Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Tadpole Tandem Electrically Assisted Tricycle, Austin Frederickson, Anthony Jacques, Kris Lawrence, Preston Mcelroy

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this senior project was to investigate the possibility of making bikes (as a regular mode of transportation) look much more appealing to the general public. To that end, an electric motor assist system was added to make it easier for the operators of the vehicle. A fairing was added to protect the rider from wind and rain, and an electrical subsystem consisting of a microcontroller and many other components was also added. The electrical subsystem was meant to store the information of different riders, calculate calories burned using a heart beat sensor, and increase visibility using strategically-placed …

Freedom Ski, Toby A. Goldsteinholm, Ashley Scharff, Justin Satnick, Markus Rutner

Mechanical Engineering

The current availability of water skis for people who are paraplegic or quadriplegic is very limited. The aim of our project is to design a system that improves upon the current models of specialized water skis. Our intent is to create a waterski system that is structurally stable and handles responsively, in order to ensure that anyone is capable of effectively using our system to waterski.

The main client of our project is Quality of Life Plus, an organization that aims to aid veterans of the armed forces who have physical disabilities to still enjoy a good quality of life. …

Jonathan’S Natural Juices Mechanical Juice Dispenser, Andrew Meyer, Jesus Gutierrez, Danielle Lauinger

Mechanical Engineering

Team AJD was tasked with trying to create a juice dispenser that did not utilize pumps, but rather explore the venturi effect to see if it could be a suitable substitute. The venturi effect is when a fluid in a pipe goes through a gradual reduction in diameter in a pipe to increase the velocity and lower the pressure of a fluid. Utilizing this principle the team constructed a testing device to be able to run tests and verify the theory. The team was able to verify that the venturi effect was able to make juice at the correct mix …

Smart Water Meter, Jeff Hufford, Eric Adler, Garrett Hall

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Solar Decathlon 2015, Solar Cal Poly; Solar Cal Poly Project Engineers, Cristina Paquin, Julien Blarel, Sanchit Joshi

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Vibration Table For Environmental Chamber, Michael Czabaranek, Dylan De Caussin

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Solar Decathlon Plumbing Subsystem Final Design Report, Robert Burtt, Chris Lutze, Tyler Dunaway

Mechanical Engineering

The U.S. Department of Energy announced it will be hosting an international public competition called the Solar Decathlon in Irvine, CA during October 2015 to showcase high-efficiency houses. Cal Poly students created a team – Solar Cal Poly – to participate. Three mechanical engineering students joined the team to work on the plumbing section of the competition. The team completed multiple iterations and designs of the plumbing system within the Solar Cal Poly house as the house was designed and redesigned. The construction and final design of the plumbing system will be decided by the construction crew and architecture team …

Solar Cal Poly Water Systems, Jake L. Morris, Zachary F. Yasuda, Lauren P. Jones

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Solar Cal Poly Active Hvac Project, James Cornish, Jake Cosmo, Patrick Weston

Mechanical Engineering

For this project, the goal was to conceptualize, design, test, and implement an active HVAC system to be used in the Solar Cal Poly house competing in the Department of Energy’s 2015 Solar Decathlon. With many house iterations, it was decided to use a split system with an outdoor heat pump and indoor air handler, paired with a HRV for ventilation. Through system modeling using Design Builder and Energy Pro 6.5, the cooling load of the house was determined along with the cooling schedule. The foreseen safety precautions and limited construction time guided the entire project, along with the active …

Parker Hannifin Chainless Challenge 2014-15 Senior Design Project, Matt Pallotta, Nathan Klammer, Kemper Whaley, Jack Rechtin

Mechanical Engineering

California Polytechnic State University has been invited to compete in the Parker Hannifin Chainless Challenge Competition in 2014-15. Cal Poly has chosen a team of mechanical engineering students to take part. We have named our team “Bike Under Pressure” and all references as such refer to the team.

The challenge is to build a bicycle which does not have a solid mechanical connection between the power input of the rider to the power output of the wheel(s). After conducting research into different previous designs and brainstorming designs of their own, Bike Under Pressure developed two conceptual designs. One design featured …

Compact Deployable Antenna For Cubesat Units, Sarah Bolton, Dominic Doty, Peter Rivera

Mechanical Engineering

CubeSats are an appealing platform for space exploration due to their low build and launch costs. Due to their small size, communication rates are often severely limited, preventing missions beyond low earth orbit. A low cost, high gain, high frequency antenna is needed to extend the capabilities of CubeSats.

The goal of the project was to design and build an axisymmetric parabolic antenna that could be deployed from a 10cm x 10cm x 15cm (1.5U) volume and operate at Ka band frequencies. The design selected consisted of an expanding perimeter truss supporting a tensioned mesh reflector. The perimeter truss was …

Torque Testing System: Flowserve Corporation, Taylor Catlin, David Reese, Bodin Rojanachaichanin, Kyle Stangland

Mechanical Engineering

Flowserve Corporation provides products and customer support to companies in the process industry for the design, testing, and manufacturing of mechanical seals. This includes, but is not limited to, companies concerned with power generation, fossil fuels, water resources, and chemical processing. In industries where fluid transportation is leveraged, mechanical seals have been utilized in pumps to increase performance. A mechanical seal is a design feature in pumps that seal the impeller housing and allow for little to no leakage. This technology is cutting edge and a considerable amount of research pertaining to the advantageous effects of specialized surface features is …

Farmbot, James Cruz, Scott Herrington, Bryan Rodriguez

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to develop the hardware for the current Farmbot to perform its primary functions, and to create a template for a system that would be adaptable for future users and developers. The scope of the project included creating a universal tool mount, a seeding system, and a watering and nutrient mixing system. This project was brought to the students by sponsor Rory Aronson, the creator of Farmbot. The Cal Poly Farmbot team was able to go through an extensive brainstorming and iterative process for each part, where testing was able to be incorporated immediately due …

Mhttu Implementation Final Project Report, Angelica Ramirez, Julian Samayoa, Matt Keeble

Mechanical Engineering

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has invested considerable effort in developing fireproof high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Due to the nature of LLNL’s research, the air leaving its lab facilities must be filtered before it is released into the atmosphere; thus, each laboratory is equipped with large banks of HEPA filters through which all internal air is exhausted. Over the years, however, fires have erupted in the labs and entire banks of HEPA filters have been destroyed, resulting in repairs and crucial downtime that prove costly.

Engineers and scientists alike have been seeking a permanent solution to this problem, and one …

Compression Tester Shop Press, Colby Johnson, Brett Russon, Taylor Vandenhoek

Mechanical Engineering

A piece of machinery designed to carry out compression and bending tests on building materials constructed by the Center for Vocational Building Technologies (CVBT) in Isarn, Thailand.

Aeroponic/Hydroponic Growth Module, Sean Marrs, Joshua Moreno

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Team Nathan Suspension, Frankie J. Wiggins, Alex D. Seitz, Justin P. Bautista

Mechanical Engineering

Nathan Cooper is an 8-year old boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA has affected Nathan’s muscle development and requires him to use the Standing Dani™ mobility device. The Standing Dani is a motorized standing wheelchair, or Wheelstand. Nathan controls and uses it to get around. Though the Standing Dani performs well for most functions, it has some distinct issues. The primary issue that this project addresses is its lack of suspension and the discomfort that Nathan feels as a result. After talking with our client, we developed several specifications generally related to geometry, safety, vehicle dynamics, and reliability. Many …

Adaptive Kayak Seating: The Tide Rider 360, Irvin Camacho, Grant Petersen, Audrey Riddle, Andrea Voigt

Mechanical Engineering

The Adaptive Paddling Program at California Polytechnic State University has sponsored the construction of an adaptive kayak seat, the Tide Rider 360, to provide paddlers with disabilities sufficient trunk support while out on the water. In particular, this design focused on providing the least restrictive environment for all users while still providing sufficient lateral, neck, back, and hip support. This seat is intended for use in the quarterly Adaptive Paddling Program to allow people with disabilities to experience the joys of kayaking in the most comfortable and supportive environment possible.

The following report details the background research, design development, manufacturing, …

Adapted Pool Cue, Cole Clark, Daniel Patterson, Michelle Cheung, Dylan Sauer

Mechanical Engineering

Our primary goal was to develop an adaptive device to allow a user with limited upper body mobility to more effectively play a game of pool. Within this goal it was important to design around the concept of a least restrictive environment, in order to provide the user with as close to a standard pool playing experience as possible. The device was designed to specifically meet the needs of John Lee, an Assistive Technology Specialist at Cal Poly's Disability Resource Center. Mr. Lee has muscular dystrophy, which limits his upper and lower body mobility and currently requires his use of …

Science Of Water Table, Tim Haigh, Kris Francis, Nick Schlemmer

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Low-Cost Strider For Guatemala, Nicole Catherine Cooper, Gonzalo Hernandez, Jared W. Tower

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to create a strider, a type of standing rehabilitation device, for children in developing countries who have trouble walking and supporting their full body weight. The project was initially brought to us by Cal Poly professor Brian Self, who had visited a clinic in San Marcos and determined that there were children there who had difficulties with walking and were a need for a rehabilitation device. The team discussed the problem with Dr. Self, Matt Robinson (a local San Luis Obispo prosthetist), and Cal Poly physics professor Pete Schwartz, all of whom had visited …

Mobile Solar Pv Trainer, Matthew Myers, Matthew Clause, Lawrence Smith

Mechanical Engineering

The aim of the Mobile Solar PV Trainer Project was to design, construct and test a versatile and robust laboratory training rig for the Cal Poly Electrical Engineering department. This project was inspired by the desire of one or more California Polytechnic State University electrical engineering professors to add laboratory components to two established upper division electrical engineering courses in photovoltaic panels and solar power. This report contains a detailed description of the trainer’s desired specifications, our ideation process, a thorough description of the selected trainer design including part drawings, assembly documentation and a bill of materials as well as …

Adaptive Adjustable Tricycle, Jasper E. Bolton, Kemely A. Chow, Ryan D. Hirahara, Heather K. Instasi

Mechanical Engineering

As a part of the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering curriculum, all students must take part in a three quarter long senior design project. Students are presented with existing problems, select a project, and then apply the knowledge they have gained throughout their academic career to design and build a solution. The intent behind this project is to create an experience that is similar to an engineering project in industry, by applying engineering and teamwork skills to solve a problem.

Team Trikeceratops’ mission was to develop an adaptive adjustable tricycle to be used in the Special Education Department of the Buena …

Friction Test Machine, Kyle Raymon Schless, Lynda Beatriz Tesillo, Mustapha Nadri

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Lightweight Uav Launcher, Ben Miller, Christian Valoria, Corinne Warnock, Jake Coutlee

Mechanical Engineering

This report discusses the design, construction, and testing of a lightweight, portable UAV launcher. There is a current need for a small team of soldiers to launch a US Marine Tier II UAV in a remote location without transport. Research was conducted into existing UAV launcher designs and the pros and cons of each were recorded. This research served as a basis for concept generation during the initial design development stage. It was required that the design weigh less than 110 lbs, occupy a smaller volume than 48" x 24" 18" in its collapsed state, be portable by a single …

Final Design Report Bull Outdoor Products Tailgating/Backyard Barbecue, Kyle Van Allen, David Mei, Nicholas James Marquez

Mechanical Engineering

Bull Outdoor Products, Inc. is a specialty company whose main products are high end barbecues for use in outdoor kitchens. They desire a more portable barbecue stand(s) that can be used for tailgating. This is to be achieved by creating a dual-purpose stand/frame that allows for the barbecue head to be used on a trailer hitch or as rolling stand that can be used without a trailer hitch.

Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School Solar Panel Project, Dulce Arroyo Martinez, Henrik Lee, Moises Quiroz, Timothy Iafrate

Mechanical Engineering

This project covers the design, manufacture, and installation of solar panel frames on a charter school in Avila Beach, CA. Through preliminary research regarding important factors (such as solar movement, ideal panel angle, and site-specific factors), a frame that meets the standards set forth in the California Building Codes was designed. After approval by presiding authorities, parts specified in the design were ordered, inspected upon arrival, and manufactured to the design as necessary. Much of the challenge was related to the installation aspect of the project—coordination with the proper authorities and correct submission of applications was integral to the success …

Team Poly Cup, John Adkins, Scott W. Hart, Elise Kiland

Mechanical Engineering

This project involves the use of mechanical engineering expertise to develop, design, and create a functioning prototype of a collapsible coffee cup. The prototype is to be designed to the specifications given by Jason Blum, the project sponsor. Allowances may be given for design freedom as specified by Jason Blum. The goal of this project is to create a product which may replace the both the disposable coffee cups distributed at coffee shops as well as to create a product which may replace the traditional travel mug due to its increased portability.

Team Poly Cup has worked throughout the year …

Model Block Press, Jordan Brown, Michael Evans, Connor Morrow

Mechanical Engineering

The Center for Vocational Building Technology came to the Mechanical Engineering department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a project to create a new, less expensive model block press than their current BP9 design. This press would produce ¼ scale model compressed earth blocks to be sold as souvenirs and used in demonstrations for constructing buildings. After analyzing the design of the current block presses, JCM came up with the BP10 design. The BP10 operates similarly to the larger block presses, but will cost significantly less to produce and will have some of the design features enhanced to make …

In-Bottle Wine Aerator, Kevin Kesler, Patrick Lowry, Paul Woolworth

Mechanical Engineering

The proposal for Capitol Cultivators discusses and evaluates the development of an in-bottle wine aerator. It defines the problem and need for an aerator located inside the wine bottle. Additionally, it outlines requirements essential for an effective design and describes the engineering process that will be followed.