Engineering Commons^™

Differential Regulation Of Articular Cartilage Tensile Properties By Igf-1 And Tgf-Β1 During In Vitro Growth, M. E. Stender, N. T. Balcom, B. Berg-Johansen, K. J. Dills, D. Dyk, S. J. Hazelwood, A. C. Chen, R. L. Sah, S. M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Golf Club Quality Control Device, David Mcdermott, Mark Severy

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Historic Calculator Project, Will Harris, Dan Marioni, Kevin Webb, Chad Williams

Mechanical Engineering

The Deutsches Museum of Munich, Germany requested add-on components to their mechanical calculator exhibit. The end-goal is to produce an interactive 3D model in software to demonstrate the functions of the Braun-Vayringe Machine (BVM). There will be four students working on this project at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo: two mechanical engineers (Dan Marioni and Will Harris) and two computer engineers (Chad Williams and Kevin Webb).This project involves the coordination of three facilities; the Deutsches Museum, and the Mechanical and Computer Science Departments of Cal Poly. The name of the project is known as the Historic Calculator Project …

The Sources Of Heat Generation In Vibrothermography, Jeremy Renshaw, John Chen, Stephen Holland, R. Bruce Thompson

Mechanical Engineering

Vibrothermography, or sonic IR, is a nondestructive evaluation technique used to find surface and near surface defects—such as cracks and delaminations—through observations of vibration-induced heat generation. This method has significant interest as an industrial inspection method, however, a lack of understanding of the fundamental physics governing the heat generation process has limited its application despite extensive theoretical, numerical simulation, and experimental work. Significant theoretical and numerical simulation work has been performed, but has yet to be rigorously verified experimentally. This paper presents experimental verification of the sources of heat generation in vibrothermography; specifically friction, plasticity, and viscoelasticity. Specific experimental evidence …

Raytheon Uav Launcher, Chad Amonn, Spencer Chin, Alexander (Alex) Deuitch, Mark Jastrzebski

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Robotic Turret, Daniel Romero, Matthew (Matt) Martelle, Scott Mullens, Rachel Diamant

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Golf Prosthesis Final Design Report, Joseph Barcus, Lauren Wilson, Ryan Satcher

Mechanical Engineering

A prosthetic attachment designed to allow an upper extremity bilateral amputee to golf.

Ergonomic Lifter, Bejan Brian Banihashemi, Dylan James Schockemoehl, Andrew Ouellet

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Floating Tube Heat Exchangers, Patrick Harris, Christina Gedeon, Leonel Medrano, George Milam

Mechanical Engineering

With the slowly diminishing supply of fossil fuels across the world and the heightened risk of carbon dioxide pollution leading to global warming, a shift towards renewable energy is gaining momentum. Recent advances in wind and solar power technology have increased the power density of alternative sources while decreasing the cost per kilowatt-hour, but the technology has not become advanced enough yet for large scale deployment. Combined Power Cooperative has developed a revolutionary design for a concentrated solar power plant that utilizes Fresnel reflectors and a large body of water in which to install them. In addition to being low-cost, …

Challenger J Hockey Prosthesis Final Design Report, Ryan Bakker, Spencer Noe, Christopher Perkins

Mechanical Engineering

The content of this report is withheld as confidential. QL+ is the owner of the intellectual property created throughout the duration of this project. Dr. Tom Mase (mechanical engineering) maintains a full copy of the report and intends to disseminate it upon completion of the necessary intellectual property protection measures.

Wireless Solar-Powered Thermal Imaging Camera, Andy Bonk, Billy Mcvicker, Jacob Richardson

Mechanical Engineering

Creation of a mounted wireless self-powered thermal imaging camera system.

Engine Simulation And Diagnostic Test Bed: Final Design Report, Jeff Lewis, Cody Scott, Todd Smith

Mechanical Engineering

The San Luis Obispo High School Automotive Technology Shop has a 1991 Buick V-6 Engine which uses the OBD-I (On-Board Diagnostics, generation one) standard for diagnostic testing and troubleshooting. In order to expand the capabilities of the Automotive Technology program and allow students to gain first-hand experience troubleshooting older OBD-I engines, the shop has a need for this engine to become part of a diagnostic and troubleshooting test bed. Some of the diagnostic tests the students will perform include checking cylinder pressure, monitoring coolant system temperatures, interpreting error codes from the OBD-I system, and conducting enhanced smog testing. All of …

Wiihopp, Jeff Christian, Ben Hoselton, Derek Simon

Mechanical Engineering

Childhood obesity is becoming a growing problem in the United States. According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years [7]. It can lead to health problems previously reserved for adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. For the team WiiHopp project, we plan to turn a JumpSport mini-trampoline into a controller for the Nintendo Wii console. The hope is to help turn the problem of video games and the laziness surrounding them into an active solution to combat the problem of childhood obesity.

Our goal is to produce an add-on …

Access|Closure Balloon Catheter Redesign Project, Keenan Bamburg, Yvette Castillo, Elizabeth Eskildsen

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Strider, George Cummings, Brian Kreidle, Ricky Lee, Clark Steen

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Engineering On The Rose Float: Final Project Report, Stephen Boles, Garrett Dong, Peter Hoonhout

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to design the simple mechanical movement systems of the 2012 Cal Poly Tournament of Roses Float Parade to prevent failure. Three mechanisms were designed. One of the mechanisms is a tall building that has a superhero and helicopter rotating around the top; it also has the ability to rotate the top 2/3^rds of the mechanism to a 90 degree angle to fit under a 16.5 foot bridge. Another mechanism is the cars that look like they are driving on the pod’s road surface via train tracks underneath the surface. The cars will travel …

Modeling The Collagen Fibril Network Of Biological Tissues As A Nonlinearly Elastic Material Using A Continuous Volume Fraction Distribution Function, Reza Shirazi, Pasquale Vena, Robert L. Sah, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

Despite distinct mechanical functions, biological soft tissues have a common microstructure in which a ground matrix is reinforced by a collagen fibril network. The microstructural properties of the collagen network contribute to continuum mechanical tissue properties that are strongly anisotropic with tensile-compressive asymmetry. In this study, a novel approach based on a continuous distribution of collagen fibril volume fractions is developed to model fibril reinforced soft tissues as nonlinearly elastic and anisotropic material. Compared with other approaches that use a normalized number of fibrils for the definition of the distribution function, this representation is based on a distribution parameter (i.e. …

Contribution Of Proteoglycan Osmotic Swelling Pressure To The Compressive Properties Of Articular Cartilage, Eunhee Han, Silvia S. Chen, Stephen M. Klisch, Robert L. Sah

Mechanical Engineering

The negatively charged proteoglycans (PG) provide compressive resistance to articular cartilage by means of their fixed charge density (FCD) and high osmotic pressure (π_PG), and the collagen network (CN) provides the restraining forces to counterbalance π_PG. Our objectives in this work were to: 1), account for collagen intrafibrillar water when transforming biochemical measurements into a FCD-π_PG relationship; 2), compute π_PG and CN contributions to the compressive behavior of full-thickness cartilage during bovine growth (fetal, calf, and adult) and human adult aging (young and old); and 3), predict the effect of depth from the articular …

Vibroacoustic Study Of Circular Cylindrical Tubes In Roller Coaster Rails, Joshua I. Davis, Charles Birdsong, Harold M. Cota

Mechanical Engineering

Excessive noise generated by roller coasters during operation is a significant issue for amusement parks located near residential and business districts. Previous work showed that filling the rails with sand and pea gravel can provide noise reduction levels of up to 10 and 15 decibels. However, using damping materials may require additional support structures to accommodate the weight increase and, consequently, raise installation costs. This paper presents field results that characterize sound and vibration of roller coasters with different rail geometry and fill. Finite element modeling is used to compute the theoretical natural frequencies and mode shapes of a typical …

Refrigerant Mass Migration Modeling And Simulation For Air Conditioning Systems, Bin Li, Steffen Peuker, Predrag S. Hrnjak, Andrew G. Alleyne

Mechanical Engineering

Refrigerant mass migration and redistribution are regarded as key factors affecting the cycling performance of air conditioning and refrigeration systems. A dynamic model of an R134a automotive air conditioning system is presented as an example in this paper to capture the refrigerant migration during compressor shut-down and start-up operations. Model validation against experimental data demonstrates the capabilities of the modeling approach in predicting the refrigerant mass migration among the components during shut-down, and the resulting refrigerant redistribution behaviors during start-up. These results represent the first refrigerant mass migration prediction in a validated dynamic system model. In addition, the potential of …

An Industry-University Partnership Case Study, Peter Schuster

Mechanical Engineering

At many universities, senior undergraduate mechanical engineers work in teams on industry-sponsored capstone design projects. These projects provide an excellent opportunity for students to synthesize their courses, work with the more realistic deadlines and expectations of industry, and interact with company representatives. It also give industrial partners a chance to become educational partners with the university, preview potential new hires, and complete some noncritical projects at low cost.

This paper presents a case study of a successful six-year partnership between the Automotive Bumper Project committee of the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) and a mechanical engineering department. The AISI …

A Simple Lab Project Integrating Theoretical, Numerical, And Experimental Stress Analysis, Peter Schuster

Mechanical Engineering

Learning is enhanced when students consider problems from different perspectives. Unfortunately, in stress analysis courses, the depth of the mathematical analysis and limited time and resources often restricts the focus to traditional closed-form solutions occasionally supplemented with simple demonstrations. In order to enhance student engagement and understanding, a lab mini-project was developed for teaching Castigliano’s method for structural analysis in a stress analysis course.

The mini-project consists of a design evaluation task which is investigated using three different methods: closed-form analysis, finite element analysis, and simple model build and test. The task is to select the better of two alternative …

Competition Sit Ski Final Design Report, Kyle Martinez, Vinay Clauson, Ben Woodward

Mechanical Engineering

This project consisted of designing and fabricating a competition sit ski for an above-knee double-amputee, Andy Soule. Andy is a talented athlete who won a bronze medal in the 2010 Winter Paralympics. The project was completed by VinayClauson, Kyle Martinez, and Ben Woodward, mechanical engineering seniors at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. The project advisor, Professor Sarah Harding, and sponsor Dr. Brian Self, of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly, oversaw the project with the help of Jon Kreamelmeyer, a former coach of Andy's and a valuable source of knowledge. The sit ski project was …

Pop-A-Wheelie Design Team, Mackenzie Hill, Thuyen Nguyen, Shaun Van't Hul

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this report is to illustrate the Pop-a-Wheelie design team’s progression and implementation of a concept in regards to the project sponsored by Break the Barriers (BTB). The Pop-a-Wheelie design team was tasked to design two devices that will be attached onto wheelchairs. The devices should facilitate the independence of user’s ability to pop-a-wheelie and return to an upright position without any assistance. After a list of specifications was agreed upon, the design process initiated. All customer specifications are listed in Objectives section located in Chapter 1: Introduction. A complete engineering specification table can be found in the …

Cal Poly Human Powered Helicopter, Josiah Auer, Eric Behne, Dave Berry, Rebecca Hennings, James Koch, Ian Marquardt, Josiah Mayfield, Sean Miller

Mechanical Engineering

The following report encompasses the Cal Poly Human Powered Helicopter team’s efforts during the 2010-2011 academic year. The intention of this project is to further the knowledge of human powered helicopter design and to validate an ideal configuration through experimental tests and analysis.

A. Background

The Sikorsky Prize offered by the American Helicopter Society has been the catalyst for many attempts at Human Powered Helicopter (HPH) flight. The requirement to win the prize is a continuous, human powered flight of more than 60 seconds that stays within a 10 meter square box and reaches an altitude greater than 3 meters …

Automated Adaptive Feeding Device, John Dolcini, Stephanie Smith, Pavel Yakovlev

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mustang Adaptive Nordic Sports Conceptual Design Report, Krystina Murrietta, Tom Silva, Allen Thrift, Dan Murray

Mechanical Engineering

Mustang Adaptive Nordic Sports has undertaken a recreational sit ski as a mechanical engineering senior project. The team consists of four seniors: Daniel Murray, Krystina Murrietta, Tom Silva, and Allen Thrift. The goal of this project was to design, build, and test an adjustable sit ski that is lightweight and accommodates different users. The first half of this project focused on researching past senior projects and existing designs, defining the need and specifications, brainstorming, designing, and analyzing the validity of the final design. The second half of this project required the acquiring materials, building the prototype and testing it. The …

Rock-N-Bowler Ii, Josh Grip, Travis Rodrigues, Richard Rozporka

Mechanical Engineering

The report of the creation of an adaptive bowling device designed for people in powered wheelchairs. The basic design is a ramp that attaches to the wheelchair and has the ability to add spin to the ball to allow the user to hook the ball.

Adult Strider, Matthew Browning, Michael Flynn, Douglas Desfor, Mary Gentilucci

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the Strider project was to create a mobility device that would support a person with weakened leg strength and allow them to push the device around with their legs and build more leg strength. There are many health benefits to standing and the Strider was intended to help a person with a disability experience these benefits. The Strider is a fully independent device that the user can get into and maneuver without assistance. The device is also safe, highly maneuverable, and complies with all ADA standards and requirements.

The design is built around a frame that supports …

Marauder Marine: Spearfishing Float Design, Kevin Glen, Kyle Lancaster, Andrew Wickham

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.