Project goal: To design a modular flange that can be used to detect leakage at bolted joints. The test rig allows designers to test proposed bolted joint assemblies at a smaller scale and enables revisions to be made at earlier stages of engine design. It also provides criteria for leakage when running computer analyses.Three modular flange assemblies were designed and built to demonstrate three cases: leakage through the bolt holes, leakage between the bolt holes, and no leakage. Assemblies differ in the amount of space between bolt holes in the three sets of interchangeable flanges. Once secured, flanges can be tested using a water pump and a specifically designed test rig, which simulates engine flight conditions and allows the user to check for leakage and quantify displacement. The displacement of the flanges during testing can be measured and the leakage status recorded. After testing, the displacement with corresponding leakage status can be compared to the bolt hole spacing. After multiple tests at different loadings and bolt patterns, a database can be built to provide qualifiable analytical criteria. The database will allow the sponsor to determine the amount of leakage based on the displacement, loads and number of bolts without running any subsequent physical tests.

Project goal: To design a heat exchanger using additive manufacturing.The heat exchanger of an auxiliary power unit maintains the oil running through the unit at the appropriate operating temperature.The design includes a lattice fin to dissipate heat from the working fluid. Direct metal laser sintering 3-D printing is used to create a one-piece lattice fin to reduce production cost and eliminate assembly time. Modular features are incorporated in the final design to allow easy scalability and a wide range of geometric configurations.Heat transfer characterization and optimization were analyzed extensively using finite element methods and experimental tests verified the results obtained.

Project goal: To design, integrate and test a pressure sensor and data-acquisition system to be used in testing equipment for aircraft products controlling cabin pressure. The easy to install and use system consists of a 7-by-12-by-3-inch box containing two absolute pressure sensors, one differential pressure sensor, and one water differential pressure sensor. The box also includes an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller, communication wiring between the sensors and Arduino, and other design materials to protect the components.The device displays sampled pressure values via a graphical user interface using software programmed in C# that is compatible with Windows 10. The software allows data to be saved in a spreadsheet file. The device provides the user with various sensor readings at different capture rates ranging from 0.05 seconds to 10 seconds for all four sensors. The detection accuracy of the absolute pressure sensors is± 0.1% (with 0.001 resolution). Accuracy of the differential pressure sensors is± 0.25% (with 0.01 resolution).

Project goal: To design a frangible bearing support that will withstand higher fatigue loads. Stricter Federal Aviation Administration regulations require that new propulsion turbine engines be able to withstand more severe icing conditions. On these engines, the number one bearing support is designed to break in the event of fan blade separation. This “blade-out” event causes a severe rotating shaft imbalance. To reduce the load that would be transferred to the engine, the bearing support is designed to break away from the engine frame and allow the engine shaft to whirl. The bearing support was modified from having six individual fuse ligaments to using a solid rim ligament around the entire circumference. This design reduces stress concentrations, thus decreasing fatigue from icing conditions. Stresses calculated using finite element analysis software were used to determine ligament thickness and surrounding fillet radii that would fulfill the breaking load and fatigue life requirements. To validate the FEA results, a physical test was performed using a simplified test specimen. Custom tooling was used to simulate the in-engine mounting conditions and radial loads were applied via a hydraulic press. Deflection and strain data were collected to compare with the finite element analysis model.

Project goal: To design, build and test a kit that gives a solar powered go-kart autonomous capability. The design integrates a servomotor for steering, electric actuator for braking, and GPS and lidar for control and position updates. All components are controlled by an Arduino Mega microcontroller. The variable voltage output from the Arduino allows control of the throttle. The pure pursuit algorithm is used as the control loop, which uses a goal point found along the path and steers the kart toward it with updates from GPS. The lidar was integrated for collision avoidance, stopping the kart whenever it recognizes something in its path. A modified go-kart was tested at the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. The developed kit can be used in the Racing the Sun competition, and it is hoped that high school students will start building autonomous go-karts in 2019.

Project goal: To develop a new firefighting water tank design for the S-70C Firehawk helicopter. The team explored alternative functional design concepts for firefighting techniques, and created a new system for a more efficient drop pattern. The new tank incorporates a door with a simple gear mechanism that ensures a more dependable output of water. The tank’s doors also use a funneling system that increases the boundary layer for the water, allowing a greater head pressure. The Firehawk pilot can select specific drop durations and rates from the cockpit depending on the targeted fire.The new tank, which will be used by the Los Angeles Fire Department, allows more reliable surface area coverage than the previous version, and enables the Firehawk to deliver water quickly and efficiently to a fire in terrain inaccessible by ground personnel.

Project goal: To develop software for a non-contact imaging pyrometer in the visible spectrum Current imaging pyrometers for furnace temperature monitoring operate in long-, mid-or short-wave infrared spectra. This project could lead to technology that reduces the cost of non-contact pyrometers and allows anyone to find the temperature of an object with a standard digital camera.The team derived a radiometric calibration constant relating temperature to camera response. Software and a proprietary algorithm were developed to calculate black body source temperatures of 1,100–1700 degrees Celsius. Using data acquired from a commercially available visible-light camera, the algorithm developed enables the system to calculate temperature to within 40 degrees Celsius. The graphical user interface allows furnace monitoring for materials, such as molten copper, at comparable temperatures of known emissivities. Thermal analysis and a full-system verification process proved that the system can operate in extreme ambient temperatures of 90 degrees Celsius.

Project goal: To design and implement a remote water-flow monitoring system on an open range and send flow data to a website.Cattle ranchers cannot afford to wastewater, especially in arid environments. The vast network of plumbing to supply tanks with the water needed by large herds cannot be interrupted, so they must be inspected often.The data from the remote sensors is of interest to researchers and ranch owners, and the project includes developing a website to display the acquired flow data. This removes or reduces the need for manual inspections by the rancher or ranch hands. The system monitors water flow via sensors placed throughout the plumbing system between tanks to detect leaks or stoppages.The solar-powered system communicates through a series of mesh network radios to a central location that uploads the data to an internet server. Data can be viewed on a website or via a mobile notifications.

Project goal: To design a system of devices to track home energy use at the appliance level, calculate the corresponding cost, and identify money-saving opportunities.The system design incorporates an appliance current-measurement device and a method for transmitting the energy data to a central computer for analysis. Current draw of the appliance is measured continuously using a current transformer. An analog-to-digital converter sends the collected data to a microcontroller collocated with the transformer. The microcontroller processes the data and transmits the data via Wi-Fi to the main computer located at TEP. Tucson Electric Power offers homeowners several different rate plans, including reducing power cost during non-peak usage hours. Custom-designed software for the main computer manipulates data from the database, estimates energy cost using TEP rate plans, and presents information on a computer monitor with a graphical user interface.

Project goal: To design, build and test an advanced Archimedes screw pump to recirculate algae in a raceway.The Archimedes screw pump, once used to irrigate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, has a potential efficiency of 70 percent and can be used to recirculate algae within an algae raceway, the track through which algae circulates. The sponsor currently uses paddle wheels with 25 percent efficiency to recirculate algae. The pump designed for this project incorporates modularity in the form of multiple screws and individual screw controls for an operator to set desired flow rates. The sustainably designed screw pump converts solar energy from photovoltaic cells into DC power for two motors,which individually turn two 12-inch-diameter screws. The screws are housed in a PVC casing and draw water up as they turn, releasing it to the original elevation so that it can recirculate in the raceway. Each pump is individually controlled using a calibrated Arduino microprocessor with potentiometers that allow the operator to set the flow rate. The system is designed to run autonomously, turning on in the morning and shutting off at night,and is capable of storing enough energy to operate for two days without optimal sunlight.