Citizens Energy Group (Citizens) is a utility company serving the residents of Indianapolis and surrounding counties. Citizens supplies water, wastewater, natural gas, chilled water, and steam to nearly 1,000,000 people.

Originally constructed in the 1830s, approximately six miles of the Indiana Central Canal provides raw water to White River Water Treatment Plant, which serves nearly 60 percent of Citizens Water customers. Over the past decade, critical infrastructure improvements have been completed to support the Central Canal. Given the age and criticality of the Central Canal, Citizens desires development of a comprehensive maintenance program. Students are tasked with development of the maintenance program.

Evonik Corporation Tippecanoe Laboratories is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for pharmaceutical, intermediates, research, and animal health companies within the Evonik Nutrition & Care Division. Sustainability is a leading business principle for Evonik Nutrition & Care and Tippecanoe Laboratories.

The waste generated from Tippecanoe Laboratories manufacturing activities includes solvents that are used to prepare equipment for manufacturing or to clean equipment following the manufacturing process. The project will focus on one waste stream based on previous senior design team recommendations. The team will also consider previous high-level Evonik recommendations and alternative technologies with a focus on green options during the process. In addition, they will explore and/or develop digital tools to calculate CO2 emissions or equivalent CO2 emissions. The tools will also track potential CO2 reductions and eliminations considering alternative solvent waste management practices that align with Evonik sustainability objectives.

CPKC, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, is the only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the U.S., and México. With 20,000 route miles and 20,000 employees, it offers unmatched freight rail service to major ports across North America. As a Sustainably Driven company, CPKC is committed to addressing climate change and supporting a lower-carbon future for the continent.

The application of hydrogen technology to the railway systems is at an early stage of commercialization. The passenger rail sector has been the most active in evaluating hydrogen-based propulsion with a number of trains in operation around the world and more being developed. Within the heavy-haul freight rail sector, where energy demands are much greater, deployment has been slower to emerge. As the freight rail sector at-large seeks viable technologies to reduce emissions, CPKC initiated its own development of this technology having successfully completed a conversion of three hydrogen fuel-cell/battery locomotives over the last few years, each of which are undergoing in-service testing within CPKC's operations.

In an effort to better understand the greenhouse gas-related impacts of hydrogen fuel cell/battery technology, CPKC wants the team to evaluate and compare the embedded carbon of technologies in development as low carbon locomotive propulsion solutions.

Circular Indiana is an Indiana focused nonprofit with the vision to achieve a prosperous economy, a restored environment and an equitable quality of life for all. These goals require a reliable and sustainable supply of raw material from our finite planet. However, a sustainable supply of raw materials depends on our wise use, recovery and reuse of materials in a circular economy.

Circular Indiana wants to provide a strategy for education, translation and development of circular best practices and economic impact in Indiana. To accomplish this, the team has been asked to create a Circular Economy Innovation Center. The physical location of the Innovation Center should be central to serve the entire state, but the training and circular experience provided should be portable to cover more distant communities. The Innovation Center concept will draw upon the advice, best practices and experience of circular innovation centers in locations such as Charlotte, Austin, and Boulder.

Wessler Engineering is a civil and environmental engineering firm based in Indianapolis that specializes in wastewater, drinking water and stormwater projects. The Lebanon Utilities owns a Class III, extended aeration wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The facility was expanded in 2018 and has 5.0 MGD Average Daily Flow (ADF) and 15 MGD Peak Flow capacities. Included in the last expansion were anaerobic treatment for biological phosphorus removal and dissolved oxygen control for the four (4) oxidation ditches to improve treatment and provide energy savings.

The facility is likely to be expanded in the near future in response to both residential and industrial growth opportunities. This future expansion will continue implementation of new and/or revised infrastructure that provides improved treatment as well as reducing power consumption and potential operational strategy modifications to address peak demand charges assessed. The objective of this project is to evaluate the existing and future Lebanon WWTP and determine a feasible, reliable, and cost effective solutions for the facility with respect to power savings.

LyondellBasell (LYB) sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world's largest producer of polymer compounds and a leader in polyolefin technologies. LYB sells polymer products in the form of 2-5 mm pellets, flakes and powders, which are handled at multiple points from creation to customer delivery. As of December 31, 2022, LYB had 75 polymer manufacturing, research and technical sites across the globe that produce or handle polymers with a total production capacity of 12.3 million metric tons annually. They are committed to zero pellet loss to the environment and being transparent about their performance.

LYB is seeking additional pellet loss prevention methods to be applied on top of existing controls. While our polymer production is global, engineering design approaches may center on a global or local level. The LYB team will work with the senior design team to select 1-2 of 4 possible designated focus areas to minimize pellet loss. Proposed solutions should be scalable to global deployment.

As a clean energy company, sustainability is at the heart of Invenergy’s contribution to society. Invenergy is working to achieve Net Zero by 2050. Our Net Zero strategy couples our carbon emissions reductions efforts across our portfolio and draws from the innovations applied to work with their customers each day. Invenergy is working with partners to continually improve and regenerate the environment, piloting ways that the expansion of clean energy can be a part of a holistic approach to sustainability. One of their efforts is to promote the recyclability of materials by helping the clean energy industry advance the practices that ensure they are using our natural resources effectively.

Invenergy LLC would like an in-depth analysis of potential waste reduction from shipping materials used for our solar project components, mainly from module crates. Invenergy solar panels are sourced both domestically and internationally. These modules are shipped with treated wood crates which makes standard recycling infeasible They would like to explore alternate recycling options or possibilities for reducing, reusing, or repurposing these materials. Additionally, alternate shipping materials can be explored to implement in our domestic manufacturing plant, Illuminate, in Ohio.

Purdue University Administrative Operations (AO) supports the University’s operations and the strategic vision by providing safe, reliable, and transformative services and infrastructure so that Purdue’s educators, researchers, and students can thrive. Energy and Utilities is the group within AO that is responsible for the Wade Utility Plant and Northwest chiller Plant which supply steam, chilled water, and electricity to the campus-built environment. Recent growth in campus population and square footage, rising temperatures, along with an increase in extreme weather events, create an increased utility demand with current systems operating near peak scenarios. To support AO’s ability to continue to provide safe, reliable, and transformative services, a campus wide approach is being developed to mitigate factors affecting the campus utility system.

Purdue University AO Sustainability Group is requesting the senior design team utilize data and engage with stakeholders to create a pilot program to address utility increases and identify the largest consumers of utilities on campus. The team will also develop engagement materials to promote initiatives to stakeholders.

Transportation is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting for approximately 28% of 2022’s total emissions in the United States. In addition, the air pollution emitted from transportation is responsible for several local and regional environmental health hazards. The Purdue 2020 Physical Facilities Sustainability Master Plan emphasizes the need to reduce GHG emissions across multiple sectors. To support these goals, the development of an accurate and transparent emissions tracking system is crucial. Tracking system will support informed decision making, complains reporting, and monitor progress of initiatives.

A study is needed to develop a comprehensive model to track and analyze transportation emissions on campus. The Purdue University Administrative Operations Sustainability Group is requesting the team to assess baseline data and create an emissions tracking system.

The National Glass AssociationAssociation (NGA), which was founded in 1948, represents the glazing and glass products industry. Over 1800 companies are part of this organization. NGA is the largest trade organization for the glazing and glass products industry. The vision of NGA is a future where glass is the material of choice to enhance spaces where people live, play, learn, work and heal. More information on NGA is found here.

Priority topics for NGA and the architectural glass and glazing industry include high performance glazing and building resiliency, bird-friendly glazing, recycling and the circular economy, school security, and registered apprenticeship programs. In particular NGA wants to share how glass is an adaptable, sustainable, energy-efficient, strong, beautiful, safe, and essential building product. NGA recently received an EPA grant for reducing embodied greenhouse gas emissions from glass used in construction.

As part of the EPA grant, NGA will help advance the quality and availability environmental product declarations (EPDs) through the creation of an EPD generator tool. NGA wants the senior design team to assist with collection of end-of-life LCA data in regard to architectural glass recycling.

Citizens Energy Group is looking to increase available water supply on the southside of Indianapolis, IN through the installation of three groundwater wells. The growing demands and aging wells in the South Wellfield district have increased water supply needs for the area.

American Structurepoint has been tasked to evaluate the installation of one new groundwater well and two replacement wells that would increase the available water supply to the South Wellfield Water Treatment Plant. Citizens Energy Group has defined boundaries in which they have water rights and the wells need to be located within these boundaries.

The scope of the proposed wellfield project the team will address is divided into two phases. The first phase is to complete a well impact review and well site survey for each of the three wells. The second phase of the project is to complete the proposed well design for each of the three wells based on results of test logs and sieve analysis.

At General Motors (GM), our vision is to create a world with zero crashes, zero emission, and zero congestion. Under the “Zero Emissions” pillar, GM established multiple public sustainability goals, targeting a reduction in scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, with an overarching goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. In support of General Motors’s overarching ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, GM has a variety of sustainability goals within the parameters of energy, water, waste, scope 1,2,3 carbon, and nature-based goals.

This project will have two stages: Stage 1: Case Study Review and Tool Development and Stage 2: Site Analysis and Recommendations. In Stage 1, students will be asked to compile case studies that highlight the value of different sustainability projects and develop a tool to compare different projects based on various criteria the team deems to be most important. In Stage 2, the team will analyze provided GM sites that may be suitable for renewable energy or nature projects that further the company’s sustainability goals. Project recommendations should take into account at least one identified sustainability consideration and analyze the tradeoffs that accompany each option. Example projects could include water conservation projects, on-site solar, wildlife habitats and/or other sustainable technology innovations.

Heritage Environmental Services (HES) is in the business of eliminating industrial waste and we have been making a difference for our clients since our beginning in the 1970’s. A privately owned business headquartered in Indianapolis, we take pride in solving complex problems by offering a wide array of tailored solutions, from waste disposal, on-site support, and technical solutions to emergency response, and sustainability services.

While the current sustainability landscape focuses on carbon reduction and carbon credits, the waste industry does not receive proper recognition for diverting wastes from the environment and disposing of wastes in a manner conducive to the environment and the public. In addition, customers have asked about their impact on the environment and how HES is reducing their overall impact by disposing their wastes. HES would like to continue with the EPA TRACI framework established by prior EEE seniors and conduct Life Cycle Analyses (LCAs) on common wastestreams HES treats to validate the efficacy of the TRACI tool. A LCA assessment framework will be used to determine boundaries, explore different inputs needed, and determine the benefits/limitations of TRACI.

US Cold Storage (USCS), a refrigerated warehousing and food logistics company, wants to create a predictive tool that can anticipate its customers’ future product disposal events. Doing so will help facilitate an ongoing initiative to minimize the amount of customers’ food products sent to landfill as a result of damage or expiration.

USCS wants the team to create and train a predictive analytics model using historical inventory and disposal order data sets. The data will need to be consolidated, cleaned, and assessed to decide what modeling methodology should be applied. The construction of the model will require the team to research data engineering and forecasting concepts both independently and in partnership with USCS. Outputs of the model will be used to inform waste servicing partnerships and sustainability metric reporting. The team will also present to USCS on the accuracy and usability of the developed model in their company operations. Additionally, the students will design a hypothetical waste processing facility that is capable of composting, anaerobically digesting, or recycling the volumes of food waste disposed of at a subset of USCS facility in the Indiana/Illinois area.

Microsoft's Cloud business is experiencing explosive growth, and the Capacity, Supply Chain & Provisioning (CSCP) organization is responsible for enabling the infrastructure and industry-leading supply chain underlying this growth. As Microsoft scales to become the global leader in cloud deployments and services, they are embedding sustainability across the product lifecycle by deeply understanding the environmental impact of their supply chain and cloud hardware underpinning cloud growth.

Much of the hardware we currently have in fleet has been characterized for embodied carbon using process LCA modeling techniques. There is, however, a significant volume of Cloud hardware parts that lack deep teardown understanding and documented mapping of critical physical and chemical aspects of those parts.

The Sustainability Science, Methodologies, & Standards (SSMS) and Circular Cloud (CC) teams in CSCP at Microsoft would like an in-depth product/component/material teardown analysis done of their Cloud hardware. The SSMS team is very interested in material composition analysis, measurement of physical dimensions, high resolution digital microscopy imagery, and optimal process for demanufacturing/disassembly/material recovery. Items to consider should include, but not be limited to, general feasibility, cost, size/scope of the project, recoverability of materials and potential embedded economic material vs functional value, return on investment, commodity vs customizable parts, and design for sustainability. Any applicable global, regional, federal, state, and local requirements should be considered throughout the design process.