Join the College of STEM for Mechanical Engineering & Technology’s ME/MET Fall Quarter Capstone Expo, from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 in the CEB lobby, on the Cheney campus.
Here is a preview of the hands-on projects featured in this Expo and the team members who are engineering them.
Garden Compost Shredder
Team members: Kyle Collins, Josh Deasis, Santiago Gonzalez, Cooper Quillin
The Compost Shredder makes composting quick and effective by reducing the time it takes to produce viable compost. In the northwest, we have a short season for producing compost during the warmer weather. With our system, we increase the amount of compost that can be produced in one year in the northwest, allowing each garden to yield more vegetables, trees to stay nourished, and any plant to have healthier soil.
The Compost Shredder is an all-in-one organic shredder that has a mixing aeration container that can be accessed anywhere in your yard for easy disposal. This unique design provides a wide range of organics ranging from cut grass to branches up to two inches in diameter. This design beats its competitors as many similar designs are available at industrial costs or used for smaller organics providing a great window of success within this particular market.
Self-Powered Water Treatment System
Team members: Caleb Chin, Martin Lugo Coria, Osman Motta, Benjamin Taylor
Over 1.4 billion people have limited or no access to clean water, with over 3.5 million deaths occurring each year related to drinking contaminated water. Rural areas are particularly afflicted, being more than five times as likely to have a contaminated water source and no treatment services. The Self-Powered Water Filtration System is designed to tackle this problem by providing a user- friendly treatment system that works without access to a power grid. Once implemented, it can process over 100 liters of water contaminated with microbes and organic matter every day, to provide essential water needs highlighted in standards set by the EPA and WHO.
To remove common microbial and organic contaminants, the design incorporates a two-step water treatment process – charcoal filtration and UV disinfection. During the process, the system maintains sufficient power by utilizing a small turbine to store the energy harnessed from its own water supply and uses it to power a UV bulb for the disinfection process. Operation during the treatment is kept user friendly by only requiring the user to pour 5 gallons of water at a time, turn a valve, and flip a switch to filter and disinfect contaminated water.
Edible Heat Transfer Lab
Team members: Caeden Corigliano, Shelly Johnson, Alyssa Reynolds
Heat Transfer is a required senior level course at Eastern Washington University that explores the three primary methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection and radiation. Currently, EWU does not have a lab that accompanies the classroom discussion on radiation. This capstone project creates a fun, memorable radiation lab that demonstrates notable and repeatable results to be added to the EWU heat transfer curriculum.
The Marshmallow Radiation Lab takes a deep dive into the ubiquitous experience of roasting marshmallows. A fundamental property that influences radiation heat transfer is emissivity, which describes how well an object will absorb and emit heat. To investigate this property, students will dye the surface of marshmallows a range of colors to see how the emissivity value changes. For the lab, a 2000-Watt radiative heater is contained in a fabricated housing which concentrates the radiation onto only the marshmallow’s dyed front face. Thermocouples placed inside the marshmallows and an infrared thermometer are used to obtain data that students will use to analyze the system. After the lab is completed (and smores are eaten) students will analyze the heat transfer rate, comparing their hand calculations with a FEA model they create.
Backpacking Stove
Team members: Ruger Lillengreen, Kate Ross, Tyler Chandos
Our team has designed and built a lightweight, safe, self-contained, and highly efficient gas burning stove for backpacking. Our stove is compatible with commercially available fuel sources and collapses into a compact form, minimizing its volume for easy packing. To achieve high efficiency in windy conditions, we’ve integrated a telescoping windshield that also serves as a pot support above the burner. This windshield prevents heat loss due to wind as well as to the sides of the burner, allowing for a direct flame to the pot above. As a result, we can achieve a boil in under two minutes, a crucial time saver in the backcountry for fresh drinking water or cooking meals. For added safety, we have incorporated a proprietarily tip-over shut-off valve that will prevent potentially dangerous gas fires in the event the stove is knocked or tipped over. This internal valve consists of a ball bearing that will rotate with applied force or gravity and prevent the continuing flow of the compressed fuel to the burner, causing the stove to quickly shut off.
Hip Flexor Strength Training Machine
Team members: Mason Lombardi, Michael Novitskiy, Jayben Scalph, Jared Valentine
Our capstone project focuses on developing a unique hip flexor strengthening machine that addresses a gap in gym equipment. Any current hip flexion exercises fail to provide sufficient mechanical tension or movement across the full range of motion, leading to weak or underdeveloped hip flexors. This can cause difficulties in activities such as walking, running and climbing stairs. Our machine is designed to isolate the hip flexors, providing tension throughout the natural range of motion to promote more effective muscle development.
With our knowledge of dynamics, material science and design of machine elements, we created an exercise machine that is both adjustable and easy to use for individuals of varying sizes and strength levels, benefitting athletes, elderly users and those recovering from injury. It features a height- adjustable footplate and padded rests for user comfort. It also meets ASTM standards for safety and performance. While we are in the final stages of prototyping, we are confident that our machine will offer a smooth, safe and targeted solution for users aiming to strengthen their hip flexors.
Ballast Puncher
Team members: Tanner Brook, Jensen Davis, Ben Dehle, Tyler Holzemer
The Ballast Puncher Project is funded by Conquest Contracting Company, with a goal of reducing time spent and increasing safety for their workers removing ballast rock from between railroad ties. The design uses a train-style cart frame with a hydraulic system that can easily connect and disconnect to their speed swing equipment. The hydraulic system pushes two scoop-type mechanisms simultaneously that essentially sweeps out the ballast rock at a certain depth below the railroad ties and track rail.
The designed product will clear ballast rock out of third rail electrified train tracks, while keeping them electrified. The electric tracks help power the train and is very important in clearing anything unwanted from the tracks as, at times, the ballast acts as a ground that causes poor electrical contact, leading the tracks to have power surges or complete power loss. The system operates using hydraulic fluid and two hydraulics to push the scoops under the tracks and between the ties to clear the ballast. This process will be quick and highly effective, saving the company time and money.
