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Honors Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/240486

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    Old Main Bell - senior design project
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024-12-06) Bushlack, Blake, author
    Due to varying age and physical abilities of Alumni from Colorado State University, access to ringing the Old Main Bell was limited, in some cases requiring family members to step in for elderly Alumni. To accommodate these different skill levels of users, a ratchet system was implemented to pre-load the Bell, storing potential energy which will be converted to kinetic energy when the ratchet is released. All of this was done to preserve the historic motion of ringing the Bell while simplifying the task. Additionally, the system can be operated without the ratchet to allow for the user to choose how to ring the Bell and in doing so improve the lifespan of the rope by reducing friction applied to it.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Senior design project: test fixture for a lenticular offset composite hinge
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Romanowicz, Kaitlyn, author
    My team and I developed a test method to verify the torque specification of a Lenticular Offset Composite (LOC) hinge. This engineering senior design project was sponsored by Opterus R&D, a company that specializes in deployable spacecraft structures. These hinges are typically mounted in deployable solar array configurations, so research was done to orient to the market demand. A material understanding of the hinge was developed by exploring how high strain composite materials store energy as they deform. After developing this understanding, the previous and current test methods were evaluated to guide my team’s prototype iterations. The final design is a test fixture that improves the user interface when compared to the current method, accommodates a variety of hinge geometries, and mimics the behavior of simulated LOC hinge data. My two main roles throughout the project were to ensure that my team was on track for all deliverables, and machine half of the custom aluminum components for the final product. I gained valuable experience in project management, used many skills that I’ve developed throughout my degree program, and now embody the confidence to start my career as an engineer.