CEE Project #1: Road Culvert Scour
Faculty Advisor: Jeremy Bricker (jeremydb@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab for setup and experiments. Analysis can be done in a hybrid manner, up to the student.
Prerequisites: Completed basic physics, statics/dynamics. Completed or taking fluid mechanics or similar course. Completion of mechanics of materials (solid/structural mechanics) is suggested but not required.
Project Description: Water passing through road culverts can scour the earth on the downstream side of the culvert, posing a hazard to the road embankment itself, as well as negatively affecting the quality of the stream. The Federal Highway Administration and individual states have developed guidance about how large stone armour must be to prevent streambed scour during floods, and about how long the carpet of stone armour must extend downstream of the culvert exit. We are developing such guidance for the Ohio Department of Transportation, using scaled laboratory experiments to measure scour hole depths and observe stability of armour units.
1. Set up laboratory models of culvert and sand/stone bed in the open channel flume. Measure the setup to ensure conformity with design of experiment.
2. Configure data acquisition system to measure flow depth and speed at the desired timing and sensitivity.
3. Assist the PhD student by operating pumps and gates in the flume to create flow simulating desired culvert scour conditions.
4. Set up sand bed and stone armour in the flume using shovels and rakes. Measure stone and sand sizes using sieve analysis. Paint individual stone armour units in order to track those stones as they are displaced.
5. Measure scour hole depths and armour unit displacement using a LIDAR scanner and a high resolution video camera.
6. Post-process LIDAR and video images to determine initiation of scour and to estimate the flow field.
7. Analyze results to compare with hydraulics and scour theory.
8. Write a technical report to present the results. Also present results visually and orally to research team.
CEE Project #2: Disinfection of Viral Nucleic Acids
Faculty Advisor: Krista Wigginton (kwigg@umich.edu)
Postdoctoral Mentor: Alex Szczuka (aszczuka@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: Disinfectants are used ubiquitously to inactivate viruses on surfaces, in water treatment, and in food processing. To do so, disinfectants target various components of viruses, including viral nucleic acids (e.g. DNA/RNA). The rate of reaction of disinfectants with nucleic acids, and hence the rate of virus inactivation, can vary based on the environment that viruses are in. In this project, we will use both analytical chemistry and microbiology techniques to determine how disinfectants affect nucleic acids in viruses in different environments.
CEE Project #3: Design and Manufacturing of Large-Scale Deployable Structures
Faculty Mentor: Evgueni Filipov (filipov@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In Lab
Project Description: Deployable structures that use the principles of origami could lead to applications in multiple scales and disciplines from biomedicine to space exploration. In architecture and civil engineering reconfigurable facades could adapt to the environment, and rapidly deployable shelters and bridges could be used for disaster relief efforts. The objective of this project will be to explore how to scale up principles of origami for structural engineering applications. The student will first create an analytical model to study the motion and geometry of an origami-inspired deployable structure. Next, a laser cutter will be used to fabricate panels for a scaled prototype of the structure. These individual panels will then be interconnected with metallic or plastic hinges that allow for deployment and reconfiguration. The systems will be constructed to minimize the stowed volume while allowing for a reliable deployment that requires minimum force input. Time permitting, the student will conduct experimental testing to quantify the stiffness of different deployable systems.
CEE Project #4: Experimental Testing of Continuous Equilibrium Structures
Faculty Mentor: Evgueni Filipov (filipov@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In Lab
Project Description: Continuous equilibrium structures are systems that can reconfigure with negligible energy input and do not collapse under gravity. Continuous equilibrium structures have many potential civil engineering applications, such as deployable bridges, adaptable building facades, and pop-up shelters. Our group has developed a computational tool to design continuous equilibrium structures by adding springs with optimized properties that counteract gravity. We are looking for an undergraduate student to assist with the fabrication and testing of physical models. The student will first fabricate several reconfigurable structures using a laser cutter and use our computational tool to determine the spring properties that are needed to achieve continuous equilibrium. Next, the student will construct a test frame for the systematic testing of the structures. Finally, the student will conduct experimental tests to measure the force required for reconfiguration.
CEE Project #5: Pile Foundation Analysis Considering Negative Skin Friction
Faculty Mentor: Roman D Hryciw, romanh@umich.edu)
Prerequisite: Junior Standing, CEE 345
Research Mode: Both laboratory and office work
Project Description: Deep foundations for structures, such as piles, rely on side friction and end bearing to transfer building loads to the underlying earth materials. The friction acts upward on the piles thus supporting the above ground structure from excessive settlement. After construction, if additional loads are applied at the ground surface directly atop the soil, the soil will compress and settle downward relative to the pile. This could reverse the direction of soil-pile friction and lead to potentially dangerously large loads, stresses and downward displacements of the elastic piles. The large stresses could lead to pile failures and the soil compression could lead to larger settlements of the structures. This project will include cyclic frictional testing of soils against various pile materials (wood, concrete, steel) and development of software to model the soil-pile load transfer along the length of the pile. The research will require literature review and regular meetings with the faculty mentor to discuss progress. The project will lead to one journal paper co-authored by the SURE student.
CEE Project #6: Distress and Fall Risk Monitoring in Daily Walking Trips and Construction Sites Using Wearable and Mobile Sensors
Faculty Mentor: SangHyun Lee, shdpm@umich.edu
Prerequisite: Proficiency in mobile application development (Either experience in developing an Android application using Java or an Apple Application using Swift)
Research Mode: Hybrid (mostly remote)
Project Description: Our focus is monitoring and mitigating distress and fall risk using wearable sensors and mobile sensors on daily walking trips and construction sites. Two separate mobile applications will be developed. One is a fall risk monitoring application (Apple Application) that collects wearable sensor data and pops up the message when a person encounters a fall risk. The other is a map application (Andriod Application) that recommends a route based on wearable sensor data. The undergraduate student assistant will take a role in developing either one or both applications after the discussion. The student is required to make an application that can collect multi-sensor data, visualize the data in the map interface, and build a pipeline to operate a machine-learning algorithm or route recommendation algorithm. This will provide a great opportunity to develop a practical mobile application and handle wearable sensor data.
CEE Project #7: Mitigating contaminants of emerging concern in water
Faculty Mentor: Alex Szczuka, aszczuka@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: Drinking water disinfection is one of the greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century. Disinfectants readily remove disease causing pathogens in our water, and help prevent millions of deaths from waterborne illnesses. However, when disinfectants are applied to water, disinfection byproducts, which are probable carcinogens, can form. While some classes of disinfection byproducts are regulated in drinking water, toxicologists have found that disinfection byproducts that are not regulated in drinking water can be orders of magnitude more toxic to cells than regulated disinfection byproducts. In this project, we will develop methods to detect both regulated and unregulated disinfection byproducts in water, and explore how treatment can lower both disinfection byproduct concentrations along with co-contaminants such as PFAS.
CEE Project #8: Mechanisms of virus inactivation by alternative disinfectants
Faculty Mentor: Alex Szczuka, aszczuka@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: Disinfectants are used ubiquitously to inactivate viruses on surfaces, in water treatment, and in food processing. To do so, disinfectants target various components of viruses, including viral nucleic acids (e.g. DNA/RNA). The rate of reaction of disinfectants with nucleic acids, and hence the rate of virus inactivation, can vary based on the environment that viruses are in. In this project, we will use both analytical chemistry and microbiology techniques to determine how alternative disinfectants affect nucleic acids in viruses in different environments.
CEE Project #9: microbial community analysis of dynamic membranes in two-phase anaerobic dynamic membrane system treating food waste and sewage sludge
Faculty Mentors: Lutgarde Raskin, raskin@umich.edu and Steven Skerlos, skerlos@umich.edu
Graduate Student Mentor: Renisha Karki, renisha@umich.edu
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: The objective of this project is to apply molecular microbial ecology techniques to characterize the microbial communities responsible for hydrolysis and methane generation in the dynamic membranes of a two-phase anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) system. To meet this objective, the SURE student will initially be paired with the graduate student mentor for relevant training. The student will gain experience operating a laboratory-scale bioreactor and performing chemical and microbial analysis techniques.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been widely applied for energy and nutrient recovery from diverse organic waste streams. However, AD has a number of drawbacks including a low hydrolysis rate due to feedstock complexity, and microbial washout of slow-growing methanogens, which impact methane yield. To overcome these problems, AnDMBRs have been developed; they consist of a bioreactor that uses a dynamic membrane, which is composed of biofilm and suspended solids originating from the waste stream established on a coarse mesh support, to achieve biomass retention. In our laboratory, a two-phase AnDMBR system was developed. This system has accomplished a higher hydrolysis rate in the first-phase rumen bioreactor and higher methane generation in the second-phase recirculating AnDMBR compared to competing technologies.
CEE Project #10: characterization of dynamic membranes in two-phase anaerbic dynamic membrane bioreactor system treating food waste and sewage sludge
Faculty Mentors: Lutgarde Raskin, raskin@umich.edu and Steven Skerlos, skerlos@umich.edu
Graduate Student Mentor: Pedro Puente (puentepe@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In person (in lab)
Project Description: The overall goal of the project is to recover renewable natural gas from food waste and sewage sludge using novel anaerobic and biogas upgrading technologies. Our team has developed a two-phase anaerobic system for the conversion of food waste and sewage sludge to biogas using anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactors. The SURE student will work on the development of protocols for the characterization of dynamic membranes, which are composed of biofilm and suspended solids originating from the waste stream established on a coarse mesh support. The two-phase system consists of two dynamic membrane bioreactors. In the first bioreactor or rumen bioreactor, the dynamic membrane is located at the bottom of the bioreactor. In the second bioreactor or recirculating dynamic membrane bioreactor, the dynamic membrane is located on the branches of a tree-like structure. Biofilms consist of microbial cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that attach to a support medium. In order to characterize fouling mechanisms, the influence of substrates on dynamic membrane performance, and operational strategies of the dynamic membranes, it is crucial to characterize the biofilm. The SURE student will initially be paired with a graduate student mentor for relevant training. The student will then gain experience with protocol drafting, experimental design, literature review, and chemical and microbial biofilm characterization techniques.
CEE Project #11: in-situ turbidity analysis of dynamic membrane effluent in a multiplex system
Faculty Mentors: Lutgarde Raskin, raskin@umich.edu and Steven Skerlos, skerlos@umich.edu
Graduate Student Mentor: Renata Starostka, renatas@umich.edu
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: This project will help support research into the operation and use of an emerging filtration technology, termed dynamic membrane bioreactor. The approach separates solids from liquids in a waste stream by trapping solids on a biofilm-covered mesh support integrated in a bioreactor. The objective of this project is to provide in-situ characterization of turbidity and solids content in the filtered waste stream, using simple light sensors and other analytical tools to elucidate filtration efficacy under a range of scenarios.
Dynamic membranes enable simple biomass retention while mitigating the challenges of conventional micro- or ultra-filtration membranes, which require high energy and pressure. A system of dynamic membranes in a parallel configuration, the multiplex system, has been developed by a team of mechanical engineering undergraduate students and environmental engineering PhD students to characterize the dynamic membrane growth and operation. Characterization will use Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other widely-used sensors (pressure sensors, flow meters, daily sampling techniques). One essential characterization of dynamic membrane operation that is still needed is turbidity to estimate the effluent suspended solids level. Typically, turbidity analysis is done by removing a sample of effluent in a test-tube, and placing it in a dark area with a light and light-sensor, often a piece of equipment that is commonly found in labs. In-situ turbidity measurements are typically only common in high-flow and large-scale systems. This project will seek to develop a tool for in-situ turbidity estimations with the appropriate flow and use the lab turbidimeter and suspended solids analysis to indicate sensitivity and accuracy for the experimental work.
CEE Project #12: unhealthy to healthy drinking water microbiomes: Can uv treatment promote this shift?
Faculty Mentor: Lutgarde Raskin, raskin@umich.edu
Graduate Student Mentor: Nuha Alfahham
Research Mode: In lab
Project Description: Exposure to opportunistic pathogens (OPs) (e.g., Legionella species, nontuberculous mycobacteria) through drinking water is a worldwide public health challenge and the major cause of reported waterborne diseases in the U.S. It has been shown that some OPs are resistant to common disinfectants. Ultraviolet irradiation UV-254 nm, which is increasingly used for drinking water disinfection to address virus and protozoan concerns, appears promising as an alternative or additional strategy for inactivation of OPs. However, existing methods to determine the UV dose-response relationship such as culture-based methods are time consuming and may miss detection of over 90% of the microorganisms in real drinking water systems, including viable but nonculturable microorganisms. Molecular methods that assess viability based on damaged cellular membranes are not applicable to UV studies since UV mainly impacts viability by damaging the nucleic acids rather than the cellular membrane. In this project we will adapt a novel method that assesses viability based on the change in precursor rRNA (pre-rRNA) following disinfection, and determine the UV dose that could transform unhealthy (containing OPs) microbiomes into healthy ones in drinking water distribution systems. The SURE student will be trained to perform traditional microbiology techniques and molecular techniques (e.g., DNA and RNA extractions, quantitative PCR, quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR). Depending on the interest of the student, there may also be bioinformatics learning opportunities.
CEE Project #13: Evaluating the role of urine-derived fertilizers in sustainable agriculture
Faculty Mentor: Nancy Love, nglove@umich.edu)
Research Fellow/Graduate Student Mentor, Lucinda Li, llucinda@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab
Prerequisites: Must have prior experience with pipettes
Project Description: Human urine contains the majority of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in wastewater. By separating urine at the toilet, we can process urine into a urine-derived fertilizer, offsetting the demand for inorganic fertilizers that are produced with energy-intensive processes. While there are environmental benefits of this technology, questions remain about the impact of urine-derived fertilizers on soil health. In this project, we will conduct greenhouse experiments to compare the effects of fertilizer treatments (inorganic, urine, organic, inorganic+organic, urine+organic) on soil health. By combining urine and organic fertilizers, we hypothesize that urine-derived fertilizers can increase nutrient availability of organic fertilizers and play a role in organic agriculture. Results will inform future use of urine-derived fertilizers in sustainable agriculture.
CEE Project #14: The impact of aging infrastructure in shrinking communities on drinking water quality
Faculty Mentor: Nancy Love, nglove@umich.edu)
Graduate Student Advisor, Brittany Hicks, britbrow@umich.edu)
Research Mode: In lab
Prerequisite: Must be at least a junior with a focus in environmental engineering or chemical engineering
Project Description: Shrinking urban populations result in less water demand in municipal distribution systems designed for a larger population, which means that drinking water spends more time in aging pipes and can change chemical properties in ways that also influence microbiological water quality. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show that the primary cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in drinking water has shifted dramatically over the last ten years. Some of the emerging waterborne disease pathogens are particularly risky to immuno-compromised and vulnerable populations. We contend that populations in shrinking cities, which suffer from higher rates of poverty and poorer health characteristics, are more likely to be vulnerable to community-acquired drinking water infections that go undetected, especially since the Safe Drinking Water Act does not require monitoring of the emerging pathogenic agents. The student selected for this project will join a team of researchers at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University who are focused on this problem of water quality, aging pipes in shrinking cities, and public health. The student will perform microbiological experiments focused on the growth of respiratory pathogens under water quality conditions simulating different water qualities. The student will also learn how to perform flow cytometry for bacterial quantification.
CEE Project #15: critical metals recovery and co2 sequestration potential of mine tailings in Michigan’s upper peninsula
Faculty Mentor: Brian Ellis, brellis@umich.edu
Project Description: This project seeks to determine the viability of using mine stamp tailings from the Buffalo Reef in the Keewanaw Peninsula in Michigan as a source of critical metals recovery (e.g., Cu, Ni, Co) and permanent CO2 storage. Work will include characterization of mine waste materials via a combination of approaches includes X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ICP-MS analysis. It will also include conducting high pressure batch CO2 carbonation experiments. The goal of the project will be to determine whether additional high value metals present in the mine tailings can be economically extracted and to the evaluate the potential for CO2 mineral trapping in the tailings materials. Work will take place primarily in the lab but will also include some batch geochemical modeling. Training will be provided for all elements of the project and no prior experience using any of these techniques is required.
