Braun's Senior Projects

Latest Update: September 15, 2018.

If you have an idea for a senior project and are in search of an advisor, please contact me if you think our areas of interest might overlap. Check out some GUIDELINES for senior projects and thesis projects. Drop by my office (20-304) or send an e-mail to dbraun@calpoly.edu.
  • Sustainability
    Use your senior project to enable future generations to meet their needs. Perhaps you see an opportunity on campus. Off campus opportunities abound, too.
    Three ongoing sustainability projects on-campus require contributions from senior projects:
    • Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines (EHFEM) pronounced "FM"
      1. A team of ME & EE students--Vann Chau, Jennifer Roecks, Sean Spurr, and David Webb--modified an exercise bike to produce DC & AC power as a standalone system. Completed Spring 2007.
      2. A team of ME students--Zach Goldstein, Sean Gouw, and Alex Clarabut--modified a Concept2 Model D rowing machine to produce DC & AC power as a standalone system. Completed Spring 2008.
      3. A team of EE students--Rogan Guild, Kevin Kinoshita, Sameer Pangrekar, Stephen Queen--converted an Elliptical Trainer to generate electricity. Completed: Fall 2008.
      4. A team of EE students--Jonathan Chan, Chris Cinkornpumin, Michelle Lum, Jonathan Yuen--converted an Elliptical Trainer to generate electricity. Completion: Fall 2009. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/12/
      5. A team of ME students--Jared Rounsevell, Claire Shubert, Matt Snitowsky, Andy Wong--modified an exercise bicycle to generate electricity. Completed: Fall 2009. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/mesp/13/
      6. A team of EE students--Christopher Henry and Henry Ureh--designed and built a DC-to-DC converter for the exercise bicycle. Completed: Fall 2009. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/20/
      7. CPE student Alex Chernetz worked on a system to display information related to exercise machine power generation. Completed: Fall 2009. Find his report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cpesp/2/
      8. A team of EE students--Monroe Diamond and Brian Vuong--designed and built a DC-to-DC converter for the exercise bicycle. Completed: June 2010. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/45/
      9. Brendan Asche, Near Real-Time Exercise Machine Power Statistics Reporting, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2010. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/241/
      10. A team of EE students--Justin Arakaki, Praveen Lawrence, and Audrey Nakamura--studied how to employ energy harveesting in the renovated ASI Recreation Center. Completed: June 2010. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/41/
      11. Alvin Hilario, Energy Harvesting From Elliptical Machines Using Four-Switch Buck-Boost Topology, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2011. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/511/
      12. Greg Hollister--Elliptical Machine DC-DC Converter for the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines Project. Completed: Spring 2011. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/70/
      13. A team of EE students--Ryan Rickard and Logan Stowe--Exercise Bicycle DC-DC Converter for the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines Project. Completed: Spring 2011. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/97/
      14. Nick Lovgren, Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines: Forward Converters With A Central Inverter, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2011. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/520/
      15. Martin Kou, Energy Harvesting from Elliptical Machines: DC-DC Converter Design Using SEPIC Topology, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2012. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/753/
      16. A team of EE students--Ryan Turner and Zack Weiler--DC-DC Converter Input Protection System for the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines (EHFEM) Project. Completed: Spring 2013. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/214/
      17. A team of EE students--Sheldon Chu and Byung-Jae David Yoo--BUCK-BOOST DC-DC CONVERTER with INPUT PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR THE ENERGY HARVESTING from EXERCISE MACHINES PROJECT. Completed: Spring 2014. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/258/
      18. Matthew Wong--Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines - DC-DC Buck Boost Converter (LT3791). Completed: Spring 2014. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/265/
      19. A team of EE students--Eric Funsten and Cameron Kiddoo--Protection System For the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines (EHFEM) Project. Completed: Spring 2014. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/259/
      20. A team of EE students--Braden Burk, Raj Bhula, and Nathan McKay--Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines: LT8705 DC-DC Conversion for Elliptical Trainers. Completed: Fall 2014. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/279/
      21. Colton Crivelli--Current Protection for the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines (EHFEM) Project. Completed: Spring 2015. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/295/
      22. A team of EE students--Calvin Abshier and Calvin Xu--Voltage Protection System for EHFEM Project. Completed: Spring 2015. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/296/
      23. Ryan Matteo--Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines Buck-Boost DC DC Converter with the LT8705 Controller. Completed: Spring 2016. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/344/
      24. James Ralson--Micro-Inverter Improvement For The Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machine Project. Completed: Spring 2016. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/354/
      25. Andrew Forster, Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines: Buck-Boost Converter Design, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2017. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1702/
      26. Alexander Sireci, DC-DC Converter Control System for the Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines System, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2017. Available: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1747/

    • Efficient Deployment of Advanced Public Transportation Systems (EDAPTS)
      Jeff Gerfen's research project developed the Smart Transit System for San Luis Obispo, most visible until Summer 2009 as bus signs predicting bus arrival times. The smart signs rely on GPS position data obtained from the SLO city bus system. We developed systems to post bus position and arrival predictions online. See the first prototype, developed by Jeff Tikkanen at http://decade.eel.calpoly.edu/EDAPTS/. The current verstion, developed by Aaron Berk and John O'Conner, reflects 2010 route and schedule updates. The SLO Bus tracker obviated the need for this system.
      1. Aniefon Ekanem developed a lower cost version of the stand-alone intelligent sign to allow deployment at more bus stops. A Low-Cost LCD Smart Transit Sign Design for Efficient Deployment of Advanced Public Transportation Systems, Thesis (M.S.)—California Polytechnic State University, 2007
      2. An upgrade completed Spring 2008 by CPE students Joey Civin and Ben St. Clair incorporated new tools for firmware development. Better Route Prediction and Scaled Integration of a Low Cost LCD Smart Transit Sign, Senior Project 08-0534, California Polytechnic State University, 2008.
      3. Another project involves testing the stand alone power system under actual operation. Completed Fall 2008.
      4. Jeff Tikkanen developed a web-based real-time bus location and prediction system. The first version uses the Summer 2009 bus routes and schedules. Bus Location Prediction Web Application for San Luis Obispo Public Transit, Senior Project 09-0544, California Polytechnic State University, 2009.
      5. Matt Bojorquez updated the bus routes for Winter 2010 schedules. Completed: June 2010. Find his report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cpesp/16/
      6. John O'Conner and Aaron Berk expanded the tool to facilitate making schedule and route adjustments. Completed: June 2011. Find their report on the Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cpesp/29/.

    • 2700K White Light LED Luminaire Development
      Energy efficiency needs and global warming concerns have driven incandescent lighting from its primary position. Similarly, fluorescent lighting will give way to LED lighting. White LEDs are now available with warm light, color temperatures such at 2700K, which people tend to enjoy more than harsher 5600K lighting.
      A joint ME & EE team designed and built a white LED lighting system with warm white light. Completed Winter 2009.

     
  • Polymer Electronics Lab Projects
    • I am quite interested in solid-state electronics in general and polymer electronics in particular. These areas include solid-state devices such as light-emitting diodes [LEDs], lasers, photodetectors, solar cells, and field-effect transistors [FETs]. Other interests arise from electronics used to drive displays, low power electronics, and VLSI. Device fabrication and characterization overlap with practical issues in the areas of laboratory automation, vacuum systems, and inert atmosphere processing. Specific projects appear below.
    -- Device characterization projects focus on electronics, but they can also reach into the realms of software and other disciplines.
    -- For a research oriented project, you could make polymer LEDs or solar cells and improve their efficiency.
    -- If you like Chemistry, you could make new molecules and polymers for polymer LEDs.
    -- Improving the lab entails a variety of EE, CPE, ME, MATE, Chemistry and/or Physics activities.
    -- Completed Fall 2009: Studied packaging schemes to allow using the polymer LEDs outside of the glove boxes.
    If you have an idea for a senior project and are in search of an advisor, please contact me if you think our areas of interest might overlap. Check out some GUIDELINES for senior projects and thesis projects. Drop by my office (20-304) or send an e-mail to dbraun@calpoly.edu.
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