Digital Commons Network^™

Megan's Treadmill, Michael Peck, Daniel Byrne, Eddie Ruano

Mechanical Engineering

Megan is a 21-year-old Special Olympian in the local San Luis Obispo area who loves to move. Due to a visual impairment, Megan is limited in the amount of time she can be active and she currently relies on the help of a partner when she exercises. For example, during the school year, Megan participates in the Friday Club in the local recreation center where she teams up with a kinesiology student to obtain physical activity. She also competes every year in the Special Olympics held at Cuesta College. Megan races in the 50- and 100-meter dash holding a baton …

Blend It Wine Blending Distribution System, Connor Clarry, Russell Temple, Matt Moren

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Compost Chomper, David Anthony Jungquist, Cory James Parmenter, Joseph Mark Mcgill

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this final design report is to detail the design, manufacturing, and testing of a bicycle powered compost cutter for use by the Captain Raymond Collin’s Elementary school. Students in the garden program are tired of manually chopping up garden waste into small enough pieces to be composted effectively. Project Sponsor and Master Gardener, Susan Deogracias had the idea to create a pedal powered compost cutter which would save time and improve moral for the aspiring gardeners.

This report details the ideation process the team went through in defining the compost cutting system. Engineering methods are documented for …

Micro-Spi Sediment Profile Imaging Micro-Inspector, Andrew P. Corvin, Caleb T. Davies, Matt R. Ferrari

Mechanical Engineering

This project was proposed by Dr. Brian Paavo through a desire to more easily study the benthic sediment layers of the ocean. To do so, he asked us to build a simple and compact machine for use in sediment profile imagery (SPI). Although devices like this already exist, they are all large scale devices that require a ship with a crane to deploy, which is expensive and time consuming. Instead, he desired a “micro” SPI, which is capable of being deployed from a small vessel that can easily navigate shallow waters. Our interpretation of these requirements was as follows: a …

Personal Utility Cart, Eric Joseph Johnson, Jason K. Munter, Sean R. Portune

Mechanical Engineering

This final design report will detail the entire engineering design process from conceptualization through manufacturing and testing. After introducing the topic and scope of the project this document presents all of the benchmarking and research performed in order to obtain as much information about similar current products and possible solutions. Next the objectives of the project are presented where the needs are transformed into engineering specifications that will guide the design of the product. Design developed is then presented with ideation, idea evaluation and selection, analysis, manufacturing considerations, and final design selection. The final design is then presented with each …

Pedal-Powered Drivetrain System, Geremy J. Patterson, Callaghan Fenerty, Bradley Welch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Friction Test Machine, Alec J. Makowski, Megan Hardisty, Brandon L. Killian

Mechanical Engineering

Parker Aerospace is interested in collecting empirical data of friction coefficients for skewed roller bearings. A fixture will be designed, constructed and tested to allow a technician to quickly and easily measure the friction torque of a skew roller bearing with varying axial loads, geometries, lubricants, temperatures and rotational speeds in order to improve actuator efficiency.

Joseph's Jogger, Robert Trujillo, Carolina Reyes, Josh Egli, Luke Kraemer

Mechanical Engineering

Joseph Cornelius is a young man with spastic quadriplegia who loves the experience of being in triathlons. He actively participates in triathlons in which he is pushed in a jogger. His old jogger has become worn out and does not dampen road impacts which cause Joseph discomfort. Thus, the scope of this project was to create a new stroller in which he can be pushed efficiently for long distances and that dampens road impacts in order to allow Joseph to continue enjoying triathlons.

Electric Vehicle Drivetrain, Jimmy Andrew King, Kevin Kristopher Moore, Charissa Cadence Seid

Mechanical Engineering

This document serves to outline the design and development of Sharpell Technologies' ST5 electric vehicle drivetrain. Background research was conducted on various drivetrain components and testing methods, leading to the development of our drivetrain’s design requirements. Compiled in this report are the specifications of the components that will be integrated into our drivetrain design. All component calculations and specifications can be located in the appendices. An in-depth manufacturing plan features the modifications necessary to create several key components such as the shafts and housing. The assembly plan details a step-by-step process in which the components are arranged to ensure a …

Deployable Antenna For Cubesat, Mackenzie Thomas Lennon, Caleb Andrew Barber, David Matthew Galves

Mechanical Engineering

This project is a proof-of-concept ground model of a large deployable antenna designed for the small space requirements of CubeSats. This small deployment module is designed to fit a 2 m by 1 m reflective antenna inside a storage volume of with the dimensions 20 cm by 20 cm x 40 cm. The reflector will be deployed to a parabolic shape with the goal of modeling the reflector necessary for high frequency communication. Because this module is designed as a proof-of-concept for the deployable parabolic reflector specifically, no electrical components will be incorporated and will just focus on the deployment …

Drawing And Twisting Of Graphene Fibers, Gregory T. Lane, Robert J. Sekerak, Isaias Diaz

Mechanical Engineering

The aim of this project was to develop a more automated process for drawing and twisting of graphene fibers than was currently in place. This was implemented by having two chemical baths with variable speed rollers at either end, and intermediate roller to spool fiber between stages, and a twisting cylinder with integral spool to twist the fiber as it is collected. The goal was to have this first iteration deliver a working prototype, however due to manufacturing delays and timing constraints, that will be missed. A second follow-on project would be able to continue the work presented here and …

Maize Mill Senior Project, Jose Ignacio Delgado, Wesley C. Curtis, Charles Steese

Mechanical Engineering

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has worked on several projects to help developing communities around the world build the infrastructure necessary for modern life. One of their projects is the creation of an inexpensive and easily manufactured maize mill that communities in Africa (mainly Malawi) can use to grind corn and make their main food source, Nsima. Geoffery Wheeler, an accomplished engineer and former mentor to EWB’s Malawi team, wants an inexpensive, easily manufacturable and effective maize mill that can be fabricated and sustained in Africa.

This report describes the process in which the Maize Mill Senior Project team created the …

Polysat Helmholtz Cage, Alex Nichols, Nicolas Le Renard, Jordan Skaro, Louie Thiros, Madeline Tran

Mechanical Engineering

The MagCal5 Helmholtz cage project is an interdisciplinary approach to provide the PolySat/CubeSat research lab with a magnetic testing environment for the calibration of magnetic components and verification of various control laws. The Cal Poly CubeSat organization is the home of the CubeSat Specification, and acts as a testing and integration facility for CubeSats built by universities across the world. The PolySat organization is a CubeSat developer that works with numerous industry partners to design, manufacture, and operate CubeSats to further scientific advancement. The addition of a magnetic test stand to the lab will allow CubeSat to extend to the …

Marketing And Advertising For Small Business In Local Economies, Nathan Ross

Graphic Communication

This paper analyzed traditional and current marketing and advertising strategies employed by small and local businesses. The research focused on understanding issues and struggles for small businesses in terms of marketing and advertising in order to develop and test a new strategy that was focused on a community event. The event was designed to assimilate successful aspects of current marketing plans into one that has low monetary risk, and little to no extra time investment for the business. A community was created by an art collective called Nomadic Artifacts which was the basis for a case study.

The “Arts & …

Ecosystem-Based Management In The Morro Bay Watershed And Estuary, Lucas Earle Crandall

Master's Theses

The following thesis discusses the implementation of ecosystem-based management, an emerging concept in the field of environmental planning and management, in the Morro Bay watershed and estuary. Ecosystem-based management offers solutions to problems associated with human interaction within the natural environment; former President Barack Obama advised by the National Ocean Council, Pew Oceans Commission Report and the US Commission on Ocean Policy, has mandated implementation of this concept in coastal and marine systems (National Ocean Council, 2016). The theory behind ecosystem-based management challenges many tenets of existing natural resource management. This thesis finds the concept of ecosystem-based management as favorable …

An Investigation Of Avian Wing Tip Vortex Generation Using A Biomimetic Approach, David Stewart Martin

Master's Theses

An experimental study has been conducted to develop a process allowing the creation of biologically accurate aerodynamic test models mimicking the slotted primary feather geometry of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). Preserved examples of both a full Brown Pelican wing and a single primary feather were 3D scanned and digitally reconstructed using a combination of MATLAB and CAD software. The final model was then 3D printed as a collection of smaller components using a LulzBot TAZ 6 printer and Taulman3D T-Glase PET filament. After using various surface finishing techniques to improve the finish of all 3D printed parts, …

Development Of A Humidity-Resistant Coating To Impart High Oxygen Barrier Performance To Food Packaging Films, Ryan Yinghua Cox

Master's Theses

Oxygen barrier coatings have the potential to greatly extend the lifetime of certain food products by incorporating them into existing food packaging. Present technologies face definite challenges of maintaining high performance, while attaining simple and inexpensive preparation methods. The oxygen barrier effect obtained with these coatings is also susceptible to a plasticization effect when exposed to high humidity, since water vapor molecules are readily soluble in typically hydrophilic resins. In this work, we demonstrate a 1 – 2 micron thick oxygen barrier coating, prepared on a 12 micron poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate, that has oxygen transmission rates as low as 1.44 …

Design Of An Active Harmonic Rejection N-Path Filter For Highly Tunable Rf Channel Selection, Craig J. Fischer

Master's Theses

As the number of wireless devices in the world increases, so does the demand for flexible radio receiver architectures capable of operating over a wide range of frequencies and communication protocols. The resonance-based channel-select filters used in traditional radio architectures have a fixed frequency response, making them poorly suited for such a receiver. The N-path filter is based on 1960s technology that has received renewed interest in recent years for its application as a linear high Q filter at radio frequencies. N-path filters use passive mixers to apply a frequency transformation to a baseband low-pass filter in order to achieve …

Effective Methods Of Marketing An On-Campus Resource To College Students, Samantha Gary

Graphic Communication

The problem this research it attempting to solve is how to market an on-campus resource to college students. Through conducting surveys, gathering research, reviewing case studies, and analyzing data, the author has found that the answer is to not to segment college students by major. It is more effective to figure out what a typical students’ needs are and address them by providing a solution to their problems. By strategically placing printed posters around campus that capitalized on student’s needs for study breaks and outlets to tap in to their ideas, the author found that more students respond to this …

Azelia's Walker, Jordan C. Ramsey, Kathleen C. Balfour, Jayne K. Benedict, Gabrielle Merkin

Mechanical Engineering

A Biomedical Engineering student, KC Balfour, two Mechanical Engineering students, Jayne Benedict and Gabrielle Merkin, and one Industrial Engineering student, Jordan Ramsey, make up the interdisciplinary senior project team of Azelia’s Walker. The goal of Azelia’s Walker is to create a custom walker for an 8-year-old girl in the San Luis Obispo Community, named Azelia, who has decreased motor control. Her current walker does not suit her active and energetic lifestyle, so Azelia’s Walker is challenged to design and manufacture a collapsible all-terrain walker that best suits Azelia’s needs. Throughout the academic year, Azelia’s Walker participated in the brain-storming and …

X-Beam Alignment System, Whittaker Ian Hamill, Joseph Michael Falcao, Robert Kim-Yan Tam

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the project was to design, build, and test an automated machine for Micro-Vu that will align a pair of rails to the necessary precision and affix said rails to Micro-Vu's X-Beam as to reduce manual labor and human error.

Swanton Pacific Railroad - Track Maintainer Upgrades, Jakob Graf, Dustin Platt

Mechanical Engineering

This project’s sponsor is Swanton Pacific Railroad, a 1/3 scale railroad in Santa Cruz, CA. Our team was given the task of upgrading a maintenance cart used to clear debris from the track and level the gravel ballast during maintenance projects. Our focus was to upgrade the blowing system used to clear any debris. The current system used is a hydraulic fan with a single length of ducting serving as its outlet. Our solution is to mount two Stihl backpack leaf blowers to manufactured saddles and mount the assembly to the cart in place of the hydraulic fan. Ducting is …

Assessing Soft Skills At The Cal Poly State Agriculture Ambassador Conference, Mary Luann Allen

Agricultural Education and Communication

In today’s society, there is a disconnect with the agriculture industry, agriculture schools, and the public. Students need to acquire soft skills to aid in furthering the agriculture industry through their careers. Overall, hiring managers found soft skills such as communication, leadership, ownership, and teamwork were missing in this new crop of workers (Payscale/Future Workplace, 2016).

College Agriculture Ambassadors advocate for agriculture, higher education, and their respective schools all across the United States. The Cal Poly Agriculture Ambassadors club provides leadership, communication, and personal development to its members through meetings, activities and responsibilities.

The Cal Poly Agriculture Ambassador club hosted …

Business Model: California Agriculture Marketing Agency, Mary M. Alameda, Emma L. Larson

Agricultural Education and Communication

The importance of creating a marketing agency specializing in agriculture is to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. The lack of transparency from the producer has created a torn industry causing the average consumer to be questioning his or her food, or simply not understanding the agricultural way of life. An agricultural marketing firm in California can represent and advocate for local businesses to start closing the producer to consumer gap.

The American farmer excels at many things, but lacks in public communications. Modern day farmers have been able to produce more food than ever despite fewer resources and …

Structural Analysis Of Overhead Crane In Simpson Strong-Tie Laboratory, Amy Poehlitz

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mano De La Amistad: A Thin Shell Concrete Structure Designed For The People Of Havana, Cuba, Peter Aster, Marta Blachowicz-Scott, Aaron Cook, Alex Erler, Elizabeth Townsend, Ger Yang

Architectural Engineering

In designing a thin shell structure to cover the performance space on Tribuna Anti Imperialista Jose Marti, in Havana, Cuba, we developed a heavily symbolic concept and further abstracted it to reach our design. Basing the concept on the quote to the right by Obama about US and Cuba relations, we wanted our design to be representative of a hand that works to adjoin the plaza to the US Embassy which is directly west of the site. The “wrist” portion adds an asymmetric element, while the fingers provide a backdrop to the performers as well as a view through to …

Mt. Carmel Shade Structure, Sonny Moraga, Adam Maclean, Julian Reyes, Christopher Carter

Architectural Engineering

The Mt. Carmel Shade Structure incorporated the efforts of students practicing Architectural Engineering and Construction Management disciplines. The project consisted of designing, engineering and constructing a steel frame structure for the benefit of Mt. Carmel Church and its associated preschool.

Masonry Core Testing, Enrico Aldo Alvaro, Onessa Wyleen Fernandez Anastasio

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Ginkgo Shell, Mark Luzi, Karla Santos, Josh Cannon, Erika Davis, Nora Villanueva

Architectural Engineering

The overall concept for this outdoor concrete shell structure, located in Furstliche Park in Inzigkofen, Germany, is derived from an abstracted ginkgo leaf. Drawing on inspiration from a poem about the two parts of the ginkgo leaf becoming one, we took the approach of combining both the natural and built environment into one cohesive piece. To connect the two, it was imperative that we place the shell on the site as to have the smallest impact. With a small portion of the overall site used, the unoccupied space further enhances the natural environment. Creating a literal design connection between the …

Structural Calculations For Community Center And Stage, Mission Twentyfive35 Dominican Republic, Jocelyn Lu, Mindy Trieu

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.