YEAR 3 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
PROPOSALS 2016/2017
KEY:
MA = Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Projects
(Note: projects 01-06 are also listed for ECE students)
If you have your own idea for a project, then you need to find someone willing to supervise it. The best way
is to review this listing and look for a supervisor who appears to have expertise and interests that fit your
proposal, then arrange to meet with them to discuss it. If they agree to supervise, you enter it on your form
as a special project.
MA01 Deployment mechanisms for solar sails in space
Will hardware be involved? YES
Solar sails offer the ability to propel spacecraft using the radiation pressure from the Sun and deorbit spacecraft by
increasing atmospheric drag. The person undertaking this project will be working at the cutting edge of spacecraft
engineering to investigate options for low cost, low mass, high reliability, deployment mechanisms for small satellite
(e.g. CubeSat) solar sails, then carry out work with the aim of designing, building and testing a prototype mechanism.
This is a practical project. Please make an appointment to discuss project with Dr Barnett before selecting.
(Contact: Dr Anna Barnett. [email protected])
MA02 A snake arm robot
Will hardware be involved? YES
Snake arm robots are used in applications with limited space and many obstacles that may prevent the use of
“conventional” robot arms. This project will design and construct from scratch a small snake arm robot. This is a
practical project. Please make an appointment to discuss project with Dr Barnett before selecting.
(Contact: Dr Anna Barnett. [email protected])
MA03 Exploration of Finger Pad Designs for Improving the Dexterous Manipulation Capabilities of Robot Hands
Will hardware be involved? YES
In the context of robot hands, dexterous manipulation can be broadly defined as the purposeful movement of an
object within the hand by the relative movement of some fingers respect to the palm. This project focuses on
evaluating the effects of novel compliant finger pads on the dexterous manipulation workspace of a two‐fingered
adaptive robot hand. The project involves the implementation of the corresponding robot hand and the use of
computer vision techniques for determining the motion of the manipulated object.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA04 Implementation of a Novel Low‐Cost Robot Mechanism for Material‐Handling Applications
Will hardware be involved? YES
It is widely recognised that industrial automation in highly developed economies must move beyond the traditional
manufacturing industries such as automotive and electronics to reach more flexible industrial environments, as
those typical of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME), in order to compete globally and increase the value
added by manufacturing. A key element to increase the flexibility of industrial robots as required by SME is the
development of low‐cost robotic systems for manufacturing tasks such as assembly, precision positioning, pick-and‐
place manipulation, and sorting. This project focuses on the development and control of a novel robot mechanism
whose mechanical simplicity makes the whole system suitable for solving material‐handling problems in flexible
production organizations.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA05 Stretching tester
Will hardware be involved? YES
Nowadays, electronics is diverging from being bulky and rigid, and is
becoming lightweight and flexible. This development will lead to new
applications such as smart textiles and skin mount devices. The unique
mechanical properties of these new electronic devices make it necessary to
optimize the electrical performance, but also to characterize and improve
the mechanical performance. In this respect it is necessary to bend and
stretch the flexible substrates in a controllable and reliable way.
The goal of this project is to use two existing motorized EARLING micrometre
stages to build an automated stretching tester. Therefore, the two stages
have to be mounted on a common ground plate, and two clamps to fix an
arbitrary sample on the stages have to be designed. Furthermore the control
electronics (including power supply, stepper motor controller, etc.) to adjust
the position of the stages has to be developed. This also includes the control
of the final stretching tester using a PC, e.g. based on a simple LabView program.
This project combines mechanical design with the development of the corresponding electronics, and is therefore a
very good example for the growing field of mechatronics.
(Contact: Dr Niko Munzenrieder. [email protected])
MA06 BB-8 Rolling Robot
Will hardware be involved? YES
This project will build an autonomous robot based on a sphere with a control unit balancing on top, similar to the
BB-8 robot seen in Star Wars, The Force Awakens. This project is suitable for all engineers.
(Contact: Dr Phil Birch. [email protected]
MA07 Design and build of manipulator for radioisotope capsule handling
Will hardware be involved? YES
Radioisotopes for use in laboratory environments are often contained in small “button” capsules that can be difficult
to manipulate using standard tools e.g. tweezers. This project will design, build and test (using a safe inert capsule) a
new handheld manipulator that can be used to enhance safety and improve the ease with which such capsules can
be positioned. This is a practical project. Please make an appointment to discuss project with Dr Barnett before
selecting.
(Contact: Dr Anna Barnett. [email protected])
MA08 Design and build of a hazel nut cracker suitable for smallholdings
Will hardware be involved? YES
When cracking only a few hazelnuts, using standard nut crackers is easy. When there are many nuts to crack,
standard nut crackers take too long and are too hard on the hands. Commercial-scale units exist with throughputs
of >100kg/hr, but smaller units suitable for gardeners and smallholders are not readily available. This project will
develop a food-safe and easy-to-clean hazelnut cracker capable of quickly and easily cracking tens, hundreds or
thousands of hazelnuts in a batch, and sorting the nuts from the shells as it goes. The nut cracker must be able to
handle mixed sized hazelnuts. This is a fantastic opportunity to produce an innovative device that has the potential
to change the face of small scale hazelnut growing! Note: this project is not suitable for people allergic to hazelnuts.
This is a practical project. Please make an appointment to discuss project with Dr Barnett before selecting.
(Contact: Dr Anna Barnett. [email protected])
MA09 Elastic actuator development for robotic applications
Will hardware be involved? Yes
Most robotic applications require energy efficient actuators while meeting performances similar to humans and the
development of modern and innovative elastic actuators are making it more feasible. The aim of this project is to
design and implement an elastic actuator for robotic applications. The design will consider the mechanical
properties, including mechanical analysis, to create smooth actuation while keeping the desired power performance.
Its implementation will require CAD modelling, use of prototyping facilities (3D printing, laser cutter, etc.) and
microcontroller programming.
(Contact: Dr Luis Ponce Cuspinera. [email protected])
MA10 Four-legged robot modelling and analysis
Will hardware be involved? Yes
The aim of this project is to design and analyse a four-legged robot. The four-legged robot (skeleton) will be designed
and modelled using CAD for construction using rapid prototyping facilities (3D printing, laser cutter, etc.). The design
must take into consideration mechanical and motion analysis, which must be validated using simulation. It will also
have to consider the use of relevant actuators which could be implemented.
(Contact: Dr Luis Ponce Cuspinera. [email protected])
MA11 Humanoid robot modelling and analysis
Will hardware be involved? Yes
The aim of this project is to design and analyse a humanoid robot. The humanoid (skeleton)
will be designed and modelled using CAD for construction using rapid prototyping facilities
(3D printing, laser cutter, etc.). The design must take into consideration mechanical and
motion analysis, which must be validated using simulation. It will also have to consider the
use of relevant actuators which could be implemented.
(Contact: Dr Luis Ponce Cuspinera. [email protected])
MA12 Analysis of contact pressures on a total knee replacement during a gait cycle
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Total Knee Replacement (TKR) has been used to restore knee functions for patients with knee joint osteoarthritis.
Distal femoral component and tibial tray component in TKR will be analysed in this project to investigate the effect
of surface curvatures on the contact pressure and motion. SolidWorks or Ansys software will be used for the
analysis. Optimized TKR designs of less contact pressure and better range of motion will be prototyped using the 3D
printer in JCW.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA13 Interior acoustic analysis of vehicle with different designs and materials
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Vehicle cabin is a small space, its acoustic environment is important for users. Finite element models of vehicle cabin
with various interiors will be created, noise reduction or optimal audio system in the cabin will be investigated and
analysed. Low and high frequency sound will be simulated using Ansys software to predict the sound pressure
distributions in the cabin.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA14 Study and simulation of stress concentrations in lattice structures from 3D printers
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Finite element models of lattice structures will be generated using SolidWorks or ANSYS software. Effective Young’s
modulus, shear, tensile and compressive strength will be determined. Non-linear material property and non-linear
geometry will be considered in the finite element modelling. Notch strengthening or weakening will also be
investigated. Lattice samples will be prototyped using the 3D printer in JCW, and the samples will be tested.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA15 Design and analysis of connections between metal and composite materials
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Connections between metal and composite materials will be studied in this project using SolidWorks or ANSYS
software. Innovative designs in the metal component will be analysed to increase the load transferring capacity
between the two components and reduce failures. The finite element models will be analysed under torsion and
tension loading conditions. It is expected that the finite element models will be validated using published data.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA16 Analysis of piezoelectric potentials on a cantilever beam coated with piezoelectric materials
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Piezoelectric materials can be used in an energy harvesting device or an actuator. A cantilever beam with blocks of
piezoelectric materials under external loads will be analysed using formulas and ANSYS software. To achieve a desired
piezoelectric voltage output under bending and axial loads, a cantilever beam with optimal positioned piezoelectric
materials will be designed. A device will be designed and made to measure the voltages and validate the finite element
results.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA17 Design and analysis of lightweight engineering components for impact energy absorption
Will hardware be involved?
NO
One approach to reducing fuel consumption of vehicles is to reduce overall weight, whilst ensuring that safety
aspects are not compromised. To address these requirements, this project focuses on the efficient use of lattice
materials. Finite element analysis will be conducted to characterise impact energy absorption performance, loaddeformation curves and impact response of the lightweight structures.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA18 Investigating thermal stresses in parts manufactured using direct metal laser sintering process
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Metal components can be manufactured using direct metal laser sintering process which is one of additive layer
manufacturing technologies. However, thermal stresses in these components can lead to fractures and distortions.
Finite Element analysis of thermal stresses in a component will be conducted to understand thermal stresses. A code
using MATLAB or Microsoft Excel will be written for predicting thermal stresses; therefore the manufacturing
process can be optimised for a component. Thermal stresses in a simple component will be predicted using
parameters such as laser power, component size, material properties, scanning speed and layer thickness.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA19 Analysing heat transfer properties of honeycomb structures
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Honeycomb structures or panels have been used to reduce weight in aircraft, spacecraft and other engineering
structures. Honeycomb panel can carry large load using less material, it also has a low effective thermal conductivity
which is beneficial in thermal insulation. However, in many engineering applications, materials with high heat
transfer coefficient are required for dissipating heat. This project is to review models which are used for predicting
effective thermal conductivity of honeycomb panels and study how to achieve a desired thermal property. This
project will be carried out using Finite Element simulations and hand calculations.
(Contact: Dr Chang Wang. [email protected])
MA20 The state-of-balance of a novel range extender engine
Will hardware be involved?
NO
A 2-Cylinder Vee configuration engine has been proposed by a well-known German company to drive a Range
Extender generator for hybrid electric vehicles. This design is fitted with a Lanchester balancer, and should therefore
offer very good dynamic balance characteristics. This project will model the rigid body dynamics of the proposed Vee
engine generator to examine the magnitude and frequencies of the remaining out-of-balance forces and to assess
the vibration implications for the vehicle body.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA21 Flywheel energy storage for a bus
Will hardware be involved?
NO
The kinetic energy of a bus is totally lost in the form of heat by use of frequent mechanical braking. Flywheel-based
kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), of the type used in Formula 1, are being considered for London buses. This
project will model the vehicle dynamics of a typical city bus, fitted with a KERS, to establish the benefits of KERS on
buses when operated in different city terrains (e.g. flat, versus hilly).
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA22 The effect of cylinder offset on the friction of a Vee engine
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Cylinder offset is a geometric feature on many IC engine designs that can create a number of advantages, potentially
including a significant reduction in friction. Analysis at design stage is needed to realise the benefits of cylinder offset
including for complicated vee configurations. To understand the effect of cylinder offset requires good dynamic
modelling. This project will use SolidWorks to examine the benefits of cylinder offset on the friction of a Vee engine
by first modelling the engine, then exploiting its multibody simulation capability.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA23 Energy recovery from earth moving machinery
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Useful energy is lost by earth-moving equipment if no provision is made for recovery and storage of the kinetic
energy of motion of the entire machine. The bucket, for example, of a conventional earth-moving machine, can carry
tonnes of earth in one grab. Various energy recover systems have been developed, including kinetic energy recovery
systems (KERS). This project will undertake an analysis of earthmoving machinery fitted with KERS. Use will be made
of both SolidWorks and Simulink to model power flows to establish the cost-benefit in terms of improved fuel
economy and reduced carbon emissions.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA24 Control of autonomous vehicles to maximize junction traffic flow
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Road traffic junctions can seriously disrupt traffic flow because they usually require approaching vehicles to slowdown, stop, and wait until it is safe to move; then a stationary vehicle must accelerate from rest to the speed limit as
quickly as possible. Conventional vehicles are not easy to control as a complete system but Autonomous vehicles can
be controlled within a specified radius of the road junction, to maximize throughput. This project will address this
problem as an optimal control problem.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA25 Torsional vibration of geared systems with backlash
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Torsional vibration can be a very damaging phenomenon in rotor systems, and it therefore must be assessed
quantitatively at design stage. Geared systems can be difficult to analyse owing to the presence of strongly nonlinear
effects such as backlash. This project will examine the impact of the phenomenon of backlash by constructing a
dynamic model for a shafting system with gear backlash. Simulations of the frequency response behavior of a gearedshafting-system with backlash, will be made using Matlab/Simulink.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA26 The effect of casting imperfections on church bell tones.
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Church bells have been manufactured for over 1600 years. When a bell is rung, it should produce a particularly rich
tone that can be heard at considerable distance. This is achieved by the bell having modes of vibration at particular
frequencies and amplitudes, for which the modal energies are appropriately sustained without being prematurely
dissipated. Casting dimensions however are not perfectly repeatable, therefore a cast bell will not quite have the
desired tones, unless some modifications are subsequently made. This project will use Finite Element Analysis to
model the vibration characteristics of a nominal bell, and will then explore the characteristics of a real bell when the
casting tolerances are factored-in to the analysis.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA27 Wind-induced instability of railway station information displays
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Railway stations on the UK Southern Region use box-shaped train information displays on each platform. These
highly-visible real-time displays are suspended from a suitable supporting structure, and for the most part, are very
effective. However under certain wind conditions, they are prone to ‘flutter’ - a form of aero-elastic instability. When
this phenomenon occurs, the display emits a very loud low-frequency buzzing noise. The flutter response could also
potentially undermine the integrity of the supporting structure leading to failure. This project will investigate the
phenomenon, identify the cause, and propose a way to avoid the problem.
(Contact Dr Julian Dunne: [email protected])
MA28 Algorithm for Computing Bilateration‐Based Kinematic Equations and Coupling Degrees of Planar
Kinematic Chains
Will hardware be involved?
NO
A kinematic chain can be defined as a set of rigid bodies interconnected by joints. The minimum number of
parameters needed to define the configuration of a kinematic chain is known as coupling degree and its kinematic
equations correspond to conditions that are fulfilled if and only if the system can be assembled. This project focuses
on the development of an algorithm that given a planar kinematic chain, computes its coupling degree and a
minimum system of kinematic equations based on bilateration techniques.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA29 Algorithm for Estimating Kinematic Parameters of Planar Linkages from Workspace Information
Will hardware be involved?
NO
From a practical viewpoint, a linkage is essentially the skeleton of a machine, namely, the system that supports its
physical elements and constrains its motion when exposed to forces and displacements. This project focuses on the
development of an algorithm that given a set of planar locations and a particular linkage topology, determines the
geometric parameters that most closely generate the desired movement.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA30 Design of a 3‐DOF Robot Arm with Reduced Dynamic Complexity
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Dynamic complexity such as coupling and nonlinearities are important concerns in the control of robot arms. Since
this complexity is determined by the kinematic structure and mass distribution of the robotic system, an approach to
coping with it is to devise mechanical designs that reduce the problem by modifying the mass properties of
individual links and by changing the general arm topology. This project focuses on the detailed CAD design and
motion analysis of a 3‐DOF open‐loop manipulator with reduced dynamic complexity that was theoretically
proposed some years ago and allows performing high‐speed manipulation operations using simple control schemes.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA31 Development of a Dual‐Arm SCARA‐Type Robot Manipulator
Will hardware be involved?
YES
SCARA is an acronym that stands for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm; it refers to a type of robot that is
rigid in the z‐axis and controllable in the xy‐axes. This project focuses on the development and control of a low‐cost
dual‐arm robot manipulator that is capable of manipulating objects on a fixed plane respect to its base – a SCARA‐
type closed‐loop robot appropriate for material‐handling applications in flexible manufacturing environments.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA32 Development of a Self‐Reconfigurable Module for Nested Reconfiguration
Will hardware be involved?
YES
A nested reconfigurable robotic system can be defined as a set of modular robots with individual reconfiguration
characteristics (intra‐reconfigurability) that combine with other homogeneous/heterogeneous robot modules (inter‐
reconfigurability). The objective of such a system is to generate more complex morphologies for performing specific
tasks that are far from the capabilities of a single unit. This project focuses on the development of a mobile selfreconfigurable robot module conceived for the study of the emerging research area of nested reconfiguration. The
robot module uses the principle of hinged dissection of polyominoes to transform itself into any of the seven one‐
sided tetrominoes, the Tetris pieces, in a straightforward way; it is of interest for research in nested reconfiguration
because it can easily change its structure and also combine with other modules to form new morphologies to
accomplish, for instance, manipulation tasks that a single robot could not handle on its own.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA33 Exploration of Sensorless Reorientation of Polygonal Parts
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Parts feeders are machines that orient parts; they are useful in manufacturing processes such as injection moulding
and stamping that produce a stream of parts that must be properly reoriented before assembly or further
manipulation. There are multiple designs of part feeders but most of them are based on ad‐hoc mechanisms that
depend on the shape of the part. This is indeed problematic because changes in the part geometry ‐ a common
scenario in agile manufacturing ‐ delay production as physical modifications in the part feeder have to be carried
out. This project focuses on the design and development of a programmable parts feeder for polygonal objects that
uses simple squeeze actions of a parallel‐jaw gripper without requiring feedback or information about the object’s
initial orientation, the only input to the system is a description of the polygonal part.
(Contact: Dr Nicolas Rojas. [email protected])
MA34 Evaluation of the motion of a ball in a thrust ball bearing
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Rolling element bearings are the second most numerous machine components on Earth, with about 50 billion in
operation at any time. The study of the motion of the balls inside the bearing is important for the evaluation of the
friction in the bearing. The main sources of friction in rolling element bearings are the rolling friction between rolling
elements and raceways, the sliding friction between rolling elements and cage, friction between seals and rings and
finally the gyroscopic friction due to the spinning of the ball, in case of ball bearings.
In this project a study of the motion of a ball in a thrust ball bearing and the effect of various parameters upon
rolling friction will be carried out. The student will modify and improve a testing rig, capable of separating rolling
from the other components of friction. A high speed camera will be used to study the motion of a ball.
The project requires good practical skills.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA35 Study on the friction force of a spherical fluid bearing
Will hardware be involved?
YES
The evaluation of the friction and power loss due to friction in bearing systems is vital in the efforts of improving
efficiency of mechanical systems and reduce green-house emissions. Spherical bearings are encountered in various
applications spanning from knuckles of cars’ suspensions to artificial hip or knee prostheses.
In this project the student will design and manufacture a simple attachment to an existing experimental rig, which
will be able to measure the friction component of the force in s spherical bearing. Experimental results will be
compared to theoretical predictions, carried out using CFD.
This is a project combining experimental and numerical work, thus requires good practical skills, some knowledge of
electronics, understanding of CFD and enthusiasm in performing research.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA36 Study on the applicability of a CVT to wind turbines’ gearboxes
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Wind power is one of the most promising renewable sources of energy. They make use of the energy of wind which
obviously is free, but they suffer of poor reliability, especially their gearboxes. In the current project the candidate is
required to make a literature search on the existing use of CVT (continuously variable transmissions) in wind
turbines. Advantages and disadvantages of this kind of transmission in the gearbox of wind turbines will be analysed.
The main aim of the project is the design an existing model of toroidal CVT for use in such application. Good design
and computational skills are required.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA37 Evaluation of power losses and temperature rise in a CVT prototype
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are used in various applications like automotive, food industry equipment,
agricultural equipment, etc. They have the advantage of offering an infinite number of transmission ratios for a fixed
input speed. The CVT proposed in this project has been developed for automotive applications and is able to
automatically adjust its gear ratio as a function of the output torque. A prototype of this CVT has already been built
and it is available in the Tribology laboratory. Due to friction in various elements the temperature of the device
increases, which affects the traction properties of the lubricant. In this project a theoretical evaluation of the heat
generated and temperature rise in the CVT will be performed. Measurements of the temperature at various points in
the CVT and of the lubricant will also be carried out and compared to theoretical predictions.
This project requires good practical skills combined with knowledge of CFD.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA38 Study on the effect of vibrations upon lubricant film thickness in grease lubricated ball bearing contacts
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication regime occurs in many machine elements such as rolling element bearings,
cams, gears, toroidal traction drives, etc. In this regime, the lubricant film, which is typically less than one
micrometre thick, is subjected to very large pressures, shear stresses and temperature pulses. In addition, the
contact is usually subjected to vibrations generated by the non-uniformities of its geometry or propagated from the
environment.
In this project a study of the effect of normal vibration upon the film thickness of an EHD film will be carried out in a
purpose built experimental rig. The method used to measure the film thickness is optical interferometry. An existing
rig will be adapted to allow vibrations of known shape to be generated and the film thickness variation will be
analysed under these conditions. The interferograms of the contact under vibrations will be captured by a highspeed CCD camera and will be analysed by image analysis software.
The project requires good practical skills. Knowledge of Visual Basic would be useful.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA39 Study on the effect of roughness of the surfaces upon the capacitance measurements in lubricated
contacts
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Lubricated contacts are often studied in research laboratories by experimental techniques like optical interferometry
or various electrical methods. The later have the advantage that the experimental contact is formed between
samples made out of steel, which means that they simulate more closely the contacts of real machine elements. The
capacitive method is often employed to evaluate the film thickness is lubricated contacts where the use of
transparent materials is impractical or undesirable. The biggest challenge in using this method is the calibration of
capacitance against film thickness. Currently this is done by theoretical formulas, but this is not reliable as it is
difficult to take into account all variables. A calibration based on optical interferometry technique is currently
developed in the Tribology Laboratory. In order to obtain good results it is useful to evaluate the effect of the
polarity of the lubricant/additive upon the measured capacitance.
In this project the student will use contacting elements with different roughness to study their effect upon the
capacitance of an EHD contact, in different working conditions of temperature and pressure.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA40 Study of the load carrying capacity of a slip/non-slip surface
Will hardware be involved?
YES
According to Reynolds’ equation, a bearing formed by two parallel surfaces cannot generate hydrodynamic effect,
thus is not able to provide load carrying capacity. Relatively recently it has been demonstrated that when on one of
the surfaces of the bearing there are alternating regions of liquid slip and non-slip thrust can be generated even
when the surfaces are parallel. The aim of this project is to study the characteristics of a heterogeneous pin with two
symmetric slip/non-slip regions sliding against a homogeneous flat surface. The load carrying capacity of the system
is measured and the experimental findings are compared with theoretical calculations from which the slip coefficient
is evaluated. An investigation into the cavitation phenomenon at the slip/non-slip boundary is also carried out.
This is an experimental project requires good practical skills and enthusiasm in performing research.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA41 Evaluation of lubricant film thickness in rolling element bearings by a an electrical method
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Rolling element bearings work in a lubrication regime known as elastohydrodynamic (EHD), which combines the
elastic deformation of the surfaces with the hydrodynamic action of the convergent wedge between surfaces and
the variation of the lubricant with pressure, to form a continuous lubricating film. The thickness of the lubricant film
is crucial to the optimum operation of the bearing. Routinely this film thickness is measured in specialised
experimental rigs which simulate contacts between the rolling elements and raceways, by the contact between a flat
disc and a ball or roller. In this case the disc is made of a transparent material, which allows the film thickness to be
evaluated by the optical interferometry method. The fact that one of the contacting bodies is non-metallic is a
limitation as obviously the contacting surfaces of real rolling bearings are steel.
In the present project the student will improve an existing experimental rig which uses the electrical capacitive
method to evaluate the film thickness in rolling element bearings. The project requires good design and practical
skills and desire to learn new physical concepts, characteristic to lubrication.
(Contact: Dr Romeo Glovnea. [email protected])
MA42 Vehicle Tyres Response to Road Excitation
Will hardware be involved?
YES
One of the main noise sources on highways is the tyres on fast travelling vehicles. A vehicle tyre is not perfectly
round due to weight applied on the wheel shaft. Therefore, noise will be generated by continuous impact of tyre
treads on road surfaces when rotating with a high touching-down speed. Investigator is to find the relationship
between the impact effect and damping materials integrated to the tyre. The vibration caused by the impact is
expected to be attenuated, so is the noise. Main activities will be modelling and computing for tyres, and maybe
experiment with data acquisition for impact and response.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA43 Utilisation of Engine Waste Heat
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Approximately 70% of the automotive fuel energy becomes waste heat. About 1/3 of the total fuel energy goes to
the cooling water and 1/3 to the exhaust. The project is to review all possibilities of utilising the waste heat, and
look into the possibility of using it to power an air-conditioning system, such as vapour absorption air conditioner.
The student needs to have interest and good understanding in thermodynamics.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA44 Design of An Aircraft Landing Gear Spinner for Green Operation
Will hardware be involved?
YES
Thousands of aircraft landing daily has negative impact on environment and causes carbonization for the runway.
Project is to research the aircraft landing smoke and propose a solution - to design a spinning device for pre-rotating
landing gears in order to eliminate aircraft landing smoke. Design of a new landing gear is required. The size and
weight of the spinner are among the most important restrictions. Calculations of required torque are needed. The
project taker should like thermodynamic computation such as ANSYS. A prototype of spinner is to be built using
available and real materials.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA45 Flapping Wing Flight
Will hardware be involved?
POSSIBLY
To fly by flapping wings like a bird has been attempted for centuries. Although the fixed wing aeroplanes have
bypassed the difficulties of flapping-wing propulsion since a hundred years ago, the fascinating natural flight is still
attractive to many researchers. Recent progress is encouraging: the world’s first hummingbird-like unmanned
aircraft has been made successful flight in USA (2011). The advantage of the flexibility is obvious. With the modern
materials and control techniques, some difficulties encountered many years ago are now manageable. The project
will focus on investigating the efficiency of the propulsion during the up and down strokes in the flight. Analytical
and simulation on computer are main activities. Bird size model may be hand-made.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA46 Structural Response to Earthquake
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Using ANSYS software to model building or tower structures, and to analyse dynamic response to different types of
shockwaves of earthquake. The measures of reducing the damage and increasing the chance of survival are
proposed as a result.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA47 Dynamic Modelling of Automobile Turbochargers
Will hardware be involved?
NO
The project is to establish an FEA model for a turbocharger rotor, analyse the dynamic behaviour at high rotating
speed, and find the relationship between the change of dynamic behaviours and occurrence of fault or damage.
(Contact: Dr William Wang. [email protected])
MA48 Analysis of flutter-excited vibrations in turbine bladed discs
Will hardware be involved?
NO
One of major sources of vibrations in bladed discs of gas-turbine engines are self-excited vibrations which occur due
to aeroelastic interactions of gas flow and the structural vibrations: when damping becomes negative. The selfexcited vibrations result in so-called flutter phenomenon when the vibration amplitudes can grow very fast and can
cause failure in bladed discs. This amplitude growth is usually limited by nonlinear forces occurring in bladed disc
joints at higher vibration levels. The goal of this project is the analysis of flutter-excited vibrations in bladed discs
with allowing for the nonlinear interaction forces for two major cases: (i) when the blades are tuned, i.e. identical
and (ii) when the blades are mistuned, i.e. they have small scatter in their geometry. Relatively simple and
numerically efficient models of bladed discs will be used. The project will include development of a code in MATLAB
(or using another programming language) and, then, the analysis of flutter-excited vibrations of bladed discs and
effects of different design parameters on the formation of limit cycles for the self-excited vibration.
(Contact: Dr Yevgen Petrov. [email protected])
MA49 Sensitivity Analysis and optimization of flutter inception in mistuned bladed discs
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Flutter occurs in gas-turbine bladed discs when the aeroelastic interactions of bladed disc vibrations and gas flow
provide negative damping values. The flutter can lead to very fast growth of vibration amplitudes to dangerously
high levels and, therefore, it is necessary to design a bladed disc to ensure that dangerous flutter does not occur in
the gas-turbine engine operating conditions. One of effective ways to suppress the flutter inception is introducing
blade mistuning, i.e. a scatter of natural frequencies of blades. This project will require creating a simple model of a
bladed disc capturing the basic properties of the phenomenon, calculation of the sensitivity of the flutter to
mistuning and developing a MATLAB code for search for best mistuning.
(Contact: Dr Yevgen Petrov. [email protected])
MA50 The forced response analysis of mistuned bladed discs with then inclusion of aerodynamic damping
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Due to manufacture imperfections blades of gas-turbine engine in bladed discs have inevitably scatters in their
geometry, resulting in blade natural frequency mistuning. The blade frequency mistuning can significantly increase
the level of amplitudes excited in bladed discs by gas flow: by factor of 2 or more in many cases. Aerodynamic forces
occurring during blade vibration provide aerodamping and interaction of the blades through gas flow. These forces
can significantly change the mistuning effects. This project is aimed at finding the blade mistuning patterns providing
the lowest and highest response level when the combined effects of blade frequency mistuning and aerodynamic
forces are allowed for. To analyse the response a MATLAB or FORTRAN code will be developed.
(Contact: Dr Yevgen Petrov. [email protected])
MA51 Sensitivity and optimization of turbine blades made of composite materials
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Modern blades of wind turbines and gas-turbine engines are manufactured from composite materials which are
made from two or more materials with significantly different mechanical properties. Such materials have essentially
anisotropic elastic properties: material elastic properties depend on the orientation of the material anisotropy axes.
Moreover, the use of composite materials allows control and creation of material properties with required
characteristics. The project will consider the effects of the material properties of composite blades on modal
characteristics of blades: natural frequencies and mode shapes. The sensitivity analysis and optimization will be
performed to achieve natural frequencies in the required frequency ranges. The analysis will be performed using
ANSYS Mechanical APDL and Workbench.
(Contact: Dr Yevgen Petrov. [email protected])
MA52 Forced response analysis for bladed discs with blades made of anisotropic material
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In modern gas-turbine engines blades are often manufactured from the material which has anisotropic elasticity
properties. The orientation of the material anisotropy axes affect the modal properties of blades: natural
frequencies and mode shapes. As a result the level of amplitudes excited in bladed discs by gas flow can be affected.
In this project the sensitivity of forced response amplitudes to material anisotropy will be studied. The studies will be
performed using finite element models of bladed discs created with ANSYS, and, possibly, a MATLAB code can be
developed to analyse the forced response efficiently.
(Contact: Dr Yevgen Petrov. [email protected])
MA53 Fuel Injection Spray & Compression Ignition Characteristic for 2-stroke Opposed Piston Engine
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Piston ported opposed piston (OP) engines use an injector in the cylinder wall in contrast to the “central” injector
location of 4 - poppet valve /cylinder 4-stroke engines.
This project will use state-of-art empirically derived algorithms to predict the spray penetration, droplet size and
droplet diffusion/evaporation for the “side” injection of an OP engine into a quiescent air charge at cylinder
compression pressures and temperatures. These predictions will be used in conjunction with empirically based
ignition delay formulae to predict the time and location of the first ignition point(s). The effects of air swirl will also
be considered. The predicted results will be compared to predictions generated from use of well-established
proprietary “Diesel RK” software which will be made available under an academic license for the duration of the
project. The project will therefore be largely based on researching empirical zero and one dimensional algorithms for
spray and fuel ignition behaviour, learning to use Diesel RK (with a Help Line) and correlating these predictions with
public domain information on opposed piston engine combustion behaviour. The deliverable will be a fuel injection
rate and nozzle specification for a state-of-art prototype OP engine.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA54 Design of a Cylinder Pressure Pumping Fuel Injection system
Will hardware be involved?
NO
This project will review existing non mechanical pump fuel injection concepts and identify a low cost cylinder
pressure actuated arrangement which will be designed and analysed initially using first principles, and then using
proprietary zero and one dimensional simulation software to predict fuel pressure, spray penetration, wall wetting,
droplet size and engine performance. A nozzle will be designed as well as the key actuation and metering system
components. The outcome will be to predictively identify the fuel delivery rate and fuel spray quality over the engine
speed and load ranges.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA55 Design Analysis of a High Output V8 Engine Connecting Rod
Will hardware be involved?
POSSIBLY
This project will critically analyse the design of the a supercar engine forged steel connecting rod with regard to
stress and bearing oil film safety factors for normal operating conditions. The potential failure modes for certain
abnormal conditions will also be examined. The project will continue to explore the design feasibility, benefits, issues
and cost of a pure aluminium/alumina metal matrix connecting rod version. The analysis methods will include
classical 2D stress analyses, 3D FEA and dynamic oil film thickness calculations using proprietary software.
Connecting rod samples are available to perform static loading and strain gauge testing for correlation of the
predictions.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA56 Design Analysis of High Output V8 Engine Cylinder Liner
Will hardware be involved?
POSSIBLY
This project will critically analyse the design of a supercar engine Nikasil coated aluminium alloy wet liners with
regard to mechanical and thermal stresses. The potential failure modes for certain conditions will also be examined.
The project will continue to explore the design feasibility, benefits, issues and cost of alternative cylinder liners in a
coated steel or coated pure aluminium/alumina metal matrix material. The analysis methods will include classical 2D
stress analyses, 3D thermal and mechanical stress FEA. For correlations of predictions, cylinder liner samples are
available to perform ambient temperature static loading and strain gauge testing with grease gun hydraulic
pressurisation in a part cylinder block and head with a piston fitted with O-ring.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA57 Design Analysis of High Output V8 Engine Piston
Will hardware be involved?
POSSIBLY
This project will critically analyse the design of the a supercar engine piston with regard to mechanical and thermal
stresses. The potential failure modes for certain conditions will also be examined. The project will continue to
explore the design feasibility of a “direct contact” piston and connecting rod arrangement which transfers firing
loads directly to a lubricated arcuate bearing pad on the top of the connecting rod. This allows the gudgeon pin
diameter to be sized to take inertia loading only with the possibility of reducing the gudgeon size and reduce its
mass, and has potential additional benefits of a more compact piston.
The analysis methods will include classical 2D gudgeon pin bending and ovalisation calculations, 3D thermal and
mechanical stress FEA. For correlations of predictions, piston samples are available to perform ambient temperature
static loading and strain gauge testing with grease gun hydraulic pressurisation in a part cylinder block and head with
a piston fitted with O-ring. A direct contact piston prototype, made from the existing piston and a modified
connecting rod, could also be evaluated on the same test rig.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA58 Numerical study of film cooling
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In this project the student will use ANSYS based CFD tool to study film cooling aerodynamics as applied to gas
turbine engines. The objective is to numerically model candidate film cooling geometries. Good knowledge of fluid
mechanics is essential and the candidate must attend the CFD module in term 1. Knowledge of MATLAB
programming and CAD is essential.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA59 Numerical modelling of the flow through a ‘turbo-expander’ compressor
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In this project the student will use ANSYS based CFD tool to model the flow through a turbo-expander compressor.
Since this is a CFD based project it is essential that the student attends the CFD module in term1. The student should
also possess good knowledge of fluid mechanics. Use of CAD and tools such as MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA60 Numerical modelling of the flow through a ‘turbo-expander’ turbine
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In this project the student will use ANSYS based CFD tool to model the flow through a turbo-expander turbine. Since
this is a CFD based project it is essential that the student attends the CFD module in term1. The student should also
possess good knowledge of fluid mechanics. Use of CAD and tools such as MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA61 Numerical study compressor tip leakage flow
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In this project the student will use ANSYS based CFD tool to study the tip leakage flow through a compressor
cascade. Since this is a CFD based project it is essential that the student attends the CFD module in term1. The
student should also possess good knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. Use of CAD and tools such as
MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA62 Numerical study compressor tip leakage control
Will hardware be involved?
NO
In this project the student will use ANSYS based CFD tool to study the control of tip leakage flow through a
compressor cascade. Ways to reduce the effects of tip leakage will be looked at. Since this is a CFD based project it is
essential that the student attends the CFD module in term1. The student should also possess good knowledge of
fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. Use of CAD and tools such as MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA63 Study of transpiration cooling
Will hardware be involved?
POSSIBLY
This projects looks at the application of transpiration cooling for turbine blade cooling. After gaining initial
understanding of this technology the student is expected to develop a possible test section design for testing
(predominantly aerodynamic) of the concept. Depending on the progress made and the time available the work may
include practical testing.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA64 Design and testing of a ‘turbo-expander’ compressor
Will hardware be involved?
YES
This work is about understanding and designing the 2D blading for a turbo-expander radial compressor to suit
prescribed boundary conditions. The student will then manufacture and test the performance of the compressor and
analyse the results. The student is expected to have a good understanding of basic fluid dynamics and
thermodynamics and needs to possess reasonable practical abilities and enthusiasm to carry out the hand-on work.
The use of CAD, MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA65 Design and testing of a ‘turbo-expander’ turbine
Will hardware be involved?
YES
This work is about understanding and designing the 2D blading for a turbo-expander radial turbine to suit prescribed
boundary conditions. The student will then manufacture and test the performance of the compressor and analyse
the results. The student is expected to have a good understanding of basic fluid dynamics and thermodynamics and
needs to possess reasonable practical abilities and enthusiasm to carry out the hand-on work. The use of CAD,
MATLAB may be required.
(Contact: Dr Vasu Kanjirakkad. [email protected])
MA66 Combined heat and power
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Design and analysis of a combined heat and power system - domestic or industrial. Identify an innovative aspect of
the use of your system, generate a requirements specification high-lighting compromises. Create a general assembly
or systems schematic of your concept and complete an analysis of this. Complete a detailed design of the elements
of the system that you have focussed on, this should include analysis and calculations. Explore the life cycle and
environmental impact of your design. You may not complete all of these activities but you may add others like
generating the business case for making the system into a new product.
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA67 Electric sports car concept
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Design and analysis of a sports car concept, expected to use Pro-Engineer or Solid Works. Identify an innovative
aspect of your concept, generate a requirements specification high-lighting compromises. Create a general assembly
or systems schematic of your concept and complete an analysis of this. Complete a detailed design of the elements
of the system that you have focussed on, this should include analysis and calculations. Explore the life cycle and
environmental impact of your design. You may not complete all of these activities but you may add others like
generating the business case for making the system into a new product.
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA68 Amphibious All Terrain Vehicle Design
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Design of an Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicle, expected to use Pro engineer or solid works. Identify an innovative
aspect of your concept, generate a requirements specification high-lighting compromises. Create a general assembly
or systems schematic of your concept and complete an analysis of this. Complete a detailed design of the elements
of the system that you have focussed on, this should include analysis and calculations. Explore the life cycle and
environmental impact of your design. You may not complete all of these activities but you may add others like
generating the business case for making the system into a new product
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA69 Design a Multi-role Fighter Aircraft
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Design and analysis of a Fighter air Aircraft, Expected to use Pro-Engineer or Solid Works. Identify an innovative
aspect of your concept, generate a requirements specification high-lighting compromises. Things to consider:
Supersonic/subsonic; vectored thrust, VSTOL, inboard weapons, radar signature, sensors. Create a general assembly
or systems schematic of your concept and complete an analysis of this. Complete a detailed design of the elements
of the system that you have focussed on, this should include analysis and calculations. Explore the life cycle and
environmental impact of your design. You may not complete all of these activities but you may add others like
generating the business case for making the system into a new product.
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA70 Design a Low-cost Satellite Launch System
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Design of a low cost satellite launch system. Expected to use Pro-engineer or Solid Works. This could be a multi stage
rocket or some other approach. You can assume the satellite weighs approximately 5 tonnes. Identify an innovative
aspect of your concept, generate a requirements specification high-lighting compromises. Create a general assembly
or systems schematic of your concept and complete an analysis of this. Complete a detailed design of the elements
of the system that you have focussed on, this should include analysis and calculations. Explore the life cycle and
environmental impact of your design. You may not complete all of these activities but you may add others like
generating the business case for making the system into a new product.
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA71 Resonant cantilevers for molecule detection
Will hardware be involved?
NO
Cantilever array sensors belong to the resonant sensor family. The basic mechanism employs a sensitive molecule
attached to the surface of a resonating cantilever. The subsequent binding of analyse molecules adds mass and
causes a shift in the resonant frequency. Bacteria detection has been reported using such a cantilever array sensor,
where the array of cantilevers was coated individually with a distinct antibody or a selective surface, which enables
the device to detect multiple molecules simultaneously within minutes. Cantilever array sensors have been
demonstrated to be capable of detecting proteins. The project will use the Ansys FE software to model MEMS
cantilever sensors to investigate their performance in detecting individual molecules.
(Contact: Prof Chris Chatwin. [email protected])
MA72 Aero-engine combustion Chamber
Will hardware be involved?
YES
This project involves setting up a combustion chamber from a Rolls-Royce Dart aeroengine in a test rig. The
combustor will be provided with air and fuel supplies. The fuel (heating oil) is supplied by an electrical high pressure
fuel pump. At combustor exit there will be an orifice plate to create a back pressure and exhaust will be to a
chimney. The combustor will be equipped with an igniter to start combustion. The air supply will be from the large
industrial compressors installed in the TFMRC. Instrumentation will involve pressure gauges before and after the
combustor and thermocouples to measure the inlet and exit total temperature. Most of the hardware for this rig is
already available in the TFMRC, but the rig will need to be designed and assembled. The experimental results will
cover different levels of absolute pressure and different sizes of exit orifice plates. Hands-on workshop skills would
help.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected])
MA73 Shockwave Maker
Will hardware be involved?
YES
As part of a future research project on pressure rise combustion we need a supply of shockwaves. This project
involves the design, procurement and build of a test rig to make shockwaves up to Mach 2.0 . These shockwaves will
be created inside a test pipe exhausting into a chimney. The shockwaves are made by rapidly opening a valve to
allow air to flow from a plenum, through a small pipe and into the test pipe. The plenum is kept full of compressed
air using shop air at around 2bar absolute and it drives the shock creation. The rapidly operated valve is a solenoid
valve as used in the process industries. Inside the test pipe there will one or two pressure transducers. These will
record the passage of the shockwaves we create and allow us to work out the Mach number of the shockwaves we
have made. Experimentally we will want to know how the shock Mach number is influenced by the initial plenum
pressure, the time the valve is open for and the length of the small pipe. Hands-on workshop skills would help.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected])
MA74 Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) for Waste Heat Recovery
Will hardware be involved?
NO
A simulation based project building upon knowledge base gained from Thermal Power Cycles and Heat Transfer.
ORCs allow for the generation of power from low temperature heat sources that are unfeasible for traditional
Rankine Cycles operating on steam. There is a choice to continue from a previous student project considering a large
scale COGAS plant consideration advanced cycle architectures and more in-depth modelling of system components.
The other option is to purse a new topic looking at application to automotive cooling systems and conducting a
thermo-economic analysis with reference to the vehicle.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected])
MA75 Heat Transfer in a Rotating Cavity (experimental)
Will hardware be involved?
YES
An experimentally driven project to investigate the heat transfer mechanisms inside a single rotating cavity. The flow
and heat transfer inside secondary air systems of a modern gas turbine engine are a critical parameter to the overall
system design as it affects the blade tip clearance of High Pressure Compressors which is crucial to engine
performance. This project will require the commissioning of a new low-cost experimental rig (loosely related to the
TFMRC Multiple cavity Rig) that will be both technically challenging and demanding on the student. Initially you will
work closely with another student to build and commission the rig after which you will pursue your own test
programme to investigate heat transfer phenomena inside the rotating cavity.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected])
MA76 Flow visualisation of buoyancy driven flow in a rotating cavity (experimental)
Will hardware be involved?
YES
An experimentally driven project to investigate the heat transfer mechanisms inside a single rotating cavity. The flow
and heat transfer inside secondary air systems of a modern gas turbine engine are a critical parameter to the overall
system design as it affects the blade tip clearance of High Pressure Compressors which is crucial to engine
performance. This project will require the commissioning of a new low-cost experimental rig (loosely related to the
TFMRC Multiple cavity Rig) that will be both technically challenging and demanding on the student. Initially you will
work closely with another student to build and commission the rig after which you will pursue your own test
programme to investigate heat transfer phenomena inside the rotating cavity-As above. After rig construction and
commissioning you will pursue a test programme using flow visualisation to gain a qualitative understanding of the
dominant flow structures inside a rotating cavity.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected])
MA77 Heat Transfer Measurements on Rotating Free Disks with Impingement Flow (Experimental)
Will hardware be involved?
YES
The first aim of this project is to measure and study the nature of heat transfer on rotating disks, under various
different experimental conditions. This will be done mostly by using thermochromic liquid crystals, and infrared
thermography. The second part of the project would be to compare and try out some new and existing techniques
on heat transfer measurements. The student would work on an existing test rig, and build on top of the work done
by previous students. The experimental measurements will be carried out with Labview, and the analysis of the data
is done in Matlab--thus some elementary knowledge of these two softwares would be advantageous, but not
necessary. For further details, please contact Martin Rose, or Harri Koivisto.
(Contact: Prof Martin Rose. [email protected] or Harri Koivisto [email protected])
FORMULA STUDENT RELATED PROJECTS
The Mobil 1 Sussex Team of Formula Student Racing Car is supported by the School/Department and mainly
sponsored by Mobil 1. The detail about Formula Student competition can be found at
http://www.formulastudent.com/ . For the 2016/2017 team, a new car will be developed and it will be taken to the
2017 Class 1 competition at Silverstone circuit in July 2017. While the project will be basically managed by Year 4
MEng group, a number of Mechanical/Automotive Engineers may undertake projects in the areas shown below. In
addition to the main Class 1 competition, the Department also enters the Class 2 competition, which is a design
exercise. There is the opportunity for the students doing any of the following projects to undertake design studies
and enter this competition as a team. A working knowledge of FEA and CFD is a requirement, but primarily
enthusiasm.
MA78a Formula Student: front suspension
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
Front Suspension
- Different types, benefits and compromises
- Pick one and design from scratch based on chassis of previous year
- Optimum geometry
- Chassis Mounting/Integration
- Stress Analysis
- Optimisation for weight/cost/sustainability
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78b Formula Student: rear suspension
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
Front Suspension
- Different types, benefits and compromises
- Pick one and design from scratch based on chassis of previous year
- Optimum geometry
- Chassis Mounting/Integration
- Stress Analysis
- Optimisation for weight/cost/sustainability
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78c Formula Student: chassis 1
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Investigation into monocoque (or half monocoque)
- Comparison of Aluminium sheet / carbon fibre / other material (Fibrelam?)
- Selection based on cost/sustainability/performance
- Design to comply with FS regulations
- Stress Analysis
- How to mount suspension and other brackets without crushing
- Adhesives and bonding
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78d Formula Student: chassis 2
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Investigation into tubular chassis
- Geometry optimisation
- Compliance with regulations
- Stress analysis
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
- Mounting points
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78e Formula Student: chassis 3
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Investigation into alternative chassis design (eg I-beam or cylindrical spine)
- Geometry optimisation
- Compliance with regulations
- Stress analysis
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
- Mounting points
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78f Steering Geometry and Mounting
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Ackerman Angles (Positive and negative)
- Camber effects
- Castor effects
- Toe effects
- Kingpin Inclination
- Optimum setup for each event type
- Design of steering system (position of column, mounting and connection of steering arms
- Stress Analysis / optimisation / compromises / sustainability
- Real Stress Test of small section to validate simulation
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78g Restriction Analysis and intake manifold design
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Optimum intake nozzle converging / diverging geometry
- Plenum volume and intake runner design (Helmholtz resonator) for optimum torque withing usable
engine RPM
- Model within solidworks
- CFD analysis of flow path through restrictor and distribution into cylinders
- Optimisation of model for improved flow distribution whilst maintaining optimum volume, runner length
and inbuilt restrictor
- Cost effective production (suitable materials, 3D printing)
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78h CFD Analysis of potential performance effects of front and rear wings
Will hardware be involved? NO
- Investigate advantages of front and rear wings
- CFD optimisation of wings
- Analysis - Is it worth the weight cost, do we go fast enough
- Design of easily dismountable rear wing for different events as compromise
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78i Investigation into application of CVT (continuously variable transmission)
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Explanation of CVT mechanism (can look at shearing stress of lubricant film layer and see if it can
withstand instant torque application of full throttle – Romeo Glovnea)
- Benefits of operating at peak torque and within intake restriction
- Excel or AVL Cruise simulation of acceleration capability compared to manual transmission including the
additional weight of suitable CVT to normal transmission
- Is it possible to retrofit a cheap light CVT from a moped, or lighten it further, for use with current FS
engine, will it be reliable?
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA78j Alternative fuel
Will hardware be involved? POSSIBLY
- Investigation of the use of E85 biofuel for the Formula Student vehicle
(Contact: Dick Atkins and/or Dr Helen Prance. [email protected], [email protected] )
MA79 Formula Student TS16 Steering/Stability Characteristics
Will hardware be involved?
NO
This project will predict the understeer/oversteer and steering response behaviour of the TS16 car around each part
of the typical three FS test tracks. The approach will be predominantly one dimensional, i.e. considering front and
rear axles only, but will be extended to two dimensions, i.e. all four wheels with braking, lateral acceleration and
bump/rebound load inputs. The various factors to be considered will include front and rear tyre side slip, camber
thrust with suspension movement, body roll steer, lateral load transfer, aligning torques and steering system inputs
and outputs. These will be used to predict under and oversteer and lateral acceleration gain for typical bend radii.
The deliverable will be recommendations for the suspension and track geometry for the TS18 vehicle.
Introductory notes and methods are available from the Vehicle Technology Study Direct.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA80 Formula Student TS16 Brake System Specification
Will hardware be involved?
NO
This project will define the complete brake system specification including the proportional front/rear brake
pressures to suit all the FS test requirements. The specification will consider maximum permissible front and rear
braking within the limits of wheel lock-up for wet and dry road conditions on the basis of longitudinal and lateral
mass transfer between the wheels on bends. The braking limits must also consider the slip limits of the tyre bearing
in mind that the tyre contact patches must generate adequate side force and that the braking should not upset the
steering stability of the vehicle. The disc brakes will be sized in accordance with the wheel lock-up and tyre contact
patch limitations. Several front/rear brake pressure proportioning laws will be considered and a suitable pressure
modulation valve selected. The deliverable will be recommendations for the braking system for the TS18 vehicle.
Notes and introductory methods are available from the Vehicle Technology Study Direct.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])
MA81 Identifying the Optimum Formula Student (FS) Electric Powertrain Specification
Will hardware be involved?
NO
This project will generate a FS test track simulation model to enable the comparisons of various electric powertrain
systems in terms of circuit time and energy use. Regeneration will be included. The project will then select and
specify all proprietary electrical and control and sensor items and will define the high level control and diagnostic
strategies for the vehicle ECU. Vehicle Mission Simulation methods using initially .xlsx will be used to predict the
performance of various powertrain concepts and identify the optimal configuration in terms of motor size, battery
requirements and gearing and regeneration. Simulink will then be used to derive high level power control
algorithms for the motor and regenerator control.
(Contact: Jean-Pierre Pirault. [email protected])