Senior Design Projects 2010-11
Creep Behavior of EZACTM Die-Cast Zn Alloy
Team Members
Daniel Young and Dale Goodloe
Advisor
Sponsor
Eastern Alloys Inc.
Project Overview
The creep behavior of Eastern Alloys' Zn Die-Cast alloy, EZACTM, was evaluated using ASM E-8 standard tensile bars, die cast using a repaired and instrumented die-casting machine and tested with an ATS lever arm creep tester. These castings were also evaluated for porosity and correlated to the die-casting parameters during their creation—with the intent on determining the machine settings' influence on porosity and other related defects. Valuable information regarding the mechanical performance of die-cast EZACTM at elevated temperature was gathered.
Self-Cleaning, Keel-Mounted Cooler
Team Members
Max Lent, David Arnold, Ben Ranta, Will Prins, Mechanical Engineering; Karl Warsinski, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor
Sponsor
R.W. Fernstrum
Project Overview
Keel-mounted coolers are heat exchangers mounted on the outside of a boat hull to expose them to cold seawater. The client has asked us to find a coating that prevents marine growth while maintaining the performance of the coolers. We must find a coating with high thermal conductivity. In order to pinpoint this function, we are building a Guarded Hot Plate test apparatus, from which the thermal conductivity can be experimentally obtained.
Fixation System Design for a Leadless Pacemaker
Team Members
Daniel Dubiel and Natalie Hartman, Biomedical Engineering; Beatrice Burgess and Brian Czech, Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering; John Kinzinger, Materials Science and Engineering; and Amberlee Lifer, Materials Science Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Rupak Rajachar, Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Steve Hackney, Materials Science and Engineering
Sponsor
Medtronic
Project Overview
While traditional pacemakers pose risks of complications and infections, Medtronic's leadless pacemaker is designed to reduce these risks by its sub-cubic-centimeter volume. This size is achieved through increased efficiency by attaching the pacemaker directly to the heart wall. Though effective, one of the greatest challenges associated with this technology can be found in the method of attachment, which served as the focal point for this project. Several attachment designs were developed, and the sponsor chose three of these for testing. Finite element analysis, as well as fluid shear testing and force-displacement testing, were completed on fabricated designs.
Bioabsorbable Metal Stent Degradation Simulation Design
Team Members
Patrick Bowen and Jesse Gelbaugh, Materials Science and Engineering; Rebecca Franke, Judy Bryne, Ellen Pokorney, Jessica Rhadigan, and Aaron Tauscher, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Jeremy Goldman, Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Jaroslaw Drelich, Materials Science and Engineering
Sponsor
Boston Scientific
Project Overview
Research has shown that the use of bioabsorbable materials in stents shows great promise in mitigating long-term, stent-related cardiovascular risks, as well as aiding the vascular healing process. Qualitative and quantitative relationships between the relatively slow in vivo degradation and faster in vitro degradation of bioabsorbable materials will be found in order to better understand how to simulate the behavior of these materials in the body. This project is meant to work toward a reproducible, well-defined protocol for conducting evaluations of candidate materials for use in bioabsorbable stents.
Economic Recovery of High-Value Elements from Grinding Swarf
Team Members
Andrew Heikkinen, Mena Klittich, Patrick Luke, Travis Magaluk, and Cameron McNamara, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor
Sponsor
Casting Services Group
Project Overview
The goal is to develop a cost-effective method of separating high-value nickel and cobalt alloys from current, third-party-processed grinding swarf. The swarf is composed of the metal grinding fines from ten production alloys, resulting in varying composition. Physical separation methods were examined and tested based on efficiency and customer feasibility.
Iron Pulverizer
Team Members
Joseph Anhalt, Kevin Poppe, Dallas Williams, Stephen Stacy, and Jacob Janiksela, Mechanical Engineering; Taylor Biallas, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor
Sponsor
Cliffs Natural Resources
Project Overview
The goal of our project is to design and build a machine/process that will produce cast-iron pucks from iron nodules. The beginning iron nodules have a melting temperature of near 1600 C. The size of the individual nodules ranges from 5-15 grams, with a total sample size of 500 grams. The iron nodules will be melted using an induction heating furnace. Once the iron is molten, it will be cast into a 39mm diameter, 4mm tall puck. The pucks will then be analyzed to determine their iron, carbon, and sulfur content.
Corner Cracking
Team Members
Jon Sanders and Michelle Loomis, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders and Dr. Mark Plichta
Sponsor
ArcelorMittal
Project Overview
The client has problems with a certain grade of steel that produces small cracks in the corners. After their steel slabs are rolled into flat sheet for the customer, these small cracks progress into larger ones, making their steel unsellable. We will give suggestions to correct this problem.
Aluminizing Bearing
Team Members
Ashwin Vekaria and Mark Twilley, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders and Dr. Mark Plichta
Sponsor
ArcelorMittal
Project Overview
The client is the world's largest steel company, producing nearly 73 million tons of crude steel, nearly 8 percent of the world market. They produce steel sheets, which are coated with aluminum in an aluminizing pot, which contains a stabilizer roll and an aluminizing roll, both made of bearing steel. The bearing for the rolls wears out in the molten aluminum and frequently needs replacement. The purpose of this project is to increase the life of the bearing by 20 percent and decrease the frequency of replacement.
Heat Treatment of Creep-Strength Enhanced Ferritic Steel
Team Members
Kyle Anderson, Luke Gilbertson and Chris Heczko, Materials Science and Engineering; Ran Liao, Mechanical Engineering
Advisor
Sponsor
EPRI
Project Overview
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) needs specific guidance on heat treatment of Grade 91 steel, a type of creep-strength enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steel used in the power industry for boiler components and piping. This guidance should include the maximum allowable component thickness that, upon air cooling, allows for complete transformation of the Grade 91 steel to martensite. Use of thicker components allows for design at higher temperatures and pressures, leading to more efficient energy production.
