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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Quikchill : Thermoelectric Water Cooler, Franz Louie Chua, Brandon Ohara, Rachel Reid, Bernadette Tong
Quikchill : Thermoelectric Water Cooler, Franz Louie Chua, Brandon Ohara, Rachel Reid, Bernadette Tong
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
Motivated by the increasing residential energy utilization projections and the fact that water and ice dispensers consume 20% of total refrigerator energy, a thermoelectric water chiller was designed to provide a more energy efficient alternative. Implementing the chiller under the sink provides a convenient means to source cold, filtered water, thereby eliminating the need for water and nice dispensers as well as filtering pitchers. The cooling chamber design integrates thermoelectric modules (TEMs), which operate on the Peltier effect to cool filtered water down to 14 [degrees] C. The implementation of TEMs reduced current dispenser energy consumption by 82.4%, from 91 …
Design, Fabrication, And Analysis Of A 3u Cubesat Platform, Todd Chun-Van Osdol, Charles Dorsey, Jake Hedlund, Thomas Hoye, Owen Jacobs, Kadja Klarreich-Giglio, Elliott Martin, Michael Ruiz, Michael Schlesselmann, Zachary Singh
Design, Fabrication, And Analysis Of A 3u Cubesat Platform, Todd Chun-Van Osdol, Charles Dorsey, Jake Hedlund, Thomas Hoye, Owen Jacobs, Kadja Klarreich-Giglio, Elliott Martin, Michael Ruiz, Michael Schlesselmann, Zachary Singh
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The goal of this project is to develop a 3U CubeSat nanosatellite bus capable of short duration technology verification experiments while providing compelling handson student education opportunities. This 3U CubeSat platform has been prototyped by the design team in order to demonstrate its capabilities. This spacecraft, the Unspecified Payload Active Attitude Control Nanosatellite (UPAACN), is designed to perform a 3-6 month technology verification experiment for a NASA test component and an SCU single-axis attitude control system (AACS) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This project builds upon the flight heritage of SCU's Robotic Systems Laboratory (RSL) and improves its satellite development …
Formula Electric : Powertrain, Mark Allison, Bryan Bidwell, Stuart Hopson, Jackson Smith, Carlos Streegan, Dominic Villa
Formula Electric : Powertrain, Mark Allison, Bryan Bidwell, Stuart Hopson, Jackson Smith, Carlos Streegan, Dominic Villa
Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses
The Santa Clara Formula Electric team designed, and manufactured a powertrain for an electric racecar according to the rules prescribed by the SAE International Formula Electric competition. The powertrain is divided into subsystems: the battery pack, battery pack cooling system, motor controller, and the motor. The battery pack was constructed, but full electrical connection of all cells were not made. The pack was not integrated with the motor and motor controller. In addition, due to time constraints, extensive testing could not be completed.
Project Omoverhi : Low-Cost, Neonatal Incubator, Richard Fong, Guillermo Gallardo, William Jeffery, Danny Maeda, Gabriel Romero
Project Omoverhi : Low-Cost, Neonatal Incubator, Richard Fong, Guillermo Gallardo, William Jeffery, Danny Maeda, Gabriel Romero
Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses
Project Omoverhi, since its beginning in 2010-2011, has been focused on creating an incubator that has the capability of operating completely off grid. This year the project has been focused on redesigning the original system to reduce the cost to approximately $1000. In addition to this we have designed and implemented a control system that enables the user to set a desired temperature which can be maintained to within 1 degree Celsius. Before the project is able to be completed further work must be done. The thermal storage system that was initially proposed by the original team still needs to …
Thermoelectric Cookstove, Christine Horman, Matthew Lee, Mark Wagner
Thermoelectric Cookstove, Christine Horman, Matthew Lee, Mark Wagner
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
A fuel efficient cookstove tailored to the needs of Nicaraguan small business owners that incorporated insulation and thermoelectric power generation was built and validated. There is a 4 inch layer of pumice rock insulation around the combustion chamber, which significantly reduces convective heat losses to the environment. The stove's ventilation system is powered by the electricity generated by thermoelectric generators. Preheated air is forced into the combustion chamber, which increases the combustion efficiency, reducing the fuel consumption and the harmful smoke produced. Through various testing methods, we found that the controlled airflow to the charcoal fuel allows the stove to …
The Squad : Santa Clara Quadrotor Autonomous Drone, Jacob Adams, Peter Baumgartner, Mark Johnson, Michael Mccormick
The Squad : Santa Clara Quadrotor Autonomous Drone, Jacob Adams, Peter Baumgartner, Mark Johnson, Michael Mccormick
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
We have constructed a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that could be used to supplement emergency response personnel, including police and military, when in the field. The SQUAD focused primarily on designing and constructing a sound structure for the UAV, as well as beginning controls work, which will be continued by another team at a later date. This quadrotor UAV has a video camera to provide a live video from its point of view to the user. It carries a global positioning system (GPS) to provide information on its location, and to navigate to waypoints in the immediate area. The …
Cerberus : A Human Powered Vehicle, Colin Austin, Miles Graugnard, Max Herrmannsfeldt, Dane Kornasiewicz, Leif Kjos, Terra Oldham, Toban Platt, Theodore Schapp, Sean Smith
Cerberus : A Human Powered Vehicle, Colin Austin, Miles Graugnard, Max Herrmannsfeldt, Dane Kornasiewicz, Leif Kjos, Terra Oldham, Toban Platt, Theodore Schapp, Sean Smith
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
A recumbent trike was designed and built for the ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge held at San Jose State University in April of 2013. The vehicle was designed to be low cost for use by commuters and as primary transportation in developing countries. The vehicle placed 11th overall in the competition out of 29 teams, and scored 8th in the innovation event, which was its best ranking out of the 5 individual events.
Phase Change Material In Automated Window Shades, Quinlan Adler, Jake Gallau, Alexander Zatopa, Ali Nash
Phase Change Material In Automated Window Shades, Quinlan Adler, Jake Gallau, Alexander Zatopa, Ali Nash
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The purpose of this report is to detail the development process for a phase change material window shading system, which stores solar thermal energy and later releases it indoors to provide nighttime space heating. To do this, wax-filled louvers with thermally absorptive front faces were developed and outfitted with a control system, which utilized historical weather data to orient the louvers to specific solar azimuthal angles, thus maximizing the thermal absorption. The system was tested against other common window treatments in a pair of thermally comparable testing structures, and was found to provide energy savings as high as 50%.
Icarus : Aerial Recording System, Jim Cochran, Nick Xydes, Jimmy Erskine, Audrey Kocmond
Icarus : Aerial Recording System, Jim Cochran, Nick Xydes, Jimmy Erskine, Audrey Kocmond
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The goal of Project ICARUS is to create an aerial videography system that is easy to set up, inexpensive, portable, and highly adaptable to any situation. This is accomplished by using a balloon mounted camera rig that is grounded by a number of winches. This system is able to obtain a higher altitude than similar systems and is much more cost effective because the system can be applied to a number of circumstances such as sporting events, disaster relief, wildlife videography, and aerial monitoring, to name a few. The ICARUS system allows the user to control the position of an …
Storwatts: Compressed Air Energy Storage System, Michael Biederer, John O'Malley Iii, Joseph Burke, Matthew Komo
Storwatts: Compressed Air Energy Storage System, Michael Biederer, John O'Malley Iii, Joseph Burke, Matthew Komo
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The current problem with energy backup and grid stabilization systems is that both either require fuel and constant maintenance, such as diesel generators, or cannot perform at their peak operation and need constant replacement, like batteries. Our solution and the goal of the StorWatts senior design project was to design and create a small-scale compressed air energy storage system to be used in place of traditional energy backup and grid stabilization systems. The StorWatts system does not need fuel in order to store and generate power and therefore does not require constant refueling and maintenance. It also can work in …
Project Omoverhi : A Thermal Storage Solution, Peter J. Graham, P. Alexander Kranenburg, Tor C. Krog, Cameron C. Schwab
Project Omoverhi : A Thermal Storage Solution, Peter J. Graham, P. Alexander Kranenburg, Tor C. Krog, Cameron C. Schwab
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
One principal energy source that is underutilized in the world today is solar energy. While the United States has tried to make a push for reusable and 'green' energy sources, these sources are frequently overlooked in developing nations. While the set up costs of solar energy may be expensive due to installation and the high cost of certain parts, the savings over time is well worth the initial cost. In many developing nations large areas of the country are off of the power grid or have inconsistent power. One way to help people living in these areas is by introducing …
Nanosatellite Fabrication And Analysis, Sam Harrison, Patrick Scott, Victor Zapien
Nanosatellite Fabrication And Analysis, Sam Harrison, Patrick Scott, Victor Zapien
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The advancements in technologies used in the aerospace industry have allowed universities to experiment with and develop small-scale satellites. Universities are taking advantage of the relatively low development costs of nanosatellite programs to give students experience in the field of spacecraft design. The purpose of Santa Clara University's team, Nanosatellite Fabrication and Analysis, is to create a process to expedite the design, analysis, and fabrication phase of nanosatellite structures for students working on future satellite missions. The objective is to design four baseline nanosatellite structures to accommodate a range of potential missions where the designs are simple enough to be …
Design And Analysis Of A Low-Profile Two-Axis Solar Tracker With Hybridized Control, Laughlin Barker, Criselle Olaes, Joseph Valdez, Darcy Marumoto
Design And Analysis Of A Low-Profile Two-Axis Solar Tracker With Hybridized Control, Laughlin Barker, Criselle Olaes, Joseph Valdez, Darcy Marumoto
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
The adoption of solar power technologies throughout the world is increasing rapidly. Solar trackers are a necessary component in Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) applications and have also shown up to 46% per annum energy increase in photovoltaic (PV) panels when compared with fixed mounted panels. To resist wind forces, trackers typically incorporate heavy structural components and reinforced concrete foundations. Thus, the manufacture and installation of trackers is costly due to their size, weight, and careful consideration of geological conditions. This work presents a new solar tracker design for use with concentrating solar power and photovoltaic panels. The tracker is comprised …
Solar Powered Water Purification System, Alina Carlson, Reece Kiriu, Andrew Nosé, Christopher Sugii, Erin Taketa, Alex Tamai
Solar Powered Water Purification System, Alina Carlson, Reece Kiriu, Andrew Nosé, Christopher Sugii, Erin Taketa, Alex Tamai
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
Santa Clara University's 2011-2012 Solar-Powered Water Purification System team is developing a solution to create a water distillation system, heated by solar troughs and solely powered by photovoltaic (PV) panels that can produce clean, drinkable water. This device would balance cost and efficiency to be marketable to lower-income locations, such as developing countries that suffer from shortages of clean water. In accomplishing this, the team will ensure that the system is sustainable and requires minimal maintenance.