ME Controls Project: Controller Design

Scott Kostohryz,
Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Athens, OH 19 April 2013 – As the semester winds down, projects I have been working on are coming to a close. I have just finished my Capstone for ME 3012 and will be presenting my findings with my partner. It has been a great exploration into controls, controller design and vibration analysis. I find it very exciting to be done. The use of Matlab and Simulink have been very helpful, and I am glad I have learned how to use these tools.

The above graphic is an example of our ball on a beam system for our Capstone. It was taken from the University of Michigan/Carnegie Mellon/University of Detroit Mercy controls and Simulink tutorials. For our project we are analyzing the system and designing a controller to keep a ball level on on a beam and balancing it. The general Idea, is we want to have the controller move the beam from an unstable position and bring the beam to a level position. This is done by taking the mass of the ball, length of the beam, angle and other parameters to account. I have found this class to be very fun, and to be able to have this project to show off is rewarding. The use of Matlab has been helpful in validating our findings.

I would like to take this knowledge and do something with controls for Senior Design next year. It is a very exciting topic. It is great to have this broad knowledge in so many subjects. I have no idea where I will be come this time next year with my Senior Design project. I am sure glad that I have this background because if my senior design requires a controller, I have the knowledge I have taken away from Dr. Bob’s ME 3013 Controls class here at Ohio University.

Mechanical Engineering Design

Scott Kostohryz,
Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Athens, OH 11 February 2013 – This semester is shaping up to be a very fun and rewarding one. I am in several classes where I will be designing, testing, and evaluating a part and or mechanism as a member of a team. I very much enjoy Computer Aided Design (ME 3510) and in Machine Design (ME 3700), our group is going to be designing a radial engine. The task will not be an easy one, but it will be very exciting to see it completed. Our team wants to reduce the weight of the engine as well as try and make it more efficient. I cannot wait until we have it moving.

In machine design, we have already had a few design projects. In one assignment, our group was to design a trailer hitch. In another assignment, we designed a shear pin and support for a hydraulic ram. We used our previous knowledge from strengths of materials and applied it to the design. Then, through the use of Inventor and Solid Edge, we verified our results by doing a stress analysis.

In many of my classes this semester, I see much of what I have learned apply and the knowledge I have gained be built upon. For example, our group will be using strengths, dynamics, thermodynamics, and physics when designing and testing the radial engine. This knowledge will also be used in our team design projects in machine design.

I am beginning to see how much I really enjoy mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers are very important and involved all the way along the design process. They are there from the initial design to the analysis, prototyping and on to the testing, and mass production. As I have said, I enjoy working with CAD and 3D design. I hope I can continue to design and maybe make it a career. It is rewarding to have an idea come from pen and paper to a digital model, and then become physical part.

Winter Semester Courses

Joe Cook,
Junior, Civil Engineering

Athens, OH 22 January 2013 – Winter semester, time to shake off the dust and get back to class. This semester I have a really interesting course load. I’m taking a course called Water Quality Engineering that covers aquatic chemistry. The course deals heavily in chemistry, but the content we learn is very practical. The methods we learn allow me as a civil engineer to judge the condition of a sample of water based on chemical, biological, and physical composition. To put it simply, I can tell you if water is safe for swimming, drinking, or even laboratory use.

On the flip side I’m also taking a physical education course, bowling. Not the most strenuous activity, but it’s fun to pull myself away from the engineering side of things and just throw a 16 pound ball at some wood for 2 hours every other day.

In addition to classes, I was recently appointed president of the American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter, and the duties I’ve assumed with that position are keeping me busy as well. I can’t wait to see our concrete canoe come out of the mold and get painted. I’m looking forward to the competition in April to prove our design and have some fun in Cleveland at our yearly conference.

Finals Week

Paul Barina,
Senior, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Athens, OH 13 December 2012 – Being a student at Ohio University during finals week, or probably a student at any university means long nights, energy drinks, and a lot of stress. Being a student at Ohio University within the Russ College of Engineering and Technology can mean a few different things though.

A special bond exists among engineering students during the stressful days of finals, as I’m sure exists amongst other majors throughout Ohio University. This bond shows dedication and excitement for the future. This bond says “Yeah, we survived Calculus-based Physics”, without even talking about it. We secretly know it’s okay to nerd out and get excited about the quickest or best way to construct, a bridge, machine, or warehouse system.

Finals week although stressful, does not mean professors and other college mentors forget about us, just because classes are over. This is a time of continued guidance and instruction. Office doors remain open, as professors stay vigilant and ready to help.

Stocker Center and The Academic Research Center, home of Engineering and other straggling students, can be a beehive of activity. Study Rooms filled to the max, makeshift study cocoons spread throughout the entire building, with students trying to capture concepts and theories for the following day’s exam. This is the place to be during the dreaded week of finals.

Finally the students, who have been by your side all semester, or in some cases for the last 3 years, are available for support. Learning with other students can sometimes be a secret weapon. Explaining concepts and ideas amongst peers can help make the difference.

Ohio University Engineering Students hold a certain pride and set of standards known throughout the University. Integrity, honor and respect at the forefront help guide our creations into the future. We know regardless of that one stressful final, we are going to make a difference in the world.

Highway Safety Class Project

Erica Toussant,
Senior, Civil Engineering

Athens, OH 26 November 2012 – A project I am finishing up for this semester is a Highway Safety project. In this class, we have been studying how to predict crashes based on elements of different types of roads, such as lane width, turning lanes, and phases of the stop lights. The project assigned is to actually perform a study and implement appropriate countermeasures to lower the number of crashes occurring at a location by 25%.

Each group had to pick a stretch of roadway that was at least a mile long and had two intersections. This roadway had to be divided into segments according to when portions of the roadway change. As an example, a speed limit change can divide a road into two segments. Our group had to go out to the roadway we chose and measure distances and fixed objects. We had to create drawings on AutoCAD in order to make collision diagrams. The next step was using online databases to find the crashes that actually occurred in 2009 and 2010. Through the actual crashes and the predicted number of crashes for these two years, we were able to predict how many crashes should have occurred throughout this year. Based on why these crashes occurred, we chose countermeasures to lower the expected number of crashes. After putting all of this together with pictures and other graphics, we have to present this project to the class and answer questions concerning our methods and reasoning.

This project is very useful to our education in this class. Sitting in class and learning how to do something is so much more different then actually doing this work ourselves. It helps to give us the confidence to conduct a study if we someday have to do this in our careers.