Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Hitch Cart “Landing Gear”, Rebekah White, Jose Raygoza, Randy Hernandez, Brandon Leon

Mechanical Engineering

This report aims to allow our sponsor, to review our design process of the Hitch Cart Landing Gear Prototype. In the design overview section of this report, we discuss the primary design modifications we made to the wheel mechanism of the existing hitch cart prototype, including the addition of the ACME screws and the folding brackets. This allows our sponsor to see the intended improvements made to the past prototype and understand the primary goal of our project. Then, in the implementation section, we cover the entire manufacturing process to allow our sponsor to understand what manufacturing steps must be …

Shape Memory Alloy Capsule Micropump For Drug Delivery Applications, Youssef Mohamed Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

Implantable drug delivery devices have many benefits over traditional drug administration techniques and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. By delivering the medication directly to the tissue, they enable the use of larger localized concentrations, enhancing the efficacy of the treatment. Passive-release drug delivery systems, one of the various ways to provide medication, are great inventions. However, they cannot dispense the medication on demand since they are nonprogrammable. Therefore, active actuators are more advantageous in delivery applications. Smart material actuators, however, have greatly increased in popularity for manufacturing wearable and implantable micropumps due to their high energy …

Analyzing Heat Generated From Electro-Osmotic Flow Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jordan Elizabeth Grothe

Honors Thesis

Without extensive vascularization, the transfer of fluid and nutrients through human tissue is limited to diffusion and weak interstitial flow. Electroosmosis, or the flow of fluid driven by an electrical field, has become a promising solution. Scientists have begun applying electricity to human tissue to promote stronger interstitial flow; however, optimization of this process has proven to be a challenge due to ohmic heating. Cells function within a small range of temperatures and exposure to voltages exceeding the threshold will cause cells to degrade and die prematurely. This research seeks to better understand and quantify the range of voltage where …

Cam And Design For Manufacturing: Developing A Project-Based Learning Course, Stephen Pierson

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

To effectively serve student career success, mechanical engineering programs must teach students how to account for manufacturing considerations in design. Despite this, manufacturing education is a glaring area of need in current engineering curricula. In fact, basic manufacturing knowledge is one of the only hard skills consistently ranked as one of the greatest weaknesses of mechanical engineering hires in surveys of industrial employers over the last few decades. Without radically changing departmental curriculum to include more emphasis on design-build projects, one solution to combat this is to incubate a lab course in mechanical engineering programs in which undergraduates would practice …

The Analysis Of Mechanical Exfoliation Of Graphene For Various Fabrication And Automation Techniques, Lance Yarbrough

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mechanical Exfoliation of Graphene is an often-overlooked portion of the fabrication of quantum devices, and to create more devices quickly, optimizing this process to generate better flakes is critical. In addition, it would be valuable to simulate test pulls quickly, to gain insight on flake quality of various materials and exfoliation conditions. Physical pulls of graphene at various temperatures, pull forces, and pull repetitions were analyzed and compared to the results of ANSYS simulations, solved for similar results. Using ANSYS’ ability to predict trends in exfoliations, flake thickness and coverage using stress and deflection analyses were investigated. Generally, both strongly …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Of Multi-Materials Fabricated Through A Combination Of Lpbf And Ded Additive Manufacturing Techniques, Christopher J. Bettencourt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research explores the use of different metals combined through 3D-printing to enhance the performance of materials, with a focus on making heat exchangers more cost-effective for renewable energy. The goal is to replace a costly high-temperature alloy with a more affordable low-temperature alloy, using metal additive manufacturing for its benefits such as less material waste, faster production, reduced weight, and the ability to print entire assemblies in one go. The study delves into a unique combination of two 3D-printing techniques, Directed Energy Deposition and Laser Powder-Bed Fusion, to create a multi-material composed of stainless steel 316L and a nickel-based …

Poster Session: Onu Engineering Freshman And Senior Design Projects, Keith Schimmel

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This poster session is held Friday, April 19, 4:45-6:15pm, with food served, in the Reed Hall of Science Tech Center.

The capstone engineering senior design projects at Olivet Nazarene University involve interdisciplinary engineering teams completing real-life projects sponsored by companies, mission organizations, and professional society competitions. The engineering first-year design projects at Olivet Nazarene University involve interdisciplinary engineering teams proposing product improvement designs, using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. Posters for both the senior and freshman engineering design projects will be presented during this poster session.

Enhancing Fish Farming Sustainability In Guatemala: A Cost-Effective Oxygenation Solution, Olivia Wheeler, Creighton Seibeert, Carlos Gomez Gutierrez

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This project addresses a critical challenge faced by small-scale, family-owned fish farms in Guatemala, providing adequate oxygen to their fishponds due to the lack of reliable grid power and high energy costs. The primary goal is to design a sustainable and cost-effective solution that ensures continuous oxygenation within the range of 5-7 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved oxygen (DO). To achieve this, the solution must operate independently of grid power, withstand Guatemala's environmental conditions, and be replicable by local farmers for widespread accessibility. The holistic design objectives focus on boosting fish harvest yields, reducing operational costs, promoting sustainability, empowering …

Integrated Under-Deck Storage Unit Solutions For The Basic Utility Vehicle, Madeline Barone, Hunter Bogart, Cindy Carrion, Ethan Piacenti

Scholar Week 2016 - present

There is an urgent need to maximize storage usage on the Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) that is used in Africa by the BUV ministry. Drivers have no place to store personal belongings and items that should stay with the BUV throughout the day. This project aims to find a solution that is in the market and figure out how to adapt it to the BUV. The final product must meet the design criteria given by the BUV ministry as is or with additional features added on to it. By providing an efficient storage solution, there will be a positive impact …

Process Control Experiment: Automated Titration System, Marc Shuflit, Nathan Martin, Noelle Miller, Benjamin Tavares

Scholar Week 2016 - present

A titration experiment has been designed using a chemical reaction tank and implementing all the basic components found in automatic control systems. This system has been constructed using basic fluid flow hardware, control sensors and actuators, along with ladder logic programing for the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to automate an acid-base chemical titration. This system will be used in Olivet Nazarene University’s engineering labs to provide hands-on learning of state-of-the-art process technology.

Society Of Automotive Engineers Baja Vehicle Competition, Kevin Scott Leonard, Michael Roath, Matthew Bair, Ethan Burt, Jacob Burt, Jordan Evans, Jotham Drayton

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Senior Design Team is tasked with building a single person off-road vehicle to both perform in a competitive setting and appeal to the consumer market. Baja SAE gives students the first-hand challenge of pursuing their passion while managing real-life demands and priorities. Each team's goal is to design and build a prototype of an all-weather, rugged, single-seat, off-road recreational vehicle intended for sale to the nonprofessional weekend off-road enthusiast. The three main design objectives we believe are needed to reach our goals are for the vehicle to be durable, manufacturable, and serviceable. The …

Scaling And Optimizing Agitated Tanks For The Homogenization Of Complex Biological Suspensions, Josh Dittmer, Cara Serpe, Sterling Staranchuk

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study presents an investigation of the agitated tank mixing dynamics across various scales, including lab, two pilot, and full scales, focusing on human blood plasma Kistler-Nitschmann-Cohn (KNC) I+II+III suspensions. The methods employed are empirical tank mixing correlations within the KaeMix software package and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling using ANSYS Fluent. Tank and agitator geometries were generated in ANSYS Workbench and meshed in ANSYS Fluent with varied cell sizes to capture detailed dynamics near the agitators and in the bulk fluid. Kaemix analysis provided rapid computation of bulk mixing times at different scales. Beyond simulations, the project aims to …

Garbage Float, Gabor Papp, Max Woolverton, Scott Ulatowski, Daniel Ross, Nicholas Gayle, Bryan Merchan-Aragon, Noah Yco, Nicholas Fawcett, Jared Wright, Abdulaziz Salman G Alshahrani, Andrew Mcquire

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Student Publications

Trash pileup in our waters is an increasing problem. Removing floating plastics and debris from our ecosystem would reduce mortality rate of marine animals. Solutions for this already exist but most of them are proprietary and expensive. Therefore, an autonomous, publicly available and cheap alternative was developed to skim and clean the water surface from garbage.

E-Bike Improvements, Reuben M. Eye, Cole Huddleston, Jeffery Scott, Cade Lewis, Ethan Ridenour

ATU Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Filar Micrometer For Amateur Astronomers, Will Anderson, Conner Moore, Paige Panush

Scholar Week 2016 - present

A filar micrometer that measures double stars orbiting each other is being developed. Most filar micrometers are solely for professional use, making them expensive. Therefore, we are designing a filar micrometer that will be cost effective for amateur astronomers. A 3D printer and polylactic acid (PLA) material are the tools being used to implement the design.

Efficient, Affordable, And Accessible (Eaa) House Design, Jack Holohan, Matthew Carpenter, Faith Dalton, Payton Tindal

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Recent trends in the housing market, along with household income disparities, underscore the need for efficient, affordable, and accessible (EAA) housing for middle to lower-middle-income families. The EAA House Design project presents an alternative solution through a detailed set of construction documents encompassing architectural, electrical, mechanical, structural, plumbing, and interior design. Revit software was used to plan, design, and manage the project. The completed project will be submitted for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Engineering Education Award.

Promoting Electric Propulsion (Pep) For Small Craft, Robert Manatt, Brad Fletcher, Hector Campos, Johnathon Poindexter, Quinn Reynolds

ATU Research Symposium

The Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) For Small Craft event is a competition held every year by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and this coming year’s event is being held in Virginia Beach. It is aimed at inspiring students from universities all over the country and allowing them to design innovative fully electrically propelled boats, present their designs and builds, and race them against each other to show off their finished projects. Using fully electric propulsion systems for marine use can be challenging, but if done right they can provide a clean, …

Pipe Conveyor System For Cylindrical Steel Pipe, Josiah Paynter, Hannah Harris, Sam Bowden, Nicolas Fuentes

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The Peddinghaus Pipe Conveyor Senior Engineering Design Team was given the task of equipping an existing conveyor system with the ability to convey cylindrical steel pipe down the system while keeping the pipe in line with the datum and passline planes and restricting axial rotation. A metal prototype was constructed out of 0.25” mild steel that can store safely underneath the existing conveyor when not in use and extend when needed to constrain the pipes. Three pneumatic cylinders to actuate the main arm of the prototype were equipped with a polyurethane-coated roller to hold the pipe against both the conveyor …

Multi-Rotor Hexicopter, Corbin G. Beard, Payton Riddle, John Washburn, Nate Burckhartzmeyer, Alejandro Gamez

ATU Research Symposium

The Multi-Rotor Hexicopter is an original design for an eighteen motor, hydrogen fuel cell powered drone. After initial success with the hydrogen fuel cell powered drone created by previous students, our goal was take their success and create a much larger drone that could be controlled both from the ground and in the air. Our design was based on a drone created by the company Lift Aircraft. The drone is separated into four components that were designed in Autodesk Inventor. The bottom, known as the sled, is used for the storage of the two hydrogen fuel tanks. The second section, …

Research On 3d Printing Resin Exposure Properties And Its Application On Centrifugal Microfluidic Platform Based On Fluorescence Detection, Zheng Qiao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation encapsulates significant advancements in the field of SLA 3D printing and centrifugal microfluidics. Central to the research is the development of a novel mathematical model for predicting trapped resin thickness in SLA 3D printing, a groundbreaking contribution that addresses a critical aspect of printing intricate structures. This model, the first to establish a mathematical relationship for resin thickness, is rooted in a comprehensive study of the resin curing process. The research leverages the concept of 'critical dosage' for resin curing, leading to a more refined and theoretically grounded approach for calculating curing thickness. Experimentation further validates the model, …