Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Design Of A Low Impact Canoe Portage System For The Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, Anthony Kingston

Honors College

The Hirundo Wildlife Refuge has requested a canoe portage system to be built. Before the system can be built, it is necessary to research the different designs that Hirundo can pursue. In this document, three different routes that Hirundo can pursue are designed. In order to decide what route is the best route, Hirundo requested that each route fit certain design criteria, which are also shown in the document. This thesis concludes with a recommendation for Hirundo of which design to pursue.

Design And Manufacture Of Natural Composite Canoe, Derek Baptista

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Abstract

This report looks into the application and feasibility of manufacturing natural composite canoes. The main fabrics that were analyzed are flax, hemp, and jute. These were then compared to carbon fiber and fiberglass to see the difference in mechanical properties. It was found that the natural fibers have lower mechanical properties but that this could be overcome by designing a balsa wood core with ribs running up the walls. After manufacturing a hemp canoe, many lesson were learned and areas of interest were further explored. With the use of different natural fibers, these canoes can greatly reduce the carbon …