During summer 2022, Michael Englert worked under the guidance of Dr. Sobhansarbandi to develop a highly thermal conductive nanofluid for the application in solar thermal technologies. First, base fluids were dispersed with various weight percentages of nanoparticles. The thermal conductivity and stability of these fluids were then observed to deduce their possible effectiveness and practicality as HTFs in solar thermal technologies. In order to further improve the practicality of nanofluids as HTFs in the future, other alternative base fluids with various nanoparticles will be studied to create nanofluids with higher thermal properties and better stability for the application in high operating temperature solar collectors.

Michael reflected: Participating in research was a great experience for me and allowed me to receive class credit for my efforts. It was a little overwhelming at first, but the more time and effort I put into my work the more I felt I understood. Being able to follow through on my ideas from conception to experiment was unique and very rewarding.

During summer 2022, Sam Sisk worked under the guidance of Dr. Sobhansarbandi to develop in-chip cooling technology.

In 2021, Jade O’Connell conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Megan Hart. Jade investigated the pollutant removal applications of titanium dioxide. She used titanium-coated beads, which have a chemical reaction that is catalyzed with a UV light, with various concentrations of three different dyes. Jade tested how much contaminant had been removed with the beads, finding that all three dyes increased absorption with increased concentration, although concentration significantly impacted photocatalytic degradation of the dyes tested. Her findings have implications for increasing the capacity to remove organic pollutants from stormwater runoff.

Jade reflected: Attention to detail was the most important thing I learned from doing this research. I had a lot of help from Dr. Hart and her doctoral student, Hannah. For the most part, it was a lot of trial and error and sometimes there were errors. That’s where attention to detail became important.

Jade O’Connell also served as the fall 2021 teaching assistant for CIV-ENGR 335: Soil Mechanics under the guidance of Dr. Megan Hart. Jade reflected: Soils prepared me for my internship with Terracon, which then helped prepare me for working as the TA. It was great to be able to review what I had learned in soils and apply that knowledge to foundations.

In 2021, Emma Youngs conducted research under the guidance of Dr. John Kevern. Emma’s research used pervious concrete blocks, some of which had an additive making them supposedly self-cleaning with sunlight. She experimented with dripping oil on the blocks (i.e., like a car dripping oil in a parking lot), placed them in sunlight for 24 hours, and then simulated a high-intensity rainfall event. After collecting and testing the water that seeped through the blocks, initial data suggested a negligible difference existed in the amount of oil collected from each block. The amount of oil collected was less than 0.0005 percent of the oil originally applied, indicating the pervious concrete by itself is an effective way to reduce oil pollution. Further research is needed to determine how effective the self-cleaning additive is at reducing oil pollution. Her findings have implications for increasing the capacity to remove oil pollutants from stormwater runoff."

Emma reflected: Research participation in the lab counted as an elective, so I could devote more time to it. I would set aside several times each week to say, ‘I'm just focusing on my research right now.’ I've done a little bit of data collection before, but I've never been a part of ‘Let's create a research project from scratch’ effort, and that was very challenging.

In 2022, Dan Caron conducted research under the guidance of Dr. ZhiQiang Chen. Dan’s research centered on the feasibility of integration of 3D point cloud data of real-world structures to a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model of the same structure. Dan collected photos of a steel structure located on campus and used photogrammetry methods to create a 3D representation of the structure in the form of a point cloud. CAD drawings of the structure as designed by the American Institute of Steel Construction were imported into BIM software. The derived point cloud was then imported into the BIM model of the structure. Dan determined that the process is indeed feasible, however current software suites do not have tools fully developed for point cloud data handling and analytics. Future research should focus on continued development and refinement of point cloud handling and geometric association, as well as damage analytics of point cloud data within a BIM model. His findings have implications for vast improvements to safety and efficiency of lifecycle management of civil structures.

Dan reflected: Participating in research was an excellent opportunity to apply problem solving skills I have learned during my education in a format different than typical classroom studies. Research really grew my level of familiarity and comfort with problems that are more open ended such as are seen in the continuing advancement of technology. I am grateful to have been able to pursue grant funding and educational credit for the project. The research was a great addition to my educational experience.

Jennifer Arms interned at two different companies. From November of 2020 to May of 2021, Jennifer interned at Wilson and Company, conducting hydraulics studies in the Rail Division. In the summer of 2021, she interned at Apex Engineers, gaining experience in field structural engineering. She describes her work at Apex as, “Reading house plans and calculating loads to design beams, stud packs, columns, footings and piers that maintain structural integrity.”

Jennifer reflected: At Wilson and Company, they pride themselves on relationships. It has been instrumental in my career development to form higher connections. At Apex, I was greatly appreciative of the training I received. The team lead who trained me was very kind, helpful, and encouraging. I was never afraid to ask questions.

Dan Caron and Jennifer Arms are members of the Concrete Canoe team at UMKC. The Concrete Canoe team at UMKC is affiliated with the American Society of Civil Engineers. The organization provides opportunities to gain hands-on, practical experience and leadership skills by working with concrete mix designs and project management. Jennifer Arms is the area manager for the concrete mix design team. Dan Caron has also led and spearhead many processes for the mix design team. Most recently, the team engineered a concrete canoe light enough to float given limited supports. The goal is to create a unified formal report across each discipline to be presented at competition along with physically proving the performance of our design. Below are pictures of work on the concrete canoe for AY 2021-2022.