
Kirschen, Scott Torres, Vinh Tran
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
For our project, we designed a facility to produce 100
million pounds of 99% weight purity ethanolamines. Product
distributions consisting of different percentages of Monoethanolamine, di-ethanolamine, and tri-ethanolamine were
explored. Different Ethanol-amines have long been used as
acid gas (H2S and CO2) absorbents. Of particular interest
for our project is the potential increase in mono-ethanolamine
demand for carbon dioxide capture from power plant
and industrial furnace flue gases. Ethanol-amines are also
consumed in the manufacture of detergents, surfactants,
agricultural products, and textiles. Ethanol-amines are
produced by reacting ethylene oxide with aqueous ammonia
in the liquid phase/supercritical phase without a catalyst.
In addition, a small amount of byproduct ethylene glycol
is formed when water reacts with the ethylene oxide. The
goal of this project was to produce a product distribution that
yielded the maximum profit for the facility while remaining
within the product restrictions.
18

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #68: GRASS-ROOT PLANT DESIGN

BASED IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF ON-PURPOSE PROPYLENE
THROUGH CATALYTIC DEHYDRATION OF
METHANOL
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Aditya Agarwal, Alec
Liou, Thuy-Quynh Ngo, Layla Sanders
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
In the current petrol-chemical market, shale gas makes the
majority of the natural gas being used in production. While
this allowed for a boom in ethylene production, there was
a significant reduction in propylene production due to the
methods used to make ethylene. The proposed design is that
of a methanol to propylene plant via catalytic dehydration of
methanol to dimethyl ether, followed by dimethyl ether reacting
over a modified zeolite catalyst to produce propylene. Using
AspenPlus, a flowsheet was constructed for the simulation
of a 500 mmlb/year plant, along with a detailed economic
analysis of yearly operating costs and possible net profit.

TEAM #69: GRASS-ROOTS ON PURPOSE

PROPYLENE PLANT DESIGN
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Linh Doan, Rhys Dylan
Robles, Elizabeth Roshal, Solomon Wong
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Traditionally, propylene is a by-product of steam cracking and
fluid catalytic cracking. However, the demand for propylene
has grown significantly over the years. In our process, we
use packed flow reactors convert methanol to DME, and
then DME to propylene. The mixture is then separated by
a distillation column into Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG),
gasoline, light gases, and propylene. With this process and a
.9 conversion ratio of methanol to propylene, we can expect
approximately $72.5 million worth of profit. However, this is
including the sale of the by-products obtained by this process.
From the Trinidad and Tobago official government and Basel
Convention websites, we found that there are many different
guidelines that we must follow. In addition to environmental
regulations, there are also chemical guidelines that must be
followed due to the use of chemicals such as zeolite and
aluminum oxide catalyst. From a basic ASPEN model, it has
been calculated that we need about 200,000 lbs/hr of pure
methanol and 191,000 lbs. of steam to create the desired
500 million lbs/yr of propylene at the designated process
restrictions. Using parameters given by the client, it was found
that about 100,000 lbs. of ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst is needed
for the first reactor and 47,000 lbs. of NM-1 for the second
reactor. Total cost for this process, inluding utilities, totaled
out to be $5,172,310 in capital costs and $272,218,068
every 2 years for operating costs.

TEAM #70: ETHANOL-AMINES PRODUCTION

PROJECT
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Rene Gone, Kevin
Hwee, Vincent Phan, Vinh Phuong
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Ethanol-amines have long been used as an absorbents for
acid gases such as H2S or CO2 in the chemical processing
industry. A market has emerged for the production of monoethanolamine which can be used to capture CO2 from power
plants and industrial furnace flue gases. In addition, ethanolamines are consumed in the manufacturing of detergents,
surfactants, agricultural products, and textiles. The production
of ethanol-amines occurs by reacting ethylene oxide with
aqueous ammonia in the liquid or supercritical phase without
need of a catalyst. The reaction of successive ethylene oxide
molecules with mono-ethanolamine yields di-ethanolamine
and tri-ethanolamine respectively. Our group has designed
an ethanol-amine production plant projected to be located in
Beaumont, Texas. Its annual production rate is aimed at 100
million pounds of ethanol-amines along with some by-product
(ethylene glycol) and waste. Aspen Plus was used to simulate
a production plant and the processes within to achieve 99%
ethanol-amines purity. This information allowed estimations
of annual production, necessary capital investment, annual
plant operation costs, and ultimately, profitability.

TEAM #71: PLANT DESIGN FOR THE SYNTHESIS

OF ACROLEIN FROM PROPYLENE
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Zhi Chen, Xin
Cui, Denis Su, Amr Zedan
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Acrolein (propenal) is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde.
Acrolein is produced industrially by the catalytic oxidation
of propylene and is used as a chemical intermediate for
methionine (an essential amino acid used in animal feed),
glutaraldehyde, and cycloaliphatic epoxides. Direct uses
include fuel additive to prevent microbial degradation
and industrial water-treatment applications. The purpose
of this project is to prepare a conceptual design package
and economic evaluation of the conversion of propylene to
acrolein. This design incorporates new technologies, green
design, and economical solutions aimed at delivering a cost
effective and environmentally friendly plant. This designs
target is to produce 60 million pounds of acrolein per year
while reducing the by-products of the process which include
carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

TEAM #72: DESIGN OF A COMMERCIAL PLANT

FOR ETHANOLAMINES PRODUCTION
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Parampreet Bhatti, Jonathon
Jenkins, Chandran Lakshmanan, Waylon Yang
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
At the request of UCD Chemicals, we at Flawless Design
have designed a grassroots chemical processing plant
in Beaumont, Texas for the conversion of ethyl oxide and
ammonia feedstock into ethanolamines. The target was the
production of mono, di, and tri ethanolamines at a total
capacity of 100 million pounds/year. Design objectives
included optimizing process equipment components to
maximize ethanolamine conversion while limiting overall
operating cost. A detailed economic analysis was performed
to single out the current design. We hope our design will
leave a positive impact both locally, jobs and environment,
and globally, the world market.

TEAM #73: PRODUCTION OF ETHANOLAMINES

Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Joshua Co, Katherine
Fudge, Van Nguyen, Brandon Wong
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Ethanol-amines have long been used as acid gas (H2S
and CO2) absorbents. Of particular interest is the potential
increase in mono-ethanolamine (MEA) demand for carbon
dioxide capture from power plant and industrial furnace flue
gases. Ethanol-amines are also
consumed in the manufacture of detergents, surfactants,
agricultural products, and textiles. Ethanol-amines are
produced by reacting ethylene oxide (EO) with aqueous
ammonia (NH3) in the liquid phase/supercritical phase
without a catalyst. The addition of one EO molecule forms
mono-ethanolamine (MEA). A second EO molecule forms
di-ethanolamine (DEA) and a third EO molecule forms triethanolamine (TEA). We plan to produce all three ethanolamines and the ratio of these products depends on the
reaction conditions. In addition, a small amount of byproduct
ethylene glycol is formed.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

19

TEAM #74: THE ON-PURPOSE PRODUCTION OF

PROPYLENE FROM METHANOL FEEDSTOCKS
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Victor Awad, Ravinderjeet
Gill, Amar Husic, Jordan Provost
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
To take advantage of a growing number of propylene
applications and the rising availability of methanol from
natural gas sources, we have designed a process to convert
methanol to propylene on a commercial scale. Propylene
has historically been a waste product from hydrocarbon
cracking, but recent efforts to find uses for the substance
have been very fruitful. Demand has now surpassed supplies
from traditional product streams, and propylene has become
a high-value commodity. In order to assess the commercial
viability of the proposed process, we have created a detailed
design and economic evaluation. The production plant has
been strategically located in Trinidad and Tobago, in close
proximity to a number of methanol plants and positioned well
to supply propylene to Gulf Coast customers. The production
capacity of the facility is 500 million pounds of propylene per
year, with a 99.5% purity by weight. All revenues from byproducts and utility costs are considered when determining
the net profitability of the plant.

TEAM #75: PRODUCTION OF ON-PURPOSED

PROPYLENE
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Davis Bilsky, Albert De
Las Alas, Tien Hao Lee, Curtis Ng
Adviser: Dr. Nael El-Farra
An important carbon source for organic molecules is
propylene. Propylene is commonly a by-product of
petrochemical processes, but as demand increases, we
must find alternative methods to directly produce propylene.
Here, we convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), then
use NM-15 catalyst for a high selectivity (71%) reaction to
produce propylene. With a large number of by-products from
this reaction, separation poses a challenge, especially the
separation of propylene and propane. By using Aspen Plus
for simulations, we are able to design a plant to produce 500
million pounds of 99.5 wt% propylene per year. In addition,
we perform the economic evaluation to ensure we maintain
profit in our plant, which is scheduled to open in 2018.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #76: PROFITABLE ON-PURPOSE PROPYLENE

IN TRINIDAD
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Christina Chun, Thuy Thanh
Le, Sean Mercer, Daniel Mulugeta
Adviser: Dr. Nael El-Farra
Propylene is often a by-product of other processes; however,
due to a high demand for it in the petrochemical industry,
on-purpose propylene production is a prevalent area for
development. In this project, a chemical plant for on-purpose
propylene production in Trinidad and Tobago will be
designed. For this project, propylene will be produced from
a conversion of methanol using a two steps synthesis method,
instead of the traditional steam cracking method. The first step
of the synthesis method involves the catalytic dehydration of
methanol to create an equilibrium mixture of dimethyl ether,
methanol and water. This mixture with an addition of steam
is then reacted over a zeolite catalyst with high selectivity to
propylene. Propylene and by-products will then be purified to
achieve 99.5% propylene purity. With Aspen Plus simulation
program, the above chemical process will be designed and
optimized for large-scale production. Cost analysis will be
performed on the design for profitability study. This projects
goal is to design an economically profitable chemical plant
for propylene production and purification, with the production
capacity of 500 million pounds of propylene per year.

TEAM #77: EFFICIENT FINANCIAL AND

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN OF ACROLEIN
PRODUCTION PLANT THROUGH OXIDATION
OF PROPYLENE
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Steven Chakerian, Patrick
Kanadi, Zahra Memar, Brandon Rotondo
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
The proposed plant design considers facets of efficient
acrolein production, dealing with safe handling of the toxic
product, and flammable components. A cost effective method
of acrolein production is through oxidation of propylene
feed-stock. The plant operation considers upstream mixing of
components to produce safe reacting conditions, and reactor
design is employed to simultaneously reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from undesired reactions, and to lessen the cost of
plant operations. Downstream separations are developed to
produce high purity acrolein, while removing waste products
and valuable reactants. Rate law data provided in catalyst
tests is fitted to equation for reaction rates. Process cooling
requires key control of temperatures, as reaction approaches
runaway conditions. Through use of the AspenPlus program
for plant design and flow sheets, accurate modelling of
the simultaneously dependent processes will occur, which
allows us to predict the plant results. Furthermore, equipment

sizes can be optimized within the program, manipulating

parameters to lower financial and environmental cost. Plant
design further considers fixed cost, material and utility cost to
be optimized throughout the whole upstream, reaction, and
separations process downstream. Efficient design is employed
to reuse cooling water streams, and minimize electricity costs.
Safe equipment usage will limit corrosion caused by acrolein
product, and prevent explosive limit conditions through steam
dilution. Design considerations will attempt to remove CO2
product gas through water scrubbing, such that emissions
can be controlled and reduced through treatment. The use
of recycle streams and process inter-cooling will allow for a
productive reactor.

TEAM #78: CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND

ECONOMIC EVALUATION FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF ETHANOLAMINES
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Brandon Folb, Trevor
Gray, Calvin Ma, Felix Tran
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Ethanolamines are used in a variety of applications
including carbon dioxide scrubbing, personal care products,
corrosion inhibition, and pH buffering solutions. According
to projections the market is also going to expand in the
future, especially for monoethanolamine. A full upstream and
downstream chemical plant design was performed for the
production of ethanolamines using simulation software from
a feedstock of ammonia and ethylene oxide. The individual
unit operations for this plant including sizing, material choice,
and economic evaluation was performed to determine the
economic feasibility of our design. From laboratory data,
the kinetics for ethanolamine production were determined
and was used to design a plug-flow reactor for the upstream
section of the chemical plant. The chemicals produced
in this reaction are monoethanolamine, diethanolamine,
triethanolamine, as well as ethylene glycol. Feedstock
ratios as well as operating conditions were manipulated to
achieve the distribution of products with the highest economic
potential. The downstream portion of the plant focused on
the separation of the reaction products to high purity. To
accomplish this distillation columns were used in succession
to remove unreacted reactants as well as purify each of our
products to a minimum of 99 wt%. The process was designed
to selectively produce greater amounts of monoethanolamine
due to potential growth in its market and 100 million pounds
of product per year in total for the chemical plant that is to
be constructed in Texas.

TEAM #79: INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION OF

ACROLEIN THROUGH CATALYTIC OXIDATION
OF PROPYLENE
Department: Chemical Engineering & Materials
Science
Team members: Paul Arneja, Cindy Luna-Zaragoza,
Cori Satkowski, Kelvin Tan
Adviser: Dr. Nael El-Farra
Plant design focuses on upstream processing steps,including
the development of base case simulation model using Aspen
Plus, to design and evaluate a proposed Acrolein project
that would produce 60 million pounds of acrolein/year for a
plant operating 350 days/yr, where conversion of propylene
to acrolein reaches 85% conversion.

TEAM #80: INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION OF

ACROLEIN VIA OXIDATION OF PROPYLENE
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Jeffrey Fan, Po Yue Meng,
Brandon Rose, Andrew Sanchez
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
A method of production for the oxidation of propylene to
acrolein is designed for this project. This project utilizes
the concepts of fluid mechanics, mass and heat transfer,
and kinetics to determine the best way to produce acrolein
commercially. Designing a flow sheet is the first step. Using
reactors and separators, the reaction can take place and the
acrolein can be separated from the other side products. By
taking into account the goal of producing 60 million pounds
of acrolein per year with a minimum purity of 99.0% by
weight, the specifications for the facility can be determined
using the software Aspen Plus. From this information, the
sizing and cost of each different piece of equipment can
be determined using multiple equations and charts. From
this, the different equipment needed for the production of
acrolein can be chosen as well as the material that is most
suitable for making the equipment. The safety of the workers
and the environment are the top priority when selecting
equipment and designing the process. To prevent any spilling
or contamination, appropriate materials will be used when
constructing the plant. By accounting for the many factors of
building this plant such as safety, production rate, efficiency,
and cost, the most appropriate design and specifications
were used for the construction of this plant.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

21

TEAM #81: PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF AN

ON-PURPOSE METHANOL-TO-PROPYLENE
PRODUCTION PLANT
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Andrew Atkins, Steven Frias,
Cheyne Fulimoto, Shintaro Yamamura
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Flawless Design Corporation being led by project managers
Professor El-Farra and Professor Miller have the assignment
from Etheror Chemicals regarding their plans to build a plant
for the production of on-purpose propylene by conversion
from methanol. Propylene is the second most important
starting product in the petrochemical industry after ethylene
and a raw material for variety of products. The global
market for propylene has expanded in recent years and
our team is planning on meeting those needs. The design
requires detailed economic evaluation, conceptual design
and simulation of the plant, and capital and operating cost
estimation to determine the feasibility and profitability of the
plant.

TEAM #82: GRASS ROOT ACROLIEN PLANT

Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Diana Collazo, Peter Ghenta,
Andrea Gonzalez-Bible, Michael Ino
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Our group is tasked with finding the economic viability of
a Acrolien production plant that would hypothetically come
online in the year 2018. Acrolein is an important chemical
precursor to the production of Methionine, an amino acid for
livestock feed, it is also used in the production of another major
industrial chemical known as acrylic acid. From preliminary
cost analyses, the plant had a projected yearly oncome of
38 million dollars a year, making our venture seem fairly
viable. Or project will tackle the challenges of producing the
acrolein form propene and air then purifying the substance to
99.0 wt%. There are many challenges that arise in the energy
management, which are group is working hard to conquer.
The advantage of our product is that competitors around the
globe usually supply the acrolein at 95 wt%, making this a
very promising capital venture if we can run this efficiently.
The task will also include all the miscellaneous cost, including
all the startup costs, running costs of the plant, and predicting
when we will hit the black from all our capital investments.
As mentioned before managing heat will be crucial to
this project in order to make it economically viable. In our
production, separation boasts a huge challenge, because the
contents of our reacted feed form mixtures that are not easily
separated. Enormous amount of energy will be released from
the reaction and even more energy will be needed for the
separations. As our group will go with further investigation,
we will find whether or not our process is economically viable.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

TEAM #83: GRASS-ROOT ETHANOLAMINES

PLANT DESIGN
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Benjamin Hollander, Jinghua
Lai, Cameron Noory, Andre Swart
Advisers: Dr. Nael El-Farra, Dr. Greg Miller
Ethanol-amines are important compounds which can be used
in the manufacture of detergents, surfactants agricultural
products, and textiles. They also can be used as acid gas
absorbents. Ethanol-amines including MEA, DEA, and TEA
can be produced by the reaction of ethylene oxide with
excess ammonia. In this project, we consider the design of
a plant with the capability to produce 100 million pounds
per year of total ethanol-amines located in Texas. The current
market has a global production of 2866 million pounds
per year of ethanol-amines with increasing global demand,
which suggest that such a plant will provide a valuable
product in the US. The design includes an upstream reactions
and considerable downstream separations which have been
optimized to ensure maximum profitability of the plant. We
summarize that such a plant is feasible in conceptual design
and propose that pilot plant operations are needed to confirm
the simulation results.

TEAM #84: TRANSIENT EXPRESSION OF ZMAPP

IN WHOLE NICOTIANA BENTHAMIANA PLANTS
FOR THE TREATMENT OF EBOLA
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Hilary Chan, Darwin
Constantino, Brendan Edwards, Aaron Kwong
Advisers: Dr. Karen McDonald, Dr. Somen Nandi
With over 25,000 total cases and 10,500 confirmed deaths
in the past year, the current and deadliest Ebola epidemic
has been labeled as a global health crisis. The standard,
historic treatment for Ebola victims has been supportive
therapy, which includes providing intravenous fluids,
maintaining oxygen status, and treating other infections.
This is done in order to keep patients alive long enough
for their immune systems to develop defenses to combat
the virus. However, with this approach, the fatality rate has
been 60%. There is still no approved treatment available for
Ebola, but ZMapp, a therapeutic cocktail consisting of three
separate antibodies developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical,
has resulted in a 100% survival rate when administered to
non-human primates infected with the Ebola virus up to 5
days post infection. An efficient and easily scalable method
of large-scale production must be designed and analyzed.
Our team, Agrozyme Therapeutics, focused on the design of
a large-scale production method for ZMapp using transient
gene transfer by Agrobacterium tumefaciens into whole
Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The biomanufacturing facility
can produce 75 kg of purified ZMapp per year, enough
for approximately 8,500 treatments per year. The upstream

production and downstream recovery processes were

modeled in SuperPro Designer and an economic analysis
was performed.

TEAM #85: FACILITY DESIGN FOR EBOLA

THERAPEUTIC, ZMAPP, UNDER SINGLE-USE
SEMI-CONTINUOUS PROCESSING
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Kenneth Hernandez, Jack Morel,
Kenmond Pang, Brandon Tran, Christy Turcios
Advisers: Dr. Karen McDonald, Dr. Somen Nandi
The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa has prompted
an increased effort to produce and implement a working
Ebola treatment. ZMapp, a monoclonal antibody (mAb)
based therapeutic, is the result of a collaboration between
Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., LeafBio, Defyrus Inc., the
US government, and the Public Health Agency of Canada
(PHAC). ZMapp is currently manufactured by Kentucky
BioProcessing using transient mAb gene expression in
whole Nicotiana benthamiana plants. This method has
proven to be effective in producing mAbs to treat Ebola,
but our team, Phytogen Pharmaceuticals, is evaluating a
new production method using semi-continuous perfusion
reactors with suspended N. benthamiana cells for increased
flexibility, scalability and cGMP compliance. Production
methodologies for mAbs are highly complex/expensive, and
require well-designed infrastructure, economic feasibility,
and fast production timelines. For these reasons, we have
performed an in-depth design and technoeconomic analysis
of a facility for ZMapp production under single-use semicontinuous processing. This analysis includes design of
unit operations and associated mass/energy balances,
equipment selection, equipment sizing, capital investment
calculations, overall cost of production, environmental impact
analyses, and scheduling of production timelines all via
a computer modeling software called SuperPro Designer .
Special consideration was given to continuous processes and
single-use technologies since they are poised to change the
biotherapeutic industry.

TEAM #86: FUEL IT ALL WITH BUTANOL

Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Amy Ly, Sean Shelton,
Bridgette Smith, Zhimin Xie
Advisers: Dr. Karen McDonald, Dr. Shota Atsumi
Biobutanol is becoming an increasingly desirable substitute
for traditional petroleum-based fuels. There are many
advantages of using butanol over ethanol, such as having
a higher octane number, a lower vapor pressure, and
better mixability. In the interest of being economic and
environmentally friendly, we have designed a manufacturing
facility that produces n-butanol using Escherichia coli that

has been genetically modified to assimilate ethylene and

convert it to butanol. Our target is to produce 500 barrel
of oil equivalent/day, or more, with an n-butanol specific
productivity of 1 gram n-butanol/gram dry weight E. coli /
hour. Using SuperPro Designer , we modeled upstream and
downstream processing units for a facility that operates 351
days per year with continuous n-butanol production runs that
each last up to a month. The facility consists of a catalytic
reactor for the oxidative coupling of methane to ethylene, a
seed train for the preparation of E. coli inoculum, productionscale fermenter(s), and separation and purification steps. To
improve our productivity, n-butanol is continuously removed
through gas stripping, which is the more energy efficient than
traditional distillation. The recovered n-butanol-rich vapor
is condensed and collected. Biomass produced from the
reactors is used as inoculum or nutrients for future production
runs while any unreacted ethylene is separated and recycled.
An economic analysis is performed to determine the potential
profitability of this novel n-butanol production strategy at
scale.

TEAM #87: PRODUCTION OF EBOLA

THERAPEUTIC ZMAPP USING NICOTIANA
BENTHAMIANA BATCH PLANT CELL CULTURE
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Oliver Chen, James Joly,
Kelsey Parsons, Thom Phongvichit
Advisers: Dr. Karen McDonald, Dr. Somen Nandi
As of April 2015, there have been over 25,000 cases of
Ebola in West Africa. The virus causes severe hemorrhagic
fever and has an average fatality rate around 50%. This has
resulted in over 10,000 deaths since the 2014 outbreak alone.
There have been several candidate therapeutics developed,
but only monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been found to
be effective. ZMapp is a cocktail of three different antibodies
and was found to bind to three sites on the glycoprotein of
the virus. The therapeutic drug, ZMapp, was found to offer
a high level of protection against the virus, but production of
the drug, which uses a novel plant-based method, has not
been able to meet the current demand. Several alternative
designs are being considered for ZMapp production to
meet the desired amount of treatments for current and future
outbreaks. Our design team, Zaratek, has performed a
preliminary conceptual design and economic analysis for
the production of ZMapp using a Nicotiana benthamiana
plant cell suspension culture. The production facility uses a
three-stage batch plant cell culture to produce the antibodies
necessary to make ZMapp. The necessary separation and
purification processes were also designed and analyzed.
Plant cell suspension cultures derived from glycoengineered
N. benthamiana are used to produce the ZMapp mAbs
through transient expression using Agrobacterium cocultivation. SuperPro Designer was used to model the
upstream and downstream process units of the mAb facility
and to perform the economic analysis.
ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

23

TEAM #88: MEDICASE: MOBILE POINT-OF-CARE

TESTING WORKSTATION FOR DISASTER AND
EMERGENCY CARE
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Daicy Luo, Christian
Pascual, Jonathan Wang, Amy Yu
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
The MediCase is a portable workspace that can shelter
delicate point of care medical devices so that they can be more
easily transported in disaster situations. By mobilizing point
of care treatment, the MediCase can accelerate therapeutic
turnaround time and improve the quality of patient care in
these situations. There is a cooling system in place to ensure
that device reagents remain viable in temperate conditions so
that they can continue to provide reliable results.

TEAM #89: SOURCE SUGARS: MOBILE SUGAR

BEET PRE-TREATMENT AND CONCENTRATION
SYSTEM
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Raymond Chan,
Elizabeth Chun, Curtis Jew
Adviser: Dr. Ruihong Zhang
With increased need for fuel around the world, there has
been an increased demand for alternative fuels. Sugar beets
have been a popular plant based alternative due to their
large sugar storages. Unfortunately the majority of the plant
is comprised of water which adds to the overall weight of
material transported. Source Sugars goal is to develop
a system that can enzymatically hydrolyze sugar beets to
decrease transportation costs and to show that sugar beets
are a viable candidate for the production of alternative fuel.
The projects objectives are to develop a mobile pilot scale
system capable of concentrating sugar beets to concentrate
sugar/biomass, to construct key system elements for pretreatment and concentration of biomass, to test the prototype
and optimize the process to produce a biomass concentrate,
and to evaluate performance parameters and prototype
designs to develop a recommended design of the system.
For this design showcase the team is presenting the final
prototype design and product of a system that will meet
Source Sugars goals and objectives.

TEAM #90: UAV DETECT AND AVOID SYSTEM

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Christopher Bird, Shalmali
Joshi, Lindsey Raven, Angela Tobin
Adviser: Dr. Soheil Ghiasi, Dr. Xiaoguang (Leo) Liu
The Detect and Avoid system is designed to allow
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or quadcopters to avoid
collisions autonomously. While on a preset flight path, the
UAV determines if there is a specific object in its path by

24

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

using image processing algorithms on a video feed from a

single camera. Using this information, along with distance
signals from a LIDAR sensor, it will calculate a new flight plan
to avoid the object. This system is implemented on an Altera
FPGA with an ARM processor running LINUX.

TEAM #91: TANTALUM NITRIDE THIN FILM

RESISTOR PRODUCTION VIA REACTIVE SPUTTER
DEPOSITION
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: James Bellino, Hannah Flens,
Thomas Garcia, Chris Hart, Antonio Hurtado,
Monica Lehmann, David Loyola, Benjamin
MacDonald, Drew Teller, Allen Volpe
Advisers: Dr. Ricardo Castro, Mike Powers
Thin film resistors are the fundamental pieces of all equipment
produced by Keysight Technologies. Tantalum nitride is a
material often used due to intrinsic properties that allow the
required resistance ranges to be achieved. Currently, tantalum
nitride thin films are produced via sputter deposition. This
method of film formation is not ideal for deposition of tantalum
nitride due to the cost of the alloyed tantalum nitride material
source, known as a target, and the issues of consistency that
arise once a target has been replaced, due to variability
in compositions. Adopting reactive sputter deposition as the
primary production method for tantalum nitride can circumvent
both of these issues. Our team proposed the development
and implementation of reactive sputter deposition of tantalum
nitride for uses in thin film resistors. The difference between
reactive and traditional sputter deposition is that the target
can simply be pure tantalum and reacts with nitrogen gas
during the deposition process to form a film of the desired
composition, leading to a more efficient production, pure
tantalum targets are more affordable and have a more
reliable composition that will reduce inconsistency found
with the tantalum nitride target. The process was developed
with existing equipment at Keysight Technologies and key
parameters of reactive sputter deposition will be optimized
through several experimental depositions. The films produced
were characterized and evaluated against a matrix of
properties that are expected for a high quality resistor that
can be implemented in Keysight Technologies products.

TEAM #92: CULTURING AQUATIC SNAILS IN A

RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SYSTEM
Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Galen Anderson, Felicia Manan,
Sumana Seshadri
Advisers: Dr. Ruihong Zhang, Dr. Bryan Jenkins,
Tien-Chieh Hung
This project is aimed at accomplishing the following goals:
(1) to construct a viable habitat in a recirculating aquaculture

system (RAS) to support and control the reproduction and

growth of a continuous population of aquatic snails, H.
anceps; (2) to minimize the energy consumption of the RAS
with efficient design, integrating active solar water heating,
and an automatic control system; and (3) to minimize the
labor required to maintain the system with design, automatic
controls, and a monitoring system. While RAS show promise
to contribute significantly in future worldwide aquaculture
production, the high initial investment and operating costs
compared to other aquaculture methodology inhibit its
widespread adoption. This project has the potential to
develop and prove some possible solutions to the high cost
of RAS.

TEAM #93: THE MECHANICALLY STABILIZED

EARTH GEOCHALLENGE COMPETITION
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Alan Espejo, Tyler Mathews, Krishen
Parmar, Gordon Tat, Jimmy Wong, Colleen Woolcott
Adviser: Dr. Bruce Kutter
The Mechanically Stabilized Earth GeoChallenge is a
competition that consists of designing a model retaining wall
using only a sheet of poster board with kraft paper strips
as reinforcement, rather than concrete with steel tiebacks.
Engineering properties of the paper reinforcement and the
geotechnical properties of the soil back fill were acquired
using ASTM testing methods. The competition requires
students to construct the wall, along with compacting the back
fill, on site in 50 minutes. Once construction is completed,
the back fill material is vertically loaded. The final scores
are calculated based on the total mass of reinforcement and
amount of deflection induced by the vertical load.

TEAM #94: NATCAR

Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Weitang Liu, Zhisen Qian,
Guangliang Wu
Adviser: Lance Halsted
Design and construct an autonomous race car.

TEAM #95: GETEXPERTS

Department: Computer Science
Team members: Sonia Chourappa, Syeda Kauser
Inamdar, Anjaly Nedumala, Anthony Tran
Adviser: Dr. Xin Liu
GetExperts is a web application where businesses can
find experts qualified to undertake their listed projects. This
professional networking site allows experts to publish their
profiles including expertise areas, years of experience,
past projects, etc. A business can post a project profile with
its description and the types of skill it requires. An expert
can search for and submit proposals to projects that need

their expertise while a business can browse for and send

invitations to experts to view their posted project(s). The site
primarily runs on searching and matching algorithms which
recommend businesses, experts, and projects to each other
based on common tags (skills and expertise) linked with their
profiles. A business will then be notified if a potential expert
is interested in their project(s) and an expert will be notified
when a published project requires his or her skill set. If the
expert and project make a good match, then the business can
take the next step in contracting the expert for the duration of
the project development period. This application is powered
by MongoDB, Express, AngularJS and Node.js. Geared to
the pharmaceutical industry, GetExperts connects well-suited
experts with projects that need their skills.

TEAM #96: COMPREHENSIVE AGRICULTURAL

MONITORING SENSOR SYSTEM (CAMSS) FOR
THE CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Jonathan Earl, Joshua
Garrison, Yosi Shturm, Jackson Thomas
Adviser: Dr. Andre Knoesen
The Comprehensive Agricultural Monitoring Sensor System
provides the California strawberry industry with a mobile
sensing platform to monitor plant and environmental conditions.
Environmental, chemical, and visual data is collected for realtime analysis of the plant and field conditions. A TIG-welded
aluminum chassis is ergonomically designed for user comfort
and field integrity. The chassis includes an environmental
sensing unit to obtain and correlate ambient conditions. An
adjustable wing assembly featuring a soil sampling probe
provides an analytical platform that can be used for a variety
of field infrastructures. As the system is guided through the
field by a user, profiles for soil moisture, conductivity, and
temperature are generated based on geographical location.
The system also features a depth-monitoring surface detector
and an object-identification PIXY camera for obstacle
awareness. Physical parameters measured by the probe are
correlated with visual data obtained from a webcam as well
as an NDVI camera. The webcam obtains colorimetric and
shape data for crop forecasting and visual disease diagnosis.
The NDVI unit provides an overall plant health assessment
including moisture levels, stress factors, and chemical
composition. An Android tablet allows the user to control the
device sampling and operation as well as receive feedback
from the sensors and sampling maneuvers. The data from
the probe and camera units is processed and stored using
on-board controllers and selectively transmitted for further
analysis. This project is generously sponsored by Northrup
Grumman Corporation and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

25

TEAM #97: COMPREHENSIVE AGRICULTURAL

MONITORING SENSOR SYSTEM (CAMSS) FOR
THE CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Madeline Campbell, Virginia Hartz,
Kaleb Klauber, Michael Lambert, Jeffrey Ware
Adviser: Dr. Cristina Davis
The Comprehensive Agricultural Monitoring Sensor System
provides the California strawberry industry with a mobile
sensing platform to monitor plant and environmental conditions.
Environmental, chemical, and visual data is collected for realtime analysis of the plant and field conditions. A TIG-welded
aluminum chassis is ergonomically designed for user comfort
and field integrity. The chassis includes an environmental
sensing unit to obtain and correlate ambient conditions. An
adjustable wing assembly featuring a soil sampling probe
provides an analytical platform that can be used for a variety
of field infrastructures. As the system is guided through the
field by a user, profiles for soil moisture, conductivity, and
temperature are generated based on geographical location.
The system also features a depth-monitoring surface detector
and an object-identification PIXY camera for obstacle
awareness. Physical parameters measured by the probe are
correlated with visual data obtained from a webcam as well
as an NDVI camera. The webcam obtains colorimetric and
shape data for crop forecasting and visual disease diagnosis.
The NDVI unit provides an overall plant health assessment
including moisture levels, stress factors, and chemical
composition. An Android tablet allows the user to control the
device sampling and operation as well as receive feedback
from the sensors and sampling maneuvers. The data from
the probe and camera units is processed and stored using
on-board controllers and selectively transmitted for further
analysis. This project is generously sponsored by Northrup
Grumman Corporation and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

TEAM #98: PROGRAMMABLE FOOD-TOY

DISPENSER FOR DOGS
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Trevor Cardiff, David Kuchta,
Josh Mandeville, Estella Wong
Advisers: Dr. Melissa Bain, Dr. Liz Stelow,
Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn
The food-toy dispenser can distribute several toys in order to
provide enrichment throughout the day to dogs who are left
alone at home for longer periods of time. This is especially
beneficial for dogs who suffer from separation anxiety, as
food-toy dispensers have shown to decrease misbehavior
while owners are away. The device can dispense dog toys
of various sizes over a period of time that is set by the user.
The product is battery operated, light-weight, portable,
stable, robust, and reliable. It also has the added feature
of being wall-mountable, allowing dog owners to mount
the device wherever works best for their situation. Our
design has four flip-out compartments that each dispense an
26

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

individual dog toy. The compartments rotate outward under

the force of torsion springs that are located underneath each
compartment. These compartments are latched in place by
solenoids that are controlled by an Arduino microcontroller.
The user will program the dispensers settings through a LCD
interface and keypad controls, telling the device how long
they will be gone and how many toys need to be dispensed.
The microcontrollers programming then divides the allotted
time into equal intervals and releases the toys accordingly.

TEAM #99: VETMOD CCL TEAR MODEL

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Sean Kindelt, Johnny
Lai, Sneha Pandey, Tara Puccioni
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
We have designed a model of a canine knee that allows
veterinary students to practice conducting diagnostic tests
for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tears without using live
models. VetMod improves upon existing methods used to
teach veterinary students how to diagnose CCL tears in
canines. This product will benefit veterinary students by using
a hook system to convert between a torn and a healthy CCL;
students can feel and compare the difference between the
two states side by side. VetMod includes accurate geometry
from a CT scan to create the individual components of a
canine knee: bones, ligaments, muscle, and skin. The product
is manufactured using 3D printing, mold casting, and laser
cutting techniques. Using VetMod to practice the diagnostic
tests repeatedly allows vet students to become familiar with
them, which will lead to fewer false diagnoses in the future.

TEAM #100: REACTIVE SPUTTERING TO

INCREASE THE SHEET RESISTANCE OF W-SI-N
THIN FILM RESISTORS
Department: Chemical Engineering
& Materials Science
Team members: Raymond Chen, Antonio Cruz,
Martin Kwong, Jack Lam, Niteesh Marathe, Camron
Noorzad, Johnny Sun, Alan Wu, Disheng Zheng
Advisers: Dr. Ricardo Castro, Michael Powers
We researched and developed a process to fabricate W-Si-N
thin film resistors with sheet resistance of 2000 ohms/square.
Previous work had achieved only 250 ohms/square. We
used reactive sputtering to increase the nitrogen content in
the resistors.

TEAM #101: BEE POLLEN DEHYDRATOR

Department: Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Team members: Laura Metrulas,
Alex Thorton-Dunwoody
Adviser: Dr. Ruihong Zhang
Our project is a desiccant and solar operated bee pollen
dehydrator. It was designed to operate without electricity in

Colombia where the relative humidity reaches 100% almost

every day.

TEAM #102: DIRECT SOLAR DESALINATOR

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Kevin Bower, Matthew
Elmore, Reed Gunsalus, Kellen Masuda
Advisers: Dr. Anthony Wexler, Dr. Sanjay
Joshi, Dr. Martinus Sarigul-Klijn
The team has designed a scalable water desalination system
that will be optimized for agricultural purposes. This device
was conceived as an effort to recycle high salinity wastewater
while in the midst of a major drought here in California. The
objective is to give small farmers who do not have affordable
access to clean water the ability to reclaim potable water
from high salinity sources. The device uses a proven method
of evaporation-condensation water collection powered
by direct solar irradiation. Although this method is not as
efficient as processes such as reverse osmosis, it is a low-cost
solution that is scalable, easy to install, and requires little
technical prowess to operate. Moreover, the device will allow
small farmers to reduce their dependence on the federally
allocated water supply. The distinction between this design
and other solutions is the implementation of a convective
cooling system built into the main window. Ideally, there will
be evidence that the method of cooling the main condensing
surface greatly increases the efficiency of the device, without
hindering the transmittance of solar irradiance. This added
efficiency could potentially yield enough water, at low cost,
to compete with municipal water rates. To accommodate
varying production needs, the desalination system was
designed with modularity in mind. The overall system of
the solar desalinators will consist of multiple desalination
twinwalls connected in series and supplied with source brine
water via a pump. This initiative will bring Californias small
farmers a big step closer to water independence.

TEAM #103: OCEAN CURRENT ENERGY

CONCENTRATOR (OCEC) PROTOTYPE
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Miguel Duran, Nicolas Gonzalez,
Ben Mathia, Adan Valdes
Advisers: Dr. Martinus Sarigul-Klijn, Dr. Nesrin
Sarigul-Klijn
The Ocean Current Energy Concentrator, or OCEC, is a novel
power generation method designed to produce consistent,
affordable and clean power from weak, but steady ocean
currents. For example, the Florida Straits current flows above
1 m/s for 85% of the time, carrying the same energy density
as a 21 mph atmospheric wind. These ocean currents are
currently an under-utilized and potentially valuable energy
source to meet growing demand and reduce dependence
on fossil fuels. The proposed concept is a Keel ship design
with an attached turbine to generate power. The concept
works by increasing the effective sweep area seen by the

turbine, proportionally increasing the power that could

otherwise be obtained. The project objective is to create a
functional prototype as a proof-of-concept of the technology.
The designed prototype features a boat hull with an attached
hydrofoil. The hydrofoil, referred to as the keel, provides
lift to increase the ships speed relative to the water current.
This allows the ship to tack back and forth, sweeping out
a relatively large area. The prototype was designed for
manufacturability and affordability, allowing for easy
transportation, handling and testing.

TEAM #104: AEROBRICK 2015 SAE AERO

DESIGN WEST COMPETITION
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Maxwell Drolet, Thomas
Graham, Jerry Li, Catherine Mamon,
Alexander Peimann, Alejandro Pensado
Adviser: Dr. Nesrin Sarigul-Klijn
Aerobrick is an undergraduate student project team that
designs, manufactures, and flies a radio-controlled airplane.
The team participates as part of the Regular Class in the
annual Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Aero Design
Competition. The objective of the regular class is to lift the
most payload possible given several design constraints
placed on overall dimensions, usable materials, and
electronic components. Aerobrick represents a tremendous
learning opportunity for students.

TEAM #105: PURSENSE (PRESSURE ULCER RELIEF)

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Mutaal Akhter, Aaron
Avazian, Jenn Cao, Kayla Perigen
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Our design team is proposing an air-cell incorporating
wheelchair seat cushion, featuring an interface sensing
mechanism to provide automated repositioning for pressure
relief. The front of the cushion is composed of a static, highdensity foam to support the patients legs, which are subject
to lower, negligible interface pressures. The back of the
cushion utilizes a dynamic air-cell system, in order to target
high pressure areas that are more susceptible to pressure
ulcer development. This overall cushion system allows for
targeted pressure redistribution, while still providing the
necessary support to maximize patient comfort. Each air-cell
features an Interlink Electronics force sensor to track interface
pressure between the patient and the seat cushion. Utilizing
a microcontroller, high pressure readings can control the
corresponding solenoid valves to deflate the associated air
cell, promoting pressure relief from high pressure ulcer risk
areas.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

27

TEAM #106: FAST PEEL (FRACTIONATED

ADHESIVE STRIP TREATMENT PEEL)

TEAM #108: PRE-ANALYTICAL BLOOD

SEPARATION DEVICE

Department: Biomedical Engineering

Team members: Maya Estrada, James
Nguyen, Nicole Teale, Bryan Zee
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini

Department: Biomedical Engineering

Team members: E. Aaron Cohen,
David Gomez, Rohan Marathe
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini

Presently, there does not exist an effective skin resurfacing

technique that has both a quick recovery time and is cost
effective. Our objective is to develop a fractionated chemical
peel that combines both the cost effectiveness of the chemical
peel and a short recovery time of the fractionated laser
resurfacing treatment. Our team has created a patternembedded facial strip made out of a solid phenol-resistant
polymer designed to block the phenol acid from reaching
untreated, predesignated areas of the skin. When placed on
skin before a chemical peel, our product will allow for a
similar polka dotted pattern to the one that arises when a
fractional laser is used. By blocking portions of the skin from
being treated, the treated areas of the skin will be able to
regenerate from the healthy areas of skin untouched by the
chemical yielding a quicker recovery time than that of current
full facial chemical peels. To hold the material onto the skin,
a silicone based adhesive, a compound particularly gentle
to the skin, will be used. Once the material is placed on the
treatment area, a phenol chemical is applied over the strip
in the same manner as the full facial chemical peel. After the
designated amount of time on the skin, the phenol will be
neutralized and the strip will be removed from the skin.

TEAM #107: MOBILE INJURY RELIEF

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Adam Kohut, Mary
Love, Zac Rossen, Armeen Etemad
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Sideline thermotherapy for athletes. Providing mobile injury
relief for athletes of all types.

28

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

The aim of our project is to create a portable, real time, blood

separation device for phlebotomists outside the laboratory
setting. The device will separate whole blood into plasma,
which can then be used by medical professionals to analyze
relevant assays. The device will replace the vacutainer and
the centrifuge by performing both of their functions in a
fraction of the time.

TEAM #109: THE HEMIRIDE WHEELCHAIR

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Marcel Bernucci, Phuong
Dang, Dat Ho, Christopher Zikry
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Patients affected by hemiplegia, a disability characterized
by the complete paralysis of either side of the bodys sagittal
(vertical) plane, are reduced to wheelchairs as the only
form of self-transportation. With the inability to control one
of their arms, hemiplegic patients cannot operate standard
manual wheelchairs, leaving electric wheelchairs as the
only alternative to hemiplegic transport. Consequently,
electric wheelchairs have several drawbacks, including low
portability, high cost, battery recharging, and oftentimes, an
inactive lifestyle for the user. The HemiRide aims to provide
hemiplegic patients a manual wheelchair designed specifically
for them. Incorporating a lever arm propulsion system known
as the Wijit , the HemiRide allows a hemiplegic patient to
drive with one functioning hand and foot. The combination
of the Wijit and a drag-link mechanism enables the user to
steer by swiveling their foot while propelling themselves using
the lever arm, supplying a simple solution for hemiplegic
transport. The HemiRide offers the hemiplegic patient a
superior alternative to electric wheelchairs by fostering
neuromuscular rehabilitation, while remaining safe, fun, and
easy to use.

TEAM #111: PREVENTION OF ICE FORMATION

ON DIRECT VENT SYSTEM IN COLD TEMPERATURE
ENVIRONMENTS

TEAM #113: DEVELOPMENT OF A COST

EFFECTIVE DYNAMOMETER FOR HIGH SPEED
MACHINE TOOL SPINDLES AND POWER TOOLS

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Team members: Hae Chun, Anna Jung,
Bradley Notestine, Matthew Wong
Advisers: Mr. Ryan Devine (M&G
DuraVent, Inc.), Dr. M. Sarigul-Klijn

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Team members: Jun Chen, Isaac Hong,
Chris Ng, Qi Ruan, Jimmy Tran
Advisers: Dr. Stephen K. Robinson, Dr. Cristina
Davis, Dr. Barbara S. Linke, Michael Schirle

Our teams project objective is to provide M&G DuraVent,

Inc. with a design or method which would prevent ice from
forming on a horizontal direct vent terminal. High efficiency
combustion appliances extract a significant amount of heat
resulting in a low temperature exhaust. In extremely cold
climates, water vapor from this exhaust can freeze on vent
terminals. For a direct vent system, both the air intake and
exhaust are located on a combined vent terminal, allowing
the ice forming on the exhaust to accumulate at the air intake.
This blockage can shut off the appliance without any means
of turning it back on until the ice is removed. The exhaust
plume exiting the vent can also hit adjacent buildings or
structures, causing ice to build up on these structures. To
combat these problems, our team has redesigned DuraVents
existing horizontal concentric vent terminal by integrating an
expanding cross-section exhaust vent. The expanding crosssection slows the exhaust plume and limits the ice formation
on adjacent structures. The slope of the vent facilitates any
water collected on the vent to slide off due to gravity before it
forms ice. A hydrophobic coating is also applied to the inside
of this vent to further prevent the accumulation of moisture.
This new vent is designed to integrate with DuraVents existing
products allowing it to easily transition into a final marketable
product.

Manufacturing processes on an increasing small scale

necessitates high speed rotary tools operating in excess of
100,000 rpm. The operational profile of these tools must be
clearly defined in the form of a torque-speed-power graph.
The overarching goal of this project is to develop a costeffective dynamometer to characterize torque, speed and
power generated by a high speed spindle, specifically
the GTV 1000 air turbine. Typical conditions dictate that
the dynamometer will have to operate at 100,000 rpm,
40 mN*m of torque and 100 W of power generated. The
specified goals are accomplished through three phases. The
first is the design and execution of an experiment estimating
the torque generated by accelerating a flywheel to steady
velocity. This necessitates the design of a testing chamber
that can accommodate the required equipment as well as
safely contain shrapnel should the flywheel fractures or slips
out of the spindle. Additionally, a modular design priority
allows for a wider range of experiments to be conducted on
the same platform. Finally, an alternative method of defining
the torque speed curve was developed. By coupling the
rotary tool to a high efficiency DC motor as a generator, the
resultant electrical output can be examined at to generate the
torque-speed curve while the spindle operates at a constant
angular velocity. To verify our results, the first test examined
will be done comparing the experimental results to the
provided manufacturing data sheet.

TEAM #112: PEDIATRIC THERAPY AMBULATORY

DEVICE
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Samantha Arellano, Jonathan
Chen, Emma Meng, Hongzhu Yan
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Children should be able to receive proper treatment in the
comfort of their own home. When they encounter homes that
do not have stairs, therapists are forced to take their own set
of stairs for treatment. Our mission is to enable these therapists
to provide these children with proper care by making a set of
stairs that is more convenient for them to transport from their
workplace to these childrens homes. These stairs should be
safe for the children and lightweight to ease transportation.

TEAM #114: STATISTICAL DESIGN ANALYSIS FOR

SELF-DEFENSE BEAN BAG DEVICE
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Eric Cibit, Timothy Geiger,
Edward Rozhko, Andre Vovchuk
Advisers: Dr. Marti Sarigul-Klijn, Burton Dillon
Sr., Burton Dillon Jr., Terry MacAdam
The ARMA 100, designed by ARMA USA, is a self-defense
device that serves as a less lethal option for personal selfdefense situations. The weapon system is designed to launch
a 37mm bean bag round at very high speeds, which allows
the user to keep a safe distance from the attacker while still
being effective. Our team was asked to perform additional
testing to determine the lethal capabilities of the device with
realistic considerations. Therefore, we developed a series
of tests that successfully measured the output velocity of
the ARMA 100. The devices output specifications were a
function of multiple variables which we precisely quantified
and recorded through experimental procedures. A statistical
technique known as Yates analysis was used to derive the
ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

29

relationship between the various ARMA 100 inputs (i.e. bean

bag weight, gas cylinder pressure, and target distance) and
the output (impact energy). The results were compared with
existing research on human blunt trauma. Finally, the blunt
criterion approach was used in assessing the potential injury
on the human body, and injury risks were attributed to the
different target distances.

TEAM #115: NATCAR-AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT
Department: Electrical & Computer Engineering
Team members: Pachia Cha, Jeanne
Eberhard, Michael Grimes
Adviser: Lance Halsted
We created a miniature self-driving car by using a small
microcontroller board to interface to a servo motor, DC drive
motors and optical sensing linescan cameras. We designed,
built and tested speed control circuits, track sensing circuits
and a steering control loop. We also controlled the motors
using a custom circuit.

TEAM #116: TURBOJET THRUST MEASUREMENT

AND DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: James Sitzmann, Jonny Weeks,
Jiawei Zhao
Advisers: Rob Kamisky, Dr. Paul Erikson, Dr. Cristina
Davis, Dr. Stephen Robinson
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis has
a Gas Turbine Engine that needed a new mechanical thrust
measurement and data acquisition system. The purpose of
creating a mechanical thrust measurement system is to allow
students in the EME107A class to compare the theoretical
thrust measurements calculated in their lab write-ups to a
physically measured one. The Gas Turbine Control Panel was
outdated and needed a new data acquisition program that
could interface with the sensors that measure temperature,
RPM, oil pressure, and air pressure. With this new system,
students will be able to acquire all the measurements through
a USB drive. Additionally, the turbojet mounting structure was
updated to a new steel frame design with greater structural
integrity, allowing for increased safety and measurement
accuracy.

TEAM #117: UNDERWATER TREADMILL FOR

PEDIATRIC THERAPY
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Bernardo Alfaro, Myron Lam, Julie
Lin, Cuong Ly
Advisers: Alejandra Hartle, Dr. Martinus Sarigul-Klijn
Easter Seals is a nonprofit organization that focuses on
helping those with autism and other disabilities, and they have

30

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

given us the task to design and build an underwater treadmill

for young children with motor disabilities. This treadmill is
intended to be used in a 98F warm water therapy pool at the
Easter Seals Sacramento center, so that therapists can train
children to walk with the buoyancy of the water reducing the
stress on the childs legs. The intended user is a 1-3 year old
child. The design of this underwater treadmill is similar to that
of a land-based treadmill. The battery powered electric motor
is above water and is enclosed in a splash proof shielding,
providing 100 W for the treadmills designed capacity of 50
lbs. The dimensions of our treadmill are 3 ft x 2 ft x 4.67 ft
with a total weight of 70 lb. Therapists can control the speed
of the treadmill belt from 0.1 to 1.0 mph as well as track the
distance and time traveled. Our design constraints required
materials that could withstand chlorinated water, so the frame
of the treadmill is made of steel angles and reinforced with
polycarbonate twinwall sheets. This project was partially
funded by UC Davis Clinical and Translational Sciences
Center (CTSC), School of Medicine and MISUMI USA. We
hope that with this underwater treadmill, Easter Seals will
have a long-lasting solution for continuing their mission of
promoting the development of motor skills in children.

TEAM #118: APP FOR DETECTING AND

RESOLVING VIBRATION PROBLEMS DURING CNC
MACHINING
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: David Carter, Marti SarigulKlijn, Stephanie Shijo, Marlin Wijekoon
Advisers: Dr. Cristina Davis, Dr. Stephen
K. Robinson, Dr. Masakazu Soshi
Chatter is unwanted vibration that occurs during machining
processes, and is experienced when cutting forces interact
with the workpiece in a way that produces a poor surface
finish, increased tool wear, and excessive noise. In order
to avoid these unwanted vibrations, traditional machinists
tend to reduce cutting speeds and/or depths of cut, which
decreases productivity; it is a well-known fact that increasing
cutting speed with proper knowledge of machining dynamics
can also solve vibration problems. The objective of this
project was to build an application that would determine and
suggest optimal cutting conditions for chatter-free machining.
The application collects and analyzes machining acoustic
data recorded by the user, and if chatter is detected, suggests
optimum cutting conditions for chatter-free machining. In
addition to detecting chatter, the application displays the
sound data in the frequency domain and has an intuitive
graphical user interface.

TEAM #119: SOLARRI UC DAVIS SOLAR CAR

SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Farhad Ghadamli, Josue Melendez,
Vivian Phan, David Zurita
Advisers: Dr. Kim Parnell, Dr. Jim Schaaf, Mr. Charles
Rodgers, Dr. M Sarigul-Klijn, Dr. Paul Erickson,
Dr. Valeria La Saponara
A goal of the solar powered vehicle team at UC Davis was
to design and fabricate a functioning suspension system that
can support the weight of the vehicle and withstand road
forces in order to compete in the American Solar Challenge
in 2016. A well designed suspension offers the vehicle a
strong grip to the road while minimizing road noise, bumps,
and vibrations. The team researched the different types of
systems, determined the one that best meets the requirements,
analyzed the loads that the components should withstand,
and designed a unique system for the project. The team
determined that the parallel short long arm (SLA) double
wishbone met the requirements of the solar racecar. The
dimensions for the coilover, upright, lower arm, and upper arm
of the suspension were calculated to meet vehicle constraints
and competition regulations. Besides the coilover, these
components were fabricated by the team. The suspension
team used CAD software (SolidWorks) to generate a full
model that includes all the parts ready to be manufactured
or purchased. Static and dynamic testing and analysis were
performed to demonstrate that the system meets requirements
and to prove that the design can tolerate all the loads applied
to it. By completing the design of the suspension system as
well as the chassis, the Solarri team has a basis to work with
for the rest of the vehicle.

TEAM #120: PEDIATRIC VENTILATION MANAGER

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Sevak Estepanian, Justin Koos,
Masatoshi Minakuchi, George Omictin, Josue Ortega
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Our device will guide the users in administering proper
ventilation rates to patients of all sizes, while at the same
time monitoring certain vitals such as respiration rate and
tidal volume. Our objectives are prioritized in the following
order: First, the device will be able to monitor ventilation
rate in a bag-valve mask (BVM). Second, the device will
have an alarm system that is triggered when users are
hyperventilating or hypoventilating the patient. Third, the
device will have adjustable settings for pediatric patients of
varying sizes. Finally, the device will monitor respiratory tidal
volume (volume of air displaced from the patient between
inhalation and exhalation) and incorporate this into the alarm
system so when respiratory tidal volume thats measured is
abnormal, the device triggers the alarm.

TEAM #121: TRANS-ESOPHAGEAL ECG

MONITORING
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Valerie Huette, Kadi Hui,
Derrick Renner, Sabah Rezvani, Kevin Wong
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
The design teams proposed solution utilizes a co-linear
electrode placement on a Corflo feeding tube. Three ring
electrodes (90% platinum, 10% iridium) will be utilized in
the design to collect the electrical impulses of the heart and
propagate the signal to the Arduino device. The device will be
coated with a biocompatible material, polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS). The Arduino device will be coupled with an ECG
circuit to analyze the signal received. The circuit will consist
of three operational amplifiers, one to amplify the circuit and
the others in order to filter out the unwanted signal. The output
of the circuit will be displayed on a miniature oscilloscope as
a traditional ECG signal and provide a simple avenue for the
surgeons to analyze the heart activity.

TEAM #122: DYNAMIC AUTOSAMPLER

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Team members: Adrianna Amsden, Alison Ang,
Stephen Hayes, Dagan Trnka
Advisers: Crocker Nuclear Lab, Dr. Cristina Davis,
Dr. Stephen Robinson
The Air Quality Group of Crocker Nuclear Lab (CNL) monitors
the air quality of 170 sites around the world. Samples are
created by passing air through a thin layer of Teflon, which
gathers particulate matter over time. Each site produces 21
samples a year, which are brought back to CNL and run
through a variety of tests, one of which is the Hybrid Integrating
Plate/Sphere (HIPS) system. The HIPS system directs a beam
of 633 nm at the samples and measures the amount of light
transmitted and reflected by the sample. A new system is
being developed, the Broadband Integrating Transmittance/
Reflectance Spectrometer (BITS), that will be capable of
running the experiment with a broadband light source (190
to 1700 nm). With this broader spectrum, the BITS system
can obtain much more information about each sample. The
BITS requires a new system, the Dynamic Autosampler, to
hold and move the samples through the experimental axis (Z
axis). This system has motion control in the X and Y directions
and is controlled by the user with a LabVIEW Graphical User
Interface. A tray subsystem holds a set of 21 samples as they
are tested by the BITS. The Dynamic Autosampler is also
able to automatically load and unload trays from the motion
control subsystem, which allows a stack of 126 trays to be
loaded and automatically passed through the system. By
increasing the rate at which samples can be run through the
BITS experiment, the Dynamic Autosampler be a significant
improvement to Crocker Nuclear Labs process flow.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

31

TEAM #123: ELECTRONIC GONIOMETER

Department: Biomedical Engineering
Team members: Carlos Gutierrez, Riley
Knox, Hanh Le, Ellie Yeung
Adviser: Dr. Anthony Passerini
Our project is an electronic goniometer designed to be used
on dogs with stifle injuries. When a dog sustains an injury to
the stifle, or knee, its range of motion can become limited.
Through rehabilitation this range can be brought back to
normal, but through this process veterinarians must measure
the joint angles to make sure that the current treatment is
benefiting the patient. Traditionally, these measurements are
done using plastic goniometers which require laying the dog
on its side, and manually bending and extending its leg.
Even though simple, this technique can be very subjective
and may also give inaccurate results because of the dogs
inability to communicate about any discomfort it may be
experiencing. With our device, which consists of two rotating
arms with a potentiometer at the center of rotation, our team
seeks to remedy some of these issues. The device can be
strapped on to a dogs leg, and as the dog is walked by its
owner, data in the form of voltages is collected and saved
onto an SD card. The SD card can then be inserted into an
SD card reader, and using a program written by our team,
the voltages are converted into joint angles. By using our
device, veterinarians will be able to collect data about the
dog natural range of motion, and the collection process can
become a more pleasant experience for the patient.

TEAM #124: INNOVATIVE DESIGN OF THE NISHI

PROJECT
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Salman Azam, Chirag
Patel, Naranjan Purewal, Harsev Singh
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
Our team of graduating civil engineers has designed a
development plan for the Nishi property. We have considered
alternatives for all aspects of the design, and through the
design process we have made tough, critical decisions as
to which are the best alternatives to implement. The final
design has been reached by incorporating interests of all
entities that are to be affected by the development of this
site. The fundamental goals of our projects include: reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, increase quality of life, water
conservation, and connectivity.

TEAM #125: CREATING NISHI GATEWAY: THE

WINDOW INTO DAVIS, CALIFORNIA
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Carl Gutekunst, Harrison
Kwan, Victoria Liang, Sophie Nguyen
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Gateway is the upcoming bustling community hub

32

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

for future Davis residents. The fusion of renewable energies,

alternative transportation modes, and captivating spaces
come together in a new destination, home, and shared living
room. With an emphasis on minimizing our carbon footprint,
our approach pursues higher standards for conscious living
while coexisting with the surrounding world. Nestled between
Downtown Davis and the university campus, Nishi builds
upon the identity of this city while responding to the changing
contexts of this evolving community. We have developed a
community that represents life transformed.

TEAM #126: NISHI GATEWAY DESIGN PROJECT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Chase Havemann, Aaron
Tsang, Jeff Williams, Tom Yao
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi site adjacent to UC Davis Campus and the Arboretum
has been an undeveloped area with no particular use in past
years. The propertys proximity to downtown Davis, UC Davis
Campus, and the Interstate 80 make it an ideal location to
add new student and family housing and provide space for
furthering research, while being a sustainable development.
Our design for this site aims to meet the needs and desires of
the City of Davis, UC Davis, and various other stakeholders.

TEAM #127: NISHI PROPERTY GATEWAY

DEVELOPMENT
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Nathaniel Bautista, Juan Mares
Ayala, Christopher Quevedo, Mariza Sibal
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The overall design goal of the Nishi Property development
project accomplishes academic, residential, and sustainable
needs through the development of a mixed-use innovation
district. The project seeks to accommodate high-density housing
primarily. In addition, commercial and research facilities will
be developed, which will provide additional employment
opportunities to Davis residents and be a center for innovation.
The Nishi community hopes to enrich and nourish community
life through easy and safe accessibility to work and school,
increasing student activity, life, and experiences, providing
sustainability, and promoting innovation. These infrastructures
will be integrated by a sustainable roadway network that
combats traffic congestion by reducing transportation via
automobiles, providing alternate access to the university
and downtown, and advocating for transportation via
biking, public transportation, and walking. Ultimately, this
sustainable roadway network strives to facilitate safe and
environmentally attractive connections to Downtown Davis
and the University of California, Davis by improving access
from Interstate 80. Furthermore, the project aspires to have
annual maximum greenhouse gas emissions of .7MT (metric
tons) for both residential and transportation energy through
the encouragement of green modes of transportation and the
incorporation of energy-efficient infrastructures. The overall

design will serve as an innovative, environmentally friendly

mixed-use center that will contribute to the sustainable, livable
character of the Davis community.

TEAM #128: NISHI SITE

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Kelsey Ballesteros, Sam
Follett, Sharon Ly, Mariza Mananquil
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The proposed Nishi site will have residential apartments,
condos, and commercial facilities built. The housing will
be geared more towards students while the commercial
facilities will be geared toward research and development.
There will also be a very small portion of retail space. This
project addresses design issues that are present with the site,
including environmental impact, site connections, drainage,
etc.

TEAM #129: THE NISHI PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Ming Tak Ching, Rhafael
Herrera, Gordon Tat, Emily Wolff
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Property represents one of the largest developable
parcels in Davis, approximately 45 acres, with downtown
Davis to the north and the University of California, Davis
(UC Davis) to the northwest. It is located in a particularly
interesting and problematic area because it is situated
between a Union Pacific railroad line and major highway
I-80. While the property is within close proximity to downtown
and campus, the access roads from the property to either
locations are congested and limited. The development of the
Nishi Property encompasses the objectives of community
members, UC Davis, the City of Davis, and those concerned
with the environment. The main focus of the design is to
utilize open space with high density housing, connect to
adjacent areas, and improve the overall circulation of traffic.
Connection to the UC Davis campus and downtown Davis
is critical to increase mobility. The space is designed for
bike and pedestrian traffic throughout the community and to
adjacent areas. With the goal of having the lowest emissions
possible, the layout of these structures in the Nishi Property
helps to decrease the need for vehicle use. In addition, there
are solar panels on apartment roofs and parking structures to
achieve net zero energy. Mixed land use is utilized to create
a diverse community, including student and family housing,
research and development space, office buildings, and retail
businesses.

TEAM #130: NISHI PROJECT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Sophia Huynh, Michelle
Lee, Erika Pantoja, Amanda Zucker
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Gateway Project addresses a 57.7-acre site
located northeast of the University of California, Davis
campus and southeast of Downtown Davis. In the past, the
site was designated for agriculture, but it is currently under
consideration for a mixed-use development. Since the City
of Davis has little undeveloped land, this project presents
a rare opportunity to develop a sustainable mixed-use
community that is located in close proximity to both campus
and Downtown Davis. However, rising transportation
and emission concerns still remain. Our team offers an
alternative to achieve zero net energy, safe and efficient
connectivity, affordable housing, and a sense of community,
which are essential characteristics to establishing efficient
transportation and reducing emission concerns. Along with
these fundamental objectives, our overall goal is to create a
development plan to limit the greenhouse gas emission from
residential energy plus transportation energy to 0.7 MT.

TEAM #131: SUSTAINABLE NISHI GATEWAY

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Mark Bretz, Tony
Chan, Vincent Hua, Jinhao Mai
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
A proposed design alternative for a sustainable land-use of
the Nishi Property. This design has a main focus on residential
housing, business, connectivity, and the environment.

TEAM #132: NISHI PROPERTY PROPOSAL

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Colin Braun, Kevin
Dumler, Natalie Mall, Erik Maroney
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi property is a controversial proposed development
near downtown Davis. We incorporated smart growth
principles to limit greenhouse gas emissions and produce
a sustainable design that best meets the needs of the
surrounding community.

TEAM #133: NISHI GATEWAY PROJECT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Tyler Clark, Cyrus Ghandi,
Estephany Monroy, Alan Sau
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
Design of the Nishi Gateway project that neighbors University
of California, Davis.

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

33

TEAM #134: NISHI GATEWAY PROJECT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Ryan May, Seong
Heon Kim, Benny Ng, Andy Zhou
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Gateway Project was undertaken by our team
due to the ideal real estate located east of the University of
California, Davis. The land is currently unutilized and has
the potential to be an ecologically viable and economically
attractive zone for residential housing, recreational use,
commercial use, and conceivable energy generation. Because
of the increasing demand for housing in Davis, shaped by
the large influx of students to the University, the use of the
Nishi property to satisfy this demand is being examined
and analyzed by the City of Davis. Subsequently, our team
has undertaken this project with the goal of having zeroemissions and zero-net energy use concerning the property,
thus making the Nishi property fundamentally self-sufficient.
The Nishi property is an ideal candidate to achieve the Citys
demand for sustainable housing because of its ideal location.
The property is located between Interstate 80 and the Union
Pacific Railroad tracks. However, this prime location is close
to the UC Davis campus and Downtown Davis making it an
ideal housing opportunity for a diverse population with the
intention of creating a robust mixed-used community. The
Nishi Project developed by our team will also help promote
healthier business in the downtown area due to its proximity
to the aforementioned location. Finally, the project will
accommodate sites for research development and innovation
center with the intent of being owned both privately and by
the University.

TEAM #135: NISHI GATEWAY DESIGN

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Craig Lanza, Kaitlyn
Thatcher, Eric Watson, Ruby Yu
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The purpose of this report is to present the recommendations for
the proposed development plan known as the Nishi Gateway.
Our team provides recommendations for the 45 acre parcel
of land known as the Nishi Property, located in Yolo County,
as well as the 11 acre parcel of land located adjacent to the
Nishi site along West Olive Drive. These recommendations
provide solutions to issues raised by various stakeholders
throughout the planning stages of the proposed project. The
proposed mixed use development includes medium to high
density residential units, research and development space,
and some limited retail space. This proposed community
aims to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as
possible by limiting annual greenhouse gas emissions to 0.7
MT (metric tons). The design seeks to accomplish this goal
through the use of onsite energy production and promoting
the use of multiple, sustainable modes of transportation. In
addition to improving sustainability, the development will
enrich community life by creating more green space for

34

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

recreational activities, increasing the current vacancy rate in

Davis, and generating more revenue for the downtown area.

TEAM #136: THE NISHI PROJECT: SUSTAINABLE

LAND USE DESIGN OF THE DAVIS NISHI
PROPERTY
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Jiaxing Gu, Jiaqi
Huang, Dalia Mulato, Connie Lee
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Project involves the development of the Nishi
Property, a strip of land located south of the UC Davis
campus. The City Council wishes to develop this land into
a mixed-use innovation district that will benefit the UC Davis
academic core, generate support for local businesses, and
enrich community life of residents in that area, all while
maintaining a low environmental impact framework. Our
goal for this project was to generate around 0.7 metric tons
of greenhouse gases, including residential and transportation
energy. Our design addresses several issues, because this
project will affect several stakeholders. Connectivity between
the property and surrounding areas is important, so our
development plan includes space for high-density housing
units which is affordable, safe, and conveniently located
when traveling to campus or downtown. Our plan also
addresses the issue of traffic flow and greenhouse emissions
when passing through this area. Aesthetics were essential
to the design, so we included green spaces in our design to
improve this aspect as well as the sense of community. Despite
the several challenges and obstacles faced while working on
this project, we were able to produce a design which aims to
improve the economic, social, and environmental aspects of
this property and surrounding Davis communities.

TEAM #137: NISHI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Roger Tsung, Colleen
Woolcott, Di Wu, Lillian Xie
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The goal of the Nishi Project is to design a sustainable
and affordable mixed-use development plan that emits no
more than 0.7 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually.
This design takes into account specific goals mentioned by
stakeholders from the surrounding community.

TEAM #138: NISHI PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Pierre Hery, Shawn
Katebian, Trevor Riel, Greg Rugh
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
An alternative production to the existing Nishi design.
Affected stakeholder fundamental values are the design
drivers for our integrative approach. The ingenious nature of

the design elements captures Davis penchant for sustainable

innovation. Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
associated with the Nishi project by focusing on limiting
VMTs and implementing energy efficient technologies.

TEAM #139: NISHI TRANSPORTATION AND LAND

USE DEVELOPMENT
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Stephanie Caudle, Zaurbek
Dzardanov, James Hill, Samin Khan
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Gateway project is being undertaken in order to
create a sustainable design that will provide more housing,
commercial, and research facilities in the City of Davis. In
order to reduce environmental impacts, green technology will
be utilized. Ideas from the city and community were the drivers
of design when developing this property. The main goal of
the project is to increase residential and commercial spaces
in Davis without having an impact on traffic congestion and
additional Green House Gas emissions.

TEAM #140: NISHI PROPERTY DEVELOPEMENT

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Yea Na Kim, Ricardo Rodriguez,
Mayra Velazquez, Kenneth Weng
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Nishi Property Development is a collaborative effort by
the City of Davis, UC Davis, and the landowners to create
a sustainable mixeduse district that provides high-density
urban housing that connects with the UC Davis campus and
Downtown Davis.

TEAM #141: DAVIS GREEN GATEWAY

Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Team members: Dina Estipona, Zaid
Hadid, Mark Miller, Michael Yoder
Adviser: Dr. Deb Niemeier
The Davis Green Gateway is a concept design for the
development of the Nishi Property, a narrow parcel of land
north of Interstate-80 and southeast of campus, into housing
units and business space. This models most prominent design
goals are to maximize on-site energy generation and to
create a community where students and Davis residents can
interact together in a sustainable and secure environment.

First-Year Applications Received

90%

% of First-Year Applications Granted Admission

14,416

80%
70%

12,000

11,365

63.1%
60.2%

60%

10,000
8,742

52.0%

50%

9,825

47.6%

51.2%
7,946

7,471

40%

50.7%

45.5%

8,000

6,855

30%
20%

14,000

36.2%

5,768

35.9%

6,000

5,369

4,000
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

# of Freshman Applications Received

% of Freshman Applications Granted Admission

UC Davis College of Engineering: Increasingly Selective

2014

Year
Source: UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions, D. Owfook, Fall Quarter 2013
ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOWCASE 2015

35

UC DAVIS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

4,403

1,159

200

7
Departments

52

NSF Early Career Awards (PECASE/CAREER)

15
National Academy of Engineering Members

23,500

$87.4M

#18

#17

Undergrads

Faculty

Alumni

Best Public Graduate Program

(US News, 2016)

Grad Students

Research Expenditures 2013-14

Best Public Undergraduate Program

(US News, 2017)