GCU 2020 Engineering Senior Capstone Projects
The objective of the PED project is to develop a product that assists victims of natural disasters or people in remote locations who generally do not have access to power or communications. It will provide people with a portable, lightweight device that can produce regenerative power, communications and location services. The PED must produce enough power to charge other devices, function as a standalone communication tool with location capabilities, produce light and offer storage for emergency supplies.
Portable Emergency Device (PED) MW
Mentor: Professor Don Ellis (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Austin Brown (Mechanical Engineering)
- Matthew Hopper (Mechanical Engineering)
- Yousif Kastiro (Electrical Engineering)
- Justin Reynolds (Mechanical Engineering)
- Montgomery Thedford (Mechanical Engineering)
Portable Emergency Device (PED) TR
Mentor: Professor Luciano Albuquerque (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Jesus Alvarado (Mechanical Engineering)
- Joshua Easley (Electrical Engineering)
- Grant Kilcup (Mechanical Engineering)
- Kiersten Opsahl (Electrical Engineering)
Water tunnels allow for visualization of the hydrodynamic behavior of submerged bodies in flowing water. In 2018-19, capstone groups worked on parts of a water tunnel system ultimately intended for use in GCU Engineering course instruction. The objectives of this project are to integrate those parts - the Water Tunnel Platform and the Water Tunnel Automation and Instrumentation prototype - into a single functional water tunnel system.
The scope of the project is to a) design, test, and verify a new tank, pump and filter system; b) integrate and improve the automation and instrumentation; c) characterize system functions such as flow (laminar, transition and turbulent); and d) demonstrate/acquire images of flow trajectories of a submerged object.
Mentor: Dr. Eugene Kong (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Joshua Denton (Mechanical Engineering)
- David Dina (Mechanical Engineering)
- Ibrahim Kastiro (Electrical Engineering)
- Cameron Tobi (Mechanical Engineering)
The hydrokinetic wave power generator will be small, portable and able to be used off-the-grid by single families. The device will use waves to rotate a propeller-based generator submerged under the surface of the water to create electricity; this will effectively harness the untapped energy in the waves to create renewable energy. It will use renewable, durable, low-cost materials, decreasing the chances of the units creating unwanted waste.
Hydrokinetic Wave Power Generator TR
Mentor: Dr. Donna Ward (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Ryan Holm (Mechanical Engineering)
- Corbin Laird (Electrical Engineering)
- Manuel Preciado (Mechanical Engineering)
- Clifton Rinaldi (Mechanical Engineering)
Hydrokinetic Wave Power Generator MW
Mentor: Professor Li Tan (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Justin Freeman (Mechanical Engineering)
- Brian Gastineau (Mechanical Engineering)
- Hunter Kearney (Mechanical Engineering)
- Karis Petersen (Electrical Engineering)
Entering standard soaking bathtubs becomes increasingly difficult with age. For the elderly, this may require an assistant to help stabilize or lift the bather into the bathtub. Currently available products marketed as "easy" access bathtubs require major renovation of a bathroom at the cost of thousands of dollars to purchase and install. This project will focus on a design solution installed as a retrofit of the owner's existing bathtub. The design requirements will reduce the step height as low as possible, provide a means for opening/closing a self sealing door, and be capable of a water depth of at least 67% of the non modified bathtub depth. A tested prototype of the design is also required.
Mentor: Professor Greg Bullock (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Bianca Giorgi (Mechanical Engineering)
- Madisyn Given (Mechanical Engineering)
- Ryan Pilon (Electrical Engineering)
- Trajan Pripps (Biomedical Engineering)
A prototype hydropower turbine system with the ability to generate electrical power from the flow of a stream or river will be developed. The portable system will be used to power a campsite and must be installed and removed with minimal impact to the environment. The turbine will provide power for the temporary use of small 120V alternating-current appliances (such as a microwave oven), charge deep cycle batteries and power low voltage direct current devices, including outdoor lighting, refrigerators and electronics. Minimum water flow usage requirements will be developed to accommodate natural resource constraints.
Hydropower Turbine MW
Mentor: Dr. Michael De Gregorio (Engineering/Robotics)
Student Team Members:
- Daniel Cardoso (Mechanical Engineering)
- Cory Cathrea (Electrical Engineering)
- Armando Torres (Mechanical Engineering)
- Stephanie Villanueva (Mechanical Engineering)
Hydropower Turbine TR
Mentor: Professor Don Ellis (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Matthew Bindon (Mechanical Engineering)
- Caleb Emma (Mechanical Engineering)
- William Everett (Mechanical Engineering)
- Clarissa Holder (Electrical Engineering)
Many items used daily are stored on high shelves or cabinets, with ease of access taken for granted. However, if someone is not able to stand or climb onto stepstools, reaching for items in these areas can be challenging or impossible, with potential to cause injury. At least 3.3 million individuals in the United States are bound to wheelchairs. This project's goal is to design, build and verify the functionality of a mechanism that can be added to existing shelves, utilizing mechanical or electro-mechanical devices to bring a shelf/shelves within reach of the user. The form and fit of the solution will conform to the existing storage space volume. A successful solution will allow a wheelchair bound person to safely and reliably reach for items that they normally could not access.
Mentor: Dr. Kyle Jones (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Michael Childs (Mechanical Engineering)
- Yaniss Chougui (Mechanical Engineering)
- Shonterria Collins (Mechanical Engineering)
- Mitchell Ferry (Mechanical Engineering)
There are hundreds of non-profit organizations working around the world to solve the growing water crisis, which affects roughly two-thirds of the world's population. Currently, the most common solution is to drill and install wells, at a cost of over US$8,000 per well. The proposed product is a solar powered water still that can purify water. It will be portable and cost effective compared with wells, with essentially no setup cost. The solar powered water still applies the general concept of the earth's water cycle, using the sun to evaporate water from above ground water sources and then re-condensing the vapor to provide clean, safe drinking water.
Solar Powered Water Purification TR
Mentor: Dr. Cassandra Wright (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Christopher Alvarado (Mechanical Engineering)
- Krystle Kennedy (Mechanical Engineering)
- Paydon McCormick (Mechanical Engineering)
- Ivan Sandrali (Biomedical Engineering)
Solar Powered Water Purification MW
Mentor: Dr. Michael Awaah (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Laura Cabrera-Medina (Biomedical Engineering)
- Michael Nannen (Mechanical Engineering)
- Abigail Sanders (Electrical Engineering)
- Gabriela Calhoun (Biomedical Engineering)
- Jacob Tighe (Electrical Engineering)
It is estimated that 840,000 accidents happen in the United States every year due to improper observation of one's blind spot. A device indicating to the driver that a vehicle is in their blind spot could reduce this type of accident rate. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer blind spot detection in many of the new vehicles currently sold. However, there are millions of used vehicles that do not have this built-in capability. The goal of this project is to design, test and verify an affordable aftermarket retrofit blind spot detection system prototype that can be added to any consumer type of vehicle. A successful solution will reliably detect an adjacent vehicle in the driver's blind spot and inform the driver of the presence of the vehicle.
Mentor: Professor Greg Bullock (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Doris Gamboa Ayon (Electrical Engineering)
- David Kogut (Mechanical Engineering)
- Sarah Montgomery (Electrical Engineering)
- Benjamin Peterson (Mechanical Engineering)
- Oliver Thomas (Mechanical Engineering)
Emergency recovery of injured personnel in geographically challenging regions is a very complicated and dangerous process for both the patient and the rescuers. When a patient cannot walk and needs to be carried, it puts a large amount of physical strain on the rescue workers and a danger of dropping and further injuring the patient. The goal of this project is to design, test and verify a device that attaches to a litter's wheel, making the litter self-propelled. The device will not negatively impact any functionality of a typical litter used to transport the injured. The device will be battery operated and provide appropriate controls and braking. The speed of the system will meet or exceed the normal walking speed of 1.4 m/s.
Powered Litter TR
Mentor: Professor Emmy Tomforde (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Erica Bender (Biomedical Engineering)
- Lain Geisler (Mechanical Engineering)
- Jayden Key (Mechanical Engineering)
- Scott Martin (Mechanical Engineering)
Powered Litter MW
Mentor: Dr. Michael De Gregorio (Engineering/Robotics)
Student Team Members:
- Daniel Arce (Electrical Engineering)
- Grant Carpenter (BS in Engineering)
- Ruben Casas (Mechanical Engineering)
- Robert Gill (Mechanical Engineering)
- Kylie Shaplin (Mechanical Engineering)
Plastic waste is a growing problem, and 3D printing is a contributing factor. When something is printed, there is some amount of waste, through support structures, rafts or failed prints. The solution to this problem is an affordable, small and versatile filament recycler. The goal of this project is to develop, test and verify a plastic extruder that converts waste PLA or ABS material by generating structural components (such as I-beams) and reconstitutes 1.75mm filament for reuse in 3D printers. A successful project will a) load pre-ground PLA or ABS waste into the machine, apply heat and force the material through an extrusion die; b) control the extrusion feed rate; c) be configured to accept various die shapes (i.e.: dies are to be removable); d) provide a minimum of two die geometries, including one die for 1.75 mm filament and a second for a structural shape to be determined; and e) produce a 5-meter length of continuous extrusion free of defects.
(Note: the project does not require grounding of waste material.)
Mentor: Dr. Kyle Staggs (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Madeline Bradshaw (Mechanical Engineering)
- Nicolas Gee (Mechanical Engineering)
- Brett Goddard (Mechanical Engineering)
- Qui Nguyen (Mechanical Engineering)
The project is in collaboration with the industry and will focus on the design of a contained system for cleaning a conveyor belt used for handling food products. Conveyors are essential for transporting products or raw ingredients to different areas of a factory. It is essential that these conveyors are cleaned frequently, thoroughly and efficiently. The capstone team will design and fabricate a cleaning mechanism that can attach to any of the conveyors identified by the industry and clean them according to specified quality department standards. The design must be easy to implement and operate by anyone on the operations team. Because this project is sponsored by the industry, it will entail work with industry teams and meeting time at a factory located near GCU. Design details and any innovations generated as part of this project will belong to the industry.
Mentor: Professor Greg Bullock (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Micah Decleene (Mechanical Engineering)
- Makayla Jewell (BS in Engineering with an Emphasis in Robotics)
- Haylee Scholz (Biomedical Engineering)
- Madison Schulz (Mechanical Engineering)
Students with disabilities often need specialized equipment to provide them with the same opportunities as everyone else. This project involves working with a school for children, teens and young adults. The capstone group will work towards the development of innovative seating
solutions for students with specific disabilities. The overall goal of this project is to work with the students and therapists to ascertain typical needs and deliver a generic design, which can be easily adapted to various students. Additionally, a specific implementation of the design will be built, which will be delivered directly to the intended student.
Devices for Students with Disabilities 1
Mentor: Dr. David Kwartowitz (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Peyton Fridlund (Biomedical Engineering)
- Logan Hall (Electrical Engineering)
- Kylee Laprise (Biomedical Engineering)
- Anna Stair (Mechanical Engineering)
Devices for Students with Disabilities 2
Mentor: Dr. David Kwartowitz (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Whitney Davis (Biomedical Engineering)
- Jeremy Parker (Electrical Engineering)
- Cody Wood (Mechanical Engineering)
- Duncan Mangel (Mechanical Engineering)
Ultrasound is one of the most popular imaging modalities due to its relative low cost and high diagnostic abilities. Medicare and Medicaid services even incentivize clinicians to use ultrasound in place of more expensive scanning methods. Ultrasound images are produced by injecting pressure waves into some form of medium and listening for the waves to echo. Common ultrasound transducers are composed of an array of piezo crystals which act both to inject signal and listen for echoes. Typically, images are either rectangular or sector shaped and are from a single arbitrary thickness slice perpendicular to the crystals in the transducer. Numerous different arrays exist which provide 3D information over time (often branded as 4D ultrasound), though the usefulness of this type of image is limited beyond making pretty pictures. This project will explore the creation of a 3D imaging system with regular temporal updating. (Note: construction of a working ultrasound imaging system is not required.)
Mentor: Dr. David Kwartowitz (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Joshua Bodjanac (Biomedical Engineering)
- Kyle Esparza (Mechanical Engineering)
- Jacob Lee (Biomedical Engineering)
- Elisa Palumbo (Biomedical Engineering)
- Dylan Reichert (Biomedical Engineering)
Typically, tuning an engine requires a dynamometer to measure output torque. Dynamometers are often hard to access due to their limited focus application. This project will deliver a set of test equipment as a package test stand into the hands of organizations such as collegiate SAE International clubs engaged in the Formula SAE Design Series, where measuring and controlling engine performance is critical. The engine test stand will provide capabilities to run, tune and test performance of an internal combustion engine. With this test stand, engine performance will be measured while maintaining a safe environment using fuel and exhaust management systems. The data logger will allow for time recording and tuning parameters of the engine to allow modifications to enhance performance.
Mentor: Dr. Kevin Williams (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Talon Birdsong (Mechanical Engineering)
- Adam Brown (Mechanical Engineering)
- Jonathan Dina (Mechanical Engineering)
- Brian Holm (Mechanical Engineering)
- Jeremiah Putnam (Electrical Engineering)
The purpose of this project will be to create a point-of-care insulin sensor for patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a growing epidemic that effects nearly 420 million people worldwide. However, this disease is manageable with the proper treatment and management plan. To better improve glycemic control in diabetics, a point-of-care insulin sensor needs to be developed. The development of a point-of-care insulin sensor will lay the groundwork for the creation of a continuous insulin sensor and closed-loop artificial pancreas. Potential customers include both type 1 and type 2 diabetics.
Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey LaBelle (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Daylan Christopher (Mechanical Engineering)
- Madison Strong (Biomedical Engineering)
- Arianna Voigt (Electrical Engineering)
- Destiny Woods (Biomedical Engineering)
Craniotomy is an important basic procedure when performing interventions in the brain or intracranial space. This procedure involves cutting through the bone of the skull to create a window that exposes the region of surgical interest. Traditionally, a bone drill or saw is used to cut the skull, and a rough area is determined using pre-procedure imaging or other land marking system. This project will explore the development of a novel system for performing craniotomy. This device will be purposed for use either in a surgical setting or a pre-clinical laboratory.
Mentor: Dr. Kyle Staggs (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Dyle Job Hora (Biomedical Engineering)
- Azael Lopez-Chairez (Mechanical Engineering)
- Haydn Oleson (Biomedical Engineering)
- Sean Thomason (Biomedical Engineering)
Bioreactors are ubiquitous in research, manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, next generation biofuels development and even anti-bioterrorism efforts. Often these bioreactors are very high precision stainless steel and glass apparatuses with specialized control systems, which are costly to both purchase and maintain. A new trend in bioreactors is long overdue, namely the low-cost reusable bioreactor. There is a new market quickly filling with low cost, single use bioreactors. This design differs by using replaceable bioreactor liners to combine all the benefits of lessons learned from the bioreactor industry with the least drawbacks and nearly instantaneous cleanup.
Mentor: Dr. Kyle Staggs (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Indara Garcia (Biomedical Engineering)
- Dillon Kayl (Electrical Engineering)
- Sarah Saffer (Biomedical Engineering)
- J'alyc Southern (Biomedical Engineering)
This project is in collaboration with a company and will focus on empty bottle conveyors. The team will design a system for a designated conveyor at the factory. The system will automatically adjust the distance between the guide rails when a bottle size is selected on the controller. The system must be capable of being integrated into the current conveyor system. The design prototype will be tested and verified in the factory. Because this project is in collaboration with a company, it will entail work with industry teams and meeting time at a factory located near GCU. Design details and any innovations generated as part of this project will belong to the company.
Mentor: Dr. Kevin Williams (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Keith Higer (Mechanical Engineering)
- Paige Hidebrandt (Mechanical Engineering)
- Carlos Marroquin (Mechanical Engineering)
- Ivy Nguyen (Electrical Engineering)
The CSET Biology Program is conducting a project through GCU's Research and Design Program (RDP) to sample river water and provide data of the condition of the river. Currently, they are using a drone to drop a prototype sampling mechanism into the river without disturbing the river bed. This capstone project will produce a refined mechanism for data collection, capable of collecting at least two independent samples. Orientation of the sampling mechanism must align with the river flow to ensure water is collected into the containers without contamination by flow over the mechanism itself. The samples must be capable of being lifted from the river by the existing drone, with a safety release that allows the mechanism to break away from the drone if it becomes entangled or constrained. The breakaway must be robust enough to ensure that unintended releases of the mechanism do not occur. This project would be conducted in collaboration with the Biology Program.
Mentor: Professor Li Tan (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Sara Bachofer (Biomedical Engineering)
- Michael Sauers (Electrical Engineering)
- Taylor Brooks (Mechanical Engineering)
- Brittney Stutz (Non-Degree-Bound)
One of the 2018-19 capstone projects was a wind tunnel for the transport phenomena lab. Several aspects of the design were not finished or need to be revised. The inlet contraction needs to be redesigned to provide uniform flow to the test section. The diffuser from the test section to the fan needs to be redesigned to improve efficiency. Instrumentation designed by another capstone team needs to be integrated into the test section. Finally, several design improvements need to be incorporated to allow for easy setup, modification and storage. Goals for this year's project will be to increase performance, flow uniformity and efficiency by 20% while fully characterizing the flow behavior of the tunnel and creating a finished, professional looking apparatus for use in GCU Engineering course instruction.
Mentor: Dr. Eugene Kong (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Benjamin Johnson (Mechanical Engineering)
- Chuba Keshi (Mechanical Engineering)
- John Welch (Mechanical Engineering)
- Cody Young (BS in Engineering with an Emphasis in Robotics)
Paraplegic patients are severely limited in mobility and often relegated to use of crutches, wheelchairs, lift chairs and other mobility assist devices. These can be restrictive, difficult to use and costly due to the need for multiple devices. This device will use engineering prowess and mechanical power in an exoskeleton format to help the user stand and provide wheeled locomotion with balance while standing. This will compete against bipedal exoskeletons by leveraging Segway/hover board technology, which is already developed. This device has many other applications including elderly mobility assistance with scalability down to childhood mobility disorders.
Standing Assist Mobility Device MW
Mentor: Dr. Donna Ward (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Rebecca Sanda (Biomedical Engineering)
- Daija Rogers (Mechanical Engineering)
- Andrew Dihle (Mechanical Engineering)
- Nathaniel Bennett (Mechanical Engineering)
Standing Assist Mobility Device TR
Mentor: Dr. Kyle Jones (Biomedical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Christopher Obuch (Mechanical Engineering)
- Breana Schiete (Biomedical Engineering)
- Gary Sefcovic (Mechanical Engineering)
- John Varkey (Electrical Engineering)
The objective is to create affordable housing options out of 40-foot shipping containers. This will address the significant need to provide staff housing for refugee settlements in Uganda and will additionally be used to ship necessary medical equipment and supplies to healthcare facilities there. Several Pipeline industry connections will serve as experts for the students to communicate with.
Container Wars ~ Environmental Controls
The team will be working on the cargo container provided by Pipeline International that will provide housing to volunteers in Uganda. This project will focus on making the container environmentally feasible for habitation. Specifically, the focus will be on climate controls.
Mentor: Professor Emmy Tomforde (Mechanical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Adrian Aguilar (Mechanical Engineering)
- Nicholas Francis (Mechanical Engineering)
- Paul Moldenhauer (Electrical Engineering)
- Joel Vanderkamp (Mechanical Engineering)
Container Wars ~ Power
The team will be working on the cargo container provided by Pipeline International that will provide housing to volunteers in Uganda. This project will focus on providing power for the container, including standard outlets as well as the power needed for environmental controls.
Mentor: Professor Samantha Russell (Electrical Engineering)
Student Team Members:
- Grant Goodman (Mechanical Engineering)
- Mark Franklin (Mechanical Engineering)
- Madison Ress (Electrical Engineering)
- Blake Lanterman (Electrical Engineering)
This project will create a prototype of a multi-purpose emergency response trailer for disaster relief scenarios. A bank of batteries will store energy from either a diesel generator or a solar panel array. The trailer will also be modular so that other disaster relief materials can be stored (e.g. water filtration, medical supplies, etc.). The ability to run external devices from a battery bank will make this project more environmentally friendly than the traditional diesel powered generating stations.
Mentor: Professor Ed Koeneman (Electrical Engineering Technology)
Student Team Members:
- Alexander Biesemeyer (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Justin Duhamell (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Matthew Grega (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Andrew Graefe (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
This group will create a motorized rescue board for the purpose of saving swimmers in distress. This product will be designed primarily to address the needs of lifeguards in coastal areas where the distance to the swimmer may be significant. A motorized rescue board will enable quicker response times as well as allow the lifeguards to save their strength for retrieving the victim in distress.
Mentor: Professor Dina Higgins (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
Student Team Members:
- Daniel Vitali (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Eyan Osborn (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Michael Dickinson (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
- Weston Smith (Mechanical Engineering Technology)
In the United States, access to a reliable and consistent power grid is often taken for granted. During the summer months, fossil fuel power plants are brought online in the middle of the afternoon to augment the more environmentally friendly power plants (i.e. solar, wind, and nuclear). Home based power storage devices would allow homeowners to charge their systems during "off-peak" hours and then power their homes during peak usage times in order to reduce the demand spikes that the power company experiences during the heat of the day. Widespread adoption of these home energy storage devices has the potential to save money for homeowners by shifting their energy costs to "off-peak" rates, as well as reduce the peak demand requirements for the power companies.
Mentor: Professor Ed Koeneman (Electrical Engineering Technology)
Student Team Members:
- Eden Jane Rasay (Electrical Engineering Technology)
- Hannah Morrison (Electrical Engineering Technology)
- Nathan Heckendorf (Electrical Engineering Technology)
- Lincoln Sii (Electrical Engineering Technology)
- Jacob Johnson (Electrical Engineering Technology)