Senior Design Projects

All students in Mechanical Engineering are required to complete a one-year senior design project in their final year. This project constitutes their capstone design experience. The project has to run consecutively through two semesters.

Typically, students work in a team of five. The team is structured to represent a design team in industry with specific tasks for each member of the team on weekly or bi-weekly basis. The team has to undertake the full sequence of activities involved in bringing a product to the market in industry, including detailed analysis, planning, designing for manufacture, making CAD drawings, machining/manufacturing the product, testing and validation, making modifications as needed.

Major Design Reviews (Preliminary Design Review and Major Design Review) are conducted at periodic intervals. Students have to make oral presentations and submit a comprehensive report at the end of each semester.

Examples of recent projects include a “Gas-to-Wire Solution for Flare Gas Reduction” and “CFD Analysis of a new 16MW Titan 130 Turbine enclosure ventilation design” sponsored by Solar Design, “Hand-held foreign object debris detection system” and “Sonobuoy attachment device” sponsored by Northrop Grumman, and a “Tesla turbine within Organic Rankine Cycle” sponsored by Honeywell Refrigerants.

The design team will interact closely with a representative(s) from your organization during the course of the project, usually through a mentor. Each organization may submit a proposal(s) that includes the project title, objectives of the project, brief description, deliverables , and timeframe (either August-May, or January-December).

Senior Design Project Sponsorship Application

 

Sponsor a current Senior Design Project!

3D Printed Aircraft Competition - These students are designing and building a remote controlled, glider aircraft with all lifting structures fabricated via 3D printing. This project is led by Brandon Pruitt, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

3D Printed Aircraft Competition - These students are designing and building a remote controlled, glider aircraft with all lifting structures fabricated via 3D printing. This project is led by Edwin Orduno Martinez, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

3D Printed Aircraft Competition - These students are designing and building a remote controlled, glider aircraft with all lifting structures fabricated via 3D printing. This project is led by Hamad Alrashdan, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

ASME Competition - Pick n Place Race - These students are designing and building a robot to compete in an ASME competition. This project is led by Donald Crawford, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

Aztec Electric Racing Accumulator - These students are designing and building the electrical power system for our Aztec electric racing vehicle. This project is led by Eli Tagger, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

Aztec Electric Racing Steering System - These students are designing and building the steering system for our Aztec electric racing vehicle. This project is led by Brandon James Yue, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

New Baja Racing Continuous Variable Transmission - These students are designing and building the transmission for our Aztec Baja, gas powered, racing vehicle. This project is led by Hannah Pollek, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior. 

Personal Communication Drone for Emergency Applications - These students are designing and building a personal aircraft (drone) based emergency communication system vehicle. This project is led by J. Paul Koutoulas, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

Stability Brace for Stroke Patients - These students are designing and building a leg stability brace to aid stroke patients. This project is led by Shannon Isley, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.

Subscale Injector Test Rig - These students are designing and building a test rig for injectors to support our Rocket Project. This project is led by Griffin Carter, a SDSU Mechanical Engineering senior.