Engineering Commons^™

Senior Design Proposal For Brakes Subsystem 2019-2020, Jasmine Zogheib, Zachary Demetriades, Devin Seay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report concentrates on efforts to design a new braking system for the Zips Formula Electric Race Team. The improvements to the braking system will be based upon previous years’ official designs along with optimizing for predetermined criteria. The design will be influenced based on design factors of the car such as weight, center of gravity, wheelbase, and integration with other systems of the car.

Adaptive Bike Pedals, Norman Hansen, Robert Csaky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Adaptive Bike Pedals project is set out to create a new attachment for tricycle pedals that improves on a previous model. The need for these attachments is common in rehabilitation and physical therapy centers to help patients keep their feet on pedals when they are not able to. They can also be used in homes of families that have children with disabilities, diseases, or disorders that inhibit them from keeping their feet on the pedals. There are attachments on the market already, but the problem with those models is that they are costly and made for specific pedals. The …

Ideal Lacrosse Stick, Josh Beck, Tyler Skoloda, Noah Reed, Stanley Dembosky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is focused on the design of a new and innovative lacrosse stick. Our main points of focus will be the strength and durability of the head. As well as solving some of the problems that exist in existing equipment. These problems were identified by interviewing experienced players at the college level. Benefits would include a stronger head that is easier to use for a player on the field to do things like pass, catch, shoot, and field ground balls in an optimal manner. Normally players will have to purchase new heads every season as a result of warping …

Tabletop Mechanical Tester, Jamie Dombroski, Brian English, Richard Leffler, Andrew Shirk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The need for hands-on and face-to-face experiences in the engineering classroom is very great. The equations, principles, and concepts can all be learned, but without the visual and tactile application, these don’t always sink in or become concrete. A small-scale tensile test machine was designed, sourced, manufactured, and tested for the purpose of being applied in classroom settings to provide this experience to engineering students. Extensive research was performed concerning tensile machines on the market, the essential elements of which are the load cell, grips, crosshead, extensometer, motor, and frame. The raw materials for the frame were purchased and drawings …

Low Velocity Impact Of Hybrid Stacked Steel Plates, H. Hadidi, R. Q. Feng, M. P. Sealy

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Designing and manufacturing high-strength, low-weight parts with enhanced impact resistance is highly sought after in the transportation industry. The most common methods to improve strength-to-weight ratios of impact targets is a composite material composition or a favorable geometric design. An alternative method to improve impact performance is functionally gradient mechanical properties in a single material by hybrid additive stacking. In this study, low-velocity impact tests were conducted on hybrid stacked 1070 steel plates where individual layers were subjected to shot peening (SP) to functionally grade mechanical properties. Hybrid additive stacking refers to secondarily processing preferential layers within a stacked build …

Achieving Sustainability Through Reducing Construction Waste During The Design Process: A Value Management Perspective, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Sherouk Mohamed Abdelrahim

Architectural Engineering

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of Value Management towards achieving sustainability through reducing the construction waste during the design process.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the abovementioned aim, a research methodology consisting literature review and survey questionnaire is designed to achieve the following objectives: first, building a comprehensive understanding of the research topic through reviewing literature related to the nature of the construction industry, waste in construction, sustainability, the design phase and Value Management; second, presenting and analysing two case studies to validate the role of Value Management towards reducing waste in construction projects; third, conducting …

Design And Optimization Of Dynamic System For A One-Kw Free Piston Linear Engine Alternator-Gensets Program, Nima Zamani Meymian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In power/energy systems, free-piston linear machines are referred to as a mechanism where the constrained crank motion is eliminated and replaced with free reciprocating piston motion. Depending on the application, the piston motion can be converted into other types of energy and includes compressed air/fluid, electricity, and high temperature/pressure gas. A research group at West Virginia University developed a free-piston linear engine alternator (LEA) in 1998 and have achieved significant accomplishment in the performance enhancement of the LEAs to date. The present LEA design incorporates flexure springs as energy restoration components and as bearing supports. The advantages of using flexure …

Comparison Of Locational Beamforming Algorithms On Audio Targeting, Thomas Bradshaw

Electrical and Computer Engineering

This project uses a digital signal processing algorithm known as beamforming to attempt to isolate an audio signal from nearby interfering audio signals. This is done using an array of microphones and a PC computer.

This project was initially designed to be used in a snore cancellation system. However, this project could also be used in applications such as recording live lectures for distance education as it can remove distractions like rustling papers and whispering students.

Following Distance Coach, Erik Clemens

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Improper following distance reduces a driver's time to respond in emergencies.

• Humans struggle to adjust following distance with speed
• Older vehicles do not include assistive technology

The Following Distance Coach:

• Adjusts appropriate following distance with speed
• Is easy to install in any vehicle
• Allows drivers to focus on other driving tasks
• Alerts drivers if they forget safe habits

Gesture Controlled Drone, Parker Mortensen

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Drones are difficult for beginners to control easily. This causes fewer people to pick up the hobby due to frustration.

This project aims to give users an easier method to pilot a drone by using a familiar controller and integrated functions for actions that are more difficult for a beginner.

Autonomous Weather Quad-Copter, Usu Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• The purpose of this project is to create an autonomous quad-copter that can collect weather data from user-specified locations and return safely.
• For the scope of this project, the drone will only capture temperature and humidity data with some sensors.
• The user first inputs the coordinates for the drone to start collecting data at, and then the drone scans a in a grid starting from that point.
• After the drone returns from its flight, the data will be displayed on the user’s computer

Biometric Trigger Lock, Tyson Olsen

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Purpose: To provide an intermediate storage option for firearm owners that is portable and accessible.

• 505 accidental firearm deaths in 2013
• Many of these are preventable by better storage solutions
• Many gun owners are in search of a more accessible storage option.
• This is NOT a perfect solution to firearm storage.
• Other methods are still needed for complete security.

Tag Wall Work Order Management, Bryce Halling

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Working in a bike shop, I saw firsthand how inefficient it is for a shop to track work on paper. With commerical software options being very expensive, I decided to make a solution that better suits the needs of shops like the one I worked at.

What Tag Wall is:

• A simplified work order management software.
• A low-cost alternative for shops working on a budget.
• A flexible solution adaptable to many use cases

Wireless Charging Electric Vehicle, Alan Mathias, Austin Waldvogel, Clark Corry, Koby Sullivan

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Create a wireless charging system to charge an electric vehicle each lap as it drives over a charging pad. This vehicle would have competed in the “Gear Up Competition.” In this competition, students design and race an electric vehicle to complete the most laps before the battery depletes.

Android Based Geolocation Application, Esteban Womack, Cayden Anderson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The objective of our project is to make an app which finds the location of a radio transmitter, a process known as radio geolocation. Radio geolocation is the process of finding a geographical location of a radio frequency transmitter. These transmitters range across the frequency spectrum from cell phone transmission, radio towers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, walkie talkies, etc.

Pirate Rover, Joshua Wooten

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The overall objective was to create a rover that can:

• Drive on its own
• Sense objects in its path and avoid them
• Detect metallic objects
• Alert the User where these objects are located

Portable Hiking Repeater, Jonathan L. Hunt Iii

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hiking and spending time in the wilderness is a common hobby. But as fun as it may be, much of it is spent out of cell phone reception. While it can be refreshing to have a break from our constant “connected-ness”, if someone is injured or lost without means of communication the results can be deadly.

The Portable Hiking Repeater was designed to mitigate these risks. A repeater is a simple device that receives and retransmits radio signals. By making one small and portable, hikers could easily bring one on their trip and leave it in a strategic location.

Then …

Mono-Wheel Autonomous Vehicle, Avon Van Noy

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Problem:

The colonization of other planets, i.e. Mars, require pre-human operations. The low atmospheric density and geomagnetic fields allow for an increased amount of radiation to reach the planet’s surface. Building base structures from the planet's regolith can help protect the future inhabitants from radiation.

Solution:

The Mono-Wheeled Autonomous Vehicle will have a split mono-wheel to allow for orbital rotations, a screw and bolt system for raising and lowing the body, a LIDAR to map the area around the vehicle, and a mesh network for communication between all vehicles. A prototype of this system was made to its fullest, based …

Multifunctional Reconfigurable Antenna, Glendyn King

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Using a higher frequency band for wireless communications allows a higher data rate and bandwidth, However, loss is a function of frequency. The higher the frequency the higher the loss. An approach to over coming this obstacle is to build better antennas. An antenna that can reconfigure itself to account for factors such as weather, polarization, etc. can help mitigate the problems met at higher frequencies.

The project to solve the problems of legacy antennas was to build an aperture coupled patch antenna. This was interrupted halfway through the semester and the project had to be redesigned. These two Designs …

International Future Energy Challenge Power Supply For Nanosatellites, Parker Ames, Keith Bird, Ashley Buxton, Brad Dyer, Matt Hansen, Joshua Zaugg

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Objective: build a nanosatellite power supply that matches the requirements for the IFEC 2020 competition

Internet Time Management System, Mckay Ransom

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• The Internet Time Management system is a method to help manage how people spend time on the internet.
• The system can regulate or suspend internet access over a local network.
• The system is meant to be used by people who want to hold themselves accountable for how they spend their time on the internet. 

Laser Tennis, Katelyn Johnson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Motivation

• I wanted to create a game to play with my nieces and nephews
• I wanted to gain more experience using a microcontroller
• A fun game to play that does not involve staring at a screen

Features

• Has two different play modes
• Can be played anywhere there is space and a flat surface
• Made of durable materials meant to last a long time

Actively Balanced Battery Pack, Dan Bosco, Jordan Johnston, John Mermigas, Quincy Williams

Electrical and Computer Engineering

We report on the modification of a combustion engine F-150 to a hybrid-electric F-150. This project represents the first stage in an experiment to actively balance a battery pack to provide faster charging rates and longer driving ranges. This project also represents the first stage in an experiment to replace the alternator with a 10-kilowatt motor for additional horsepower and emission free driving mode

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Battery, Brandon Reed, Ammon Black

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The most pressing issue preventing modern power infrastructure from embracing renewable energy sources is the ability to store power on a large scale.

Many renewable energy sources generate more power during peak generation hours that the power grid can handle. This excess power currently goes to waste.

The purpose of this project is to build an apparatus that stores more energy in a smaller space than conventional chemical batteries. Using electricity to create comprisable hydrogen allows this apparatus to be a clean, reliable and large scale energy storage device.

Robotic Exoskeleton Arm, Anthony Devore, Benji Smith, Rosalyn Wright, William Clarke

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Current options for prosthetics are limited either with cumbersome braces that don't allow for full range of motion and require external controls or expensive and invasive prosthetics that require nerve splices
• Using prosthetics for physical therapy requires extensive equipment training in order to operate the technology
• Controlling prosthetics using your own muscles without invasive surgery is not currently deployed for medical and therapy uses

The Mechanical Development For An Autonomous Forest Service Robot, James P. Walker

Honors College Theses

Georgia’s forests are under threat from numerous invasive species of plant, both herbaceous and woody. A primary factor in the invasive potential of any given non-native plant is the lack of natural predators and rapid reseed and regrowth cycles. To combat invasive plants, this thesis proposes an artificial, robotic predator to provide a means of controlling invasive species. Although autonomous robots are currently being developed for similar agricultural purposes, none have emerged for forestry related tasks, such as proposed in this work. The chassis, inspired by rocker bogie and similar suspension systems, has been redesigned to have eight wheels, to …

Mazak Laser Optimization, Maylon Ellington, Terrilian E. Agbor Oji, William N. Palm

Senior Design Project For Engineers

Starflex Fabrication is a manufacturing company that thrives to provide custom, precision fabricated parts, and assemblies to their customers.The Mazak laser is Starflex Fabrication’s primary cutting machine and is critical to the overall process for each order. Team Flex will look to optimize the laser’s process and improve overall shop throughput.

Means And Methods Of Residential Construction And Design In Remote Areas Of Southeast Alaska, Joseph Anthony Masters

Construction Management

Building in the remote locations of Southeast Alaska is currently an unexplored area of construction that has been avoided due to the complications that accompany such projects. Many property owners in the Southeast Alaska region face challenges due to a lack of common practices that would simplify the construction process, particularly those deprived of road access and utility services. These potential residents must rely on sustainable techniques and alternative modes of material transportation, creating an abundance of planning concerns. Additionally, while code restrictions are limited due to the uniqueness of these properties, certain codes regarding the Alaska Department of Natural …

In Silico Sequence Optimization For The Reproducible Generation Of Dna Structures, Michael D. Tobiason

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Biologically, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules have been used for information storage for more than 3 billion years. Today, modern synthesis tools have made it possible to use synthetic DNA molecules as a material for engineering nanoscale structures. These self-assembling structures are capable of both resolutions as fine as 4 angstroms and executing programed dynamic behavior. Numerous approaches for creating structures from DNA have been proposed and validated, however it remains commonplace for engineered systems to exhibit unexpected behaviors such as low formation yields, poor performance, or total failure. It is plausible that at least some of these behaviors arise due …

The Design And Development Of A Device To Assist In Boosting Patients, Taylor A. Rieckhoff

Masters Theses

A common task a nurse is required to perform is called boosting patients. Boosting a patient is defined as lifting or sliding a patient back up in the bed after having slid down (Mannheim, Zieve, & Conaway, 2017). The current method for boosting patients involves a minimum of two personnel and an 11-step process. The 11-step process requires the person to manually lift and pull the patient using an existing half sheet on the bed (Mannheim, Zieve, & Conaway, 2017). Patients who cannot move or support themselves are moved every two to six hours or upon request (Bihn, Rieckhoff, Burkman, …