Human Behavioral Impact on Building Energy Usage and Sustainability

Increased energy efficiency and sustainability is more than simply energy efficient devices and appliances: it is a function of habits and behaviors as well. This IQP investigates the intersection of energy performance and human behavior by looking at the energy usage and relative efficiency of select buildings at WPI and at how the students, faculty and staff feel in response to the building conditions in order to develop recommendations that will improve working conditions as well as building efficiency

Design and Optimization of a FSAE Vehicle

This Major Qualifying Project (MQP) designed and manufactured a vehicle for the Formula SAE Michigan collegiate competition. The Formula SAE (FSAE) competition is a collegiate design series that challenges teams to conceive, design, and fabricate formula style vehicles that are validated through competition. The team built upon a vehicle intended for the 2012 FSAE competition. Baseline testing and evaluations identified the car’s rear suspension, packaging/ergonomics, continuously variable transmission, air intake, and exhaust as areas that could be improved. These components were redesigned and manufactured, improving the vehicle’s performance in static and dynamic competition events. All components were designed and validated using computer-aided modeling and simulation techniques