Projectlist Assigned

GROUP 1 - Lattice Materials for a Low Thermal Expansion Strut of a

Satellite Antenna

Clients & contact persons

Prof Damiano Pasini and Hang Xu, PhD candidate

Dept of Mechanical Eng, Macdonald Eng Bldg, Room 372

McGill University | 815 Sherbrooke St W | Montreal, QC | H3A 0C3

Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 398-6295

Email: [email protected]

Description

During launch and in orbit, satellite antennas need to withstand mechanical and acoustic vibrations

as well as accommodate large thermo-elastic distortions caused by extreme temperature spectra.

Satellite antennas must also be as lightweight as possible to minimize the cost required to get them

into space. At MDA (MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates Inc - a world-class supplier of

communication satellites, and antenna subsystems), spacecraft antennas are designed to attach to

the supporting structure via struts, traditionally, with end fittings usually in titanium. While

versatile and convenient, this solution is sparely used due to the weight penalty added by the struts.

MDA is currently seeking alternative solutions to design ultralightweight multifunctional struts to

mount on their antennas. Such struts should withstand a high axial load and be thermally stable,

i.e. they must exhibit a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, over a wide temperature range.

In addition, the struts should be ultralightweight as well as capable to reduce acoustic and

mechanical vibrations.

With MDA, our goal is to develop a proof of concept strut made of lattice with low (or even zero)

coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). We look for a team of undergraduate students to optimize

the mechanical performance, carry out the design embodiment, manufacture the samples and

perform mechanical testing. The project requires work on CAD design, FEA simulation and

optimization, microfabrication and/or rapid prototyping using a 3D printer, as well as mechanical

testing. We are seeking students with mechanical and material engineering background with

expertise in one or several of the above areas of research.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 2 - Development of an acoustic isolation chamber for an ultrahigh

resolution atomic force microscope

Client & contact persons

Prof Luc Mongeau, Chair




Description

The objective of the proposed project is to develop an acoustic enclosure chamber to improve the

performance of an atomic force microscope.

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a versatile tool for nano-scale characterization of materials.

An AFM has five main components as shown in figure1: 1- A sharp tip mounted on a cantilever

spring 2- A sensor to measure the force by sensing the deflection of the cantilever 3- A feedback

control system for the controlling the interaction force between an AFM probe and surface 4- A

raster scanning system that can move the sample with respect to the tip in a 3 dimensional pattern.

5- A display system to convert the measured data into an image. An atomic force microscope can

measure topographical features in sub-nanometer scale and can measure force in piconewton range

by measuring the deflection of the cantilever. AFM operates in different modes depending on the

distance and the interaction forces between the AFM tip and a samples surface. In contact mode, the tip apex is in direct contact with samples surface. In this mode, the separation distance is usually less than 0.5 nm and the force on the tip is repulsive. Soft cantilevers with small stiffness

are usually used in contact mode to allow high sensitivity and avoid the damage caused by the tip

on the sample. In intermittent mode (tapping mode), the cantilever is oscillated at near its resonant

frequency in a separation distance of 0.5-2 nm. Constant oscillation amplitude is maintained

constant through feedback control system to obtain an image of the surface. In this mode, the tip

taps on the surface with a slight force. Relative vibrations of the probe above the surface establish

the vertical resolution in an AFM. Sources for vibrations are acoustic noise, floor vibrations, and

thermal vibrations. Getting the maximum vertical resolution requires minimizing the vibrations of

the instrument. Therefore, an acoustic enclosure is needed to optimize an AFMs performance (Figure 2).

An AFM system is highly sensitive to the noise of the environment and isolation from the lab

environment plays an important role in image and measurement quality. Currently we have

purchased a new AFM system with ultrahigh resolution capacity on an inverted fluorescent

microscope. The goal is to build an isolation chamber with certain characteristics and specification

such as: 1-Inner dimensions: 1000mm1000mm1000mm 2- Four openings (diameter 75mm) for

cable access 3- Overall acoustic noise reduction of 30 dB. 4- Windows for measurements in dark

5- Cleaning capabilities for use with cells and other biological materials.

Fig 1 Schematic of an AFM

Fig 2 Commercially available acoustic disclosure chambers from (a) Asylum research and (b) JPK,

(a)http://www.asylumresearch.com/Products/VibrationIsolation/VibrationIsolation.shtml#BCH45

(b) http://www.jpk.com/jpk-product-note-acoustic-enclosure.

Budget

$1,500

Photodiode sensor

V

Laser

AFM cantilever A

ctu

atio

n S

ign

als

Z-scanner

X

Y

XY-scanner Sample

PID Control unit

Feedback signal

Computer

Amplifier

GROUP 3 - Development of direct force measurement module for ice skating

Client & contact person

Assoc Prof David J Pearsall,

Dept of Kinesiology & Physical Ed, Currie Bldg, Room A216

McGill University | 475 Pine Ave W | Montreal, QC | H2W 1S4

Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 398-4400 ext 0472

Group members

Team 3: C Hill, A Kallos, R McEachrn and D Patrick

Description

Our research group has previously demonstrated the utility of strain gauges to act as force

transducers for skating (Stidwill et al 2009, 2010; Robert-Lachaine et al 2012). These dynamic

force measures have provided a better understanding of the fundamental nature of human

locomotion and stability across ice surfaces (Pearsall et al 2014). These measures may also

provide relevant training and coaching data; however, the current systems requiring direct

adhesion gauges to the skate and thus are not reusable. As well data retrieval is too slow due to

the recording technology used (portable analog to digital converter). The objective of this

proposal is for the development of an adjunct force-sensing module that can be easily secured

between the skate boot and upper blade holder. Additional required traits would include ease of

interchange between skates as well as wireless transmission for direct inspection via laptop

software and/or App. Conceptually this objective is feasible; however, there are several

technical challenges that must be addressed.

Budget

$10,000 for materials; access to lab NI DAQ and software.

GROUP 4 - CFRP oil and fuel tanks for a Formula SAE Vehicle

Client & contact

Lewis Koberg, McGill Racing Team




Description

The McGill Racing Team employs a light-weight single-cylinder design philosophy for their entry

into Formula SAE competitions. This philosophy relies heavily on systems-integration and the

reduction of mass of all components on the vehicle. For this reason, many parts that were

previously aluminum like the engine oil and fuel cells are excellent candidates for further weight

reduction through the use of CFRP.

The goal of this project is to design, manufacture and test composite fuel and oil tanks for the 2015

MRT Formula Prototype. Both tanks must be analyzed to retain their capacity in liquid from a

structural standpoint as well as serve the additional purposes demanded by these tanks. The fuel

cell must be able to hold enough fluid for the endurance event, not allow for fuel starvation during

cornering events, contain a fuel pump as determined by the McGill Racing Team, and not leak

when flipped upside-down or when exposed to fuel for long periods of time. The oil tank must be

able to hold engine oil at high operating temperature, have proper inlet, outlet and vent ports, and

not starve the engine of oil during extreme cornering events.

This project is intended to require structural composite design, advanced processing procedures,

and CFD analysis of internal tank geometry. Sufficient bench testing of both tanks is required

before use on the prototype.

Budget

$2,500

GROUP 5 - The engineering evaluation of a novel and improved geothermal

heating system


Schluter Systems Canada Inc.

2110 ch. Ste-Marie,

Ste-Ann-de-Bellevue

QC H9X 3Y8

Joe Slanik

(514)-966-5011

Description

The Schluter Systems Inc. is and international company with corporate headquarters in Germany

and North American head office in Montreal. They produce proprietary materials used in

construction of floor geothermal heating systems. Presently the company is in process of

improving and evaluating a heat transfer efficiency of the geothermal fluid distribution system.

The improvements involve modification of the product and introduction of novel manufacturing

methods.

The substantial part of the project is to design and build functioning prototype. The prototype will

consist of constant temperature water supply, distribution system and two 1m x 1m floor panels,

one equipped with standard distribution system and one with improved. The two panels and the

water supply will be instrumented to measure the thermal response on sudden change of the load.

The measured data are required to support the patent application.

You will be required to get familiar with the product and its application, read and understand the

last year project (MECH 463-SCH). The report will be made available, after the student group is

selected and the NDA signed. Health and environmental issues such as safe disposal of material

will play an important role.

Requirements:

Familiarity with SolidWorks modeler.

Knowledge of engineering graphics.(Mfg. Dwgs.)

Heat transfer, including transient.

Fundamentals of process control.

Familiarity with Labview

Budget

TBA

GROUP 6 - 3D septoplasty surgical simulation model

Clients

Lily HP Nguyen, MDCM, MSc, FRCSC

Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery McGill University, Montreal Children's Hospital

2300 Tupper Ave, Rm B240 | Montreal, QC | H3H 1P3

Email: [email protected] | Office: 514-412-4400 ext 25302

Marc A. Tewfik, MDCM, MSc, FRCSC

Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Room E4-41

687 Pins Ave W | Montreal, QC | H3A 1A1


Dr Mahmoud Abdullah AlReefi, Demonstrator

Dept of Otolaryngology | King AbdulAziz Univeristy | Rabigh | Saudi Arabia

Email [email protected] | Office: (514) 570-8390

Description

The objective of this project is to develop a physical 3D replica that can help otolaryngology

trainees practice septoplasty surgery. Septoplasty is a commonly performed surgery to fix a

deviated or crooked nasal septum. The nasal septum is the wall that separates the right and left

nasal cavities. When deviated to one side, it prevents the normal airflow through the nose and the

patient will typically complain of a blocked nose. Septoplasty aims to straighten this deviation and relieve nasal obstruction.

The nasal septum consists of three portions: 1) a flexible rubbery cartilage at the front, 2) a thin

bone (approximately 1-2mm thickness) called "Ethmoid bone at the back, and 3) a harder bone ridge called the "Vomer" at the bottom (consult fig.1) All of these structures are covered by a very

thin (approximately 0.5mm) but firm membrane called the "perichondrium". Then there is a final

superficial layer called the "Mucous Membrane" which is soft, fragile and approximately 2mm

thick.

The basic steps of the surgery are to 1) make a vertical incision through the mucous membrane

and perichondrium; 2) separate the pericondrium from the cartilage and bone, thereby creating a

pocket; and 3) remove select portions of the cartilage and bone, allowing the remaining septum to

sit back in the midline.

This surgery is considered a challenge to teach trainees for the following reasons:

It is performed in a relatively narrow pocket deep in the nose, thereby difficult for both the student to observe and for the teacher to supervise

The mucosa must be not separated from the perichondrium or else it will tear.

Excessive removal can result in cosmetic deformities.

Traumatic removals can result in septal perforations, and injury to the dura (lining of the brain).

Inadequate removal will not relieve symptoms of nasal obstruction.

The goal for this project is to design a life-size replica of a nose and nasal cavities (replicating the

accurately detailed anatomy of the septum, including cartilage, bone, perichondrium and mucus

membrane components) via 3D printing technology. This will be based on medical imaging (CT

scan) data. The resulting model can be installed and secured into a head-shaped holder and offer a

reliable and low cost training model.

Fig.1 - lateral view of the nasal septum.

"Gray854". Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons -

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray854.png#mediaviewer/File:Gray854.png

Contact persons

Profs Yaoyao Zhao (3D printing) and Luc Mongeau (Biomechanics)

Budget

$1,500

GROUP 7 - Development of a Non-Contact Vibration Exciter


Prof. Marco Amabili, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Laboratory of Vibration and Fluid-Structure Interaction

MacDonald Engineering Building | Rm 461 | 514-398-3068

[email protected]

Description

Forced mechanical vibrations are most often performed by means of freely-suspended

electrodynamic exciters (shakers). Armature coils and permanent magnets use the electromagnetic

effect to impart an oscillatory motion to the vibrating head of the shaker. The head is rigidly

connected to the structure under test, constituting a relevant added mass. During large-amplitude

vibrations, part of the energy accelerates the mass of the exciter, with a negative effect on the

accuracy of tests. Results suggest that a non-rigid, non-contact exciter can relieve this problem.

The scope of this project is the development of a non-contact magnetic exciter, capable of applying

a non-contact force to a negligible ferromagnetic mass, bonded to the structure under test. The

design must take into account: 1- The study of current criteria for the coupling of dynamic exciters

and structures. 2- The achievable bandwidth and frequency response 3- The maximum force

amplitude achieved 4- The linearity between the supply and the exerted force 5- The cooling

system of the exciter, if necessary 6- The frame and the suspension system.

Budget

1000 CAD + Price of a Power Amplifier

GROUP 8 - Analysis of the three dimensional deformation of the end of the

steel profile and the development of design concept for the automatic end

straightener


Mr Jerry Slaba, President NDT Technologies Inc

20275 Clark-Graham Ave | Baie-DUrfe, QC | H9X 3T5 Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 457-7650

Joe Slanik

(514)-966-5011

Description

The client is leading manufacturer of nondestructive testing equipment for detection of structural

and geometrical defects in steel pipes, railway wheels, and rails and steal profiles in general.

The flaw detection equipment is based on acoustic principles. The geometry measurements are

based on various contact and non-contact methods including laser triangulation.

The objective of the current project is to develop a specific measuring method to measure 3D

deflection of the steal profile and establish analytical procedure to evaluate the measured data. The

results will be used to design an automatic end of the rail straightener.

The project is a continuation of the last year project MECH 463-NDT. The students will be

required to read and understand the last year report. The report will be made available, after the

student group is selected and the NDA signed.

Requirements:

Use of Solid Works.

Good knowledge of engineering graphics.

Knowledge of FEA in the area of deformable solids.

Good mathematical and optimization skills.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 9 - The Capture Concentration and Conversion of Waste Heat to

Electricity with a 1 HP Engine


Assoc Prof Frank Mucciardi

Dept of Mining & Materials Eng, Wong Bldg, Room 2M030

McGill University | 3610 University St | Montreal, QC | H3A 0C5

[email protected] | Phone: (514) 398-1329

Prof Ferri Hassani

Dept of Mining Eng, Frank Dawson Adams Bldg, Room 109

McGill University | 3450 Univeristy St | Montreal, QC | H3A 0E8

Email: [email protected] | Phone: (514) 398-8060

Description

Waste heat especially of the low grade variety (e.g. 200oC to 400oC) is abundant in the majority

of metallurgical operations. Most of this heat is dissipated to the environment. Our objective is to

recover some of this heat and convert it to electricity. To do this we have devised a process whereby

the waste heat is captured, concentrated and converted to electricity, which is used by the plant. In

this way, one requires no fuel to make the electricity and one does not need an external distribution

network for the electricity. A schematic of the process is attached.

Three engines (piston/cylinder configuration external combustion) have been acquired that are rated as 1HP (Chinese), 3 HP (American) and 10 HP (Indian). At this time we have most of the

components, however they need to be connected together. A test program needs to be developed

and implemented.

This group will work with the 1 HP engine, which is a one-cylinder unit. The overall objective

will be to assess the efficiency of the process and to evaluate the economic viability.

Budget

$3,000 (may increase based on project output)

GROUP 10 - Variable mass and stiffness system

Client

Prof. Jozsef Kovecses

Sadhbh Mac Mahon

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Centre for Intelligent Machines, McGill

University 817 Sherbrooke St. West, Montral, Qubec, H3A 0C3, Canada

Emails:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Description

Proposal: Design and build an apparatus to facilitate the experimental measurement of the

effects of mass distribution, and stiffness properties of a multi-body system.

Background: The McGill planetary rovers group is currently analyzing the effects that mass and stiffness properties of a planetary rover have on resulting impact forces as the rover

encounters obstacles in its path. Some experiments have been performed with an existing rover

prototype, however this prototype cannot accommodate a wide variety of impact configurations.

Nor are the available configurations reliable due to unpredictable stiffness values in the rovers links and joints. A solution is to build a system, preferably in the form of a planetary rover, such

that the individual components of the system could be reconfigured to produce a variety of mass

distributions. The system would also have variable stiffness features. The design for this is open,

however the mass and stiffness parameters must be theoretically quantifiable before

measurement.

Desirable design features:

- A wide variety of possible impact configurations with robust adjustability. - The user must be able to predict the stiffness and mass matrices of the system of

bodies prior to the experiment with reasonable accuracy.

- The fixed components should be designed and built so as not to stray from the planned impact configuration with mechanical noise and play in the joints.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 11 - Capillary microfluidics


Ayokunle Olanrewaju, PhD Candidate

McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, Dept of Biomedical Eng

McGill University | 740 Penfield Dr | Montreal, QC | H3A 0G1


Description

Our lab recently developed pre-programmed, self-powered microfluidic circuits, built from

capillary elements, for automated biochemical assays. However, the most commonly used

microfluidic prototyping material Polydimethylsiloxane, a silicone rubber is not inherently wettable and when plasma-treated to make it hydrophilic, gradually reverts to its hydrophobic

form. The goal of this project is to fabricate capillary microfluidic devices with polymeric

materials that have stable hydrophilic surfaces and can be rapidly prototyped in a laboratory

setting. This will require work on soft lithography and surface chemistry. We are seeking a team

of undergraduate students with a physics/chemistry or a chemical/mechanical/material engineering

background and that has expertise in one or several of the above research areas.

Major activities:

Evaluate different polymeric materials for device fabrication including: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA), and Off-Stochiometric

Thiolene Polymer (OSTE).

Investigate methods for modifying surface chemistry of polymers to obtain stable hydrophilic surface.

Soft-lithography and rapid prototyping.

Microfabrication and CAD design.

Assets:

Fundamental background in chemistry and surface chemistry.

Experience working with polymers, soft lithography and rapid prototyping.

Strong ability to design experiments and work in a laboratory setting.

Some background and theory in fluid mechanics (and microfluidics) is helpful.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 12 - A mechatronic system for underwater X-Ray fluorescence

spectrometry


Prof. Xinyu Liu

Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Macdonald Engineering Building

Room MD155

McGill University | 817 Sherbrooke Street West | Montreal, QC | H3A 0C3

[email protected] | Phone: (514)-398-1526

Description

X-ray fluorecence (XRF) spectrometry is an analytical technique for non-destructive elemental

analysis of a variety of materials such as metals, rocks, minerals, and sediments, and fluids. There

is an urgent need from academia and industries for a waterproof enclosure system for

accommodating a handheld XRF spectrometer and performing underwater measurements (e.g., for

analyzing sock, soil, and artifacts).

This project will design a self-regulated mechatronic system for this purpose. The major tasks

include: (i) design and finite element analysis of a waterproof mechanical housing for a handheld

XRF spectrometer to sustain 3 atmosphere pressure; (ii) development of a feedback control

pressure controller for regulating the internal pressure of the XRF spectrometer; (iii) design and

implement a waterproof physical user interface (with ~5 keys) for underwater communication

between a user (outside the enclosure) and a tablet (inside the enclosure); and (iv) system

integration and testing.

Budget

$3,000

GROUP 13 - Shock and vibration systems for packaging applications

Client

Nefab Inc

211 Jameson Dr | Peterborough, ON | K9J 6X6

Description

Objective: To design a mounting system which incorporates shock and vibration isolation.

Design Requirements:

The mounts must collectively support a 1300 kg load

The mounts must be able to be fastened to a wooden pallet

The mounts must be attached to predefined product mounting locations

The mounts must attenuate shock from a 16 inch drop to 12 g

The mounts must isolate the load from vibration frequencies typically experienced during package transport via land, air and sea.

The mounting system must fit within the products crate enclosure

The mounting system must cost less than 1200 CAD

Human Resources:

Throughout the project Roger Donawa will be consulted to ensure the project stays in line with

the goals of Nefab. He will also serve as the primay technical advisor and as liason between the

project team working at McGill and Nefab for the duration of the project.

All financing for the project will be arranged through Brenda Hall (Senior Accountant,

Peterborough). She will be responsible for administering and regulating financing for the project.

Should the need arises, the services of Scott Phillips (Sourcing, Peterborough Location) may be

needed to source certain materials.

The service of Nelson Melo may be required as a contact at the Nefab location in Montreal. He

will serve as a liason between Peterborough and Montreal should the need for Nefab product or

fabrication arise.

Contact persons

Mr Roger Donawa

Budget

$5,000 (additional financing may be provided at the discretion of Nefab Inc)

GROUP 14 - Continued development catheter-based mitral valve repair

approach

Client

Assoc Prof Renzo Cecere, Head of Cardiac Surgery MUHC

McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Room S8-76A

687 Pins Ave W | Montreal, QC | H3A 1A1


Description

Mitral valve Regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular that occurs when the valve leaks back

blood into the left atrium. When left untreated it leads to a decrease in the quality of life of patients

and can lead to heart failure.

Our team is developing a novel percutaneous repair procedure for the mitral valve that mimics the

golden standard and that would allow to treat many patients with severe MR that are currently not

candidate for surgery due to the invasiveness and risk of the open-heart approach , all the while

reducing their recovery times and hospitalization costs. These patients account for more than 50%

of the population diagnosed with severe MR.

Version 1:

Version 2:

The medical device is composed primarily of two components: a deployment tool fitted on a

catheter and an implant that stays on the valve annulus. Over the past two years the deployment

tool has seen tremendous progress from a handheld version of the tool to a catheter-based version,

all pictured below.

The implant is a stainless steel 316L tube laser-cut into alternating anchoring and compression

sections which can be passed through a catheter and then shaped into a ring. It currently is in its

version 4.

Objectives:

I) (open heart)Up until now, all the test have been made on excised porcine heart. The teams task will be to finalize both implant and catheter tool to ready them for live animal implantations in an open heart procedure via a mini incision using a modified

handheld version of the tool.

II) (catheter version) We currently are facing the challenge of mating the implant with the deployment tool in a limited volume inside the atrium. While we have a set of possible

solutions, we anticipate several brainstorming sessions that will generate additional

concepts allowing implantation via catheter.

Deliverables:

Phase 1: Next iteration of deployment tool and implant for open-heart live animal trials

Phase 2: Next iteration of catheter that surmounts a key challenge.

Contact persons

Assoc Prof Renzo Cecere and Toufic Azar, PhD candidate

Budget

$2,000 to 3,000

GROUP 15 - CFRP steering wheel analysis and design for a Formula SAE

Vehicle

Client & contact





Description

The goal of this project is to develop the design of a Formula Prototype steering wheel to determine

the most lightweight solution that can withstand normal and sometimes extreme driving situations.

The unique aspect of this project is being able to develop many prototypes which can be tested and

evaluated for use on future MRT Formula SAE race cars. Previous steering wheel designs will be

supplied as testing and analysis baselines. It will be required to perform complete analysis and

physical failure testing of all carbon fiber layups built by the MECH 463 group. Additionally a

careful selection of processing technique will be required by the MECH 463 group, to ensure

available manufacturing resources can be used.

The steering wheel designs and analysis should be approved by the McGill Racing Team contact

before production begins.

Tools Employed:

Use of CAD Software; Siemens/Unigraphics NX 9.0

Use of Finite Element Analysis; NX NASTRAN

Use of Composites Engineering Software; Siemens Fibersim

Established Composites Manufacturing Techniques

Budget

$1,500

GROUP 16 - Development of a phono-mimetic bioreactor platform for

studying vocal fold tissue engineering and mechanobiology


Prof Luc Mongeau, Chair




Description

The objective of the proposed project is to develop a vocal fold (VF) bioreactor, which mimics the

physio-biological and mechanical conditions of live VF tissue.

Voice production involves self-sustained oscillations of the VFs. The most recalcitrant disease

conditions affecting voice are those in which part of the mucosa is lost or replaced by stiff fibrous

tissue. In such cases, injectable biomaterials are used to regenerate functional VF tissue. The

remodeling process by which the neo-extracellular matrix (ECM) matures into an anisotropic

structure with viscoelastic properties suitable for VF oscillation depends on: 1) the chemical

composition and microstructure of the injected material; and 2) on the mechanical loads acting on

the engineered lamina propria. Currently, we do not thoroughly understand the influence of the

interaction between scaffold composition and mechanical excitation on the ECM production and

remodeling or the eventual tissue elasticity. To gain such understanding, a phono-mimetic vocal

fold bioreactor is required.

Our bioreactor should produce mechanical forces and deformations that are similar to those in

human phonation. We will quantify the influence of laryngeal morphology, lamina propria

viscoelasticity, and laryngeal posture on voice fundamental frequency, onset pressure, and other

key phonation metrics.

Currently a vocal fold bioreactor has been designed and validated. The proposed project aims to

improve the design of the current bioreactor considering the following issues: 1) to speed up the

bioreactor replica and case fabrication procedures, and develop manufacturing procedures to

fabricate a large number of synthetic replicas in a short time period; 2) to improve the cell culture

medium hydraulic loop in order to automatically control the flow rate, and the relative volume of

the fresh and used medium in the circulating flow; 3) to design a hydraulic loop that facilitates the

operation of a number of bioreactors in parallel; 4) to add strain gages, thermocouples and PH

meters to the bioreactor setup that will increase our control over the mechanical and biological

state of the cells cultured inside the bioreactor; 5) finally, to design a phonatory system in which

we will be able to phonate a group of bioreactors at the same time.

Fig 1 The vocal fold bioreactor. Synthetic vocal folds (A & B) were mounted into a custom-built bioreactor (C, D & E). Blue arrows indicate the airflow direction through the

bioreactor airflow channel during phonation.

Budget

$1,500

GROUP 17 - Mid-region aerodynamics for a Formula SAE Vehicle

Client & contact





Description

The goal of this project is to develop the design of mid-region aerodynamic elements for a Formula

SAE Prototype. The project must satisfy the following objectives:

Satisfy all Formula SAE rules for the 2015 season.

System will be designed towards meeting a vehicle goal of a minimum of CLA of 6.0 and CDA of 2.0

o Project should encompass laptime simulator development to refine aerodynamic targets.

o Achieve maximum CLA potential in region between front and rear wheels in

consideration of these targets. Team must work in conjunction with MRT to ensure integration with upstream and

downstream aerodynamic devices. Proper system level integration to ensure sufficient cooling for the powertrain and

structural integrity with the chassis.

Vehicle environment in steady-state and dynamic motion (roll, pitch, heave).

Feasibility of manufacturing in consideration with teams resources and capabilities.

Tools Employed:



Use of Composites Engineering Software; Siemens Fibersim

Established Composites Manufacturing Techniques

Use of CFD software, including 2D and 3D environments with Star-CCM+

Programming languages; ex. MATLAB

Budget

$2,000

GROUP 18 - Rotational joint cost reduction & redesign

Client

Don Chandler, Engineering Manager/Directeur de l'ingnierie

Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl


Description

To cost effetely reduce the current 4 static rotational joint. To review the current application in the Vortex product line. To examine different materials and design solutions to provide the same

functionality but that is more cost effective. The unit must have the following specifications:

Rotation of 360 degrees.

Spray control of 80 degrees.

Adjustability of spray control on 360 degrees.

Must be design to meet ASTM 2461 standards.

Resist high temperature found in Arizona and Dubai

Will function in Sun, Chlorinated water 3ppm, wet conditions.

Costing should not be higher than $TBA

Corrosion resistance.

Vandal proof

Must be reliable

Background:

The 4 rotational joint is used on many Vortex products, particularly on the spray cannon series. The joint used a lead free brass joint (previously Bronze) to limit wear and provided a 360 rotation.

A UHMW plastic bushing is used to control the 80-degree spray zone. Four setscrews found on

the collar of the joint permit the setting of the 80-degree spray zone within the 360-degree free

rotation. Pervious designs included fixed angle rotation and resulted in a high failure rate. The

latest attempt was to use an aluminum base material, which showed encouraging results.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 19 - Design of a Graded Cellular Cervical Fusion Cage to Minimize

Implant Subsidence


Prof Damiano Pasini



Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 398-6295 | pasini.ca

Description

Degradation of the intervertebral disc (IVD) can cause severe patient pain and limit spinal motion.

If conservative treatment fails, an intervertebral fusion may be required. This treatment involves

removing the degenerated IVD and replacing it with a fusion cage and bone grafts to fuse the

adjoining vertebrae. However, fusion cage subsidence into the anterior aspect of the inferior

vertebral body is a major concern of current fully solid standalone fusion cage designs.

The goal of this project is to develop a cervical fusion cage using a micro truss structure with

variable material properties to limit cage subsidence while simultaneously providing sufficient

structural support.

The project will include the following activities:

Detailed CAD design of implant geometry

Finite element model of the functional spinal unit with the cervical fusion cage implanted, and creation of a

numerical model to predict implant subsidence.

Optimization of the material property distribution of the cellular cage based on the created model.

Design and implementation of a protocol to manufacture the microtruss using direct metal laser

sintering additive manufacturing procedures.

Development of an in-vitro test to corroborate improvements seen in the model benchmarked to

existing implants.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 20 - Improvement of aerodynamics for Baja Vehicle

Client & contact

McGill Formula Electric Team

http://blogs.mcgill.ca/fsae/

Group members

Team 20: R Rughani, M Bertin, K Mak and M Brodel

Description

The McGill Baja is a single seat offroad race car designed and built by undergraduate

engineering students. Each year the car is entered into competitions held at various locations

around North America. As the competition requires that all vehicles use the same standardized

engine without modifications, achieving a higher top speed is of utmost importance as it can

make a huge difference when racing along the straights. In that vein, we would like to improve

the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

The objective of this project will be to design the shape of the nose cone and the body panels, as

well as to manufacture them, in order to reach a higher top speed. We would also like to place an

aerodynamic wing at the rear of the vehicle in order to stabilize the vehicle during jumps, so that

we can take the jumps at higher speeds without rolling forward in the air. Such a wing will have

to be made to apply a downforce to counteract the gravitational torque on the vehicle while in the

air, in order to allow the Baja to land on all 4 wheels, thus minimizing the stress on the

suspension and frame at landing. This wing will also need to be easily removable in case of

damage during a competition. Weight must also be minimized, and because of this, it is

necessary that these components be made of composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber).

The team will also need to work alongside other members of the design team in order to ensure

the product will be able to integrate seamlessly into the Baja vehicle for use at competitions this

coming spring.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 21 - The Capture Concentration and Conversion of Waste Heat to

Electricity with a 10 HP Engine


Assoc Prof Frank Mucciardi

Dept of Mining & Materials Eng, Wong Bldg, Room 2M030

McGill University | 3610 University St | Montreal, QC | H3A 0C5

[email protected] | Phone: (514) 398-1329

Prof Ferri Hassani

Dept of Mining Eng, Frank Dawson Adams Bldg, Room 109

McGill University | 3450 Univeristy St | Montreal, QC | H3A 0E8

Email: [email protected] | Phone: (514) 398-8060

Description

Waste heat especially of the low grade variety (e.g. 200oC to 400oC) is abundant in the majority

of metallurgical operations. Most of this heat is dissipated to the environment. Our objective is to

recover some of this heat and convert it to electricity. To do this we have devised a process whereby

the waste heat is captured, concentrated and converted to electricity which is used by the plant. In

this way, one requires no fuel to make the electricity and one does not need an external distribution

network for the electricity. A schematic of the process is attached.

Three engines (piston/cylinder configuration external combustion) have been acquired that are rated as 1HP (Chinese), 3 HP (American) and 10 HP (Indian). At this time we have most of the

components, however they need to be connected together. A test program needs to be developed

and implemented.

This group will work with the 10 HP engine which is a two cylinder unit. The overall objective

will be to assess the efficiency of the process and to evaluate the economic viability.

Budget

$3,000 (may increase based on project output)

GROUP 22 - Turbocharger integration for a single-cylinder Formula SAE

Vehicle

Client & contact





Description

The goal of this project is to design and integrate a turbocharger-driven forced-induction system

for a single- cylinder Formula SAE Prototype. The project must satisfy the following objectives:

Satisfy all Formula SAE rules for the 2015 season.

System will be designed towards meeting key performance indicators, determined by

MRT, in order to maximize scoring in multiple Formula SAE events. Team must work in conjunction with MRT to ensure integration with all other powertrain

components.

Proper system level integration to ensure sufficient cooling for the powertrain and heat

management for other components susceptible to elevated temperatures. Demonstrate fundamental understanding of the effects and influence of the system and

the operating conditions.the vehicle.

Tools employed:



Use of Powertrain Simulation; GT-Suite

Use of CFD software, including 2D and 3D environments with Star-CCM+

Programming languages; ex. MATLAB

Budget

$2,000

GROUP 23 - Biomimetic silicone millibots


Allen Ehrlicher, Asst Prof

Dept of Bioengineering, Macdonald Eng Bldg, Room 569D



Description

The objective of this project is to build small (mm-cm) scale robots constructed from elastic

rubber (poly-dimethylsiloxane PDMS) that are capable of external field controlled movement

and shape change. This project will explore various possibilities of structural, geometric, and

mechanical moduli design for the rubber body, and modes of efficient movement. Additionally,

we will examine several options for actuation. One option is incorporating an azobenzene dye

into the rubber. When illuminated with a specific wavelength of light, these dyes reversibly

switch between trans and cis conformations, creating a contractile response capable of generating

movement. Alternatively, we will look at bimetals such as nitinol which reversibly change shape

due to specific temperature changes and could provide an artificial musculature. These small

scale synthetic robots will open new possibilities in biomimetic design and structures, creating

previously unknown materials, and may find application in a variety of fields from biomedicine

to hazardous environmental exploration.

Budget

$10,000

GROUP 24 - Final Drive Redesign for SAE Baja

Client & contact

Jasmin de Campos, Co-Captain

The McGill Baja Racing Team



Description

The McGill Baja is a single seat offroad race car designed and built by undergraduate

engineering students. Each year the car is entered into competitions held at various locations

around North America. The Baja should be able to handle wide range of terrains and scenarios. It

should also be built to appeal to the offroad enthusiast.

Previous iterations of the Baja drivetrain had limitations in terms of the design of the

components downstream of the gearbox. Many components were OEM and did not meet the

requirements for the competition, leading to component failures and an unnecessary increase in

car weight. A project consisting of a redesign of the constant velocity joints, drive shafts, rear

hubs, and rear uprights (if applicable). This project should be done in conjunction with the Baja

drivetrain and suspension leaders in order to seamlessly integrate the components into the car

design with team goals in mind.

In order to ensure that the designed components will be able to withstand the stresses of

competition, the required torques must first be quantified in order to determine the failure criteria

of the components to be designed. The components should then be able to resist this torque,

while still being simple, light, easy to disassemble, and cost effective. Finally, a working

prototype should be produced and given over to the team to be used in the 2015 competition

season.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 25 - Machine competition 2015

Client & contact

Group members

Team 25: P-L Laforge-Garant, O Soriano, A Banville and F Methot

Description

Budget

TBA

GROUP 26 - Bio-computation using biological agents


Prof Dan Nicolau

Dept of Bioengineering, Macdonald Eng Bldg, Room 375



Description

Many mathematical and real-life problems, e.g., travel and production scheduling, traffic

networks, cannot, or are very difficult to be solved by the present computers which process the

information sequentially and with extreme precision. Despite this difficulty, these problems are

solved easily by individual biological agents, from microorganisms to humans, who do not process

the information sequentially, but in parallel, and who trade precision for heuristic decision making.

The project aims to assess the individual and collective computational power of individual biological agents in optimally partitioning the available space and taking optimal decisions. The

project involves the following modules: (i) design of a physical network of interest, e.g., metro

network in Montreal, highways network in Quebec; (ii) fabrication of that network, at the

microscale, by 3D stereo-lithography and/or PDMS replication; (iii) incubation of the micro-sized

network with simple, non-pathogenic microorganisms, e.g., bacteria; (iv) observation, by optical

microscopy, of the preferred traffic pathways in different setups of the networks; (v) re-design of

upgraded networks and demonstration of more fluent traffic of a real-life traffic network. Many

other variations of the concepts are possible. Please consult to the following additional

informational video links.

Additional video information:

1. http://videolectures.net/eccs07_nakagaki_oas/ 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79D_YWXycI 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eas2zOSKIaQ 4. http://www.youtube.com/user/BionanoinfoLiverpool

Budget

$30,000 (depending on project output)

GROUP 27 - Pressurized packaging of stacked prismatic batteries for a

formula SAE electric race car

Client & contact

McGill Formula Electric Team

http://blogs.mcgill.ca/fsae/

Description

McGill Electric Vehicle is designing an electric race car to be used in inter-university

competitions. This past summer the electric car won second place overall at the Formula SAE

Electric competition in Lincoln, Nebraska. The main battery back is the core of the vehicle, and

making a robust, reliable pack is critical. For this project, the EV team is looking to change the

battery cell technology, with the goal of creating a higher capacity pack, while maintaining the

reliability that is critical to the success of the vehicle.

Important considerations include the fact that this vehicle operates in harsh environment, and

there is limited support while the vehicle is operating. With respect to this, ease of access into the

pack, for maintenance and a strong mechanical structure, protection and retain of the pack, are

priorities. As well, rules requirements from the FSAE Electric regulate the mounting of the

battery pack.

Possible solutions to the battery pack design may include work with composites, 3D printing,

and/or traditional manufacturing methods.

Budget

$7,500

GROUP 28 - Conclusion of electric ATV conversion


Martin Duval, Manager, Services & Security

Gault Nature Reserve of McGill University

McGill University | 422 Chemin des Moulins | Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC | J3G 4S6

Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 398-8393 | Cell: (514) 944-9572

Description

The Gault Nature Reserve in Mont-Saint-Hilaire of McGill University is a private conservation

reserve that protects the primeval forests of the St. Lawrence Valley. Its multitude of walking trails

(25 km) throughout the reserve is a year-round tourist attraction, receiving up to a few thousand

visitors on a given day. This Monteregian hill has an altitude of 415 m. Also used as a research

field station and field courses for McGill and other universities.

The daily maintenance on the Gault Reserve is mostly done by ATVs. These powerful 4-wheel vehicles are capable of transporting one or two passengers, as well as a trailer full of gear around

the grounds, including uphill some of the hiking trails, to carry out the everyday upkeep. The

objective of our project is to transform a gas powered ATV to electric power for the Gault Nature

Reserve so that they could perform their routine maintenance and logistics tasks in an environment

friendly manner.

Fall 2010, a first team worked on the problem definition in the course MECH 493

Spring 2011, a second team worked on the detail drawings in the course MECH 463

At this stage, the project is not completed, a complete revision of the project needs to be done to

achieve the goal. Bombardier (Can-am) has donated a frame of an ATV Outlander.

Budget

$10,500 (From McGill Sustainable Office and Gault Nature Reserve)

GROUP 29 - Activation sensor


Don Chandler, Engineering Manager/Directeur de l'ingnierie

Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl


Description

Objective:

To research existing market technologies that can be used as activation devices for splash pads.

The technology must be adaptable for splash pad, pool s and aquatic centers. The devise must have

the following specifications:

Vandal proof

Preferably none mechanical / contact activation

Interactive / intuitive for the children

Capable of being integrated with current and future PLC technologizes. (24VDC @ Signal current close contact, normally open)

Will function in Sun, Chlorinated water 3ppm, wet conditions.

Suitable for products, posts and ground activation.

Costing should not be higher than $262.00

Resist high temperature found in Arizona and Dubai.

Must be reliable

Background:

Vortex has used many activation medias in its history, starting from capacitive activation sensors, Mechanical switches, Infrared, Piezo activation and hydraulic buttons to activate the splash pad

play product sequence by our PLC controller. In many cases the switched demonstrated reliability

issues, environmental issues, complex calibration requirements and not resistant to vandalism.

Client complaints have been

Not resistant enough to vandalism.

The activation is not intuitive.

Clients did not like the high cost of the more complex solutions ($262).

Not resistant enough to environmental factors (Sand, UV, Chlorinated water).

Not interactive enough.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 30 - New motion tracking technology for Welding Simulator


Claude Choquet, President & CEO of 123 Certification

1751 Richardson St, Suite 2204 | Montreal, QC | H3K 1G6


Description

Objective: Design, build and deliver a production prototype of a welding simulator based on an

existing portable version for professional welder schools or large industrial plants based from the

existing technology developed at 123 Certification.

The project consists of delivering a new portable version of the simulator that allows ease to

manufacture, ease to maintain & support and within various hardware standards. Our objective is

to get closer to the welder's environment and workspace ergonomy by reproducing and improving:

Esthetics of the simulator

Ergonomy of the welder (multiple welding position & 3D welding such as pipe welding)

Working area for multiple weld position

Standard hardware

This project has for basis the features of the portable version of the simulator and expects you to

deliver a new improve design that encompassed the previous features. Which includes a visual

detection system that allows for high-precision movement detection, a tactile screen, a helmet with

mounted displays for virtual reality immersion, a welding gun and a part to be welded virtually.

The passive markers are fixed on the welding gun and helmet. It has the advantage to detect quickly

the space location of the users welding gun and his helmet. It has the advantage to detect quickly the space location of the users welding gun and his helmet and their interrelation for image reconstitution in a welding scene.

Resources: We have a team of experts for design criteria related to components selection. Our

objective is to design, build and deliver an electromagnetism simulator. EM has the very big

advantage in our field of training to enable no occlusions while in action. The Hardware design

should be fairly straightforward. We would suggest a board that either has a simple microcontroller

on it or design the board to plug into a microcontroller board. The Raspberry Pi board would be a

candidate, or Amtel, or NXP, or Freescale Kinesis all make evaluation boards for their

microcontrollers that you could either use as a reference design or just incorporate into the product

as is. Weve used the Freescale evaluation boards, and they are inexpensive and work well.

There is also 3D prototyping of the component such as the welding tools since they have to be

non-magnetic materials. Here is the general design we are looking for our solution.

Budget

TBA

GROUP 31 - Virtual cellular wood tissue


Prof Damiano Pasini and Dr Ahmad Rafsanjani, Post-Doc



Email: [email protected] | Office: (514) 398-6295 | pasini.ca


Description

Wood is a natural composite material with a hierarchical architecture which exhibits complex

anisotropic mechanical behavior. In temperate climate regions, tree growth occurs in the warm

season which results in creation of annual growth rings, where thin-walled earlywood cells (grown

in spring) with large internal lumens, gradually change to thick-walled latewood cells (grown in

summer) with small-sized pores. Our goal is to create 3D printed virtual wood samples at the

cellular scale (earlywood and latewood) to investigate the role of microstructure on anisotropic

mechanical behavior of wood. We seek a team of undergraduate students to work on image

processing of micro-computed X-ray tomography data, CAD design, and rapid prototyping of

wood tissue models using a 3D printer, mechanical testing of printed samples and finally validation

of the results with finite element simulations.

Major Activities:

Image processing

CAD design

3D printing

Mechanical Testing

Validation with FEM Simulations

Budget

TBA

GROUP 32 - Experimental test-bed for studying the net capture of tumbling

objects


Prof Inna Sharf and Eleonora Botta, PhD candidate





Description

The main focus of the research concerns active debris removal strategies of space debris.

Specifically, the concept of using tethered nets to capture and subsequently dispose of the debris

is being investigated. In this scenario, a net at the end of a tether would be ejected and deployed

towards the debris, subsequently enveloping the debris. The tether would then be retrieved and a

de-orbiting maneuver initiated. Currently, a models and simulation tools are being developed to

allow simulation and analysis of the debris capture and disposal mission under different

conditions.

A complicating aspect of the space debris capture and removal mission is the fact that the debris

is often tumbling or spinning. In this light, the goal is to develop a test-bed to gain some

understanding of the dynamics response of the system when a net captures tumbling debris. We

envision the test-bed to be comprised of a net, mock-up debris, cable/tether supporting the net

and instrumentation to measure the response of the system. Complicating factors to consider in

developing the test-bed are: presence of gravity and hence how to emulate free-floating

conditions, aerodynamic drag (expected important for the net), how to produce tumbling motion

of the debris to allow experiments with different tumbling conditions, while not significantly

affecting the free response of the debris. To the clients knowledge, there are no test-beds in the world dedicated to the experimental study of this problem and having such a facility would allow

Prof. Sharf to make significant advances in understanding the dynamics and control of net-based

debris capture.

Budget

$1,000

Documents

Projectlist Assigned