Three Ohio State mechanical and aerospace engineering students placed at the 27th annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum
Three Ohio State mechanical and aerospace engineering students placed at the 27th annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum last month.
Timothy DeFranco, a fifth year in aerospace engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering; Calvin Chandler, a fourth year in aerospace engineering; and Chen Liu, a fourth year in mechanical engineering, submitted projects to the Engineering and Technology category of the forum. DeFranco and Chandler submitted as a team and took first place with Liu taking third.
The Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, established in 1995, provides an opportunity for graduating student researchers to share their research endeavors with the broader community. The competitive poster forum is judged by faculty reviewers. Reviewers look for students to be able to effectively communicate their research process and results to a non-specific audience in both their written poster content and accompanying oral presentation.
The 27th annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum included over 160 presentations from senior undergraduate researchers. Winners were invited to an awards reception on March 10 where they received a certificate of scholarship, placement medallion and ribbon, and cash prize for their achievements.
Of the 21 research posters submitted to the Engineering and Technology category, 12 of them were from mechanical and aerospace engineering students. Additionally, one aerospace engineering student submitted in the Earth and Beyond category with a space-related project. Some mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty worked as reviewers at the forum.
DeFranco and Chandler’s project titled "Investigation into the Diffusion Bonding of 316L Stainless Steel with Boron Carbide" for radiation shielding in Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) applications focuses on finding a way to bind 316L stainless steel with boron carbide, a first-of-its-kind bond between the two materials.
This investigation is just one small sub-part of the research currently being conducted for the NTP Group directed by Dr. John Horack and done in collaboration between The Ohio State University, BWX Technologies, and NASA.
DeFranco was focused on the computational aspects of the project with Chandler focused on the practical elements. The pair are still working on the practical testing and analysis of the sample, so the work that we presented at the Denman was focused on the hypothesis of what the results will look like, and on the computational simulations we have run to understand what the behavior of the material may be like, Chandler said.
“Being recognized and awarded after the Denman forum made me feel more confident about my research project and proud of the work that my co-researcher and I have been able to put into the project to achieve our goals,” Chandler said.
DeFranco shared Chandler’s sentiment.
“Being recognized at this event was a truly uplifting and phenomenal experience,” DeFranco said. “Throughout this research project, numerous hurdles had to be overcome, and Calvin Chandler and I spent many long days/nights working to ensure the project's completion. With that said, it was nice being recognized for the hard work we put into it and has definitely inspired me to continue conducting research in the future.”
Liu’s research focused on surface-modified zero-strain spinel LiCo1-xAlxO2 cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. Working with Dr. Jung-Hyun Kim and Chanyeop Yu at the Energy Innovation Lab since 2019, Liu was able to improve the cycle life and rate-capabilities of battery cells using low volume expansion cathode materials.
By coating a homogenous protective layer on cathode material, the parasitic chemical reactions between cathode and electrolyte were suppressed, Liu said. The exciting results were obtained by using various lab apparatus including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman Spectroscopy.
“I couldn’t believe that I could win the 3rd place at Denman,” Liu said. “It was meaningful to me and my four years at Ohio State. I was excited that my research could be recognized by reviewers. I guess all the efforts paid off at that moment.”
