The Delta Tau Delta fraternity wants to make their current house as energy efficient and green as possible. The team will look at all aspects... Show moreThe Delta Tau Delta fraternity wants to make their current house as energy efficient and green as possible. The team will look at all aspects of the DTD house and their operations to create a more energy efficient fraternity. During the term, the team will consider possible alternatives to many issues including but not limited to: mechanical heating system, building envelope, thermal properties of buildings perimeter, roofing materials, air infiltration, ventilation, and occupancy trends. Deliverables for IPRO 311: Delta Shelter for the fall 2009 Show less
A fuel cell having a distributed fuel feed in which the heat generation profile can be better controlled. Fuel channel stack and system... Show moreA fuel cell having a distributed fuel feed in which the heat generation profile can be better controlled. Fuel channel stack and system efficiency improvements are achieved. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
Hafnium tantalum alloy containing about 15 and about 35 weight percent tantalum, between about 0.03 and about 2.0 weight percent boron, and at... Show moreHafnium tantalum alloy containing about 15 and about 35 weight percent tantalum, between about 0.03 and about 2.0 weight percent boron, and at least one additional alloying agent selected from chromium, silicon and aluminum. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
Water shortages will be a global problem by the year 2025. With the Great Lakes Basin accounting for 95% of the fresh water in the United... Show moreWater shortages will be a global problem by the year 2025. With the Great Lakes Basin accounting for 95% of the fresh water in the United States it will soon become our most valuable natural resource. In re-defining urban relationships to the Great Lakes a healthy, ecologically stable, and regenerative water system can become our greatest national asset. Providing a prototype solution for one of these urban areas (Traverse City, MI) may set a precedent for long term protection of the Great Lakes. Show less
An electrohydrodynamic conduction liquid pumping system having a vessel configured to contain a liquid therein, a single pair or multi-pairs... Show moreAn electrohydrodynamic conduction liquid pumping system having a vessel configured to contain a liquid therein, a single pair or multi-pairs of electrodes disposed in a circularly spaced apart relationship to each other inside the vessel and configured to be oriented in the liquid. A power supply is coupled to the electrodes and configured to generate electric fields in-between each electrode pair to induce a net radial pumping of the liquid. A heat source is provided to produce heat sufficient to boil and vaporize the liquid while non-vaporized liquid moving toward the heat source prevents over-heating of the heat source. A heat sink is configured to have a operating temperature below the vaporization temperature of the liquid so that contact of the vapor with the heat sink will condense the vapor into a liquid to replenish the liquid supply moving toward the heat source. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Primary US Patent Classification 417/48 US Patent Classification 361/700 US Patent Classification 361/702 International Patent Classification F04B 37/00 International Patent Classification H05K 7/20 Show less
Forced periodic operation of tubular reactors can increase conversion and yield if proper operating conditions and forcing policies are... Show moreForced periodic operation of tubular reactors can increase conversion and yield if proper operating conditions and forcing policies are selected. A numerical approach is proposed for computing the effects of periodic input forcing by a shooting algorithm. Such computational tools permit the assessment of the benefits of forced periodic operation of a specific reactor system and the identification of the ranges of operating conditions where forced periodic operation is beneficial. This information provides valuable insight for planning detailed experimental studies. Determining the influential input variables and bracketing the ranges of the operating conditions for improving reactor performance will reduce significantly the experiments needed for selecting the most favorable reactor operation policies. The application of the numerical algorithm is illustrated by assessing the benefits of forced periodic operation to a CO oxidation reactor model. The results reveal substantial improvement in performance with slow cycling in feed concentration. Endnote format citation Show less
The invention disclosed is a process to allocate channels in a sectorized cellular network. A system of allocating cellular frequencies ... Show moreThe invention disclosed is a process to allocate channels in a sectorized cellular network. A system of allocating cellular frequencies (channels) to the sectors among the cells within a tile is disclosed which maximizes channel set usage within the tile while avoiding co-channel interference between cells. According to the present system, no infrastructure rebuild is required. The disclosed approach further supports all currently used cellular technology. By alternating and rotating the channel assignments across sectors, what is a seemingly locally poor algorithm utilizing additional local channels is actually a globally good algorithm which is efficient in terms of the total number of channels used owing to short reuse distance and low number of cell types. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
The teams purpose is to seek a union between living comfortably and living sustainably. To design for a future Chicago‐area community, which... Show moreThe teams purpose is to seek a union between living comfortably and living sustainably. To design for a future Chicago‐area community, which first minimizes its energy consumption and then uses the most sustainable methods to fulfill the remaining needs of the inhabitants. Ideally we will design a model community which will challenge conventions within the fields of design, planning, engineering, and everyday living. This community will also serve as an example to Chicago‐area municipalities about the benefits of sustainable planning, design, and living. Sponsorship: Consultant from A. Epstein & Sons; Jeremy Poling Deliverables for IPRO 323:Zero CommunIITy: A Prototype for a Zero-Energy Residential Development for the fall 2009 semester Show less
By refashioning the design and programmatic use of an offshore oil rig into a luxury hotel for ecotourists, a new age of responsible travel... Show moreBy refashioning the design and programmatic use of an offshore oil rig into a luxury hotel for ecotourists, a new age of responsible travel may emerge. By twisting the symbol of oil dependency into an ecologically preserved, environmentally accountable and revenue-producing prototype, the ideals of reuse, energy and environment can be viewed through a new lens. This design creates interesting and innovative living spaces and environments aided by sustainable integrations to create a “living machine” that establishes connections between all building systems as well as inhabitant inputs and outputs resulting in an energy independent habitat. Show less