Week 5

It's the halfway point for everybody's research, and I have to say it's been a learning experience. Not only in tackling a new discipline of mechanical engineering but also exploring the great city of Atlanta. Georgia Tech is conveniently located right next many major attractions such as the Botanical Garden, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Zoo, and the High Museum of Art. In fact, I took the liberty to go to all four of these tourist areas and I plan to see much more. It's awesome how so many culturally diverse attractions are in close proximity with one another. I've already been in Atlanta for 4 weeks and I have only touched the surface of what the city has to offer. The experience so far has been adventurous!

Week 4

In today's common internal combustion engines exist a crankshaft associated with mechanical wear and efficiency losses. In the free piston engine hydraulic pump I am working on there is a "virtual" crankshaft to control the piston's motion. While the fuel's combustion creates the accumulation of hydraulic power, the controls system is powered by a small percent of the built up hydraulic power. Currently we are running test on the engine with combustion in only one chamber to attain the optimal control system gains. Ultimately, we want to be able to run the engine continually with disturbances such as misfiring. 

Specifically, I have been assigned to attempt to modify the current heat release calculations. We desire this because we are finding fluctuations in the heat release when there should not be; graphs show heat release with no combustion. Using the pressure, temperature, and position sensors, I am trying to find a calculation that is more consistent with the theoretical model. This is difficult as there could be many variable attributing the heat release calculation.

So that's where my research is at now. Hopefully I end up with something to implement into our data analysis.

Have a good week!

Week 5

Before joining the CCEFP I never looked twice at construction sites. But now having worked with fluid power for a little while I can not stop looking at every piece of equipment as I pass by. Just walking to the lab today at the U of M I saw this monster with a linear actuator cylinder of at least 10" in diameter and 10' long. Just doing quick calculations in my head, this beast operating at 3,000 psi can lift about 240,000 pounds 10' up in the air in 90 seconds! I am still amazed by how much power hydraulics pack in such a tiny package. Also here is a random picture of a sumo wrestling match I took while in Tokyo earlier this summer. These guys pack a lot of power but in a much bigger package!

Week 4

I was assigned two projects for the summer to be completed in parallel with each other. The first was to construct a pilot operated check valve demonstrator out of acrylic that utilizes air pressure to overcome the check valve seal to release the fluid back to tank. This demonstrator will be used in hydraulic classes here at the University of Minnesota to help visualize how pilot operated check valve systems work. The second project is to use a laser tracking system to track the movement of different check valve poppet-styles (disk, ball, poppet, cartridge, in-line) to model their behavior. This model will help us understand why check valves leak and this knowledge will be used to better engineer and improve efficiency of all hydraulic systems utilizing check valves.

My project's details

Hi everbody,

     For my project, I'm simulating a new hydromechanical transmission in Simulink. The proposed design transmits power both through a mechanical shaft as well as a hydraulic pump-motor system. This new transmission could combine the power efficiency of a traditional mechanical transmission with the durability and control of a standard hydraulic transmission. While my project specifically focuses on the performance of the hydromechanical transmission in wind turbine gearboxes, this technology could also be used in a variety of other applications (e.g. a hydraulic hybrid vehicle transmission).
      By the end of the summer, I hope to have some performance data, such as power efficiency at various wind speeds, for the simulated hydromechanical transmission. By comparing the simulated hydromechanical data to previous simulations of the traditional hydraulic transmission, I can outline the benefits/disadvantages of the new transmission. If all goes well, I might even have the chance to contribute to an article on the new hydromechanical transmission.

This weekend I biked to Minnehaha Falls with a group of REUs from MRSEC, another engineering program here at the U of M. It was great to meet some other students and hear about their research projects, which are mostly in materials science. The Falls were also really pretty, especially since they're unusually large for this time of year due to all the rain we've been getting.

Week 5 Blog Topic: It's open!

Week 5 Blog Topic:   Open!  Tell Us Something, Anything

It's been a month since you joined the CCEFP.  Tell us something, anything you'd like to reflect back on.  It doesn't need to be research focused, or even CCEFP focused.  Tell us something interesting, or noteworthy, or funny.  Post pictures or a video.  Did you travel anywhere?  Have you made some new friends?  If you're a visitor to your REU campus, tell us something about what you've discovered.  This is an OPEN blog topic -- have at it! 

Week Four

So my project is to be involved with the Hydraulic Pressure Energy Harvester (HPEH) device, primarily working on a wireless sensor node and creating pressure sensors in order to prove that the HPEH device functions properly.  The HPEH device itself is a device that essentially takes the sound energy produced by hydraulic systems and convert it into usable power in order to operate small sensors (eg: pressure sensors, thermistors, position sensors) to help aid in monitoring of system health.  Basically, the device takes the fluctuations in the pressure ripple and converts it into usable power via piezoelectric stacks.

What I'm working on, presently, is doing some testing of the most recent generation of the HPEH device that utilizes multiple piezoelectric stacks (deadweight and dynamic) along with doing some basic testing of the piezoelectric stacks in parallel and in series in order to get the piezoelectric strain constant characteristics.  Along with trying to design dynamic and static pressure sensors utilizing the piezo stacks either as the sensor itself (dynamic sensing, essentially trying to integrate the two stacks into a circuit) or using the HPEH device to power it (static sensing).  Of course there is also the wireless sensor node work, though that is taking more time given that my skills with coding aren't as great as I would ideally like them to be for tackling something as code intensive as a wireless sensor node.

The impact of this work is that, if it functions in the way that is desired, will allow for easy powering of system health monitoring devices rather than having to use batteries, they can be powered by the machine itself as it makes use of the sound energy being created by the hydraulic equipment.

Why this research is interesting is probably more specific to me as acoustics and thermofluids are two large interests of mine that I was interested in combining.  Which, this research does in a really interesting way outside of just trying to mitigate the noise being created, it is utilizing the noise energy to convert it into a usable source of power.

- Tanya

Breeze's Week 4 Blog

The project I'm working on is test bed 4 which is the hydraulic patient transfer device and my task is to integrate the microsoft xbox kinect into a virtual human simulation called Jack to anylyze the stresses that caretakers or nurses would experience while operating the transfer device. The challenges I had to overcome was actually getting the kinect to work in Jack. My co-workers, Kiffinae and Aaron, all contributed and helped get the kinect to work with Jack yesterday! Talk about a great accomplishment after playing with it for days.

The goal of the project is to make use of the patient transfer device easier to use for the nurses and care takers and to reduce the strain on those individuals operating the transfer device. Its not a matter of if we're successful its a matter of when, but when that day comes the impact will be exceptional. Less strain on the nurses/caretakers will result in efficient work and better care for the patient. 

SPEECH:
 *clears throat 

I’m assisting one of the grad students with test bed 4 which is the hydraulic patient transfer device. The task I was given was to try and use a Microsoft Xbox Kinect in Jack simulation, Jack is a type of software that is an ergonomic assessment as well as a virtual human prototyping system. With the Kinect integrated into Jack, the programmer could use his or her body movements to move the virtual human  throughout the environment.  This reduces the time for the operator to manually assign tasks for the virtual human to complete. (saves a few clicks of the mouse). Let me know if you have any questions

Week 4 Timothy Anderson

I am supporting the team in Illinois in two capacities, first providing general assistance and data cleaning with their on going clinical trials. Second I am performing longevity testing on the CO2 tank that powers the PPAFO. Already today I have stumbled onto an assumption that was made that is actually incorrect and so it has become one of those crazy Fridays. Its a rapidly evolving situation to say the least.

Week 4 Bouncer Blog

Our project is creating a survey about the use of the Hoyer Lift and a physical model of its use. What I am working on is using Jack Simulation with my teammate Shae to create a model and one way we are doing it is using the Xbox Kinect to do motion capture.

The hardest part up till now is getting the Kinect hooked up so we can use the mo-cap functions but thanks to Shae we can now transfer our movements to the model on Jack. Before we got to this point we had to deal with the device not being found and the server being down sometimes.

Our goal is to create a physical model of the use of a Hoyer Lift and to describe the actions taking place> If we are successful we would be to see what can be changed during the process of using the Hoyer Lift if any changes need to be made.

Week 4 Blog Post

My job for our reasearch is to find literature reviews that nurses have put out talking about what problems they are experiencing while using the Hoyer Lift, test bed 4.  Not only that but I am to create a survey for them to take so that we can get a better understanding of what to change on the modified version.  Also, while getting feedback from the nurses I also am suppose to protect them by not asking questions that may be too personal and could possibly get them in trouble.  The last final thing that I am also responsible for is creating a task analysis so that Aaron and Shae know what is to be depicted in Jack Simulations.  Some challenges that I am facing is the fact that our advisor went to Thailand for 3 weeks so we aren't able to get in contact with her as much as we would like so there is a little confusion on our part.  Another problamatic area is that I am not sure what information that I have found/will find has already been found by her. Other than that it's pretty fun to be the "main component" before anything else can take place, also it's pretty cool to be "The Boss" of Shae and Aaron. The goal is to make it even easier for the nurses to transport.  I would like to have the process so easily done that the nurses barely have to require any force in the process.  If this research is found successful we, the 3 of us, plan on going to many conferences and present our findings.  Hopefully we will get a lot of job oppertunities along with schlarship money but on a more serious note if this research is successful it will create a lot of oppertunities for our school and engineering program.  The impact that it will cause will be significant for technology, medical field, hosiptals, and nurses.  The most fun part about it is learning new things about the lift and watching Aaron and Shae make progress with Jack.




Peace, Love, and Happiness,




Kiffinae Sanders

My research

Hello all,

My research involves developing a pneumatic demonstrator. The demonstrator is meant to be an educational tool to help introduce junior and senior high school students to the topic fluid power. Due to extraneous factors such as limited funding and exposure time, students don’t consider fluid power as a topic of research. A compact and portable pneumatic demonstrator will be a useful tool to facilitate fluid power education through increased engagement. The demonstrator uses an Arduino Mega micro-controller to perform the required processing. Using two pneumatic cylinder fixed in a 90 degree angle to achieve X and Y direction the demonstrator can move in a way to cover a horizontal plane. The movement can be controlled using an analogue joystick. The Arduino Mega also incorporates a camera that can be used to identify objects on the horizontal plane . Using the feedback from the camera, the demonstrator will be able to automatically locate
objects on the horizontal plane, pick them up and move them about using pneumatic pressure. The action of picking up the objects is accomplished using a stepper motor with and an electromagnet attached to an arm that can be lowered and raised. This projects aims to garner interest of potential future fluid power researchers.

Week Four!

Hello everybody,

My research project deals with a high-efficeincy pneumatic "Walking Engine" and its use in an active ankle-foot orthosis. That is just a fancy way of saying that I am working on an ankle brace that has a pneumatic eninge on it to help people walk. Active orthotic devices that promote joint articulation have a number of applications that could benefit many people. Some examples of this include: joint articulation for people suffering from disabilities (like I mentioned); gait training; increased load-carrying capacity and walking distance for humans; and limb replacement for amputees.

 
The main goal of this research is to help people with disabilities regain natural walking ability by mimicking the normal walking gait of a human through the use of an active ankle-foot orthotic (AAFO). This research investigates the optimization of a high-efficiency pneumatic “Walking Engine” and pulley actuation system for such an AAFO. In order to accurately mimic a healthy human gait, the AAFO device has to accurately reproduce the moment applied to the ankle during gait. 

I have been calculating the pressure-volume diagram of the AAFO’s internal-combustion (IC) engine using a dual-combustion (limited-pressure) gas-power-cycle model. After this cycle is optimized, to best represent the IC engine’s performance and provide the necessary work output, the cycle will be validated through combustion testing. Using the power output of the IC engine, the pulley system will then be optimized to best match the ankle moment of a healthy human gait. The optimized pulley will then be further tested to validate its design. The results of this research will hopefully provide insight for the future development of un-tethered, compact, lightweight, efficient, long-lasting, and safe AAFO devices.

So that is what I am working on. It mostly deals with engine power cycles, and pulley relations. I really like it so far! 

This week I am giving a shout out to Nikita. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your flip phone. You have my most sincere condolences. Just remember, time does heal all wounds. 

I hope everyone is still well,

Don

Fluid Powered Surgery

Hi everyone!

My project this summer involves using pneumatics to precisely control a needle that will pass through the foramen ovale, a small, natural hole in the skull near your cheek, and enter the hippocampus. When the needle is properly positioned, radiofrequency ablation will be utilized to "cook", or destroy, the majority of the hippocampus tissue as a treatment for epilepsy patients. This whole procedure will be performed when the patient is inside an MRI so the position of the needle can be carefully monitored. Pneumatics is an excellent source of power for this procedure because it requires very few magnetic or electrical components, and therefore is MRI-friendly.

Something interesting I have been learning about is working with patient data and the Institutional Review Board. We want to get 3D images of various skulls and brains so we can model the trajectory of the needle, but that requires using patients MRI and CT scans. It has been valuable to learn how specific IRB exemptions can be and how careful you have to be in research to protect patient's identity and ensure data is anonymous.

While I feel at this point I have a good understanding of the project, I am exciting to learn more and more details and challenges that are involved with this exciting research.


Shout out to Donny.... just for being Donny.


P.S. Last night I enjoyed the MOST DELICIOUS biscuits I have ever had at the famous "Loveless Cafe" in Nashville.

Filtration and Static Electricity Generation

Hi all!

My project is a continuation of a project that was already in progress at the Milwaukee School of Engineering before I arrived; my task over the summer is to try to explain the results they are getting.

The project is focused on the prevention of static electricity accumulation in hydraulic lubricant filtration system.  Static electricity is undesired because it can cause sudden discharges and sparks, which can damage system components.  Static electricity in filtration systems is caused by the triboelectric effect, which is the separation of charge when two substances rub together - ie the lubricant and the filter media.  The magnitude of the generated charge depends on the conductivity of the lubricant and filter media, the flow rate of the fluid, and the contact area between the two.

Recently, electrostatic dissipative (ESD) filters have been released on the market to prevent static charge accumulation.  MSOE has been testing one of these ESD filters to verify its effectiveness, but while the filter has shown significant reductions in static electricity when the filter is set up as a return filter in the tank, it does not have the same beneficial effects when the filter is setup inline before the tank.  My project this summer is to try to figure out why the filter works for one setup and not the other.  If I do figure out the cause, my results could set the groundwork for the design of an antistatic filter that works in all applications!

Sophia Dolan

Week Four

As I've touched on briefly before, my research at UIUC deals with the use of textured surfaces to reduce friction and leakage in fluid power systems. The hope is to design and test small dimples that, when added to metal machine parts, improve lubrication and mechanical efficiency. For my project, we are studying the impacts of three different metal plates: one is entirely flat, which we use for our control, one has "linear slope depth" dimples, and one has "symmetric depth" dimples (see my diagram to understand the difference in dimple shape). We use each of these plates in a rheometer, which is a machine that allows us to load samples of various fluids, apply a particular shear rate, and measure quantities such as the viscosity, shear stress, or axial force production.

At the moment, we are running tests with three different oils of varying viscosities and looking for a reduction in shear stress with the addition of the various textures. Since shear stress is given by the product of viscosity and shear rate (and we are controlling shear rate with the rheometer), a reduction in shear stress implies a proportionally reduced viscosity. Of course, all of our tests so far have been performed on Newtonian fluids at a constant temperature, so it would be impossible for the viscosity to actually have decreased, but what this means is that our textures are reducing friction in such a way that the rheometer believes it is dealing with a less viscous sample than in actuality; it is applying a smaller torque to spin the fluid the same amount.

That was a bit of a crash course in the project, but it is much more straightforward and easy to understand when you actually see the rheometer. The main idea, however, is that surface textures of various shapes can be used to induce slippage--and thereby reduce friction--between the oil and the metal plate. The impact of this in fluid power applications is that the lower friction would preserve the life of metal parts and the reduction in frictional energy loss would enable systems to run more efficiently. Thus, my project's overarching goal is to find a way to improve the machine parts that many of your projects then employ towards solving real-world problems.

Hope you all are enjoying your work, and I'm looking forward to reading more about each of your projects!

Nikita

P.S. Donny, I thought you should know that your flip phone has officially outlived mine; little guy's heart finally gave out last night when I tried to charge him. Cherish every moment with yours while you still can.

Upcoming Special Topic Webcasts

Scheduled Presentations:

7/2/2014
All Invited

Special Topics: Everything You Wanted to Know About How to Get a Job in Fluid Power
Guest Presenter:  Daniel Hohman, fluidpowerjobs.com

7/9/2014
All invited
Special Topics: Commercialization and Start-ups           
Guest Presenters:  Joe Kovach, CEO, KoMotion LTD and Mike Gust, CCEFP Industrial Liasion Officer

7/23/2014           
REU Students only

Special Topics: Ethics Awareness           

Guest Presenter: Jennifer Alexander, Professor, University of Minnesota

8/6/2014
REU Students only
Special Topics: Ethics Awareness 2
Guest Presenter: Jennifer Alexander, Professor, University of Minnesota

Ready to go!

Exciting news everyone! At the University of Minnesota I was assigned to my official project. I'll be working on a Hydrostatic Transmission on a Wind Turbine. We are looking at the benefits of this over a mechanical gearbox. We know they are there, just where exactly? I'm really happy to be assigned finally. It's been a long time coming. Sadly I won't be with my bud Hannah anymore as she is focusing a bit more on the simulation side of Hydro-mechanical Transmissions. I'll be helping build, test, trouble shoot, and run simulations on this midsize Hydrostatic Transmission! Update coming soon!

Week 4

My research project is solving the challenge of developing a device to aid in rehabilitation of stroke survivors in a fMRI environment. Since electricity will affect the resonance imaging during treatment, another form of power needs to be chosen. And the decision is to use compressed air. I am designing a pneumatic system with a robotics REU student that can perform the repetitive facilitation exercise (RFE) technique on the upper limbs, more specifically on the wrist. The process involves tapping the wrist with a hammer and then rotating the hand back and forth with a quick motion. A previous graduate student already designed a flexible hammer to tap the wrist, so we are creating the system to rotate the hand. The biggest challenge we have faced so far is deciding which rotary actuator will produce enough torque to carry the load and the difficulty of developing such an actuator. There are many hidden obstacles such as how to keep the device nonmagnetic, how to machine certain parts, and how long it will take to order specialized parts.

The best part of conducting this research is all the new aspects of engineering I am being exposed to. I have never been this involved in the manufacturing process and am learning a lot about what can and cannot be done. The fact that we are designing the product from the ground up really is satisfying, and I can't wait to see our device in action. For the overall picture, we will be able to observe exactly how RFE influences a patent once the entire device is finished. To be able to capture images while conducting the treatment will definitely contribute to science and hopefully help in advancing the medical field.

Thoughts on Research Thus Far

What first comes to my mind when I hear research is self motivation. I was expecting the call for self motivation, but not quite this much. I'm not saying I don't like it though. The flexibility is great; I think I work best on my own hours and the advisors are also flexible with me. However, I believe I will begin diving into testing and analysis of our free piston engine hydraulic pump which will require set times with my advisors. I'm very excited to get started on our actual project data since I have been mainly mastering the engine and matlab thus far. I didn't really expect this much time spent on catching up to the project but I don't mind it. A real good part of my research is how well the U of MN is treating us! The dorms are super nice, food is good, and everyone is really friendly. I wasn't expecting as much care as we've been given.

As far as cons, I can't really point out any. I know my position challenges my self motivation and I think it's just strengthening it.

Wish another good week to you all!

Brad

A Project at Last, and Some Thoughts on Research

         My third week here at the U of M was probably the most exciting yet. Jose and I finally have definite research projects! I will be modelling and simulating a hydromechanical transmission, specifically in a wind turbine gearbox (although such a transmission could be used in other applications as well.) While reading and learning about wind turbines, hydraulics, and MatLab/Simulink has been interesting, I'm really glad that I now have a project to apply this knowledge to. Of course the learning will continue as well (bond graphs to represent any kind of system - hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, etc. - are up next), but now I can keep the specific goal of my project in mind.
        Looking back at my time so far, I've been a little surprised by how unstructured the work environment is. I do enjoy the freedom and appreciate the trust implied by that freedom, but I'm still getting used to figuring out what I should work on next. Since being assigned my project, though, this aspect has definitely improved and now I have a healthy list of tasks to tackle. I'm also in closer contact with my post-doc mentor now, which has helped a lot since he is very experienced. My research experience seems to be improving by the week, and I hope the trend continues!

I went home for a family event last weekend, and while driving to the airport we passed several wind farms, like this one. I realized I look at the turbines very differently, now that I've learned about how they work, what's inside them, and why they're designed the way they are.

Week 4 Blog Topic: Back to the Basics

So let's get back to the reason you're all with CCEFP this summer -- the research!   You've had several weeks to become integrated with the organization, your institution, your lab, and your project.  It seems everyone is working at a slightly different pace -- some continue to read literature and get a basic understanding of the technology, others are actively designing or creating prototypes, others are working on simulations.  All very necessary and useful work to do -- you're learning something at any given moment.  So... remind us what your research project is all about.  What is / are the challenge(s) you are trying to solve?  What are the goals of the project?  If realized, if successful, what is the impact of your research project?  Give us your 30 second (written) research pitch.  What's super exciting about the objectives of your work?? 

Alyssa

Week Three

The experience in my lab here at Purdue has been positive. Research can sometimes be daunting and even discouraging when one is lost or confused in the project. Having worked at other labs before, the graduate mentor and faculty advisers were usually very difficult to get in contact with. I work closely with my graduate mentor so I easily get help whenever I'm stuck instead of having to setup meeting that can take long than I'd hope. My faculty adviser, John Lumkes, is a very friendly person and also very approachable; I wouldn't hesitate to approach him if I'm having problems or for advice. During the many research meetings I have attended, I have had the opportunity to speak to other students outside my lab. Coming from a small school that does not do much research, I'm amazed by the vast diversity in research being conducted by students here at Purdue.

Week 3

Here at Purdue, I am doing research in a laboratory environment and it is very different from what I was expecting. Since I had never worked in a laboratory before, I expected it to be more individualized in offices of at most two people. Once I started, I was placed in a big office with six graduate and post graduate researchers. I really like the research environment here at the Maha lab because it is very time flexible and even though every one is working on their ow research, there is always time to joke around. It also allows for us to ask each other for help whenever we are confused about something, which I find very helpful due to that this is the first time I do research, and the first time I did anything involving fluid power.

Marlon

Week Three

What I was expecting when I signed for research was a mix between hands-on work and computer work. What its been so far is more computer work than hands on. Even though that is kind of a disappointment the people I am working with make up for that. Teamwork really is an important part of this project.

I shouldn't be surprised about the amount of research and reading we are doing since this is....*ahem*...research.

The positive thing about the research environment is the people you work with and the opportunities that arise while doing research. For example, we got to help with orientation and be role models when it came to advertising various programs the school offers. The only negative thing I experience is the silence. It becomes deafening sometimes but it allows clear thinking.

Anyway the research is going good. Here's hoping for a good summer experience!

Week 3

The reseach invironment is very bland.  I am a very vibrant and loud person so sometimes it can be a struggle to always remain quiet and not having access to certain parts of the room that we are in is a little tempting but at the same time I enjoy it.  Every day I walk in the door I know that I will have learned something new and contribute to something that could potentially help others and it makes me happy! I thought I was going to be in a more hands on environment but coming into this internship I didn't really expect anything because of the fact that you could possibly worry  yourself for no reason.  I haven't discovered anything new but I am continuously being surprised at how many more places I have found fluid power to appear.  The lease positive thing about this so far is that I don't get to have any fun in the sun but a positive thing is that it is teaching me time management and that there is always more information to find out.




-Peace, Love, and Happiness


`Kiffinae Sanders

Week Three

Hi all!

Everyone at the Milwaukee School of Engineering's (MSOE) fluid power lab is really friendly.  They are all willing to help out and talk about their projects.  I was surprised how many undergraduates are involved in research, especially since MSOE is not that large.  In the fluid power lab at MSOE there are at least 10 other MSOE students working on various projects, and there is another REU program (focused on rapid prototyping) also based at MSOE.

I also didn't realize how much of research originated directly from a corporation's request.  The project I am working on began (before my REU program) because a hydraulics company requested that the lab investigate some characteristics of their filters, and another test stand in the lab also works on a company's request.  I never really thought about how research topics were decided before, but I now know!

I hope you all are having fun working on your projects!

Sophia Dolan

Week 3 from Vanderbilt

Hey guys,

I hope everyone is having fun both with their research and in your new city! I know that I surely have been enjoying myself.

As for the people surrounding me in my research position, they are nothing but spectacular. My professors and phd advisor are very personable and approachable and great to work for. I also work with 4 other undergraduate researchers. It is nice to have someone at the same place that you are (sometimes that means being lost). We have become pretty good friends (they have taught me much already about the World Cup) and it really is a joy to go to work at 8 a.m. everyday. The lab is a 20,000 square foot open work area that has a lot of cool test equipment, various projects, and the various tools that we need. I have no complaints so far about the people or setting that's around me. My biggest surprise was that I was going to have 4 other undergraduate researchers to work and hang out with. It was a pleasant surprise though! Most of them are Vandy students that help me with the ins-and-outs of Nashville and campus.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend to get out and do something fun!

Chris Maurice

P.S.: Here is a picture of a replica of the Greek Parthenon that's located in the center of the Nashville's largest public park. They built it in 1897 and it was originally just a monument to what they deemed the period of greatest architectural achievement. It has since been turned into an art museum.

Week 3 Andrew A.

I was surprised by how much computers dominate research now. The actual lab equipment is not used as much as I anticipated, though since I am working on simulations, so I do not get to spend much time in the lab. As far as the computers go, the complexity of the systems that can now be modeled with them amazes me, as I was a bit overwhelmed when I was introduced to the axial piston pump simulation that Maha is working on. I think the most positive thing for me has been the people I am working with, as they have been extremely nice to me and helped me if I have a problem or do not understand a concept. Another perk of working with simulations is that I have built on my knowledge of Matlab, as that is a very useful tool for any engineer. The only part that has been a bit frustrating for me is finding the trends in the data and then figuring out how to explain them, as there is a lot of post-processing you have to do before you can actually look at the data. The majority of my time is actually dominated by filtering and cutting out the bad data, which was surprising to me. All in all, though, it has been a positive experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at a research lab of this caliber.

-Andrew

Week 2 Andrew A.

I believe that working at a fluid power lab has certainly opened my eyes to the applications of hydraulics around me. The applications of fluid power are certainly varied, but I have mostly noticed hydraulics being used in the construction around Purdue (as the everyone else has noted at their university too). I think the most interesting part of hydraulics is the large mechanical disadvantages that they are able to overcome. I was watching a cherry picker (technical name is boom lift) it was amazing to me that the one actuator was able to push the giant arm of the lift up, even though the force required must have been massive. I also now appreciate hydraulics every time I slow down in my car, since hydraulics are major components in brakes. I have really enjoyed learning about hydraulics and seeing them at work around me.

Week Three

The research environment at UIUC has been very positive for me so far. There are several graduate students in this lab, so even though I only work directly with one of them, there are always people to talk to throughout the day, and it's very interesting to hear about everyone else's research. There are many diverse and highly specialized approaches being taken towards fluid mechanics in this lab, and I am learning a lot by listening to other students present their work in our weekly meetings.

The day-to-day routine has been largely what I was expecting; we collect data whenever we can and analyze it whenever it's someone else's turn on the equipment (pretty much all of our research requires the use of a very specialized and expensive machine called a rheometer, and there are only a couple of them in the lab). One thing that has surprised me is how much more lenient the expectations are here for experimental results matching calculations or accepted literature values. In my lab courses at school, I am used to my professors requiring a very close match between my experimental data and the expected values, which makes sense since their main objective is to teach to me how to perform lab tasks carefully and accurately. Here, however, people are working on concepts that have not yet been modeled sufficiently by other scientists, and sometimes obtaining an experimental value that is even just on the same order of magnitude as the expected value is considered a success. I was skeptical of this at first, but the more perspective I get, the more I understand what qualifies two values as "close" and how much that can vary from project to project.

The only thing I have been a little disappointed with at UIUC is the apparent lack of integration between labs. We share our office space with two other groups, and while they're great company (one brought a soccer ball to scrimmage with today after work), there hasn't been much by the way of intellectual exchange, and I don't even know what half of them are researching. I had been looking forward to more of an overlap between our lab and others within the department, even if we are all focused on different topics, so hopefully this will change in the future. Other than that, I've been very pleased with the work environment here. Wishing everyone another good week on the job!

Nikita

Week 3

For the most part, I already settled on a weekly routine in my new environment. As I expected, the research environment is quite relaxed as long as things get done. Of course every faculty has their own style in doing their work, but generally speaking the GT research environment is not much different from the ASU research environment. Though one main difference is the processes involved in this type of research, because I am involved in more prototyping now rather than aiding in simulations. The whole project is really more hands on, and I have been going around the campus contacting the invention studio trying to design the pneumatic device we are developing. At the moment I am getting training from the machine shop so I will be able to create the parts we have designed. I feel like I have been learning a lot of miscellaneous skills in the research environment and have become more aware of the means necessary to get a working product.

Week 3 at Vandy

Hi everyone!

My research environment has been very different than I expected. Something I expected was to be given an individual project under the mentorship of my graduate student that was a small facet of his overall project. In contrast, I have really just been doing mostly literature reviews and some odd ball tasks he has given me. Something else I expected was to be working more closely with my graduate student, checking in many times a day and tackling some projects together. In contrast, I usually discuss things with my graduate mentor once a day or every other day. Sometimes this can be challenging when I get stuck on a task or am not sure how to proceed.

Something really positive about the research environment is how lively and interactive the entire fifth floor of Olin Engineering Building here at Vanderbilt is. The entire floor consists of Mechanical Engineering Labs and undergrads, grads, and professors (oh my!) are constantly stopping by neighboring labs to get different viewpoints, borrow equipment, and ask questions. It is great to see how collaborative engineering can be and how much teamwork goes into solving a problem.

I have also really enjoyed getting many perspectives on graduate school. Each graduate student and professor has unique experiences for how they got to where they are today, and everyone has excellent advice to offer.

Happy researching everyone!

Emily

Anooooother post

*Yes, still working on that video, I didn't think I'd be this busy but Hannah is making me spend time on it* So another week has passed by at the University of Minnesota, and it's been a blast. It's been mostly relaxing as Hannah and I have been assigned similar tasks. We're blowing through a lot of research papers and lectures to prepare us for our research which we will be given to on Wednesday. Hydromechanical Turbines seems to be the likely topic. As someone whose never seen this technology before (as it's just being proposed), it's very abstract but interesting. I'm embarking on Matlab/Simulink and that has been an adventure on it's own. Check back soooon for updates!

Week 2

Last week was a continuation of preparation for the research I am working on.  Primarily doing research into how to wire GT's HPEH device to a wireless sensor to show that the device effectively provides power to small sensors (eg: temperature, pressure, distance) along with more effective wiring methods for the device.  So far the research is more theoretical than hands on at my end, but never the less it's still very interesting.

With regards to noticing fluid power being utilized in an every day setting: as with everyone else, GT is doing extensive construction to their campus to update their water lines.  So the construction vehicles are an obvious example of fluid power, along with planes, and Atlanta's MARTA transit system which I have been using to explore some parts of the city.  Along the same vein, the High Museum of Art had a dream car exhibit and there were some display descriptions that touched upon fluid power within some of the machines as well, so I thought that was neat.

- Tanya

Week 3

I really love the research environment here at the University of Minnesota. The laid back atmosphere really allows free and creative thinking. I often find myself solving problems I run into in my research just walking back from lunch or an errand. What I did not expect were the very tentative deadlines for your projects. You really have to be self motivated and create deadlines for yourself to keep on track. While this is really nice I can see how I could find myself in trouble if I kept pushing dates back and procrastinating. I have learned to create weekly schedules of what I want to accomplish and this has worked thus far. I am really excited to continue my work and get to the bottom of my research!

Week 2

As many of you know, fluid power is used in almost all construction equipment and I have been noticing it now more than ever. I live in Stillwater where they are currently extending highway 36 across the St. Croix river. This is a huge undertaking and they have been at it for many months. Every day I drive by the construction site and see all kinds of machines that utilize fluid power. The massive iron beams that are being lifted into place by these machines require a large input of energy to get off the ground, so I can see why they have chosen fluid power as the primary means to accomplish this. Now I just hope they finish quickly here because the noise can be deafening!

Week 2!

       I can hardly believe it's already the start of my third week at the the U of M, the time has flown by so quickly. Last week, week two, Jose and I continued to read up in preparation for our projects. One of my favorite topics was the different strategies for controlling wind turbines, like changing the angle of the blades or adding resistance to the rotating shaft.  We also started working with MatLab and Simulink, which was interesting for me because they're both so similar to and frustratingly different from comparable programs (like Mathematica and LabView) that I'm more familiar with.
       I also learned about some of the past research into hydraulics in wind turbines. I thought it was really cool to see the progression of gearbox designs, from a purely hydraulic gearbox to a hydro-mechanical gearbox (incorporating both traditional gears and a hydraulic pump-motor system). Although I don't have a specific project yet (fingers crossed for next Wednesday when my adviser returns!), it seems like most of the research right now focuses on the hydro-mechanical gearbox. I'm really anxious to get started!

Sunset over the Minneapolis skyline, taken from across the river. I've been biking around a lot in my free time, exploring the Twin Cities.

Your Thoughts: Research Culture and Environment

It's Monday morning and you're likely back at it -- I hope you were able to find time over the weekend for some rest and relaxation!

Week 3 Blog Topic:   Every one of you will have unique and individual experience when it comes to the research environment and culture you've been invited to join this summer.  Faculty, even institutions, have their own identity and way of conducting research, and not one works the same as another.  What is your impression of the research environment, in contrast to what you may have been expecting?  Have you discovered something about working in a research laboratory (or other) that surprised you, something you didn't expect?  What has been positive from the research environment, what has been less positive? 

Alyssa

2nd Week of Fluid Power

I say second week of fluid power, but really it's just been a week of articles and papers. Some of you guys sound like you're really jumping into the research and I'm getting a little anxious over here. I'm reading up on everything I need to know about my research project, the free piston engine hydraulic pump. Some of it is actually really interesting! Knowing the history of free piston engines and how they're used today was surprising and enlightening. I also found out that we actually received our free piston engine from Ford, where my dad works, so that was pretty neat.

This week I should be practicing up on all types of algorithms; controls, data processing and more. Hopefully I'll get into the lab at the right time and actually witness the free piston engine running, as it was out of commision earlier in the week.

Anyways, your guy's research sounds a little more interesting then mine thus far. Hopefully I'll be getting to the hands on stuff soon.

Hope everyone's week goes well!

Week 2 at University of Illinois

Wow, its been a busy and fun week jumping from project area to project area trying to get ready for another round of trials. A brief summery of what I have been doing:

• Built pneumatic accumulators.
• Attached force censors to PPAFO
• Processed the raw data from a gait mat from two participants into something useful.
• Determined what thermocouple to use for CO2 tank cooling and figured out how to get useful output in simulink.
• Built a rig to support a CO2 tank from a load cell to get real time mass output.

Loving the challenge of rapidly learning new things so I can put it to immediate use. I hope everyone else had a great week and TGIF.

Tim Anderson

Week 2

Fluid power is used most industries but the industry that surprised me the most was to see fluid power in the Barbershops! I didn't realize that the chair that the customer sits in is a hydraulic chair. In order for the barber to raise the customer to a level suitable for him/her, they have to repeatedly pump the chair pedal for the chair to rise. It's pretty cool to see how fluid power can be used in smaller applications as opposed to excavators or tractors where fluid power is common.

Even though I'm not really working with fluid power directly, i can't help but notice it every where i go. Cars, trucks, airplanes, and tractors are all things i see on a daily basis so i can't help but notice how fluid power has impacted those machines. It's a lot easier for me to spot a machine that uses fluid power. Even when I'm not trying to pick out a fluid powered machine, i seem to do it anyway. Somehow it has been embedded in my brain to notice every device that uses fluid power.

Week 2 Blog

As someone who has grown up around airplanes and general aviation, I wasn't aware that fluid power was one of the main components to adjusting the wings on an aircraft.  Also, the landing gears.  I knew it was some type of system that absorbed the force when landing but would not have imagined it to be fluid power. I am working on test bed 4, which is the patient transfer device, and I would've never thought that nurses would be "behind the wheel" of something that involves fluid power.  Fluid power is used to lift bariatric patients from one location to another.  It makes me more aware that fluid power is more prevalent than I thought.  Yes, I have noticed certain things such as the garbage disposal in my apartment to watching Transformers and excitingly telling my friends my analogy on how they work.  This experience so far has been a little tiring one but none the less a GREAT one!




Peace, Love, and Happiness
-Kiffinae Sanders

Week 2 Blog

I wouldn't say I'm surprised of where I find fluid power in everyday life, slightly elated is a better way of saying it.

I'm more "elated" about the uses for fluid power such as a rescue robot that was in production. And even though it was discontinued, the fact that something like could be conceived is pretty cool.

I'm pretty much aware of fluid power in my everyday life now like I was back then. Unless my cats a re hydraulically power or some of the people I know pneumatically powered. One thing I didn't know that had a fluid power system was airplanes. That shocked me! I didn't know that the wing flaps were controlled through hydraulics.

I mostly see construction and city workers equipment so its really not that hard to pick a fluid power based system out. The locations of the some of the cylinders and hydraulic engines in use kind of surprise me. The fact that displacement pumps and motors are small but powerful means they can be placed in small compartments and not take up too much space. So the places where people put them is interesting to me.
But if you asking if I can pick a Haldex AC Hydraulic Power System Self-Contained, 5 HP, 230/460V AC, Model# 1400030 out a line-up then I'm sorry but I can't.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

Week 2

Hydraulic power is everywhere, right? When I thought of fluid power prior to CCEFP, the first thing that I thought of were tractors and jack mechanisms. I guess the main point is that the notions that I had of fluid power involved large pieces of equipment that were bulky and inaccurate. The most interesting aspect of fluid power is that it has applications in small, extremely precise machines. Some of these include biomedically engineered braces and prosthetics as well as the hydraulic strain accumulator, which is relatively small because of its high energy density. These mechanisms are super accurate and reap the benefits of controllability, like that of electrical systems. I believe the emphasis that has recently been placed on hydraulics (because of centers like the CCEFP) is precisely where the research needs to be administered. If these hydraulic systems can be controlled and developed accurately, the potential would be much greater than that of electrical systems. 

The ability for hydraulic systems to be controlled with precision was a revelation for me that gave me hope in many new potential uses. I think it is really cool to be apart of this program because it is innovative and is looking for the solutions that are difficult on the forefront, but have a greater potential for managing energy.   

Have a great week!

~ Chris Maurice

     

Week 2

Hello everyone,

I trust everything is going well at your respective universities. In regards to the prompt for this week, I guess I would have to say that I wasn't surprised to find out that fluid power is literally everywhere in our world today. It isn't surprising because fluid power has so many different applications, so it makes sense that it is found all over. In truth I just never really thought about it before. I knew what hydraulics where and that they were used in tractors and construction equipment, but now I am starting to notice fluid power in more and more places such as the everyday vehicle, machining equipment, and robotics. It is pretty neat to be able to look at a machine that utilizes fluid power and know why it does what it does.

This post is dedicated to Emily and her parents motorcycle shop. I like motorcycles.

- Don

Week Two

Ever since bootcamp, I have been much more aware of the applications of fluid power that I encounter on a day-to-day basis. How could I not, when half the streets in Urbana-Champaign are currently blocked by inconveniently-placed (but certainly fluid-powered!) construction vehicles?

Jokes aside, I learned earlier this week of one cool application of fluid mechanics that, while not a power application itself, is very related to the work I'm doing at UIUC with surface texturing: golf balls. The dimples on the surface of golf balls serve to reduce friction and improve aerodynamics in the same way we hope our surface textures will improve efficiency in fluid power systems. This is to say that the same technology that enables Bubba Watson to hit so far could be used to better the fuel efficiency of, say, an excavator. Pretty cool to think about!

Of course, it's not quite so simple as that; our textures aren't hemispherical like golf ball dimples and we're looking at the friction between the textured surface with oil, as opposed to air. However, it just goes to show that the same basic concepts that govern fluid power can be found in the places we least expect them. For those interested, here is a cool Mythbusters segment I found where they test "the golf ball effect" on a regular passenger vehicle and find a notable increase in fuel efficiency: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/dimpled-car-minimyth.htm

Hope everyone's work is going well, and Happy World Cup Eve!

Week 2

Hi everyone! I have been excited to begin learning how Fluid Power can be utilized on a smaller scale for noninvasive brain surgeries. At Maha Lab, we learned about a lot of benefits to Fluid Power such as size reduction and higher efficiency. A new benefit of Fluid Power I have learned about here at Vanderbilt is that it does not require many electronic/magnetic parts, and therefore is ideal for use in MRI-guided surgeries. MRI-guided surgeries are a great advantage because they allow for high accuracy when inserting needles into the brain, such as the hippocampus in our case, and other sensitive regions of the body. I never would have thought of this unique benefit of Fluid Power and am excited to learn more!

Hope everyone is having a great time at their REU sites!

P.S. Nashville is AMAZING! This past weekend I went to an outdoor concert at a park near Vanderbilt campus and headed to downtown Nashville to check out the CMA Music Festival. I'm loving Music City.

Fluid Power in Everyday Applications

Hello everyone. Growing up, motorsports were always big in our family, similar to football in many American homes. I've closely followed Formula One racing better known as F1 so I naturally love everything-cars. F1 cars are the most advanced cars in any form of motor racing constantly making technology breakthroughs that years later make it to road cars. In 1993, the Williams F1 racing team produced a new technology called active suspension. The advantage in pace brought by this technology caught the other 12 teams wrong footed and Alain Prost of the Williams team obliterated his competition, taking 13 pole positions out of possible 16 and winning the 1993 championship. Consequently, the active suspension was banned from the 1994 season onward by the FIA, the racing governing body, due to the unfair pace advantage the new technology brought. The active suspension technology has since found its way into road cars, this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiLEECJB-Zo) demonstrates the active suspension as used by Mercedes Benz road cars; all the other major car manufactures have their own version electronic suspension. Before I started working in this lab, I didn't know this amazing technology was due to fluid power. Hydraulics and electronic valve controls are very relevant topics to the research that's currently going on in my lab. I can't wait to learn more about other uses of fluid power as I continue on with my research.

First Week of Research

Well, after the first week of research I have finally gotten accustomed to environment. Other than finding my way around Georgia Tech by foot, I have also learned a lot about research involving pneumatic systems to power robotic devices in an MRI room. My project is a continuation of the research conducted the year before, and another REU student - whose name happens to be Johnathan - and I will be designing and manufacturing a robot that rotates the arm.

Throughout my readings, I noticed that pneumatic rotary devices are more common than I thought. Many industries use vane actuators for shutting off or opening valves. And surprisingly enough many of them have quite a high percentage of efficiency ranging from 70 to 95%. Although the actuator we are designing will be in a much smaller scale, many pneumatic rotary actuators can produce a very large torque. Most vendors sell actuators that are made of magnetic materials which are not MRI compatible, so at the moment we are trying to build one from scratch. Having prior knowledge about fluid power was useful in starting this research and now all that's left to actually start prototyping and see if it works.

1st Week on the Job

Hello again everyone,
       This past week, my first working on the wind power project, really helped me delve into the workings of wind turbines as well as further my understanding of hydraulic circuits. Jose and I had the chance to build small hydraulic circuits on training benches (similar to the ones at Purdue), which really helped me comprehend more hydraulic components in a concrete way. We even designed our own circuits, but sadly a defective component prevented mine from operating correctly.

My circuit was supposed to operate a motor at a constant speed, regardless of cylinder action.

         As we worked our way through the basics of wind turbines, I realized that our wind turbine research touched on a lot of topics aside from hydraulics, from aerodynamics to control systems to simulations. While I don't know yet which area(s) my summer research project will cover, I'll hopefully find out in the coming week. I did find it fascinating that hydraulics are already regularly used in wind turbines to control the blades, just not in the gearbox (where the CCEFP's project is looking to implement them).
         Hope everyone else had a great first week too!

First week at the University of Minnesota!

Hey everyone! Week TWO!!!! (or Week One of actually being at our site), I've been extremely consumed with adjusting to life at the University of Minnesota. So far everything has been going really well. I am work on Wind Power with Hannah Johlas, whom many of you remember from Purdue. It's an awesome experience so far. Turbines are so fascinating and HUGE. I can say that I'm looking forward to my research. I don't quite know what I'll be focusing on as my advisor is allowing us the unique challenge to pick our own topic. As I type this I'm reflecting upon what I will be committing my time to on a research topic. I should know this week on what I'll be choosing! Fingers crossed! My next blog post for #3 (this Friday!) I plan to have a full video for all of you guys to see what we have going on at the CCEFP - University of Minnesota site!

Week One

Before bootcamp, I did not know anything except how an axial piston pump works thanks to an early demonstration by Dan and Lizhi, my graduate mentors. However, I enjoyed broadening my understanding and getting to see the potential that fluid power has. I gave me a lot more motivation for the project I am working on, as I saw that it could have tangible results on pump designs, which would in turn affect a great deal of machinery and industries. One part that I found particularly interesting was hydraulic circuits, especially the parallels that can be drawn between them and electric circuits. It was very interesting to me to see how the flow of fluids and electrons, which are on completely different scales in terms of size, have very similar physical relationships and in some cases can even be modeled with the same equations. I also enjoyed the hands-on hydraulic circuits we were able to work with, and enjoyed Kaseem's lecture and demonstration of the displacement control technology he developed. Overall, I felt I learned a huge amount and am much more ready to tackle my research project.

Andrew A. Bio

My name is Andrew Adelsperger, and I am from Peru, Indiana. I attend Purdue University, and am studying Nuclear Engineering. I am now a Junior. I enjoy reading, hiking, and fishing in my limited spare time. I will be working with Professor Ivantysynova at the Maha Fluid Power Research Center through SURF this summer. There I will be studying mixed friction in axial piston pumps, and I will have to determine how great of a factor it is in real life and what impact it could have on simulations.

Good morning REUs!

Reading through your blog posts, it does appear you're getting quite acclimated to your new research home!  The excitement is contagious!  

Week 2 Blog Topic:    Where are you surprised to find fluid power in everyday applications?  Now that you are working with hydraulics and pneumatics, are you more aware of fluid power in day-to-day that you'd never noticed before?  Having a new awareness, do you find yourself surprised at how easily you can pick out a fluid power device or technology that may not have captured your interest before?  Please share!

Blogging Incentive:   I realize you're all very busy, it's summer, and any moment you're not working hard on your project, you're likely taking a breather.  I get it!!  I want our REU Blog to be a fulfilling and engaging experience, but I recognize it might easily become one of those tasks to dismiss.  So, I'm offering you an incentive to maintain your weekly blogging commitment.  All who post 90% of the weekly blogs are eligible for a $25 Amazon gift card at the end of the summer.

Week One

Hey guys,

It was great to meet everyone last week at Purdue and I hope everyone is having a good first week at your REU locations.  The bootcamp was informative and it was great to meet everyone, Purdue faculty & grad students included.  All of the Purdue professors, post-grads, and grad students did a great job covering the material.  It was awesome to see current Ph.D. work that is being done on the campus to give a better idea of what Fluid Power covers.  The bootcamp helped to expand upon the prior knowledge of Fluids that I had and provide a non-theoretical basis for the Fluids knowledge I'd already had.

The first week at GT has been good, a lot of reading of background documents (primers, research status updates, manuals, etc.) in preparation to begin my portion of the Hydraulic Pressure Energy Harvesting (HPEH as everyone here calls it).  All of the professors and grad students I've met here have been helpful and informative, as has the person who was previously working on the portion of the project that I'll be taking over for the summer.  It's also consisted of re-acquainting myself with C coding language and attempting to not be horrific at the language.

I'm really looking forward to the summer in Atlanta, even though the humidity is not something I'm used to at all, and being involved with the HPEH project.

- Tanya.

Week 1

Hey all!

First two weeks have been a success!

The boot camp was fantastic. I’d taken a class for fluid mechanics, but the boot camp blew my mind in regards to the potential of fluid power. Both the lecture and lab sessions were an exciting kick-off to a fruitful summer experience. Apart from that, the other REUs are fun and intelligent people who are really easy to talk to. I enjoyed spending time with you all and I hope we meet again! Thank you to the CCEFP REU coordinators! Your attention to detail was phenomenal and I couldn’t have had a better experience!

This first week at UMN, I’ve met my team and other students/professors working on fluid power projects. My team has been welcoming and helpful! Additionally, I’ve gotten my hands dirty playing with carbon fiber and mineral oil (though not at the same time). I’m currently working to construct a carbon fiber shell for the HAFO, working on CAD models for the HAFO, and generally helping with other tasks. I can tell this is going to be a great summer!

Cheers!

- Faith

Bootcamp

Hi all!

I learned a ton about hydraulics at fluid power bootcamp.  I only knew a little about fluid power previously, and now I feel very confident with the basics.  Before this introduction, I didn't even realize that there was a standardized way for drawing fluid circuits, and in my first week working on my REU project I've already used one.  I thought that all of the labs and lectures were really helpful to understanding different parts of hydraulics.  I feel much better prepared for this research project now then I did before. :)

While I was at Purdue, I was surprised by the size of some of the equipment at the Maha Fluid Power Research Center - I wasn't expected a full sized excavator to be in the lab!

I hope you all are having fun with your research projects!

Sophia Dolan

Purdue Bootcamp

Hi everyone,

Bonding with my fellow REUs over lunch - kudos to Nikita & Don

        Looking back at our time at Purdue, I can definitely say that I learned a lot while having a great time. Before bootcamp, I had no experience whatsoever with hydraulics, but by the end of the week I felt like I had a reasonable grasp on the basic concepts. The professors and graduate students did a great job teaching us so much in such a short amount of time. The lecture and the oil test bench lab really came in handy this week as Jose and I delved deeper into the workings of hydraulic circuits. (More on my first full week to come soon!) I also really enjoyed learning about how pumps/motors worked, and seeing all the various designs. However, I wish we had spent more time with the hydraulic hybrid test bed, because it seemed really cool when we briefly viewed the apparatus.

       Aside from learning about hydraulics, getting to know everyone was super fun too. I thought it was intriguing to hear everyone’s perspectives on college, engineering, and research, especially since many came from a different background than me. I had a great time learning with you all, I hope we can stay in touch over the summer!