Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

3d Printed Carbon Fiber Electric Mountain Bike Frame, Chris Edwards, Fionn Ruder, Joseph Hurley, Micah Thomas, Mitch Spinelli, Parker Gribb

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

3D printing of carbon fiber composites has been a developing technology for about 5 years, and in this time, Arevo Labs has established itself as a leader in the field. Our team joined forces with Arevo, who sponsored our project as we showcased their new, innovative carbon fiber manufacturing process. To do so, we focused on the conceptual design, analysis, assembly, and material testing of an electric mountain-bike frame printed with Arevo’s continuous carbon fiber printing technology. Our bike consists of the main frame and a chain stay subsystem, which connects the rear wheel to the rest of the frame …

Efforts To Improve Free Body Diagrams, Kate N. Leipold, Sarilyn R. Ivancic

Presentations and other scholarship

It is frequently noted within the mechanical engineering department that students in Statics, and in following courses, are underperforming in their ability to create well-crafted free body diagrams (FBDs). The instructional faculty were charged to identify pedagogical methods to improve student performance in Statics and the retention of key concepts.

Two novel approaches were implemented over the 2016 academic year.

A pneumonic device to remember the key components of free body diagrams was developed and demonstrated consistently in class. The device is referred to as “The ABC’s of FBD’s”. The first four letters of the alphabet identify an item that …

Transient Heat Storage Systems, Ian M. Sweeney, Brock M. Johnson, Todd K. Lundberg

Mechanical Engineering

Phase change materials (PCM) have many applications in transient cooling systems, including those with high transient heat loads and low duty cycles. These materials allow a system to remain within a narrow temperature range with a relatively low weight compared to conventional heat sinks or high-power cooling systems. This senior capstone project includes the design of a PCM based thermal energy storage system to integrate into an existing cooling loop, as well as a determination of viable PCM’s for the application. This report contains the necessary information to build the test apparatus.

Wheelchair Tire Change, Vincent Aguilar, Martin Perez-Guzman, Spencer J. Solano

Mechanical Engineering

This project consists of a rear wheel wheelchair lift to be designed and created by a Cal Poly senior project team. This project was created for injured veteran Ms. Landeen who has the trouble of tracking mud into her house because of dirty wheelchair tires. The project was presented by the non-profit organization The Quality of Life Plus (QL+) Program. Much like when you remove your shoes coming into your home, Ms. Landeen needs a way to exchange her outdoor wheels for her clean indoor wheels.

The expected outcome of this project is a fully functioning device that will safely …

Verification Of Brand Authentication Technology Using Infrared Light And Image Processing, Thomas Fenner, Kevin Whalen, Josh Oliver

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Confidentiality: The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Theatrical Turntable, Liam R. Martinez, Isaac Becker, Robert R. Reed, Caroline A. Whelan

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Beach Wheelchair Attachment, Abbey Jo Scholle, Jackson Dallas Wiley, Jackson Cole

Mechanical Engineering

This document includes the problem that is under scrutiny, the background research towards finding a solution, the objectives, scope of the project, the planned overall design process, the preliminary design we have produced and analyzed, the critical design we have manufactured, the testing and results, and the final assessment of the produced design. The problem is lack of easy access and movement for wheelchair users on the beach. Other solutions and designs have been logged under background research. With this information, the scope of work was designed to meet all the needs specified and describe how the specifications will be …

Retractable Hammock, Collin J. Richardson, Jesse Bryn Mandell, Owen Alle Guenther

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review will recap the objectives, background, design ideation, and concept development of the Retractable Hammock senior capstone project and continue to report on the final design and manufacturing that resulted in the final iteration of the Retractable Hammock.

Generation Of Three-Dimensional Optical Cusp Beams With Ultrathin Metasurfaces, Weiwei Liu, Yuchao Zhang, Jie Gao, Xiaodong Yang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cusp beams are one type of complex structured beams with unique multiple self-accelerating channels and needle-like field structures owning great potentials to advance applications such as particle micromanipulation and super-resolution imaging. The traditional method to generate optical catastrophe is based on cumbrous reflective diffraction optical elements, which makes optical system complicated and hinders the nanophotonics integration. Here we design geometric phase based ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces made of nanoslit antennas to produce three-dimensional (3D) optical cusp beams with variable numbers of self-accelerating channels in a broadband wavelength range. The entire beam propagation profiles of the cusp beams generated from the metasurfaces …

Defect Detection In Selective Laser Melting, Moira Foster

Master's Theses

Additively manufactured parts produced using selective laser melting (SLM) are prone to defects created during the build process due to part shrinkage while cooling. Currently defects are found only after the part is removed from the printer. To determine whether cracks can be detected before a print is completed, this project developed print parameters to print a test coupon with inherent defects – warpage and cracking. Data recorded during the build was then characterized to determine when the defects occurred.

The test coupon was printed using two sets of print parameters developed to control the severity of warpage and cracking. …

Characterization Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells With Lscf-Sdc Composite Cathodes, Gianfranco Digiuseppe, Venkatesh Boddapati

Mechanical Engineering Publications

This paper reports the study of an anode-supported SOFC cell containing an LSCF-SDC composite cathode. The SOFC cell was tested at different temperatures and reactant flow rates. After testing, the cell was sectioned and characterized using SEM/EDS. Such analysis indicated that no structural damage and no significant interdiffusion of elements among the layers occurred. The measured electrochemical performance data at different temperatures indicate an Arrhenius behavior or temperature activated processes. The low-porosity anode functional layer appears to be very sensitive to low hydrogen contents. The electrochemical performance is also affected by changing air flow rates.

Annuloplasty Mti: Improved Tooling For Annuloplasty Ring Manufacturing, Justin David Smith, Spencer Lee Combs, Luke Edward Maly

Mechanical Engineering

The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Bubble Nucleation In Superhydrophobic Microchannels Due To Subcritical Heating, Adam Cowley, Daniel Maynes, Julie Crockett, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

This work experimentally studies the effects of single wall heating on laminar flow in a high-aspect ratio superhydrophobic microchannel. When water that is saturated with air is used as the working liquid, the non-wetted cavities on the superhydrophobic surfaces act as nucleation sites and allow air to effervesce out of the water and onto the surface when heated. Previous works in the literature have only considered the opposite case where the water is undersaturated and absorbs air out the cavities for a microchannel setting. The microchannel considered in this work consists of a rib/cavity structured superhydrophobic surface and a glass …

Increased Energy Yield Through Fast Pyrolysis: Empowering Malawian Villages, Diehl Mutamba

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biomass contributes to several renewable energy technologies. This project will explore the use of fast pyrolysis to produce fuels by designing an apparatus for fast pyrolysis. Malawian people harvest firewood from the forests, which is a major contributor to deforestation. Furthermore, they convert some of it to charcoal with about 10-15% efficiency to sell to city dwellers. The project will enable herbaceous fuels to replace wood, increase charcoal yields and create new products. Firewood and charcoal produce smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) that compromises the villagers’ health.

This project will address deforestation problems, improve sustainability, decrease health hazards and improve …

Worker Activity Recognition In Smart Manufacturing Using Imu And Semg Signals With Convolutional Neural Networks, Wenjin Tao, Ze-Hao Lai, Ming-Chuan Leu, Zhaozheng Yin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In a smart manufacturing system involving workers, recognition of the worker's activity can be used for quantification and evaluation of the worker's performance, as well as to provide onsite instructions with augmented reality. In this paper, we propose a method for activity recognition using Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and surface electromyography (sEMG) signals obtained from a Myo armband. The raw 10-channel IMU signals are stacked to form a signal image. This image is transformed into an activity image by applying Discrete Fourier Transformation (DFT) and then fed into a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for feature extraction, resulting in a high-level …

Mass Accretion And Ozone Reactivity Of Idealized Indoor Surfaces In Mechanically Or Naturally Ventilated Indoor Environments, Elliott T. Gall, Donghyun Rim

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In indoor environments, accretion of mass to materials may provide sites for surface chemistry that differ from those of the original material. Since indoor surfaces are a major sink of oxidant gases, surface mass accretion may impact indoor O₃ chemistry. In this study, the effect of surface mass accretion on O₃ surface deposition was tested by deploying cleaned borosilicate glass plates in two types of indoor environments: a mechanically ventilated ( MV ) office and a naturally ventilated ( NV ) residence located in Singapore. In each environment, seven replicate glass plates and one field blank were deployed …

Measurements Of Fluid Structures And Mass Transport In Channel With Fabric Base, Karl David Mcallister

Dissertations

This thesis studies the relationships between flow structures and mass transport (dye concentration) within a Poiseuelle water flow glass chamber using optical flow experimental techniques in turbulent conditions. Through optical flow methods, velocity, vorticity, kinetic energy, Reynolds stress and turbulent production metrics where determined by laser illuminated glass beads and Rhodamine 6G dye removing from three different fabric substrates for multiple horizontal planes and one vertical plane. From the dye intensity, mass concentration metrics were determined providing visualization of velocity and mass transport simultaneously along with kinetic energy, mass flux, and concentration fluctuations.

3d Printed Soft Robotic Hand, Zack Kisner, Chris Szigeti, David Leonardo

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Soft robotics is an emerging industry, largely dominated by companies which hand mold their actuators. Our team set out to design an entirely 3D printed soft robotic hand, powered by a pneumatic control system which will prove both the capabilities of soft robots and those of 3D printing. Through research, computer aided design, finite element analysis, and experimental testing, a functioning actuator was created capable of a deflection of 2.17” at a maximum pressure input of 15 psi. The single actuator was expanded into a 4 finger gripper and the design was printed and assembled. The created prototype was ultimately …

6u Cubesat Platform For Disaster Relief Communications, Uchechukwu Agwu, Duncan Bradley, Corey Brown, Mani Gnanasivam, Grant Mishler, Steven Parks

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Natural disasters can seriously damage telecommunications infrastructure in affected areas, drastically limiting the channels of communication between locals and emergency relief teams. In such situations it is critical to have readily-available communications infrastructures that can be deployed and utilized as soon after the event as possible. Our mission is part of a multi-year effort to provide satellite-based amateur radio communications to areas impacted by humanitarian crises to facilitate relief efforts. Specifically, we developed the mechanical subsystems of a 6U CubeSat, a small satellite, in order to provide expanded volume, enhanced power generation, and Earth referenced orientation control compared with previous …

Active Control Stabilization Of High Power Rocket, Valeria Avila Guerrero, Angel Barranco, Daniel Conde

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

High power rockets could become dynamically unstable due to outside disturbances after takeoff. The instability is augmented when the rocket is "slow" off the launch rail, which happens when the thrust-to-weight ratio is less than 5:1. Due to these reasons, the objective of this project was to design and build an active control system that will make sure the rocket follows a straight path all the way to apogee. This will be done through a model-based design approach, in which a 6DOF mathematical model of the flight dynamics will be created.

Vibration Attenuating Medical Platform, Cameron Fisch, Noah Friedman, Tyler Gambill, David Harris, Kelek Olais

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Millions of injured people are transported by ambulances each year. While the suspension systems of ambulances dampen the road vibrations felt by the passengers, they do not attenuate the vibration completely. To patients who have compromised physical states, vibration and displacement can aggravate their condition and cause additional pain. Our solution to this societal problem is the Vibration Attenuating Medical Platform (VAMP). VAMP consists of an aluminum and steel structure that is moved with a pneumatic piston. This prototype is designed to fit into existing ambulances and attenuate the vibrations not eliminated by the ambulances suspension. After conducting background research, …

The Vessel For Autonomous Research Underwater (The Varuna), Tyler Briles, Shae Connor, Erin Guthrie, Anthony Jackson, Madeleine Peauroi

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Humans are intimately connected to the Earth’s ocean, and yet only 5% of it has been explored. Learning more about marine life and ocean chemistry can only improve our stewardship efforts. The addition of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to the Santa Clara University Robotic Systems Laboratory’s collection of marine robots will contribute to this quest for knowledge. It will assist researchers by providing a low-cost, easy-to-use, portable, reliable, and safe alternative to operator-controlled vehicles. This report describes our motivations for this project, the decisions we made in the design and manufacturing of the VARUNA, and tradeoff analyses of possible options. …

Powering A Biosensor Using Wearable Thermoelectric Technology, Anneliese Bals, Noah Barnes, Rafael Bravo, Nicolas Garcia, Joseph O'Bryan, Dylan Santana

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps, glucose monitors, hearing aids, and electrocardiograms provide necessary medical aid and monitoring to millions of users worldwide. These battery powered devices require battery replacement and frequent charging that reduces the freedom and peace of mind of users. Additionally, the significant portion of the world without access to electricity is unable to use these medical devices as they have no means to power them constantly. Wearable thermoelectric power generation aims to charge these medical device batteries without a need for grid power.

Our team has developing a wristband prototype that uses body heat, ambient …

Laser Triangulation Sensor, Jake Finelt, Kian Gruszczynski, Greg Mclorg

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Disclaimer: Since this project is a result of a class assignment, it has been graded and accepted as fulfillment of the course requirements. Acceptance does not imply technical accuracy or reliability. Any use of information in this report is done at the risk of the user. These risks may include catastrophic failure of the device or infringement of patent or copyright laws. California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and its staff cannot be held liable for any use or misuse of the project.

Identification System For Heart Valve Manufacturing, Nicholas Robert Jensen, Edgar Davis Nix, Judith Evelyn Gonzalez, Albert Austin Liddicoat

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract withheld due to NDA constraints

Treadmill User Centering, Cecilia Hill Yan Yuen, Donavan Chandler Feliz, Ariel Mae Arce Crisostomo, Adam Charles Patrella

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of team CENTREAD was to design a device to allow a person with a visual disability to run efficiently and effectively on a treadmill without fear of falling off or injuring themselves. The customer wished for the device to be small, lightweight, and have an easy, autonomous setup, while providing feedback to the user wirelessly for them to correct their own movement. The ultimate goal of the device is to allow the user to be comfortable, safe, and free while using it in order to ensure they have the best running experience. The device utilizes ultrasonic sensors in …

Nathan's Mobility Device, Steven A. Decsesznak, Matthew Brenholdt, Lansen Eto, Moulay Salahdin

Mechanical Engineering

Nathan’s Mobility Device is a California Polytechnic State University senior project composed of a team of four mechanical engineering students that designed, built and implemented a specialized seat on an existing mobility device. Nathan, the sole beneficiary of this project, is an 11-year-old boy afflicted with a condition known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which causes him extreme muscular weakness. In this report, the team discussed the problem at hand, provides preliminary research and product benchmarking (evaluation and comparison to specific criteria), and described the ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration plan. In addition, the team explored the final design in …

Transcatheter Heart Valve Leaflet Assembly Tooling Improvement Final Design Report, James Craig Sherman, Zachary Robert Dicks, Luke Edward Williams

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Confidentiality: The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Composite Suspension For A Mass Market Vehicle, Sarah M. Chapiama, Brian Auyeung, Jose Guerrero, Ethan Lau

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Confidentiality: The complete senior project report was submitted to the project advisor and sponsor. The results of this project are of a confidential nature and will not be published at this time.

Curb Navigation, Cole A. Tudor, Kaitlyn R. Adams, Robbie Huerta

Mechanical Engineering

The Curb Navigation senior project, proposed by the QL+ organization, was presented to find a solution to an issue a former veteran, Velette, is having. Velette has a difficult time maneuvering curbs when out doing day-to-day errands and activities. The goal of this project is to develop a solution that will give Velette the ability to traverse curbs without the assistance of others or the need to do a wheelie that can lead to an injury. The team has found that adapting and optimizing an anti-tipper design may be the best way to solve the proposed challenge. The team decided …