Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Mini Pump, Stephen Scruggs, Britta Berg-Johansen, Kyle Kriete

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Design, Construction, And Evaluation Of An Automated Chicken Coop Door, Kyle Inks

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project takes a look into the design, construction, and evaluation of an automated chicken coop door. The idea and need for such a door came from my mother Jan Inks. The parameters for the project include, low production cost, easy installation on existing coops, sleek design, automatically open at a set time in the morning, and automatically close at a set time in the evening.

Viscoelastic Anisotropic Finite Element Mixture Model Of Articular Cartilage Using Viscoelastic Collagen Fibers And Validation With Stress Relaxation Data, Matthew Alexander Griebel

Master's Theses

Experimental results show that collagen fibers exhibit stress relaxation under tension and a highly anisotropic distribution. To further develop the earlier model of Stender [1], the collagen constituent was updated to reflect its intrinsic viscoelasticity and anisotropic distribution, and integrated with an existing mixture model with glycosaminoglycans and ground substance matrix. A two-term Prony series expansion of the quasi-linear viscoelastic model was chosen to model the viscoelastic properties of the collagen fibers. Material parameters were determined by using the simplex method to minimize the sum of squared errors between model results and experimental stress relaxation data of tissue in tension. …

Predictive Musculoskeletal Simulation Using Optimal Control: Effects Of Added Limb Mass On Energy Cost And Kinematics Of Walking And Running, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Maarten Hupperets, Heiko Schlarb, Berthold Krabbe

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

When designing sports equipment, it is often desirable to predict how certain design parameters will affect human performance. In many instances, this requires a consideration of human musculoskeletal mechanics and adaptive neuromuscular control. Current computational methods do not represent these mechanisms, and design optimization typically requires several iterations of prototyping and human testing. This paper introduces a computational method based on musculoskeletal modeling and optimal control, which has the capability to predict the effect of mechanical equipment properties on human performance. The underlying assumption is that users will adapt their neuromuscular control according to an optimality principle, which balances task …

Energy Information Augmented Community-Based Energy Reduction, Kevin P. Hallinan, Harvey Enns, Stephenie Ritchey, Phil Brodrick, Nathan Lammers, Nichole Hanus, Mark Rembert, Tony Rainsberger

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

More than one-half of all U.S. states have instituted energy efficiency mandates requiring utilities to reduce energy use. To achieve these goals, utilities have been permitted rate structures to help them incentivize energy reduction projects. This strategy is proving to be only modestly successful in stemming energy consumption growth. By the same token, community energy reduction programs have achieved moderate to very significant energy reduction. The research described here offers an important tool to strengthen the community energy reduction efforts—by providing such efforts energy information tailored to the energy use patterns of each building occupant. The information provided most importantly …

Vibration Health Monitoring Of Gears, Markus Josef Scherer

Master's Theses

Monitoring the health of vibrating gears is important to ensure proper operation especially in potentially life-threatening structures, such as helicopters, nuclear power plants, and uninterruptible power supply transitions in hospitals. The most common monitoring technique is casing mounted accelerometers to measure vibration. In contrast, during the last few years acoustic monitoring techniques have also provided a few diagnostic methods for gear failure. Current diagnostic methods to indicate improper gear behavior use either existing vibration data, recorded from defective gear systems, or modern dynamic models predicting gear failure behavior.

This thesis uses dynamic models to indicate, predict, and diagnose healthy and …

Benchmarking Of A Single-Cylinder Engine Toward The Development Of A Direct Fuel-Injection System, Michael J. Nienhuis

Masters Theses

In this study, the performance and efficiency of a single-cylinder gasoline, fourstroke cycle engine was benchmarked in support of the Formula SAE student project. The development of an engine test stand, instrumentation, data acquisition, and test plan is described in detail. Experimental results in the areas of engine performance and efficiency are discussed. Physical test data were used to refine a previous model of a single-cylinder, gasoline, direct-injection engine. Results from this effort are discussed and compared to those obtained in a preliminary study. The current work advances the development of more efficient power-train technologies for application in small displacement …

Design Of An Independent Star-Clip Organizer (Iso), Christopher Gonzales, Greg Lovasik, Daniel Silveira

Mechanical Engineering

Discussed below is a new concept to sort and deliver star clips for flight deck safety net manufacturing. Multiple methods were generated, along with the necessary research, and were narrowed down to a single concept: the tray-loading preprocess design, named ISO (Independent Star-Clip Organizer). The overall design has been finalized and designed. Due to budget constraints, an actual prototype was not built. However, the design of such a prototype is described by this report, backed with calculations and experimental testing.

Polygrasp: Reach; Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand Iteration, Devon Patrick Augustus, Mighells Blaed Deuel, Ian Noel Fraser, Nicholas Philip Moesser

Mechanical Engineering

Amputations are a common occurrence in soldiers returning home who have suffered the effects of IED and munitions explosions. For upper limb amputees, trans-radial amputations are the most common. Traditional hook devices do not offer an adequate level of normalcy for users, prompting the use of myoelectric devices. While current myoelectric devices do offer a more natural experience, they come with a host of other problems that makes their adoption by service personnel not desirable or not permitted by the VA. PolyGrasp Reach seeks to reduce weight and cost and improve performance. This addresses several of the issues with devices …

Human Powered Helicopter: Rotor Structure, Joseph Ram, Juan Carlos Olvera

Mechanical Engineering

The following report encompasses the Human Powered Helicopter Rotor Team’s conceptual models and ideas based on research and modeling analysis. The following gives an overview of material researched, concept generation, analyzation, manufacturing, and testing for a rotor structure to be installed in a Human Powered Helicopter.

Aerodynamic Test Platform For Human Powered Vehicle (Hpv), Spencer Wangerin, Spencer Lillywhite, Colburn Davis

Mechanical Engineering

The Aerodynamic Test Platform (ATP) for the Cal Poly HPV Club is a system that was designed by Cal Poly mechanical engineering students to measure aerodynamic characteristics of a human-powered vehicle (HPV). The HPV team desired a system that could quantify the lift, drag, and other aerodynamic qualities of a full scale HPV at various orientations in oncoming airflow. Established methods for determining aerodynamic characteristics include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel testing of scaled models. The ATP was devised to simulate the test results given by a full-scale wind tunnel without requiring a wind tunnel large enough to …

Supermileage Chassis Dynamometer, Jose Garcia, Steve Janning, Timothy Lui, Kyla Purvis

Mechanical Engineering

This report describes the final design and analysis of a hydraulic chassis dynamometer as a testing tool for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Supermileage Vehicle Team (CPSMV). Literature review was conducted to understand the various types of chassis dynamometers on the market as of the year 2011. After rigorous research, it was determined that a hydraulic system was the best system for a chassis dynamometer in terms of functionality, performance, and cost. Critical study of hydraulics, dynamometers, and data acquisition systems (DAQ) was followed by a complete design of a hydraulic system. The chassis dynamometer proposed in this …

California Olive Ranch Hedger, Tyler Enos, Seth Abbott, David Gamba

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the problems of the current KCI (Kingsburg Cultivator Incorporated) olive tree hedger in use at California Olive Ranch (COR) in Artois, CA, and then correct these problems which should yield a better performing, more efficient, and reliable machine. These problems include: the hydraulic oil temperature getting too high, the saw blades not having enough horsepower, and poor cutting performance due to operator error as well as terrain variations.

Main Reduction Gear Debris Identification And Removal Device, Gordon Cline, Alex Tittiger, Michael O'Brien

Mechanical Engineering

This report details the development of a tool to remove objects and debris from a large gearbox found on ships of the United States Navy, specifically to be used by NAVSEA. The tool is to be used in situations where an object or contaminant cannot easily be removed or found without completely disassembling the gearbox. This will be done using a boom arm, a cable, a gripper and a borescope. This combination will allow for a large amount of mobility and versatility when searching for the object or contaminant, which is necessary for use in different gearboxes. The process we …

Cryogenic Heat Switch, Daniel Brodkey, Esteban Ruiz, Cristal Vasquez

Mechanical Engineering

A prototype cryogenic heat switch capable of transferring heat at cryogenic temperatures, while decoupling to prevent irreversible heat damage and minimizing parasitic heat loads, is to be developed for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Various material properties and cryogenic heat transfer processes will be investigated to determine the best solution for this project. A working proof of concept model will be constructed that may eventually be integrated onto a spacecraft’s passive cooler systems to protect them from the irradiation emitted by the sun, from the albedo of planets, and other malicious heat sources.

Design Of A Releasable Snowboard Binding, Rex Crossen, Brian Kruse, Timothy Scott

Mechanical Engineering

A releasable snowboard binding will be proposed to our sponsor. This binding will allow the user to release and engage on demand for aerial tricks, comfort, and increased safety. The releasable snowboard binding we will come up with will be revolutionary within the snowboard industry and make current bindings old and inferior.

Human Powered Generation - Seesaw: A Dc House Project, William Varsh, Jeffrey Healy

Electrical Engineering

This project is a proof of concept work, where playground equipment is implemented for power generation. In using a seesaw design, this project was able to show how a simple mechanical motion could be transformed in electrical power. A seesaw power generator was designed and constructed to demonstrate its feasibility. Results show that with some modification and improvement to the current design, the seesaw me indeed provide a viable method to produce electricity.

Frg Turbojet, Tyler Vitti

Computer Engineering

Members of the Cal Poly SLO campus club FRG work together with students of several different disciplines to build a functional turbojet engine. Engineering approaches include design, fabrication, testing, and computer sensing, control, and integration. The goal of the project is to produce a running turbojet engine monitored and controlled by embedded hardware and specialized PC software. This project is to be used by later groups for further research and development.

Three-Dimensional Geometry Of The Human Carotid Artery, Alexey Kamenskiy, Jason N. Mactaggart, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Jai Bikhchandani, Yuris A. Dzenis

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Accurate characterization of carotid artery geometry is vital to our understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Three-dimensional computer reconstructions based on medical imaging are now ubiquitous; however, mean carotid artery geometry has not yet been comprehensively characterized. The goal of this work was to build and study such geometry based on data from 16 male patients with severe carotid artery disease. Results of computerized tomography angiography were used to analyze the cross-sectional images implementing a semiautomated segmentation algorithm. Extracted data were used to reconstruct the mean three-dimensional geometry and to determine average values and variability of bifurcation and planarity angles, …

Three-Dimensional Modeling Of Carbon/Epoxy To Titanium Single-Lap Joints With Variable Adhesive Recess Length, Yi Hua, Linxia Gu, Michael Trogdon

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The objective of this paper was to investigate the performance of recessed single-lap joints with dissimilar adherends through the finite element method. The influence of material and geometric nonlinearity of the adhesive as well as the impact of the recess length was examined in terms of maximum principal stresses. The strength of the joint was obtained as the load to initiate the crack propagation. Results suggested that either adding a spew fillet or considering the adhesive plasticity led to reduced peak stresses at the edge of the adhesive layer. The presence of a spew fillet in the single-lap joint with …

Hearst Hydroelectric Generation Facility, Anthony Schifano, Richard Wright, Nick Buchanan, Corey Nakai, Joshua Rutheiser

Electrical Engineering

This project proposes a power plant design that provides a supplemental source of electricity for appliances, machinery, and lighting at Hearst Castle and Ranch. The design concept includes a turbine-generator combination to convert kinetic and gravitational potential energy from the existing water distribution system to electrical energy: also known as a hydroelectric plant. The electrical distribution system from the plant to the local grid takes advantage of power flow techniques utilized in current research and industry.

The Hovering Ball Exhibit, Matthew Bauzon, Will Lennox, Michelle Swan

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Innovative Cargo Rack Solutions, Travis Mccart, Brian Blummer, Whit Ratcliff

Mechanical Engineering

This report describes the process of designing, building, and testing a lowering mechanism for a roof-mounted SUV cargo box. It provides a detailed problem description and a specific list of requirements that our design must comply with. Existing products and concepts are presented which meet one or more of our design requirements. Six design concepts are discussed and down-selected to three for further development. A final design has been chosen and described in detail. A team management plan is included to specify member responsibilities and a schedule details major deadlines and goals. Manufacturing processes and testing procedures are described in …

Design Of A Human Powered Helicopter Airframe, Sheen Kao, Daniel Layton, Philip Sobol

Mechanical Engineering

In 1989 Cal Poly’s Da Vinci III was the first human powered helicopter (HPH) to achieve flight; our goal is to research and develop a new airframe for the next generation Da Vinci. This report outlines a brief history of human powered flight and details a method of constructing for the airframe. An optimized airframe geometry was also researched and is explained in detail.

Formula Hybrid Drivetrain Design, Zachary (Zak) Mcfarland, Alex Pruitt, William Domhart

Mechanical Engineering

The Formula Hybrid senior project group was tasked with designing and building a drivetrain system for the Cal Poly Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Hybrid (FHSAE) team. FHSAE gave customer requirements for performance and geometry for the drivetrain and the FHSAE rulebook has guidelines regarding safety requirements. The team chose to compete in the electric category of the 2012 FHSAE competition. After getting feedback from previous car performance and researching different powertrain options, the senior project team arrived at three conceptual ideas. Using a quality function deployment method, the senior project team chose the concept where two motors independently …

Throwing Frame For Athletes With Dissabilities, Andrew Higgins, Stefan Owechko, Gabriel (Gabe) Terrasas, Kevin Crisfield

Mechanical Engineering

Team Zeus’ senior project was to design, build and test a working throwing frame system for Bridge II Sports, a nonprofit organization in North Carolina. The throwing frame is used to allow athletes and individuals with disabilities to throw shot-put, discus, and javelin using a frame to sit against. Team Zeus was specifically tasked to build a frame that is lighter weight and more transportable than products that are currently on the market. This frame also is adjustable to accommodate a wide range of athlete weights, sizes, and abilities. The final result is a 35lb aluminum frame with two different …

Senior Project #7: Longboard Test Apparatus, Derek Chan, Colin Harris, Nico Lee

Mechanical Engineering

The aim of this project is to create a machine that will test longboards made by Method Sports and Freebord. Through analysis and many iterations, Board Busters has assembled a design to fulfill the requirements set forth by these companies, who also sponsor the project. Through use of a four-bar, frame, and two spinning disks, the machine will accurately simulate riding conditions seen by a board in use by customers, allowing the sponsoring companies to improve designs and verify warranties.

Recreational Nordic Sit Ski, Mathew Bissonnette, Johnathon Gorski, Kevin Izumiya

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to design, build, and test a recreational Nordic sit ski for use by Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. The goal was to improve adjustability and reduce weight compared to previous sit ski designs. The project was completed by Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering seniors Mathew Bissonnette, Johnathon Gorski, and Kevin Izumiya. Kinesiology seniors Harpreet Saini and Carl Anderson provided discipline support and disability etiquette training.

The project was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities (RAPD) grant. The grant was proposed by and awarded to Dr. Brian Self and Dr. James …

Thermocouple Calibration Device, Angelica M. Larios, Cameron D. Peck, Andrew J. Smith

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this project is to develop a thermocouple calibration unit with a high degree of confidence and accuracy. This thermocouple calibration device will be designed and developed at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and delivered to Tesla Motors Inc.

To best utilize thermocouples, they must be calibrated to a known accuracy. Non-commercially produced thermocouples have unknown accuracies. The final deliverable will be a semi-automated device that produces a calibration curve for each thermocouple with a known confidence and accuracy.

Me-Em Enewsbrief, June 2012, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.