Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Modular Hardtop, Dennis Fedorchuk

All Undergraduate Projects

Title and Author: Modular Hardtop by Dennis Fedorchuk

Abstract:

A Jeep Wrangler Hardtop is a product that becomes inconvenient during the hot summer days when someone wants to remove the top for the next few months of sunshine. The question that comes up is “Where does someone store the top in the offseason?”. Unless an individual has a hardtop hoist in the garage, the hardtop will take up half of the garage. What if that individual does not want to drill holes in the ceiling or needs the floor space? That is where the Modular Hardtop comes into play. This …

Ev Clutch System, Jacob Yordy

All Undergraduate Projects

This project’s goal was to add a clutch system to an electrical vehicle at Central Washington University. The project’s second goal was to have the clutch system improve the electrical vehicle’s fuel economy for Electrathon events. Electrathon uses an equivalent mpg formula to determine an electrical vehicle’s “fuel economy.” Based on the amount of energy in kilo-Watt hours in a gallon of gas, Electrathon assumes each car uses 0.026 gallons of “gas” in the hour long race and the mpg value given to an electrical vehicle is based on the distance the vehicle travels in the race. Analyzes and problem …

Mechanical Footstep Power Generator, Mohammed Saleh Aljohani, Faisal Alonazi

All Undergraduate Projects

Mechanical Footstep Power generator

By Author: Mohammed Aljohani

Abstract

Modern technology is focusing on newer and better sources of energy. Among the important areas are power generation methods since electricity has become part of our lives. Various researchers have conducted surveys to find out the feasibility of converting renewable kinetic energy into electricity. Some of the works done in the past emphasized the selection of suitable materials and power generation systems designs that appear complicated and expensive. To ensure there is cost efficiency and energy efficiency better power generation systems need to be embraced.

The footstep power generator is a …

Outrigger Project, Jose Reyna, Tyler Hoffman

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Outrigger Project

Author: Jose Reyna ([email protected])

Co-Author: Tyler Hoffman ([email protected])

Mentors: Neil Hauff ([email protected]), Dr. Choi ([email protected]), Professor Pringle ([email protected]), Professor Bramble ([email protected]), Dr. J ([email protected])

Abstract

Agricultural areas sometimes experience cold weather in early spring and risk damage to crops due to freezing. To combat this issue, farms can employ temporary fans to keep the blossoms from freezing. The design of a 17-foot-tall wind turbine mounted on 7-foot-wide trailer can help mix the warm air that’s above the wind turbine with the colder air that’s below to keep the crop from freezing. These wind turbines can produce …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain, Nick Paulay

All Undergraduate Projects

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) annually hosts an RC Baja challenge, testing a RC car in three events: slalom, acceleration and Baja. Although ASME will not be holding an event this year, CWU will be holding an event with three RC Baja car teams from CWU as well as other teams from local colleges. The RC car that is tested in these events is designed and manufactured typically in teams of two. The RC car that each team submits must be able to complete these events to score points. One part of great importance for the RC car …

Feed Control: Composite Recycle, Rosy Perez

All Undergraduate Projects

The Boeing Company gave Central Washington University an opportunity for students to research and come up with an idea to reduce costs and landfill waste caused by the trimmings from the 777x composite wing pieces. The engineering and manufacturing for this project is about transporting composite material through to the delamination and chipper process. The delamination process uses a ram to press two claw shaped devices together that bends and deforms the material in opposite directions. The chipper process uses counter rotating saw blades spaced 1/8” apart to produce small shredded material. It is important for this newly designed feed …

Carbon Fiber Recycler : Fiber Reclaimer, Alexander Edwards

All Undergraduate Projects

Boeing uses composite components for the 777x aircraft. The production of composite parts results in flashing (excess material) that must be trimmed and "thrown away" as scrap. Boeing is investigating means of recycling these scraps. The method proposed for this project is to delaminate and shred the composite material. The delamination process uses a ram to press two claw shaped devices together that bends and deforms the material in opposite directions. The chipper process uses counter rotating saw blades spaced 1/8” apart to produce small shredded material. This shredding material is pyrolyzed (heated) to decay the resin leaving the carbon …

Medallion Manufacturing, Luis Perez

All Undergraduate Projects

A more efficient manufacturing process is needed to create the approximately 30 MET medallions, given to the graduating class. The process must be repeatable, consistent, and efficient. The objective is to create a method that can remain the same year to year, save time, and be repeated by anybody. Two approaches were developed: a casting method, and a machining method involving a computer numerically controlled (CNC) mill. The casting method began with a match plate was developed by attaching 3D printed models and runners to plywood. The design was evaluated before the pour using SolidCast software. Special attention was directed …

Automatic Hydraulic Vehicle Jack – “Auto-Jack” Frame, Nick Stadelman

All Undergraduate Projects

The Automotive Industry faces extreme safety concerns during the vehicle lifting process, how can these safety concerns be mediated for the personals in the automotive industry during this process? A revolutionary vehicle jack (“The Auto-Jack”) was developed to remove all unnecessary safety concerns that are presented to the user during the vehicle lifting process. Removing the user from having to position a standard vehicle jack and/or jack stands underneath the vehicle once the vehicle is lifted will eliminate all safety concerns surrounding user inflicted failure. A hydraulic circuit is used to operate the Auto-Jack, this allows the user to operate …

Composite Recycler: Frame, Alfonso Olivera

All Undergraduate Projects

How can composites be recycled? The Composite Recycler is an ongoing project that started in September 2017. The purpose of this project was to create a machine that will delaminate the composites, cut them, and heat them up to separate the resin from the composites so they can be recycled. A group was put together for the 2018-2019 academic year to further the project as a whole improve the operation of the device. The existing base was used as well as the cutter and the power sources. The upgrades included; a housing to support the transport rollers and changing from …

R/C Mini Baja: Drivetrain, Kyle Aitken

All Undergraduate Projects

A device is needed that can power the back wheels of R/C car and allow it to drive smoothly. This drivetrain also has to transmit power to the axles in an acceptable height range to comply with the frame and suspension. The project was supported by a team member who designed the frame and suspension. The design of this project consists of two sub-assemblies that make up the drive train assembly. The transmission assembly uses gears to convert the rotational speed from the motor to the drive shaft. The gearbox assembly also uses gears and converts the rotational speed from …

Electrathon Vehicle: Electrical Power, Samuel Johnson

All Undergraduate Projects

The Electrathon Vehicle: Electrical Power proposal is an in depth dive into theorizing, constructing and testing the design of an electrical circuit. A breakdown of this report gives an extensive and thorough analysis of the problem. How do you efficiently deliver 1kw/hr of power to an electric motor? The methods used to face this challenge and the results seen after are laid out in this report.

The challenge of competing in the Electrathon Race is delivering power to an electric motor for an entire hour without exceeding 1kW/hr of power. The goal is to travel as much distance in the …

Laboratory Water Distiller Project, Duncan Njunge

All Undergraduate Projects

Abstract

The goal of the water distiller project is to provide purified water to all hospitals and laboratories for daily use. As per WHO standards, purified water is a great necessity in these facilities for DNA sequencing, protein research, among others. Available water is not always clean because it is transported through pipes and can get into contact with organisms thereby causing the spread of waterborne diseases. Water distillation processes remove 99.9% of contaminants and water chemicals like fluorine and calcium to produce pure water. For every use, the distiller mechanism uses an electric current as the source of energy …

Custom Designed Wall Mounted Shop Crane, Bradley Lewis

All Undergraduate Projects

The objective of this project was to design and fabricate a custom wall mounted jib crane to specific, non-standard dimensions. The crane was designed to be industry rated for 2000 pounds, rotate at least 180 degrees, and be designed to have a maximum boom length tailored to the specific installation site. Two potential installation sites and purposes were selected for construction: inside the bay doors of a fabrication shop, intended to transfer large pieces of material to and from a plasma table, and inside a car maintenance garage, intended to lift and remove engines and transmissions from cars.

Design of …

Stair Climbing Hand Truck, James Mcpherson

All Undergraduate Projects

Abstract

Getting a heavy object up a flight of stairs usually requires a team of two or more people. Even with a team of people, the task is often still difficult, dangerous, and possibly insurmountable by one person. This problem is especially prevalent in for those who are moving into apartment complexes. Most apartment complexes have many buildings with two or more floors of living quarters, and elevators are often missing. This project sought to offer a solution to this problem. The solution in question; a motorized hand-truck with 2, trigonal planar pinwheels in place of the stock wheels. The …

Kikodot Cat Prosthetic, Joe Watt

All Undergraduate Projects

In the modern world there have been many strides in the engineering community to perfect human prosthetics. The main goal of a prosthetic is to eventually have an artificial limb that can replace a functional one. However, while there have been many strides towards perfecting human prosthetics it is time to shift attention to the animal kingdom. There aren’t very many options for animals in terms of prosthetics. The goal of the Kikodot Cat Prosthetic is not just to create a functional and cheap prosthetic for cats but also to demonstrate the ease and low cost with the advent of …

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker, Alazone Smith

All Undergraduate Projects

The global energy crisis and continued supporting evidence of global climate change have begun to shift the world economies towards solutions that solve both challenges. Solar power has become one of the most recognizable and popularized renewable energy methods to date. In comparison to other photovoltaic systems, this project demonstrates the performance advantages of a dual-axis solar tracker. It also addressing its viability on a non-commercial scale. The objective was to improve upon previous solar tracker projects at Central Washington University by adding another axis to the system. This system implements both an actuator and a stepper motor to examine …

Composite Recycler: Delamination, Nathan Sauer

All Undergraduate Projects

A great deal of composite waste is generated in the construction of wings for the Boeing 777. These carbon fiber “wing trimmings” are currently being disposed of in a landfill. These carbon fiber boards are made of several layers laminated together, making them very rigid and hard to recycle. This report proposes a method to delaminate the layers of these composite wing trimmings using a hydraulic press and a V-shaped steel die so that they may be more easily shredded and thus recycled. A top, “male” die with two points is pressed into a bottom, “female” die with three points …

The Bracket, Ryan Jerome Skerbeck

All Undergraduate Projects

• Abstract
• Bracket, casting, aluminum; if any of these for mentioned words interest you in anyway this is a document that you should read.
• There is a need for a compressor to be mounted to the front of a Cummins engine so that compressed air would be available on a work truck. The York compressor and the engine were known quantities, so what this project covered was the bracket that mounted the compressor to the engine and the manufacturing processes. The process chosen to make the bracket was aluminum casting; casting was chosen because of the ease of making many parts …

Autojack - Hydraulic Powertrain System, Tyce Vu

All Undergraduate Projects

A primary problem for mechanics and automotive enthusiasts is the risk associated with lifting and securing a vehicle with conventional jack stands. Often times, improper jack-stand installation results in the vehicle collapsing unexpectedly, causing injury and/or death. This problem can be minimized through the application of a newly re-designed vehicle lifting system. The conventional method for lifting cars is time consuming and can be unsafe in many circumstances. A better, safer, and more efficient lift design was needed; the AutoJack. The approach of the AutoJack design was entirely focused on the safety of lifting a vehicle. Safety was improved by …

Sonoprobe, Christian Miles Barrett

All Undergraduate Projects

The current ultrasound probes used in hospitals today use the same design produced in the mid 90s. Ultrasound probes consist of a transducer at the end of a handle. To perform an exam, an ultrasound technician (sonographers) must manipulate the probe at the wrist. To produce a clear image, the technician must apply pressure against the patient at different angles. Due to the extensive rotational movement and pressure the wrist takes when scanning a patient with an ultrasound probe, there is a high rate of carpal tunnel and other wrist injuries in sonographers. This new ultrasound probe will take the …

Prosthetic Hand: Articulation, Michael Funk

All Undergraduate Projects

This group project objective was about developing a low cost articulated prosthetic hand. This project was developed in two parts: articulation and body. The development of the articulation started as a simple system that has developed into a more complex system push and pull system. The development cycle helped define the systems used in the prosthetic. The movement/articulation system needed to not only move parts of the hand but also hold objects with the appropriate gripping power. The finger also has to be able close in a reasonable amount of time. The articulation is driven by motors attached to small …

Custom Foot Prosthetic: Diabetic Care, Chandler Streuli

All Undergraduate Projects

Across the United States there are people every day who lose their toes to diabetes or to loss of circulation within their legs. The problem becomes building a more cost effective and efficient prosthetic for these individuals. The prosthetics that are used for medical purposes are often costly, especially without the help of insurance. The new prosthetic was designed to be taken in and out of shoes so that it is fast and easy for the user to move the device from shoe to shoe. The manufacturing method for this project was using a 3D printer to build the initial …

Electrathon: Body, Ryan Shiner

All Undergraduate Projects

• The Electrathon Vehicle project is an ongoing project that dates back to 2012. This vehicle will be raced at events to see how many laps it can complete on a single battery charge. The existing body for the Central Washington University Electrathon vehicle required modifications to fit over the current frame. These modifications were required because the rear suspension design had changed. The rear panel of the body interfered with the rear suspension. Using a rotary cutting wheel, the panel was slotted so the body could slide over the suspension and drive chain. Additionally, spacers for various sizes were needed …

Electrathon Vehicle: Drive Train, Luis Hernandez

All Undergraduate Projects

Electrathon America is a competition where electrical vehicles (EV) race against electrical attrition and time. Therefore a vehicle must not only be light and fast but also efficient. EV Drivetrain (the assembly which moves the vehicle by transfer of power from motor to wheel) must be able to transfer enough power in order to move a 100 pound vehicle and 180 pound driver 45 miles per hour. Components for the drivetrain and manufacturing must not exceed the $500 budget. In order to move the vehicle, three different methods to transfer power were considered: chain, belt, and shaft (rotating stick). It …

Rc Baja Car Drivetrain/Steering Assembly, Douglas Erickson

All Undergraduate Projects

ASME hosts an annual competition between students to test various abilities of RC Baja cars under certain restraints. To compete, two members must coordinate to manufacture a suitable RC Baja car according to the parameters set by ASME. The objective of this project is to design and manufacture the drivetrain and steering mechanism. The other teammate will concurrently design and manufacture the chassis and suspension assembly. The drivetrain consists of two main assemblies, the transmission and the differential. The transmission houses the initial gear reduction as well as the motor and is manufactured using ABS printed plastic. The differential mates …

Foundry Flask Punch-Out Machine, Nolan Stockman

All Undergraduate Projects

In the green sand molding process olivine sand is compacted into flasks that are used for the molding and pouring process in a foundry. These sands are difficult to remove after the pour has been made. In Central Washington University’s foundry the sands are currently being removed with handheld rams. To improve on this process a Foundry Flask Punch Out machine was designed. The machine was designed to utilize a wall mounted rack and pinion style press. The supporting elements of both the flask and press were engineered with deflection requirements in mind. The machine was made to fit into …

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 …

Pressure Regulator For A High-Altitude Balloon, Kala Brown

All Undergraduate Projects

High altitude balloons are large latex balloons filled with gas that carry payloads to near space. They provide a convenient way to study the Earth’s atmosphere. Per Boyle’s Law, the pressure and volume of a confined gas are inversely proportional. Thus, as the balloon ascends and the atmospheric pressure decreases, the gas inside the balloon expands. This pressure difference allows the balloon to ascend, but it also causes it to continuously expand until it bursts. For some observations, one might want their balloon to remain at constant altitude for a period of time. One way to achieve this is to …

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 …