Senior Design Showcase

Team Members
Connor Hartigan 
Alexander Thomas
Meng Fong Wan
 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott 

Project Description

Taking a sample procedure, the group designed, coded, and optimized the engineering aspects of a chemical production plant. Proper engineering standards were applied to create a more profitable process. The designed plant uses isopropanol as a precursor to produce bulk food and pharmaceutical grade acetone.

Team Members
Kaitlin McKenzie
Cassidy Jackson
Zach Alderson
Jack Doherty 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott 

Project Description
Oxygen, nitrogen and argon are used in both gaseous and liquid forms across many industries, with all of these components being found in the atmosphere. Cryogenic distillation can be used to separate the components using cryogenic temperatures to liquify the air and distillation to separate the components based on relative volatilities. This process allows for the scaled-up production of liquefied products. The goal of the project is to design a cryogenic distillation of air plant that will produce a target of 3,000 metric tons of oxygen per day while minimizing energy and utility usage throughout the plant.

Team Members
Thomas Hope
Benjamin Ebel 
 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott

Project Description

This project consists of simulating, designing, and economically evaluating an alkylation unit. Specifically, we simulated a 100KTA hydrofluoric acid catalyzed (HAC) alkylation process. This process is widely used around the United States for alkylation production.

Team Members
Justin Powers 
Kenneth Reese
Wendell Li
Brennan Palmer 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott

Project Description

This process creates H2 and O2 gas from filtered tap water using electrolysis. The trace amounts of gas are separated downstream. H2 and O2 are stored in tanks.

Team Members
Franklin Thomas 
Wade Slepicka 
Jordan Schlautman-Sudik 
Jarod Harris 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott 

Project Description

This project outlines the theoretical modeling and construction of a jet fuel production plant using a renewable source of iso-butanol.

Team Members
Jacob Konecky 
Helen Philbrick 
Keegan Nitsch
Matt Koenig 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott 

Project Description

Natural gas is a mixture of methane and other hydrocarbons that is used in power generation and a variety of chemical processes. Global usage of natural gas as a fuel source is increasing as it emits less pollutants than other fossil fuels, such as coal. The United States is the world's largest exporter of natural gas, but current global demand exceeds existing domestic infrastructure capacity. All overseas exports of natural gas are in the form of liquid natural gas (LNG). In order to meet the growing demand, new LNG facilities need to be built. This project analyzes two different methods of producing LNG on an industrial scale, both of which utilize multicomponent refrigerant (MR) loops. Mixed refrigerants allow for a highly optimizable cryogenic process but react poorly to disturbances added to the system. A facility consisting of a single MR loop is compared to a facility using a combination of single-component and multicomponent refrigeration cycles. Both facilities are sized for a production rate of 5 million tonnes of LNG per annum and compared on a basis of profitability, sustainability and flexibility.

Team Members
Taylor Adams 
Jack Mettin
Leo Pruhs 
Jacob Voigt 

Faculty Supervisor
Kevin Van Cott 

Project Description

Dimethyl ether (DME) is a promising clean fuel alternative that offers versatility and eco-friendliness in various applications like transportation and the chemical industry. To meet the escalating demand for sustainable energy sources, there’s a critical need to devise efficient methods for DME production. A prominent approach involves converting methanol, a widely available feedstock, into DME. Our project focuses on establishing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly process for DME synthesis from methanol. This entails designing, implementing, and optimizing a production facility equipped with catalytic technologies for methanol-to-DME conversion. Our key objectives include the catalytic conversion of methanol to DME, optimizing reaction conditions to maximize DME yield while minimizing cost and energy consumption, conducting an environmental evaluation of the process to ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and assessing the economic viability of DME production factoring in capital costs, operational costs, and potential revenue. Upon project completion, we envision a robust and sustainable DME production process from methanol, offering a cleaner alternative to fuel.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Team Members
Rebecca Podariu
Abigail Jacqmein
Chandler Harm
Ryker Van Brocklin

Faculty Supervisor
Aaron Mittelstet

Project Description
Development in the Cripple Creek Watershed has led to an increase in the amount of runoff in the area and the discharge of water through Cripple Creek, a tributary of Beal Slough. This has resulted in significant streambank erosion throughout the creek, especially in the portion managed by the Cripple Creek Homeowner’s Association. We have proposed a detention pond, widened stream channel, and a series of weirs to reduce the total volume and velocity of water in the stream.

Faculty Supervisor
Kurt Palik 

Project Description
Strategic Air Command (SAC) and Aerospace Museum have recently acquired a model of the Dynetics Lunar Lander, sparking the initiative to create an exhibit that is STEM-based, interactive, and educational, aimed at capturing the interest of a younger demographic. In response, the senior design team developed an exhibit inspired by the Artemis Rover. This exhibit showcases various mechanical components, including a linkage system, a gear system, and other build elements, all of which are identifiable within its design.

Faculty Supervisor
Keegan Moore 

Project Description
Our objective was to design a shelf testing machine for Lozier Corporation in Omaha, NE. Lozier's current method for testing shelves is to load them manually with bags of steel pellets. This process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and can be inaccurate. Lozier asked us to design a machine that applies load to a shelf evenly across its surface until the shelf fails. It was important that ease of use, speed of use, and safety were considered during the design process. The machine configuration needed to allow for the measurement of load and displacement data during the test. The machine needed to be able to apply a maximum 2400 pounds of load to a number of standard-sized Lozier shelves. Our design utilizes 40 pneumatic pistons to apply load to Lozier's largest standard shelf. A series of valves can be closed to configure the machine for a given shelf size. An additively manufactured cushion pad is attached to the end of each piston, which evenly distributes this load across the surface area of the shelf. These pads are flexible and remain in contact with the shelf even as it bends and deflects under the loading of a test. We believe our design is a great improvement upon the current shelf testing setup at Lozier, and we hope that it may be useful for the company long after our final prototype is delivered.

Faculty Supervisor
Eric Markvicka 

Project Description
Our group redesigned a cardio machine for MS Forward. MS Forward is a gym in Omaha for people with Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. Due to the effects of M, equipment for the gym must have special considerations, and we had to account for these. To do this we modified the current machine to maximize reliability and simplicity. To address reliability, we knew we needed to replace the previous resistance mechanism. Previously, a band brake was used to provide resistance to the user. This mechanism was constantly needing to be fixed, and provided poor repeatability. In our redesign, the band brake was replaced with a permanent magnetic brake. This style of brake was chosen as there are no wearing parts and resistance can be set anywhere from no resistance to max resistance. This resistance mechanism was crucial in the redesign to provide reliability and repeatability. To simplify the machine the foot pedals from the previous design were removed as they were not being used and were getting in the way. Lastly, 2” tubes were added to the base so weights could be placed on top to add stability.

Faculty Supervisor
Dr. Qilin Guo

Project Description
Our group has been working with Kawasaki to improve a welding process for the dash bar of the Kawasaki Mule Pro UTV. The improvement that was requested by Kawasaki was to eliminate a counter weld that runs along the back side of the dash bar for the sole purpose of keeping it from warping during the welding process.

Team Members
Thomas Crum
Jordan Chapin
Benjamin Bashtovoi
Caden Lind

Every year the Husker Motorsports team participates in a Formula SAE competition which challenges students to design and manufacture a Formula-style vehicle that will compete against colleges from across the world. This year Husker Motorsports sponsored a senior capstone project that will improve the vehicle’s performance by reducing unsprung mass. Unsprung mass reduction has numerous benefits on vehicle dynamics, including improved acceleration, handling, and braking.

To achieve these performance improvements, the team has developed carbon fiber composite wheels that weigh less than the current wheel solution and provide better rigidity. The team has designed and modeled the wheel according to the 2023-2024 competition car criteria, conducted composite loading simulations based on past vehicle performance, and developed a manufacturing plan for future production. In addition to developing the team’s 3D modeling, traditional manufacturing, and mechanical testing skills, the project has furthered the team’s complex simulation, composite manufacturing, and hands-on skills.

As the use of high-performance composites increases in motorsports, this project will provide Husker Motorsports with a product that will improve their competitiveness for future competitions.