Engineering Commons^™

Review Study On Promoting Diversity And Inclusion In Engineering Education Through Digital Twins, Devon Bountry

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This study investigates the effect of digital twins in engineering education. This research was based on published research papers, conference papers, and case studies. Throughout a large range of studies, it was shown that digital twins can increase learning motivation and retainment through uses such as game-centered learning, personalized learning, and virtual prototyping. Particularly in engineering laboratory classes, digital twins can increase the variety of laboratory options while not increasing the cost due to equipment. This results in less barriers for students as there are more learning tools available at no additional cost or other requirements.

Sociotechnical Thinking In Statics And Dynamics, Raul Espinoza

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project introduced Canvas modules to instill a sociotechnical mindset in engineering students. By emphasizing the synergy between social and technical systems, the modules aim to produce engineers capable of crafting solutions that are technically adept and socially responsible.

Time-Lapse Imaging Of Colorectal Cancer Tumors, Jasmeet Sandhu

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project was aimed to test and validate a newly constructed live-cell imaging system that allows for imaging and live cells and tissues. This system is comprised of an incubation chamber that controls that temperature and pH of live cell culture while on a microscope.

Upper Limb Tensegrity Exoskeleton, Emily Mendyke, Sha'anan Levy, Alan Zhang

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Tensegrity structures are composed of stiff rods and elastic cables suspended in a flexible tension network. Their inherent properties have several key advantages when used in assistive medical devices such as supportive braces or rehabilitation exoskeletons: 1) the lightweight and natural compliance reduces the power consumption required to operate the system; 2) the system stiffness and pretension can be individually tuned to accommodate the user’s needs; and 3) the impact-resistant properties can protect users in the event of collisions and falls. This project explores the design space of assistive tensegrity devices to augment human dexterity in the upper limb. Suitable …

Analysis Of Gait Parameters And Knee Angles In Ultimate Frisbee Players: Implications For Balance And Injury, Ethan Nikcevich

Master's Theses

Biomechanics research investigating gait and balance of ultimate frisbee players is an unexplored topic. Ultimate requires a wide range of motions that could improve balance and is also a sport prone to frequent injury. This study explores the impact of playing ultimate on gait parameters associated with balance and knee angles associated with joint injury. Gait trials were conducted on 8 ultimate players and 8 control participants between the ages of 18 and 23 to obtain total double support time, stance phase time, single support time, load response time, abduction-adduction (AA) angles, internal-external (IE) rotation angles, and flexion angles of …

Co-Simulation Of Active Magnetic Bearing Rotors Using Adams, Msc Apex, And Simulink, Shea A. Charkowsky

Master's Theses

Apex-Adams-Simulink co-simulation is applied to active magnetic bearing (AMB) rotors, demonstrating results unshown in literature, including continuous frequency response, and unavailable in known rotor dynamics software, including touchdown bearing impact. AMBs levitate rotors without contact, so they involve no friction, wear, lubrication, pollution, or shaft speed limits and are thus valuable for large, high-speed applications. Modeling of such rotors, necessary for safety and performance, simultaneously requires flexible body dynamics and advanced control design, but simulation programs tend to specialize in only one or the other. The co-simulation method combines multiple such programs—MSC Apex (finite element modeling), Adams (multibody dynamics), and …

Subject-Specific Human Knee Fea Models For Transtibial Amputees Vs Control Tibial Cartilage Pressure In Gait, Cycling And Elliptical Training, Ali Yazdkhasti

Master's Theses

Millions of individuals around the globe are impacted by osteoarthritis, which is the prevailing type of arthritis. This condition arises as a result of gradual deterioration of the protective cartilage that safeguards the ends of the bones. This is especially true of transtibial amputees, who have a significantly higher incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee in their intact limb than non-amputees. Engaging in regular physical activity, managing weight effectively, and undergoing specific treatments can potentially slow down the advancement of the disease and enhance pain relief and joint function. Nevertheless, the relationship between the type of exercise and its impact …

Theoretical And Experimental Study Of Active Magnetic Bearing Control Integrated On Bently's Rotor Kit, Arturo Mario Flores

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the comprehensive study of controlling a customized Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) installed on Bently Nevada’s RK4 rotor kit in Cal Poly’s Vibrations and Rotordynamics Lab. The AMB was uniquely designed and manufactured by a Cal Poly senior project team to fit Bently’s rotor kit and the results of this research are distinctive to the custom system. To achieve practical functionality of the AMB system, we designed a controller a Virtual Instrument (VI) using the National Instrument software, LabVIEW. From the experimental study, we calibrated the programming to find unknown parameters of the AMB system and validated …

Northrop Grumman Collaboration Project, Nikkia Psomas-Sheridan, Santiago Robles, Ben Elkayam, Benjamin Ulfhake

Mechanical Engineering

The Northrop Grumman Collaboration Project (NGCP) is a collaborative club project sponsored by Northrop Grumman for the students of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (CPSLO) and Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) to create a fleet of vehicles to aid in the simulated rescue of stranded hiker. The CPSLO club is responsible for delivering an autonomous flight vehicle that can suppress a fire and retrieve a payload. Mechanical Design Team of the CPSLO team was responsible for the design of the frame, electronics housing, and payload and fire suppression systems.

Static Vascular Modeling Of Diabetes Progression, Andrea Skattenborg

Master's Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in diabetic patients, and diabetes is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease result in structural and functional changes in the vascular wall. Arterial stiffness is a prominent structural change observed in the arterial wall that can be measured in clinical settings. The purpose of this thesis was to create a static model of the changes in arterial stiffness seen in diabetes. Elastic tubes with varying wall thicknesses were used to create artificial arteries for this purpose. Compliance (inverse of stiffness) of the arteries was determined …

Design Fire Robert E. Kennedy Library, California Polytechnic State, San Luis Obispo, Jennifer Ocampo

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report evaluates the fire protection system of the Kennedy Building using a prescriptive approach and a performance-based design. The prescriptive approach evaluates code compliance of the structural design, fire suppression system, alarm and detection and smoke control. The performance-based design evaluates egress and life safety protection and three design fires that could potentially compromise the goals and objectives of the design.

The Kennedy Building is on the Campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and serves as the primary library of the university. This building has five stories of mixed occupancies. It is partially sprinklered, has limited automatic detection …

Fire Protection Engineering For Building A, Ai Choong Loh

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

Building A is a 9-storey mixed used development in Singapore to be completed in 2028. Fire safety provisions of Building A shall be in accordance with Singapore Fire Code 2018.

The report has analyzed the fire safety provisions in the area of structural fire protection provision, means of escape provision, automatic water suppression system provision, automatic fire detection and alarm system provision, engineering smoke control system provision, flammability assessment as well as performance based assessment.

Generally, building A complied to the prescriptive requirements of automatic water suppression system provision, automatic fire detection and alarm system, structural fire provision and means …

Xenabloom, Sophia Maglabe, Ryer Lauth, Elizabeth Shaw, Sheyna Rongong

Architectural Engineering

Proposal for an architectural and structural design of a shade structure at the Leaning Pine Arboretum, employing the Xenaform typology of Poly Shells, LLC.

Bruxism Biofeedback Device, Claire A. Dossey, Errin S. Abasolo, Isabelle A. Starr

General Engineering

This paper aims to summarize the design process for a biofeedback bruxism device, covering the necessary background research, engineering requirements, design process, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing for the device. The purpose of this project was to design an engineering solution for the treatment of bruxism. This entails both measuring and significantly reducing clenching and grinding during sleep, as many current solutions may reduce symptoms of the disorder, but do not treat bruxism itself. Engineering requirements included biocompatibility, size and weight, electrical safety, and easy of use and comfort. Many design options were proposed, and a Pugh Matrix was used to …

An Interactive Ecosystem Simulator, Tong Zhou

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This project is about an ecosystem simulator game that allows players to manipulate the population size of the selected species and observe these species interact with each other. It focuses on reflecting the consequences of human intervention in the ecosystem and the difficulty of maintaining a balanced ecosystem. I’ve been astonished by how human intervention could easily crash the ecosystem and how difficult it could be to make up for our faults. And many people still hold the thought that we control the world and could determine the death or live of all other creatures as we like. However, the …

Recor-Diy, Maxwell W. Ferrer

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

RecorDIY is an affordable alternative to ordering Vinyl Records from a manufacturer in the form of an at-home record-cutting lathe. This report will cover the record cutting process from audio to physical, at home record lathes that are currently available, and the possible improvements that I plan to implement in order to make these devices a more viable alternative for small artists. Current models can only create low fidelity records, specifically they struggle with lots of “noise”, extra sounds such as static that make it harder to hear the actual audio. Another issue is record size, as current models can …

Practical Podcasting: A Technical Guide To Producing Studio-Quality Podcasts, Jacob Sarmiento

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Podcasting exists at the intersection of the technical aspects of audio engineering and disciplines such as journalism and story-telling. Podcasts at KCPR, the student radio station, cover a wide range of topics including the soundscape of the DIY music scene in San Luis Obispo (SLO) on SLO-Fi, the intricacies of navigating SLO on Cal Poly 101, the best of Cal Poly Athletics on The Gallop, and the voices of underrepresented populations on campus on Different Matters. KCPR utilizes podcasts to entertain and inform its audience of the various experiences possible as a Cal Poly student. As a student-run entity, KCPR …

Development Of Cal Poly’S Hybrid Ac/Dc House, Eduardo Andres Muñoz, Giovanni Ramirez Angel

Electrical Engineering

The Hybrid House provides an example for what sustainable housing solutions could look like. It also functions as a potential solution to the current rural electrification issues many developing countries face. The use of a DC-DC MISO converter allows for combining multiple power sources into a single DC bus. The Hybrid House integrates the DC bus by employing the use of DC-DC converters for home use. This system may potentially improve the overall system efficiency by avoiding the losses associated with AC-DC converters. The use of the DC bus further leverages the Solar Panel renewable energy solution to become a …

Sky Survey Radio Telescope, Jack E. Mcguigan

Electrical Engineering

This document outlines the design of a radio telescope designed to perform hydrogen line sky surveys. The telescope produces radio images mapping the intensity and relative velocities of hydrogen concentrations to their sky coordinates. Over the course of a day, the telescope images the regions of space visible to it, allowing sky survey imagery to be updated daily. Sky survey images are comprised of an array of pixels corresponding to specific sky coordinates. Each 8-bit RGB pixel contains information on the concentrations of hydrogen in the brightness and relative velocity in the color. Radio images mapping the concentrations and velocities …

Failure Analysis Of Variably Sized 4340 Steel Mandrels Utilized In The Production Of Seamless Superalloy Rings Through The Vertical Ring Rolling Process, Mikhail Alexeyevich Vasilyev, Joshua Brady Venz

Materials Engineering

Vertical ring rolling is a forging process which forms seamless metal rings through applying a large force at elevated temperatures onto component materials stabilized by cylindrical mandrels. Carlton Forge Works, a company which produces rings of superalloy materials such as INCO718 and 718Plus, is experiencing a consistent failure of mandrels due to extreme conditions. An analysis of the lifetime (bulk material, heat treatment, and use) was performed, which aided in the identification of process variables tied to mandrel failure. Experiments were formed surrounding three variables of the mandrel heat treatment: Austenitization temperature, quenching temperature, and tempering conditions, with the goal …

Investigation Into Oxygen Diffusion As It Relates To Alpha Case Formation In Ti-6al-4v Based On Different Forging Thermal Cycles, Tyler J. Meador, Jon Leduc, Francesca Hope

Materials Engineering

An investigation into the growth kinetics of alpha case in Ti-6Al-4V in the presence of oxygen was conducted for different forging thermal cycles. This was done to determine whether the alpha case should be removed after each thermal cycle or as the final step after forging. The thermal cycles consisted of four hours at 1750 °F. Samples were subjected to this treatment one, two, three, and four times along with a continuous sixteen hour hold. Four cycle and Hold samples were subjected to an additional thermal cycle above the beta transus at 1925 °F. These then went through a final …

Improving The Tensile Mechanical Properties Of Direct Energy Deposited (Ded) Inconel 718 Aircraft Components Using A Standard Heat Treatment, Spencer Vincent Flynn

Materials Engineering

This project aimed to improve the mechanical properties of as-printed additively manufactured Inconel 718 samples using a heat treatment usually used for cast and wrought Inconel 718. The mechanical properties sought to be optimized were yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and reduction in area. The property goals were to match or exceed those of cast and heat treated Inconel 718. Wire-fed electron beam direct energy deposition (DED) was used to manufacture the samples, which were then heat treated using the AMS 5663 standard in an inert atmosphere. The samples were then tested in tension to obtain data on their …

Effect Of Environmental And Ultraviolet Degradation On The Albedo Of Polyethylene Sheet Materials For Improved Energy Harvesting By Bifacial Photovoltaic Power Plants, William A. Jang, Roxy H. Jackson-Gain

Materials Engineering

Solar energy farms typically utilize monofacial photovoltaic (mPV) cells in their arrays to capture direct sunlight to produce renewable energy. However, the efficiency of these farms can be increased by 2 – 6% through the implementation of bifacial photovoltaic cells (bPV). These bPV cells function by capturing incident ultraviolet (UV) light energy that is reflected off the surface to increase its overall energy production. The amount of UV energy that is reflected is dependent on the albedo value of surface, which is a measure of energy reflectance. In this study, samples of unreinforced polyethylene (PE), scrim-reinforced polyethylene (SR-PE), and woven …

Covalent Adaptable Networks For Wood Coatings, Jachin Boaz Clarke

Materials Engineering

Wood swells and shrinks causing problems with seasonal humidity. Applying thick coatings of reactive finishes based on cross-linked polyurethane, epoxy, or polyesters can slow moisture-vapor exchange. However, the use of thick coatings leads to cracking and crazing sooner than thin finishes. This research proposes the addition of 3.3 mol % triazabicyclodecene, a conventionally used covalent adaptable network catalyst, in a commercially available polyester-based wood coating. The self-healing of the wood coating is tested using DMA stress relaxation and compression molding. The result from DMA renders inconclusive and compression molding indicates the novel wood coating oxidizes at elevated temperatures. The wood …

Surface Characterization Of Low-Density Polyethylene Mulch, Risha Shah

Materials Engineering

Plastic pollution in aquatic systems has traditionally been highlighted in past and current research due to the increase in plastic production every year. Unfortunately, quantitative and qualitative data regarding plastic pollution on land systems such as agricultural mulch is limited. Agricultural mulch breaks down into macroplastics and then degrades into microplastics. The microplastics investigated in this study are all secondary microplastics: microplastics that form due to weathering of larger fragments of plastic. Weathering can occur due to a variety of factors; however, UV radiation and mechanical weathering have been the factors of focus on most current research in microplastic formulation. …

Interlaminar Tensile Properties Of Unidirectional And Woven Carbon Fiber Reinforced Toughened Epoxy Laminates, Eric Timothy Casey, Sean Mckalip Thompson

Materials Engineering

This project aims to develop a dataset on interlaminar tensile strength comparing unidirectional and woven thermoset matrix carbon fiber composites keeping ply count, matrix material, and fiber diameter constant. The interlaminar tensile strength is an important property relating to the delamination failure mode. Interlaminar tensile strength is determined using the ASTM D6415 testing standard. This test is a modified four-point bend test using a 90° curved beam test specimen. Laminates were produced by laying up pre-impregnated carbon fiber sheets onto a curved beam tooling. The unidirectional laminate was produced with 20 plies in a [0,0,90,0,0]₄ layup pattern. The woven …

Design, Modeling, And Testing Of A Novel Inductor For Electric Vehicles: Iron Nitride Soft Magnetic Composites, Sydney F. Fultz-Waters, Jacob Krynock

Materials Engineering

New technology for electric vehicles (EVs) must meet the requirements of higher energy usage, lower costs, and more sustainable source materials. One promising material for EV power system components is iron nitride (IN) soft magnetic composites (SMCs) because of their competitive magnetic properties and high abundance of the source materials. As part of an ongoing program at Sandia National Laboratories, this project focused on using computer modeling to optimize the prototyping process for an iron nitride SMC toroidal inductor to reach a target inductance of 600 μH. Four inductors with different combinations of wiring (26 AWG and 20 AWG) and …

Wonder World, Liam M. Shaw, Briana Kuo

Computer Engineering

The main motivation for this project stems from a mutual lifelong love for video games, specifically sandbox games. These types of games, such as Mojang's Minecraft, ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley, and many more, have consistently provided us comfort in stressful times throughout our lives. Now, at the culmination of our undergraduate experience, the curriculum we have experienced throughout these past four years has provided us with the knowledge and resources that allows us to provide this same sense of comfort for others. Our game aims to encourage collaboration between two players through solving puzzles and minigames. In addition, our game seeks …

Polyflowbuilder: An Intuitive Tool For Academic Planning At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Duncan Thomas Applegarth

Computer Engineering

PolyFlowBuilder is a web application that lets users create visually intuitive flowcharts to aid in academic planning at Cal Poly. These flowcharts can be customized in a variety of ways to accurately represent complex academic plans, such as double majors, minors, taking courses out- of-order, etc. The original version of PolyFlowBuilder, released Summer 2020, was not written for continued expansion and growth. Therefore, a complete rewrite was determined to be necessary to enable the project to grow in the future. This report details the process to completely rewrite the existing version of PolyFlowBuilder over the course of six months, using …

Cooled Liquid Rocket Thrust Chamber, Benjamin Gibson, Kealan Frederick Harris, Ryan Frank Schackel, Bjorn Thorsen

Mechanical Engineering

Cooling may affect the thrust output of a small-scale rocket. Little research is published about small-scale rocket performance. We hypothesize the thrust produced varies as the amount of cooling varies. To facilitate assessing this hypothesis, we have designed and built a liquid rocket engine rated for at approximately 25 lb_f of thrust. Our objective was to build in parallel with Cal Poly Space Systems, who built a rocket engine with similar specifications except without cooling. Our challenge is to integrate film cooling, so that the effects of cooling may be compared to Cal Poly Space System’s engine which has …