Engineering Commons^™

Eagle Medical Tray Denesting & Debris Removal Process, Nicholas Allen Ungefug, Noah Chavez, Susana Shu-Lin Okhuysen, Michael Augustine Pennington

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Eagle Medical Incorporated is a contract medical device packaging and sterilization company. The company purchases thermoformed medical packaging trays, which maintain the sterility of medical devices, from various manufacturers. To ensure packaging quality and to prevent cleanroom contamination, Eagle Medical inspects and sterilizes each blister tray that they order. This process is an essential non-value-added activity that creates a bottleneck. Cleanroom employees must stop packaging medical devices and attend to the processing of blister trays and packaging solutions. The blister trays arrive at Eagle’s facility in nested stacks. Vibration and movement during shipping further compresses the stacks, which makes separation …

Therapeutic Mechanical Horse, Cade M. Liberty, Aleya Dolorfino, Peter Philips, Zuzanna Dominik, Luke Watts

Mechanical Engineering

Jack's Helping Hand and its hippotherapy participants required a device to serve as an alternative to a live horseback riding experience that could also increase the range of riders. This would provide more clients with equine-assisted therapy that has proven to better the lives of people with both physical and mental disabilities. Horses can be unpredictable, tall, and sometimes anxiety-inducing, especially for new riders. Our group’s aim was to develop a mechanical horse that will be able to reduce these issues for equine therapy centers and the riders they help. When a rider gets to practice sitting on the horse …

Simulating Electric Vehicle Short-Notice Wildfire Evacuation In California Rural Communities, Gudrun Derickson

Master's Theses

The transportation sector in California has begun a shift toward adopting Electric Vehicles (EVs) as a primary source of individual and corporate mobility. The US Government and the State of California are initiating public-sector financed charging station infrastructure to help in this change-over to EVs. Automobile companies and private enterprises are also heavily investing in Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) infrastructure going forward. The state of California is subject to natural disasters such as Fire, Earthquakes, and periodic flooding. Increasing numbers of BEVs may add new challenges to mass evacuations that are often associated with natural disasters. This work focuses on …

Nonlinear Model Development And Validation For Ball And Plate Control System, Zachary Richter

Master's Theses

Ball and plate balancing control systems are commonly studied due to the complex dynamics associated with the instability of the system in open-loop. For simplicity, mathematical models describing the ball and plate dynamics are often linearized and the effects of complex motion are assumed to be negligible. These assumptions are rarely backed with evidence or explanations validating the simplified form of the dynamical equations of motion. This thesis focuses on developing a nonlinear model that more accurately defines the dynamics of the system, in order to quantify the error of linear and nonlinear models when compared to a Simscape physical …

Observation Of The Evolution Of Hide And Seek Ai, Anthony J. Catelani

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The purpose of this project is to observe the evolution of two artificial agents, a ‘Seeker’ and a ‘Hider’, as they play a simplified version of the game Hide and Seek. These agents will improve through machine learning, and will only be given an understanding of the rules of the game and the ability to navigate through the grid-like space where the game shall be played; they will not be taught or given any strategies, and will be made to learn from a clean slate. Of particular interest is observing the particular playstyle of hider and seeker intelligences as new …

Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Detection Antenna Simulations, Nicholas C. Garcia

Electrical Engineering

Neutrinos allow researchers to investigate high-energy galactic phenomena, such as supernovae and black holes. Neutrinos interact with their surroundings via the weak nuclear force and therefore, travel unattenuated through space and are not deflected by electromagnetic fields. However, they do rarely interact with other particles. When neutrinos interact with nucleons (protons or neutrons) in a dielectric medium (i.e.: ice sheets), they are detectable through a cone of coherent electromagnetic radiation (Askaryan Radiation) created by the particle shower generated from the neutrino interaction [1]. The Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) detects UHE neutrinos greater than 100 PeV (10¹⁵ eV) …

Simulation Of A Configurable Hybrid Aircraft, Brandon Bartlett

Master's Theses

As the demand for air transportation is projected to increase, the environmental impacts produced by air travel will also increase. In order to counter the environmental impacts while also meeting the demand for air travel, there are goals and research initiatives that aim to develop more efficient aircraft. An emerging technology that supports these goals is the application of hybrid propulsion to aircraft, but there is a challenge in effectively exploring the performance of hybrid aircraft due to the time and money required for safe flight testing and due to the diverse design space of hybrid architectures and components. Therefore, …

Modeling And Control Of A Vertical Hopping Robot, Bradley Y. Kwan

Master's Theses

Single degree-of-freedom hopping robots are typically modeled as spring loaded inverted pendulums (SLIPs). This simplified model, however, does not consider the overall leg geometry, consequently making it difficult to investigate the optimized inertial distribution of the leg for agile locomotion. To address this issue, the first part of this thesis establishes an accurate mathematical model of a DC-motor-driven, two-link hopping robot where the motors are modeled as torque sources. The equations of motion for the two distinct phases of locomotion (stance and flight) are derived using the Lagrangian approach for holonomic systems. A Simulink/Stateflow model is developed to numerically simulate …

A Simulation Study On Baggage Screening At San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Marian Ott

Master's Theses

Efficient passenger flow is a crucial objective at both small and larger airports. One central part of this is the handling of checked luggage which is influenced by necessary security screening. Within this thesis, these processes are studied at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. The underlying problem of the airport is its outbound luggage system which was already suffering from delays prior to Covid-19. Delays were never measured and the bottleneck responsible for them was never identified. However, expected growth in passenger and flight volume necessitates to predict when customer dissatisfaction and extensive luggage delays are inevitable, given that …

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 …

Stability Analysis Of Systems With Time Delay Simulation Program, Matthew Carroll, Brandon Replogle

Electrical Engineering

A small company wants to develop a CAD tool, ideally as part of the MATLAB suite of tools, for system stability analysis of nonlinear control systems with time-delay. The program must allow the designer to input the system block diagram graphically, then using symbolic expansion, automatically generate the Laplace domain stability boundary and disturbance settling time. The stable regions are then to be graphically plotted as a set of 2- or 3-dimensional parametric stability boundaries. The designer can then input performance constraints on the system through the MATLAB console and a Simulink environment will automatically be generated.

This program is …

Simulation And Design Tool For Supermileage Vehicle (Smv) Club Final Design Report, Kimberly Kodama, Sung Ho An, Justice Aragon

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to create a sensitivities tool and start an optimization tool to assist the Cal Poly SMV Team in designing their vehicle, developing a driving strategy for competition, and becoming a contender in endurance events. The development of a user-friendly vehicle simulation and design tool was proposed by Professor Joseph Mello who is the club’s advisor. The SMV Team competes in endurance events such as the Supermileage competition or the Shell Eco-marathon with the goal of achieving the best mileage possible.

This report will present the research that has been conducted to understand and define …

Cubesat Astronomy Mission Modeling Using The Horizon Simulation Framework, Alexander W. Johnson

Master's Theses

The CubeSat Astronomy Network is a proposed system of multiple CubeSat spacecraft capable of performing follow-up observations of astronomical targets of interest. The system is intended to serve as a space-borne platform that can complement existing systems utilized for astronomical research by undergraduate and high school students. Much research and development work has been performed to develop model-based system engineering methodologies and products for CubeSat missions, including the Horizon Simulation Framework. The Horizon Simulation Framework enables the development of system models using the Extended Markup Language (XML), and its simulation program can generate system simulations over model-specified timespans. System requirements …

Connected Alerts Across Manufacturing Facilities, Jordan J. Moy

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The lack of communication during a large project can result in costly delays when striving to achieve previously defined benchmarks. Often times, each part of a project will require verification from an employee of a specified area of expertise before being allowed to advance to the next stage. Finding these individuals can be extremely hard due to the large, spread out campus of manufacturing facilities as well as the numerous projects the company is concurrently working on. These floor support requests can sometimes take from an hour to even a whole work day, causing major delays in the production schedule. …

Design, Simulation, And Hardware Construction Of A 600 W Solid State Dc Circuit Breaker For The Dc House Project, Calin Matthew Bukur

Master's Theses

DC circuit breakers must be able to arrest overcurrent conditions to prevent electrical equipment and wiring from causing building fires or other hazards from occurring. With more DC renewable sourced structures such as Cal Poly’s DC House, an inexpensive and reliable protection system is necessary to ensure safe energy transfer to the loads. One method of protecting a system is preventing excessive amounts of current to be drawn by the load when the surrounding components are rated at a lesser value. DC circuit breakers act as a monitoring system and barely presents an effect on the voltage or power. With …

Astrobee: Air Sampling Device And Zero Robotics Game, Bryce Van Ross

STAR Program Research Presentations

Astrobee is a free-flying, 1'x1'x1' cuboid robot that is planned to be onboard the International Space Station (ISS) by February 2019. Astrobee will be the successor of the current ISS free-flyer, SPHERES. Free-flying robots possess a range of potential. They can facilitate work for astronauts aboard the ISS by performing rudimentary tasks and housekeeping (e.g., record-keeping, sensor analysis, etc.) efficiently. Free-flyers also act as innovative testbeds for guest scientists to perform zero-gravity control theory research. In recent years, SPHERES has hosted annual Zero Robotics (ZR) programming competitions in collaboration with MIT, challenging middle and high school students to write code …

Optimizing Control Of Shell Eco-Marathon Prototype Vehicle To Minimize Fuel Consumption, Chad Louis Bickel

Master's Theses

Every year the automotive industry strives to increase fuel efficiency in vehicles. When most vehicles are designed, fuel efficiency cannot always come first. The Shell Eco-marathon changes that by challenging students everywhere to develop the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible. There are many different factors that affect fuel efficiency, and different teams focus on different vehicle parameters. Currently, there is no straightforward design tool that can be used to help in Shell Eco-marathon vehicle design. For this reason, it is difficult to optimize every vehicle parameter for maximum fuel efficiency.

In this study, a simulation is developed by using basic vehicle …

Optimizing The Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator For Sofia, Zoe E. Sharp, Alex Quyenvo, Jennifer Briggs, Brian Eney

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) conducts research on a modified Boeing 747sp aircraft. By using a variety of infrared science instruments mounted on a 2.7 meter telescope, researchers can make discoveries about the galactic center, star formation, and various topics associated with a deeper understanding of our universe. To efficiently collect data through the SOFIA instruments, the instruments must be tested and prepared prior to being placed on the aircraft. Therefore, with the use of the Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator (TAAS), researchers can design and construct improvements needed for these instruments to efficiently perform while in flight. The …

Sysml Based Cubesat Model Design And Integration With The Horizon Simulation Framework, Shaun Luther

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the feasibility of substituting the system input script of Cal Poly’s Horizon Simulation Framework (HSF) with a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) model designed with the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). A concurrent student project, SysML Output Interface Creation for the Horizon Simulation Framework, focused on design of the HSF Translator Plugin which converts SysML models to an HSF specific XML format. A SysML model of the HSF test case, Aeolus, was designed. The original Aeolus HSF input script and the translated SysML input script retained the format and dependency structure required by HSF. Both input scripts …

A Simulation Model For Decision Support In Business Continuity Planning, Marissa Anne Mosunich

Master's Theses

Enterprises with a global supply network are at risk of lost revenue as a result of disruptive disasters at supplier locations. Various strategies exist for addressing this risk, and a variety of types of research has been done regarding the identification, assessment and response to the risk of disruption in a supply chain network.

This thesis establishes a decision model to support Business Continuity Planning at the first-tier supplier level. The decision model incorporates discrete-event simulation of supply chain networks (through Simio software), Monte Carlo simulation, and risk index optimization. After modeling disruption vulnerability in a supply chain network, costs …

Open Source Toolkit For Reentry Object Modeling, Christopher Lloyd Ostrom Ii

Master's Theses

Predicting the mass, position, and velocity of an object during its reentry are critical to satisfy NASA and ESA requirements. This thesis outlines a 3-D orbit and mass determination system for use on low earth orbit as applicable to general objects, of various material and size. The solution uses analytical models to calculate heat flux and aerodynamic drag, with some basic numerical models for simple orbit propagation and mass flow rate due to ablation. The system outlined in this thesis currently provides a framework for rough estimates of demise altitude and final mass, but also allows for many potential accuracy …

Aerospike Rocket Motor Structural Webbing, Andrew Brock

Master's Theses

A labscale hybrid rocket motor test stand has been developed for research at Cal Poly. The primary focus of research using this rig has been the development of regenerative cooling techniques using nitrous oxide as coolant and oxidizer, as well as validation of technologies relating to the annular aerospike nozzle. In order to prevent undesirable deflection of the cantilevered spike, a structural stiffening web, referred to as “The Spider,” is proposed. The Spider resembles a three-spoked wheel, with the aerospike held by the inner hub and the chamber walls abutting the outer radius.

The Spider, placed upstream of the nozzle, …

Design Of Cpu Simulation Software For Armv7 Instruction Set Architecture, Dillon Tellier

Computer Engineering

Simulations have long been a part of the engineering process in both the professional and academic domain. From a pedagogic standpoint, simulations allow students to explore the dynamics of engineering scenarios by controlling variables, taking measurements, and observing behavior which would be difficult or impossible without simulation. One such tool is a CPU simulator used in Cal Poly’s Computer Architecture classes; this software simulates an instruction accurate operation of a computer processor and reports statistics regarding the execution of the supplied compiled machine code. For the last several years Cal Poly’s computer architecture classes have used a previous version of …

Enhancing Gan Led Efficiency Through Nano-Gratings And Standing Wave Analysis, Gabriel M. Halpin

Master's Theses

Improving energy efficient lighting is a necessary step in reducing energy consumption.Lighting currently consumes 17% of all U.S. residential and commercial electricity, but a report from the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy projects that switching to LED lighting over the next 20 years will save 46% of electricity used in lighting.GaN LEDs are used for their efficient conversion of electricity to light, but improving GaN efficiency requires optically engineering the chip to extract more light.Total internal reflection limits GaN LED performance since light must approach the chip surface within 23.6° of normal to escape into air.This thesis …

Uav Formation Flight Utilizing A Low Cost, Open Source Configuration, Christian W. Lopez

Master's Theses

The control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a swarm or cooperative team scenario has been a topic of great interest for well over a decade, growing steadily with the advancements in UAV technologies. In the academic community, a majority of the studies conducted rely on simulation to test developed control strategies, with only a few institutions known to have nurtured the infrastructure required to propel multiple UAV control studies beyond simulation and into experimental testing. With the Cal Poly UAV FLOC Project, such an infrastructure was created, paving the way for future experimentation with multiple UAV control systems. …

Determination Of Human Powered Helicopter Stability Characteristics Using Multi-Body System Simulation Techniques, Sean M. Brown

Master's Theses

Multi-Body System Simulation combined with System Identification was developed as a method for determining the stability characteristics of a human powered helicopter(HPH) configurations. HPH stability remains a key component for meeting competition requirements, but has not been properly treated. Traditional helicopter dynamic analysis is not suited to the HPH due to its low rotation speeds and light weight. Multi-Body System Simulation is able to generate dynamic response data for any HPH configuration. System identification and linear stability theory are used to determine the stability characteristics from the dynamic response. This thesis focuses on the method development and doesn't present any …

Development Of A Pyrotechnic Shock Simulation Apparatus For Spacecraft Applications, Joseph Binder, Matthew Mccarty, Chris Rasmussen

Aerospace Engineering

This report details the research, design, construction, and testing of a pyrotechnic shock simulation apparatus for spacecraft applications. The apparatus was developed to be used in the Space Environments Lab at California Polytechnic State University. It will be used for testing spacecraft components with dimensions up to 24”x12”x12” as well as CubeSats. Additionally, it may be used as an instructional or demonstrational tool in the Aerospace Department’s space environments course. The apparatus functions by way of mechanical impact of an approximately 20 lb stainless steel swinging hammer. Tests were performed to verify the simulator’s functionality. Suggestions for improvement and further …

Thermal Vacuum Integration For Cal Poly's Space Environments Laboratory, Chelsea Barackman, Steven Jackowski

Aerospace Engineering

The purpose of the senior project is to construct a thermal vacuum by utilizing a preexisting vacuum chamber in the Space Environments Lab, and a donated Advanced Thermal Sciences (ATS) chiller. While a thermal vacuum is already available on campus, building one for the Space Environments Lab would grant undergraduates access to the equipment, allowing a much better understanding of testing methods and procedures in use by the aerospace industry. This paper explains the design and analysis of the thermal vacuum (T-VAC) project as well as the operation and procedures required for the ATS chiller and fill/drain tank. The thermal …

Discrete Event Simulation Manual: Manufacturing Applications, Brian T. Hughes

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Simulation, specifically discrete event simulation, is a useful tool for industrial and manufacturing engineers when dealing with system analysis. Currently, manufacturing engineers are only exposed to simulation for only a few weeks of their curriculum at Cal Poly. A series of labs are directed by a teacher’s assistant on how to complete a successful simulation experiment. However, there is no text available for student use during this demanding learning period. The simulation learning process involves learning a software program called ProModel, which students with little experience are expected to code, run, and interpret data from complex systems. By creating a …

Integration Of Aeroservoelastic Properties Into The Nasa Dryden F/A-18 Simulator Using Flight Data From The Active Aeroelastic Wing Program, Alexander Wong Chin

Master's Theses

Aircraft structures have varying stiffness levels making them flexible. Consequently, this elastic property becomes increasingly important at high speeds affecting the flight dynamics of the aircraft. In high speed aircraft such as the F/A-18, elastic structural properties must be accounted for to ensure confidence in predicted flight dynamics in order to avoid adverse aeroelastic phenomena throughout flight.

Data from the F/A-18 Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) program was used to create aeroservoelastic (ASE) models at varying flight conditions. The discretized ASE models were integrated into the NASA Dryden F/A-18 simulator in parallel with the traditional 6-DOF (degrees-of-freedom) flight dynamics calculations to …