The Shop

Working with Students

IPRO Projects

Always under construction

IPRO

The IIT Interprofessional Projects (IPRO)SM Program engages multidisciplinary teams of students in semester-long undergraduate projects based on real-world topics from sponsors that reflect the diversity of the workplace: corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, non-profit organizations and government agencies. The teams are led by a graduate student and guided by co-mentors from the faculty and the sponsor. Teams may include 5-15 students from all academic levels (sophomore through graduate school), and across IIT’s professional programs (engineering, science, business, law, psychology, design, and architecture). Integration of both vertical (bridging academic levels) and horizontal (bridging professional programs) dimensions within a project team experience is distinctive in higher education today -- stimulating student interaction across the boundaries of individual disciplines and experiences.

The IPRO Program prepares students for the practical challenges they will face in a changing workplace – emulating a cross-functional team operating environment and grappling with the complex multifaceted issues of our time. This gives engineering and technology- oriented students a greater appreciation for non-technical considerations, while at the same time instilling in students of law, business and other professions greater insight concerning the process of research and technology development. Through a sequence of two or three one-semester IPRO project team courses with varying sponsors and topics (yet with common educational outcomes) students develop a unique portfolio of real-world experience that helps focus their attention to career directions that best fit their aptitude and interest.

 

 

Union Tank Car

Ipro Project 311

Chemical Sensors Detecting Hazardous Gases

 

IPRO: 311

Title: Application of Sensors and Telecommunications Technology to Monitor Safety of Railway Tank Car Shipments

Lead Faculty/Academic Unit: Professor Stetter (BCPS) (x73443 or stetter@iit.edu)

Sponsor: Union Tank Car Company, a member of the Marmon Group of companies

Summary: Railroad tank cars are efficient vehicles for the transport of large quantities of liquid commodities in North America. These commodities include foodstuffs as well as a wide range of chemicals used in the process industries. Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation collaborate in the formulation of rules and regulations for the transportation of hazardous commodities. While the incidence of non-accident releases (NARs) is very small, there is nevertheless a further collaborative effort by shippers and car owners alike to reduce the incidence of NARs to zero. One approach in reducing NARs is to develop a means to identify small leaks immediately, while the vehicle is in transit. The IPRO team will identify and evaluate methods for detecting small leaks using car-mounted sensors and alerting the shipper of the leak automatically from remote locations. This includes consideration of how to mount sensors and telemetry devices, log data, predict unacceptable trends and incidents, and report them in a timely, reliable and cost-effective fashion. The technologies involved in the development of such a system would include characterization of target chemicals, sensors and data transmission, mounting to the tank car, evaluation of the economic viability of the concepts, and identification of potential legal implications. This suggests that students from chemistry, chemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, design, business and law can make significant contributions to this project.

Visiting Union Tank Car Company

 

 

 

 

Bridge Contest

The Bcps machine shop supports the

Chicago Regional & International Bridge Building Contest

hosted at Illinois Institute of Technology

The object of this contest is to see who can design, construct and test the most efficient bridge within the specifications. Model bridges are intended to be simplified versions of real world type bridges which are designed to accept a load in any position and permit the load to travel across the entire bridge.

The shop provides the testing fixtures that will qualify the bridges and maintains the testing equipment.

To View past winners and bridges

click on Bridges

 

Monochometer

The shop helped in the manufacture of a Monochometer that is installed at Brookhaven national laboratory.