INNOVATION DAY 2023 | mechanical engineering

External advisor: Yan Wang, UNR College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department

Students: Alex Alarcon, Steven Cibrian, Kode Abe, Nathaniel Moore, David Reiner, Ahtziry Vasquez, Joshua Wood

There are many industries, including computer processing, data storage and energy production, that would benefit from improving the rate of fluid cooling with a smaller input of energy. Currently, industries rely on laminar or turbulent flows and phase changes for a cooling effect. That often requires large infrastructure, capital investment and large amounts of fluids with high thermal capacitance. The use of vortices increases surface area and mixing of vortices. That could reduce the time and energy it takes to cool fluid. That also could reduce the size and complexity of the infrastructure needed, further reducing the capital needed for creating and maintaining cooling centers.

External advisor: Franklin Armory

Students: Aaron Adams, Max Fogelhut, Kyle Ketten

The objective of this project is to design an optimized muzzle device for the 5.56-by-45 mm rifle cartridge that features improved flash suppression, incorporates a suppressor mount and has recoil-mitigating characteristics. Currently, the firearms industry offers muzzle devices that have not been optimized to reduce muzzle flash, while mitigating recoil and retaining a stressor mount. Franklin Armory offers a large flash hider with decent flash suppression with no facilities to mount a suppressor. The creation of this improved muzzle device will allow for a safe and optimal shooting experience for its customers.

Students: Aaron Baker, Robert Strott, Reza Surjana, Vincent Tang, Trevor Woo

When an earthquake, a landslide or a tornado collapses a building, the ultimate goal for emergency services is to save as many people as possible, with as little risk as possible to emergency responders. However, minimizing risk often is difficult or impossible, meaning firefighters and EMS personnel often put themselves in danger to save others. Emergency responders might not be able to cross through environments with toxic air or maneuver through small, cramped or unstable spaces. To minimize loss of life for both emergency responders and victims trapped in building rubble, the Urban Rubble Rescue Robot is designed to bring about quicker and more effective rescue attempts by navigating and surveying these chaotic environments in ways humans cannot.

External advisor: Abigail Dolan, Tesla

Students: Ava Banfer, Trace Larson, Giovanni Miranda, Adam Sjolunc, Taylor Stevens, Steffany Yang

Construction sites often rely on portable, gasoline-powered generators to supply power tools and on-site electricity. However, due to this nonrenewable fuel reliance, those generators create emissions that can be toxic to humans, such as carbon monoxide. Critical safety measures must be taken, such as running the device outside, which can create additional limitations regarding its portability. The project design objective is to design a portable power station that solves the problem of reducing construction-site generator emissions while increasing safety, efficiency, and portability.

Students: Nick Baier, Sean Carothers, Lucas Marshall, Zoe Taitano, Brendan Tronnes, Christina Wagner

The current method of defrosting windows is adequate when there is only minimal frost on the window or when the engine is already hot. That is because the defroster’s only job is to prevent frost from forming on the window, and the air coming from the engine must be at a high temperature relative to outside. Ideally, there would be an effective way of defrosting the windows from the cold start of the engine, when the air coming from the engines is not hot enough to adequately remove any ice or frost on the windshield. Our team is designing a device to defrost a window without relying on the heat generated from the engine.

Students: Mackenzie Barainca, Dario Mondani, Vincent Navarro, Jon Shopes, Aleksei Simone, Austin Wright

As 3D printers are becoming more popular, the market for those printers is growing. Before, only big industries used these printers. Now, 3D printers are becoming more popular in people’s homes to help with small projects. While these smaller 3D printers are very useful, they produce byproducts that waste the material. Our group is focusing on reducing this waste by redesigning the filament recycler. This redesign also will be user-friendly: the user can 3D-print the parts to apply to their current setup for a cheap upgrade cost. Key design features to easy current setup apply to current setup (separate unit universally attachable to any 3D printer.)

Students: Jessica Avisado, Seth Carpenter, Matthew Furno, Ayu Gaiser, Shannon Keegan, Joshua Lee

Our team’s project aims to create a thermos that holds at least 16 fluid ounces and can be used on the go to heat water or beverages up to boiling temperatures. Our target audience is campers and busy adults who do not have time before leaving their homes to make drinks.

Students: Dylan Husted, Brandon Moore, Jacob Roll, Wesley Wilson, Thomas Wimple

A machine using six arms to clamp and stretch a piece of packing tape to a diameter of 6-8 cm to allow for a piece of graphite to be placed on it. Then the arms will retract to combine the graphite and tape into a puck.

Students: Pedro Carmona, Jacob Frizell, Jonathan Gill, Mason Solberg, Brendan Stevenson

The aim of the project is to construct an automated greenhouse that should allow customers to grow region specific crops in their homes. The greenhouse shall be small enough to fit in an apartment and the automated system will take care of major environmental factors including temperature, relative humidity, light, and water pH. The design needs to be able to be in a price range that a middle-class individual could afford and should only require minimal user interaction.

Students: Aaksheta Agnel, Phillip Fuelling, Nicholas Kuntz, Emmanuel Medina, Timothy Ralston, Noah Sulzberg

A platform commonly used by photographers, construction workers and land surveyors is a tripod. The tripod is an easy way for the user to level and stabilize whatever device they are using. While the tripod is already a good design, it can be difficult to set up the height and make level. A solution would be to develop a platform used by photographers, construction workers, land surveyors, etc., that can be adjusted manually by the controller and will have auto-leveling features.

Students: Andrew Haas, Nariah Hall, Leaf Kaboli, Joel Fleming, Shannon O’Connor, Sajan Singh

The M-LOK rail system had no quick release attachment or detachment methods for accessories to connect directly to the rails. Our project was completed in order to design a system that would offer a solution to this issue and fill the market need.

Students: Mason Banas, Bryce Brinkman, Paul Huh, Daniel Schleich, Michael Sydiongco

This project involves a device for mobility-impaired individuals seeking to walk on otherwise non-traversable terrains.

Students:  Victor Guzman, Jeremiah Haumeder, Gergory Short, Gregory Toumaian, Chasen Wiseman

We are partnering with Panasonic North America to design and develop an automated machine that can remove cylindrical battery cell cans from their jelly rolls without causing any damage to the jelly rolls. The machine must be compact enough to fit inside a fume hood and meet the height requirements of the filter (specific dimensions will be provided) and must be able to process up to 100 cell dissections in 12 hours either through speed (10+ cells/hour) or auto loading capability. The process must be automated with minimal technician involvement aside from loading and unloading samples.

External advisor: Richard Kelley, Nevada Center for Applied Research

Students: Jennifer Clayton, Ben Cooke, Zabdiel Estrada, Andrew Kershaw, Sunshine Rodriguez

The LiDarPac is a backpack that houses a LiDAR-based mapping system for indoor and outdoor use. The system generates three-dimensional maps of the user’s environment which then are stored by the onboard computer and later can be accessed for analysis. Proper weight distribution, weatherproofing, and safety measures ensure a comfortable and functional design.