Project Opportunities
The research projects for the summer of 2007 are listed below. Click on an individual project or scroll down for full descriptions. The application form has space for you to specify your project preferences. Note that additional projects will be posted as they are developed.
Environmental Engineering
Project 1 - Acoustic cavitation for drinking water treatment
Project 2 - Impacts of subsurface wastewater disposal on groundwater quality
Transportation Engineering
Project 4 - Understanding temperature profiles in pavement layers
Project 5 - Accelerated testing methodology for evaluating pavement patching materials
Project 1 - Acoustic cavitation for drinking water treatment
Mentor: Professor Jeanine Plummer
Background
Drinking waters in the United States and abroad are vulnerable to microbial and chemical contamination. In the U.S., recent legislation has focused on improved control of pathogenic microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium while also controlling the formation of disinfection byproducts. Large municipal systems may satisfy new requirements by switching to UV disinfection; however, small treatment systems may not have the capabilities to implement this technology. An alternative is the use of multiple disinfectants which can enhance inactivation. Acoustic cavitation is an innovative, chemical free disinfectant that shows promise for drinking water treatment. Cavitation results in microorganism inactivation through cell membrane stresses and the formation of free radicals. Recent research at WPI, and with collaborators at Tufts University and Harris Acoustics, has demonstrated that acoustic cavitation has the potential to significantly enhance chlorine inactivation through synergistic impacts. In addition, this technology has the potential to destroy (though pyrolysis reactions or free radical formation) volatile organic contaminants such as trichloroethylene, which are becoming an increasing concern in both ground waters and surface waters.
Project Objectives
This project will be a preliminary study on the effectiveness of acoustic cavitation, alone and in combination with chlorine, for the inactivation of indicator organisms and the destruction of volatile organic compounds. This project will involve laboratory-based experimentation with a batch and a flow-through sonicator system, depending on project status during the summer. The student will first learn analytical methods such as culturing microorganisms, determining chlorine concentrations, and quantifying compounds such as TCE and MTBE. After these skills are established, the student will perform a series of experiments to test variables of interest, such as the sonication power, chlorine dose, and contact time. Some work may be performed at Tufts University veterinary school, about 20 minutes from WPI. The student will also conduct a literature review, write a report, and make an oral presentation of his/her work.
Project 2 - Impacts of subsurface disposal of wastewater on groundwater quality
Mentor: Professor Paul Mathisen
Background
Direct discharges of wastewater into surface water bodies introduce nutrients and other contaminants that can lead to degradation of these water bodies. To avoid these direct surface water discharges, wastewater from treatment facilities is commonly discharged into the subsurface through infiltration beds. Subsurface disposal includes many large-scale facilities, along with virtually all septic systems and small-scale decentralized facilities throughout the United States. Nevertheless, these subsurface discharges result in contaminant and nutrient loads that can eventually enter water supplies or surface water bodies. Given the wide-spread use of subsurface disposal, a complete understanding of the processes that govern the transport of these contaminants in the subsurface is essential.
Project Objectives
This project will include monitoring, analysis, and modeling of water quality to provide insight into the key processes governing the transport and transformations of contaminants discharged into the subsurface from wastewater treatment facilities. On-going work in this area involves collaboration with a team of scientists and engineers associated with the Toxic Substances Hydrology Research of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) that have been conducting modeling and field investigations at the Cape Cod site to better understand these processes. This project will include an opportunity to work in collaboration with USGS personnel and complete water quality sampling at the field site in Cape Cod. Data analysis and groundwater modeling will be used to provide insight into the key processes affecting the contaminant and nutrient loads that enter surface water bodies.
Project 3 - Use of innovative warm mix asphalt technology for recycling pavement materials with low energy use and low emission
Mentor: Professor Rajib B. Mallick
Background
The objective of this project is to use innovative warm mix asphalt technology to develop a method of recycling a high percentage of reclaimed pavement materials (RAP) to produce new pavements. While there are millions of tons of RAP available around the country, pavement engineers are restricted in recycling efforts due to practical limitations and environmental regulations. As a result, RAP is recycled at a very small percentage.
Project Objectives
The objective of this project will be to use warm mix asphalt technology to develop a mix design for using high percentage (including 100%) RAP, so as to obtain durable and good performing pavements. This technology has the potential of allowing us to recycle a high percentage of RAP utilizing lower temperatures and hence, allowing us to save energy costs and cut down emissions. The scope of work will include a literature review, experimental work and statistical analysis, and preparation of a comprehensive report and presentation of the report.
Project 4 - Understanding temperature profiles in pavement layers
Mentor: Professor Rajib Mallick
Background
Asphalt materials are highly sensitive to temperature – their performance related behavior change drastically with changes in temperature. As new kinds of materials are being introduced in highway and airport pavements (such as fuel resistant materials in airport and recycled materials in highways), there is a need to understand the temperature regime in the different layers, throughout a typical year, such that their behavior can be predicted accurately.
Project Objectives
The objective of this project is to understand the heat flow and temperature changes in different pavement layers through experimentation and modeling. This is a laboratory project which uses experiments with thermocouple and data acquisition systems, as well as modeling with finite element analysis. The scope of work consists of a literature review, conducting experiments and modeling as well as preparation of a final report and presentation.
Project 5 - Accelerated testing methodology for evaluating pavement patching materials
Mentor: Professor Rajib Mallick/Professor Tahar El-Korchi
Background
Pavement maintenance engineers need to make decisions on new pavement patching materials every year. Evaluating the performance of patching materials in a timely fashion is a challenge for pavement maintenance engineers and decision makers. The best way to evaluate these materials is to use them in the field in the host pavement, under actual traffic loads and environmental conditions. However, this approach is costly, time consuming and impractical. It may take weeks, months or years to obtain the necessary feedback for informed decision making. What is needed is an accelerated evaluation method that can simulate realistic pavement conditions to adequately predict infield performance.
Project Objectives
A new accelerated experimental testing methodology has been developed for assessing how new pavement patching materials will behave in the field. In this experimental study, potholes will be constructed within concrete blocks with different patching materials. The potholes are angled to simulate normal and shear stresses. Loads of various magnitude and frequency, coupled with cycles of freezing and thawing are applied to the constructed pothole. The patch performance is assessed by measuring the deformation and surface distress. Analytical analysis using numerical modeling is also conducted to understand the behavior of the pothole under cyclic load and temperature stresses.
The student will be involved in the design, construction and testing of the simulated potholes. Data analysis and computer modeling using various software will also be conducted. The student will submit a final report and make an oral presentation summarizing their research experience.
Facilities
The Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratories provide support for both research and courses. Our facilities are shared by graduate students, undergraduate students and faculty. This means you will have access to the same sophisticated equipment that our faculty and graduate research assistants use. In addition to our laboratories described below, we also have numerous computer laboratories with networked, high-end computers, and electronic classrooms and meeting rooms for presentations. In fact, WPI has been ranked among “America's 100 Most Wired Colleges” by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. In addition to the campus laboratories, the department maintains necessary equipment for field sampling, testing and data collection in both the environmental and transportation fields. Students will use this equipment on-site as projects dictate.
Environmental Laboratory
The Environmental Engineering Laboratory has the technologically advanced equipment needed for water and wastewater analysis and treatability studies. Chemical concentrations can be detected at the ppm and ppb levels, and microbial analyses can be completed in a sterile, clean bench environment. Major equipment includes a gas chromatograph with ECD and FID detectors, atomic absorption spectrophotometer with flame and furnace capabilities, a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, an organic carbon analyzer, turbidimeters, centrifuges, a laminar flow hood, an ultra-low temperature freezer and a Misonix probe-sonicator system. A ROpureST Reverse Osmosis Water System and Barnstead Epure Water Purification System supply reagent grade water the laboratory. Ancillary equipment includes two fume hoods, waterbaths, refrigerated incubators, balances, spectrophotometers, pH meters, conductivity meters, DO meters, furnace, oven, refrigerators and freezers, and an ultrasonic bath.
Pavement Research Laboratory
The pavement research laboratory is well equipped to conduct complete characterization of pavement materials. The state of the art array of equipment includes compactor, moisture susceptibility testing equipment, loaded wheel tester and extraction and recovery equipment. The laboratory contains some of the most advanced testing equipment - most notable of these are the material testing system (capable of conducting a wide range of tests, including stress-strain tests, indirect tensile strength, repeated uniaxial loading, Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) frequency sweep, resilient modulus, and triaxial shear strength), the Model Mobile Load Simulator (use of this equipment enables the simulation of a large amount of traffic within a short period of time and evaluation of long-term performance of pavement materials), and an array of Non Destructive Testing equipment consisting of the Portable Seismic Property Analyzer, Falling Weight Deflectometer and Ground Penetrating Radar. In addition, WPI researchers will have access to field instrumentation available from the Maine DOT full-scale pavement loading and testing program. A major focus of the pavement engineering program is on integration of undergraduate and graduate curriculum with research projects funded by Maine Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, New England Transportation Consortium and National Science Foundation.
Structural Mechanics Impact Laboratory
The impact laboratory is used to explore the behavior of materials and components in collisions. Experiments performed in the structural mechanics impact laboratory are generally used to validate and confirm finite element experiments performed using LS-DYNA in the computing lab. Major pieces of equipment include an Instron Dynatup Model 8250 Impact Test System, a high-speed video system, data acquisition systems including a variety of sensors (accelerometers, strain-gauges, displacement transducers and piezoelectric tups) and software, and an Instron 8250 Pneumatic Assisted Drop Tower.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: October 26, 2007 10:30:40