Engineering Commons^™

Facilities Redesign Of Stockroom At Elcon Precision, David M. Brawner, Tyler O. Mastromattei, Jay Y. Matsumoto

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Elcon Precision is a company based out of San Jose, California specializing in the photochemical processing of materials and brazing of metals and ceramics for a variety of different industries. Three students from the Industrial Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo were contacted by Elcon Precision to help redesign their stockroom and inventory areas in their San Jose location in order to allow for the future growth of the company. Elcon asked the Cal Poly project team to help increase efficiencies throughout the stockroom by creating an alternative layout that best suited the company's needs. This …

The Design Of A Digital Scheduling Solution For Healing Alternatives, Hailey A. Malin, Krista L. Mcallester, Anne E. Shields

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The focus of this senior project is to assist Healing Alternatives, an acupuncture clinic located in San Luis Obispo, in developing a business management software to fit their needs and boost their overall organization. The approach to finding the right fit for this business included assessing their current system while simultaneously investigating other providers. Once alternatives were found that met all of Healing Alternatives’ initial requirements, trial demos were generated in order to perform user experience testing. The presented final solution, a scheduling software called Acuity Scheduling, was implemented in a three-phase move plan that occurred over the period of …

Circuit Breaker Module, Garvin Yee, Yei Trinh

Electrical Engineering

The circuit breaker module for this design project is a proof of concept that demonstrates the functionality, feasibility, and attainability of a consumer grade power systems analysis device suitable for college laboratory use. The goal of this project was to create the final iteration of a module that has been developed and refined over the course of previous years. The Cal Poly Electrical Engineering Department intends to use this design to produce circuit breaker modules intended for fault analysis. With the current changes made to the previous modules, the current circuit breaker is lighter, safer, and more universally reproducible. The …

Impacts Of Geotechnical Aspects In Tunneling Design And Construction, Mohammad Haadi Sadaghiani

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

In tunneling project, different type of methods is conducted to do the project. Knowing geotechnical aspects of tunnel project is unavoidable and crucial in early stage of project especially before contract to have efficient and more accurate design and prevent cost overruns, reduce bid price and reduce project risks. However, all that geotechnical information should be based on standard guidelines such as Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) to help owner how to provide those geotechnical data in bid contract and use it as a guideline in contract to prevent future claim or disputes. The main objective of this thesis is about …

Corner Sealants For Tactical Shelters, Janine Carlita Nowak

Honors Theses

The demand for a lightweight, easy-assembly tactical shelter is high for those faced with unexpected disasters and global conflicts. This project focuses on designing and prototyping the corner sealant for such a shelter. Two materials were chosen and tested: an in-house thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and Texin 950. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was performed on both of these materials. The in-house TPU showed initial degradation at 282.50 °C and sample degradation at 457.45 °C. Similarly, Texin 950 showed initial degradation at 293.68 °C and sample degradation at 453.26 °C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was then run. The crystallization temperature (Tc) was observed …

Resiliency Vs Reality, Ainsley E. Henderson

Construction Management

This study analyzes the resilient design and construction features desired by Great Northern Services (GNS) for the design and construction of a new housing division in the City of Weed, California. This was compared to what the Cal Poly interdisciplinary student design teams were able to offer, by providing different design options. The study begins by showcasing the Boles fire and the connections that Cal Poly had made to support the City of Weed. The support was made through design and collaboration with Great Northern Services to create affordable housing. The study then discusses the needs that GNS wanted to …

The Setty Family Foundation 2018 Ashrae Applied Engineering Competition, Joshua Heath

Construction Management

The Setty Family Applied Engineering Challenge tasked my project group with designing a temporary shelter specifically for refugees in Eastern Europe to be used by governments, municipalities, and humanitarian agencies that is cost effective, portable, sustainable, and provides all necessary domestic needs. After months of research and design, we have developed the PolyShelter ; an eight-person structure erected to provide comfortability and safety to those in need. PolyShelter is designed to withstand the harshest of climates, provide exceptional insulation, and incorporate a rainwater collection system sufficient enough to support each unit. PolyShelter proves itself to be an economically viable solution …

Rickshaw For Common Ground, Marcus Dallin Cronin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

For this project my team and I were asked to design and manufacture a rickshaw, a device which will enable disabled individuals to experience outdoor hiking trails, for a non-profit organization based in Logan, Utah called Common Ground. Common Ground specializes in helping people with disabilities experience the outdoors in ways that would otherwise be impossible. The rickshaw will help Common Ground achieve its goals by providing them with a way to transport people with disabilities on moderately difficult hiking trails (i.e. Wind Caves Trail in Logan Canyon). In the past, Common Ground had use of a rickshaw that had …

Multipurpose Glider-Quadcopter Uas, Cody Delarosa, Lucas Richards, Ty Hilton

Senior Design Project For Engineers

The goal for this design was to develop a dual stage UAS that will deliver medical supplies to people in need in remote locations. To accomplish this, a quadcopter was designed to release a glider with the payload therein. A scaled down prototype was produced for analysis purposes. A conceptual model was fully designed that is capable of effectively taking off vertically, accelerating to a desired velocity, releasing the glider, and returning back to the initial takeoff location. The glider was designed to be fully controllable in order to accurately reach the desired location. System aerodynamics and quadcopter propulsion were …

Engineering Education Research, Michael C. Loui, Maura Borrego

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

This chapter describes several aspects of engineering education research with an emphasis on how they might relate to computing education research. We briefly summarize the history of engineering education as a scholarly field, and we describe the current structures that support engineering education research: academic departments, scholarly journals, annual conferences, and professional societies. We identify the theories that often inform engineering education research studies, including theories of cognition, motivation, and identity. We explain how quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods have been used. We summarize the results of an illustrative selection of empirical studies across a broad range of topics, including …

Numerical Algorithm For Wing-Structure Design, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Douglas F. Hunsaker, James J. Joo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Low-fidelity aerostructural optimization routines have often focused on determining the optimal spanloads for a given wing configuration. Several analytical approaches have been developed that can predict optimal lift distributions on rectangular wings with a specific payload distribution. However, when applied to wings of arbitrary geometry and payload distribution, these approaches fail. Increasing the utility and accuracy of these analytical methods can result in important benefits during later design phases. In this paper, an iterative algorithm is developed that uses numerical integration to predict the distribution of structural weight required to support the bending moments on a wing with arbitrary geometry …

Rc Baja Car Suspension, Tyler Martin

All Undergraduate Projects

This year the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department at CWU is holding an R/C Baja car competition using the same rules as the ASME competition. The designed car must compete in three separate events: the slalom course, drag race, and obstacle course. By not only completing, but also being competitive in each of the events, the car will be deemed a success. Suspension and steering are two essential components of any R/C car, and was the main focus for this report. The suspension must be able to support the car in the event of impacts. In addition, the steering must be …

Senior Project Hauff Tree Pruner, Brian Woolery

All Undergraduate Projects

Neil Hauff, a business owner and entrepreneur from the Yakima valley challenged a team of engineering students from Central Washington University to design a motorized apple tree pruner. This report will discuss the engineering and construction that went into creating the housing of the tree pruner. The housing component needed to be able to protect the moving parts of the pruner, while withstanding the rotational torque produced by the Makita power drill used to drive the pruner. The biggest constraint in designing the housing was to keep the weight of the housing component under 1.5 lbs, while still keeping the …

Advanced Manufacturing Of Titanium Alloys For Biomedical Applications, Nicholas C. Mavros

ETD Archive

In metallurgy, Titanium has been a staple for biomedical purposes. Its low toxicity and alloying versatility make it an attractive choice for medical applications. However, studies have shown the difference in elastic modulus between Titanium alloys (116 GPa) and human bone (40-60 GPa) contribute to long term issues with loose hardware fixation. Additionally, long term studies have shown elements such as Vanadium and Aluminum, which are commonly used in Ti-6Al-4V biomedical alloys, have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Alternative metals known to be less toxic are being explored as replacements for alloying elements in Titanium alloys. …

Designing Novel Grooved Pallets For Industrial Application, Mirza Mohammed Abdullah Baig

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to model an improved pallet design which could overcome the drawbacks and failures of the pallets available in the market today. The new modeled pallets were designed to improve the capacity of the individual pallets and thereby increase the efficiency of the material handling process. The new modeled pallets were also designed with the aim to replace the racking system used for storage in the warehouse industry. The study was performed using two finite element analysis software, SOLIDWORKS and ANSYS, as analysis tools to study the behavior of the design under various real world …

Engineering Standards In Highway Design Litigation, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Highway engineers sometimes believe that if they redesign streets to improve pedestrian safety (for example, by introducing traffic calming techniques) they might be successfully sued for negligent design by motorists. This chapter suggests that in such situations, governments are likely to be protected by discretionary function immunity. In addition, the chapter discusses a variety of technical issues.

A Monolithic Internal Strain-Gage Balance Design Based On Design For Manufacturability, Thomas Ladson Webb Iii

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This paper proposes an alternative approach to internal strain-gage balance design driven by Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles. The objective of this research was a reduction in fabrication time and, subsequently, cost of a balance by simplifying its design while maintaining basic stiffness and sensitivity. Traditionally, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) balance designs have relied on Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM), which is a precise but slow and, therefore, expensive process. EDM is chosen due to several factors, including material hardness, surface finish, and complex geometry, including blind cuts. The new balance design objectives require no …

The Design, Development, And Evaluation Of A Usable And Privacy-Enhanced Telepresence Interface For Older Adults, Xian Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining health and wellness while aging-in-place independently is crucial for older adults. Telepresence technology can be potentially beneficial for this target population to stay socially connected. However, this technology is not specifically designed for older adults. For this target population to adopt such technology successfully, it is important to ensure that they do not experience usability barriers. This research uses HCI/HRI concepts and technology design principles for older adults to design, develop and test telepresence user interfaces (UI). This addresses the following research questions: 1): What are the essential usability and privacy-enhanced features needed to inform the design and development …

Examining Engineering Design Cognition With Respect To Student Experience And Performance, Greg J. Strimel, Eunhye Kim, Scott R. Bartholomew, Diana V. Cantu

Faculty Publications

This study investigated the design cognition and performance results of secondary and post-secondary engineering students while engaged in an engineering design task. Relationships between prototype performance and design cognition were highlighted to investigate potential links between cognitive processes and success on engineering design problems. Concurrent think-aloud protocols were collected from eight secondary and 12 post-secondary engineering students working individually to design, make, and evaluate a solution prototype to an engineering design task. The collected protocols were segmented and coded using a pre-established coding scheme. The results were then analyzed to compare the two participant groups and determine the relationships between …

Structural And Aerodynamic Design, Procedure And Analysis Of A Small V-Shaped Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, Odari J. Whyte

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Over the last two decades there has been a renewed interest in Vertical Axis Wind Turbines. This turbine configuration though unpopular for large-scale generation has found a niche market in the way of offshore energy harvesting. However, offshore wind has its challenges. In this thesis a detailed comprehensive study of a proposed V-shaped vertical axis turbine rotor is performed in order to examine its structural and aerodynamic characteristics. The design met and exceeded the safety parameters establish for test bed operation, showing a factor of safety of 1.87 with regard to fatigue stress response. A satisfactory fatigue stress design life …

The Automated Beehive, Lighten The Load Of Beekeeping, Usu Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Our system will be useful to new and experienced beekeepers alike. Our project will provide consistent information about the beehive to the beekeepers. The system will monitor the state of the beehive by examining each frame in the hive. If the system detects invasive species such as spiders or wax moths, the system will inform the beekeeper through email letting them know what actions need to be taken.

Automatic Guitar Tuner, Trent Smith, Courtney Adams

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Automatic Guitar Tuner is a mobile, compact device that mounts onto the head of a guitar and automatically tunes the guitar by rotating each peg. This device is designed to operate quickly and accurately, providing a convenient method of tuning for guitarists. Implemented as a real-time embedded system, the device processes the sound generated by a plucked guitar string and tunes it by using a mechanical arm to rotate the peg. Due to its efficiency, this device could especially benefit beginning guitarists who haven't built up the necessary ear training to tune their instrument correctly.

Blind Aide, Joshua Smith

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Blind Aide is a hardware and software package designed to leverage advanced computer vision technologies to help those with visual impairments with a variety of tasks. It is built to be an economic, open source, and practical solution that can be easily distributed and expanded upon. The modular software design is structured to allow new functionality to be easily incorporated. It is controlled purely by voice commands and communicates all information back to the user through speech.

Cnc Plasma Machine, Joshua Benson, Andrew Sharratt, Gary Mitchell

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Our project is a 3-Axis CNC Plasma Cutter. This project provides a smaller more cost effective CNC Plasma Cutter machine for those with limited space and funds. Our project incorporates a hand-held plasma torch with a 3-axis CNC gantry to produce a precise and efficient method of cutting designs.

Custom Electric Accordion, William Balling

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The custom Electronic Accordion is a portable synthesizer with an interface similar to accordions. Electric Accordions do exist, but they only provide a way for accordions to send electrical signals and not an option to change the accordion sounds or behavior. The Custom Electric Accordion provides this option.

Electric Go Kart, Usu Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Electric Go Kart is a system design to create a small scale unit of transportation without a internal combustion engine. This system is intended to create a efficient and fun experience for those who use this product.

The go kart is designed using two DC-Brushless motors that use a 60V battery. Each motor moves it’s own drive socket to provide faster acceleration. Each motors torque is monitored and constantly adjusted by a controller and an acceleration pedal.

The Electric Go Kart is designed to be a fun, inexpensive mode of transportation.

Eve: Engine Volumetric Effeciency, Dallin Lloyd

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Engine Volumetric Effeciency gauge is a system that is designed to optomize fuel economy in high performance vehicles.

Many competitive automotive events limit the amount of fuel that can be consumed during each race. The EVE gauge is designed to help engine calibrators and tuners optomize the turbocharger system, resulting in higher performance and increased fuel economy.

Foozee: The Automated Foosball Table, Nathan Cook, Leif Chipman

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Foozee is an automated foosball table designed to allow a user to play a game of foosball without another person. As Foozee captures a video stream of the playing field, it will control the foosball players in a strategic manner. Foozee’s tracking algorithm generates a command for the motors, which controls the position of the players. During game play, a single user is challenged in a game of foosball as Foozee competitively reacts to the playing field.

Gps Tracker With 15km Range, Usu Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Aurora board is designed to be a light weight, low power tracker that is able to communicate location outside of any external networks such as Wi-fi or cell service. It is designed to run from USB or battery power, and requires no operator after powered on. This makes it ideal for unmanned aircraft, high altitude balloons, or drones. It can also be used for vehicle or human tracking. External antennas connectors allow Aurora to be used for a wide range of applications.

Iphone Waveform Generator, Erik Sargent

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The iPhone Waveform Generator is a dual-channel arbitrary function generator controlled by an iPhone app to provide a more accessible instrument for circuit testing.

• The app enables easy drawing and customization of the waveforms
• Waveform information is transmitted wirelessly to the waveform generator
• Two different waveforms can be generated at once