After spending summer 2020 interning at Cotsworks, Sylvie Crowell spent a second consecutive summer as an engineering intern in Cleveland, this time at Parker Hannifin.

Crowell spent the summer as an intern in Parker Hannifin’s Engineered Materials Group. One of her main responsibilities was working on design and testing projects for a high purity water purification system. Crowell found both commercial off-the-shelf and custom steel components to be important for system durability and cleanliness requirements. Most components, fittings, and piping within the system are made of 316L stainless steel, while the internal water-contacting surfaces are electropolished to a minimum of 30 Ra. Crowell used end user feedback to investigate optimization pathways for the steel flow path, design for structural stability, and design for incorporating new subsystems. She created a 3D model of the system using proposed design modifications using Autodesk Inventor, with material requirements and tolerances for the manufacture and assembly of the various steel components in mind.

Additionally, Crowell took part in designing and assembling test stands made of the various steel components, piping, and fittings for subsystem testing. She also was involved with prototype testing efforts to detect microbiological and chemical critical quality attributes. 

Working with other Parker Hannifin interns helped Crowell develop her teamwork skills. “Working on this project with Parker Hannifin helped me appreciate the research and design process as well as regulatory requirements,” she said. “Even as an intern, my ideas were incorporated into improving the design and I always felt that Parker valued its interns and made an effort to foster their development and success. Parker Hannifin truly strives to make the world a better place through its development of new technologies. I was able to observe this first-hand at my internship.”

Crowell also received a scholarship from the Association for Iron & Steel Technology’s Steel Intern Scholarship Program after the completion of her internship.

"I would like to express my gratitude to AIST and Parker Hannifin for giving me the opportunity to continue gaining experience in the materials engineering field and helping prepare me for my future career,” said Crowell. “This internship has sparked my interest in research and design, and I hope to continue doing similar work after I graduate from Case Western Reserve University.”