Abstract
My technical work optimizes silent magnetism-based underwater propulsion systems, while my sociotechnical synthesis (STS) research investigates how rigid mathematical formulas optimize federal transit funding for highway expansion at the expense of urban communities. The motivation for the technical project, Project Loch Ness, stems from the military need to minimize a submarine’s acoustic signature by replacing noise-generating mechanical propellers with silent propulsion. My STS research was motivated by the visible urban decay and social inequalities perpetuated by the United States highway system. Engineers must recognize that systems are not inherently neutral, but are active artifacts that shape human outcomes.
The technical portion of my thesis produced a proof of concept for a miniaturized, 3D-printed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion system to examine its feasibility as a marine vehicle propulsion method. My group and I designed, fabricated, and validated this prototype to generate thrust without moving mechanical parts. To create a fully operational testing platform, we integrated the MHD propulsion pod with a 3D-printed catamaran-style hull and built a closed-loop Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) system to enable navigation. Our third and final drive iteration utilized a 12-magnet Halbach array which significantly increased the magnetic field uniformity and produced 0.056 Newtons of maximum mean thrust. Alongside these results, our testing revealed significant constraints of MHD drives, specifically that using neodymium magnets limit field strength and current electrode materials struggle with degradation in saltwater. We hypothesized that challenges could be overcome by using more powerful superconducting magnets and by experimenting with different coatings and physical configurations for the magnets. In spite of these constraints, we successfully demonstrated the proportional relationship between current, magnetic field strength, and thrust generation, offering a strong foundation for scaling up future MHD propulsion research.
In my STS research, I analyzed how federal highway funding formulas act as inherently political technologies that place undue burdens on marginalized communities and force an unsustainable cycle of highway expansion. I discovered that "objective" mechanisms, such as the 90% federal match rate for new construction and the 80/20 funding split between highway and mass transit accounts, hide underlying biases. My research revealed that these formulas incentivize local city planners to prioritize new, disruptive highway construction over the maintenance of existing infrastructure or the development of public transit. Relying on Langdon Winner's theory of technological politics and Thomas Hughes' framework of large technical systems, my paper demonstrated how these funding formulas function as inherently political and biased artifacts. Due to the structure of the federal funding formulas, federal legislators are pushed to use mathematical formulas to restrict alternative transit development at the state and local level. This research is significant because it exposed how unexamined technological momentum drives urban decay, demonstrating that legislative formulas require regular deconstruction to prevent ongoing social harm.
By simultaneously considering the technical mechanics of highway planning, the organizational structures of the Department of Transportation, and the cultural impacts on marginalized urban communities, I gained a much deeper understanding of engineering's societal footprint. STS perspectives support the idea that engineers have an ethical duty when designing projects, and pursuing this duty often involves looking beyond a system's immediate functions to the overall society within which it is functioning. Engineers and policymakers must actively recognize their creations as participating actors that enforce specific social conditions. This awareness ensures that we design and implement systems that genuinely serve the public good, rather than systems that blindly inflict damage on marginalized communities.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
Technical Advisor: Daniel Quinn, Christopher Goyne
STS Advisor: William Davis
Technical Team Members: Eric Avellone, Kellylyn Brinkac, Cameron Dearman, Jack Finning, Tyler Kaczmarek, William McGee, Samantha Ritchie, Amitav Suchdev, Albert Tang
