Project goal: To design, build and test a detailed control system within a wing model to discover the wing’s aerodynamic characteristics, such as frequency and flutter. A closed-loop system was designed and implemented that would allow the wing to correct itself and remove any unnecessary flutter while optimizing flight conditions. The objective of this design is a closed-loop control system that stabilizes the wing section when the angle of attack is disturbed from its desired position. Sensors were placed on the top and bottom surfaces to measure the free stream velocity. Sensor data is sent to a proportional integral derivative controller, which generates the desired values.

Project goal: To take raw borehole data and design a mine based on given constraints, such as time and man-hour restrictions. Borehole data was converted into a geologic block model, complete with ore grades. Using advanced 3-D modeling software and the block model data, pit push-backs were designed and a life-of-mine plan was developed. Concurrently, a wash-plant upgrade and crusher overhaul were designed by analyzing the overall tons mined per hour. The final part of the design included coordination and design of haulage paths, recommendations for fleet upgrades and purchases, and design of waste storage dump piles. The final design resulted in a mine life of 71 years.This project was submitted for the 2017-2018 Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration/National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association Student Design Competition.The team placed within the top six teams internationally.

Project goal: To provide designs and plans for direction of the activities at the San Xavier Student Mine for the next 3 years. The objective of the San Xavier Student Mine is to produce experienced engineers who are familiar with working in and around a mine site. The design reflects the limitations and freedoms provided by a student-run mine that operates 4 days a month and is not constrained by an ore body. The excavation design used the 3-D computer-aided design program MineSight to project advances per month over the 3-year time period. The team conducted extensive geo-mechanical testing and monitoring of the mine site. Ventilation designs were created in VentSim using the 3-D edit model of pre-and post-expansion. Environmental controls were implemented to Mine Safety and Health Administration standards. Cash flow and production scheduling of proposed equipment and personnel were also considered.

Project goal: To design a new tailings storage facility for an Arizona open pit copper mine capable of holding 750 million tons of tailings produced in the next 50 years. In the copper mining industry, about 98 percent of the material processed is considered tailings, or waste. A tailings storage facility is required to hold all of the waste material, which is saturated with processing solutions. Through analysis of the tailings material and the area’s hydrologic and geologic conditions,it was shown that center-line construction provides the required stability while remaining cost-effective. The design focused on stability and safety of the tailings, particularly under the most adverse weather and seismic conditions. This tailings storage facility used cyclone deposition and a cross-valley layout to further contribute to its stability and sustainability.

Project goal: To develop a web-based application to visit, browse, search and purchase baked goods, and to create accounts for vendors to advertise and sell baked goods.Home and independent bakers struggle with visibility and have to compete with big businesses that spend millions on advertising. Tappetite, a virtual marketplace, allows bakers to build their shop digitally and acquire customers at a fraction of this cost. The front-end development of the web application uses Hypertext Markup Language with Cascading Style Sheets. Data management is handled by JavaScript and Structured Query Language queries. The database is hosted on Google cloud servers,where much of the custom Tappetite code will be stored. Some third-party services will be used,such as Stripe, a payment processor to securely and seamlessly handle payment transactions and offload any liability for cybersecurity risks associated with handling client financial information. The system will use a third party in-application chat service called PubNub to ensure secure and confidential communication between vendor and consumer. Google application programming interfaces will be used to bring location-based services to the website, such as location-relevant search results and customer-delivery information.

Project goal: To design, build and test a non-contact bio-electric field detector that can display, record and monitor a person’s electrocardiogram. The design uses an ultra-sensitive shielded capacitor to detect the subtle change in voltage from the heart through air and skin. The capacitor analog output is converted to a digital output, filtered for noise, and then relayed to a computer to display the final electrocardiogram, or EKG,on the screen. The design allows two live electrocardiogram signals to be simultaneously displayed on the computer from two individual hearts. The device operates with a separation distance of 10 centimeters from the chest to the detector. Applications could include monitoring vital signs of pilots, a less intrusive test for children, and measurement of cardiac changes without affecting the patient under study.

Project goal: To design a system that improves current wind energy technology. Current technology was examined and analysis conducted to determine improvement areas. Fluid flow analysis provided understanding of how to manipulate wind coming from any direction. A model was created of the sponsor’s Windgrabber system that included the improved design. A rudimentary two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics analysis of the system identified the ideal design for the improved system. Through the fluid dynamics visualization, the deflector plates were positioned for optimal airflow to the turbine. A static computational fluid dynamics analysis was used to determine the pressure differentials of the turbine airfoils, and a similar analysis was performed to see how the air would flow in the Windgrabber scoop.

Project goal: To develop a wearable medical diagnostic device to measure reaction to venom injection, such as snakebites. The designed system is a band that incorporates temperature sensors, infrared bead sensors, and strain gauges to measure body temperature, swelling and band tension. Measured parameters are sent via Bluetooth to a user-configured smartphone. All the metrics are displayed through a general user interface on the smart phone using the Swift 4 software application. The designed product, named SwellSense, provides a real-time monitoring system for victims of venom injection that will reduce costs and optimize patient treatment.

Project goal: To design a mobile propellant-densification unit to provide support for the sponsor’s Vector-R launch vehicle. Large, stationary propellant coolant units are commercially available but as space missions using compact satellites and launch vehicles become more viable, the need increases for ground support equipment that is small and mobile. A full-scale system was designed. It was verified by a prototype that confirmed analyses and demonstrated functionality. This design used liquid nitrogen as the primary coolant,resulting in a compact heat exchanger and less process equipment. Analysis of the design was completed using Aspen, chemical process-modeling software,and SolidWorks simulations to verify that heat transfer and process calculations were accurate. The sub-scale prototype cools water while demonstrating the ideas and methodologies of the full-scale design. The prototype regulates using thermocouples, logic and variable frequency drives, allowing the system to operate autonomously.

Project goal: To create a smartphone application with a graphical user interface that communicates with an external heart-rate sensor. Stress negatively affects physical, mental and behavioral health. This heart-rate sensor can detect when a user is stressed and help lower their stress level via music therapy. The device designed employs an electrocardiogram sensor on the user’s chest to measure heart rate variability and transmit the data via Bluetooth to the application, which determines the user’s stress level. High heart-rate variability correlates to relaxation, while low variability indicates stress. If the application determines that the user is stressed, it will access an open-source third-party music application that will start playing music corresponding to the user’s musical interests to achieve quick and efficient stress management. The device quickly lowers stress and provides quantitative data that should further prove the effectiveness of music therapy for stress management.