Engineering Undergraduate Theses

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Open Access
TRAIN PERFORMANCE CALCULATOR FOR THE IBM PC
(1986) Girling, Robert Richard; No Examining Committee; Clayton, A.
A train performance calculator program was written in Basic for the IBM Personal Computer. The train performance calculator simulates the operation of a single train along a specific route. Velocity, time, and fuel consumption of a train at any point along a route is predicted by the program. The train may be of any configuration and the route may have any combination of grades and curvature. The algorithm used in this train performance calculator finds the minimum travel time of a train over a route, subject to power, braking and route constraints. The program and the models used to predict train performance are described, followed by sample runs.
Open Access
Engine modifications for the Formula SAE race car
(1987) Hohenberg, Edward G.
A group of students at the University of Manitoba are involved in the design and construction of a small, formula race car to be entered in the Formula SAE student engineering competition. This thesis deals with the modifications made to the engine of this vehicle. The modifications include building a tuned intake manifold, changing camshafts, increasing the compression ratio and charge cooling. All the modifications are meant to increase the performance of the engine. The underlying theory for each modification is presented, then the specific modification made to the engine is discussed. Background theory is also given. Actual dynometer test results are presented for each modification, in order to prove or disprove the theory. Test results for the compression ratio change are not presented, as this modification has yet to be done. It was found that many of the modifications resulted in increasing the performance at one engine speed, while decreasing the performance at other engine speeds.
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Custom developed computer numerical control interface
(2010) Jackimec, Nick
Many CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling machines are commercially available today, but none offers an open-source interface designed for research applications. The work reported in this thesis has retrofitted a 25-year-old manual milling machine, which has previously been modified into a CNC mill, but whose interface is no longer functioning, into a functional CNC mill. New components have been incorporated as necessary, to produce an open-source CNC mill capable of use in research and as a standard CNC mill. The original milling machine has inconsistent backlash due to cheaper methods of construction, ranging up to 0.049-inch per axis. The thesis has implemented software compensation, capable of producing most CNC paths with only 0.015- inch of inaccuracy with a 99%-confidence interval. Though the final mill does not have all the built in functionality of a commercial mill, it is designed with research application in mind, and as such, it is intended as a platform for future research to be mounted upon. The open-source interface will allow many forms of integration within a flexible manufacturing environment and easy future customization as necessary.
Open Access
Design of sheet metal handling system at Bristol Aerospace Limited
(2012-02-17) Costigane, David; Wu, Chuan; Karaman, Seval; Wu, Jian
This report is about the improvement of Bristol’s sheet metal handling system by CKW design team to reduced scratches and dents in sheet metal. These scratches and dents result in waste material or high rework by the company. In addition lots of time and money is wasted. This report includes a background about the problem and the general background about the company Bristol. Customer requirements and meetings are documented within the report to support recommended design decisions. Six recommended designs are listed within the report, to eliminate Bristol’s problem of scratched and dented sheet metal. There is not one design that can solve Bristol`s problem therefore most, if not all of the six recommended designs should be implemented to reduce scatched as much as possible. Many tools for decision making can be found in the appendices. CKW design team found these tools very useful in making a decision and weighing the specific factors that were important to Bristol. The end result is six recommended designs that are believed to be a beneficial solution for Bristol with a positive outcome.
Open Access
Fixture for jet engine bypass duct : final design report
(2012-02-17) Maqsood, Omar; Nguyen, Bao; Tiefenbach, Marc; Dahl, John
Team Supernova has been commissioned by Bristol Aerospace Limited to design a fixture for a jet engine bypass duct as part of the University of Manitoba Engineering Design class. Bristol Aerospace manufactures a bypass duct for the Airbus A380 turbofan engine. In the current manufacturing process of the duct workers are at risk of strain injuries from manual manipulation of the part. This report proposes a fixture for the jet engine duct that will eliminate worker strain. After conducting research and analysis, six conceptual fixture designs were generated. Further screening led to the conclusion that the suspended arm fixture would be the most feasible for this application. During the design phase of the suspended arm fixture another fixture that functions similar to the suspended arm was discovered. This fixture, available from the Anver Corporation, is the fixture that the team chose to pursue. The fixture will be supplied by Acculift‐Airmax, the Winnipeg distributor for Anver. The fixture is a custom, electric powered, vacuum lifter with side grippers capable of 360 degree manual rotation. The fixture will make use of a currently existing electric hoist in the manufacturing plant at Bristol Aerospace. The electric hoist will provide lifting, lowering, and translational motion of the duct, and the fixture would provide the rotational motion. The Anver fixture has a quoted cost of $15,995. A stand for the fixture, designed by the team, has a quoted cost of $448, bringing the total cost of the fixture system to $16,443. The Anver fixture meets all of the customer’s needs and target specifications. Supernova recommends that Bristol Aerospace purchase the Anver fixture and implement its use in the manufacturing process of the jet engine duct in order to eliminate worker strain.
Open Access
Riveting process fixture design
(2012-02-17) La Tour, Sasha; Wang, Mo Ran; Li, Qi; Xing, Zi Bing
This report details the final design of a turbofan bypass duct riveting process fixture for Bristol Aerospace Ltd. The design was requested to reduce damage to the skin of the ducts during the existing riveting process. A list of client needs was identified, and features were designed to satisfy these needs. These features include supports with adjustable height and angle, as well as a pedal assembly that lifts the entire fixture. Additional features were also developed to further improve the security of the duct, as well as the overall usefulness of the fixture. An analysis of the prototype cost, and the expected final cost of the fixture is presented. Some recommendations are also made for possible improvements to the system at an increased cost and delay in fixture implementation. Finally, the report summarizes the features of the riveting process fixture design, and concludes that the design fulfills the needs of the client.1
Open Access
Automated truss stacking : final report
(2012-02-24) Foord, Stephen; Johnston, Kristin; Iancu, Adrian; Krawchuk, Neil
Team 16 was tasked by All-Fabrications Incorporated (All-Fab) in Winnipeg to solve their truss stacking problem. Currently, All-Fab is using manual labor to vertically stack the trusses. The use of manual labor creates health and safety issues for the workers and reduces overall productivity. Current procedures require production to be shut down when extremely large trusses come off the assembly line, in order to reassign extra hands to help stack the truss. All-Fab asked our team to design an automated system that horizontally stacks trusses up to 60 feet long. Although All-fab creates trusses up to 80 feet in length, these trusses cannot be stacked horizontally as they cannot withstand being lifted by a forklift in the horizontal position. Due to time constraints, our team has decided (with approval from the customer) to leave the existing vertical stacking system in place for when longer trusses come off the assembly line. Our client has given us a budget of $ 30 000, however, after speaking with Professor Balakrishnan (November 8, 2010), an expert in the field of robotics, we saw that complete automation could not be achieved with the existing budget. During the design phase we tried to minimize cost as much as possible. Despite our best efforts, staying within the given budget proved to be impossible. Our final design is a horizontal truss stacking system that was modified from an existing design created by Clark Industries [1]. Our design uses lead screws in order to raise and lower the trusses, as well as a removable I-beam that nests within a CChannel beam allowing the trusses to be moved left and right. In order to move the trusses, we have decided to use a roller system. Our entire project is electrically powered and designed to work outdoors in Winnipeg’s extreme climate. The stacking system on the ground is a simple system that uses railway ties and gusseted steel poles. Although our project was unable to be achieved within the original budget, we felt that this system is a viable option for solving the horizontal stacking problem at All- Fabrications Incorporated.
Open Access
Optimization of the multi-spindle drilling stage at TC Industries Inc. during grader blade profile changes : final report
(2012-02-24) Edie, Keith; Marsh, James; Mclean, Stuart; Mabee, John
This report outlines a design that can be integrated into the multi-spindle gang drill operation at TC Industries Inc. in Selkirk, Manitoba. This design will improve the current process of changing the different fixtures that are unique for each blade profile. The problem with the present system is that poor production exists in the multi-spindle drilling stage during grader blade profile changes. Specifically, the backstop blocks take a long time to change and require manual shimming before production can continue. The proposed design outlines a device that is able to rotate about the horizontal axis which provides four places for modified backstop blocks. Parallel to the bits on the multi-spindle gang drill will be a safety cage that splits the area so that the machine does not need to be locked out when an operator appropriately revolves the die rotor to get the proper backstop block in place for the next order. For blade length changes, a sliding mechanism will allow the rotor to move down the length of the drill. The new workpiece fixture is illustrated in sufficient detail so that further development can be made by TC Industries Inc. prior to a trial implementation.
Open Access
Modular hip joint testing apparatus : final design report
(2012-02-24) Dueck, Jonathan; Sun, Guan; Toews, Gregory; Toth, Stephen
This report details the design of a modular hip joint testing apparatus for the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute. Current methods of fatigue testing of artificial hip joints primarily focus on applying compressive axial loads onto the head of the hip joint in order examine the head/stem connection. Dr. Urs Wyss, in association with the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute, requires a testing apparatus capable of applying both compressive and tensile axial loads to the test specimen. The design of the testing apparatus focused on three aspects; mounting the top of hip joint, mounting the bottom of the hip joint, and the fluid bath that surrounds the hip joint. The top fixture consists of two plates made of 316 stainless steel that are secured together with three screws in a tripod configuration around the head of the hip joint. The bottom fixture consists of two main components; the stem holder and base, both of which are made of 316 stainless steel. The stem holder is an adjustable component that can slide along the length of the base in order to align the line of action between the top fixture and the bottom fixture. The fluid bath selected was an off-the-shelf component, a Bionix Environbath [3] courtesy of MTS Systems Corporation. The specifications for the Bionix Environbath were not available for compatibility test with the fixtures, therefore an alternative design, a fluid bath case made of acrylic glass and held together with aquarium adhesive is detailed as well. A preliminary analysis has shown that the diameter of the stem must increase in size from 14 mm to no less than 16 mm due to the high bending stress. Further analysis of the specimen and fixture using FEA software is needed to determine the actual stresses present within the stem and on the stem holder. Assuming it is compatible with the fixture, the Bionix Environbath is the best choice for the fluid bath because it incorporates the bath, circulating pump, reservoir, and temperature control in one off-the-shelf package.
Open Access
Test cart design for Standard Aero : final design report
(2012-02-24) Crawford, Jesse; Dubiel, Marcelo; Siram, Roshan; Gyselman, Matt
This report outlines the redesign of StandardAero Winnipeg’s existing turbine test carts in order to accommodate two different engines. The primary goal of the redesign was to improve the testing time required for each engine by streamlining the test process and eliminating the need for additional carts. Each of the two engines has different longitudinal dimensions. Our design requires replacing the base section of the engine mounts with a redesigned baseplate and carriage/rail system to accommodate either engine’s dimensions. The electrical and data acquisition systems were examined thoroughly. It was found that by updating the pressure systems we were able to significantly reduce the amount of wiring between the cart and the control room. The vibration system was improved by placing the charge amplifiers on the cart itself. This cut down on the length of wiring significantly and will increase the accuracy of the readings. It was determined that the cart had enough space available to accommodate both of the engines’ throttle control mechanisms. Redesigning the throttle controls was not necessary; both systems are to be added to the new cart in their current configuration. The addition of baffles to the oil pan will help to dissipate the momentum of the oil developed when the dolly is moved. This will help to prevent oil sloshing out of the pan. We were able to fulfill all the objectives determined at the start of the project. Implementing the redesigned cart will reduce the total time taken to test an engine by freeing up more space on the preparation floor and, more importantly, by significantly reducing the number of connections that must be made when setting up an engine for testing.
Open Access
High precision composite mould design, Composites Innovation Centre : design report
(2012-02-24) Leblanc, Kyle; Morris, Devin; McMahon, Matt; Delorme, Jeff
The purpose of this project is to design a high precision composite panel moulding system to improve the manufacturing process currently used by Composites Innovation Centre. The current method uses two flat aluminum plates sealed by disposable tacky tape to house the reinforcement fibre. The plates are adjusted to the desired height by means of set screws and feeler gauges. Resin is infused into the fibres by suction through a vacuum port, and left to cure. Problems associated with the current design include repeatability, time of set up, consumable cost, low fibre volume fractions and lack of heating ability. This project aims to design an improved moulding system by addressing the height adjustment, sealing, and heating systems. The goal is to make the process as automated as possible to eliminate variability between users. High accuracy is achieved by incorporating feedback control to automatically adjust the mould to a specified position using a graphical interface. A mechanical screw jack actuator system is capable of providing large closing force, allowing higher fibre volume fractions to be produced. Electric strip heaters and insulation heat the specimen uniformly without interfering with other systems. Finally, a custom reciprocating seal effectively closes the mould cavity while allowing for adjustment over the range of anticipated panel thicknesses. Analysis is conducted using both finite element techniques and hand calculations for heat transfer, plate deflection, and stresses to ensure that these values fall within an acceptable range. A break-even analysis based on possible manufacturing times was conducted and the mould is expected to pay for itself after producing between 204 and 507 panels (one and two hour manufacturing times respectively). Recommendations for further research are to build a prototype to verify sealing system and expected accuracy, and to conduct time studies to find an exact break-even point.
Open Access
Rammed earth tire packing process design : final design report
(2012-02-24) Schroen, Derek; Gryba, Ryan; Pierce, Braden
This report outlines a process designed for compacting soil into automobile tires. The current state of this process consists of manually filling and packing the soil with a sledge hammer. A mechanized process is needed to reduce time and labor necessary to pack tires with soil. This improved process will facilitate construction of rammed earth tire structures. The process outlined in this report consists of using a pneumatic backfill tamper and hydraulic cylinder press in conjunction with a lever mechanism to pack a tire with soil. This system consists of lightweight machinery that can be easily manipulated while working on the top of a tire wall. Due to elimination of sledgehammer, the recommended method greatly increases safety and decreases operator fatigue. In conclusion, the process designed by the project team is a low cost method that greatly improves upon the current method in terms of manual input, operator fatigue, safety, and time savings. The project team recommends implementation of this designed process for further testing and performance verification.
Open Access
Valeant thermal oxidizer heat recovery system
(2012-02-24) Arnal, Nathan; Ferley, Dean; Friesen, Jordan; Smith, Mitch
SĀFF Engineering has been commissioned by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to propose a suitable heat recovery system for their thermal oxidizer system. The following report presents the full design process undertaken including the final Gantt chart in Appendix E. Three main design concepts were chosen as best suited for the project based on the concept screening process outlined in Appendix A. The first design, the waste heat boiler, was deemed infeasible as no suitable designs could be reached. The second concept, the direct-contact recuperator, was found to be ill-suited for Valeant's facility as the required outlet water temperatures were too high to capture the latent heat of the TOX flue gases. Finally, a suitable design was reached for the thermal fluid loop concept. Thermal Energy International was responsible for the design and specification of the major equipment while SĀFF Engineering specified the minor equipment for the thermal fluid loop system. A thorough cost analysis was performed and the system was estimated to cost $673,672.89 with an annual maintenance cost of $6,740.00. The projected savings from the project were $257,332.54 per year, which translates into a payback period of approximately 2.65 years. Thus, SĀFF Engineering recommends implementing the thermal fluid loop design from Thermal Energy International.
Open Access
Buhler Versatile cooling tower design for power take off testing dynamometer : final design report
(2012-02-24) Smith, Mathew; Bunkowsky, Jared; Bell, Andrew
The purpose of this project was to design a closed loop cooling system for Buhler Versatile’s new water break dynamometer. The following report outlines the steps taken to develop a closed loop cooling system that will dissipate enough heat from the test dynamometer, which will allow the dynamometer to operate at maximum loading conditions. In addition, the report outlines steps taken to ensure the design meets or exceed all of the outlined specifications supplied by Buhler Versatile. This report also provides details of various components required for a closed loop cooling system, as well as all the supporting calculations and production drawings required for implementation of the design. The primary areas covered in this report include: coolant selection, pumping requirements and selection, radiator design and control system analysis. Each section outlines various alternatives and offers calculations and other supporting details for proof of concept. The results of the analysis show that a six radiator cooling tower utilizing a 50/50 glycol water mixture should be employed to meet the necessary cooling requirements of the new dynamometer. A total cost was not found since some of the material costs are unknown along with some of the costs associated with the gearboxes and drive shafts. Due to time constraints a full payback period analysis was not performed.
Open Access
New Flyer roof design : final report
(2012-02-24) Neufeld, Derek; Faustino, Johnpaul; Kolev, Todor; Bilgin, Senol
This report specifies a design that will resolve the leaking roof problem that New Flyer has been experiencing on their 40-foot transit bus model. The problem was found to result from large deformation of the fiberglass roof panel when it was subjected to thermal cycling. The proposed composite design incorporates the use of a vinyl ester matrix with a two-ply 1808 e-glass fiber cloth. The expected coefficient of thermal expansion of this composite is 8-12 μm/m°C. The model used to predict this coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite was verified using a two-ply 1808 polyester resin composite and the currently employed fiber and resin configuration. Along with these changes to the composite composition, the use of Sika booster for all three beads of Sika polyurethane adhesives was suggested. This report shows that not only do these modifications resolve the issue of a leaking roof, but also yield a more rigid roof by increasing the flexural strength and elastic modulus of the composite by nearly 150%. It is also recommended within this report to incorporate composite drip rails within the roof shell, as this will lead to cost savings and decreased labour time. There is no substantial change from the current budget in overall manufacturing or assembly costs for the proposed solution, which falls well within the budget allotted by New Flyer.
Open Access
Geoclimatic energy project : final report
(2012-02-24) Irianan, Osaghae; Leverick, Graham; Stargardter, Shawn; Choi, JaeHo
The concept of Geoclimatic energy is intended as an improvement to conventional geothermal heat pumps by not only providing a home’s heating and cooling requirements, but to also generate surplus electricity from seasonal temperature variations. A modified heat pump cycle has been designed which can serve the function of a geothermal heat pump, while simultaneously generating a small surplus of electricity of approximately 2 kW. The modified heat pump cycle can take the place of a conventional geothermal heat pump, and can deliver approximately 30 kW of space heating, 130 kW of water heating and 13 kW of air conditioning capacity. The designed cycle has an efficiency of 154% in the summer and 519% in the winter. A cornerstone to this modified heat pump cycle is utilizing an aquifer thermal storage system. It has been demonstrated that the aquifer thermal storage system will be effective at storing thermal energy for long periods of time and with small thermal losses. With the two wells set to a spacing of 50 (m), there is an increase in temperature at the other well of only 0.89°C, which was deemed to be an acceptable temperature increase. It was also shown that the temperature in the water stored in the hot well would fall by not more than 10°C of the course of a six month storage period, suggesting a thermal storage efficiency of 83.33%.
Open Access
Design of a multipart wicket gate for Wuskwatim Generating Station : final design report
(2012-02-24) Borchers, Britta; Jones, Colin; Reimer, Jason; Woods, Kingsley
The purpose of this report is to present a solution to Manitoba Hydro’s request for a multipart wicket gate that can be installed and removed from Wuskwatim Generating Station without requiring major disassembly of the generating equipment. The team has designed a multipart wicket gate that addresses the requirements of the project. This report includes a discussion of the design, a method of installation and removal, drawings of the designed wicket gate assembly and a finite element analysis. The current wicket gate is one solid part, and significant disassembly of generating equipment must occur before the gate can be removed and refurbished. Disassembly of the generating station takes several months and results in substantial costs to Manitoba Hydro due to loss of revenue. Therefore, Manitoba Hydro has requested a multipart wicket gate be designed in order to greatly reduce generator downtime. The final design is made up of three major components: the top stem section, the gate body, and the bottom stem section. These three sections can be bolted together inside the scroll case, which eliminates the need for removal of any generating equipment. The top and bottom stem sections mate with the gate body in such a way that the torque required to rotate the gate can be transmitted to the body through the mating surfaces as well as the bolts. Due to the large stress concentrations present in the corners of the stem-to-gate mating surfaces, it is recommended that large fillets be present at those corners and that a high strength material be used for the top stem section. Preliminary finite element analysis showed maximum Von Mises stresses below the allowable stress for some, but not all of the loading conditions. In addition to performing the finite element analysis, the team was asked to produce a detailed installation procedure for the multipart wicket gate. The team recommends that a detailed review of the installation procedure, as well as further finite element analysis, be performed before manufacture and implementation of the multipart gate.
Open Access
Design of improved engine shipping containers : final report
(2012-02-24) Roy, Lisa; Pilor, Eric; Santoyo, Christiana (Nancy); Bartel, Carl
StandardAero has experienced difficulty with their current shipping containers for Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines, which are not providing sufficient protection from shipping mishandling. This has resulted in numerous damaged engines and warranty repair costs that StandardAero has been responsible for. The purpose of this report is to design several new shipping containers that will provide improved engine protection, while being durable, easy to store and still being cost effective. Following brainstorming and concept generation sessions, six concepts have been developed which all meet , in different ways, the criteria identified by the client. At the request of StandardAero, a cost-‐benefit analysis has been completed and is presented in the report to help identify the most cost-‐effective solution. Following the cost-‐benefit analysis and examination of each concept against the objectives identified, it is recommended that a one piece plastic stacking cover be implemented using StandardAero’s existing universal base. This concept provides the best combination of engine protection, durability, easy storage and cost effectiveness. In addition several other improvements have been recommended to help reduce the frequency and cost of shipping damage encountered. By implementing the suggested shipping container and improvements, StandardAero has the potential to significantly reduce the frequency, and extent of shipping damage while at the same time reducing the expense of shipping materials.
Open Access
Modularization and standardization of New Flyer Industries bus seat mounting : final design report
(2012-02-24) Dobson, Chris; Liu, Jilu; Lagimodiere, Brianne; Shao, Jingbo
The final design report for the Modularization and Standardization of New Flyer Industries (NFI) Bus Seat Mounting outlines the introduction and as such the background of modularized bus seating project. NFI is looking to acquire a Universal Lower Support (ULS) for six of the seats used for NFI bus seat layouts. There is a subsection of the introduction that features the concepts that were considered for the Lower Support Structure (LSS) design. The Features of the proposed design as well as the limitations of the proposed design are detailed in the section titled details of the design. The operation of the design, cost analysis and reduction of parts are sections that are also included in this report. Simple hand calculations and FEA analysis were completed to analyze the proposed design for the applied loads that are expected to be applied to the LSS. The hand calculations and FEA are included in an appendix of the report. Design For Assembly (DFA), assembly instructions and component weights are included in an appendix of the report. A Design for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) was conducted on the LSS and is also presented in an appendix of this report. The LSS meets four out of the six seats specified by NFI that were to be included in the Universal Lower Support (ULS). Therefore the Team designed a LSS instead of a ULS because two seat styles could not be modularized. The Team makes recommendations to NFI for the next phase of the project and concludes that NFI should ask the seat vendors to review their seat styles to make the seat mounting systems universal.
Open Access
Tractor cab noise reduction : final design report
(2012-02-24) Leachman, Jeffrey; Rempel, Brendan; Gill, Sarby; Lacoursiere, Peter
This report has been prepared as the final product of a noise reduction project for the Versatile 280 tractor cab. Team Pindrop, as requested by Versatile, looked into the acoustical noise problems with this tractor model and set out to measure and define the technical noise problems in the tractor. A measurement phase had to be completed before any designs that address the noise problems could be made. Measurements made by team Pindrop include sound pressure level readings of the tractor under load and no-load conditions, as well as accelerometer measurements of various areas. These measurements enabled the identification of problem noise sources, as well as the establishment of the sound transmission paths allowing for the design phase of the project to begin. Through analysis of the measurements the muffler stack was found to be the leading source of noise. Other components in the tractor design which lead to high noise levels in the cab have also been found and addressed in this report. After conducting research and developing a thorough list of different design options available, the best options based on highest sound attenuation for lowest capital costs were selected. The selected designs include focusing on the noise source itself, by redesigning the muffler, as well as increase sound transmission losses from the exterior to interior of the cab by adding acoustic insulation and vibration damping. The muffler should be redesigned to exhaust at lower sound levels while the insulation added to the ceiling will help to attenuate the increased sound levels by the blower fan for the climate control system. Because of the complexity of the mechanical systems involved in a tractor, it is difficult to isolate and characterize the specific noise sources. This complexity makes it difficult to predict the affects of implementing a single design in the tractor, and thus, an overall noise level reduction for each option is not available. The effectiveness of various designs will only be known after implementing them and testing for the associated noise reduction. Therefore, team Pindrop recommends that Versatile implement and test the different design options to identify the most suitable combination for production.