Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Human Powered Vehicle Trainer, Nicholas Hung Nguyen, Gregory Reece Bridges, Jacinta Garcia, Mitchell Sidney Smith

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) document describes the final design and completed prototype of a Mechanical Engineering senior project team at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The project goal is to create an adjustable human powered vehicle training bike for George Leone that allows a rider to gain confidence with the unique reclined bike geometry ahead of the World Human Powered Speed Challenge at Battle Mountain, Nevada. This document outlines the customer’s needs and technical research performed which together determine the project’s scope and engineering specifications. Next, we present the initial idea generation process and its results, along …

Sand Foot: A Prosthesis For Walking On Sand, Samantha A. Galicinao, John Dewing, Daniel Dugan Dotson, Christopher Urasaki

Biomedical Engineering

This critical design report describes the product development of a prosthesis for use on sand. Quality of Life Plus (QL+), a national non-profit organization aimed to develop prostheses for veterans and people with disabilities, introduced this project and its accompanying challenger, Sgt. Brady, to Cal Poly’s Interdisciplinary Senior Project class in September 2018. After consulting with Sgt. Brady and QL+ and performing extensive research, the Sand Foot team defined customer requirements and engineering specifications to meet these requirements. Comfortability, durability, and sandproof were key customer requirements. Several conceptual models were brainstormed and a final design was selected based on the …

Design And Control Of Fiber Encapsulation Additive Manufacturing, Matt Saari

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the design, development, and analysis of the Fiber Encapsulation Additive Manufacturing (FEAM) system developed at the Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing Robotics \& Automation at the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. The innovation introduced by FEAM is the ability to insert a continuous fiber of different material into the flowing extrudate. Correctly positioning the fiber feed inside the extrudate while turning the fiber in arbitrary directions is a critical aspect of the technology. This will allow for the full exploitation of the capabilities of the FEAM technology to produce robotic components that actuate and sense. …

Repurposing Plastic Waste In El Cercado, Joseph Dooling, Kirby Townsend, Brendan Smith

Honors Thesis

This project aims to assist the community of El Cercado in the Dominican Republic in turning their plastic waste into useful products. The design team developed a first iteration shredder, injector, and aluminum mold which future design teams could further iterate in order to make products out of waste plastic. Different products were researched to ensure that they can be sold or used in the community. The goal of producing these items is to stimulate economic activity in the community by creating economic opportunity. The design shall also be sustainable in three ways. It shall reuse plastic waste while also …

Problem Based Learning: A Case Study From Mechanical Engineering, Kevin Delaney, Ger Nagle

Conference papers

Engineering graduates today must be capable of much more than solving technical problems taught in engineering school. Despite learning to quantify the performance of certain engineering objects, undergraduate students find it challenging to integrate these elements into basic design concepts through a coherent and systematic design process. To help students develop real-world engineering skills as part of their engineering education, the Mechanical Engineering Discipline in Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) introduced Problem Based Learning (PBL) for Third Year Mechanical Engineering students in 2005.

A recent review of this teaching approach highlighted deficiencies not envisaged when the initial PBL module was …

Fault Adaptive Workload Allocation For Complex Manufacturing Systems, Charlie B. Destefano

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes novel fault adaptive workload allocation (FAWA) strategies for the health management of complex manufacturing systems. The primary goal of these strategies is to minimize maintenance costs and maximize production by strategically controlling when and where failures occur through condition-based workload allocation.

For complex systems that are capable of performing tasks a variety of different ways, such as an industrial robot arm that can move between locations using different joint angle configurations and path trajectories, each option, i.e. mission plan, will result in different degradation rates and life-expectancies. Consequently, this can make it difficult to predict when a …

Development Of A Multi-Probe Kelvin Scanner Device For Industrially-Relevant Characterization Of Surface-Activated Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites, Kirby Simon

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites are becoming increasingly attractive materials in manufacturing due to their lightweight nature, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. Surface activation of these materials is usually required during processing to increase the bond strength of assemblies (aerospace and automotive industries) or improve adhesion with implants (biomedical industry). Industrially-relevant, nondestructive quality control methods for assessing the activation state of these materials do not currently exist, however. Applying principles discovered through the use of scanning probe microscopy, a multiple-probe Kelvin scanning (MPKS) device has been developed that can assess the uniformity of the activation state of plasma-treated CFRTP …

Framed Human Powered Vehicle Frame, Keyanna Brielle Henderson, Brendon Howard Morey, Kyra Noelle Schmidt, Austin Patrick Henry

Mechanical Engineering

The following is the Final Design Review (FDR) Report for Framed, a team tasked with designing and fabricating the frame of the 2018-2019 Cal Poly Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Club bike. The bike is to be raced at the 2019 World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada with the goal of breaking the American collegiate speed record. The purpose of the FDR Report is to introduce the project’s background and objectives, discuss the final design, and present the results of manufacturing and testing. Prior to beginning work on the design of the frame, the group conducted extensive research …

Vaccine Cooler For The Global Poor, Benjamin J. Larson, Cooper E. Gibson, Eilbron Younan, Cody R. Volk

Mechanical Engineering

Cal Poly physics professors Peter Schwartz and Nathan Heston approached the Solar Freeze team with the problem that remote communities in Africa have limited access to modern-day medicine or vaccines. They suggested that we try and design a cooling device that can keep vaccines cold for multiple days at a time while the medicine is transported to remote villages. Currently, there are vaccine cooler products on the market, but most of them are very expensive or lack portability. Peter and Nate have tasked the Solar Freeze team to come up with a less expensive solution that is also portable and …

Danny’S Recumbent Bike Accessibility Device Final Design Report, Joseph J. Lee, Huy Nguyen, Jack Mcatee, John Kulick

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to fully define our design solution and explain our manufacturing and testing results. Our project’s goal is to find a way to allow Danny Knutson, a retired Navy pilot and incomplete quadriplegic with limited use of his arms and an impaired sense of balance, to enter and exit his recumbent tricycle without any discomfort for him or his aide. We completed multiple interviews with Danny, patent research, existing product research, and other technical literature research in order to fully understand the problem. We synthesized this information to create a concrete list of customer wants …

High Strollers, Braeden Hammond, Morley Perrin, Reid Bartels, Juan Rodriguez

Mechanical Engineering

This report documents the final product of Jonathon’s new lightweight stroller. The Mechanical Engineering team from Cal Poly, High Strollers, began the project to create a lightweight stroller for the project sponsor, Nina Aguayo, and her son, Jonathon Aguayo, in Fall of 2018. Jonathon is diagnosed with Delayed Brain Development and Hypotonia with some characteristics of Cerebral Palsy. He has a 50lb high intensity stroller to go to and from school. Mrs. Aguayo needed a stroller that is easier to transport while still meeting all of Jonathon’s needs. The re-designed stroller will make leisurely outings for Mrs. Aguayo and Jonathon …

Universal Bike Suspension Design, Ernesto Huerta, Gregory Ryan Ritter, Chris Michael Fedor, Michael Wu

Mechanical Engineering

Cal Poly Bike Builders (CPBB) is a student club at Cal Poly helping students design and fabricate their own bicycles. Currently, club members build rigid frames and mountain bikes with only front-suspension–commonly referred to as a “hardtail”. As more students join the club, interest grows in building full-suspension mountain bikes (FSMTB). Designing and manufacturing a mountain bike rear-suspension system requires a diverse skillset and a substantial time commitment. As a result, individual efforts building FSMTB have proven unsuccessful. The scope of this project is to develop a defined method and necessary tools such that all CPBB members can efficiently build …

A Study On Ultrasonic Energy Assisted Metal Processing : Its Correeltion With Microstructure And Properties, And Its Application To Additive Manufacturing., Anagh Deshpande

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing or 3d printing is the process of constructing a 3-dimensional object layer-by-layer. This additive approach to manufacturing has enabled fabrication of complex components directly from a computer model (or a CAD model). The process has now matured from its earlier version of being a rapid prototyping tool to a technology that can fabricate service-ready components. Development of low-cost polymer additive manufacturing printers enabled by open source Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers and printers of other technologies like SLA and binder jetting has made polymer additive manufacturing accessible and affordable. But the metal additive manufacturing technologies are still expensive …

Design Of A Scara Based Mobile 3d Printing Platform, Zachary Hyden

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently 3D printers rely heavily on people to run them, there is no automatic way to start a new print after one has finished. On top of this 3D printers are limited in the area they can print on. Even though the additive manufacturing market is rapidly growing and is increasingly being used in product manufacturing there has yet to be a solution to this problem. This research proposes using mobile 3D printing robots to solve both of these issues. The proposed prototype utilizes a Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) based robot capable of cooperatively manufacturing parts. This allows …

Design Of A Bedside Walker-Cane Hybrid To Aid Senior Adults Avoid Falls During Night Walks, Jorge L. Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research and development work is to design a device to help senior adults prevent fall during night walks indoors. The problem of elders falling at a night setting was found to be caused by the multiple environmental and medical conditions. The target demographic was found to be seniors from age 65 and older. Several occupational therapists and two physical therapists were consulted to gain knowledge on elders' behavior, possible improvements on current existing devices, and feedback regarding the early prototype built. Several products and patents were researched with a lack of findings on similar products that …

Blockchain Technology Based Supply Chain Systems And Supply Chain Performance: A Resource-Based View, Madhavi Latha Nandi

Theses and Dissertations

Blockchain technology (BCT) is set to transform firms’ present ways of managing supply chains. This thesis explores how the efforts by firms to integrate BCT into their supply chain systems and activities, can enable certain supply chain capabilities and subsequently, improve supply chain performance. Using an abductive research approach, qualitative content analyses of 126 cases of firms’ efforts in BCT-based supply chain systems (BCT-SCS) across multiple industries are conducted to identify the BCT-enabled supply chain capabilities and their performance outcomes. Findings reveal that the present BCT-SCS efforts are mainly oriented towards improving the operational-level capabilities namely, information sharing and coordination …

Final Design Report For Human Powered Vehicle Drivetrain Project, Derek Fromm, Luke Opitz, Michael Juri, Olivier Côté

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Human Powered Vehicle Club is building a bike to surpass 61.3 mph in 2019. The club and their mentor, George Leone, have proposed a senior project to design, build, and test the drivetrain for this year’s human powered vehicle. Research into human powered vehicles and their drivetrains has shown that the power that a rider can output and the efficiency at which the rider can pedal depend extensively on the design of the drivetrain. Despite the existence of standard bicycle drivetrain designs, the senior project team has found that the best design to meet the club’s requirements …

Additive Manufacturing Of High Performance Flexible Thermoelectric Generators Using Nanoparticle Inks, Tony Valayil Varghese

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Flexible thermoelectric devices are attractive power sources for the growing demand of flexible electronics and sensors. Thermoelectric generators have an advantage due to no moving parts, silent operation and constant power production with a thermal gradient.

Conventional thermoelectric devices are rigid and fabricated using complex and relatively costly manufacturing processes, presenting a barrier to increase the market share of this technology. To overcome such barriers, this work focuses on developing near ambient-temperature flexible thermoelectric generators using relatively low-cost additive manufacturing processes. A screen printable ink was developed for transforming nanoparticle ink into high-performance flexible thermoelectric generators with a peak thermoelectric …

2019 Student Steel Bridge Team, Kourtney Arena, Andrew Biglin, Brett Palmer, Nathaniel Maute, Kenneth Reiser, Jacob Dicks, Paul Kowaleski

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

Every year AISC runs a regional and national steel bridge competition. The competition offers a chance for civil engineering students to gain valuable experience designing a bridge. In addition to this, mechanical engineering students are provided the opportunity to practice machining steel parts. For the competition, teams from participating schools are given a scenario with certain constraints to design a bridge for. At the competition, the bridges are ranked based on weight, structural efficiency, construction economy, assembly speed, deflection, aesthetics, and overall performance.

The program Risa 3D was used in order to design and perform analysis on the bridge. Using …

Increasing Operator Skills In A Manufacturing Environment, Bobbie Lee Hubbard

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

A plastic-injection molding facility is converting many machines into more automated systems. These complex systems require higher-level skill sets than current operators have been trained in. There is a need to increase the level of competency in most, if not all, of the operators at the Facility, and create a system of levels that engages employees and encourages learning new skills to increase their position and pay.

There is a need for a clear path of compensation based on skills and actions. The Facility is currently not optimizing or maximizing their current portfolio of machines and resources, leaving an unknown …

Less-Than-Lethal Self Defense Device With An Acoustic Element, Anthony Taibi

KSU Journey Honors College Capstones and Theses

This creative capstone project involves the conception, design, and creation of a less-than-lethal self defense device with an integrated sound board to control the acoustic element. Theoretically, this device is capable of deterring potential threats without causing any serious harm or any long-term damage. When starting this project, I was very focused on sonic warfare, and how to harness the power of ultrasonic and infrasonic sound waves to subdue to target; however, I concluded that using resonant frequencies to deter a human being is too dangerous, expensive, and can have negative effects for the user of the device if used …

Method And Apparatus For Fabricating Ceramic And Metal Components Via Additive Manufacturing With Uniform Layered Radiation Drying, Ming-Chuan Leu, Amir Ghazanfari, Wenbin Li, Greg Hilmas, Robert G. Landers

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A freeform extrusion fabrication process for producing three - dimensional ceramic, metal and functionally gradient composite objects, including the steps of filling a plurality of paste sources with a respective plurality of aqueous paste compositions, operationally connecting respective syringes containing respective aqueous paste compositions to a mix ing chamber, moving a first aqueous paste composition from a first respective paste source into the mixing chamber, moving a second aqueous paste composition from a second respective paste source into the mixing chamber, mixing the first and second aqueous paste compositions to define a first admixture having a first admixture composition, extruding …

Restore-L Satellite Servicing Internship Final Report, Giovanni Campos

Publications and Research

This paper reviews the Restore-L mission purpose and the necessary research and simulations to meet mission specification for the Propellant Transfer Subsystem (PTS). It is essential the PTS undergoes functionality testing, environmental testing, and calculations to understand the capabilities of the system. For the testing of components from PTS, a proper test setup is required. It is vital for test hardware, such as hoses and valves, to stay in place while the test is being performed. For the test hardware to operate correctly, positioning, orientation, and alignment are critical as well. In addition to the testing, calculations for pressure drop …

Mechanical And Tribological Behaviour Of Treated And Untreated Moringa Oleifera Pods Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Composite For Packaging Applications, Prakash Sampath, Senthil Kumar V.S Dr

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Researchers now focus on the use of natural fiber polymer composites materials for packing applications. This attention is due to their low cost and renewable characteristics. Fabrication of composites with the use of renewable resources has many benefits of alternating from an appropriate management and reduction in industrial wastages, ecofriendly behaviour to cost effectiveness. The artificial fibers in packing industries can be replaced by natural fibers in the areas where stiffness and high strength are not the primary requirement. In the last decade the use of Natural fibers in the place of artificial fibers for reinforcements in epoxy resin matrix …

The Influence Of Process Variables On Physical And Mechanical Properties In Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Joshua Robert Koepke, Bradley Jared, Yu-Lin Shen

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing consists of a process that incorporates many process variables into fabricating parts. This study investigated several of these process variables and determined their influence on part properties. The process variables investigated include laser power, velocity, focus offsets, layer thickness, and powder particle size. Physical properties will be compared including surface roughness, form, and density. Tensile testing provided mechanical properties including unloading Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, uniform elongation, and ductility. Process maps will be developed that will provide recommendations for these process settings. It will be shown that these laser settings can …

Extrusion Production Of 3d Printer Filament For Additive Manufacturing, Patrick Hardy, Cole Angermayer, Rhett Lokey, Rebeca Book, Jeanne H. Norton

Posters

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is becoming a go-to production method for short production runs and rapid prototyping on a commercial scale. The growth of additive manufacturing is due to many fac­tors including development of concept modeling, product designing, prototyping, and customized parts. Pittsburg State University’s College of Technology strives to stay at the cutting edge of processing materials for additive manufacturing. The capability of making our own 3D-printer filament would allow students to work with new and different materials and would allow students to learn at the forefront of 3D printing technology. The Wayne Yellowjacket Extruder and …

Improved Molding Tool For Plastics Engineering Technology Injection Molder, Caleb Luthi, Tyler Burger, Andrew Huffman, Paul Herring, Jeanne H. Norton

Posters

Plastic injection molding is an extremely versatile, preferred method of producing plastic parts because it is ex­tremely efficient. In the business of injection molding, it is important to have machines and tools that work prop­erly to get the job done. One such tool is the mold, which forms high quality plastic parts. The main objective of this project is to refurbish the current Frisbee mold to create promotional products for PSU’s Department of Engineering Technology. Parts were created with the existing mold to determine what issues needed to be ad­dressed, including: excessive flash on the parts/runner, a poor runner/gate design, …

Hybrid Laser/Arc Welding Of Difficult-To-Weld Thick Steel Plates In Different Joint Configurations: Issues And Resolutions, Nima Yazdian

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Difficult-to-weld steels are ferrous alloys that are characterized by a low thermal conductivity, and large thermal expansion coefficient. These intrinsic features contribute to a high level of distortion and cracking susceptibility during joining of these types of steels. In an effort to address the issues associated with difficult-to-weld steels, highly concentrated beam spots like electron and laser beam welding were developed. Usage of tightly focused heat sources have been accompanied by several challenges. An extremely precise fit-up requirement was considered as the most significant issue corresponding to application of either laser or electron beam. Recently, it was found that the …

Analytical And Experimental Study Of Laser Cladding Of Ni/Wc Metal Matrix Powders Reinforced With Rare Earth Elements Using A High Power Direct Diode Laser, Mohammed Sayeed

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

The corrosion and wear are major limiting factors for steel in the harsh environments and can be controlled by depositing protective passive coatings. Nickel based alloy cladding of steel offers a solution by enabling better corrosion and wear resistance, and high bonding strength. The laser surface cladding of steel was conducted using a high power direct diode laser. Layers of tungsten carbide in Ni (40%Ni-60%WC) combined with 1% and 2% Lanthanum Oxide (La₂O₃) and Cerium Oxide (CeO₂) were deposited on ASTM A36 steel substrate. The X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to …

Design And Manufacture Of An Inertial Cascade Impactor For Industrial Hygiene Purposes, Hector Joel Gortaire

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Inertial cascade impactors are devices commonly used for industrial hygiene and pharmaceutical studies. Their main purpose is to separate particulate matter suspended in aerosols according to their sizes, which can vary from over 10 µm to 0.5 µm. Their versatility and ease of operation make them suitable for on-site sampling; however, designing them requires a careful consideration of the different geometric parameters that characterize them.

In this thesis, a 5-stage inertial cascade impactor was designed, modelled, constructed, and tested. The main design parameter was the volumetric flow rate, 40 l/min, which was provided by a vacuum pump. By continuous iterations, …