2011 Barnwell Senior Design Contest

Joseph H. Barnwell Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Contest

May 6, 2011

The 2011 Barnwell Senior Design Contest for Mechanical Engineering students was held in conjunction with the 2011 COES Senior Design Conference. There were nine Mechanical Engineering design teams who competed for at total of $2,000 in cash prizes. Here are abstracts of their design presentations.

Flash Steam Turbine: Efficiency and Power

Team Name: Team Alpha One
Project Sponsor: Mr. John Marsden
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Leland Weiss and Dr. Chad O'Neal

Our senior design project is to design a test setup in order to determine the power output and efficiency of a prototype flash steam turbine that was created and designed by Mr. John Marsden.

Team Members: Paul Blubaugh, John Scott, Caleb Wood, and Gus Bertucci

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/site/calebgusjohnpaul/

C-130 Oil Cooler Duct Assembly Fairing Crack Repair

Team Name: Hercules
Project Sponsor: Robins Air Force Base
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Henry Cardenas

The objective of our project is to develop a permanent crack repair to a reoccurring crack in the outlet fairing on a C-130 Oil Cooler Duct Assembly (OCA). The current repair is to stop drill and weld the crack thus leaving residual stresses in the metal. This repair only lasts a couple hundred flight hours and the Air Force is looking for a repair that will last at least 3,000 flight hours. Our solution is a post weld heat treatment process that will relieve enough residual stress in the fairing to prevent repetitive cracking.

Team Members: Joe Dees, Ethan Bryan, George Baldwin, Mason Thomas

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/ocafairingrepair

FIRST PLACE - SECTION A

Scoota-Trailer Automation

Team Name: Mobile Independence Automation
Project Sponsor: Mr. Mike Shipp, CREST
Faculty Advisor: Marvin King

For our senior design project, Mobile Independence Automation was tasked by CREST Rehabilitation Center to automate the "Scoota-Trailer" produced by Tesh and Sons. Our intent is to provide an adaptive design that fully automates the loading and unloading of a power-chair into the trailer with minimal effort from the consumer. The automation tasks include: opening and closing the lid and ramp of the trailer, locking and unlocking of the trailer, and the retrieval and release of a power-chair by mechanical arms that extend from the trailer.
Team Members: Vincent Hamblin, Phill Allen Tucker Jr, Danny Jackson, Phillip Russel
Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/mobile-independence-automation/

THIRD PLACE - SECTION A

ASME Flange Leak Analysis

Team Name: Team America
Project Sponsor: Mr. Lyle Smith, ExxonMobil
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mel Corley

This project was concerned with the estimation of leakage rates from ASME piping flange connections currently experienced by ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge. Specifically, the objective of the project was to develop a means of quantitatively predicting the leakage that may occur from various ASME flange mating combinations under conditions specified by ExxonMobil.

Team Members: Justin Bounds, Joshua Gidlow, Adam Jones, Deric Nix

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/team-america-capstone-2011/

SECOND PLACE - SECTION A

Dynamis Automated Power Rack System

Team Name: Brute Force Athletics
Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Hall

The Dynamis Automated Power Rack System is an innovative gym apparatus that combines the speed and accuracy of modern microprocessing power with the power and rigidity of fully integrated mechatronic design. Dynamis interacts with a user during a weight lifting exercise and digitally maps progress. As the machine interprets a user's motion within a weightlifting routine, it constantly compares its interpretations to what would be considered "normal" or "adequate." When assistance is required, the machine is capable of contributing over 1000 lbs lifting or "spotting" force. This prevents injury in all foreseeable lifting situations, ranging from casual use to emergency lift.

Team Members: Colin Hosli, Mark McKee, David Richard

FIRST PLACE - SECTION B

Rubber Bale Ejection Testing Apparatus

Team Name: Team USA
Project Sponsor: ExxonMobil
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mel Corley

Our project deals with designing a rubber bale ejection testing apparatus for ExxonMobil. Currently, the rubber bales ejected for down stream processing occasionally experience excessive drag forces. These forces can cause damage to the bales which produces poor looking bales that can also cause problems with downstream equipment.

Team Members: Nicholas Beard, William Long, Daniel McAfee, Christopher Trypaluk

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/teamusa/

SECOND PLACE - SECTION B

Boy Scout Troop 45 Canoe Hoist

Team Name: CEF Designs

Project Sponsor: Boy Scout Troop 45
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Henry Cardenas

CEF Designs has been assigned an interesting problem that needs to be solved. Boy Scout Troop 45 has requested that we design a method of transferring 8 aluminum canoes to and from the ground in a safe, efficient, and easy method. Our group will be working throughout the year developing a solution to this problem that will establish CEF Designs as a quality, hard working organization.

Team Members:Chris Newton, Eric Thomas, Frank Mathews

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/cef-designs/

THIRD PLACE - SECTION B

Solar Panel Design and Prototype

Team Name: Team MAGMA
Project Sponsor: Jason Garsee - Solar Energy Supply
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mel Corley

In association with Solar Energy Supply (SES), Team Magma will design and build a prototype of a solar panel. The solar panel prototype will meet design requirements and output specifications while meeting Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certification. Design requirements are mainly focused on keeping cost at a minimum while output of the system is required to be at least 200 watts.

Team Members: Matthew Macaluso, Andrew Wortham, Greg Gauthier, Mike Thompson

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/team-magma/

Paraplegic Deer Stand

Team Name: Team Deer Stand

Project Sponsor: Mike Shipp - CREST
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mel Corley

Our team has been given the task to design a deer stand that allows a person with paraplegia to independently access and operate the stand. The design must also incorporate a safety harness and a way to safely transport a firearm.

Team Members: Derek Leslie, Lee Adams, Eric Rousseau

Project Web Site: https://sites.google.com/a/email.latech.edu/teamdeerstand/