Engineering Commons^™

Lead To Can Abrasion (Ltca) Test, Scott Mangin, Karthik Padmanabhan, Craig Icban

Mechanical Engineering

Pacemakers are medical devices which regulate a person’s heartbeat through electric pulses delivered via an endocardial lead attached to the heart. When a pacemaker is implanted in a patient, there is usually excess length left on the lead. Surgeons will typically wrap the excess lead length around the pacemaker device and close the wound. However, wrapping the lead around the pacemaker outer surface can open the lead to abrasion and cause the lead’s vital electrical insulation to be compromised. This is currently tested using an existing abrasion fixture at Abbott. However, the current tester does not yield consistent data results …

Deepsea Coral Sample Container, Sara Passantino, Andrew Noble, Casey Smith, Thomas Smith

Mechanical Engineering

In order to better understand the health of our oceans and the species that inhabit them, scientists often collect samples for later analysis onshore. The demanding deep-sea environment makes this collection process a challenging engineering task. Samples must first be located, then removed from the seafloor and stored for transportation to the surface. The performance of the engineered solutions that complete each of these tasks is critical in allowing marine scientists to maximize the insight obtained from their expeditions. Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE) is an organization that performs such collection of organisms with the help of remotely operated …

A.C. Moyer Eye-Cap Manufacturing, Thais Bertolus, Alexa Steidl, Hana Welsh, Jarod Kinney, Maya Willis

Mechanical Engineering

A.C. Moyer company has been making eye caps as a family business since 1947. Eye caps are a product used during the embalming process. Currently the machines being used to produce the eye caps are outdated and unsafe. We are a team of 5 mechanical engineering students tasked with either designing new machines or updating the existing machines to make the manufacturing process more efficient, automated, and safer. This document describes the design process, provides background, relevant research, establishes project objectives, and defines plans for project implementation.

Portable Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion Test, Joe Blakewell, Tim Holt, Kevin Vartan

Mechanical Engineering

Turbine Technology Partners, LLC (TTP) is a company located in Santa Barbara, California that provides expert independent engineering (IE) consulting services to the wind energy industry - supporting its goal of generating cost effective and reliable carbon-free renewal energy for the world. TTP customers include some of the largest wind turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), wind turbine power plant developers, and wind turbine owner/operators. One of the biggest problems challenging the wind energy industry currently is the power loss that results from the leading edge (LE) erosion of wind turbine blades. The purpose of our senior design project is to …

Deep-Sea Water Collector, Chandler Jones, Jenny Verheul, Michael Di Giorgio

Mechanical Engineering

Properties such as nutrients, DNA, pH levels, and primary productivity are difficult to measure onboard an Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (UROV) as mobile submarine sensors are highly expensive and conventional water capture devices are too large to be equipped. However, these properties provide an integral view into our oceans, the species that inhabit them, and our influence on the environment. Collected samples of seawater taken back to labs allow researchers to see a clearer picture of ecosystems’ inhabitants and lifecycle with the analysis of Environmental DNA (eDNA) among many other properties. The scope of this project is to design a …

Vibratory Tumbling Machine, Laurence William Duclos Iii, Aaron Phillip Shein, Jared Edward Nash

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to highlight the overall Vibratory Tumbling Machine project background, objectives, concept design, final design, manufacturing, and design verification. This final design review outlines the process, creation, and testing of the chosen final design for this redesign of the vibratory tumbling machine. The FDR shows the steps the team took towards completing a CAD package and a verification prototype of the final design while adapting to COVID-19 restrictions.

Final Design Review Report: The Underdogs, Parker Johnson, Jack Montgomery, Katherine Thomas

Mechanical Engineering

Aspen is a three-legged dog with mobility issues from Berkeley, California. She was hit by a car and her rear left leg was amputated at the hip. Robin Swanson, Aspen's owner, and her friend, Audrey Beil, are the sponsors for this project. Jack Montgomery, Katherine Thomas, and Parker Johnson, “The Underdogs”, are tasked with helping Aspen regain some of her mobility and the ability to go on walks. Research was done into the problem by talking with the sponsors and looking into existing products, designs, and patents. This document, the Final Design Review Report, outlines the background information, problem specification, …

Bolted Flanged Assembly Test Stand, Mark Christian Damasco Sunga, Paulina Mercedez Delgado, Philip John Coleman

Mechanical Engineering

The following Final Design Report (FDR) is the last formal documentation for the senior design project. The project was carried out by three senior mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for Phillips 66. The project proposed was to design a test stand and implement a procedure which will evaluate craftsmen’s abilities to assemble a bolted flanged joint assembly. The goal was to create a fully functional test setup that can be duplicated and utilized throughout Phillips 66’s refineries. This document details the design process that was completed over the course of three quarters, including concept …

Adaptable Classroom And Workspace Table, Emily Richter, Aaron Mccallister, Jett Bolusan

Mechanical Engineering

Mr. Michael Brennan, entrepreneur and founder of Co-Act Furniture, presented the problem of a classroom and workspace table that can be quickly, easily, and safely reconfigured to accommodate different types of collaboration and learning within a limited space. Current classroom and workspace furniture lacks modularity, which limits the usability of the space. Different groups use the same room to learn in different ways; adjustable furniture would benefit their learning and productivity. Mr. Brennan has developed several prototype tables with varying features, including adjustable angle, height, and tabletop surface area. Our team, composed of three mechanical engineering students, has a project …

Modular Attachment System For Tactical Robot, Michelle K. Chandler, Jacob A. Nelson, Adam V. Ivelia, Quang Truong

Mechanical Engineering

The goals of this report are to clearly define the problem and the scope of this project, present information regarding background design research, explain the process taken to reach the final design, go over the part procurement and manufacturing process, outline the assembly steps, and verify the design against the criteria through testing. The problem and scope of the project were defined using the constraints provided by the project sponsor, Blueline robotics. Blueline needs a modular attachment system for their tactical robot. The completed background research contains existing robot solutions that deal with similar tasks. Many of these existing robots …

Surf Leg Prosthetic 2, Aris C. Recidoro, Kyler D. Peterson, Alec C. Goodman

Mechanical Engineering

The following final design review outlines the process our team took in order to create a prosthetic for surfing. With the results of the Surf Leg V1 prosthetic, we designed, created, and tested our own product. The goal was to create a prosthetic that can immediately be used by an individual for surfing. From our findings, we decided that the focus of our project was to improve upon different features of the prosthetic leg designed by the previous senior project team. Our main focus was to improve mobility and reduce the weight of the ankle mechanism. The choice of Aluminum …

2 Degree Of Freedom Robotic Leg, Oded Tzori, Henry Terrell, Adan Martinez

Mechanical Engineering

Professor Xing, an assistant professor at Cal Poly, proposed the 2 DOF Robotic Leg project for this quarter’s senior project class. The project is to build a robotic leg attached at the hip to a stand, which will be used as a teaching tool and eventually help develop Cal Poly’s very own robotic quadruped. Since this project has multiple uses after its completion, there are multiple customers that it must perform well for: the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department, the ME Lab instructors, and the students. The Scope of Work (Sections 2 & 3) is composed of 2 main …

Formula Sae Monocoque Chassis Development, Kc Egger, Brian Ford, Kyle Nagao, Neal Sharma, Donovan Zusalim

Mechanical Engineering

Formula SAE is a collegiate competition hosted by SAE International with the primary goal being to design, manufacture, and race an open wheel race car. The Cal Poly Racing Formula SAE team strives for improvement every race season and has remained competitive as a result. The 2019-2020 management team determined that further research and development towards the chassis would yield the greatest performance benefit for future seasons, as the previous chassis platform limited packaging and mounting options for vehicle subsystems which interfaced with the chassis.

A redesign of the Cal Poly Racing Formula SAE team’s carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque …

Senior Capstone Team Formation Based On Project Interest: Team Selection By Students Compared To Team Selection By Instructors, Peter Schuster, Lauren Anne Cooper, Eltahry Elghandour, Eileen W. Rossman, Sarah Harding, Brian P. Self

Mechanical Engineering

Assigning teams in large courses is logistically challenging and students are sometimes unhappy with their assigned team. This is exacerbated when the project work extends over multiple terms and teams have unique projects. Giving students some agency in team and project selection is one way to improve their project experience. This paper examines two key questions: (a) What is the best way to incorporate student interests into the team-forming process? (b) What impact does the team-forming process have on the student experience throughout the project?

We consider two different approaches to giving students agency in the team formation / project …

Cp Check Valve Design, Alec B. Der Matoian, Jessica M. Dent, Skylar M. Tusting

Mechanical Engineering

This report is to serve as a final design review and update to the project sponsors at Zurn Wilkins for the Check Valve Design Senior Project. The senior project team was tasked with improving upon the design of Zurn Wilkins’ backflow prevention assembly for small diameter pipes by reducing the pressure loss created by the check valves within the double check backflow assembly. The information contained in this report builds off the information contained in the Critical Design Report (CDR), as well as feedback and further investigation suggested during an Intermediary Design Review. Based on conclusions from the CDR, our …

Surface Autonomous Vehicle For Emergency Rescue, Max Emerick, Ryan Shields, Christopher Feickert, Raymond Impara

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this document is to clearly define the problem parameters and project objectives and to clearly describe the design process, planned final design, and manufacturing and testing procedures for the senior design project of Team 26: SAVER -- the Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Rescue. This is both for the purpose of project planning and for clear communication between all parties involved in the project.

The objective of the SAVER project is to develop a proof of concept for an autonomous maritime search and rescue vehicle for aiding in man-overboard missions. To accomplish this goal, a list of …

Heavenly Bodies Rsvp, Justin Tyler Spitzer, Allison Jean Turnbaugh, Jack William Boulware, Braden Alex Lockwood

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of the Heavenly Bodies RSVP project was to design and fabricate planet props, as well as a mechanism by which they could be raised and lowered in California Polytechnic State University’s Pavilion theater. The project team was comprised of four fourth year mechanical engineering students: Allison Turnbaugh, Braden Lockwood, Jack Boulware, and Justin Spitzer. We conducted extensive research to determine the ideal solution for the design problem brought to us by our sponsor. In our analysis, we discovered that the most important aspects of our design were the absolute reliability of the system, fire retardant material selection, and …

Spring Loaded Camming Device, Jared S. Christner, Kaitlin O. Deherrera, Ryan W. Edwards, John S. Hickey

Mechanical Engineering

Spring loaded camming devices or “cams” are used in traditional rock climbing as a means of active fall protection. Climbers place cams in cracks and fissures in the rock wall. The cam’s lobes press against the walls, locking it in place, anchoring the climber in case of a fall. Currently, there is a lack of large cams on the market. Only two small companies produce cams that are usable in cracks 6.5 inches wide and larger, however their designs are either too heavy and/or lack features to be comfortable. We are a group of mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly …

Cal Poly Microgrid Fixed Pv Array, Christopher L. Ewert, Justin R. Syracuse, Donald A. Syracuse, Jason M. Kehl

Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo would like an adjustable, fixed angle solar panel mount to help educate students on basic solar energy principles. Our team has developed a unique sawhorse design utilizing ideation techniques and design selection tools. The selected design allows for multiple panel adjustability and control of both azimuth and tilt angle. Safety concerns are addressed with action plans to mitigate risk. Concept prototypes to justify gearbox functionality and subsystem cohesion was utilized to reduce manufacturing issues. Manufacturing began in March 2020 and proceed through until the end of the …

Portable Fluorescence Illuminator, Katherine Hui, Emran Baryal, Emmett Lambert

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) document outlines the senior design project implemented by a team of three mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for a professor in the biochemistry and chemistry department, Dr. Javin Oza. The project involved designing and manufacturing a portable ultraviolet fluorescence illuminator that will indicate the fluorescent glow of biomaterials for viewing purposes. The goal was to create a portable product out of recyclable material that can be used in field applications and increase accessibility to affordable science equipment. The initial sponsor and user interviews, technical background research, product research, and …

Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, Makenzie Lyn Kamei, Enoch Wright Nicholson, Eduardo Reyna Miranda Jr., Trevor John Brown

Mechanical Engineering

The Inverted Fluorescence Microscope senior project team at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo designed, assembled, and tested a proof-of-concept inverted fluorescence microscope for the university’s Microfabrication Laboratory. Administrators of the laboratory wished to use fluorescence for research and experiments involving cell growth and flow visualization on the micro-scale, and did not have the budget to purchase one of the costly commercially available options. The scope of this design challenge was to produce a low-cost inverted fluorescence microscope employing available optical components and additional readily sourced parts to expand the use of fluorescence microscopy accessible to undergraduate students in the Microfabrication …

Electromagnetic Actuator For Camless Engines, Nicholas Olesh, Charlie Thomas Glenwright, Tim Wills De Tone, Darya Daniel Darvish

Mechanical Engineering

This document summarizes the research, objectives, project plan, and design for developing an electromagnetic actuator valve for use in a camless internal combustion engine. While electromagnetic valve actuators have not been implemented into a working product to date, there have been many attempts to research and develop working prototypes. Similar products have been developed, but they do not use purely electromagnetic actuation. This research is significant because it shows the challenge that must be overcome and outlines potential design solutions to the problem. The objectives section highlights the problem statement and what is aimed to be achieved in this project. …

Thermal Energy Storage For Load Shifting, Jordan Benton Lopez Corley, Weston Cruz Montgomery, Taylor Glenn Harms

Mechanical Engineering

The following document accounts for the progress made in the prototype development of our design solution since the Critical Design Review, and our group’s response to recent world events which greatly impacted planned activities. Our design challenge is to develop a thermal energy storage system which will sequester the energy from a photovoltaic (PV) array during the day and allow for its dispersal at night in the form of near boiling water. Looking at our user’s needs, we broke our design solution into four components: water heating, storage, distribution, and controls. Research of all components was conducted to ascertain which …

Automated Drone Calibration System, Jackie Kelly Jong-Mee Paik, Zach Nathan Richter, Tyler Wilson Van Den Berg, Ryan Alexander Zhan, Matthew Ward Carlson

Mechanical Engineering

The final design review of the Inspired Flight Calibration Team senior project will detail the process used to complete a verification prototype of a drone calibration device and discuss lessons learned and suggestions for improving this device. Going from brainstorming and conceptual prototyping all the way through verification prototyping and testing, we were able to design a gyroscopic device that met Inspired Flight’s needs for the flight sensor calibration of their drones. The mechanical design involved comprehensive CAD models and hands-on manufacturing. The mechatronics side of the project worked heavily with electrical wiring and writing custom software to communicate and …

Modular Cable Buoy, James J. Marinas, Gabriela Vargas, Anthony Catello, Joseph Heald

Mechanical Engineering

Cable terminations are often the least reliable and most expensive components of a maritime system. These cables are suspended in water by a buoy to reduce wear at the terminations. The Naval Information Warfare Center requires a modular auxiliary float with tunable buoyancy that can be placed along such cable. Our system must be able to be deployed, adjusted, and retrieved quickly and easily during operational use. This report focuses on our team’s final design concept and includes all analysis to justify our design direction along with safety, maintenance, and repair considerations. The report further elaborates on cost analysis, manufacture …

Vibration Isolation System, Bradley Y. Kwan, Bailey Groh, Max Wu, Nicole Yen

Mechanical Engineering

The Vibration Isolation System Senior Project is a collaborative group project between its sponsor, Maxar Technologies, and a team of students from Cal Poly - SLO to effectively design, manufacture, and test a structural assembly for satellites, isolating vibrations during launch and orbit conditions. After initial sponsor contact, requirements and needs were set which dictated deliverables for the senior project group. The group performed analyses to validate all design decisions, including a modified concept and design direction, selection of a prototype viscoelastic damping material, preliminary testing to validate design specifications, and detailed design and analysis toward a finalized design. Instead …

Elevate Dental, Connor Merrick, Everett Johnson, Jonah Holbrook

Mechanical Engineering

During a dental procedure, patients are often required to have a bite block placed in their mouths to keep them open for the duration of their procedure. These can be very uncomfortable for patients due to lack of properly-fitting sizes. This project presents an alternative fully adjustable bite block that is affordable, comfortable, and easy to use for dental personnel.The bite block is a two piece side loading design that uses interlocking teeth to supply a range of five sizes.

Safran Seat Attachment System, Craig John Kimball, Tyler Bragg, Lynette Cox

Mechanical Engineering

This final design review (FDR) document outlines the senior design project being carried out by a team of mechanical engineering undergraduate students attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for Safran Seats in Santa Maria, CA. The project originally was to design, build, and test a universal attachment to secure a widebody business class seat to seven aircraft models with different seat track geometry. The goal was to design, document, and create a finished product that fits design, weight, and manufacturing requirements, as well as passes static 9G FWD testing. Structural analysis, manufacturing analysis, FEA, and CAD assemblies will …

Design For Additive Manufacturing, Michael Charonnat, Leonardo Franco-Muñoz, Sam Noble, J.P. Purdom

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the critical design details and timeline for the Design for Additive Manufacturing Senior Project sponsored by Solar Turbines, Inc. The scope of this project encompasses the redesign of two of Solar Turbine’s cast parts for metal additive manufacturing in order to minimize lead time, cost, and weight. With the overall objective of performing in-depth analysis exploring affordability & feasibility, this redesign process will aid Solar Turbines in expanding their knowledge of Design for Additive Manufacturing principles and enable them to further incorporate the use of additive manufacturing into their production processes. The first part that the team …

Miniaturized Ultraviolet Imager Phase Iii, Bradley D. Albright, Nicolas A. Armenta, Colin W. Harrop

Mechanical Engineering

This document details the work to date, June 9, 2020, done by the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering senior project team, Miniaturized Ultraviolet Imager: Phase III (MUVI III), sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley – Space Sciences Laboratory (UCB SSL). MUVI III is the third senior project team of an ongoing design, MUVI: the prototype of a 2U sized CubeSat intended to capture aurora images in the ionosphere. The first team, MUVI I, finished development of the UV imager. The second team, MUVI II, designed the mirror mounting and deployable door mechanisms. The goal of MUVI phase III is to …