This project presents a preliminary design for a 20 MW thermal biomass power plant in southern Louisiana. The proposed plant will use a blended biomass fuel stream based on regional availability, including rice hulls, bagasse, and switchgrass/wood chips (planned 30/30/40 mixture, with final basis and assumptions to be justified). The analysis will use standard thermodynamic notation and methods from class and the textbook.
A Rankine cycle model will be used to estimate the plant thermal energy requirement and determine the annual energy demand (MJ/yr) needed to maintain the target electrical output. Using lower heating value (LHV) data from biomass property tables, the study will then calculate the required annual biomass consumption (kg/yr), including the mass of each biomass type in the proposed blend. In addition to the energy balance, the project will evaluate biomass transportation logistics by estimating the number of truckloads required per year and the land area needed to support switchgrass production within the regional agricultural system.

This poster presents the structural design of the Automated Parts Washer (APW), a senior capstone sponsored by Mary Kay and developed by engineering students at Texas Christian University. The APW is designed to provide an automated ultrasonic cleaning solution for cosmetic manufacturing components such as nozzles, caps, and trays. All structural components of the system have been modeled in Autodesk Inventor to enable a fully integrated digital design environment that supports visualization, dimensional coordination, and verification of system layout prior to fabrication. The washer frame utilizes 80/20 aluminum structural members, selected for their strength, modularity, and ease of assembly. This material choice provides flexibility in frame configuration, allowing rapid design iteration and future modification while maintaining robust structural support for the fluid-filled wash tank, ultrasonic hardware, and plumbing systems. The resulting design balances structural integrity, manufacturability, and adaptability for prototype construction and testing.

This paper presents the design and electrical performance analysis of a 10-MW
grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power plant located west of Fort Worth, Texas, in a region selected for high solar irradiance, flat terrain, and transmission accessibility. Emphasis is placed on electrical system architecture, including module configuration,
DC string sizing, inverter selection, transformer integration, and interconnection with the utility grid. A single-axis tracking (panel pivoting) system is incorporated to maximize incident solar radiation and increase daily energy capture. Parametric studies
are performed on tilt angle, tracking strategy, module efficiency, and inverter performance to evaluate their influence on overall system output and electrical efficiency.

This project aims to retrofit and build on the first iteration of the Coté Cruiser, an autopiloted Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) originally developed for automated sonar surveys. It established the baseline for autonomous navigation and sonar data logging, but the second iteration will enhance the craft’s power, sonar system, and real-time diagnostic capabilities. These upgrades provide a significant use case for the project sponsor, Freese and Nichols Inc., particularly in San Antonio, where underwater structural surveys of the river could potentially save the city nearly $2 million in damage funds.

This project focuses on the development of a biological and environmental sensor network to monitor the health and feeding behavior of oysters. This system utilizes a specialized cage design to consolidate oysters and sensors into a single, high-precision monitoring hub. The system correlates oyster valve gape activity - specifically feeding duration and frequency - with real-time water quality parameters such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a. These upgrades provide a significant use case for the project sponsor, Freese and Nichols Inc., by establishing a scalable model for remote water quality monitoring that can be expanded across the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.