Matching Items (18)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

136830-Thumbnail Image.png
DescriptionThe heat island effect has resulted in an observational increase in averave ambient as well as surface temperatures and current photovoltaic implementation do not migitate this effect. Thus, the feasibility and performance of alternative solutions are explored and determined using theoretical, computational data.
ContributorsCoyle, Aidan John (Author) / Trimble, Steven (Thesis director) / Underwood, Shane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
137196-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
As society's energy crisis continues to become more imminent many industries and niches are seeking a new, sustainable and renewable source of electricity production. Similar to solar, wind and tidal energy, kinetic energy has the potential to generate electricity as an extremely renewable source of energy generation. While stationary bicycles

As society's energy crisis continues to become more imminent many industries and niches are seeking a new, sustainable and renewable source of electricity production. Similar to solar, wind and tidal energy, kinetic energy has the potential to generate electricity as an extremely renewable source of energy generation. While stationary bicycles can generate small amounts of electricity, the idea behind this project was to expand energy generation into the more common weight lifting side of exercising. The method for solving this problem was to find the average amount of power generated per user on a Smith machine and determine how much power was available from an accompanying energy generator. The generator consists of three phases: a copper coil and magnet generator, a full wave bridge rectifying circuit and a rheostat. These three phases working together formed a fully functioning controllable generator. The resulting issue with the kinetic energy generator was that the system was too inefficient to serve as a viable system for electricity generation. The electrical production of the generator only saved about 2 cents per year based on current Arizona electricity rates. In the end it was determined that the project was not a sustainable energy generation system and did not warrant further experimentation.
ContributorsO'Halloran, Ryan James (Author) / Middleton, James (Thesis director) / Hinrichs, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
134712-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Over the last century, society has begun to acknowledge and observe how human actions are negatively impacting the environment. Sustainable living is becoming more adopted into daily lives, including a focus on waste management and recycling. Previous informal studies have proposed that coffee grounds can be recycled and added to

Over the last century, society has begun to acknowledge and observe how human actions are negatively impacting the environment. Sustainable living is becoming more adopted into daily lives, including a focus on waste management and recycling. Previous informal studies have proposed that coffee grounds can be recycled and added to the soil to increase plant productivity. The objective of this experiment was to test how different concentrations of roasted coffee grounds would affect the overall plant productivity when introduced in the soil of various plant types and environmental atmospheres. Three treatments were selected (100% potting mix, 50% potting mix/50% coffee grounds, and 25% potting mix/75% coffee grounds) and applied to 3 acid-tolerating plants (radish, basil, and parsley). Each of these treatments were grown in 2 different environments, where one was planted in a Tempe, AZ backyard while the other group was planted in a lab environment, locating at Arizona State University's Tempe Campus. Each plant with its respective treatments (plant type, coffee ground treatment, and environment) had 10 identical plants for statistical accuracy, resulting in a total of 180 plants grown, observed, and analyzed for this 3-month long experiment. The plant development, plant height, length of roots, quantity of leaves, and environmental observations were recorded and used to define plant productivity in this investigation. The experiment demonstrated low survival rates in all groups including the control group, suggesting a flaw in the experimental design. Nonetheless, the experiment showed that among the surviving plants, the 75% treatment had the largest negative impact on plant productivity. The measured root lengths and leaf quantity had various results across each plant group, leaving the hypothesis unverified. Overall, the experiment was effective in demonstrating negative impacts of great concentrations of coffee grounds when introduced to various plants, but further investigation with an adjusted experimental design will need to be completed to reach a reliable conclusion.
ContributorsVan Winkle, Delaney Dare (Author) / Bang, Christofer (Thesis director) / Fox, Peter (Committee member) / Earl, Stevan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
134553-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The purpose of this research is to study the effect of angle of acceptance and mechanical control system noise on the power available to a two-axis solar concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system. The efficiency of a solar CPV system is greatly dependent on the accuracy of the tracking system because a

The purpose of this research is to study the effect of angle of acceptance and mechanical control system noise on the power available to a two-axis solar concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system. The efficiency of a solar CPV system is greatly dependent on the accuracy of the tracking system because a strong focal point is needed to concentrate incident solar irradiation on the small, high efficiency cells. The objective of this study was to evaluate and quantify tracking accuracy for a performance model which would apply to similar two-axis systems. An analysis comparing CPV to traditional solar photovoltaics from an economic standpoint was conducted as well to evaluate the viability of emerging CPV technology. The research was performed using two calibrated solar radiation sensors mounted on the plane of the tracking system, normal to the sun. One sensor is held at a constant, normal angle (0 degrees) and the other is varied by a known interior angle in the range of 0 degrees to 10 degrees. This was to study the magnitude of the decrease in in irradiance as the angle deviation increases. The results show that, as the interior angle increases, the solar irradiance and thus available power available on the focal point will decrease roughly at a parabolic rate, with a sharp cutoff point at angles greater than 5 degrees. These findings have a significant impact on CPV system tracking mechanisms, which require high precision tracking in order to perform as intended.
ContributorsPodzemny, Dominic James (Author) / Reddy, Agami (Thesis director) / Kelman, Jonathan (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
132998-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The research analyzes the transformation of wasted thermal energy into a usable form through thermogalvanic devices. This technology helps mitigate international growing energy demands. Building energy efficiency is a critical research topic, since the loads account for 40% of all energy demand in developed nations, and 30% in less developed

The research analyzes the transformation of wasted thermal energy into a usable form through thermogalvanic devices. This technology helps mitigate international growing energy demands. Building energy efficiency is a critical research topic, since the loads account for 40% of all energy demand in developed nations, and 30% in less developed nations. A significant portion of the energy consumed for heating and cooling, where a majority is dissipated to the ambient as waste heat. This research answers how much power output (µW·cm-2) can the thermogalvanic brick experimentally produce from an induced temperature gradient? While there are multiple avenues for the initial and optimized prototype design, one key area of interest relating to thermogalvanic devices is the effective surface area of the electrodes. This report highlights the experimental power output measurements of a Cu/Cu2+ thermogalvanic brick by manipulating the effective surface area of the electrodes. Across three meshes, the maximum power output normalized for temperature was found to be between 2.13-2.87 x 10-3 μWcm-2K-2. The highest normalized power output corresponded to the mesh with the highest effective surface area, which was classified as the fine mesh. This intuitively aligned with the theoretical understanding of surface area and maximum power output, where decreasing the activation resistance also reduces the internal resistance, which increases the theoretical maximum power.
ContributorsKiracofe, Ryan Moore (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis director) / El Asmar, Mounir (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description

This thesis project has been conducted in accordance with The Founder’s Lab initiative which is sponsored by the W. P. Carey School of Business. This program groups three students together and tasks them with creating a business idea, conducting the necessary research to bring the concept to life, and exploring

This thesis project has been conducted in accordance with The Founder’s Lab initiative which is sponsored by the W. P. Carey School of Business. This program groups three students together and tasks them with creating a business idea, conducting the necessary research to bring the concept to life, and exploring different aspects of business, with the end goal of gaining traction. The product we were given to work through this process with was Hot Head, an engineering capstone project concept. The Hot Head product is a sustainable and innovative solution to the water waste issue we find is very prominent in the United States. In order to bring the Hot Head idea to life, we were tasked with doing research on topics ranging from the Hot Head life cycle to finding plausible personas who may have an interest in the Hot Head product. This paper outlines the journey to gaining traction via a marketing campaign and exposure of our brand on several platforms, with a specific interest in website traffic. Our research scope comes from mainly primary sources like gathering opinions of potential buyers by sending out surveys and hosting focus groups. The paper concludes with some possible future steps that could be taken if this project were to be continued.

ContributorsRote, Jennifer Ashley (Co-author) / Goodall, Melody (Co-author) / Lozano Porras, Mariela (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Sebold, Brent (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
147736-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Currently, recycling is a major issue found throughout the world; however, one of the main issues, small format recycling, is still yet to be solved. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the issues surrounding recycling in general and more specifically small format recycling in order to

Currently, recycling is a major issue found throughout the world; however, one of the main issues, small format recycling, is still yet to be solved. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the issues surrounding recycling in general and more specifically small format recycling in order to develop a solution that can solve the problem. Working with InnovationSpace and people in industry, interviews were conducted in order to determine the best course of action to address the need of the sponsor, The Sustainability Consortium. After extensive research and interviews, it was determined that implementing a new MRF attachment to circulate small format back to the main residual stream would be the best course of action. This attachment would be modular for a MRF and could be implemented in order to gather more material while also producing higher quality recycled goods. This has major implications for the recycling industry and could help in making recycling profitable once again.

ContributorsSullivan, Neal (Author) / Kuhn, Anthony (Thesis director) / Heller, Cheryl (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

Startups in the paper manufacturing are few & rare between. Agrix Paper takes a step towards innovating the traditional mass-scale paper making process & introduce non-wood fiber sourcing into the papermaking space. Using a hemp fiber-base, Agrix Paper hopes to develop a new paper manufacturing process that derives high-quality paper

Startups in the paper manufacturing are few & rare between. Agrix Paper takes a step towards innovating the traditional mass-scale paper making process & introduce non-wood fiber sourcing into the papermaking space. Using a hemp fiber-base, Agrix Paper hopes to develop a new paper manufacturing process that derives high-quality paper sourced from hemp & agricultural waste. Agrix Paper will reinvent the papermaking process for a more sustainable industry future.

ContributorsBarraza-Córdova, Erik (Author) / Byrum, Emily (Co-author) / DiFernando, Anthony (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This thesis analyzed Canon GPR-30 Black Standard Yield Toner in hopes to gain better understanding of the additives and plastic used in a popular photocopier toner formulation. By analyzing the toner’s composition from the perspective of its recyclability and potential to be manufactured using recycled plastic, this thesis hoped to

This thesis analyzed Canon GPR-30 Black Standard Yield Toner in hopes to gain better understanding of the additives and plastic used in a popular photocopier toner formulation. By analyzing the toner’s composition from the perspective of its recyclability and potential to be manufactured using recycled plastic, this thesis hoped to fill a gap in current literature regarding how toner fits into a circular economy. While the analysis of the selected toner was ultimately inconclusive, three hypotheses about the toner’s composition are put forth based upon data from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solubility analysis, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy experimentation. It is hypothesized that the toner is most likely composed of either polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Both of these polymers have characteristic FTIR peaks that were exhibited in the toner spectra and both polymers exhibit similar solubility behavior to toner samples. However, the glass transition temperature and melting temperature of the toner sampled were 58℃ and 74.5℃ respectively, both of which are much lower than that of PMMA and PET. Thus, a third hypothesis that would better support DSC findings is that the toner is primarily composed of nylon 6,6. While DSC data best matches this polymer, FTIR data seems to rule out nylon 6,6 as an option because its characteristic peaks were not found in experimental data. Thus, the Canon GPR-30 Black Standard Yield Toner is probably made from either PMMA or PET. Both PMMA and PET are 100% recyclable plastics which are commonly repurposed at recycling facilities, however, unknowns regarding toner additives make it difficult to determine how this toner would be recycled. If the printing industry hopes to move towards a circular economy in which plastic can be recycled to use towards toner manufacturing and toner can be “unprinted” from paper to be recycled into new toner, it is likely that monetary incentives or government regulations will need to be introduced to promote the sharing of toner formulations for recycling purposes.
ContributorsChase, Jasmine (Author) / Green, Matthew (Thesis director) / Emady, Heather (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05