Projects

The MSU Recycling center manages the university’s waste with the goal of reducing, reusing, and recycling as much of it as possible. Established in 1988, the Recycling Center is a self-reliant entity within Michigan State University. In 2019, they were able to divert 15 million pounds of waste from reaching local landfills. Their goal is to eventually keep 90% of the received waste from being diverted to landfills. As part of achieving this goal, the recycling center needs to mitigate the quantity of pallets that are disposed of in landfills.

The MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center collects and processes about 7,500 pallets annually for recycling, resale or waste. Pallets that are in good condition are sold to pallet remanufacturing companies. Pallets that are in poor condition are given away or sent to the landfill. This project identified safe, cost-effective, and efficient ways to disassemble and repurpose pallets. There are multiple ways to effectively recycle pallets, including creating woodchips, disassembling the pallet and selling the wood, or redistributing them directly to specialized recycling centers.

The recent increase in popularity of electric scooters has led to increased concern over the head injuries experienced by users. Currently, there are no well- enforced regulations regarding helmets while riding. This is particularly relevant among young adults on college campuses. In response to this surge in head injuries, Dr. Tamara Reid Bush of the Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory (BDRL) at MSU recognizes the need to research the impact experienced by electric scooter users in the case of a collision. In the BDRL, Dr. Bush and her students develop models, methods, devices, and experiments to apply engineering principles to the human body. This allows them to analyze and better understand how people interact with devices and their surroundings.

In order to analyze how a body moves and experiences impact during an electric scooter collision with a stationary object like a curb or parked car, the BDRL required a method of mimicking such a collision with a human surrogate. Our team was tasked with designing and creating a test apparatus and acquiring a mannequin with proper weighting and joint articulation to simulate the collision and analyze the subsequent body motion. The resulting scooter platform with supported mannequin rider can be propelled into the simulated curb, releasing the surrogate upon impact. This allows the BDRL to employ the necessary measurement techniques to analyze the mannequin’s head movement and extent of impact when propelled off the scooter, providing a means for researching the head injuries experienced by electric scooter users.

The MSU Adaptive Sports & Recreation Club is a Registered Student Organization that was established in 2014 as a free program open to athletes with physical disabilities, able-bodied volunteers, and academic projects personnel, who are MSU students, employees, alumni, and members of the Greater Lansing community. The program seeks to create and cultivate a physically and socially acceptable space where athletes with physical disabilities and able-bodied volunteers come together to establish an integrated community of peers. The program uses sports to validate the disability experience by eradicating inaccurate societal stereotypes and invalid self-perceptions about disability, while promoting physical and personal health goals. The program adopts a self-determination approach that focuses on athlete autonomy, competence, and relatedness as key facilitators in the process of acquiring self-efficacy in the area of sports and physical activity; skills that can be transferred to other life domains.

Our team focused on modifying the existing design to increase the user’s safety and independence. The key design changes included modifying the handrails, the sled hockey docking mechanism, and converting the lift to be electrically controlled. The changes needed to be compact, robust, and universal to accommodate a wide range of users presenting various levels of physical function.

MSU Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club is an inclusive club at MSU that promotes health, wellness, and teamwork through sports for individuals with physical disabilities. Athletes have the opportunity to play a variety of sports in this club including boccia ball, wheelchair hockey, wheelchair rugby, hand-cycling, table tennis, and wheelchair tennis. Through the use of sports, the club strives to improve the physical health of its athletes as well as eliminate the societal stereotypes about disabilities. Though inclusion is the goal of the Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club, individuals can still be excluded from sports based on the capacity of available adaptive sports equipment.

This project is the third phase of a custom-made inclusive sports wheelchair that will be specialized for an ambulatory individual. This project focuses on designing an inclusive sports chair with a durable propulsion method and an effective steering mechanism while keeping the athlete’s dominant arm free for sports play. An example of an intended user of this wheelchair is someone who has experienced a stroke and now has dominant strength on one side of their body. Past phases of this project lacked mobility, reliability, and foot protection during sports. These issues will be addressed in this phase of the project.

Bennett Woods Elementary School (located in Okemos, Michigan) is in need of efficient cafeteria access for students with physical impairments. One kindergarten student in particular, Gabe, was born with achondroplasia, meaning he is short in stature and his limbs are shorter in relation to the rest of his body. Gabe has recently expressed the desire for more independence and would like to purchase lunch with his peers. Due to his specific needs, Gabe struggles to see any food options as well as to move his food tray along the serving counter. Gabe has had to leave for lunch and receive help from an adult assistant prior to other students going to lunch.

Our team was tasked to adapt the environment of the cafeteria to better suit Gabe in the lunch line. The design allows Gabe to look over the kitchen counter, reach the food, and walk across the lunch line in an efficient manner. The device is also storable, easy to set up, and will not hinder the lunch line process for other students. Since this school has grades K-4, Gabe, as well as other students with certain physical impairments or who are shorter in stature, will be able to use this device for years to come.

Heartwood School is a center-based program located in Mason, Michigan and is part of the Ingham Intermediate School District. Heartwood serves students from 2.5 to 26 years of age with moderate to severe cognitive impairments, severe multiple impairments, autism spectrum disorders, and physical impairments. Some of the students have yet to develop the ability to reach the first step when entering and exiting the bus for school. To aid the students while they work towards independence, a stepping system, together with an adjustable rail system, were created. These devices reduced the size of the initial step and added upper body support so the students are able to board the bus self- sufficiently.

Our team was asked to revise the current system in order to increase the mobility, ease of use, and to make it functional across various size bus steps. The new steps were adjusted to allow for transportation on the bus while meeting school bus safety standards, increasing the mobility of the system. The new design is easier to maneuver between the buses and the school, increasing the ease of use for both the school and the students. The step system was made adaptable to accommodate multiple bus sizes so that the students could board a variety of bus models. Finally, a new way of attaching the railing system was implemented to make it more user-friendly.

The sponsor for this project is the Holt Public Schools/Ingham Intermediate School District. This organization is a shared community resource that provides a network of support for students with special needs, their families, and educators. This project revolves around Zeke, a freshman student at Holt High School. Zeke is a motivated, intelligent, and outgoing student, who was born without arms or legs, a condition called Quadramelia. He needs assistance for most activities but has independent mobility in his power wheelchair and this independence brings him great joy.

The goal of this project was not just to build a lift, but to have a meaningful impact on Zeke and increase his quality of life. The lift incorporates work from a previous project. Our team revised this lifting device to specifically aid in moving Zeke in and out of his chair safely and comfortably. The previous lifting process required two adults. This new lift enables Zeke to transfer with minimal assistance and thus gives him greater independence. The lift incorporates ergonomic folding arms to facilitate safe transfers and give Zeke adequate support without a harness. The motorized seat allows easy transfer from his wheelchair to a level that he desires for everyday use. The design also allows him to reposition himself to be more comfortable and help regulate his body temperature. Zeke can now be eye level with his peers, lowered to the floor, and his to his favorite height – to see what is in the refrigerator.

The MSU Department of Theatre is challenging the traditional approach in order to create something new, unique and fresh. Every day the Theatre Department spends multiple hours on costume design ideas. The department is in need of an adjustable height cutting table. When the costume is designed and cutting patterns are made for it, the Theatre Department uses a large table to do the layout and design work with the fabric. In order to compensate for students and Theatre Department personnel of varying heights, the Theatre Department currently utilizes stepstools which still leave the users at an awkward height. Also, for students who are taller than average, it is uncomfortable to work on the table at its current fixed height. Furthermore, there is a need for storage space under the table for all of the completed and upcoming work.

Our Team has been tasked with creating a 4’x 12’ adjustable height table. The table needs to adjust from a height of 32” to 44”. The adjustment should be powered by a mechanism that can be controlled using a motor. Controls of such a mechanism can be any type of directional switches. The table should be able to support 500 pounds or more. Due to the storage space restriction, the mechanism cannot be bulky or take up too much space under the table. The table design should also have a cork top for pinning fabric. Our team will be fulfilling all these design constraints and delivering a product that will serve the Theatre Department and the community for years to come.

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is located in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA MSFC is a United States government research center for spacecraft propulsion, founded on July 1, 1960. Its first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo program. NASA seeks more research on the solar system and the next goal is to make it to Mars. In that process a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion rocket (a fission reactor heating hydrogen or other substances that accelerate through a nozzle) is one approach to making the trip to Mars safe, affordable, and viable.

Our team worked on a research project for a second generation Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) unit. The NTP system would be used for a rocket that would journey to Mars and back. The research included one-dimensional analysis calculations, regarding heating hydrogen propellant through the use of fissioning liquid uranium in a rotating cylinder. With the remainder of the given time, an investigation of the pressure of the H2 from the propellant tank to the H2 pump, and the pressure requirement from the H2 pump to the blades for fuel cylinder rotation was in progress We began an investigation of the pressure of the H2 from the propellant tank to the H2 pump, and the pressure requirement from the H2 pump to the blades for fuel cylinder rotation. Due to the lack of time, calculations, such as the viscosity and heat transfer coefficient of liquid uranium at 5000k, were not completed. We left them in variable form so that it will be easy to insert the values when they are known.

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has been in operation since 1960 and is at the forefront of space exploration in the United States. As one of NASA’s largest field centers, this facility specializes in the propulsion systems for space exploration; its focus is on traditional solid and liquid propulsion systems. Utilizing the best propulsion technologies, Marshall has been developing NASA’s heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS). This system is the backbone of NASA’s exploration plans and is the only rocket capable of carrying people to the Moon and eventually Mars. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center’s expansive capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities are critical for every aspect of NASA’s mission for future space endeavors.

Our team was tasked with the implementation of a redesigned portable tensile testing machine for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) on the SLS. This device is utilized for testing the adhesion of the insulating foam after it has been applied to the exterior of the Launch Vehicle Stage Adaptor and Core Stage components of the rocket. This foam is responsible for maintaining a stable fuel temperature when exiting the atmosphere and entering into cold space. The current device used is outdated and no longer produced, so we created a new machine adapted to the current test procedure. In order to verify the adhesion of the TPS, the tensile tester pulls on test tabs that are installed in the foam. Surpassing a force threshold ensures the integrity of foam application and allows for the next stages of assembly.

The College of Engineering Baja and Formula Racing Teams are student organizations that participate in the nationwide Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) design competitions. Last-minute repairs and adjustments to the vehicles are common in this fast-paced environment. Previously, the teams had to load and fasten the required equipment to the trailer that was hauled to the competitions.

Our team focused on designing a modular work station that could serve as a welding and machining area. This movable device can mount tooling and machines, such as a welder, mill, drill press, and other accessories as requested by the teams. We also worked to ensure that the system would be secure in rough driving conditions. The station was designed using NX 11, and analyzed using Altair Inspire. The team successfully created a design that was safe, modular, and of use for years to come.

The MSU Solar Racing Team (MSU SRT) was founded in 2000 with a grant from the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. After several generations of team members and through research/support from other teams, MSU SRT built its first car, named Brasidius, in 2010. Between 2010 and 2012 two improved versions of Brasidius were made. In 2014 the team completed a new vehicle called Leonidas, and improved that vehicle in the subsequent years. In 2018, the team began designing the first multi-occupant, coupe-style vehicle called Aurora, which was completed in July 2019. The team has continued making improvements on the car for upcoming competitions to be held in the summer of 2020.

A major factor that has prevented MSU SRT from success in past years’ competitions has been a lack of testing. The goal of this project was to build an electric motor dynamometer that will aid in analyzing MSU SRT’s propulsion system. In order to accomplish this, the team had to build a custom motor stand, create a method of applying loads to the motor, configure the motor controller to record desired inputs/outputs, and analyze the recorded results from tests. Team members for this project had to be skilled in control systems, electric motor functionality, motor controller operations, electrical wiring, Arduino coding, and manufacturing processes.

Michigan State University’s Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) Team participates annually in a competition held at ASME’s E-Fests. The competition brings together teams from many locations to compete in an endurance race and drag race using a two- or three-wheeled human powered vehicle. MSU has hosted the event in this region in 2019 and 2020, and doing well in the event can be a huge source of pride for the MSU College of Engineering. The HPVC Team is composed of a group of MSU engineering students, each dedicating their time to the project and balancing their roles on the team with coursework and other commitments. As the team is relatively new, designing and manufacturing a custom frame has not been feasible yet. Instead, the current frame is a purchased part, not optimized for this type of competition.

Our team has been tasked with designing a new frame that will strengthen the performance of the vehicle. One aspect of the competition is the soundness of design, so the team designed a frame from scratch while documenting their justification for design decisions. The new design will help maximize the performance of the vehicle, so turning radius, weight, comfort, possibility for attachments, etc. were all considered as part of the design process.

The Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) provides students a chance to develop a sustainable, practical, and alternative solution to transportation for underdeveloped or inaccessible regions of the world where human powered transportation might be the only option. The goal of the challenge is to work in teams to design and build engineered vehicles for everyday use which requires humans to provide the force necessary for motion. This Challenge occurs yearly and universities from across the nation participate. The designs consist of a two- or three-wheeled bicycle with roll cage, gears, and aerodynamic attachments.

The focus of this project was to redesign the main frame for the bicycle. To do so, we were tasked with developing an entirely new concept for it. This consisted of having a safe, lightweight, manufacturable tadpole bike frame for the competition, performing research to back up any of our design decisions to improve speed, power, balance, and comfort. Lastly, the final design had to incorporate attachments for possible aerodynamic parts and an RPS.

The MSU Department of Mechanical Engineering focuses on teaching and research about devices and systems that utilize motion and energy to accomplish a wide range of objectives. MSU ME faculty, students, and graduates work to develop technologies in fields such as vehicle design, plumbing systems, robotics, biomechanics, manufacturing methodologies, and more. Undergraduate studies in the department’s classes often focus on the process of applying engineering knowledge to design projects, many of which are featured at Design Day.

One ongoing research area for the MSU Department of Mechanical Engineering is participation in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. Our team was tasked with designing an electric energy reclamation system to be used during an endurance race to allow energy generated by the rider to be carried over between riders. Our approach was to emulate the regenerative braking systems used in Formula 1 racing. Energy that would be dissipated during active slowdown of the vehicle is instead diverted into a device that generates electricity, stored in a battery, that can later be sent back through the device, which then acts as a motor driving the vehicle forward. In accordance with ASME HPVC rules, the energy storage device’s battery can be drained, so that all the energy in the vehicle is produced by a human rider over the course of the event.

This project was sponsored on behalf of the ASME’s Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC). Many underdeveloped and inaccessible parts of the world experience difficulties with transportation, where vehicles that operate using a chemical or electrical fuel simply aren’t viable. The overarching goal of the HPVC is to allow young engineers opportunities to prove themselves in the application of engineering practices by designing human powered vehicles and competing against each other. In turn, they would develop designs that could allow for a transformation in local transportation in regions that need it the most.

Our team was asked to assist in the design of an energy storage system for the human powered vehicle, with an emphasis on storing excess energy in a kinetic form for later use. It was decided that the best form of kinetic storage to explore and design was a flywheel system; this was due to a combination of factors. A history of industrial research and use, many existing designs from which to draw inspiration, and the relative simplicity of the device all led us to pursue this as our design solution. Some of the primary goals decided on by the team were to ensure a satisfactory level of safety with the device, together with reliability and ease-of-use.

In order for low volume bicycle manufacturers to meet production demands and remain profitable, they must have an efficient system for manufacturing bicycle frames. It is important that a manufacturer is able to repeatedly produce bicycle frames, with slight adjustments. These adjustments include differences in sizing and frame geometry. If a manufacturer is able to use the same tools, fixtures, and process from frame to frame, its profits will increase greatly.

Our team was provided CAD models for a bicycle frame and was tasked with bringing the design to life. This included verifying CAD models and creating fixtures that streamlined the assembly process. The purpose of these fixtures is to help consistently replicate a specific bicycle frame but be adjustable to other frame plans in the future. We developed a manufacturing plan to allow for low volume production at a rate of one frame per day.

Formula SAE is a collegiate design competition that challenges students to design, manufacture, and race an open-wheeled racecar against universities from around the world. Cars from universities such as Michigan State compete in dynamic events to evaluate their performance within areas of design, control, and, most notably, in aerodynamic performance.

The objective of the Drag Reduction System is to improve the performance of Michigan State University’s 2020 Formula SAE racecar – the SR-20. The Drag Reduction System improved lap times by reducing the overall vehicle drag when activated within its open state. The aerodynamic airfoils on the vehicle’s rear wing were made to be adjustable, powered by a control module that triggers a linear pneumatic actuator over the vehicle’s CAN-Bus Controller Area Network – Bus. The stroke of the actuator acts through a linkage system to optimize the angle of attack of each airfoil when the DRS system is adjusted between open or closed states. With DRS, the time saved, owing to decreased time spent on track straightaways, reduces the time penalty induced by weight and drag in a well-designed vehicle.

Technical support was provided by Pratt Miller Engineering – a product development company specializing in complex applications within motorsports, defense, and specialized software solutions. PME provides engineering and design, prototyping, low-rate production, and digital solutions.

The MSU Baja Racing Team is a Society of Automotive Engineers collegiate design team that designs, builds, and races an off-road buggy in competitions around the country. The team has competed in off-road vehicle racing since the 1980s. The focus of the team is to develop engineering students and provide them with a chance to apply their classroom knowledge to a complicated real-world problem.

Previously, Michigan State Baja has used Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) designed for snowmobiles and junior dragsters but has made the move to using a custom CVT on their car this year. With the increased tuning capabilities offered by the custom CVT, our team designed and programmed an on-vehicle transmission testing system for the team to use. The system accurately measures the rotational speed of both portions of the CVT while also measuring the linear distance the CVT changes during ratio shifts. The system is also set up to measure belt speed and temperature in future testing. All sensors were designed to fit into a housing that mounts directly to the vehicle and enables the system to be transferred to future team vehicles. The completed project will allow the MSU Baja Race team to improve their CVT tuning, allowing for a faster and more efficient vehicle.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division (DNR) is charged with the care of 19 state harbors, 103 state parks, and over 100 state forest campgrounds. The Straits State Harbor is one of the locations and is the focus of this project. Operating costs for a typical DNR managed harbor can reach up to $6,000 a month when the ice-suppression bubblers are running. As part of the development of the harbor, in 2007 the DNR invested in eight windmill turbines to supplement the harbor’s energy requirements. The windmills led the harbor to become one of the most eco-friendly in the State of Michigan. However, currently only two of the eight windmills are functioning. The wind turbine manufacturer is no longer in business, so it has been difficult finding a company to repair them, meanwhile maintenance costs continue to increase.

Our group was tasked with analyzing all available data on the windmills and geography of the region. At which point, we would provide a recommendation for the DNR to either effect repairs on the current windmills, or to replace them with an entirely new alternative energy system.

Swagelok is a $2 billion dollar company that develops innovative solutions for fluids systems operating on a local and global level. Our group worked with the Farmington Hills location. This location is an innovation center specializing in fabricating high-pressure products, tubing and tools, and welding systems. The wide range of projects encountered by this facility requires tools that promote accurate and rapid prototyping.

The goal of the project was to design and manufacture a universal alignment and measurement fixture used for different sizes of stainless-steel tube bending. The process heavily relied on human visuals for phase alignment. When multiple bends were required, this process often became a trial and error process resulting in material and time wasted. The created fixture eliminates the possibility for human error in the tube-bending process. The fixture allows the user to accurately bend tubing with intuitive and easy-to-use alignment features. Moreover, the size and weight of the fixture promote easy transportation. The device is expected to increase internal efficiency at Swagelok.

ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest integrated steel mining and manufacturing corporation in the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, ArcelorMittal annually produces 118 million tons of crude steel as of 2018. The corporation is a leading supplier in major North American and European markets providing steel solutions to the automotive, construction, consumer appliance and machinery industries. ArcelorMittal employs more than 200,000 people across 60 countries with significant operations in France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Poland. In the United States alone, ArcelorMittal employs 18,000 people across 25 operations. Operations such as mining, steelmaking and finishing are fully integrated to meet a wide range of customer demands across diverse industries.

In Burns Harbor, Indiana ArcelorMittal’s plant is 60 years old. Due to the age of the plant, many of the plant’s steel floor plates require maintenance. These floor plates weigh nearly 3 tons and require mechanical advantage to safely rotate them upside down for re-attachment of the support beams. The team designed an inversion table to assist in the repair of these steel floor plates. The table utilizes pressurized, piston- driven cylinders to control the motion of the floor plates as they rotate. The shear weight of the floor plates made the design more challenging as it required very robust designs. The repair of these steel floor plates greatly improves the logistic efficiency of steel transportation within the plant.