Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2020

Department

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Committee Chair

Dr. Craig Johnson

Second Committee Member

Professor Charles Pringle

Third Committee Member

Dr. John Choi

Abstract

Agricultural areas with cold weather in winter and early spring face significant risk of damage to crops due to freezing. To combat this issue, several farms use fans to keep goods from freezing. For some orchards and vineyards, the use of large-scale fans is not cost effective nor pragmatic. H.F. Hauff, a farming equipment company based out of Yakima, Washington, has developed a mobile, self-contained fan that operates on a seven-by-twelve-foot trailer. As a function of environment, the trailer sometimes operates on uneven or unlevel terrain. There arises a need for an improved outrigger system to keep the trailer stabilized. To address this need, a design was conceived, analyzed, and tested as part of the CWU MET Senior Project class in conjunction with H.F. Hauff. The main design uses telescopic outrigger booms with stabilizing legs to keep the trailer stabilized. Once the design concept was conceived, engineering analyses were conducted. A one-fourth scale model was then constructed and tested to prove the design concept. This report details the design of the stabilizing leg portion of the project. The outrigger boom design is contained in the report by Jose Reyna. During the testing phase, it was determined that the device met the design requirements. The device maintained enough structural integrity to counteract the applied forces to the system. The booms and stabilizing legs were able to articulate from two to four feet. Finally, the outrigger system was able to keep the trailer level on a 15% grade.

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