2007 ASME FRANCIS RHODES MONTGOMERY COMPETITION

 

            The Human-Powered Potable Water Still was the winner of the 2007 Francis Rhodes Montgomery Design Competition (FRMDC) held at the Kuykendall Hall Auditorium, University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), on Friday, May 4, 2007 from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  The second place winner was the Rear Suspension and Drive Train subgroup of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2007 Team; third place went to the Front Suspension and Braking Team subgroup; the Chassis subgroup and the Chopper was tied, and rounding out the competition was the SAE Engine Team.  In all, there were a total of six teams entering this annual competition – The four subgroups of the Formula SAE 2007 Team, the Human-Powered Potable Water Still and the Chopper.

            Since 1988, the student project teams of the DME ME 482 Senior Design Course compete before a panel of practicing mechanical engineer judges in an oral project presentation judged on the basis of technical content, originality of concept and resolution of design problems, and effectiveness of the prototype.

     The judges include Derek M. Sato, John Ahern, and Raymond Liu.  Derek Sato is a Resource Planner/Estimator with the Hawaiian Electric Company Power Supply Operations & Maintenance Department at the Kahe Power Plant; John Ahern is a Project Manager for Applied Research Associates, Inc. which provides innovative, in-depth and diversified research, engineering, and technical support services in the National Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation and Commercial & Consulting industry sectors; Raymond Liu is a licensed professional mechanical engineer in the state of Hawaii and employed by Cedric D.O. Chong & Associates which provides consulting services in the area of HVAC/R, electrical and fire protecting engineering.  Also in attendance was Kevin Dang, Supervisory Welding Engineer at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), who served as a back-up judge.

     Under the guidance of Professor Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad, students developed their projects from concept to prototype to finished product.  The following are brief descriptions of the design projects in the order of placement.

 

Human-Powered Potable Water Still

(Excerpt from competition brochure)

     “The motivation behind the Human-Powered Potable Water Still is to design a system that can be used in the event of a natural disaster that cuts off the supply of potable water.  The example used by the contest organizers was Hurricane Katrina, where thousands of people suffered from dehydration in the aftermath as there was a shortage of potable water.  Since the city water and electrical systems were non-functional, and solar energy was unavailable; a portable, human-powered potable water still may have provided some drinking water to those stranded in New Orleans after the hurricane passes.

     The student design team utilized a rowing ergometer to first convert mechanical energy to electrical energy (in the form of direct current) and then finally to thermal energy.  The UH team participated in the District

D ASME Student Design Competition on March 30, 2007 in Reno, Nevada, and placed 3rd among nine participating teams.”

     The project objective was to design a potable water still powered by human effort to produce purified distilled clear water.  Additional criteria include minimizing the size, weight and ease of assembly from stored configuration. 

     The team members include Ruey Hwu and Kevin Fujimoto, and shared the first place award of $700.00. 

 

 

The Formula SAE 2007 Team

 

Drive Train & Rear Suspension Subgroup

     The Drive Train & Rear Suspension subgroup, one of four major groups of the Formula SAE 2007 Team, took second place.  Team members include Jeremy Pollard, James Takase, Misti Lum and Anna Tomalik.  This group analyzed, designed and manufactured the drive train, suspension components, uprights (connection points for the suspension, brakes, wheel hubs and drive train), and wheels entirely in 3-D using Solid Works and performed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on all major components.  The team shared $300.00 for their efforts.

 

 

Front Suspension, Steering & Brake System Subgroup

     The Suspension, Steering & Brake System subgroup took third place.  Team members include Eric Brown, Amy Ebesu, Chris Konishi, Tristan Ng and Elton Tom.  This group analyzed, designed and manufactured the A-Arm Design, Pull-rod Actuated Spring/Shock Design, Steering Design, and Brake Design.  In addition to using FEA software, the steering design utilized Ackerman geometry to enable the car to navigate tight turns of the raceway and the WinGeo software was used to design the points of steering system and calculate the required geometry.  The team shared $200.00 for their efforts.

 

Frame/Chassis Subgroup

(Excerpt from competition brochure)

     “The frame/chassis team was responsible for designing, analyzing, manufacturing and testing the frame/chassis of the formula car and its components including the pedal assembly, front impact attenuator, and overall ergonomics of the vehicle.  This began with developing a model of the chassis in Solid Works working closely with the engine and suspension teams to accommodate their systems.  The model was analyzed in ANSYS FEA with torsional stiffness test of the frame to prove its rigidity during race-track handling.  The chassis was also designed according to the ergonomic requirements of the FSAE rules.  Manufacturing and testing of the frame/chassis and its components were done in the mechanical engineering machine shop.  The goal of this overall design project was to build a formula racer and race it in the Formula SAE competition.”

 

The Chopper

(Excerpt from competition brochure)

     “The objective of this project is to design, analyze, fabricate, and test a bicycle chopper that will be easy to manufacture, appeal to an adult consumer, and be aesthetically pleasing. 

     The Frame imitates that of a motorcycle, where “chopping” originated.  The front tire sits farther away from the rider than it does on a normal bicycle, giving the bike a stretched look.  The chopper’s brake system is activated by rotating the pedals backward, eliminating the need for hand lever brakes that tend to clutter the handlebars.  The flat black paint job ties the whole bike together creating the simple yet stylish appearance.”  This project was designed by Nicholas Yamasato.

    

The above projects were tied for forth and fifth place and shared $125.00 between the two teams. 

 

Engine Team Subgroup

     This team’s goal was to design an engine that would provide the maximum horsepower and torque at the desired rpm.  The group was divided into the Intake, Fuel, Exhaust, Cooling, Oiling and Electrical subgroups.  Challenges in their design include following strict Formula SAE rules to limit airflow for combustion which results in a dramatic decrease in power output; using lightweight composite materials to maximize the power to weight ratio; and purchasing a dynamometer and designing a “dyno frame” to house the engine during required testing; and final testing of the engine in the prototype for road testing.

     Team members include Garrett Nielsen, Kristian Sexton, Roland Speik, Chris Clatte and Gary Lee.  The team was awarded $50.00 for their efforts.

 

Acknowledgements

     The FRMC was established in 1987 in memory of Francis Rhodes Montgomery the further the field of Mechanical Engineering.  It is aimed at the student of Mechanical Engineering with the goal of recognizing and rewarding innovative design efforts, the practicality of the design, and the ability to present the design in a clear and understandable manner. 

     Present for the competition was Mrs. Margaret L. Montgomery, the widow of Francis R. Montgomery, and Board member of the foundation who has supported the competition since its inception.

     The competition was coordinated by ASME Hawaii Past Chairman James F. Grogan, who is a retired Field Engineering Manager (Nuclear) for Westinghouse.  Professor Mehrdad Ghasemi Najhad is the course instructor and also the ASME Faculty Advisor.

     The ASME Hawaii section thanks the volunteer members for participating and the University of Hawaii for hosting the competition.  For those interested in participating in next years competition, please call Raymond Liu at 497-1395.