Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) is the profession in which knowledge of applied mathematical and natural sciences, coupled with principles of technology gained by study and laboratory activity, is used to implement technological advances. The MET student is involved with the following three broad categories of study: energy, structures and motion in mechanical systems and manufacturing. The energy field involves the production and transfer of energy and the conversion of one form of energy to another. Specific areas include energy generating power plants, gas turbine and rocket engines, auto and diesel cycle power plants, refrigeration and air conditioning, solar and wind energy production and laser applications. Professionals involved with structures and motion in mechanical systems are often designers of mechanical systems, work in metallurgical laboratories, space vehicles, as well as the more common devices and products. Professionals working in the manufacturing sector are involved with production planning, tool design, numerically controlled machine programming, quality assurance, and the development of new high volume production systems. In addition, some MET professionals are involved with quality control, project management, purchasing and field service. Mechanical engineering technology is the broadest of all of the engineering technology fields.
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Victair Mistifier Gearbox: Metal Casted Housing
Gabe Bruno, Casey McFarlen, and Ricky Skinner
The current global population is 7.2 billion. It is projected to increase by 1 billion over the next 12 years. There is only 5% of usable farming land left on earth. Food is a resource that humans must consume daily. These facts undeniably lead to a shortage of food in the future. It is essential to mankind survival that farming becomes more efficient and sustainable. This provided the motivation to design a more efficient transmission for the Victair Mistifier (orchard and vineyard sprayer). Victair Mistifiers are designed, engineered, and manufactured by H.F. Hauff Company in Yakima, WA. The Hauff Company’s commitment to manufacturing the best sprayer on the market accompanied with the desire to address sustainable farming, are the driving forces behind this project. The scope of the project is to design, develop, and test a gearbox that optimizes the overall function of the sprayer. The gearbox simplifies the overall design of the sprayer, by replacing 19 major components with 8. This design decreases material costs, increases manufacturability, and decreases assembly time. The gearbox receives power from the tractor’s power take-off (PTO) via the input shaft. It transmits the power through machine elements to two shafts that will power fans. The fans will spin in opposite directions at an equal, desired rotational speed. The transmission will be enclosed in an engineered metal casted housing. The gearbox design was proven, by the prototype, to perform to specifications while maintaining an oil temperature of less than 90 degrees Celsius.
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Improved Tennis Racquet Stringer
William Ligon Bruno
What design change to a conventional ATS Sports model drop-weight stringer can be made to decrease the stringing time for a tennis racquet? To answer this, a detailed analysis on design, manufacturability, and structural integrity was done to design a product that is manufacturable within the timeframe and produces a device which decreases the stringing time. First, an analysis on each vital component was done including the ratcheting components, pressure arm/drop mass, etc. Second, a virtual model was created with auxiliary components to test different designs. Through this analysis and the virtual model it was indicated that a duel stringing device opposed to a conventional single stringing device would meet the design requirements set forth in the project report. A more detailed design was done to the device to finalize the product for manufacturing. This included reducing the weight of the product through shelling out components and using lightweight material, reducing the cost through utilizing cheaper pre-designed material other than requesting custom designed material, modifying dimensions for the correct weight distribution, and planning for the ergonomics of use. The manufacturing process consisted of machining and 3Dprinting over 40 parts. After final assembly, modifications are again assessed to increase functionality. Testing results should demonstrate a reduction in the time needed to string a racquet by half ad produce a tension from 30-90lbs as stated in the design requirements.
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Solar Evaporative Fan Coil Unit
Samuel Budnick, Kyle Kluever, and Jeremy Dickson
The purpose of any engineering project is to anticipate a need and meet that need through prediction analysis and design. Over 70% of the nation’s energy is consumed by building infrastructure such as HVAC systems, electrical, etc. HVAC systems use boilers to generate hot water or steam to heat buildings and evaporative chillers to provide air conditioning, much like the central plant here on campus. The project included the construction of a solar collector that will heat water to 140F in order to run it through a heat exchanger that can have air passed over it. An evaporative chiller was also designed to harness the latent heat of vaporization to chill a heat exchanger that can then have water passed through it. The circulation pump and any temperature sensors will be powered by a photovoltaic array so that no electricity is needed to power the device. The air from the ducted fan can then be passed over this heat exchanger in order to generate hot air for a room, and the same for the cold air with cold water. Testing will consider input and output water temperature, as well as input and output air temperature in order to compare the changes and develop a value for efficiency. Initial testing has found that 140F heating water can provide enough load in a heat exchanger to provide 85F leaving air temperature. Water that has been cooled to 40F by the evaporative chiller can provide a leaving air temperature of 55F.
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Wakeboard Winch
Eric Christensen
A wakeboard winch is a stationary device used to tow wakeboard riders through a body of water allowing riders to access locations that may be too shallow for boats or where motorboat restrictions apply. For this instance, the device will be intended to use on a small lake where motorized boats are prohibited but will also possess a transportable design so it may be used in other locations. Winches that can be purchased from manufacturers tend to be expensive and unaffordable for most people while many homemade winches tend to lack the same performance capabilities as manufactured winches. The principal investigator of this project will be responsible for designing, building, and analyzing a wakeboard winch that yields the performance of a manufactured device while being built with a minimal budget.
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Solar Evaporative Fan Coil Unit
Jeremy Dickson, Sam Budnick, and Kyle Kluever
The purpose of any engineering project is to anticipate a need and meet that need through prediction analysis and design. Over 70% of the nation’s energy is consumed by building infrastructure such as HVAC systems, electrical, etc. HVAC systems use boilers to generate hot water or steam to heat buildings and chillers to provide cold water for cooling. The overall solar evaporative fan coil unit project involves the design and construction of a system that will heat and cool air using a solar collector and an evaporative chiller. This report covers the design and construction of the evaporative chiller specifically. The evaporator harnesses the latent heat of vaporization to chill a fin tube heat exchanger which can then provide chilled water to an air handling device called a fan coil unit. Testing will consider input and output water temperature, relative humidity, as well as input and output air temperature in order to compare the changes and develop a value for efficiency of the system.
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RC Baja Competition Drive Train and Differential
Chelsea Dowdell and Nathan Wilhelm
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers holds regional student design competitions each year with both a reoccurring RC Baja competition with a new challenge course each year. This project covers the design and manufacturing of components for a radio controlled car to race in the annual ASME RC Baja competition. For this project the car was broken down into its component subsystems and divided between two partners. It was then determined which components of each respective subsystem could be purchased and which required design and manufacture within the rules set forth in the ASME Baja competition rule book. All of the parts, both to be purchased and to be manufactured, were first drawn in SolidWorks to check alignment and for ease of FE analysis before manufacturing began. Parts and systems that were designed include: chassis of the car, differential and gear train, steering system, and the suspension system. Diverse manufacturing methods were used including waterjet cutting, 3dprinting, and the use of manual mills and lathes which in the future will be converted to CNC operations for ease of manufacturing. Both hands on and computer testing thus far has shown that the car will be successful in completing the tasks that are required of it at the RC Baja competition. To conclude, after the design and manufacturing of this car was completed a functional vehicle that starts, stops, and turns without issue was successfully created and functional testing will be completed at the competition.
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Composite Brake Rotor Assembly by Utilizing Replaceable Friction Surfaces
John Evert
This project investigated a proof of concept design involving a rotor fabricated from aluminum with replaceable friction surfaces with greater or equal performance characteristics in order to reduce cost and maintenance. The replaceable friction surfaces provide a means to mitigate cost to the end user. The structure is constrained by the dimensions, 11.75” diameter and 1.25” width and serves as a direct replacement rotor for a circle track racecar. Analyses provide a direct comparison in static mass, moments of inertia, and forced convection thermal calculations in order to determine if the concept was viable. Requirements for a successful design were a 22% reduction in total rotating mass, resist a linear deceleration rate of 8 meters per second, and the centripetal forces of an angular velocity of 315 radians per second. Off-car testing revealed a 4 pound reduction in static rotor mass and achieved a 34% reduction in the moment of inertia. On-vehicle testing involved data logging multiple laps at a local racetrack. The concept rotor assembly displayed a higher theoretical peak than the conventional design. In the composite structure the heat was rejected earlier in the cool down phase of the lap resulting in higher steady state of absorption/radiation characteristics. Means of monitoring the performance are by way of a GPS accelerometer and remote mounted infrared sensors mounted to each hub. This design offers the all the function of a conventional rotor with a 42% reduction in replacement cost and 18% reduction in replacement time.
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Collapsible Wheelchair Wheel Design
Joseph Fischer
Portability, convenience, and efficiency are becoming more and more prevalent as technology increases. This is also true with wheelchairs; Wheelchairs are being designed to fold and collapse smaller and smaller with every iteration but there is one parameter that remains constant, the wheel. No matter how small the wheelchair frame folds it is always limited by its’ wheel’s diameter. This project aims to create a collapsible wheel design to accompany a foldable wheelchair in order to make it more portable and storable. Since the diameter of the wheel is the limiting factor in a foldable wheelchair, the relatively small width dimension of the wheel was increased in order to compensate for the reduction of the diameter dimension. This was achieved by creating a wheel composed of six equal parts that interlock to form a solid, functional wheel capable of supporting a human to the weight capacity of other wheelchairs (250 pounds). It is also important that the wheel is easy and quick to assemble and disassemble for users of all ages and capability. It will be tested for strength but also for how quickly it can be assembled and disassembled. To achieve a 1-minute assembly time, quick release hinges were used, an instruction manual was created, and magnet and Velcro attach points were implemented. This collapsible wheel design collapses a standard 24-inch wheelchair wheel to an 11.25 by 10.75 by 6.00-inch assembly. This is a reduction of 83% of its original frontal area when collapsed.
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Toyota Disc Brake Conversion Brackets
Geoffrey Gibson
A common issue with Toyota pickups from the 1980’s is the factory braking system is not responsive enough for the driver to properly brake during an emergency situation. The cause of the poor response in braking comes from the drum brakes that are on the rear of the vehicle. Aftermarket vendors offered disc brake conversions that change the brakes on the rear axle from drum to disc. The aftermarket brackets that are in the conversion are thick and bulky adding excess weight to the already heavy pickup. These thick brackets in the conversion do not retain the factory emergency brake which is required to maintain proper functionality. To remedy the issue, a set of brackets were designed around the use of Ford Mustang calipers and Mitsubishi Montero rotors in order to retain the factory emergency brake and to maintain the correct wheel lug pattern. In order to reduce the bulk of the brackets, stress analysis was performed on the bracket design to find the minimum allowable thickness. This was performed over multiple materials to use different thicknesses. Once a thickness was calculated for each material, it was reevaluated to ensure that the brackets would not deflect more than what the tolerance allowed. With brackets designed and built, they will be tested on the test vehicle where the deflection of the bracket will be recorded and compared to the .005” tolerance. The calculations that were performed prove the vehicle will safely stop in the specified distance of 75ft. from 40 mph.
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Emulsion Pump Pressure Relief
Aaron Greean
Over time the harsh outdoor environment wears away at asphalt surfaces. Asphalt emulsion is sprayed onto the surface to act as a sacrificial barrier. To pump this asphalt emulsion for spray application an effective pressure relief device must be incorporated. High pressure is needed to achieve the desired spray pattern, but this same pressure can cause components to fail in the presence of a pressure spike. Hydraulically driven positive displacement pumps are used to pump the emulsion, so a pinched hoses or a clog in the system results in a severe pressure spike. Due to the emulsions viscosity and abrasive additives a direct relief device is not suitable for long term service. A remote activated pressure relief device is needed to allow adequate spray pressure and prevent system failure. The device is manufactured with off the shelf hydraulic and pneumatic parts bolted to a steel base plate. A pilot pressure is taken from the emulsion circuit and feeds a pneumatic cylinder that pulls a linearly actuated hydraulic valve, in turn diverting the hydraulic flow to the reservoir instead of driving the pump. The pull of the cylinder is balanced by an adjustable spring to allow for different pressure settings. After installing the pressure relief device pressure was be measured at different locations throughout the system. The emulsion pressure relief device performed an as engineered and the pressure remained between 50 and 90 psi.
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Instron Tt-C 1055 Redesign For Tensile Testing Lab Use: The Design And Construction Of Tensile Test Gripping Assemblies
Melvin Lee Hortman
The goal of this project was to design, manufacture, and test a pair of cheap gripping assemblies with mount adapters to the Instron TT-C tensile testing machine, which was currently out of service in the Materials Laboratory of Central Washington University’s Hogue Technology Building, for educational use. The gripping assemblies would enable tensile, or pulling force, tests on tensile specimens up to 20,000 lbs, being able to test high carbon steel. The gripping assemblies and mounting adapters were designed and manufactured completely by a Central Washington University Mechanical Engineering Technology student who used the cumulative knowledge gained from engineering analysis and manufacturing courses over the span of his four years at Central. All design and manufacturing were done using the Central Washington University facilities and laboratories with the exception of heat treatments which were outsourced. It was estimated that the initial device construction will cost $771.00 and 440 man hours. Most gripping assemblies in industry cost anywhere between $6,000 and $15,000 for assemblies with a 20,000 lb load capacity. The design of the gripping assemblies was simple with no luxury of hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical clamping capabilities. The manufacture of the initial pair of gripping assemblies was unreasonable and robust due to limitations governed by the capabilities of Central Washington University’s lab facilities which also added unreasonable hours to the amount of man hours required. In common industrial factories/warehouses owned by testing machine manufacturers, the amount of man hours would be significantly less.
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Branch Cutter Adapter for Electric Impact Gun
Cullen Hubbard
There are many homeowners that would like to maintain the trees around their homes but cannot do so. The drive of this project was to develop a 0g mechanism which would provide a senior citizen or an individual with limited upper body strength, with the ability to cut through branches that would otherwise pose challenging. The design would allow the end user to cut a branch by simply pulling a trigger. A branch cutting attachment was designed to attach to the front of a DeWALT cordless impact gun. This attachment will convert the rotational torque and motion from the impact gun into a shearing motion which can be utilized by a set of cutting blades to cut through the branches. This conversion came through a worm gear set that simultaneously changes the rotational direction of motion and increases the output torque of the impact gun through the gear set. The cutter was constructed from lightweight aluminum to keep the weight down as it is a hand held tool and was also designed to be easily attached and detached from the impact gun for ease of use. The design incorporated off the shelf blades so that in the event a blade was damaged during use a new blade was easy to obtain. Through testing it was found that the cutting attachment performed well on a variety of tree branch types and sizes up to 1-1/8”. It was also found that the attachment was easy to use by all user types.
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Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger
Eric Johnson
Heat exchangers are a commonly used device in many different industries, with many different applications. The heat exchanger used in the brewing program here at CWU is a brazed plate and frame heat exchanger, so it cannot be taken apart for cleaning. Due to this, the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger will be reduced, causing fouling, because of the buildup of brewing material. In order to effectively combat this fouling, a heat exchanger must be constructed that can be disassembled for cleaning, and then reassembled with ease, while still being able to perform the same amount of heat transfer as the brazed system. Specifically, a gasketed plate and frame heat exchanger was constructed for this purpose, which utilizes rubber gaskets to seal the system, instead of brazing. This heat exchanger was constructed using twenty stainless steel plates, with four flow holes punched for the fluid paths, and arranged with the attached gaskets in a cross flow pattern. To test the effectiveness of this system, the heat exchanger will operate using cold tap water to cool down water heated to approximately 200 °F. The output temperature of the water will be measured, in order to see how well the heat exchanger is able to transfer heat between the two fluids. The results of this test will indicate the viability of this system, state the specific rate of heat transfer within this system, and compare this value to the previously utilized brazed heat exchanger.
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Space Saver Bike Rack
Taylor Johnson
Apartment living can be crowded especially for a cyclist. Bicycles are bulky and difficult to store. A device is needed to store two road bikes weighing up to 40 pounds each while saving as much space as possible. To solve this problem many iterations of various free standing and wall-leaning bike rack designs were drawn. Evolution of the design can be traced through the drawings included in the report. The first design analyzed was a free standing rack. After calculations and adjustments this design was going to have to be very bulky in order to achieve the stability requirements. The next design that was analyzed was a wall-leaning rack. This design was very compact and satisfied the stability requirements gracefully. In winter, materials were ordered and prepared for construction. Construction included cutting ABS pipe, gluing or drilling and pinning fittings. Construction was completed without major issues. The final device is working properly despite a couple of minor clearance related oversights. The bike rack supports two bikes weighing 35 pounds each. The compactness requirement of 72 inches squared was met. This spring the deflection of the rack will be tested and compared to the predicted data. The racks capacity to support loads up to 40 pounds will be tested. A test will be run where the rack is loaded with two bikes and the floor area and volume occupied can be found. These values will be compared to the original configuration of road bike leaning against the wall in the apartment.
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Solar Evaporative Fan Coil Unit
Kyle Kluever, Samuel Budnick, and Jeremy Dickson
The purpose of any engineering project is to anticipate a need and meet that need through prediction analysis and design. Over 70% of the nation’s energy is consumed by building infrastructure such as HVAC systems, electrical, etc. HVAC systems use boilers to generate hot water or steam to heat buildings and evaporative chillers to provide air conditioning, much like the central plant on campus. The project included the construction of a solar collector that will heat water to 140F in order to run it through a heat exchanger that can have air passed over it. An evaporative chiller was also designed to harness the latent heat of vaporization to chill a heat exchanger that can then have water passed through it. The circulation pump and any temperature sensors will be powered by a photovoltaic array so that no electricity is needed to power the device. The air from the ducted fan can then be passed over this heat exchanger in order to generate hot air for a room, and the same for the cold air with cold water. Testing will consider input and output water temperature, as well as input and output air temperature in order to compare the changes and develop a value for efficiency. Initial testing has found that 140F heating water can provide enough load in a heat exchanger to provide 85F leaving air temperature. Water that has been cooled to 40F by the evaporative chiller can provide a leaving air temperature of 55F.
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Custom Glasses Cases
Nikolas Ivan Klukas
The modern market is centralized around technological advances that improve and better everyday life. With approximately 150 million Americans that use corrective eye-ware on a daily basis, the need for improved technology in glasses cases is inevitable. Current glasses cases work to either protect the glasses and are big and bulky, or are made smaller to be more easily transported. The concept is to take any pair of glasses and make a custom case for them. The programs being utilized to complete the project are solidworks and excel. The process is started by making a base layout of the glasses case in solidworks. Then a excel spreadsheet was made. Linking an excel spreadsheet to solidworks enables rapid input of new dimension to adjust solidworks drawing to the correct or new size. This provides a quick way to make my case fit any pair of glasses, no matter the dimensions. The solidworks model is then saved as a Stereolithography file and sent to the 3-d printer. The cases came out fully functional and open and close perfectly. From sit down to completed glasses case depends on the size of the glasses the case was modeled around. The more cubic inches the case is, the longer it takes to print. The first case took 10 hours to print.
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Pivoting Motocross Foot Pegs
Michael LeBlanc
The ability to keep a dirt bike rider’s feet in full contact with the foot pegs at all times is something all riders’ face when riding their bike. The foot pegs that come factory and aftermarket today are universally static and non-rotational which prevent the ability for maximum contact to be maintained. During various riding positions, a rider’s foot can partially become disconnected from the peg allowing for a loss of potential control and balance/stability. The solution devised was a set of pegs that have the ability to rotate with the rider’s foot. The rotational ability of the pegs allow for the rider’s feet to stay in full contact throughout various riding positions or conditions. The pivoting peg allows for full contact with the pegs provides more stability and control over the bike which improves capabilities of balance and speed/momentum. To accomplish the pivoting, a round shaft with limiting stops was created to rotate fifteen degrees forward and backwards on the bike. Based on the design concept that was created and calculations that were done on the design, such as deflection and load bearing calculations, these pegs will easily any issues support the weight of a 185 pound rider, while still having the capability to rotate without binding. More testing of these pegs is scheduled for spring quarter 2015. From the calculations that were prepared, the pegs will pivot fifteen degrees and support the minimum weight requirement of 185 pounds.
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Conversion Casting From A36 Steel to Grey Iron
Chris Nichols
Conversion castings are used in manufacturing to reduce time and costs of the production of machined parts. This project incorporated a machined production component from a local manufacturer and designed and produced an equivalent component using the casting process. The casting material chosen needed to be able to withstand all tension and compression forces when the component is used in service along with locations and dimensions of holes needed to be in accordance with all specified tolerances. The casting design process had to account for draft issues, shrinkage during material solidification, porosity and internal cavities formed during solidification, and overall optimization of material used for the casting process. The use of computer simulated solidification software aided in the design of runner and gating dimensions as well as predetermining significant problem areas for porosity and internal cavities within the castings. The manufacture of the mold pattern and core boxes was completed using the additive manufacturing process of three dimensional printing. Using this process eliminates the use of any machining processes for the manufacture of the casting along with significantly reducing the amount of man hours for fabrication. The patterns were made as well as the castings poured at Central Washington University using the 3-D printers and the foundry located in the engineering building. Success of this project will be determined through comparison of all dimensions to the current machined components and performance testing when put into service.
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MX Snow Ski
Jordan Olson
Living in the Pacific Northwest has many perks when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. All of the seasons can be enjoyed, as well as being completely surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and mountains. Being someone who continuously enjoys the outdoors year-round it’s always fun to try new hobbies. The problem with owning a dirt bike is that most people ride during the dryer and warmer seasons of the year. This project would enable the bike to be ridden even during the snowy winter season. Riding a dirt bike in snow has been recently explored by only a few companies the past few years. Why not design our own working system? A Honda Cr250r dirt bike became the test model and a front mount for a snow ski was designed. This ski would replace the front wheel/tire, while a paddle tire would be implemented at the rear of the bike. After all thirteen parts are machined from the CNC, table mill, band saw, and surface grinders, the device is considered complete and will be properly mounted to the dirt bike. When tested, the dirt bike should handle well in the snow by making tight turns, long sweeping turns, and tracking straight with ease. The ski mount device will also allow the front ski to pivot in the upward position from 20-45°, while also pivoting downward at least 10-25°. This will allow a rider to enjoy dirt biking all year-round.
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Dump Bed Lifting Mechanism
Zachary Pate
The project was motivated by a need to create a device that would cause a small truck or trailer bed to lift up quickly and dump its contents. This would eliminate the need to use manual physical labor, which is both slow and exhausting. Additional design constraints require the stroke and diameter of the cylinder to be 6” x2”. A design was conceived with the intent to incorporate a less costly device onto an existing trailer frame that would lift the bed and dump the load. With this in mind, a scissor lift device would have two basic requirements, first to lift 500 pounds and second to achieve a 40 degree angle of lift. The intended design is called a scissor lift. Lifting mechanisms for dump trucks are too large and expensive for use on a small six foot trailer. Designing a lift to use a smaller cylinder to accomplish the same task as a larger lift, was accomplished with engineering design. This smaller cylinder presents a geometric challenge so there is enough lift to tilt and dump the load. To accomplish this, the lift will have to accommodate the cylinder to transfer its force through the arms. The calculations predicted that a .5 gpm hydraulic pump would take 62 seconds to lift 500 pounds, dump and lower the load. Initial tests indicated a tilt goes to 39 degrees.
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Catmobile Front Suspension
Adam Romine
Each year electric vehicles become more and more popular. The electric vehicle that the Central Washington University Electric Vehicle Club is building needs a front suspension. The vehicle is being built to compete in the Electrathon America Race in May of 2015. The suspension attaches to the wheels and attaches to the frame of the vehicle and provides bump dampening. The suspension was built was using a single swing arm type design. This design consists of six parts that are welded and bolted together to connect the wheel to the frame. The shock absorber that is attached to the single swing arm that absorbs the shock of the vehicle's weight as it goes over irregularities in the road. The design of the suspension had to fit within the constraints of the preexisting frame. The suspension was manufactured using the tools in the Central Washington University Machine Shop and Power Lab for under $140. The suspension weighs 9.6lbs per side and is made of steel. Initial tests so far have shown that it is strong enough to hold the static load of the vehicle plus the driver. The suspension provides the wheels with the 50ft turning diameter requirements. The shock travel requirement will need some modifications before it meets the desired specification. The suspension is operational and is ready to undergo testing and eventually be ready to compete in the Electrathon America Race.
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Victair Mistifier Gearbox: Shafts and Bearings
Rickey Skinner, Gabe bruno, and Casey McFarlen
The current global population is 7.2 billion. It is projected to increase by 1 billion over the next 12 years. There is only 5% of usable farming land left on earth. Food is a resource that humans must consume daily. These facts undeniably lead to a shortage of food in the future. It is essential to mankind survival that farming becomes more efficient and sustainable. This provided the motivation to design a more efficient transmission for the Victair Mistifier (orchard and vineyard sprayer). Victair Mistifiers are designed, engineered, and manufactured by H.F. Hauff Company in Yakima, WA. The Hauff Company’s commitment to manufacturing the best sprayer on the market accompanied with the desire to address sustainable farming, are the driving forces behind this project. The scope of the project is to design, develop, and test a gearbox that optimizes the overall function of the sprayer. The gearbox simplifies the overall design of the sprayer, by replacing 19 major components with 8. This design decreases material costs, increases manufacturability, and decreases assembly time. The gearbox receives power from the tractor’s power take-off (PTO) via the input shaft. It transmits the power through machine elements to two shafts that will power fans. The fans will spin in opposite directions at an equal, desired rotational speed. The transmission will be enclosed in an engineered metal casted housing. The gearbox design was proven, by the prototype, to perform to specifications while maintaining an oil temperature of less than 90 degrees Celsius.
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Collapsible Bicycle Frame
Keith Stone
There are many situations where people could choose to ride a bicycle, whether it is to go to school, to a job, to meet with friends, or just for recreational purposes. However, once people reach their destination and have a break between their trips, they are left with a bicycle with little means of storing it while they go about their day. Some people buy a bike lock so that they can secure it in a safe location, while others may just lean it against a wall or even roll it into the building with them. However, according to FBI statistics there were about 190,703 stolen bicycles in 2013 alone and bringing the bicycle in buildings takes up space and having a kick stand does not guarantee that the bicycle will remain upright; especially if it is nudged by people who are attempting to move past because of the amount of space the bicycle takes up. Traveling is also expensive already, and for those who travel by plane may wish to take the bicycle with them and not want to rent an expensive vehicle when they reach their destination. The motivation for this project is to come up with a solution so that the bicycle is secure but also compact and small so that people can bring the bicycle on a plane as carry-on, and not be an inconvenience with the bicycle weight and size.
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Composite Snowmobile Suspension Assembly
Michael Villarma
Snowmobile technology is constantly evolving and incorporating new ideas into products for the consumer to enjoy. After market manufactures are competing among themselves for the top position in suspension technology, yet none have broken the boundaries and really pushed to the next level, until now. The objective of this design was to provide the consumer with a lightweight and simplistic suspension system that would meet the performance demands of the consumer market. In order to meet the strength to weight ratio requirements of this design, composites were implemented to provide the necessary structural strength for the overall system. A one piece carbon fiber sub frame is the first of its kind and provides a foundation for all other components to fasten too. By replacing structural materials that were initially made from a high strength steel with a light weight carbon fiber, the weight savings are substantial and can be observed throughout the system. In order to determine the success of this design, a series of tests both on and off the vehicle were performed to accurately describe the behavior of the material under load. 3 point bending, load analysis, and weight comparison are examples of the test processes that will provide conclusive data on the overall performance of this design.
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ASME R/C BAJA CAR Suspension and Steering
Nathan Wilhelm
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers holds regional student design competitions each year with both a reoccurring RC Baja competition with a new challenge course each year. This project covers the design and manufacturing of components for a radio controlled car to race in the annual ASME RC Baja competition. For this project the car was broken down into its component subsystems and divided between two partners. It was then determined which components of each respective subsystem could be purchased and which required design and manufacture within the rules set forth in the ASME Baja competition rule book. All of the parts, both to be purchased and to be manufactured, were first drawn in SolidWorks to check alignment and for ease of FE analysis before manufacturing began. Parts and systems that were designed include: chassis of the car, differential and gear train, steering system, and the suspension system. Diverse manufacturing methods were used including waterjet cutting, 3d-printing, and the use of manual mills and lathes which in the future will be converted to CNC operations for ease of manufacturing. Both hands on and computer testing thus far has shown that the car will be successful in completing the tasks that are required of it at the RC Baja competition. To conclude, after the design and manufacturing of this car was completed a functional vehicle that starts, stops, and turns without issue was successfully created and functional testing will be completed at the competition.