Projects Involving Mechanical Engineering

ENSC03 Cross Laminated Timber

Students are developing test fixtures, materials failure models, testing of materials and models, and incorporating of statistical analysis of failure to develop mechanical properties of Cross Laminated Timber. Once testing is complete, they will develop an improved design method for Cross Laminated Timber.

ENSC09 Cincinnati Greenway

This project team will prepare design drawings and public meeting materials for the Cincinnati Greenway Roadway Project in the City of Spokane. A Greenway is a roadway designation by the City of Spokane which indicates a street design that provides an environment that promotes active transportation modes like walking and bicycling.

ENSC17 Apex Trekking Axe

The outcome this team would like to achieve is a trekking pole prototype with a lockable axe pick that folds into the handle. This enables the user to fold out the pick when he/she encounters terrain which requires a safety tool, and fold it back away when not needed. Team 17 will also perform tests on the prototype.

ENSC18 Micr Hydropower

This team is designing a Micro Hydropower generator that provides electrical energy from only the kinetic energy of water. The goals of the team are to create this generator with the ability to function in a river with little drop and still be economically feasible.

ENSC19 Trailer Auto Control

Trailer Auto Control project is designing a control system that monitors sensor inputs which provide the status of a trailer being towed or maneuvered. The system will operate independently of the tow vehicle, but will react in a way to aid the vehicle while the vehicle executes a variety of maneuvers.

ENSC20 Honeycomb Core

The objective of this project is to quantify the effect of cell wall orientation on honeycomb core mechanical compression and shear properties. Phase 1 of this project was conducted in the 2016/2017 school year. The team will work with Boeing professionals to develop a test matrix.

ENSC21 Clip Installation Tool

Clip Installation Tool team members are developing, designing, and testing a hand held tool for ergonomically installing nut clips in an airplane. The final product must have ergonomic design and use, be durable, easy to use and fill.

ENSC22 Shock Absorber for Human Powered Tools

Buck Knives is looking to relieve the impact of force that gets absorbed by the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and other parts of the body when using tools that require physical force. Shock Absorber for Human Powered Tools team is developing a method to absorb the shock that is felt when using a cutting or striking tool.

ENSC23 Electro-Mechanical Faucet

Electro-Mechanical Faucet team is developing a low cost and simple to operate electro-mechanical system that can control a conventional faucet. The fundamental functions of this system will be active temperature and throttle control, and pre-heat function.

ENSC24 Concrete Delivery ID

Concrete has been delivered to millions of locations using paper tickets. Once the concrete is delivered, there is no way to determine the exact location. For quality control purposes, it is important to know the location of the tested material. The goal of the project is to develop a cloud based data system that could become the complete quality control record for the concrete project.

ENSC25 Sensors for Body Vibration

Students are studying current methods for measuring body vibration and designing a system of multiple sensors that can be easily attached to the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder and head, and linked together in such a way as to measure the migration of vibrations through the body.

ENSC26 Paint Boom Protection

The Paint Boom Protection team is developing a device for the EZ Loader boat-trailer manufacturing company. The device will attach to building obstacles, thus eliminating the human assist currently being used to protect the product and buildings from damage within the factory.

ENSC27 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Testing

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Testing team is collaborating with Plug Power to build a hydrogen fuel cell air flow testing apparatus. This apparatus will be used to collect air flow data through individual fuel cells to help determine optimal air flow for Plug Power's hydrogen batteries.

ENSC28 Engine Test Skid

This team is designing and building a a light-duty engine test skid needed by for Gonzaga University’s Mechanical Engineering Lab. This engine test skid shall be sized to handle a 25-100hp engine with appropriate ancillary facilities such as a cooling water loop and a high-temperature exhaust system.

ENSC29 Hardness Test Fixture

The Hardness Test Fixture team is producing a viable redesigned test fixture (work holding) for the current surface hardness test machine to improve work holding, operator ergonomics and safety, and repeatability of test results. This team will work with sponsors from UTC to reach a final design.

ENSC30 Nano-Precision Medical

Nano Precision Medical team is building a machine to automate the process of developing an automated or semi-automated fixture or tool that facilitates the repetitive task of precisely depositing viscous materials into a precise reservoir geometry accurately with the final evaluative assay of strength, volume, bond quality, lack of air pockets in the post-applied polymer, along with other metrics to be developed predicting performance.

ENSC31 Probably A Pendulum

This team goal is aimed at the design, fabrication, and testing of a device to measure the mass moment of inertia of small rigid bodies (in the 0.5-5 lb range). The outcome of this project will be a desktop sized device that can measure, at least planar, mass moment of inertia.

ENSC33 Sheet Metal Fan Base

This team is working to modify and finalize design, building, and implementation of a sheet metal fan base assembly to be used for all fan assemblies of fan wheel size up to 27" installed inside of its HVAC equipment.

ENSC34 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Fitting

Hydrogen exposure alters the material properties of many metals and composites that are used to transport hydrogen. This leaves a significant amount of room for improvement over the status quo in the areas of strength and ductility when it comes to fittings. Team 34 is attempting to produce a hydrogen fuel line fitting capable of withstanding the effects of hydrogen embrittlement.

ENSC35 Mechanical CPR Device

Existing CPR machines are large, expensive and difficult to use, not only for a layperson but also for hospital staff. The mechanical CPR device team is working to design a CPR device that is both inexpensive and requires little skill to use.

ENSC36 Power Cycle Efficiency

Power Cycle Efficiency project focuses on improving the efficiency of the generation systems Avista uses in their power plants. The team is researching different methods of harnessing the heat lost in this engine, such as implementing a small sterling engine or adding a regenerator or an intercooler, and using it to improve the efficiency.

ENSC37 Agricultural Irrigation System

This team is designing and building a prototype for a new automatic linear-move agricultural irrigation system. In modern agriculture, two types of irrigation systems are prevalent: the center-pivot and the linear-move. This team is combining the advantages of each of these existing systems to develop a linear-move system that operates like a center-pivot system.

ENSC38 Electromagnetic Diesel Engine

An interdisciplinary team of engineers is redesigning an engine cylinder head. The mechanical team is removing the camshaft and replacing it with an electromagnetically actuated intake valve which will be programmed and selected by the electrical engineering team.

ENSC39 Flaring Crack Protection

This team's project is to create a piece of protective gear for outdoor rock climbers. A flaring crack is a rock formation which is wider at the surface and narrows deeper into the rock. Climbers will place the device inside flaring cracks to help protect them if they were to fall while climbing.

ENSC40 Fly Fishing Simulator

Sage Fly Fishing has asked this team to develop a device that will be able to simulate several different fish and allow the user to hook up their own fishing equipment for use. The final goal is to create a working prototype that is programmed with a few different fish.

ENSC41 Heat Transfer from Finned Surfaces

This team is developing a laboratory experiment that demonstrates the difference in heat transfer for various configurations of fin design (e.g., material, length, shape, spacing, surface finish, and surface color). In both free and forced convection, this experiment will enable the student to determine the optimal configuration to maximize heat transfer.