Industrial Projects

2002-03 Projects

Estimating Adequacy of Life Insurance Reserves

Sponsor: John Hancock
Advisors: Ann Weidie, Arthur C. Heinricher
Student: Shawn Hallinan

This project created a tool that will allow John Hancock to test how adequate their reserves are for a given life insurance policy under varying interest rates and mortality assumptions for each individual. Policies were tested and analyzed to estimate the parameters that would make them adequate. John Hancock was presented with this tool that returns adequacy results across different interest rate scenarios and morality distributions, where an adequate policy implies that it is funded sufficiently to cover expenses.

Vapor Leak Detection for an Underground Storage Tank

Sponsor: The Ferrite Company, Inc.
Advisor: Roger Lui
Students: Brian Lehtinen, Mike Pyzocha

This project models the pressure inside the vapor space of a UST. The model takes into account dispensing activities, vapor recovery, evaporation and leaks in the system. Using mass balance, a system of ordinary differential equations is obtained. The equations are solved numerically and two of the variables in the equations are optimized to find the leak rate. Results are tested against data from Veeder-Root Company.

Complex Permittivity Reconstruction with Neural Networks

Sponsor: The Ferrite Company, Inc.
Advisor: Vadim Yakovlev
Student: Gregory S. Pettigrew

This project deals with an original method of determination of dielectric properties of materials, based minimally on measurements and heavily on modeling. Permittivity is reconstructed by a neural networking procedure matching measured and modeled characteristics of reflection. The experimental part of the method is implemented. Operation of the method is demonstrated through validation and determination of permittivity of liquid substances. Experimental and computational studies reveal important features of the current implementation and generate recommendations regarding its further development.

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Last modified: Jun 20, 2010, 13:03 UTC