Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Computational Wave Field Modeling Using Sequential Mapping Of Poly-Crepitus Green’S Function In Anisotropic Media, Sajan Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a meshless semi-analytical computational method is presented to compute the ultrasonic wave field in the generalized anisotropic material while understanding the physics of wave propagation in detail. To understand the wave-damage interaction in an anisotropic material, it is neither feasible nor cost-effective to perform multiple experiments in the laboratory. Hence, recently the computational nondestructive evaluation (CNDE) received much attention to performing the NDE experiments in a virtual environment. In this thesis, a fundamental framework is constructed to perform the CNDE experiment of a thick composite specimen in a Pulse-Echo (PE) mode. To achieve the target, the following …

Sound Data Collection And Transmission Noise Reduction, Bradley Cockrel

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The WKU Engineering Department Senior Student Team, The Synchronizers, has been contracted to modify a MTD transmission’s sound characteristics. This project entails developing a sound data acquisition apparatus and method, developing a sound test stand which will fully load the transmission and load characteristics, and suggesting modes of sound modification. The Sound Data Acquisition method entails using a specialized microphone calibrated to operate on IOS devices to measure Sound Intensity. The sound intensity will be found over a collective area, in order to evaluate to the sound power generated. The sound test stand will consist of a system designed to …

Rsl Rover, Patrick Barone, Giovanni Briggs, Aaron Burns, Hesham Naja, Zoe Demertzis

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

The goal of this project was to design and implement an unmanned vehicle that can assess the air quality and general state of a post-fire environment. To do this, we equipped Santa Clara University's Polaris 6x6 Ranger with appropriate sensors and cameras to determine how safe the environment is for humans to enter. We also used GPS and laser scans to generate a 3D map that operators can use to define certain zones as particularly dangerous. Finally, we incorporated partially-autonomous sensing capabilities that will allow the operator to easily drive the vehicle. The result was a rugged, advanced, and intuitive …

Pcb Prototyping, Kasey Chun, Dylan Hack, Ilja Medan, Michael Rudolf, Ryan Sidley

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

In today’s world, Printed Circuit Boards, also known as PCBs, are part of our daily lives. However, it is currently difficult for students in university classes or hobbyists to quickly produce custom made PCBs since no system exists where every step in the production process is on one platform. There are four main steps that go into manufacturing a PCB once it is fully designed which are: milling, solder dispensing, component placement, and a reflow process. The goal will be to create various toolheads and place them onto a single platform allowing the user to perform the aforementioned production processes. …

Gravity Charger, Luke Lindsay, Will Gonder, George Montgomery

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

According to a 2014 World Health Organization research initiative based on data collected from 14 global developing countries, “Only 28% of health facilities and 34% of hospitals had what could be called “reliable” access to electricity (without prolonged interruptions in one week)” [1]. Healthcare quality suffers because of this lack of reliable electricity. We propose that a gravity powered generator would stand as a reliable power source for small medical devices under any conditions at any location at any time of day. Our research examines how a gravity powered electric generator could best empower medical facilities in developing countries to …

Torque Auditing Test Fixture For Hansen Medical’S Remote Catheter Manipulator Robot, Matt Mckay, Charles Reins, Scott Schneider

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Current manufacturing test systems for motor control of Hansen's line of surgical robots are labor intensive, have room for operator error and do not supply sufficient information. Based upon an expected increase in production, the objective of this project was to replace their test protocol with a modular test fixture that improves test time, is intuitive to use, and enhances the user experience. We developed a modular design that works for both the Sensei and Magellan robots, and can be reconfigured easily for use on future robots. Using a control system and GUI made in LabVIEW, a magnetic particle as …

Glows Co Automated Chemical Etching Machine For Fiber Optic Cable, Mishan Golshan, Peter Laird, Thomas Ostrander, Marty Winkler, Peter Savoy

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This report summarizes the conceptualization and development of an automated machine designed for a fiber optic cable stripping process used by Lumentum LLC. This process is currently manually operated by Lumentum’s technicians and involves unavoidable handling of corrosive chemicals. To increase technician safety, the process will be automated to reduce chemical - operator interactions. Improving safety conditions for technicians is the primary motivation for automating this process. Automation will also decrease process variation and increase product quality. GLOWS CO was tasked with creating this automated solution, leading to the design of the Automatic Chemical Etching Machine (or A-CHEM) for the …

Safer: Search And Find Emergency Rover, Zachary Agustin, Charles Lewis, Elizabeth Mcmahon, Cameron Pierce, Pranav Pradhan, Michael Tamshen

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

When disaster strikes and causes a structure to collapse, it poses a unique challenge to search and rescue teams as they assess the situation and search for survivors. Currently there are very few tools that can be used by these teams to aid them in gathering important information about the situation that allow members to stay at a safe distance. SAFER, Search and Find Emergency Rover, is an unmanned, remotely operated vehicle that can provide early reconnaissance to search and rescue teams so they may have more information to prepare themselves for the dangers that lay inside the wreckage. Over …

Project Space: Solar Panel Automated Cleaning Environment, Matt Burke, Ryan Greenough, Daniel Jensen, Elliot Voss

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The goal of Project SPACE is to create an automated solar panel cleaner that will address the adverse impact of soiling on commercial photovoltaic cells. Specifically, we hoped to create a device that increases the maximum power output of a soiled panel by 10% (recovering the amount of power lost) while still costing under $500 and operating for up to 7.0 years. A successful design should operate without the use of water. This will help solar panel arrays achieve a production output closer to their maximum potential and save companies on costs associated energy generation.

The current apparatus utilizes a …

Gazelle: A Human Powered Vehicle, William Fluharty, Brian Rice, Amulya Rao, Werner Nistler

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis details the year-long Senior Design process in which our goal was to create a human powered vehicle that could be a short-distance replacement for cars. Our team designed our vehicle to be entered in the ASME Human Powered Vehicle Competition in April of 2016. Our vehicle featured a seat that could be adjusted for users of different heights, making it more comfortable to ride. This report will describe the process and design choices that were made throughout the year in order to create a vehicle. Our frame was welded using Chavez Welding, and the welding created some complications …

Marv: Marine Autonomous Research Vessel, Drew Azevedo, Sam Beltram, Gregorio Delvecchio, Ben Hopner

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Conducting hydrologic research in remote areas is currently performed manually, making it a labor intensive and inaccurate solution. Due to the size, weight, and cost of automated solutions on the market today, a need has arisen for a low cost, highly portable, autonomous solution. Working closely with Santa Clara University’s Robotics Systems Lab (RSL), our team has developed a low cost, highly portable autonomous marine research vessel named MARV (Marine Autonomous Research Vessel). It is an autonomous surface platform where scientists outfit the vessel with their own data acquisition equipment. The mechanical chassis is collapsible for modes of remote transportation …

Smart Control For Home Water Heater Saving, Joe Singer, Michael Simmons, Scott Jansen

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Existing gas or electric water heaters can become inefficient through the overheating of water and through parasitic heat loss. These inefficiencies are able to be solved by monitoring when a home uses hot water. AquAdapt is a smart sensor which is capable of attaching to any existing residential gas or electric water heater. By constantly monitoring the temperature change of a home water heater, the first law of thermodynamics can be used to relate temperature change to the amount of hot water leaving the water heater. Utilizing this information, a schedule can be generated to optimize the heating of home …

Heat Pipe Design For Absorption Chiller Refrigerators Powered By Cookstoves, Paola Flores, Eduardo Melendez

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

We developed an inexpensive refrigeration system that will operate off-grid through the use of reclaimed heat from cookstoves. The refrigerator will serve as a reliable storage unit that will maintain vaccines at a proper temperature range. This report focuses on the various components that make up our Cool Stove project. The overall system and subsystems are laid out and explained. We also address the reason why we believe this project will be beneficial to individuals in developing countries. In addition, we provide detail on the work that we have accomplished and on the results that we have achieved. We created …

Cook Stove Powered Refrigeration: Cool Stove 2, Robert Bernal

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Lack of refrigeration contributes to the death of over 3.7 million children and the loss of 200 tonnes of food every year in developing countries. While 1.21 billion people in developing countries do not have access to electricity to operate traditional refrigerators, 38% of individuals within developing countries use biomass fuel to cook. The scope of my project was to produce a viable solution for refrigeration for these individuals in developing countries through the use of thermosyphons that utilize reclaimed thermal energy from cook stoves to power absorption chillers. Over the span of my project I was able to confirm …

Microfluidic E. Coli Detection, Kyle Pietrzyk, Scott Fukuoka, Andres Maldonado-Liu, Andy Ly

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

In both developed and developing countries, there is a need for a fast diagnostic system to detect pathogens within a fluid sample. In developing a microfluidic platform, which utilizes a microfluidic chip and an optical detection method, doors may be opened for new methods of determining pathogen concentration in fluid. Most biological reactions are not instantaneous. A flow-controlling mechanism with no power requirement may be implemented in the microfluidic platform. As a proof-of-concept, our device uses a microfluidic chip, smartphone, and microlens to detect E. coli concentrations in water. The detection method is based on the latex agglutination assay which …

Metals Additive Manufacturing Powder Aging Characterization, Thomas Russell Lovejoy, Nicholas Karl Muetterties, David Takeo Otsu

Mechanical Engineering

The metallic additive manufacturing process known as selective laser melting requires highly spherical, normally distributed powder with diameters in the range of 10 to 50 microns. Previous observations have shown a degradation in powder quality over time, resulting in unwanted characteristics in the final printed parts. 21-6-9 stainless steel powder was used to fabricate test parts, with leftover powder recycled back into the machine. Powder samples and test specimens were characterized to observe changes across build cycles. Few changes were observed in the physical and mechanical properties of the specimens, however, there were indications of chemical changes across cycles. Potential …

Ultra Light Split Board Bindings, Jared Van Putten

All Undergraduate Projects

A split board binding is used to link two halves of a theoretically cut in half snow board together and fasten an alpine touring boot used for both skiing and mountaineering in place. The binding is removable so that one can alpine tour uphill on skins and be assembled at the top so that the rider can link both halves of the board together and bind their alpine touring ski boot into place to the split board. The binding system is required to be ultra light for Alpine Touring purposes and still be strong enough to withstand the rigors of …

Experimental Investigation Of Turbulent Flow Induced By New-Generation Wind Fences With Multi-Scale Fractal Structure, Sarah M. Mcclure

ETD Archive

Understanding and controlling atmospheric boundary-layer flows with engineered structures, such as porous wind fences or windbreaks, has been of great interest to the fluid mechanics and wind engineering community. Previous studies found that the regular mono-scale grid fence of 50% porosity and a bottom gap of 10% of the fence height are considered to be optimal over a flat surface. Significant differences in turbulent flow structure have recently been noted behind multi-scale fractal wind fences, even with the same porosity. In this study, wind-tunnel tests on the turbulent flow and the turbulence kinetic energy transport of 1D and 2D multi-scale …

A Simulation And Experimental Study Of Active Disturbance Rejection For Industrial Pressure Control, Xiaoxu Li

ETD Archive

The quality of control loop is very important in hydraulic machineries, where pressure must be accurately regulated in the presence of various disturbances. Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control has dominated the industry for a long time and it is by far the most popular general purpose controller for pressure control. The purpose of this study is to conduct a simulation and experimental study comparing PID with an emerging new technology, namely active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). For the purpose of this study, an experimental testbed similar to those used in industry settings is used; its mathematic model is derived and used in …

Characterization Of Performance Of A 3d Printed Stirling Engine Through Analysis And Test, Julie Vodhanel

ETD Archive

This thesis involves the fusion of two technologies, Stirling engines and additive
manufacturing. The project began by building a Stirling engine primarily out of 3D printed parts. Methods to measure the power output were designed and built with a combination of 3D printed and off the shelf parts. The Stirling engine was tested to see if there was a correlation to analysis results, and a regenerator was installed to determine the effect on performance for this relatively low temperature engine. Finally, variations in test operation and the use of heat sinks were used to find a combination that will allow …

Hybrid Particle Image Velocimetry With The Combination Of Cross-Correlation And Optical Flow Method, Mark Bradley Johnson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) has been of relevant discussions lately as the equipment used to obtain temporally and spatially resolved flow fields have advanced rapidly. Despite these advancements, the accuracy of evaluating these images have yet to exceed expectations. Current techniques typically utilize one method, either correlation based (frequently) or optical flow (non-frequently), and both are vulnerable to specific conditions incorporated in the PIV images. Only through the combination of two methods, cross correlation and optical flow, can a technique benefit from the strengths of each method while concealing the flaws each individual method contains. The Hybrid Particle Image Velocimetry …

Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of A 3d Printer Based Microfluidic System, Carlton A. Mcmullen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A pneumatically actuated PDMS based microfluidic devices were designed and fabricated by soft-lithography. Two types of molds were fabricated out of different material for this experiment. The first mold, (device 1), was fabricated from a sheet of Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material, similar to Plexiglas. The device features were micro-engraved onto the face of the material. The second mold, (device 2), was fabricated from the use of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. The pumping efficiency of the PDMS devices was analyzed through the characterization of the micro-pumps flowrate with respect to the pumps driving pressure and the actuation frequency. Tested …

Skyport: Payload: Medical Cooler For The Skyport Uav, Madison Gee, Hector Lopez, Victor Magaña

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Access to basic healthcare is a major persisting problem around the globe, especially in rural parts of the world. One of the many facets of this problem is access to vaccine treatment. The transportation and storage of vaccines at the proper temperature is an issue that is still being solved and improved upon today. One of the common solutions to this problem is the use of passive coolers such as ice packs and other refrigerants. The potential issue with passive cooling is that the temperature cannot be actively controlled. This is evident, as many vaccines are wasted due to incorrect …

Automated In-Row Weed Trimmer, Joshua Baculi, Tyler Castrucci, Joshua Ding, Marit Knapp, Gaston Young

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Automated In-Row Weed Trimmer, or AIRWT, is a weed removal system designed to be used in vineyards in order to enable safe and e cient removal of weeds while preventing damage to the vines. The goal of the system is to reduce the need for the use of manual labor and herbicides while improving production rates of grapes by automating the weed removal process at vineyards. By implementing an automated system for weed removal, the team aims to resolve ethical issues in food production, primarily those surrounding human labor, environmental friendliness, and social sustainability. The focus of this report …

Skyport Airframe: Design And Manufacturing, Thomas Clark, Michael Dewane, Siosiua Faleta, Robert Llanos-Hinson

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Many rural areas of developing countries lack the necessary transportation infrastructure to have reliable access to basic needs. This is particularly true for medical supplies. To combat the issue of insufficient access to vaccines in developing areas, the SkyPort project has developed the SkyPort UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The SkyPort UAV has the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a quadcopter, as well as the efficient, sustained flight of a fixed-wing aircraft. It provides a cheaper, quicker, and safer delivery method than existing alternatives for vaccines in areas that lack a reliable transportation infrastructure. The role of the SkyPort …

Sunplanter, Matthew Diaz, Joseph Gaither, Stephen Hight, J. Brandon Suehiro

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Although the cost of solar technology has been reduced by nearly seventy percent in the last ten years, the cost of implementing solar panels for residential and commercial use has remained stagnant. Due to the lack of affordable, easily installable solar panel systems on residential properties, the goal of our Senior Design Project is to design a stand-alone solar tracking structure. Since the system is stand-alone, it can be easily implemented on a wide range of properties in most areas of California. Our design for the support of the solar tracking system is a two-pole structure, with a wide base …

Legacy Borehole Project, Piper Connelly, Rhys Marks, Ronald Saavedra

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

To assist scientists in their pursuit of important research of the subseafloor, the Legacy Borehole Project designed a unique structure that will be lowered to the ocean floor for data collection beneath the ocean floor. This derrick structure will provide support for a sensor package to access pre-existing boreholes, deep and narrow holes drilled into the Earth's crust beneath the sea floor. Our team has completed the second year effort of the three-year plan. In this paper we detail our work on the structure, which will be assembled on a ship's deck and lowered onto the borehole reentry cone with …

Rsl Autonomous Rover, Cris Madrigal, Jiachi Zhang, Nicholas Peacock, Brogan O'Hara

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Autonomous vehicles are useful for a variety of applications such as military, urban, and agricultural environments. This paper discusses adding an autonomous navigation system to an all-terrain vehicle by implementing controllers that interface with its current system, installing sensors on the vehicle for obstacle detection, and developing effective safety mechanisms to prevent injury to others. The result is a vehicle capable of waypoint navigation and obstacle avoidance. Testing the vehicle showed that the LIDAR and the autonomous navigation system were integrated seamlessly, and that the sensor output signals were successfully translated into vehicle commands the existing system uses. This system …

Proof Of Concept Planetary Lander Test Article, Aja Hartman, Heather Montgomery, Shane Hereford, Grant Goyette

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The goal of this proof of concept planetary lander is to safely deliver an exploration rover to a planet surface. This lander was designed to be used as the last stage of landing in the existing entry, descent, and landing procedures used in previous Mars missions. The design improved upon past missions to Mars by reducing risk of failure during landing by utilizing a passive system with no electronics or control systems while also increasing landing site accuracy. These goals were accomplished by incorporating external crushable materials and internal damping systems. Five drop tests of our final design were completed. …

Mobile Music: A Musical Therapy Assistance Device, Alex Hildebrand, Tanner Malkoff

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Children suffering from Cerebral Palsy often undergo gait therapy in order to strengthen and coordinate their trunks and legs. The patients often feel unmotivated to perform their gait training because the physical movements associated with it are difficult and there is no immediate reward. Physical therapists (PT) will often play music as an incentive to get the children focused on their physical therapy, but this is inefficient and impedes the PT from analyzing and tuning the patients' gait. Mobile Music is a small device designed for automating musical therapy during gait training. In this paper, we go through several design …