Engineering Commons^™

Center Pivot Sprinkler Distribution Uniformity Impacts On The Spatial Variability Of Evapotranspiration, Daniel Howes, Sean Ellenson, Lucas Hoffmann, Franklin Gaudi

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Understanding variable evapotranspiration (ET) throughout a field can help maximize yield on a per-acre basis, as well as assist with proper irrigation scheduling. The results from this study indicate that irrigation system distribution uniformity (DU) has a significant effect on the uniformity of ET during water-stressed periods. The study site involved intensely managed forage (alfalfa and winter grain hay) irrigated by center pivots being supplied with reclaimed water near Palmdale, California. During spring and early summer 2007 the center pivots were operating under deficit irrigation. In 2010, after the installation of reservoirs, water was applied to meet full evapotranspiration (ETc) …

Badge Web Application, Ryan Green

Computer Engineering

This project includes the imagining, design, build, and test of a web application that creates and tracks a user’s progress on completing tasks that an administrator has created for the user. The goal of this project is to have a functioning webpage that is robust and scalable to support many users and many tasks. The application will be developed for use on all modern web browsers, and will have a persistent server to access from any platform. This project was designed to be an exercise in building a modern web application, and as such is written using many different languages, …

Compression Tester Shop Press, Colby Johnson, Brett Russon, Taylor Vandenhoek

Mechanical Engineering

A piece of machinery designed to carry out compression and bending tests on building materials constructed by the Center for Vocational Building Technologies (CVBT) in Isarn, Thailand.

Multi-Axis Tripod Locking Mechanism, Glenn Carros, Hannah Gause, Matthew Theiss

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Quickbooks Self-Employed Ios Application, Braden Young

Computer Science and Software Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bikeshare Business Model For Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo, Justin Benson, Andrew Neil Gatchalian

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

With the increasing admittance of students into colleges and universities across the nation, the need for alternate modes of transportation is becoming more pressing. College and university campuses, as well as small cities, in which there is a college or university, are being overloaded with student cars. In San Luis Obispo specifically, parking on campus as well as downtown can be extremely difficult to find. Traffic is also getting progressively worse, especially at the hour when class begins/ends and student arrive to or leave campus. Financial reasons are yet another deterrent for students at Cal Poly. Parking permits, gas, and …

Redesign Of Talley Farm's "Fresh Harvest" Produce Program, Nicole Bordwell, John Rivera, Jared Toboni

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Fresh Harvest, a Central Coast Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program run by Talley Farms located in Arroyo Grande, CA, has a rapidly growing customer base. They harvest, package, and deliver boxes of fresh quality produce to almost 3000 subscribers. However, Talley Farms’ space for production and processing is limited and at times required for other aspects of business. This results in a problem where Talley Farms current processing system of produce for the Fresh Harvest program is not suitable for the forecasted growing demand. This report addresses the need to prepare for continued significant growth to the demand for Fresh …

Process Improvements Of Cilantro Harvesting With Ergonomic Considerations, Eric Penningroth, Branden Shimamoto

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The problems presented by Talley Farms to the team were a lower than desired cilantro harvesting capacity and work health pertaining to lower back problems. The project objectives were to address and improve upon both of these objectives. To increase harvesting capacity, a simulation model was created using standard times from time studies. The simulation model helped to compare the different harvesting methods as well as the effect of the utilization of the on-site manager. The throughputs between each of the models were analyzed. To address ergonomic concerns, a work sampling study was conducted and it was determined that kneeling …

Effects Of Patient Factors On Implantation Rates In In Vitro Fertilization, Heidi Richardson, Sofia Soto

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effects of patient factors and embryo quality on the implantation rate in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). For this report, statistical methods are used to test the significance of several patient and embryo characteristics on embryo implantation rate. This project is an analysis of data collected from over 36,000 patients.

The analysis concluded several findings. There was enough statistical evidence to conclude that age was significant in regards to implantation rate and FSH levels. As the patient ages, the amount of FSH levels found in their blood increases. A patient with high …

Analysis And Improvement Of The Security Building At Pg&E Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Alyssa Carter, Natalie Christa, Phuong Anh Pham Dinh

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

A new Security building was recently designed and built at the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP).This building’s staff and equipment are responsible for performing routine inspections on all personnel entering the facility in order to prevent security-related incidents from occurring at the nuclear power plant. Similar to airport security procedures, the DCPP security building routine inspections include the use of x-ray machines, metal detectors, and explosive detectors.

The Power Plant periodically experiences pre-planned, preventive maintenance outages, that last 4-6 weeks. During an outage, a power plant reactor is shut down for maintenance, repair, and re-fueling. …

Analysis For Updating An Irrigation Pumping Station With Variable Frequency Drives, Kirk Teixeira

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Comparison And Cost Analysis Of Growing Hops In A Greenhouse Versus An Outside Environment, Preston Way

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Irrigation Drip System Design For A Vineyard, Riley Way

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Design And Construction Of A Solar Water Purification System Using Ultraviolet Radiation, Bryan Wilson

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of San Luis Obispo Historic Precipitation Data And Calibration Of The Cal Poly Weather Station, Hilary Olsen

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Fresh Bytes - Connected Hydroponics For Small-Scale Growing, Jack Bowen

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Many users are now transitioning to small-scale hydroponics and aquaponics at home. There can be a barrier to entry with these systems as there is a delicate balance of chemicals, pH, etc. that must be maintained. There are sensors for these various components but they are either aimed at commercial production or are un-automated. Fresh Bytes is a microcomputer with sensors to detect all of these unseen components in a hydroponic system. A prototype of this microcomputer is produced along with CAD plans for more professional versions of it. The sensors are verified and future development is contemplated.

Aquaponics Art, Alexander Horton

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Aquaponics has enormous potential to change the way we farm. I wanted to connect more people to Cal Poly's first aquaponics club by creating a functioning aquaponics art installation that allows people to plant their own plants. This paper is catalog of the design process as a reflection of what this project hopes to accomplish.

On The Interaction Of A Racing Car Front Wing And Exposed Wheel, S. Diasinos, G. Doig, T.J. Barber

Aerospace Engineering

A numerical investigation of generic open-wheel racing car wing and wheel geometry has been conducted, using original sub-scale experimental data for validation. It was determined that there are three main interactions that may occur, identifiable by the path that the main and secondary wing vortices take around the wheel. Interaction ‘A’ occurs when the main and secondary wing vortices both travel outboard of the wheel; interaction ‘B’ is obtained when only the main wing vortex passes inboard of the wheel; while interaction ‘C’ sees both wing vortices travel inboard of the wheel. The different interactions are achieved when geometric changes …

Flow Compressibility Effects Around An Open-Wheel Racing Car, J. Keogh, G. Doig, S. Diasinos

Aerospace Engineering

A numerical investigation has been conducted into the influence of flow compressibility effects around an open-wheeled racing car. A geometry was created to comply with 2012 F1 regulations. Incompressible and compressible CFD simulations were compared-firstly with models which maintained Reynolds number as Mach number increased, and secondly allowing Mach number and Reynolds number to increase together as they would on track. Results demonstrated significant changes to predicted aerodynamic performance even below Mach 0·15. While the full car coefficients differed by a few percent, individual components (particularly the rear wheels and the floor/ diffuser area) showed discrepancies of over 10% at …

Modernization Of The Walker River Irrigation District Water Gauges, Stuart Styles, Robert C. Bryan, Kenneth C. Spooner

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) and Walker River Irrigation District (WRID) collaborated on WRID’s Water Gauge Improvement Project with support from the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Interior in Carson City, Nevada. This paper presents a summary of the proposed plan and implementation for improving water gauges in WRID with strategic engineering recommendations for new hardware and control equipment; water management strategies; flow measurement devices; and integration of a new district-wide SCADA system. Field investigations and engineering analyses were carried out by the ITRC in 2009 to inspect existing WRID infrastructure, to review current operational procedures, and …

Cold Roll Extrusion Machine Redesign Final Design Report, Foja Bains, Bryan Cyr, David Van Schooten

Mechanical Engineering

This report is a comprehensive review of a redesign of subsystems for a Cold Roll Extrusion Machine, a forging operation, for PCC Rollmet. Three subsystems were addressed in this project: A new Loading system, Feed system, and Lubrication system. The Loading system, and support system during developmental design stages, addressed the timely loading process of pipes onto the forging machine. After two quarters of design iteration, the group decided on a lever arm, hydraulic actuated, loading design. In the final quarter of the project, a quarter scale model of this lever arm was constructed to prove the concept of the …

Aeroponic/Hydroponic Growth Module, Sean Marrs, Joshua Moreno

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mhttu Implementation Final Project Report, Angelica Ramirez, Julian Samayoa, Matt Keeble

Mechanical Engineering

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has invested considerable effort in developing fireproof high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Due to the nature of LLNL’s research, the air leaving its lab facilities must be filtered before it is released into the atmosphere; thus, each laboratory is equipped with large banks of HEPA filters through which all internal air is exhausted. Over the years, however, fires have erupted in the labs and entire banks of HEPA filters have been destroyed, resulting in repairs and crucial downtime that prove costly.

Engineers and scientists alike have been seeking a permanent solution to this problem, and one …

Cal Poly India Project, Derek Babine, Austen Hibler, Alex Hernandez

Mechanical Engineering

This report documents the research, ideation, and development of a solution, implemented by the Cal Poly India Sanitation Team per the request of Mr. Harish Bhutani, to solve the problem of hazardous human waste management in poor villages in India. The sponsor envisioned a universal design that would give each household in those villages access to a private toilet system because the current solution is open defecation in water sources and farming fields. The initial constraints required the project be low cost, not use of electricity or water, have the ability to cater to an 8-10 person household, and be …

Machine Shop Learning Kits, Samantha Kelley, Ellen Chambers

Mechanical Engineering

Currently in the Cal Poly Machine shops, students are struggling to find ways to fulfill the 10 hours of shop experience required to gain their Yellow Tag certification. Red Tag is the first level of certification students generally achieve their freshman year. It allows them to use basic machine tools such as drills, shears, benders, etc. Then after completing 10 hours of shop experience they can take the Yellow Tag test, which gains them access to use a welder, mill, and lathe. The heads of the machine shop, the shop technicians, and the mechanical engineering students will all have different …

Semi-Automated Glass Mat Splice Operation For Asphalt Shingle Line, Justin Bracci, Harry Zhao, Chad Linafelter

Mechanical Engineering

The following report details the senior project sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation, Shafter, CA in regards to semi-automating a glass-mat splicing table for asphalt roofing shingle production. Herein includes details, research, design, and analysis regarding the semi-automation of the gluing processes for the splicing table. A working prototype was manufactured and tested for the future implementation onto GAF’s production line or further senior project involvement.

Farmbot, James Cruz, Scott Herrington, Bryan Rodriguez

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to develop the hardware for the current Farmbot to perform its primary functions, and to create a template for a system that would be adaptable for future users and developers. The scope of the project included creating a universal tool mount, a seeding system, and a watering and nutrient mixing system. This project was brought to the students by sponsor Rory Aronson, the creator of Farmbot. The Cal Poly Farmbot team was able to go through an extensive brainstorming and iterative process for each part, where testing was able to be incorporated immediately due …

Temperature Controlled Packaging Container For Biologics And Pharmaceuticals, Melinda Phan, Yufay Chow-Yee, Abraham Ho

Mechanical Engineering

Clinical Supplies Management, Inc. (CSM) provides clinical trial services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies by shipping pharmaceuticals to clinics and other patients. In winter 2014, CSM presented a temperature control packaging project to the Cal Poly Senior Project class. As a result, three Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering Students were tasked to design, manufacture, and qualify a shipping container that would maintain ten 10 mL vials between 2-8°C for 96 hours. The final product would have to cost less to ship than the Credo Cube, CSM’s current temperature control packaging product. After considerable research and analysis on possible temperature control technologies, …

Wingtip Dynamics Simulator, Eugene Fox, Nick Rodriguez, Steven Rieber

Mechanical Engineering

Raytheon is a defense contracting company with an electronic warfare division that is developing a radio frequency signal triangulation system. Part of the focus in improving this technology is the need for accurate and real time locational knowledge of the signal receivers, which are located at the tips of aircraft wings. Due to turbulence during flight, the fluttering motion of the wings alter the distance and angle relationships of the two receivers and add noise to the received signal data, which negatively affect the triangulation estimates. To mitigate this error caused by the wing flutter, Raytheon is developing a software …

Wildlife Deterrence Method Test Device, Garrett Tietz, Adam Webb, Dane Knutson

Mechanical Engineering

The objective of the Deer Busters team is to design and build a device or system of devices that will be used to determine which method, or methods, are most effective at deer deterrence. JumpSport suspects that a method which gives the appearance of approach to the deer in an aggressive or startling manner but also changes the way it attacks so that the deer do not get used to the device will be most effective. Deer Busters is committed to the completion of the deer deterrent testing device by the end of the fall quarter of 2014.