Digital Commons Network^™

Nsf-Eri Evolution Of Liquid Sheet Edges Project: Soap Film Frame Withdrawal And Positioning Apparatus, Samir S. Patel, Sophia Young, Nicole N. Morgan

Mechanical Engineering

The experimental investigation of instabilities along retracting liquid sheet edges seeks to answer a fundamental fluid mechanics question. We’ve successfully delivered an experimental apparatus to conduct research and answer this question. This document chronicles a design overview of our apparatus, our manufacturing process, our design verification, and recommendations for future steps. The final product is a document outlining our final design (i.e., our ‘Final Design Review’ (FDR)).

Liftwalker, Kai A. De La Cruz, Lexie Caterine, Adam Monroe, Jame Whealan

Mechanical Engineering

The LiftWalker’s purpose is to lift users with degenerative diseases from a seated to standing position and support them as they practice the motion of walking as a form of physical therapy. The current LiftWalker is upward of $5,000 so we redesigned the LiftWalker to be more accessible around the world. This meant using affordable and accessible materials and manufacturing processes. To achieve this, we made our design mostly out of bike parts and off-the-shelf components. When it came to the lift system, we found that to maintain a safe and comfortable design it was best to purchase a trailer …

Solar Farm, Parker Folsom, Jon Copeland, Julia Fay, Aiden Taylor

Mechanical Engineering

This senior project focused on creating a portable single-axis solar follower. The purpose of this solar follower is to allow for single-axis tracking of the sun at various points on our sponsor's property to gather information on solar power production. This data will be utilized to locate future sites for a utility-scale solar farm.

The final design of the solar follower comprises four subsystems: two legs, the frame, and the panel assembly. This modular design allows for portability and adjustability on challenging terrain. Following the design stage, our team purchased and manufactured all of the necessary components. All manufacturing work …

Autolacing The Dml, Harrison Hong, Chanh Tu Derek Lam, Candice Espitia, Paolo Navarro

Mechanical Engineering

The design challenge present is the design of a system to efficiently speed up the lacing of the dry mat loop (DML), part of the GAF production line. For this year, the scope of the project focuses on research and creating a proof of concept for the mechanism responsible for moving the mat within the DML. Compiled research focuses on competitor solutions, material properties, and possible mover mechanisms to be integrated into the major design. Competitor solutions provide an idea of raw material manipulation options. Material properties and possible mover mechanisms provide the foundation for ideation and concept prototyping. The …

2024 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, Nora Riedinger, Miles Mikkelsen, Brendan Stratford, Derek Tom, Zach Kwast, Harmon Yanikian-Sutton, Kennedy Urcelay, Tori Thomas, Brady Caron

Mechanical Engineering

PolyWave Energy is the second team from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo to compete in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. PolyWave Energy consists of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration students who have worked together from September 2023 to May 2024 on designing, building, and testing a marine power device to serve a selected market.

In response to the escalating concerns surrounding carbon emissions, climate change, and the depletion of fossil fuels, California Polytechnic State University’s Polywave Energy team has developed a sustainable and reliable energy source for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) charging. Through extensive research of …

Robot Rodeo, Daniel Rickers, Tyler Vaughn, Vinayak Sharath, Berent Baysal, Promit Das Gupta

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the Final Design Review (FDR) for an autonomous robot developed in response to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Ship Maintenance Robot Rodeo Challenge. Through extensive analysis, we selected a design concept, built a verification prototype, and tested the prototype in the NSWC Robot Rodeo Competition. The design overview portion of this report will present the details of our design while explaining how it will function. Next, is our implementation section, which provides evidence about our procurement, manufacturing, and assembly of our product. Our design verification follows and explains the tests that we conducted on the robot …

Scitechatorium Exhibit, Adam Khan, Cole Busch, Logan Femling, Alan Onuma

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the final stages of development and analysis of our interactive children’s exhibit for the Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School’s SciTechatorium. We will showcase the final form of our ball and track display, giving a detailed look at each component and subsystem.

To describe how our final prototype will be built we have included a detailed manufacturing summary for our design. Our models have been designed with manufacturability in mind, and we have outlined which processes were used to produce all our parts.

There are also detailed descriptions of testing that were conducted to verify the performance of the …

In Pipe Biofilm Removal System, Caroline White, Abe Muldrow, Jack Catalano, Brendan Thomas Palmer

Mechanical Engineering

In many drinking water systems, biological build-up can accumulate over time and create contamination resistant to traditional chemical flushing techniques, thus creating systems that must be flushed constantly to be considered safe. The team analyzed how this biological build up occurs, the current methods of removal, and thought about different ways to remove this ENGR 459-03 7 biological buildup without further damaging the health of the water system. To do this, we preformed extensive academic research about how biofilm builds up in water systems, examined any existing products that remove containments from water systems, and developed a solution capable of …

Evaluating The Impact Of Sb 684 In San Luis Obispo, Andrew Darrell

City and Regional Planning

This study evaluates the impact of California Senate Bill 684 (SB 684) on housing development in San Luis Obispo. SB 684 aims to streamline the approval process for small-scale residential projects to address the state's housing shortage by promoting affordable housing construction. The aim of this report will be to examine the provisions of SB 684 and evaluate the feasibility of development under it. A general overview of the legislative provisions accompanied by legal context will provide a background to the law. Case studies of small lot development will illustrate design decisions that can be incorporated into new SB 684 …

A User-Centric Continuous Authentication Modality Evaluation And Selection Scheme, Bharath R. Senthilkumar

Master's Theses

One of one-time authentication’s most prominent vulnerabilities is the possibility of lunchtime attacks. In such scenarios, an adversary could exploit an unattended device with an active session and no measures are taken to prevent them from committing malicious acts. To address this issue, continuous authentication is utilized by continuously verifying whether an individual is a device’s rightful owner through various modalities, with data sourced from sensors. In the current body of research within this rising domain, various single-modal and multi-modal continuous authentication systems exist, that focus on employing unique combinations of modalities and improving existing supervised learning models used to …

Causal Inference Using Bayesian Network For Search And Rescue, Amanda Belden

Master's Theses

People who are considered missing have much higher probabilities of being found dead compared to those who are not considered missing in terms of Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. Dementia patients are incredibly likely to be declared missing, and in fact after removing those with dementia the probability of the mission being regarded as missing person case is only about 10%. Additionally, those who go missing are much more likely to be on private land than on protected areas such as forests and parks. These and similar associations can be represented and investigated using a Bayesian network that has been …

Modeling The Effectiveness Of Bioremediation On Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether In Groundwater, Logan Bundy

Master's Theses

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and its degraded form tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA) are both known carcinogens that have contaminated groundwater aquifers across the United States. MTBE is a synthesized compound, once widely used as an additive in gasoline to increase oxygenation. Because of its popularity, MTBE was released into the environment primarily through fuel combustion and leaking underground storage tanks. These two compounds are known to be recalcitrant to most conventional physico-chemical treatment methods. Previous studies have suggested that bioremediation is effective at degrading MTBE and TBA in contaminated groundwater. Bioremediation involves the injection of oxygen, nutrients, and pre-adapted bacterial cultures …

Short Arc Initial Orbit Determination For Leo Objects And The Impact Of Observation Eelevation On Predictive Accuracy, Alexis Digregorio

Master's Theses

The expansion of space activities has led to an increase in congestion. With this increase, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of space situational awareness. Without it, the space environment can become hazardous, with increasing threats of collision and debris generation. As the utilization of space continues to grow, effective methods for tracking objects to maintain situational awareness must also be considered. One approach to tracking objects in space involves a series of steps, including optical observations and orbit estimations using initial orbit determination methods, followed by additional observations and continuous tracking. However, a challenge with this …

Manor & Meadow, Sydney Schultz

Graphic Communication

With the prevalence of DIY content on platforms like TikTok, many projects lack detailed guidance, making them challenging for individuals to replicate. By offering pre-packaged kits tailored to various interests and skill levels, this project seeks to democratize the DIY experience and empower users to unleash their creativity in a hassle-free manner.

Modeling The Acoustic Transmission Line With Applied Damping, Connor C. Getz

Master's Theses

The transmission line is an underappreciated style of loudspeaker enclosure characterized by an acoustic labyrinth stemming from the rear of the speaker driver. In practice, the transmission line enclosure produces airy sound uncharacteristic of other styles, at the cost of more pronounced resonant peaks. The most important practical drawback of this loudspeaker enclosure design is the difficulty of properly applying damping to these enclosures. Ideally, this difficulty can be mitigated using an analytical model that accurately predicts the SPL frequency response of a transmission line loudspeaker system for a given geometry and mass of damping material.

This research takes the …

Team F16: Autonomous Research Plane, Andrew Sugamele, Andrew Whitacre, Nicholas Toal, Cole Bushur

Mechanical Engineering

The autonomous research plane is a remote-controlled plane used for both in-flight data collection and to explore new manufacturing methods for Design Build Fly, an engineering club on campus. The club does not have the resources or time to implement data collection for their competition plane, so we built a plane in parallel, following similar rules to mimic the work and schedule that the club would use during their season. We first did research and analysis to determine the structure of the plane, geometry of wings, sizing of the tail, and what airfoil to choose. The manufacturing process included making …

Aged 539 - Graduate Internship, Braidyn R. Cossa

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report reflects on the Cal Poly Rodeo Program's alignment with the National Standards for Sport Coaches, showcasing a comprehensive approach to athlete development across multiple critical domains. Emphasizing a well-defined coaching philosophy, the program promotes sportsmanship, ethical behavior, and academic success. Personalized coaching addresses the developmental stages of athletes, ensuring a balance between their academic and athletic roles. The program employs effective teaching methods, clear communication, and constructive feedback to foster a positive environment and build strong coach-athlete relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

The coaches possess deep knowledge of rodeo skills and strategies, utilizing psychological techniques to …

Agriculture In The Middle School Classroom, Amy Prescott

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship consisted of substitute teaching in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District. Regular teaching assignments at Los Osos Middle School developed into a project designed to infuse agricultural concepts in core subjects at the school. The project involved developing lessons to be taught in humanities courses. Determining the impact of teaching agricultural content in the courses was included as a part of the project.

Aged 539, Madeline L. Hall

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This abstract outlines the standards of effective coaching that happens within the rodeo team at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), focusing on key principles and practices that define successful coaching relationships. The university emphasizes a holistic approach to coaching, integrating academic, personal, and career development goals to support student growth and achievement. Core principles include establishing trust and rapport, fostering open communication, setting clear and achievable goals, and providing personalized guidance and support tailored to individual needs. Additionally, Cal Poly Rodeo emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and evaluation of coaching practices to ensure ongoing effectiveness and relevance. By …

Graduate Internship Report Aged 539, Kylin Costa

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The contents of this project are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Santa Ynez High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Nipomo High School, Russell A. Zimmerman

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report documents the implementation and outcomes of a comprehensive agricultural education program at Nipomo High School, aligning with California Career Technical Education (CTE) standards. The project focuses on enhancing student engagement through curriculum development, leadership activities, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), and career readiness initiatives. Key components include expanding pathway offerings in horticulture, mechanics, and agricultural sciences, integrating field experiences, and hosting guest speakers to connect students with industry professionals.

Chioma Di Ulivo - Courtyard Canopy, Lilla J. Vigh, Claudia A. Geist

Architectural Engineering

Chioma di Ulivo ("Olive Tree Canopy") is the investigation and design of a canopy structure in the Engineering West (Bldg. 21) Hasslein Courtyard. The canopy will serve as a filtration system for both water and fallen olives from the olive tree on site, while providing a functional collaboration space for faculty and students alike. The goal of this project was to construct a quality diorama built by Lilla Vigh and Claudia Geist under the supervision of Dr. Craig Baltimore.

Polypropylene As Partial Fine Aggregate Substitute In Concrete, Samuel E. Royston, Chrisitan G. Achkar, Nicholas B. Tabarez

Architectural Engineering

The objective of this project is to discover a structurally effective method in repurposing recyclable plastic waste through its partial substitution for traditional fine aggregate in concrete.

Results obtained from analysis indicate a 25 percent compressive strength reduction with polypropylene at a 10 percent partial substitution for total sand content. This material successfully performed as an alternative, presenting a ductile mode of failure.

Three material alternatives - polypropylene, polyethylene, and rubber - were substituted for a percentage of sand. These materials underwent concrete cylinder crushing tests to determine their ultimate crushing strength, with the intent of identifying the most effective …

The Wall Group, Richard Antablin, Sara Engmyr, Michelle Griffith, Jora Leigh, Jesse Rainsdon

Architectural Engineering

This project aimed to design and construct an art wall in Poly Canyon to deter graffiti on existing structures and provide a designated area for student expression. However, after prolonged iterative revisions, it became evident that the project was significantly behind the original timeline.

It was recommended that the wall proposal be submitted for future student implementation. Instead of constructing the wall, an alternative course of action was proposed: restoring an existing structure in Poly Canyon to provide the desired hands-on experience.

After careful consideration, the Techite Bridge was selected for restoration. The proposed plan involves thorough cleaning, repairing chipped …

Smith Property Pre-Engineered Metal Barn, Trent Arjay Olmstead

Architectural Engineering

The Smith Residence Barn is a pre-engineered metal building designed to provide additional storage and workspace. The Architectural design was created by the Nunno Corporation, a San Luis Obispo based steel building general contractor. The soils report was created by Mid-Coast Geotechnical, INC. and the report’s conclusions were used for determining site conditions related to the foundation and lateral force system design. The structural calculations and plans were created by Trent Olmstead and reviewed by Brian Marc-Aurele, SE and Chris Murphy, SE. All calculations were done in accordance with the 2022 CBC, ASCE 7-16, 2023 AISC, ACI 318-19, and AISI …

Earning Engagement As A Graduate Student Instructor, Matthew Sloss

Architectural Engineering

One of the key benefits of a Cal Poly education is access to experienced instructors in a small classroom setting. In my final quarter at Cal Poly, I had the opportunity to glance behind the curtain and fill the significant shoes of an instructor of an introductory structural statics class. What initially was a chance to lend a hand to the department by sharing my limited experience turned into a thorough exploration of what it means to be productively engaging and of how to utilize the underrealized power of asking questions in the classroom setting. This report documents my experiences …

The Wall Group, Richard Antablin, Sara Engmyr, Michelle Griffith, Jora Leigh, Jesse Rainsdon

Architectural Engineering

This project aimed to design and construct an art wall in Poly Canyon to deter graffiti on existing structures and provide a designated area for student expression. However, after prolonged iterative revisions, it became evident that the project was significantly behind the original timeline.

It was recommended that the wall proposal be submitted for future student implementation. Instead of constructing the wall, an alternative course of action was proposed: restoring an existing structure in Poly Canyon to provide the desired hands-on experience.

After careful consideration, the Techite Bridge was selected for restoration. The proposed plan involves thorough cleaning, repairing chipped …

Cardboard Concrete Column Formwork, Danny Shrestha, Joelle Schalesky

Architectural Engineering

This project is an exploration of cardboard as a potential material for construction formwork for concrete columns. Multiple material tests were conducted to explore the behavior of cardboard and concrete. Multiple specimens of cardboard were tested for modulus of elasticity, moment of inertia, and tensile strength. Concrete was tested for its apparent lateral fluid pressure under vibration. Cardboard formwork was then designed and constructed based on these tested behaviors. The final design of the formwork consisted of folding cardboard sheets lined with hardboard, supported by wood studs, and tied by plastic banding straps.

Ultimately, two concrete columns―8' and 10' in …

Moment Monument, Brayden Alec Martinez, Carsten Walker Huber, Gaspar Emmanuel Solorio, Jared Thomas Schieferle

Architectural Engineering

We designed our project, dubbed the Moment Monument, in part to live out our dream of applying engineering and design skills towards creating a lasting impression on Cal Poly’s campus, as well as to develop a visual aid for future engineering students in steel design classes. The Moment Monument is in the Experimental Structures Laboratory, which is a space in the university’s ‘Poly Canyon’ that is reserved for students to build and test different applications of architecture, structural engineering, and construction. In recent years, it has been diffi cult to receive approval to build in the canyon due to high …

Santa Maria Climate Action Plan Recommendations: Building Energy And Transportation, Thomas Zimmerman, Elena Blewett

City and Regional Planning

The Santa Maria Climate Action Plan Recommendations addresses GHG emissions reduction for the largest sectors in the City of Santa Maria- Building Energy and Transportation. The project includes GHG forecasts and reduction targets from the City’s Draft 2020 Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. The reduction targets are met through a series of actionable measures to help the City meet aggressive reduction targets by 2030 and 2045.