1. AutoCAD
Pipet Drawing
Industrial Pressure Transducer
2. Soap Symposium
What: As part of the Soap Symposium at the University of Waterloo, I collaborated on creating "MINTY," a handcrafted natural soap focused on high conditioning, gentle cleansing, and affordability.
How: I developed a custom formulation calculator to determine the optimal ratios of essential oils (coconut oil, canola oil, Crisco oil, and avocado oil) and lye, balancing key properties such as hardness, conditioning, and lather within recommended ranges. I led the soap manufacturing process using cold-process saponification techniques and helped design nature-themed packaging by carving leaf patterns and branding directly onto the soap bars.
Why: This project combined chemical design, process modeling, hands-on manufacturing, and marketing strategy to deliver a standout consumer product.
3. Fluid Flow Project
What: As part of the CHE 180 Design Studio course at the University of Waterloo, I collaborated on developing a mechanism to transport 400 mL of dish detergent over a 75 cm distance while overcoming an obstacle, using only passive energy sources and minimal materials.
How: I contributed to the final design by constructing a lightweight popsicle-stick
scaffolding and creating a tension-based elevator mechanism using rubber bands to harness elastic potential energy and gravity for fluid movement. Our team designed multiple iterations, refining the system by optimizing the bottle harness, cutting a pressure equalization hole, and improving flow dynamics through nozzle modifications.
Why: Our solution prioritized cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and structural simplicity, earning our team the Lightest Design Award for the competition.
4. Reactor Design & Validation for Wastewater Treatment
What: In a laboratory project for biochemical wastewater treatment, I helped design and validate packed-bed and fluidized-bed reactors by applying the Richardson-Zaki and Ergun equations to characterize fluidization behavior.
How: I used Excel to perform data analysis, plotting experimental values, linearizing equations, and minimizing errors between experimental and theoretical terminal velocities. Key concepts applied included Reynolds number calculation, bed porosity estimation, drag coefficient evaluation, and fluidization velocity determination.
I validated fluidization conditions across borosilicate, Al₂O₃ ceramic, and ZrO₂ ceramic columns, and proposed an optimized reactor design with a calculated column diameter of 1.175 m, a terminal velocity of 0.98 m/s, and an incipient fluidization velocity of 0.37 m/s.
Why: This project strengthened my skills in experimental validation, reactor modeling, and data-driven design improvements for wastewater treatment systems.
5. Thermoelectric Generator Heat Transfer Modeling
What: As part of a combined ChE 312/322 project at the University of Waterloo, I modeled one-dimensional steady-state heat transfer through a thermoelectric generator (TEG) intended for wearable devices.
How: I developed the governing differential equation based on energy balances and applied boundary conditions for body contact and environmental convection. Using Python, I implemented a finite difference numerical method to solve for the temperature profile across the TEG and estimate the resulting voltage through the Seebeck effect. Although the predicted power output (~3.8 picowatts) was much smaller than expected, this was due to necessary simplifying assumptions and limited material property data.
Why: This project strengthened my skills in heat transfer modeling, differential equation solving, numerical methods, and Python programming for engineering analysis.
6. Butane Isomerization Reactor Design
What: For my ChE 314 final project, our objective was to design, model, and simulate a packed-bed reactor system for the isomerization of n-butane to isobutane, a critical industrial process for producing high-octane gasoline feedstocks.
How: I independently researched the full butane isomerization process and created the complete process flow diagram (PFD), selecting and logically arranging reactors, compressors, heat exchangers, and separators. As part of a team, I developed the mathematical model applying first-order reversible reaction kinetics, mole and energy balances, and helped code the solution in MATLAB.
Together, we conducted case studies analyzing concentration, temperature, molar flowrate, and conversion profiles through the reactor under various operating conditions. We also performed sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effects of pressure and temperature on reactor efficiency.
Why: This project strengthened my skills in industrial process research and design, reactor modeling, collaborative technical analysis, and MATLAB-based simulation of chemical systems.
LAB EXPERIMENTS
Coming Soon!!