purcc 2012 - University of the Pacific

Presenter Abstract Index
Convertible Tandem Bike System
Steven Barry, Molly Beckler, Craig Burton,
Jessica Ovieda
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson
Tandem bicycles present many advantages to
bicycle riders, but they are uncommon and
inconvenient to own. The purpose of this project
is to create a system that will transform two
individual bicycles into one fully functional
tandem bicycle, and then back into two
individual bicycles. An attachment was
designed and fabricated out of steel tubing and
fittings to allow two individual bicycles to join
into one tandem system. The design avoids
permanent alterations to the individual bicycles,
and allows either bicycle to occupy the front or
rear position of the tandem system. This proves
the concept that a convenient tandem bicycle is
possible through the transformation of individual
bicycles.
Rotational Molding Machine for Small Parts
Lindsey Miho, Joel Parra Hermosillo, Bonnie
Zhu
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson
Rotational molding is a manufacturing process
that is capable of fabricating hollow objects out
of a thermoplastic material that is heated and
rotated in order to form the desired shape. The
primary advantages of this process are that it
involves inexpensive tooling in comparison with
other manufacturing processes that are able to
fabricate similar parts; very little material is
wasted while fabricating a part; a part can be
fabricated quickly and easily; and the products
made from rotational molding can be recycled,
thereby satisfying industrial sustainability goals.
These benefits make rotational molding ideal for
prototyping and for creating parts that can be
studied in Materials Science, Manufacturing, and
Polymer and Composite Materials, where
samples can be easily fabricated and the behavior
and material properties of these samples can be
studied.
For this project, the objectives for the design and
fabrication of the machine are to design and
fabricate a device that is capable of rotation
about two axes with a fixture capacity of up to 1
cubic foot, a variable heat source of up to 500°F,
and a variable speed system with a range of up to
50 rpm for a total cost of under $1750.
Automated Whiteboard Eraser
Carl Castro, ByungHoon Park, Daniel Schow,
Phillip Yun
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson
The automated whiteboard eraser is a
whiteboard/eraser system where an automated
eraser system is integrally mated with a
whiteboard such that the simple press of a button
will activate the system and cause the eraser to
clean the board. The eraser is a vertically
oriented wiper which spans the height of the
board and is held in place by brackets at the top
and bottom of the board. The brackets are
floating on bearings at the top and bottom of the
board, such that they are free to move
horizontally along the board when driven by a
motive force. A motor and track system is
mounted on the back of the board, such that
when activated, the motor assembly crawls along
the track and moves the brackets at the top and
bottom of the board. The brackets then move the
vertical wiper horizontality across the board,
erasing the contents of the board in one pass.
The entire system is operated by a simple, 3
button interface mounted on the frame of the
whiteboard and controlled by a Parallax
BasicStamp control circuit.
Recirculating Solar Hot Water Heater
System
Lane Cowan, Ernesto Hernandez, Michael
Sandoval
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson
Reducing the cost of heating water for household
use by the means of a passive solar collector is
the goal of this project. A solar hot water heater
system with the ability to heat water from a preexisting
household water heater was designed
and built to reduce both the cost of heating and
reduce the carbon footprint of each household.
The panel consists of a frame that is well
insulated and uses conduction as well as
convection processes to heat the water flowing
through the copper tubing. It was determined
from testing that four gallons of water could be
heated from 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 120
degrees Fahrenheit in one hour. It was also
determined that a savings of $10 per month
could be achieved by recirculating the water
from the household water heater to the solar
collector.
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