Industry Projects

2009-2010

Solid State Ammonia Synthesissolid state ammonia synthesis diagram
Sponsor: NHThree

SSAS is a new emerging green technology which takes nitrogen, water, and electricity as inputs to produce anhydrous ammonia. The goal of the project is to design the mechanical components for a small scale version of the reaction chamber. The operating conditions include a steam environment at 550°C and 150 psi so reliability of the system and robustness are absolutely critical. Numerous computer simulations of flow and thermal stress are used to improve the initial design. The final product is a combination of a pressure vessel, insulation, manifolds and cooling channels.

  
commercial medical stretcher adaptation diagramCommercial Medical Stretcher Adaptation
Sponsor: LifePort Air Medical

The objective of this project was to redesign an existing LifePort Commercial Medical Stretcher to operate on smaller regional aircraft.  This project was a continuation of work from the previous year’s industry project.  Modifications were made to the existing CMS and previous year’s work with considerations of weight, cost, strength, and feasibility.  Examples of analyzed portions included the deck, mattress, legs, and transportation case.  Due to the structural importance of parts, rigorous ANSYS and hand calculations were performed to ensure that the new design would meet FAA requirements.  As a result the product was a lighter and cheaper stretcher, while suited for a variety of regional aircraft.
 

 
Laser Bend Tool Designlaser bend tool diagram
Sponsor: Acumed

The Senior Design team was tasked with designing and prototyping a fixture for rotating cylindrical parts in a laser marking machine. The design had to be able to secure the parts in space while allowing them to rotate so that a band  could be marked around the circumference of the workpiece.The budget of materials was $500 and the fixture had to be safe, simple to operate, durable, and cost effective. The goal was to allow the sponsor to bring a process in-house and safe the associated outsourcing costs.  The final design included the capacity for five parts to be marked at once and allowed for a wide range of sizes to be used with the fixture.
 

electric trunk lift prototypeElectric Trunk Lift
Sponsor: Applied Motion Systems

The purpose of this project was to design a lift for Applied Motion Systems, Inc. that could be mounted in the trunk of a small car and be powered by the car’s battery.  This lift would assist the owner in loading and removal of items from the trunk. A screw-driven scissor lift design was chosen to lift a 100 lb load capacity. The final design and prototype presented to Applied Motion Systems was constructed of structural steel and utilized a coupled ACME screw and nut driven by an electric gear motor.

 

Cadet In-Wall Heat Pumpin-wall heat pump diagram
Sponsor: Cadet Manufacturing

The goal of this project was to design and build an In-Wall Heat Pump that will meet 60% - 80% of the cooling needs of a typical 1600 sq ft home located in the Pacific Northwest. The heat pump will supplement Cadets existing zonal heating approach by giving them the ability to supply cooling as well. The heat pump needed to fit in a wall cavity, be easy to install, easy to service, quiet and provide an efficient cooling and heating system that is environmentally friendly.

  

 

 

green power prototypeGetting Off the Grid: Green Power Alternatives for WSUV
Sponser: WSU Facilities

The goal of this project is to construct a water wheel to power low voltage lighting as means of alternative power source for WSUV campus. Electricity will be harnessed by the rotation of the shaft, due to the water moving the wheel, and converted into a low voltage current by a micro generator. The low voltage lighting powered by the wheel will be used as campus beautification in the landscaping aspect. Utilizing a budget of $500, the research, selection and design processes for the most viable option has come to an end and the prototype construction
phase has started for spring 2010. The wheel will pay for itself in a few short years, and
will provide absolutely free, renewable energy for the future. The irrigation system used
in front of the Firstenburg Center is the sight of our wheel; the design will be pleasing to
sight and will create minimal operating noise. We hope to provide a monument for future
generations of Cougars to not only enjoy, but also to inspire the ramifications of going green.
 

 
Human Powered Vehicle Design Competitionhuman power vehicle design
Sponsor: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Washington State University of Vancouver (WSUV) has been participating in the ASME Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) West Coast challenge for the past five years.  Within those years the vehicle has been gradually improving, but this year’s goal is to improve significantly. Prior to the implementation of the new design, extensive research has been done to increase speed. The new design, called The Crimson Bullet Mark II, is a different and new design from the original Crimson Bullet. This year, the bike is a delta-tricycle rather than a tadpole.  The advantage of having two tilting wheels in the back is to have the speed of a two wheel recumbent and the stability of three-wheeled vehicle.  Every component of the vehicle was analyzed and tested prior to building by using SolidWorks software. SolidWorks was used to conceptualize each component of the design. ANSYS finite element analysis was used to perform analysis on the frame and parts in order to achieve a factor of safety greater than 2.0. SolidWorks Flow Simulation™ was used to analyze the final fairing design to ensure that the design will reduce drag and be efficient while achieving high speeds.

 
brain boost thingyBrain Boosting Workplace Exerciser Exhibit
Sponsor: Oregon Museum of Industry and Science (OMSI)

The team worked with OMSI to create a device that would allow two individuals to exercise while sitting at a table thereby increasing blood flow to their brains and improving productivity in the workplace.  Two major objectives for the project were that using the system must be effortless and must also leave the user hands free. The system created uses a part of treadle pedals to spin a generator and produce about 20 watts of power.  A major feature of the system is the clear Plexiglas cases on either side which take the user’s input and speed it up to about 2300 rpm with a series of pulleys.

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