Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Trampoline And Bungee Fatigue-Test Machine, Andy Brock, Christopher D'Elia, Ryan Murphy

Mechanical Engineering

JumpSport, a Saratoga based recreational and fitness trampoline company, sponsored this senior project team towards the development of a fatigue-testing machine. The goal of this project was to iterate the previous machine JumpSport used for bungee cord, spring, and trampoline fatigue testing. Since minimal study had been conducted on these specific bungee cords, the fixture was designed to confirm the theoretical correlations for rubber and perform the final tests according to a strict protocol. Operating with a specific test protocol in mind will allow the data from multiple tests to be combined and analyzed statistically. With a design concept in …

Sodhana Environmental - Final Design Report, Eric Taylor, Corissa Bellis, Cody Perez, Cameron Zeller

Mechanical Engineering

A fully designed cost-effective, sustainable, toilet for the developing world.

Heat Transfer Experiment: Energy Conservation, Ben Ward, Brett Wallace, Ryan Waltman

Mechanical Engineering

This proposal, prepared for the Mechanical Engineering Department by the HTEC design team will redesign and replace the current energy conversion lab that is inaccurate and out of date. The team will evaluate methods of energy conversion, specifically using braking systems, as well as existing labs in order to design an accurate and relatable experiment for this lab. The project team will work with Professor Kim Shollenberger in order to design an experiment that demonstrates energy conversion through the first law of thermodynamics while utilizing a common device that is practical in student’s lives. The final result of this project …

Cisco Rackmount Bracket Optimization, Michael Baldwin, Edwin Lee, Garrett Smith

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Rapid Decompression Containment System, Evan Domingue, Michelle Rudney, Daniel Trees

Mechanical Engineering

Cal Poly students; Evan Domingue, Michelle Rudney and Daniel Trees; are working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA, ASI) and engineer John Wilcox to complete a senior project. The senior project is focused on finding a solution to meet the requirement set forth in MIL-HDBK 1791 4.2.5.2 for rapid decompression which requires cargo items to be designed with pressure relief devices or to be configured for air shipment as to prevent any part from becoming a projectile in the event of catastrophic loss of aircraft cabin pressure. The goal of this project is to design a safe, cost-effective, and …

Titan 130 Engine Aft-Mount, Woody Newell, Michael Haworth, Dylan Perry

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Barbeque Grill Temperature Distribution Design Improvement, Peter Gobell, Connor Mcgill, Thomas Willson

Mechanical Engineering

Team License to Grill set out to asses Bull Outdoor Products, Inc.’s barbeques and quantify the apparent uneven temperature distribution or “hot spots” and “cold spots” across the grill. This testing was accomplished with the design and fabrication of a test fixture allowing for accurate and repeatable temperature collection across the barbeque. With results that matched the sponsor’s claims of hot and cold spots, an engineering model was made using heat transfer and thermodynamic equations. Once the model somewhat resembled the experimental data, it was used to suggest different modifications that would allow for better temperature distribution. It was discovered …

On-Demand Labeling, Nathan Cheadle, Lorne Stoops, Tony Wang, Robert Zimmerman

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mobybike Human Powered Hydrofoil, Steven Bieri, Tim Buckmaster, Kristen Heckman

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to develop a human powered hydrofoil bicycle that uses the patented foil motion of the sponsor, Liquid Ideas, to generate lift and thrust to ride across the water. The bicycle will then be used to further develop and test the actuators that Liquid Ideas currently has. This report contains information from the concept design report on how the final design was chosen and detailed information on the final design, as well as plans for manufacturing, assembling, and testing the completed project.

High Temperature Filter Test Unit Upgrades, Blair Frandeen, Will Schill, Erick Shewmaker, Joshua Turgeon

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to improve the existing High Temperature Filter Test Unit (HTTU) by optimizing performance and adding new features. These features include viewing ports and a camera system for observation of tests, a leak detection system, and a flame impingement system. Additional considerations included improving the current operation of the HTTU by reducing test time and energy loss. The HTTU is designed to test High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters at temperatures up to 1300 ˚F, creating conditions which simulate a fire in a chemical processing facility. The HTTU was originally built as a Cal Poly …

Bicycle Wheel Test Machine, Dylan Harper, Kevin Hom, Ross Williams

Mechanical Engineering

In recent years, the cycling industry has witnessed huge advancements in bicycle components and materials. The age old goals of speed and low weight are still present today, but the pursuit of these goals may be reducing the structural stability of various components integral to wheel performance, including the wheel hub bearings. These bearings are invaluable to bicycles but little is known about how the forces and loads applied to a bicycle affect the performance of these bearings. Broken axles and hubs are indicators of significant stresses within the hub, but little is known about how the resulting deformation affects …

Autonomous Collision Avoidance, Thomas Stevens, Elliot Carlson, Ian Painter

Mechanical Engineering

A steering controlled, autonomous collision avoidance system has been developed by California Polytechnic State University. This system represents a step in the direction of fully autonomous driving, while allowing the driver to maintain control of the vehicle during normal driving conditions. In the case of an imminent collision, the system removes control of the vehicle from the user and autonomously steers around the obstacles. The final system is able to avoid two static obstacles with a 95% pass rate and one moving obstacle with a 50% pass rate. With full scale, fleet wide, implementation of this system it is expected …

Stent Graft Blush, Vanessa Barrett, Thomas Matzinger, Mike Morelli

Mechanical Engineering

In order to better understand Type IV endoleaks (“blush”), the Cal Poly Senior Project team GraftTest has developed a blush evaluation system able to mimic several of the aorta’s environmental parameters. Capable of both pressure and flow rate control, this bench top system accommodates Medtronic’s wide range of abdominal and thoracic aortic stent grafts. Having researched endoleaks, stent grafts, and numerous other factors affecting stent graft blush, a system was developed with the aim of assessing and comparing the performance of Medtronic’s stent grafts with regard to blush. Furthermore, this system has been designed to provide reliable and repeatable results …

Adaptive Eating Device, Patrick Yale, Jillian Hiu, Jeremy Black, Kevin Farmer

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Exploration Station Kidshake Table, Jeremy Duhe, Philip Hopkins, Matt Ostiguy, Samantha Weiner

Mechanical Engineering

The KIDShake Table is an all mechanical earthquake shake table sponsored by the Exploration Station Children's Museum of Grover Beach. This interactive exhibit has two working mechanisms, a hand crank and pull rope, that provide two axis movement for knocking down block structures. This table was built and designed for a target age of 10 years.

Dedion Axle Senior Project, Nick Schraan, Mark Shushnar, William Swenson, Ramy Tall

Mechanical Engineering

The sponsor, EV Grid Inc. is a company looking to the future with the development of a vehicle to grid infrastructure. The vehicle in development is a Ford E-250 Van which had been converted to electric drive with a front motor, rear drive layout. The sponsor wanted to move the electric motor to the rear and develop an axle to support this change. By eliminating the driveshaft, a more efficient use of battery space could be utilized. The goal of this project is to design and fabricate a prototype deDion rear axle which incorporates a system of drive components that …

School Van Access In Nepal, Edgar Corona, Humberto Maldonado, Josh Schiesl

Mechanical Engineering

A need has been identified by a school in Nepal intended for children with Cerebral Palsy, called Sathi Sansar, to develop a more effective solution to loading and unloading students onto the school’s Toyota HiAce van. Currently, a combination of the driver, parents and teachers manually help the students on and off the van. However, this task has proven to be both laborious and time consuming for all parties involved. A solution to this problem needs to be designed and one is currently being developed by a team of engineering students from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and Katmandu …

Mercedes-Benz Oil Level Monitor, Emmanuel Camacho, Jonathan Manriquez, James Young

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to develop an engine oil level monitoring system that will replace the current dipstick method during vehicle testing for Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA). Currently, MBRDNA test drivers check the engine oil level twice a day after two eight hour shifts each day. To measure the oil level, the driver parks on a level surface, waits five minutes for the oil to cool, and then manually checks the oil level with the dipstick. The goal of this project is to have a reliable, physical, working prototype that MBRDNA can use for …

Rebounder Fatigue Test Machine, Caroline Reeves, Will Robertson, Ethan Flory

Mechanical Engineering

JumpSport, a company that designs and sells trampolines and trampoline accessories, has sponsored this senior project team to design, build, and test a trampoline fatigue test machine. The machine must simulate a person jumping on the trampoline to test the life of JumpSport’s fitness trampolines and kids’ trampolines. Partway through the design process, the objectives were altered and this senior project team was tasked with merging with another Cal Poly senior project group to create an all-inclusive test machine to accommodate both full-trampoline testing and individual bungee cord testing.

The final design is centered on a slider crank linkage driven …

Handitrike - Recumbent Tricycle, Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, Vinay Patel

Mechanical Engineering

This report covers the design and construction of the recumbent racing tricycle for Mr. Robert T. Kelly, a disabled veteran. Unfortunately Rob’s right leg is five inches shorter than his left one and therefore is unable to properly operate standard cranks. Our team HandiTrike is composed of Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, and Vinay Patel and our project requires us to come up with a design that is feasible to complete within the given three quarters, as well as allow Rob to gain full use of his tricycle. Currently Rob ‘s trike uses the standard crank set up found on most …

Formula Sae Turbocharger Engine Development, Eric Griess, Kevin Mccutcheon, Matthew Roberts, William Chan

Mechanical Engineering

This project, Formula SAE Turbocharger System Development, was sponsored by the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Formula SAE team. The team proposed this project in order to have a powerful yet lightweight engine so they can be extremely competitive at their competition. The baseline output of the single cylinder 450cc engine (2006 Yamaha WR450F) was 46 horsepower and 27 ft-lb of torque. The goal of this project was to increase the output of that engine to 60 horsepower and 35 ft-lb through the use of a turbocharger.

Robotic Fingerspelling Hand For Deaf-Blind Communication, Brian Fang, Colby Dixon, Trevor Wong

Mechanical Engineering

Robotic fingerspelling hand for the deaf-blind. The hand forms the shapes of the American Manual Alphabet with 11 servos. The project was sponsored by The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Reaserch Institute.

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

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …