Engineering Commons^™

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Noise Ordinances On Residential Construction: A Case Study In San Luis Obispo, Duncan Catley

Construction Management

Construction activities inherently generate substantial noise. As a result, construction becomes a notable source of ambient sound that permeates populated areas daily. This sound, especially at extreme volumes, can be the source of significant public annoyance and anger. Studies have shown that prolonged noise exposure can lead to hypertension, distraction, and even cognitive impairment in children. For these reasons, local governments will set noise ordinances to limit when and at what volume construction sounds can be made. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of these noise ordinances set by the city of San Luis Obispo. The …

Outdoor Furniture Build For Echo, Audrey S. Mcgowan

Construction Management

This paper outlines the building of outdoor furniture to be placed in the garden at El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO). The outdoor furniture that was built included a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table, all of which were made from redwood. The client requested the construction of the outdoor furniture because they did not have any safe or quality seating in their garden for the residents and staff to enjoy. The El Camino Homeless Organization provides food and housing for homeless residents within Atascadero. The funds required to procure the building materials were donated by Niner Wine Estates. This …

Disc Analysis Of Cal Poly Cm Students And Industry Professionals, Kai Gunaratna

Construction Management

This research analyzes why type D personality, as defined by the DISC personality assessment of 123test, was by far the most common personality type in the Cal Poly Commercial Construction class of winter 2022. This is interesting, as type D is the rarest personality type, making up ~ 9% of the global population (D Style - Type D Personality, n.d.). This was investigated by collecting DISC data from other Cal Poly Construction Management students to see if winter 2022 was an outlier, or if D type prominence is indeed a Cal Poly trend. The results of this research confirm that …

United Methodist Children's Center Playground Improvements, Kyle Passey, Hayden Garcia, Mario Taurian

Construction Management

The project consists of multiple pieces that were done as a team to improve the outdoor areas of the United Methodist Children’s Center. The scope of the work consists of placing gorilla hair mulch, making a bench for the kids, removing, grading, and placing artificial turf, and replacing the canvas of a shade structure. There are a few other smaller pieces that will be completed as well but those are the main pieces of the project. The project was executed by teaming up with multiple companies and getting teams of students together to construct the pieces of the project in …

Pcra-Icra Pre-Construction Risk Assessment/Infection Control Risk Assessment Course, Nicholas Dean Schorno

Construction Management

The Preconstruction Risk Assessment and Infection Control Risk Assessment (PCRA/ICRA) course is a collaboration between Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Construction Management Department, Cal Poly’s California Center for Construction Education, Green Advantage, LLC and Thomas Kommer, J.D. The goal is to create a certification course in which industry professionals become certified, signifying their knowledge and understanding of PCRA/ICRA practices associated with construction in the environment of patient care. The project began with the PCRA/ICRA manual authored by Stellar Performance, LLC. Working with Devin Deiranieh, the author developed the learning material for the course. The learning material consists of power point …

Class F Power Amplifier And Doherty Power Amplifier Design, Shreyansh Suman

Master's Theses

The main goal of this thesis is to design and fabricate a power amplifier suitable for entry in IMS 2023 High Efficiency Power Amplifier Student Design Competition. Power amplifier design requires multiple design tradeoffs, for example, efficiency and linearity are the two main conflicting design parameters that require careful tradeoff to ensure optimum performance. Two prototypes are designed and fabricated for the competition: Class F operating at 1.5 GHz and Doherty Power Amplifier designed for an operating frequency of 3 GHz. Both prototypes meet the minimum requirement for qualifying in the IMS 2023 HEPA SDC. Class F power amplifier designed …

Distributed Control Of Servicing Satellite Fleet Using Horizon Simulation Framework, Scott Plantenga

Master's Theses

On-orbit satellite servicing is critical to maximizing space utilization and sustainability and is of growing interest for commercial, civil, and defense applications. Reliance on astronauts or anchored robotic arms for the servicing of next-generation large, complex space structures operating beyond Low Earth Orbit is impractical. Substantial literature has investigated the mission design and analysis of robotic servicing missions that utilize a single servicing satellite to approach and service a single target satellite. This motivates the present research to investigate a fleet of servicing satellites performing several operations for a large, central space structure.

This research leverages a distributed control approach, …

Programmable And Modular Dc-Dc Converter, Joshua C. Hutchinson, Elijah M. Gordon

Electrical Engineering

This project considers the design, implementation, and testing of an open-source dc-dc converter for microgrid prototyping. Unlike conventional dc-dc converters that are proprietary and require specialist knowledge, and are usually designed for a single function, the proposed dc-dc converter will comprise of a programmable MCU and a Raspberry Pi (RPi) interface to allow less-skilled consumers to monitor and modify a power converting system. We will develop an open-source library that contains voltage control, current control, maximum power point tracking, and battery charge control profiles. Each library will be easy to implement through a GUI on the Raspberry Pi and will …

Tank Level Controller Plc Lab, Siddhi Upadhyaya, Teghvir Grewal

Electrical Engineering

The California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo’s Electrical Engineering Department is currently developing lab experiments for the new EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) class. In order to support these efforts, fourth year Cal Poly students are expected to develop laboratory experiments that will be conducted during this new class for the semester system. The lab experiment focused on in this project is called the Tank Level Controller. This experiment will introduce EE 435 students to Schneider Electric Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) hardware and software, which is prominent in the automation industry.
This experiment will require students to develop …

Hvac Fan Cooling System Using Modicon M580, Ogbonnaya Okoronkwo Okorie, Nicolas Jens Fache

Electrical Engineering

A common problem that many devices have when operating is overheating. Whether it is operating at full capacity or idle, those devices that we use exert heat to some type of extent. The physical and electronic components of the device can only withstand so much heat before the component becomes damaged. This product provides a method of preventing overheating by being a cooling system for your device. A solution for preventing overheating of the components in these electronic devices is by having some sort of cooling system. Our product’s cooling system will be based on energy efficiency, which means that …

Current Source Dc-Dc Converter For Undersea Fiber Optic Sensors, Richard Anthony Esplana Kwan, John Charles Rodinec, Andrew Armstrong

Electrical Engineering

Today, there are nearly 400 cable networks spanning roughly 750,000 miles to connect our world together. With thousands of miles of cable already lying on the ocean floor, with thousands more to come, many have recognized a unique opportunity in using this cable infrastructure as an attachment point for sensors to help study and monitor the ocean. Placing sensors onto a submarine cable is not a simple task; the sensors will require power that they receive from a transmission cable, from a battery, or from the submarine cable itself. Unfortunately, the existing power feed configuration for submarine cables typically only …

Photophoretic Optical Trapping, Essa Ababseh

Electrical Engineering

Photophoretic Optical Trapping (POT) is a relatively new concept in the field of optics which has potential application in 3D display. The POT is realized by confining a particle within a very small location of the optical system, mostly around the focus. The particle, if captured by the beam, has the potential to print visible 3D images in free space. Our POT system is encapsulated by an acrylic enclosure, which also incorporates a biconvex lens as well as an adjustable focus laser module. Particles are released around the top of the lens’ focal point until the captured particle can be …

Cybersecurity In Industrial Automation Lab Design For Ee 435, Jules Khalil Emile Hajjar, Emily Zhou

Electrical Engineering

This project involves the creation of an instructional laboratory aimed at teaching cybersecurity for industrial automation applications. Specifically tailored for Electrical Engineering students at Cal Poly, the experiment focuses on configuring the Modicon M580, a PLC from Schneider Electric, and serves to introduce students to relevant cybersecurity protocols and techniques. This project will be implemented into the EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) course curriculum upon Cal Poly’s transition to the semester system.

Industrial Automation And Controls Lab: Smart Led Dimmer Control, Trevor J. Beck

Electrical Engineering

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are rugged industrial computers used extensively in many industries for automation and control. EE 435 is a course being developed to introduce students to PLCs. This project will focus on one section of the course, with the primary objective being to control the brightness of an LED based on input received from an ambient light sensor. The control logic will use a PLC with analog input and output modules to interface with the sensor and actuator hardware. The light sensor will output 4-20mA proportional to the intensity of visible light, measured in lumens. The analog input …

Battery Hardware Simulator, Kian N. Orang, Marcelo Garcia

Electrical Engineering

This project aims to develop a battery hardware simulator, which will serve as a tool for studying microgrids. The primary objective is to create a simulation system that can emulate various battery technologies that are used in microgrids, including lithium-ion and lead acid. By utilizing this battery simulator, Cal Poly students can safely test battery management systems and battery-sensitive electronics without the inherent risks associated with real batteries. Our project implemented this design with a 4-quadrant programmable power supply (ITECH) connected to an AP Systems grid tied inverter. The power supply acts as the battery which can receive or supply …

Development Of Multiple Input Single Output Dc-Dc Converter, Ryan Bailey, Miguel Carmona, Jose Velez-Lopez

Electrical Engineering

This senior project report details the testing and validation of the designed DC-DC Multiple Input Single Output converter. The MISO uses four-switch buck-boost topology to output a single 48V from multiple nominal 24V inputs. The previous iteration of the MISO was plagued with an overheating mosfet that would drastically reduce the lifespan of the boards and reduce efficiency. This newest iteration includes more ground panes to combat the issues. In addition, the 200W MISO board was redesigned to utilize an edge connector for secure installment, removal, and replacement in the actual DC House system panel. The slots also have a …

Smart Table Top, Conner Sima, Nathan R. Jaggers, Jacob Barnes

Electrical Engineering

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D) is a tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) with complicated mechanics and a seemingly overwhelming amount of information. D&D players are often looking for ways to more effectively track information and products that enhance their game experience. One such product is a custom miniature; players use these to track their character’s location and for the enjoyment of creating a physical representation of their imagination. Virtual Tabletops (VTT’s) were developed to make the entire experience digital. The digital nature of VTT’s make all of the game’s rules and mechanics accessible at the click of the mouse; …

Wireless Energy Harvesting System, Matthew Palma, Audrey Toop, Andrew Fahey

Electrical Engineering

The modern world is built upon wireless transmission of data. The signals that carry this data travel through the air, an untapped source of power. Unreceived transmissions are dissipated into useless forms of energy when they should be reclaimed. Wireless electronics can theoretically be powered by harvesting energy from the electromagnetic signals in the wireless internet frequency band. The aim of this project is to develop a system to capture ambient energy, convert it into DC power, and store the power for later use. The product will consist of three subsystems: an antenna receiver, a rectifier and voltage-multiplier, and 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 …

Spice Modeling Of Biosensing Field-Effect Transistor, Alex Castro

Electrical Engineering

This project created a user manual on how to generate an easily configurable and implementable Spice model for Field Effect Transistor (FET) devices created in the Cal Poly clean room. The document contained step by step procedures depicting the proper execution techniques and example results for different experiments required to gather the proper information for these models. This testing methodology was shown for finding the numerous different device parameters of a FET, including the I-V curves, threshold voltage, and subthreshold current values. The manual then described how to transfer this data into a new Spice model to allow for simulation …

Reaction Wheel Based Rocket Active Spin Stabilization, Tanuj Vemuri

Electrical Engineering

Cal Poly Space Systems is the high-powered and experimental rocketry club at Cal Poly SLO. They aim to design, test, and launch fully integrated launch vehicles. In order to create efficient and reliable vehicles, stabilization systems must be implemented. One parameter that can be actively stabilized is the vehicle’s roll. The roll of the vehicle can have noticeably effects on vehicle performance, as uncontrolled roll leads to decreased system stability in flight. Un-controlled roll can also have negative impacts on the quality of onboard video, which is used for post-flight analysis and marketing.

Reaction wheels are a popular method for …

Directional Speaker, Gabriel Tramontina Ceribelli, Vincent Trevor Pierce

Electrical Engineering

Parametric Acoustic Arrays (PAA) are highly directional soundwaves whose attenuation and spread are much less affected by distance from the source as compared to traditional speakers. A well-known application for PAA is the directional speaker. Studies show that noise directly affects health and decreasing noise pollution can help improve the quality of life for millions of people. Directional speakers can revolutionize society by coupling space with sound. This project encodes audio into two RF-Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) waves to drive a transducer array. Each RF-PWM wave interferes with the other in air to generate a Single Sideband (SSB) frequency spectrum …

Bearing Health Detector, Natalie N. Tokhmakhian, Alexander J. Davis

Electrical Engineering

Bearings, a common component in rotating machinery, are essential components of modern rotating machines; thus, monitoring their health is crucial when reducing downtime and boosting production efficiency. The Bearing Health Detector (BHD), a hand-held device, captures and processes the sound of a machine under test in real time and estimates the level of wear and tear by comparing the sound to previous tests. The BHD encompasses audiences involved with roller bearings in rotating machinery and is designed to provide the diagnosis of wear through the universal detection of good, satisfactory, and very poor with the following color scheme: green, yellow, …

Multi-Effects Analog Guitar Pedal, Carson J. Bryan

Electrical Engineering

The Multi-FX Analog Guitar Pedal includes the analysis, design, performance, PCB layout, and packaging of an industry-standard effects pedal for an electric guitar. This project takes an analog input signal and utilizes analog circuitry to give the user the option to customize the way that their playing sounds. Effects include the options to add equalization filtering and distortion. The EQ filtering will allow the user to attenuate or gain certain frequencies divided into the 3 standard audio bands: bass (20-300 Hz), middle (300-4000 Hz), and treble (4-20 kHz). The soft-clipping distortion stage will allow the user to move around the …

Developments In Construction Workers’ Compensation Insurance With The Use Of Biometrics, Kobe Tooch

Construction Management

Construction insurance, especially that of workers’ compensation, is vital for the protection of general contractors, but it comes at a high cost and limits their control over contract terms. Biometric devices, such as heart rate monitors and motion capture, have the potential to revolutionize the industry by reducing construction insurance premiums. Heart rate monitors can provide real-time data on workers' physical activity and health, while motion capture analyzes movements to identify unsafe movement patterns performed by workers. By monitoring workers' biometrics, construction companies can ensure their safety, prevent hazards, and implement targeted training programs. This personalized data can lead to …

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 …

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. …

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 …

The Acme Building Fire Hazards Analysis, Russ Livesay

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) was written using modern fire protection engineering principles to characterize the Applied Chemistry Management and Enrichment (ACME) Building at the Pacific Northwest National Research Area (PNNRA) using both a prescriptive-based and performance-based analysis to ensure the building and occupants can be safe in fire conditions. Recommendations are made as part of this analysis to improve the survivability of this structure if a fire were to occur.

This building was found to be compliant with the prescriptive code requirements from the 2018 International Building Code except for a few minor issues that are currently being repaired. …

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 …