Project Description
The team has been commissioned to design and assemble a hydraulics demonstration unit. The project is sponsored by Northern Arizona University staff member David Trevas and will assist him and the other faculty to teach the fundamentals of hydraulics, potentially as part of the ME 495 lab curriculum. The team will also write a manual to be used by lab students to successfully operate the unit and have a valuable learning experience. A majority of mechanical engineering undergraduate students do not have experience with, or knowledge of, hydraulic systems. This demonstration unit will help students understand the fundamentals of hydraulics as they prepare to enter the industry.
Following is the original project description provided by the sponsor: “Hydraulics is a technology that is widely used in many industries but is typically not taught in collegiate engineering programs. This project involves building a classroom/lab demonstration unit to give students hands-on experience with hydraulics. “A Fall 2017/Spring 2018 Capstone team was formed to achieve this, but the work was not completed. The goal was to build a simple circuit on a workbench that could be expanded. “This project is already off to a great start in that the most expensive equipment has been purchased and mostly assembled. In the Thermal-Fluids lab is: The Hydraulics Power Unit (HPU). An assembly of a high-pressure pump and a reservoir. A Hydraulic Piston (Ram), Double Acting A manual 3-Way Valve to drive the ram in both directions Three analog pressure gauges Workbench Truck spring to use as a load Hydraulic hoses and fluid. “There are many possibilities to completing and expanding this apparatus. By measuring the pressures on each side of the piston in the ram, the force generated can be determined. Make a circuit that includes a hydraulic motor to show how torque can be generated hydraulically. Implement automatic valves that can be programmed to achieve desired motions. Use sensors to determine position, force, strain, etc. and use the data to control the motion. This would be a great apparatus to demonstrate closed-loop control like PID control. “The deliverables would be: A reliable, attractive demonstration unit that can be simply switched to all of its function. A user’s manual to describe all the functions the unit can perform, and maintenance and troubleshooting guidelines. Well-defined experiments for students to perform similar to ME495 labs.”