A UAV-Based Computer Engineering Capstone Senior Design Project

Abstract This paper is deals with the development of an innovative pneumatically operated injection valve for liquid molding applications. The work in this paper was carried out in a senior design project of one of the authors. A specialized pneumatically operated valve to eliminate the manual step of tubing removal has been designed, fabricated and tested. To evaluate this valve, special test equipment was designed and fabricated, and a specific procedure for testing was developed. The results obtained from the testing indicated that the valve works properly according to the established specification and requirements, and passed air leak checks at different inlet and outlet configurations. The proposed valve is very unique since it allows the catalyzed resin to flow into the mold cavity when it is opened. It allows cycle flushing of the solvent and air into a waste receptacle when it is closed. From the testing and understanding the functionality of the developed valve, it is determined that pneumatically operated injection valve is a viable component that could be used in a production environment to further enhance productivity.

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Wind Energy Resource Assessment and Power Production Estimates as an Undergraduate Project

Volume 3: Cycle Innovations; Education; Electric Power; Fans and Blowers; Industrial and Cogeneration ◽

10.1115/gt2012-68438 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew C. Nix ◽

Seth A. Lawson ◽

Robert G. Murphy

Keyword(s):

West Virginia ◽

Wind Energy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Control Volume ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Energy Resource ◽

Power Production ◽

Monitoring Station ◽

Design Project ◽

Senior Design

It is common practice to install wind-monitoring stations in geographical locations having high winds to estimate power production prior to installing large-scale wind farms. For the current study, a wind-monitoring program was developed as an educational tool for undergraduate engineering students at West Virginia University. The focus of this paper is not on the results of the assessment, but rather on how this program was used as a hands-on approach for educating students about wind energy and availability. The objective of the student/industry collaborative project was to determine the feasibility of constructing a wind farm to power a federal prison facility located in an area with an abundant wind resource in North Central West Virginia, while educating students on wind energy. This paper presents a description and assessment of this program as an undergraduate senior design project. As part of the program, students played a key role from the developmental stages of the project, to the assessment of the results. During the first semester of the senior design project, students procured a wind monitoring station based on down-select criteria, selected the site for construction, installed the wind monitoring station, commissioned the sensor suite, and performed quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of and evaluated the initial data sets. Students logged data through the second semester of the program, performed data quality monitoring, processed average wind speed and direction data into frequency distributions and wind roses, analyzed monthly and diurnal averages in wind resources and performed power production calculations. Several different methodologies were employed, including application of fluid control volume energy analysis to derive Betz’ limit, turbine efficiency curves with operational limits and Weibull statistics to employ online power production estimators. The program successfully introduced students to the applicability of their engineering education to the area of renewable energy.

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A Web-Based Online Collaboration Tool for Formulating Senior Design Projects

Volume 5: Education and Globalization ◽

10.1115/imece2014-37915 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Sainath Varikuti ◽

Jitesh H. Panchal ◽

John M. Starkey

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Online Survey ◽

Online Collaboration ◽

Team Cohesiveness ◽

Faculty Mentor ◽

Design Project ◽

Senior Design ◽

Project Outcome ◽

Design Projects ◽

The Impact

A well formed senior design project is known to have significant benefits in terms of project outcome, student motivation, team cohesiveness, engagement, and student learning. Defining a good problem statement, forming a team of compatible and appropriately skilled students, and selecting an appropriate faculty mentor are critical aspects of project formation. Therefore, students in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University are encouraged to suggest project ideas, form teams, and have them approved by the course coordinator before the semester starts. While there is significant literature on senior design projects, most of the existing work is focused on activities after the problem is defined and the teams are formed. There is a lack of mechanisms and tools to guide the project formation phase in senior design projects, which makes it challenging for students and faculty to collaboratively develop and refine project ideas and to establish appropriate teams. To address this challenge, we have implemented an online collaboration tool to share, discuss and obtain feedback on project ideas, and to facilitate collaboration among students and faculty prior to the start of the semester. Through an online survey and questionnaire to students, we are exploring the impact of the collaboration tool on the senior design project formation process. In this paper we present the design of the tool and the results from our ongoing study in the senior design class at Purdue Mechanical Engineering.

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