I learned important skills related to critical thinking that I will be able to apply towards me future endeavors. I heavily involved with research (collaborating with the DEVCOM ARL) and sometimes I come up with problems that have not yet been solved. I heavily rely on critical thinking and this module has given me a different perspective on using and applying critical thinking skills in a way different from before. Especially the part about breaking a problem into incrementally smaller pieces I believe that this will be essential to solving problems in the future.  However I also learned that critical thinking is not just something that can be applied to academia or industry but they are skills that can be applied to all aspects of life. I am very glad I took this course and I believe that it was imperative to improving my critical thinking skills that will benefit be inside and outside of the classroom. 

Discussion post reflections

Reflection #1

Prompt: In 1-2 sentences, Explain your proposed project and its importance?

What previous knowledge skills and abilities are you bringing to this project?

What issues will you address in the development of your project?

What are your personal core values and how does this project connect to those?

How does this project relate to your academic and/or professional goals?

What are some practical skills that you will utilize to complete your project?

      What skills or abilities do you want to deepen or develop during your project?

What are some challenges you might face when completing your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

My proposed project is a control system for dispensing lime in order to neutralize fluoride in wastewater generated in a semiconductor plant. This project is sponsored my Samsung and they are currently having issues regarding overdosing of the lime which leads to issue of clogging. I proposed the use of an optimized dosing strategy that takes in the fluoride concentration and generates a "optimal" dosage rate of lime. All of my critical thinking skills gained from the previous semesters and skills in programming will allow me to excel in this project. This project was auto-selected by me department so it does not necessarily align with my professional goals but I am excited to make the most of it and learn many skills that will be applicable to my field in the future. This project involves the use of chemistry and controls engineering, something that I do not have much experience in so this aspect of the project will definitely be a challenge. 

Reflection #2

Prompt: These seem to rehash bullets 4 & 5 above, which is not necessarily a problem. If the intent is to iteratively reflect and go deeper, we may need to revise the wording of the prompt.

• • How did you choose your capstone topic?

  • How does this project impact your future career goals?

• How did you determine the approach or theories guiding your project?

• What is the new information and/or insight that you hope to find as a result of your project?

• How do you collect, analyze, and use data pertinent to the success of your project?

• How would you define success for yourself in this capstone experience?

• What has excited/discouraged you throughout this process?

I set up two main considerations for my project, this includes the optimal lime dosage rate and a PID control feedback system. The lime dosage rate was based on the analysis of a mass balance equation and the reaction rate between fluoride and the lime. Data was needed in order to calibrate the model so I connected with Samsung in order to set up an experiment. On the other hand, the PID control is a commonly used feedback system in industry to control certain processes, due to this there is a lot of literature on the topic. So far on my project, what has excited me is the amount of progress that I have been able to make in a small amount of time. I was discouraged at the beginning due to the sheer magnitude of the task but as I broke down the problem sequentially I was finally able to make some really promising progress. 

Reflection #3

Prompt: How are you incorporating your previous learning experiences into this project?

• How has your project transformed your thinking this semester?

• What are some connections between your project and current events?

• How will this project prepare you for future endeavors?

• What have you learned about your Capstone advisor throughout the first semester of your project?

• What is some helpful advice that you have received from your Capstone advisor?

• What are your plans for collaboration on your project?

My project encompasses many aspects of engineering that were unknown to me including chemical and controls engineering. I used my critical thinking and problem solving skills developed at my time in engineering to quickly learn these topics well enough the excel in my project. This project has taught me to think and act around professionals (my project sponsor is Samsung) and it also taught me how to work well and communicate with my teammates. This is not necessarily the field that I want to go into in the future, but the lessons and professionalism that I am learning will transcend to any field that I choose. I will continue to collaborate with my teammates as we move into the second half of the project.