Senior Capstone Design

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Senior students in Agricultural Engineering (AGEN) and Biological Systems Engineering (BSEN) work with real world clients to develop engineering design solutions. These students refine their concepts over a two-semester course while working with their clients and faculty advisors. Interdisciplinary teams form when interests overlap on a project.

Spring 2006

Design of the 2006 Quarter-scale Tractor

Team Members: Chris Junck (AGEN, Carroll, NE), Bart Coffman (AGEN, Hinton, IA), Kevin Tacke (AGEN, Greencreek, ID)
Client: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Leonard Bashford

The 2006 Quarter-scale Tractor team developed and implemented a tractor design to compete in pulling competitions. The tractor includes a forward operating station, a joystick steering system, a selectable 2- or 4-wheel drive, and a continuously variable transmission. The design was evaluated in the context of producing 3,000 units and had a per-unit-cost of $3,200.

Gait-O-Gram^TM 2.0

Team Members: Nick Anderson (BSEN, Papillion, NE), Abby Luettel (BSEN, Lincoln, NE), Reggie Rector (BSEN, South Sioux City, NE)
Client: HPER Biomechanics Laboratory, Nick Stergiou, Ph.D., Director
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Greg Bashford and Dr. George Meyer

The client desired to improve an existing system that detects heel and toe strikes of an ambulatory patient undergoing physical therapy or diagnosis. The improvements to the system include providing sufficient strikes on force sensors embedded in the sole of shoes, incorporating a remote, wireless data logging system that stores 24 hours of data, and developing a computer interface to access and evaluate the data.

Wetland Restoration in the Sandhills

Team Members: Josh Dodson ( BSEN, Norfolk, NE), Sara Hanson (BSEN, Omaha, NE), Nick McCready (BSEN, Hastings, NE)
Client: NRCS, Rich Weber
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tom Franti

Goose Creek, located in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, was artificially straightened in the 1950's. This intrusion resulted in excessive flow velocities, destabilized banks, and a lowered water table. This design proposes a new route for the creek, reintroducing meanders and stabilizing bank construction. Stream behavior and flooding was modeled in the designed creek and appropriate design criteria were satisfied.

Third place in Department for Engineering Week.

Throttle Bushing Protector for a Vertical Turbine Pump

Team Members: Isaiah LaRue (AGEN, Omaha, NE) and Clayton Bramble (AGEN, Hastings, NE)
Client: Mid-America Pump and Supply, Tom Bramble, President
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Mike Kocher and Dr. Derrel Martin

Vertical turbine pumps in newly developed wells are subject to excessive wear due to increased sand abrasion and damage in the throttle bushing. The objective of this design was to develop a method to deliver and maintain lubricant in a way that will displace the abrasive sand, while maintaining unrestricted water flow. The solution provides a spring-loaded lubricant reservoir that provides adequate lubrication over approximately 600 hours of operation.

Pull Behind Scraper Hydraulic System Revision

Team Members: Brandon Wyant (AGEN, Kearney, NE), Austin Story (AGEN, Gallitin, MO), Tyler Saatmann (AGEN, Ohiowa, NE)
Client: Fasse Valves, Brandon Luke, Vice-President, Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mike Kocher

A Nebraska-based, land-leveling company that uses pull behind box scrapers was having difficulty with its box scrapers. The heavy scrapers and the irregular terrain where the equipment is operated, created a very rough ride for the operator and damage to the hitch pin. The design objectives were to reduce the rough ride and to limit damage to the hitch pin. These objectives were accomplished by adding hydraulic accumulators to the existing hydraulic lift cylinders on the scraper, creating a spring and shock affect which helps smooth the ride and decrease the impact loads on the hitch pin.

Foam Elimination System

Team Members: Jason Stark (AGEN), Plainview, NE), Melissa Eman (BSEN, Peoria, IL), Corri Synak (BSEN, Lincoln, NE)
Client: Degussa Corporation, Cory Sander and James Thompson
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Curt Weller

Fermentation processes naturally produce foam due to protein production and sparging air. The foam contains microorganisms used in the bioreactor. In extreme cases the foam production exceeds levels that are able to be controlled, and the foam becomes entrained in the exhaust air and leaves the plant. The issue that arises is how to control the foam when antifoam application is not sufficient. A water mass balance for both ideal and non-ideal operating situations was completed to determine the amount of water (foam) that was leaving the fermentation vessels during a given batch. It was determined that, under current operating conditions, existing control equipment was not sufficient to remove the foam from the existing air stream.

Second place in Department for Engineering Week.

Physical Activity Detection Using Body Media SenseWear Armband

Team Members: Tate Augustin (BSEN, Juniata, NE), Amy Dimick (BSEN, Sioux Falls, SD), Tanner Augustin (BSEN, Juniata, NE)
Client: Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Judy Burnfield, Ph.D., P.T. Director, Movement Sciences Center
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Greg Bashford

The SenseWear₂ Armband is an unobtrusive, user-friendly body monitoring device developed by Body Media, Inc. Using various sensors, including a biaxial accelerometer, it is able to measure energy expenditure and detect physical activity. This project resulted in an algorithm that distinguished specific physical activities (jogging, wheel chair propulsion) using the sensors included in the armband. The algorithm was developed from observing 10 subjects performing 10 different activities. The algorithm was implemented within MATLAB and used Fast Fourier Transforms to quantify the significant frequencies in the signals.

First place in Department for Engineering Week.

Insecticide Applicator for Pronghorn Antelope

Team Members: Chris Artz (BSEN, Gastings, NE), Loran Zumbrunn (AGEN, Humphrey, NE), Shannon Bates (AGEN, Ogallala, NE)
Client: Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, Gary Petitt, Superintendent
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rick Stowell

Pronghorn Antelope are especially susceptible to diseases carried by mosquitoes and flies. In working with the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, the team's objective was to design a system to apply insecticide to pronghorn antelope daily, while protecting the applicator from the bison that also graze in the area. The design implements a 4-poster roller feeder surrounded by a circle of posts to keep the bison out while allowing the pronghorn to enter and feed at their leisure.

Taylor Park Stream Restoration

Team Members: Caroline McMurray (BSEN Monument, CO), Kathryn Milius (BSEN, Lincoln, NE), Brian Twombly (BSEN, Troy, KS)
Client: The Flatwater Group, Inc., Thomas E. Riley, P.E., and Andrew J. Appleget
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dean Eisenhauer

An urban stream located in Taylor Park south of 66th and O Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska, collects water from two culverts and directs it into two existing stream channels, which converge in the park. Five problem areas were identified in the stream. Proposed solutions include implementing step pools, riparian buffers, drop structures, and rerouting the stream channel. The proposed solutions were evaluated using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS.

Fall 2005

Electromagnetic Field Cancer Treatment

BioTech Engineering Team: Daniel Sova (BSEN, Sioux Falls, SD), Ann Nadurata (BSEN, Omaha, NE), Jessica Graul (BSEN, Hildreth, NE), Jonathon Camp (BSEN, Lincoln, NE)
Client: Dr. Dennis Chakkalakal, Creighton University Medical Center and VA Medical Center
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Greg Bashford

BioTech Engineering worked with Creighton University Medical Center faculty member Dr. Dennis Chakkalakal's VA Medical Center research team on developing a new form of cancer treatment. His team had been achieving promising results in treating cancer cultures with the chemotherapeutic drug, Adriamycin, while concurrently applying a low-level magnetic field. Dr. Chakkalakal's team desired to test the effectiveness of the drug with a higher-strength magnetic field, which their current setup was not capable of producing. BioTech Engineering developed a new prototype solenoid magnet system composed of a custom wound solenoid coil, a wave-form generator, and an amplifier. The solenoid coil was designed to produce a uniform magnetic field in the center of the coil to ensure consistent results.

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