Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Me Department Bespoke Coffee Cabinet, Mickie Clyne, Stephen Tamacheepjaroen, Samuel Johnson, Willem Gray

Mechanical Engineering

This senior project involved the design, fabrication, and testing of a custom coffee cabinet for the California Polytechnic State University Mechanical Engineering Department. The project addressed challenges associated with appliance organization, storage efficiency, accessibility, and maintenance within the department’s shared breakroom space. A human-centered design process was used to identify stakeholder needs and develop engineering specifications for the final product.

The completed cabinet integrates custom woodworking, steel pipe frame construction, dedicated K-Cup storage, organized appliance placement, and a rack-and-pinion sliding platform that improves access to the Keurig coffee maker for refilling and maintenance. Design decisions were informed through stakeholder feedback, …

Mars Mini Rover Sample Retrieval Robotic Claw, Cami Chambers, Ani Lachikian, Alexa Ramirez, Alex Power

Mechanical Engineering

This project involves several key stakeholders, including the Poly1 Rover Club, Professor Rich Murray, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The primary objective is to develop an improved robotic claw capable of retrieving sample tubes left by the Perseverance Rover on the Martian surface. In tackling this challenge, the design must account for the harsh Mars climate while integrating cameras and electrical components, durable structure, and a rotational component to the Mini-Rover claw without incorporating an additional motor, sample storage unit, structural aspects or unnecessary weight. The current Mini-Rover consists of a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm with joints often referred to …

A Study & Comparison Of Lift Boosters For An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Trevor Sean Dady

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society for tasks, such as package delivery, defense, and cinematography. Due to this surge in applications, many researchers have begun to search for improvements to unmanned aerial vehicles for their lift and thrust properties. Potential solutions to magnify an unmanned aerial vehicle’s thrust capability are the implementation of Coanda surfaces, nozzles, or bowl-shaped structures on each propeller. Coanda surfaces provide additional lift force by creating a vacuum in response to the adhesion of fluid to the smooth surface. Nozzles can constrict the flow of air, while also increasing its velocity. The …

The Design And Manufacturing Process Of The Concealed Shelf, Clarence A. Matthews Iv

Honors Theses

The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) at the University of Mississippi challenges students to manufacture a product and put forth a balanced manufacturing line in a senior capstone project. The chosen product was a concealed shelf, or a shelf with a hidden compartment. The team aimed to design a product, formulate a project plan, analyze the market, conduct financial analysis, develop a prototype, establish a manufacturing process, and demonstrate that process in two production runs. The team used tools such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), market surveys, jig creation, and line balancing to accomplish these tasks. After two …

Manufacturing Process Of A Wooden Tortilla Press: Idea To Production, Colleen Nolan, Ben Bird, Olivia Marque, Emma Palmer, Hayden Walker

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to document the design, development, and manufacturing of a wooden tortilla press completed as a capstone project through the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME). The project follows a structured product development process that began with problem definition and concept development, progressed through design, prototyping, and jig fabrication, and culminated in a full production run on the CME shop floor. A multidisciplinary team, including engineers, a marketer, and an accountant, collaborated throughout the project to support both technical development and manufacturing execution. Project planning and scheduling were established early and maintained throughout the project to …

Design New Stage For Vacuum Pin On Disk, Miranda Boyd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my senior design project, I am redesigning the moving stage for the vacuum pin-on-disk test used in the Akron Engineering Tribology Lab. This system is used to evaluate bearings and lubricants for aerospace applications under controlled vacuum conditions. The current stage design limits flexibility when adjusting for different testing parameters, so my goal is to develop a new movable stage that allows for varying weights and loads to be applied accurately and safely. The redesigned stage will improve test efficiency, adaptability, and precision, ensuring the system can accommodate a wider range of experimental conditions and materials while maintaining compatibility …

Is There A More Effective Design For Quadrat To Increase Ease Of Use And Vegetation Density?, Scott M. Burke Jr., Kristen M Bellisario

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Quadrats are a special tool in the ecology field that allows the measurement of vegetation density for further data analysis of a habitat. The larger the quadrat cross-sectional area, the better the results of the data, which in turn can make the quadrat hard to carry through field sites. In wildlife corridor research, quadrat surveys provide a quantitative metric for habitat suitability. In this work, we consider the efficiency and ease-of-use benefits for field work in the design of a collapsible version of a quadrat using a House of Quality (standard metric for new design requirements) to assess the customer …

Engineering Of Metallic Interpenetrating Phase Composites For The Control Of Deformation And Failure Modes During Dynamic Events, David Kiyoshi Santacruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Aerospace components, automotive structures, and ballistics armor are all engineered to withstand high strain rate service events through a combination of material selection and design choices. However, structural components may be less effective when their implementation is constrained by other factors such as weight or design limitations. To meet these challenges, the development of next-generation materials will need to increasingly rely on composite material systems rather than monolithic materials. This thesis presents the fabrication, dynamic characterization testing, and post-mortem analysis of 316L/A356 interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) made from the PrintCasting methodology. These composites consist of additively manufactured 316L stainless steel …

A Structural Evaluation And Design Optimization Of A Tow Bar For Disabled Snowmobiles, David M. Pevic

Masters Theses

Snowmobile tow bars are devices used to rigidly connect two snowmobiles, such that a disabled snowmobile can be recovered from a remote location with a working snowmobile. These devices, however, are not widely used or readily available. An existing tow bar design was evaluated and redesigned to improve its structural capacity and performance. This evaluation provided a baseline to quantify improvement and included Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA), and Design for Assembly analysis (DFA). A review of existing snowmobile tow bar patents was also performed. An updated design was then fabricated and similarly evaluated. …

Akronauts Turbopump Research Project, Gerald Drabeck Iii, Michael Mccalla, Joshua Skelton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The idea of this project is to design a turbo pump template capable of fitting into future Akronauts rocket designs. This allows the rockets to travel higher due to the reduced net weight. Many methods were used to verify the rigidity and feasibility of the design, such as Finite Element Analysis and fluid dynamics simulations.

Utilizing Optimization Tools For Passive Flow Control Passage Loss Reduction In Low-Pressure Turbines, Bryant Robert Duane Burton

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Low-pressure turbines (LPTs) play a crucial role in fuel efficiency and thrust generation of aero-engines. Traditional LPT designs, however, involve multiple stages and numerous blades, resulting in increased weight and manufacturing costs. The challenge of modern- day researchers is to reduce the weight and cost but maintain the high efficiency of LPTs. To address this, one approach is to increase the aerodynamic loading of individual blades, reducing the blade count. However, this can lead to increased secondary losses caused by flow separation, particularly in the endwall regions. This research focuses on optimizing the blade profile at the junction with the …

Investigating Challenges Of Converting Cad Models To Game Ready Assets, Vathsa Pawar

All Theses

This thesis explores the challenges associated with converting detailed CAD models into game-ready assets optimized for use in virtual reality (VR) environments using game engines, focusing on enhancing using mechanical engineering models. The primary goal is to establish a toolchain that allows the integration of CAD models into game engines for immersive applications, enabling engineers and stakeholders to interact with 3D models in a synthetic environment. The study employs several test cases ranging from simple door models to complex automotive vehicle prototypes, elaborating the process of exporting CAD models through intermediate formats (such as STEP, STL, GLB) using tools like …

Justification Of The Effectiveness Of Software For The Design Of Open-Pit Mining, Tolib Olimovich Komilov, Bobirjon Nabijonovich Ashurov, Ulugbek Bakhtiyorovich Sattarov, Ma’Ruf Ixtiyorovich Karimov

Technical science and innovation

The article notes that the economic feasibility of implementing a project based on deposits directly affects the economy of the country and the region, as well as the construction of new facilities, the use of the most balanced approaches and design solutions in a complex will allow achieving the set goal of increasing production volumes and bringing the enterprise to a new level of development. In order to achieve the above goals, it has been proven with the implementation of investment projects using software for the design of open-pit mining, it is possible to further develop the region, agriculture with …

Capstone Review: Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine, Gal Cohen

University Honors Theses

The Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine (FUME) is a Mechanical Engineering capstone project sponsored by Portland State University's Electronic Prototyping Lab (EPL). The project addresses the need for an automated system to manage 3D printing operations. The current manual process of selecting and routing a spool of filament to one of the available 3D printers is labor-intensive and limits the efficiency of the lab's 3D printing farm. FUME aims to create a custom solution tailored for a multi-user, multi-spool, and multi-printer environment. The designed system includes key components: a spool holder, an engine, a track and shuttle system, and a funnel. …

Identifying Sick Cells From High-Resolution Solid-State Micropore Data, Abdul Hafeez, Azhar Ilyas, Ali R. Butt, Samir M. Iqbal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Early detection of diseases such as cancer can drastically improve prognosis and treatment. To this end, solid-state micropores can measure distinct mechanical properties of diseased cells from their translocation behavior — detected as pulses in the temporal data stream of ionic current — and help diagnose diseases at early stages. However, the obstacle in such approaches is that the accuracy of the sensor is affected by noise, making the pulse detection task too subjective. This is inefficient especially when the disease-relevant data is only a fraction of the total acquired data. Thus, it is important to intelligently automate the detection …

Rc Baja Steering And Suspension, Chayce Williams

All Undergraduate Projects

The engineering objective of this project are designing, manufacturing, and testing the most efficient and strongest possible RC Baja Steering and Suspension system that the engineer could produce with the provided or acquired equipment, and materials.

This was all done successfully over the school year. During the Fall quarter, the RC car was undergoing designing, and in these design processes, mechanics of materials, statics, and dynamics, were used to come up with the most adequate materials and design. Computer aided designed (CAD) models were then created to get a RC Baja CAD assembly. Winter Quarter of the school year was …

Articulating Balsa Wood Bridge, Kyle Barayuga

All Undergraduate Projects

Bridges have been used worldwide to allow passage between untraversable terrain. These bridges are built according to their terrain and environment, while also withstanding the forces of objects going across them. This project explores building a bridge under specific design restrictions to be able to simulate objects traversing across and under it. The device consists of a bridge, utilizing a Pratt truss design, and an articulation tower which are mechanically linked using a hinge. The articulation tower allows the bridge to be raised and lowered, simulating an object to be passed under. Raising and lowering the bridge consists of using …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain And Chassis, Sam Wang

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja project aims to develop a high-performance RC vehicle for Baja-style racing through a comprehensive design, manufacturing/prototyping, and testing. The objective is to address engineering challenges related to ensuring durability, efficiency, and performance while navigating rugged terrains and obstacles.

To achieve this objective, the engineers conduct extensive research to guide the design process, with a specific emphasis on the drivetrain and chassis components. Detailed CAD modeling is utilized to refine the design of the drivetrain, incorporating elements such as gear ratios, differential systems, and torque distribution to enhance power delivery and traction. Similarly, the chassis design prioritizes factors …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain And Chassis, Caden Harris

All Undergraduate Projects

The engineers in the CWU Mechanical Engineering Technology program were asked to design and manufacture a remote-controlled Baja car to compete in several different events. The car was required to compete in a drag race, slalom event, and Baja event against other cars created by engineering students. To compete at the highest level, the cars needed to finely balance ruggedness, weight, torque, and top speed.

This report is dedicated to the designing, manufacturing, and testing of the drivetrain and chassis that supported the RC car as it competed in the school-sanctioned competition; a partner was responsible for the steering and …

Rc Baja: Suspension And Steering, Daniel Davis

All Undergraduate Projects

Engineers enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Central Washington University were tasked with developing a vehicle to compete in the ASME Baja competition. The engineers were in teams of two, one focused on suspension and steering and the other focused on drive train and chassis.

To begin the design of the vehicle, engineering analyses were completed on each of the components to comply with the requirements set by the team. After completion of multiple analyses for the components of the vehicle, the dimensions were validated and have been created in a CAD program to allow for virtual assembly …

Towards The Development Of A Unified Synthesis System Framework: Advancement Of Avds Towards A Generic, Multi-Disciplinary, And Multi-Fidelity Aerospace Vehicle Design Environment, Ian Wesley Maynard

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

At the start of any design program for the development of a novel aerospace vehicle, there can be millions of design, mission, and technology trades to be explored. Design software is needed that can modularly adapt itself such that it can be generically applied to a wide variety of aerospace applications. It needs to be automated such that it can ‘stitch’ together and generate synthesis codes using a wide variety of disciplinary methods including geometry, aerodynamics, propulsion, trajectory, weights, stability and control, cost, etc. It should also be able to modularly switch the multi-disciplinary synthesis execution process in the synthesis …

Advancements And Challenges In Additively Manufactured Functionally Graded Materials: A Comprehensive Review, Suhas Alkunte, Ismail Fidan, Vivekanand Naikwadi, Shamil Gudavasov, Mohammad Alshaikh Ali, Mushfig Mahmudov, Seymur Hasanov, Muralimohan Cheepu

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This paper thoroughly examines the advancements and challenges in the field of additively manufactured Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs). It delves into conceptual approaches for FGM design, various manufacturing techniques, and the materials employed in their fabrication using additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. This paper explores the applications of FGMs in diverse fields, including structural engineering, automotive, biomedical engineering, soft robotics, electronics, 4D printing, and metamaterials. Critical issues and challenges associated with FGMs are meticulously analyzed, addressing concerns related to production and performance. Moreover, this paper forecasts future trends in FGM development, highlighting potential impacts on diverse industries. The concluding section summarizes …

Design And Analysis Of Coupler Installation Tooling With Computer Vision For Fermilab’S Single Spoke Resonator 2 Srf Cavity, Caleb T. Denton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab) and the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), forerunners in the exploration of the subatomic world, are both in the process of improving their particle accelerators with the Proton Improvement Plan II at Fermilab and the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider Accelerator Upgrade Plan (HL-LHC AUP) at CERN. Both particle accelerators have cavities that serve to either accelerate the particle beam or guide it into an optimal position and have the need for radio frequency (RF) power couplers to generate the field that controls the particle beams. When installing the coupler onto the cavity, a reliable vacuum …

Energy Efficiency In Additive Manufacturing: Condensed Review, Ismail Fidan, Vivekanand Naikwadi, Suhas Alkunte, Roshan Mishra, Khalid Tantawi

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Today, it is significant that the use of additive manufacturing (AM) has growing in almost every aspect of the daily life. A high number of sectors are adapting and implementing this revolutionary production technology in their domain to increase production volumes, reduce the cost of production, fabricate light weight and complex parts in a short period of time, and respond to the manufacturing needs of customers. It is clear that the AM technologies consume energy to complete the production tasks of each part. Therefore, it is imperative to know the impact of energy efficiency in order to economically and properly …

On The Development Of A Sensing System Methodology To Evaluate The Viscoelastic Properties Of Soft Tissues As A Means Of Disease Prognosis, Shashank S. Kumat

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Identification of tissue viscoelastic properties could provide valuable information for assessing its healthiness or disease state. Current technologies present challenges to access and perform localized tissue assessment in confined spaces in the human body through contact indentation/palpation. As such, there is a need for a diagnostic system capable of measuring tissue relaxation response at the local site by accessing the tissue through a natural orifice. This dissertation presents a strain gauge-based uniaxial micro-force sensor, part of the aforementioned system, capable of measuring tissue response data in confined human space environments. A sensing system design methodology is developed and presented. The …

Exploring The Intersection Of Biology And Design For Product Innovations, Ajay P. Malshe, Salil Bapat, Kamlakar Rajurkar, Ang Ang, Jean-Marc Linares

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Design, development, productization, and applications of advanced product concepts are pressing for higher multifunctionality, resilience, and maximization of available resources equitably to meet the growing and continuing demands of global customers. These demands have further accelerated during the recent COVID- 19 pandemic and are continuing to be a challenge. Engineering designs are one of the most effective ways to endow products with functions, resilience, and sustainability. Biology, through millions of years of evolution, has met these acute requirements under severe resource and environmental constraints. As the manufacturing of products is reaching the fundamental limits of raw materials, labor, and resource …

Stump Grinder Project, Wyatt Hopper

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project covers the analysis of a Portable Stump Grinder device sponsored by private investors known as Gary and Carol Sherman, two farmers out of Lincoln, Nebraska. The ultimate goal of this project, in terms of the work we were assigned, was to provide the foundation work for future engineering teams to design and build the stump grinder for Gary and Carol Sherman.

Compliant Robot Manipulator For Transurethral Diagnosis, Samson A. Adejokun

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Minimally invasive procedures employ continuum manipulators, however, the internal human anatomy presents challenges relating to size, dexterity, and workspace for these manipulators. This research presents modeling, kinematic analysis, limited prototyping, and characterization of a micro-robotic manipulator to assess viscoelastic tissue properties of the bladder through transurethral palpation towards the diagnosis of bladder dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and early-stage bladder cancer. The proposed micro-robot consists of two subsystems; a unique 4mm outer diameter tendon-driven continuum segment from assembled “vertebrae” components with male and female snap-in features for joint assembly, an elastic tube encompassing each joint for controlled compliance and structural integrity …

Bridge Building, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn about different bridge styles and designs in this activity that challenges them to build their own successful bridge.

Rubber Band Car Activity, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Student learn about forces and engineering by designing a car powered by rubber bands