All mechanical engineering students must undertake a capstone project in their senior year. The capstone projects are part of the 2-quarter Mechanical Engineering Design I & II course that is offered in Fall-Winter or in Winter-Spring. Students are guided by lecture material, mentors, and TAs while they work on their projects in teams of 3-6. The Department is always interested in collaborating with industry and/or community mentors who would like to have students work on an open-ended design project. An introduction to the mechanical engineering capstone projects program is available here. Please reach out to Professors Mark Walter (m.walter@uci.edu) or David Copp (dcopp@uci.edu) if you have any questions.
Background
The UC Irvine Rocket Project aims to push the boundaries of collegiate rocketry and the development of liquid propellant rockets. Our project strives to prepare students for successful careers in the aerospace and defense industry. In 2017, Base 11 became a partner of the UCI Rocket Project. Their gracious donation enabled the construction of our rocket lab as well as provided enough support to join in the Base 11 Space Challenge.
A thermocouple is an electrical device used to detect the temperature changing. Nowadays, thermocouple, as a kind of thermal sensor, is being used in many fields, for example, hospital, vehicle engines probes, and sensors. With the trend in demand for increased performance and reliability.
We are focusing on how the time response will change regarding the change in the size of the thermocouple in microscale. If the time response is reduced, the efficiency of the temperature sensor system will increase, which would benefit in many fields.
Our goal for this project is decreasing the time response for an accurate reading from 0.06s to 0.03s by reducing the size of thermocouples. Having a faster response, thermocouples can be more efficient in measuring temperature changes in industrial, medical and daily aspects. Then apply the wireless device to make it into a product.
Fall 2018
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Cargo Plane is a senior competition project based on the SAE Aero Design West rules and regulations. The goal of the project was to design a lightweight airplane using wood and metal, allowing high lift generation with low velocities. The plane design parameters were to minimize weight, maximize passengers and cargo capacity while still following all the SAE competition rules. The airplane weight was optimized to be the smallest fraction possible of the 55lb takeoff limit to maximize payload. Therefore, the design team focused on analyzing multiple plane designs from previous years to pinpoint successful features for design incorporation. Plane dimensions were all calculated with equations found in accredited aerospace papers and test book. Through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations, structural analysis, and material property tables, it determined balsa, poplar, birch ply, Sitka spruce, and 6061-T6 aluminum were optimal building materials for construction due to the high specific strength properties....
The SolEaters must design, construct, and raise funds for a fully powered solar racecar that surmounts the scrutineering process for the American Solar Challenge, a cross-country endurance race for solar cars around the world. As the first established solar car team at UCI, we hope to build a solid foundation for a solar racing team that will continue to engineer sustainable vehicles for many years to come.
Background
Originating out of the World Solar Challenge (WSC) that took place 30 years ago in Australia, The American Solar Challenge (ASC) is a spinoff started by GM in 1990. GM encouraged collegiate teams to design and build a solar powered vehicle, followed by a series of one-day stages along a predetermined route. In 2001, The Innovators Educational Foundation took over sponsorship of the event, and with that came a new format for the event, including multi-day stages, higher mileages, and...
The Variable Emissivity Radiator being researched and designed at UCI provides control to lower the outer surface emissivity during sunlight exposure, and increase it again to dissipate heat in cover. All while using minimal power and no moving components. This saves on weight, cost, and complexity of cooling solutions for small satilites.
Background
The UCI Baja SAE team competes yearly in the Baja SAE West Collegiate Design Competition hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Each year the team develops a brand-new single-seat off-road vehicle for the competition based on research into the dynamics of off-road vehicles and a critical analysis of the previous year’s car. The yearly competition hosts 100 collegiate teams from across the world and consists of a series of static and dynamic events culminating in the 4-hour, 100 car wheel-to-wheel endurance event.
Goal and Objectives
The objective of the 2019 UCI Baja SAE team is to develop a reliable, competitive single-seat off road vehicle to place among the top 10 teams in the upcoming 2019 Baja SAE West competition. In order to accomplish this, the 2019 competition vehicle, named RENEGADE, must be the lightest, fastest, best performing, and most reliable vehicle that the team has ever produced....
When an individual suffers from a stroke, many lose somatosensation in one of their hands. This leads to a loss of the sense of touch (tactile sensation) and sense of movement of their limbs (proprioception). This lack of focus is not beneficial to the patients and does not result in optimal recovery. Design a device that will focus on the rehabilitation of somatosensation in stroke patients while providing an affordable, portable, and convenient means for doing so.
For the 2019-2020 school year Touch Trainer is looking for a team leader, lead for coding, designing, electronics, and manufacturing. This project requires 5-7 members. Contact Yasmin Shokes at yshokes@uci.edu for any questions or interest.
In recent years, advancements in engineering, mathematics, and morphology have opened the door for bio-inspired flight. What was once beyond the capabilities of scientists and engineers now presents itself as a wealth of unexplored technology and research opportunities. The Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Project must combine in-depth research and engineering to generate the future of flying machines.
The specific challenge the FWMAV Project addresses is recreating the high frequency flapping observed in hummingbirds and insects, and applying it in an innovative and novel way. Through a systematic approach, the team must improve upon existing technology to generate flight dynamics observed in nature, discover potential physical advantages that can be exploited, and apply these discoveries to a working proof of concept.
