Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Repurposing Carbon Fiber Composite Through Mechanical Means, Jason Morrow

All Undergraduate Projects

Composite waste from the 777 aircraft is a growing concern for Boeing and amounts to an excess of 600,000 pounds of highly valuable carbon fiber being thrown away. Reclaiming this material has been a long sought-after goal of Boeings as the current solution is ever expanding landfills. The two current methods of recycling composite waste are chemically and mechanically processing. The focus of this paper will be demonstrating the feasibility of mechanically processing composite waste to increase storage efficiency before chemically treating to reclaim the actual carbon fibers. This paper provides a two-stage solution for the recycling question. The first …

Yz250 Lhrb, Ethan Di Loreto

All Undergraduate Projects

YZ250 LHRB

A Left Hand Rear Brake (LHRB) means that a motorcycle can not only have the rear brake operated by the foot pedal that comes standard on all bikes, but it can be actuated by a lever located on the handlebar as well. The purpose of this engineering project is to design a bracket that can hold two brake calipers while not hindering stock handling. It should also add braking usability and power.

The device is to be made of mild steel for the first models, this will allow for ease of prototyping, fitment testing, and finalized design testing. …

Plastic Injection Mold, Ryan Heaton

All Undergraduate Projects

The engineering department at Central Washington University is equip with three different plastic injection presses. Two of which are not being used because of various reasons, one being a lack of quality molds. This project’s purpose was to design and fabricate a quality mold that could be used in one of the injection presses as a teaching aid. The design for this project is based off of existing molds that are currently being used in the plastic injection industry along with many analyses such as; calculating speeds and feeds for machining, calculating tolerances, material strength, and a material’s heat conduction …

H.F. Hauff Electric Pruner Drive Train, Grady Graff

All Undergraduate Projects

The H.F. Hauff Company invests a large amount of money in developing a quality pruner used in everyday agriculture. Modern electric pruners tend to be expensive while manual tree pruning is very physically demanding. A battery assisted pruner that is light-weight, ergonomic, inexpensive to build and powerful enough to cut branches that a nominal apple tree would possess is the direct affiliation that H.F. Hauff devotes its funding too. A team of engineering students from Central Washington University developed a product with consideration to each of these circumstances. Since hand drills have proven to be user friendly and of abundance …

Composite Cutting Device, Mikhail Minasyan

All Undergraduate Projects

Title and Author: Composite Cutting Device by Misha Minasyan (Mechanical Engineering Technology)

As the aerospace industry innovates, so does the material that is being used. No longer are airplane manufacturers like Boeing depending on only various metals for making their wings. A transition over the past few years has been made to using composite materials because of there light weight and strength. The issue that composite material brings is that it cannot be recycled without processing. The current 777X made by Boeing has transitioned to used composite to manufacture their airplane wings.

A two student team developed two separate processes …

Heat Transfer Vest, Nicholas Forsgaard

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of this report is to document the progression of the authors senior project. . The of that project was the research of Liquid Cooled Garment (LCG) technology, the generation of a novel LCG prototype and the testing of that prototype relative to a commercial benchmark. As such, this report is a complete narrative of the of these tasks, their execution and the underlying assumptions and commentary. The motivation for this report is to satisfy the capstone requirements of the MET program at CWU by documenting the Senior Project and its subordinate tasks. First, the student designed a LCG …

Slab Tipper, Thomas C. Durand

All Undergraduate Projects

Stone countertops are very heavy and fragile. When installing a finished countertop, up to six workers are required to lift the stone onto the countertop, risking their safety and possibly breaking the stone. The safety of both the workers and the stone are very important, so there needs to be a better way. NSI Solutions came up with an idea for a mechanism to aid in the insulation process while limiting the number of workers required, and keeping the workers safer while adequately supporting the stone to prevent it from breaking. Designing methods and calculations were done to ensure the …

Solar Tracker, Haoyu Liu

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to find how to maximize the amount of time that the solar panels receive direct sunlight or the nearest possible sunlight angles. The solar tracker is a device that can change the position of solar panels in both vertical and horizontal direction to increase solar energy absorption. The device uses a gear motor to drive the shaft that is fixed to the solar panel, so the solar panel can rotate in vertical direction. Based on the vertical sun position in Ellensburg, 85o E in the morning, 180o S in the noon, and 276o W …

Shearing Energy, Jason Wittig

All Undergraduate Projects

Title by Author: Shear Energy by Jason Wittig

Abstract/Artists Statement: Efficiency, function, and weight of fruit-tree pruning devices are scrutinized very closely by the purchasing end user. Efficiency, being the most valuable quality to focus on; an efficient cutting device can lead to smaller batteries and lighter materials on the tree pruner. The objective of this project was to produce a cutting head that surpassed the benchmark device by 10% in four categories: Axial cutting “green-wood,” Axial cutting “dry-wood,” Axial opening force, and Handle twisting torque. The benchmark’s use of the “scissor-type” design was changed to a double bypass anvil …

Asme Rc Baja Car Drive-Train And Differential, Maverick Reddaway

All Undergraduate Projects

Every year, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers holds a RC Baja Car Competition. Students from the region are required to design, build, and compete in the annual competition. The purpose of this project and the focus of this report was to build a drivetrain for an RC car, following the guidelines outlined by ASME, to compete in their annual competition. The drivetrain must convert power from a brushed electric motor to the wheels of the car. Gear analysis was used to calculate the power reduction required by the gears in the drive train. The drive train must reduce the …

Exercise Machine Generator, Duane Harbick

All Undergraduate Projects

Exercise “spinning bikes” and bicycle training stands are common ways to maintain fitness and train for cycling. This exercise necessitates the user putting work into the machine by means of pedaling. In many instances the work put into exercise bikes and training stands is not taken advantage of. The objective of this project is an attempt to make use of some of the energy that a person would usually expend during exercise by building a generator that interfaces with multiple spinning bikes and training stands. It uses a synchronous pulley system to interface with the exercise machine and spin a …

Asme Rc Baja Challenge: Suspension And Steering, Hunter W. Jacobson

All Undergraduate Projects

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) usually hosts an RC Baja challenge each year, 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 a similar event with three RC Baja car teams from CWU. 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 while also remaining competitive. One part of great importance for the RC car is the suspension and …

Easy Install Outboard Motor Mount, Doug Dunbar

All Undergraduate Projects

The boating industry can be expensive for the typical weekend boater. That is, keeping, maintaining, and using a boat and all of its various accessories is a constant cost for the owner. In the Midwest and inland it is necessary to store boats and outboard boat motors out of the inclement weather and harsh conditions of seasonal change. Specifically, removing or installing an expensive and awkward outboard motor can be both dangerous financially and physically (damage or injury). It is not uncommon for motors to cost several thousand dollars.

The purpose of this project was to research, design, and implement …

Cwu Bottle Opener Manufacturing, Austin Sanford

All Undergraduate Projects

Previous students from the Mechanical Engineering Technology program came up with a method to help raise funds and awareness for the program. The idea was to manufacture and sell CWU bottle openers. However, a more efficient manufacturing method was needed. The aspect of the process that would have the most impact on the manufacturing time and material efficiency was the CNC machining of the parts. There were many potential variables to change to improve the process, but the main changes were to the cutter speeds and stock material size. Consequently, the changes made to stock material size reduced the number …

Asme R/C Baja Car, Torrie Large

All Undergraduate Projects

How does one build a car? Do they start with the tires and build inward or do they develop separate aspects at the same time? This remote-controlled car was designed and built with the intention of competing in the annual Baja Competition. There are three competitions: sprinting, slalom, and an obstacle course. The suspension system of this car must be designed to support the car for both the physical build and the competitiveness. It must do this without interfering with the drive train and steering mechanism designed by Doug Erickson. The suspension system employs suspension arms attached to the chassis …

Seawater Distiller (Solar Collector For Heating Seawater), Ali Alismail

All Undergraduate Projects

Many people in the world globally have limited or no access to clean drinking water. Unclean drinking water is a major cause of deadly diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and other water-borne diseases. The motivation of this report aims to document a senior project to satisfy for the award of MET by CWU. The aim was to design and manufacture a solar thermal collector capable of heating water using solar energy. The solar collector was developed by designing and fabricating a parabolic reflective surface. The reflective surface was manufactured from a reflective stainless-steel sheet. The advantages of using a parabolic …

Cassette Lockring Removal Tool, Kyle Wright

All Undergraduate Projects

Removal of a bicycle cassette requires additional tools to hold the cassette in place while loosening the cassette lockring. Typically a tool called a chain whip is used to stabilize the cassette, but is difficult to quickly and correctly apply to the cassette. Due to the need for an additional tool to hold the cassette, the user is faced with utilizing both hands while still needing to somehow hold the wheel in place. The lockring is torqued relatively tight and the overall combination of force, ergonomics, and number of tools required makes the task difficult to perform quickly. The objective …

H.F. Hauff Pruner Cutting Blades, Wyley Stewart

All Undergraduate Projects

Apple orchards are a critical component of agriculture in the United States, and keeping the apple trees in the best shape for optimum growth and production is hard work. Neil Hauff, an agriculture industry expert, challenged students at CWU to engineer a power assisted tree pruner. Across the country, apple orchards need pruned every season. The pruning of the trees is strenuous manual labor that requires many man hours. The proposed solution is to create a power assisted tree pruner that would minimize the amount of work needed to trim each tree branch. This project has been separated into three …

Sliding Crane For Mobile Scissor Lift Table, Phuc Ba Chau

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of this report is to build a device that can be installed to the hydraulic lifting cart to help students work easily on the CNC machine. The main point of the proposal is to design a device that can carry, load, and unload the Kurt vise, which weighs over 80 lb., to the CNC machine table and to the storage area within fifteen minutes during lab time. The methodology of the report focuses on the safety and easy performance for students working in the machine shop. Safety is the main concern in the design of this project, because …

Select Adjustable Trigger System, Seth Rich

All Undergraduate Projects

There is an increasing need for singular weapon systems to fill multiple roles. A fire control group system is needed which provides a trigger that is adaptable for different uses on command by way of the safety selector. The device needs to be non-intrusive to normal function and operation of the firearm requiring no specialized training in its use. It should provide with a setting for a general combat use and a secondary setting for a designated marksman role. The proposed system interfaces with existing trigger groups by using a self-contained drop in module that counteracts the primary trigger spring …

Tensile Specimen Punch, John Allen

All Undergraduate Projects

This project comes from a need to have tensile specimens made for the MET 351, Metallurgy/Materials and Processes, and 426, Applied Strengths of Materials, labs. This punch is designed to be used with an arbor press to create the desired tensile specimen shape out of plastic blanks. The initial concept was suggested by Dr. Craig Johnson. The designs went through many changes, for example getting rid of the sides originally proposed to hold the specimen in place, and modifications to other parts to make them more efficient. Additional parts were also added to the design with the help and advice …

'94 F-150 Running Boards, Justin Wies

All Undergraduate Projects

The project manager owns a 1994 F-150 which was purchased last August. Soon after purchasing, it was determined that it was too high for passengers to get into the truck without complaining. So this project started out being all about fixing that problem. A device was needed that allowed access to the truck without complaining. The plan was to build a device that allows access to the truck while still being light enough to not affect the trucks performance. The devices that were designed are running boards built specifically for this truck. The device had to mount underneath the edge …

Re-Design To E-Nable, Sydnee Johnson

All Undergraduate Projects

A senior in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department at Central Washington University made it her goal to have her culminating project be something that benefits people in need. Having a fascination in prosthetics, it became the main focus of her project. As children suffer the most in technological advancement of medical devices, the focus group of the project became young girls between the ages 9 and 14.

E-NABLE is a non-profit organization that is a leader in helping young children get access to body-powered prosthetics for relatively cheap. Some of the designs were made for simplicity in functionality, thus the …

Hands Free Electric Bicycle Stand, Stefan Schacht

All Undergraduate Projects

The growth of electric bicycles has spread to the US, and more bicycle shops are carrying electric assist bicycles. Most bicycle shops are currently ill equipped to accommodate heavier electric bicycles with traditional repair stands, that require at least one had to operate, and the other hand to hold up the bicycle. The problem being solved is the awkward and poor ergonomics of holding up a heavy electric bicycle with one hand, and operating a repair stand with the other. The solution is to use a repair stand that does not require hands to operate. Having a hands-free clamping device …

High Accessibility Cabinet Insert, Matthew Leal

All Undergraduate Projects

Watching grandparents and parents get older, the struggle of day-to-day activities generally increases. One of the most recurring issues the older generation experiences nearly daily is their inability to reach dishes, glassware, and other things on the topmost shelves of a kitchen. Not only is it difficult for them to use things such as stepstools, it also becomes increasingly dangerous. With age, a fall from any height could be catastrophic. With this scenario in mind, a user-friendly cabinet insert would be a very effective way to combat this issue. However, many existing models of cabinet designed to fit these requirements …

Composite Cold Expansion Tooling, Andrew Amos

All Undergraduate Projects

In the world of aircraft manufacturing, cold expansion products literally hold these aircraft together. The problem faced today is that the Little Brute Hydraulic Puller designed and built by Fatigue Technology Inc. is a handheld steel hydraulic cylinder that is heavy and expensive to produce. In a market that demands continuous improvement, there is a constant push to make the product cheaper, better and lighter. In order to accomplish this demand a composite tube will be substituted in the design as the primary pressure cylinder instead of the traditional steel pressure cylinder in order to create a lighter and cheaper …

Beer Rack On Demand Water Heater, Jason Warenski

All Undergraduate Projects

On-Demand Water Heater (for homebrewing systems)

By Jason Warenski (Engineering Technologies)

The on-demand water heater is being built for a home brewing system. The is intended to improve brewing process efficiency while reducing the footprint of the brewing equipment. The device contains a coil made from 3/8” soft copper tubing. The coil is inserted into a housing which is constructed of two 22-gauge stainless steel cylinders and a layer of ceramic insulation. Attached to the inlet and outlet of the coil are monitoring and control devices. On the inlet is a water flow meter which allows the user to monitor …

Directional Rope Capture Device, Seaver Philipp

All Undergraduate Projects

The current market for rope capture devices shows a trend of using toothed devices as the method of creating a rope capture system. These systems are effective for a variety of applications but in any scenario in which a high load is encountered there is a large amount of damage done by the teeth to the rope. The objective of this project was to create a rope capture device that did not utilize teeth in order to create a safer loading condition on the rope. The method used for this project was application of equiangular spirals, this is the same …

Portable Snow-Bike, Tiago Sousa

All Undergraduate Projects

The world of extreme sports and more specifically the world of snow sports is changing by the minute. At the forefront of these new changes is the snow bike. The bike allows you to ride the mountain like you were riding a mountain-bike on skies, but it comes with challenges. The biggest of them being portability. The bike is restricted to certain types of lifts within the mountain and that restricts the user of its potential. This report will show that it is possible to “fold” both the frame and the handlebars to make the bike portable and therefore opening …

Stationary Bike Generator System, Rakan Alghamdi

All Undergraduate Projects

Electricity is one of the most versatile forms of energy as it is easily generated by conversion from other forms, and equally easily converted to these other forms. Individuals, while working out, mostly remain stationary, but release large amounts of energy which must be countered by opposing energy sources or allowed to be wasted. This energy may not find very many uses in its raw form, but conversion to other forms may allow it to do work at no cost. This paper documents the concept, objective, methods, and results of a stationary bike generator system being used to convert the …