FREE SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AT Cooper-Union Deadline: March 8, 2013

FREE SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AT Cooper-Union

Deadline: March 8, 2013

Visit the website for detailed information.

http://cooper.edu/academics/outreach-and-pre-college/summer-research-internship

2013 SUMMER RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

 

PROJECTS

 

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING – Ben Davis, Professor of Chemical Engineering

 

Engineering Polymers: How Plastics are Made

 

This project provides budding engineering interns an opportunity to learn how chemicals are

made and what sorts of processes are used to make them. A necessary part of making these

products is using energy and making waste – interns will learn about the different byproducts

of these chemical plants. Next interns will learn about polymers: how they are made, their

compositions, and their uses. Interns will be broken up into small groups and assigned a

particular type of polymer (e.g. polyethylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene), do their own research

report on it and give a preliminary presentation about their polymer to the class. After that,

we will learn more specifically about the chemical plants where these products are made; how

to find out what amounts of raw materials and energy you would need to make each product,

these wastes associate with its creation, etc. Finally, interns will create their own design for a

chemical plant which makes their polymer.

 

This project is primarily computational; interns will be expected to complete independent

research using a computer and be able to use a spreadsheet to keep track of data. There will be

two-hands-on activities in the chemistry laboratory where interns will be able to make their own

polymer material and see how the waste from creating these chemicals is treated.

 

Interns involved in this project should have had high school chemistry, have had algebra (and liked it, and are

comfortable on a PC.

 

*****

 

CIVIL ENGINEERING –Joseph Cataldo and Vito Guido, Professors of Civil Engineering

 

Hurricane Sandy was one of the worst storms to make landfall in the northeastern United States

in recent times. The New Jersey coastline was decimated, lower Manhattan was flooded and

without power for many days, Staten Island saw catastrophic loss of life and property as well

as Coney Island the Far Rockaways. No one was left untouched. The combination of 90+mph

winds and high tides created tidal surges which flooded lower Manhattan, tunnels and subways.

The project proposed for the civil engineering section is what measures can be taken to prevent

storm surge damage and are feasible from both a constructions point of view and financially.

The interns will study and design systems to reduce the vulnerability of the city to superstorms.

 

During the course of study, coastal engineering topics will be presented. Beach composition

and characteristics, breakers, impact of storms will be some of the topics discussed. The

fundamentals of wave motion and mechanics will be considered (local fluid velocity,

acceleration and particle displacement). Wave particle experiments using the wave generator

 

in the hydraulic laboratory will be conducted by the interns. From this basic knowledge of

wave mechanics the interns will study remedial techniques like storm surge barriers (sea walls,

bulk heads, and revetments), inflatable plugs, and an ecosystem approach to protect our cities

from the super storms like Sandy. This ecosystem approach will protect the shoreline from

destructive wave energy and will provide shade from the sun, evaporative cooling, and runoff

reduction to name a few.

 

*****

 

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING – Brian Cusack (Senior Systems Engineer)

 

In this project, interns will be grouped into teams whose primary focus will be the design and

fabrication of an autonomous mobile robot for use in a class competition. Interns will also

complete small lab projects designed to accompany the group project.

 

Interns will be given a series of lectures on various subjects regarding robotics including safety

aspects, marketing and manufacturing of mechanical projects, as well as technical topics such

as CAD (computer-aided design), manufacturing technologies, combinational digital logic and

microcontroller implementation.

 

Through the use of state-of-the-art CAD programs, interns will be able to simulate and analyze

their designs prior to fabrication. The robots will be programmed with a combination of digital

logic and microcontrollers designed and implemented by the individual groups. Emphasis is on

working as a design team to accomplish this goal.

 

*****

 

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING – Robert Dell, Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering and

Director, Center for Innovation and Applied Technology

 

Saving the World: The Exploration of Sustainable Energy and Untapped Green Resources

 

This investigation will include creative problem solving, using sophisticated instrumentation and

accepted engineering practices. Computer modeling, hands on fabrication, and group problem

solving dynamics will be developed as the projects evolve from the initial concepts to finished

working prototypes.

 

Participants will be able to identify potential methods of harvesting green energy while

becoming familiar with data collection, basic heat transfer, energy measurement and infrared

imaging.

 

Potential green solutions can include cascade utilization, thermoelectrics, wind, waste heat, solar

and organic energy resources.

For more information, contact: Susan Dorsey, Director, 212-353-4286 or dorsey@cooper.edu.