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Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
1
Faculty of Engineering
And Information Technology
ABSTRACTS
CAPSTONE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Autumn Semester 2014
Broadway Campus
26th
& 27th
June 2014
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
2
Use of Bamboo in Engineering Application - (12cp)
Fiseha Akele - S13-155
Supervisor: Rijun Shrestha
Assessor: Emre Erkmen
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Bamboo is one of the most environmentally friendly plants on earth. The use of bamboo is
associated with the culture of countries in East Asia, South Asia and the South Pacific, where
bamboo is used for virtually anything. Bamboo has outstanding physical characteristics that can
be engineered to suit different applications, and increase its use in the construction industry to
eventually reduce the use of conventional construction materials such as concrete, steel and
timber; and hence reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry particularly in
developing countries around the above mentioned areas.
Wide scale use of bamboo as construction material has been limited due to the lack of
confidence with the material for structural application. Unfavourable properties such as hollow
core and the presence of inter-nodes increase the variation of physical characteristics between
individual members reducing confidence.
The purpose of this project is to develop a method of producing engineered bamboo beams with
predictable physical characteristics, to increase confidence in the use of bamboo for structural
applications. By splitting bamboo culms, naturally occurring defects will be distributed
randomly, and the strips of bamboo are glued together to produce bamboo beams with superior
and predictable physical characteristics. The characteristics of manufactured beams will be
determined in accordance with ISO 22157 – Bamboo – Determination of physical and
mechanical properties. Furthermore, the project will demonstrate the practicality of the method
developed by producing a 1m x 1m panel using readily available tools, to insure that the method
developed can be adopted easily with ordinary people with low socio-economic status.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
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Production of Aluminium from Mining Sites to Finished Products in Saudi Arabia - (12cp)
Fahad Alotaibi - S13-195
Supervisor: John Dartnall
Assessor: Holger Roser
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Production of Aluminium from Mining Sites to Finished Products in Saudi Arabia (12cp)
Fahad Alotaibi - S13-195
Supervisor: John Dartnall
Assessor: Holger Roser
Major: Mechanical Engineering
A momentous incident was arrived at on the 12th of December 2012 when Saudi Arabian-based
mining company Ma‘aden, in a joint venture with Alcoa, celebrated the pouring of the first
batch of smelted aluminium from their investment. Driven by the dire need to diversify the
economy of the country from its high dependence on oil together with the rise of the need to
create more jobs to the people of the region, the two companies worked together so as to
engineer and install the first aluminium complex of its kind in the region, which would work
towards the provision of the aluminium needs of the country and the entire region. With the
high availability of bauxite in the region, the companies would use this resource in their
production and processing plant so as to ensure continuous, yearly yields that would drive part
of the country‘s economy, together with providing the raw materials for the heavy-duty building
and construction currently taking place in the country. However, the lack of technical expertise
together with operational infrastructure necessitated the introduction of external international
investors, so to relieve the burden of technology as well as the human resource issue that
threatened to halt the project.
This paper presents an analysis of the production of aluminium in Saudi Arabia project, seeking
to understand the inclinations towards the implementation of the project, what can be expected,
together with some of the challenges that are faced within the project and how they can be
handled. The research will investigate the whole process of producing aluminium from the very
first step of mining the raw materials from the resource reserves through to delivering the final
products in Saudi Arabia.
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Validation of Current Transformer Models for Power System Protection Applications -
(12cp)
Gregory Bartolo - A14-019
Supervisor: Youguang Guo
Assessor: Steven Su
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Historically, the NSW electrical distribution company Ausgrid has developed and used models
for current transformers (CT) saturation. These assist in predicting the performance of current
transformers under fault conditions. To date the accuracy of these models under extreme
conditions has not been validated. Because of this, CTs in use throughout the Ausgrid network
are generally designed with additional margins of error beyond what would be predicted as
necessary by these models. As a result they are potentially both physically larger and more
expensive than necessary.
This capstone project will seek to validate these models by injecting high currents up to 20kA
into a range of CTs used in the Ausgrid network, to cause them to saturate. This will enable
validation of actual performance against that predicted by the models. Actual performance will
be compared to predicted performance of the step model and a power system analysis program
called EMTP-RV, enabling the assumptions and accuracy of the models to be tested. This report
will show both models compared to experimental results have proven to be accurate and this
may allow for efficiencies in the sizing and design of CTs for use within the network.
Supplementary to this research, this project will also test the performance of a non-conventional
fibre-optic CT under the similar high current test conditions. The manufacturer claims that this
CT does not saturate under fault conditions. This report will show even though no saturation
occurs, the technology is still under development and other issues such as timing may need to
be addressed.
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Personalised Gaming Experiences via Procedural Content Generation - (12cp)
Kieran Boyd - S13-109
Supervisor: Yusuf Pisan
Assessor: Chek Tien Tan
Major: ICT Engineering Major BE BA
Procedural Content Generation (PCG) has always been an idealistic goal for video game
developers, whereby automatically- and algorithmically-created game content enhances
traditional, linear gameplay. By decoupling components such as non-playable characters,
storylines and level design from the core, static game engine, PCG has allowed for reduced
development costs and game memory requirements, as well as for the catering of gameplay to
the style and capabilities of players.
This project aims to implement PCG within a known platformer gaming system to demonstrate
the advantages of tailored and seemingly-randomised content. Using Java, a customised level
generator will be implemented within the existing coded framework of the Super Mario Bros
clone Infinite Mario Bros, in order to create unique levels of increased playability. The
challenge is to reproduce the distinct style and level design of the original, hard-coded game,
whilst demonstrating improvements to its replayability and accessibility.
The solution involves the implementation of several modern gaming techniques. Collection and
interpretation of the player‘s previous attempts allows for the levels to be customised to the
specific ability and preferred playing style of the user. This information is used as part of the
selection and placement of 'zones', which contain macroscopic challenges for the player, and
'beats', using the frequency of player actions to avoid awkward platform placement or
inconvenient obstacles and rewards.
Beyond the immediate scope of video game academics and similar intellectual stakeholders, this
project will be of direct interest to game developers and players themselves. Advancements in
the way that content is created, stored and presented as part of the video game process can
potentially deliver financial rewards, computer-processing benefits and gameplay enhancements
that could be implemented as part of other gaming engines and platforms.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
6
Investigation and Design of Electric Guitar Distortion Circuits - (12cp)
Sam Bucca - S13-135
Supervisor: Ben Rodanski
Assessor: Peter McLean
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
An enthusiast of both music and electronics is likely to explore an area where the two overlap –
sound effects and audio manipulation. A range of sound effect applications can be found
commercially as ‗guitar effects pedals‘ or ‗stompboxes‘; i.e. signal circuitry that can alter the
electronic signal of an electric guitar to produce different sounds. One popular type of guitar
pedal, known of guitar distortion, comes in many different types on the market, each with
various claims of distinct sounds.
The aim is to simulate and model many sources of guitar distortion, available on the market,
including valve amplifier distortion. The unique sound of the valve amplifier is desirable to
guitarists, as it provides a form of ‗distortion‘ that many people debate to be more ‗pleasant‘
than distortion provided from other sources. The challenge presented is to characterize the non-
linearity of each source of distortion, i.e. the harmonic content, frequency response, delay
characteristics, distortion etc. and to create my own distortion pedal of my own design and
tastes.
In order to achieve this, reference circuits will be constructed and analysed under various test
conditions. My desired guitar pedal will aim to emulate a large range of distortion types with
great allowance for user customization. This is of great interest for guitar enthusiasts who are
faced with unending choices in distortion pedals on the market and prefer one pedal they can
adjust to suit their tastes. The final product will be constructed into the standard guitar effect
‗stompbox‘ fashion.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
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Design and Implementation of Hybrid Scooter Drive-Train and Suspension System -
(12cp)
Christopher Burnet - S13-156
Supervisor: Holger Roser
Assessor: Paul Walker
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Hybrid vehicles are a technology that have been noticeably advancing over the last few years.
With increasing population density in Asian countries and scooters being the ideal mode of
transport, pollution is at an all-time high. The implementation of hybrid technology in all modes
of transport, especially the scooter industry will be a huge benefit to the increasing pollution
issues. Not only is a hybrid vehicle a clean source of transport but it‘s a cost effective option for
the customer. It is true that hybrid vehicle still have certain limitations but with the advances in
more technology it will not be long before greater distance travel by purely electric vehicles will
be achievable.
This project looks into converting a petrol scooter into an electric driven scooter with an on
board generator acting as a range extender. This report specifically focuses on the drive train
and suspension systems of the scooter transformation. The project is a proof of concept design
that implements an electric motor with regenerative braking to drive the rear wheel, as well as
the drive system to transfer the power between the motor and rear wheel. Due to the electric
motor and current swing arm design, an entirely new swing arm had to be designed.
This report proves that the hybrid scooters direct drive system design is indeed possible.
Through the exploration of different belt types, a suitable belt system was adaptable to the
electric motor to achieve the drive specifications required.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
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Real-Time Recognition of Speed Limit Signs - (6cp)
David Chung - A14-002
Supervisor: Wenjing Jia
Assessor: Qiang Wu
Major: Computer Systems Engineering
Recognising road signs automatically can assist drivers navigate the road safely by providing
information about the surrounding environment and alert the driver of changes in complex road
conditions. Studies into road sign recognition have been undertaken for many years. This
project focuses on the recognition of speed limit signs. Many existing approaches use variants
of the Circular Hough Transform (CHT) for detecting the circle in speed limit signs. The
Circular Hough Transform can be computationally expensive in relation to time and storage
requirements and this study examines whether improvements can be made in this area. A speed
limit sign recognition system is proposed, implemented and evaluated. The system is comprised
of four stages: Colour Segmentation, Sign Detection, Digit Segmentation and Recognition.
Colour thresholding within the Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) colour space is used to locate
regions of interest in an image where a sign may be located. The Randomised Circle Detection
(RCD) algorithm is modified and improved for detecting the location of speed limit signs in an
image. Digit segmentation is used to extract individual characters of the speed limit number
from the sign. Recognition of the digits on the sign is performed by a Multi-Layer Perceptron
(MLP) neural network. The system is assessed using images of road scenes with Australian
speed limit signs. Limitations and advantages of the system in relation to robustness and
accuracy are identified as well as future improvements and development work.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
9
Advances in Geosynthetics Relating to Slope Stabilisation - (12cp)
James Clare - S13-107
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Ali Parsa Pajouh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Slope construction is increasingly using geosynthetics to provide stability and increase the
factor of safety. Having stable slopes is critical as land is becoming more sparsely available
leading to steeper batters and other more expensive retaining structures to free up usable land.
To establish how much the factor of safety has been increased through the use of the
geosynthetics the Limit Equilibrium (LE) and Finite Element Method (FEM) are being used.
Due to the development of powerful software tools, such as PLAXIS 2D, the use of FEM is
becoming more widely used in slope stability calculations as it executes a more accurate
analysis.
Typically embankments and other critical slopes are constructed out of specially selected
materials that may have elements that have been mined from unsustainable natural resources.
This type of material is generally used as it provides the most stable solution to slope
construction. As the use of natural resources comes under more scrutiny there is more pressure
to use other soils consisting of less selected materials. This can result in a weaker soil body
which can then be strengthened through the inclusion of geosynthetics.
This project analyses the factor of safety developed within slopes using both selected material
and non-select material. In addition to this, the optimum location of a single geosynthetic layer
is explored to establish where the highest factor of safety can be achieved. Recommendations
have been provided based on the results and the review of relevant literature. The contribution
of this research to the engineering industry is that it provides a theory on the use of non-select
materials to develop steeper slopes, through the inclusion of geosynthetics, which allow land to
be freed up and used for a more valuable purpose.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
10
The Conceptual Design and Investigation into the Feasibility of a Rubber Tracked Motor
Driven Wheelbarrow Using Off-Road Vehicle Engineering Techniques. - (12cp)
Michael Fleet - S13-188
Supervisor: John Dartnall
Assessor: Bruce Moulton
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The wheelbarrow is a manually propelled vehicle that has been use by people for centuries for
many different heavy and light applications. The current day wheelbarrow is a highly versatile
product that is well suited to both commercial and industrial use, however throughout its history
it has been subject to relatively few advances in design and application. There is a need to
further investigate the design of the wheelbarrow with an emphasis on the load that a
wheelbarrow is capable of carrying and the type of traction system required to support these
increased loads.
The purpose of this Capstone Project is to investigate the feasibility of different design
characteristics and to look at how the wheelbarrow can further evolve into a product that can be
suited to different types of both heavy and light applications for Australian conditions.
This report is heavily focused on the use of wheels or a tracked system as a form of traction for
a motor driven wheelbarrow; and discusses the effects of these systems on the environment, the
user and the overall vehicle. It has been decided to put a primary focus on the practicality and
feasibility of a singular track; allowing the wheelbarrow to operate with a lower center of
gravity and the ability for the wheelbarrow to traverse many different terrain compositions with
relative ease for the user and vehicle. With the advancements in the study of Terramechanics
and both tire and track technology a conclusion on the appropriate form of traction can be
evaluated and made.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
11
Bridge Launch-Over Pot Bearings to Australian Standards - (12cp)
Daniel Fryirs - S13-077
Supervisor: Jianguo Jack Wang
Assessor: Emre Erkmen
Major: Civil Engineering Major BBEBBus and BEBsc
Freyssinet is a global civil engineering company, focused in providing specialist products and
services such as Launch-over Pot Bearings. These are a specific bridge bearing design useful in
the incrementally launched (ICL) bridge production technique, where a short segment of the
bridge is cast on-site and then pushed out along the designed bridge path with a specialized
jacking system. The subsequent sections are then cast directly behind one another and launched
out themselves. This technique requires supporting structures with minimal friction to allow the
bridge to glide over them and not produce excessive stresses in piers and abutments, which is
provided by Launch-over Pot Bearings.
These bearings are designed by the Freyssinet Product Company (FPC) in France. On past
projects it has been found that this causes several issues such as time delays due to the time
differences and misunderstanding of Australian Standards, and can lead to communication
breakdowns. As the design of ICL bridges is an iterative process, the design of the bearings is
required to be very fluid and reactive, and this was hampered by the design process. Freyssinet
Australia required a method to improve the efficiency of this design process to ensure its
competitiveness in this field.
To solve this issue I have created a design program for Launch-over Pot Bearings to AS5100.
The program is implemented in the initial and intermediate design phases of the project to
produce an approximate bearing design. This is used to establish space and load requirements
on the super- and sub-structures, so that their designs can be finalized. With these almost
complete, final loadings on the bearings can be generated and the final design completed by
FPC. The use of this program in the design process will greatly improve efficiency and ensure
Freyssinet maintains a competitive edge in this specialized field.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
12
Control and Experimental Testing of an Under-actuated Robot in Three Dimensions
(12cp)
Peng Gao – S13-100
Supervisor: Quang Ha
Assessor: Steven Su
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering
Haptic devices have gone through a significant development over the last decade. They are
commonly used in various industries nowadays. When haptic devices are used in real
applications, it is very important to consider their limitations as well as other factors.
PHANTOM Omni is a popular and affordable haptic device which has a six degree of freedom
(6 DOF) positioning manipulator with three degrees of freedom (3 DOF) force feedback.
PHANTOM Omni has six joints. The first three actuated joints control the position of the end-
effector in three-dimensional space (x, y, z). The other three joints are unactuated and control
the orientation of the end-effector (pitch, roll, yaw). Since there are three unactuated joints in
PHANTOM Omni, it is considered as an under-actuated robot which means the force can only
be sent back to the first three joints. However, in order to fully sense a three dimensional
environment, the haptic device is required to have six degree of freedom both in positioning and
force feedback. Therefore, it limits the effectiveness of the device when being used in
applications where torque feedbacks are required.
This capstone project is to apply the current available control theories to the robot in order to
overcome the limitations to increase the usability for PHANTOM Omni. This project validated
and verified the method of applying haptic constraints with a virtual mechanism. The aim of this
control theory is to mask the un-actuated joints of Phantom Omni by using force feedback on
the actuated joints. The pseudo inverse Jacobian control law was used to minimise the error and
to generate the force on robot manipulator to send to the user. The outcomes of this project will
help increase the usability of similar under-actuated haptic devices in real applications.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
13
Class 'A' Surge Arrestor Development and Modelling Insulator Testing - (12cp)
Mahesh Gopal - A13-082
Supervisor: Youguang Guo
Assessor: Steven Su
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Metal oxide surge arresters are installed in power networks to protect expensive electrical
equipment from over voltage surges. Due to recent bush fire events in Victoria, power
authorities in Australia are taking extreme precautions to mitigate the risk of bush fire from
power equipment. As part of this requirement surge arresters are required to withstand the short
circuit test without splattering of molten metals or sparks. In the past, the surge arresters
developed by TE connectivity (my project sponsor) have not met the spark class requirements
of Australian standards (AS 1307.2-1996), the test outcomes have not been consistent.
The zinc oxide blocks (non-linear resistors) used in arrester are suitable for capping transient
voltage surges only. If the zinc oxide blocks are subjected to over voltages (at power frequency)
for longer duration, or due to ageing and moisture ingress, the oxide block lose their integrity
and in extreme conditions, short circuit or arcing can arise between the terminals, the Short
circuit current or arcing leads to severe local heating and results in splattering of molten
particles to the surrounding.
My capstone project objective is to design a surge arrester that meets the standard, the design
aims to minimise the damage to the surge arrester by arcing. Engineers have used arc deflector
(electrodes) to divert the arc from the centre to the exterior of the surge arrester, this is achieved
by knowing the characteristics of high power arcs in open air and medium sized gaps (0.3 -
0.5m), the conditions required to cause break down in air and the influence of external
conditions like wind, magnetic and electric field on the arc.
My design proposes to use an electrode at the terminals of the surge arrester to force the arc
from the centre to outside and concurrently, the surge arrester protection characteristics is not
compromised.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
14
Design as Assistive and Rehabilitate Robotic System for Lower Limbs - (12cp)
Andrew Ho - S13-152
Supervisor: Adel Al-Jumaily
Assessor: Ahmed Al-Ani
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Currently, rehabilitation programs working with people who are physically disabled take a long
time to improve the mobility of patients. There is roughly 15% of the world‘s population in the
physical disability category, finding a solution is vital. The rehabilitation programs should be
improved in a way it will increase the rate of recovery or to the extent individuals can do daily
activity by themselves. For those who still have a chance to regain mobility should be help at
the fastest rate to reduce burden on themselves and those around.
There has been an innovative idea to bring robotic machines into the health sector, turning them
into assistive devices to help, with minimum supervision or help from others, patients walk or
rehabilitate them at a faster pace due to higher repetition of a particular limb movement made
easy by what they call an exoskeleton. This is the method I had adopted and will be using to try
to design a lower body exoskeleton that will move a person leg 30 degrees to mimic leg
movement.
Putting together a low cost and highly effective product is my main goal for my project. This is
important due to allowing the product to be within budget for those with physical disability. I
aim to design a reliable lower body exoskeleton with the use of minimum cost.
This can limit the cost of the over product to provide the end user a cheaper option to speed up
their lower body rehabilitation as a take home portable device.
As a result I have designed and put together a system which takes in Electromyography signals
(EMG) and a hand held device which allows the user to control the extension of their leg.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
15
Hybrid Vehicles - System Simulation and Drive Design - (12cp)
Jun Huang - S13-216
Supervisor: David Dorrell
Assessor: Youguang Guo
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
In order to reduce the gas emission from cars, there is increasing demand for the development
of electric motors for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Nowadays, the most popular electric motor
used in an HEV is the interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM). However, the
permanent magnet in IPMSM is made with rare-earth material. Therefore, HEV with IPMSMs
cannot be mass produced cheaply due to the high cost and secure supply of rare-earth materials.
Electric motors such as the switched reluctance motor (SRM), which are free from rare earth
material, could possibly be the main powertrain for the next generation hybrid electric vehicles.
The targeted SRM in this design project is required to achieve maximum torque 200 Nm in the
constant torque region and 50 kW in the constant power region. The efficiency of the motor
should be above 90 % in these regions. SPEED design software is used to design the SRM. We
mainly focus on the dimensional parameters, winding parameters and control parameters of
SRM. The scenario for this capstone is that we design motor for Toyota Prius. Thus, the
dimensions of the targeted SRM should be similar to the motor used in the Toyota Prius. We
consider that the SRM is current controlled. Therefore, we use current control method to control
the phase currents.
The motor efficiency is important for the HEV. Choosing the right material for the designed
motor is crucial to improve the efficiency. During the design, the main problem was high iron
loss in the high speed range utilizing the given materials in SPEED. Based on the research of
Chiba et al, we imported a material called 10JNEX900 into SPEED. As a result, the designed
motor can achieve efficiency around 94% at 12000 rpm.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
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Investigation into the Effectiveness of Driver Adjustable Brake Bias on Race Vehicle
Performance - (12cp)
Mitchell Hudson - S13-105
Supervisor: Terry Brown
Assessor: Jonathon O'Neill
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Adjustment of race vehicle settings is commonplace across motorsport categories. The ability to
adapt to changing conditions is a major factor to success. Adjustability has been designed into
many different components; giving the driver and team a variety of settings to change in the
pursuit of minimising course times. With a focus on the whole vehicle package, the benefits of a
single adjustment are rarely quantified.
One such adjustment is brake bias; that is the ability to vary the distribution of braking force
between the front and rear brakes. The need for brake bias adjustment comes from the tendency
for lock up to occur under heavy braking. Factors such as weather, tyre condition, brake fade
and fuel load all have an impact on braking and must be accounted for with brake bias. Without
adequate numbers to link brake bias adjustment to braking performance, research was required.
A theoretical model was developed and physical testing completed to investigate the effect of
brake bias adjustment on the longitudinal braking of a Formula SAE car. Both data sources
returned valuable information that was used to analyse and evaluate peak braking performance.
Of importance to the process was the comparison of stopping distance, stopping time, grip
utilisation and slip ratio. The analysis of both data sources demonstrated the importance of
matching brake bias position with dynamic axle loading for optimum brake performance. An
excess of rear braking force on the test vehicle was also highlighted and a link between brake
bias position and stopping distance/time demonstrated. Modelling allowed for the evaluation of
brake bias across different grip levels whilst physical testing highlighted instability of vehicle
handling and reduced driver confidence when brake bias is incorrectly adjusted. The results
quantitatively demonstrate that brake bias adjustment has a significant effect on race vehicle
performance.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
17
Development of an Infrastructure Inspection Platform Based on a Stabilised Quadcopter -
(12cp)
David Hunt - S13-118
Supervisor: Sarath Kodagoda
Assessor: Ravindra Ranasinghe
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming more common in today‘s society.
Researchers are developing algorithms in autonomous navigation, stabilisation and control,
swarm logic, vision integration and many other interesting topics. These vehicles have
predominantly been used in military and hobby applications however industry applications are
starting to surface creating interest in the potential for these vehicles. Unique to the UAV field
and central to this project is the use of quadcopters in providing aerial filming/photography
primarily for infrastructure inspection purposes.
Central to this development is the requirement for these aircraft to operate in close proximity to
people and infrastructure meaning safety is the primary concern. Quadcopter stability,
maneuverability and mechanical simplicity are key to providing a safe platform that can carry a
payload to record footage. This combined with sensors providing information about the
surrounding environment and about the aircrafts behaviour can remove the need for full
operator control and provide assistive control or even full autonomous flight.
This thesis aims to design and develop a stabilised quadcopter providing a safe and secure
method to perform infrastructure inspection with real-time video feedback. To achieve this,
different hardware components of a typical quadcopter platform are integrated with key
concerns being consistency, affordability and modularity. Open-source software has been
utilised to develop a stable system with particular focus on sensor models, advanced filtering
techniques and kinematic predictions all designed to estimate aircraft behaviour. This combined
with appropriate control algorithms provide a system capable of flying with minimal operator
input, while providing a live stream for the operator to examine. The possibilities of fully
autonomous flight compared to operator assisted flight are also examined due to the limitations
of particular sensors.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
18
A Preliminary Study on the Finite Element Modelling of Playground Surfaces - (12cp)
Patrick Ilagan - S13-117
Supervisor: David Eager
Assessor: Chris Chapman
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Within recent years, the playground industry has received a significant amount of attention
relating to the safety criteria of playground surfaces. This has opened the door to further
experimentation and research to better understand the performance criteria, behaviours and
properties of the materials which govern its effectiveness as an impact attenuation material.
This capstone project extends the study of playground surface material into the finite element
method (FEM) through ANSYS Workbench, and explores the application and limitations of the
method in the study of these surfaces. Through physical experimental testing, the materials are
observed for their behaviour under various deformation modes to explore their effectiveness in
impact attenuation. This testing also serves the purpose of fitting material properties into the
material within ANSYS, and to provide a benchmark in which it can be modelled against.
Testing of playground surfaces (shredded rubber tyres and EVA) was conducted in
compression, tension and dynamic impact to explore their non-linear material properties and
behaviours and its effectiveness in energy absorption. Heuristic and mathematical approaches
were conducted to model the material using constitutive material models (Mooney-Rivlin and
Ogden models).
A heuristic approach was applied to model the shredded rubber surface due to the difficulties in
fitting a constitutive material model. This approach yielded simulations with similar results, and
a deeper understanding of the factors involved in impact attenuation was gained, including
incompressibility, friction coefficients and material constants.
Success was seen using a mathematical approach using the Mooney-Rivlin model of 95RD
EVA in a tension deformation mode. Using this model does however limit its accuracy in other
deformation modes such as compression.
Template for Capstone Project D/HD Presentation Day
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An Investigation on the Benefits of Pre-Cast Concrete Wall Construction for Medium and
High Rise Residential Buildings. - (12cp)
Robert Johnston - S13-179
Supervisor: Anne Gardner
Assessor: Shami Nejadi
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The precast concrete industry has been identified for rapid growth in Australia over the next
decade. Government funded research programs for the past 15 years have aimed to identify
aspects of the construction industry that either encourage or hinder precast concrete use.
Through these research programs, an improved National Code of Practice was released in 2008
to increase awareness of the precast concrete industry.
This investigation focuses on evaluating the use of precast concrete panels as load-bearing walls
for medium-rise and high-rise construction and identifies the benefits to be gained over the in-
situ technique. The report contains background information relating to materials used in precast
panel manufacturing, structural analysis and design of precast concrete walls, methods of
connecting precast panels and the sealing of joints that are introduced in this type of
construction. In addition, handling, transportation and erection of precast walls is a vital aspect
of precast concrete construction and forms part of the study.
For both the medium-rise and high-rise cases, finite element software has been used design the
structural walls and produce final material quantities. Detailing of the reinforcement and
connections provides a comparison between the two types of construction. The construction
cycle-time for the in-situ and precast methods has been compared to identify the time saving
benefits. Furthermore, each technique has been cost-estimated to demonstrate the benefits from
an economic perspective.
This study shows that the precast method of construction can be advantageous by moving the
wall manufacturing process off-site, whilst other components of the project are being
constructed. The precasting process must be repetitive in nature, consist of high volumes of
standardised panels and connected in a simple manner to reduce construction time. However,
some of the real benefits are difficult to quantify, and without evidence of it advantages, leads to
contractor resistance.
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Design and Development of a Surface Electromyogram (EMG) Sensor - (12cp)
Kalle Jolla - S13-089
Supervisor: Adel Al-Jumaily
Assessor: Ahmed Al-Ani
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BEBBus and BEBSc
The electrical activity of skeletal muscles is measured and recorded by a surface
electromyogram (EMG) sensor. The myoelectric activity is captured via the use of surface
electrodes to insure a non-invasive procedure for the subject. EMG sensors are essential in
many applications of neurology and rehabilitation devices for exercise physiology and
prosthetics. This project is intended to design and develop an EMG sensor that is cost effective,
small in size and of a high performance.
The current EMG sensors available are costly and most of the commercial EMG sensors can‘t
be afforded by the public. Moreover, the current design and specifications only meet certain
criteria‘s with size being a major issue therefore the need for a cost effective, small EMG sensor
was required. This was achieved by numerous comparisons between existing design and
researching various circuit models in order to design and modify one that is of high
performance.
As elecrtromyographic signals are often apparent to noise due to power lines and motion
artifacts the signal is required to be amplified for noise isolation when it‘s first captured. This is
achieved by an electrode amplifier circuit of high input impedance and increased common mode
rejection (CMRR) ratio. The construction of this EMG sensor was built upon passion for
bioelectronic devices and the need for one to be used in a prosthetic hand for its purpose in post-
stroke rehabilitation. The prototype was simulated and tested numerous times before its
construction to insure its validity before it can be printed onto a PCB.
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Controller Design for an Automatic Hybrid Bicycle Drive - (12cp)
Adam Kemp - S13-172
Supervisor: Peter Watterson
Assessor: Steven Su
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Over the past decade, cycling has experienced a resurgence in popularity, a result of rising fuel
prices, worsening traffic congestion, overcrowding on public transport, a greater awareness of
the importance of exercise and growing concerns over the environmental pollution emitted by
motor vehicles.
This project focused on designing a controller for an automatic hybrid bicycle, which offers a
very efficient form of transportation by combining human power and electric assistance via an
electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT). This allows cyclists to ride for longer
distances at higher speeds whilst be less fatigued and sweaty when they arrive at their
destination and reduces the complexity of having to change gears.
This electric-assist bicycle allows the cyclist to pedal at a constant cadence and effort,
independent of the bicycle's speed and gradient and without having the need to manually change
gears. The controller (hybrid energy management system) varies the desired level of electrical
assistance given to the cyclist and includes two overall control loops for the bicycle speed and
rider cadence. The cyclist communicates their desired bicycle speed to the controller by varying
their pedaling torque. This system also includes regenerative braking, where the electric
motor/generators are used to recharge the battery.
Initial simulation results have shown that this bicycle can reach a top speed of 35 km/hr using
the maximum electric assistance legally allowed (200W) on a flat terrain with no headwind,
with a range in excess of 40km before the battery will need to be recharged depending on the
battery size. This is comparable to the average vehicle speed in urban environments, supporting
the overall feasibility of this design prior to entering the prototype stage.
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Development of a Modernised Software Platform for an Educational Robot System -
(12cp)
Christopher Kerr - S13-123
Supervisor: Peter McLean
Assessor: Ben Rodanski
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
In 48540 Signals and Systems, a robot platform, called the ―Maze Rover‖, is used to teach
signal and control theory concepts to Electrical Engineering students. This robot is built upon
obsolete technology, and a replacement is under development.
The current Maze Rover platform is based upon the Freescale MC9S12A512, a 16-bit fixed-
point microcontroller. Whilst this chip is very capable, its current application as the controller
for the ―Maze Rover‖ pushes its capabilities to the limit, leaving no capacity for future
expansion of features.
The new platform is built on a Freescale Kinetis 32-bit microcontroller, which provides vastly
improved performance and a number of additional capabilities. This project demonstrates the
reimplementation of the Maze Rover software on this new platform, performed in C99 using the
Freescale CodeWarrior toolchain.
A literature review of best practices in embedded development was conducted, leading to the
development of an Embedded Software Coding Standard. This standard has been extensively
documented and rigorously adhered to, to demonstrate the development of high-reliability
embedded software.
The core of the project is the development of a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for this new
platform. The HAL provides serial communications via UART and SPI, data acquisition,
analogue output, and EEPROM emulation. It demonstrates the application of several interesting
features of the new platform, including the highly configurable hardware SPI implementation
and use of the Direct Memory Access peripheral.
The project also implements the original Maze Rover features, including modulated wave
synthesis, tone detection, and a phase locked loop. These features have been tested to be
functionally identical to the original platform.
Future development may extend this work by implementing a real-time operating system. The
new platform‘s improved speed provides ample capacity to run additional tasks, such as driving
an LCD-based Human-Machine Interface or performing network communications over TCP/IP.
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Comparison of Actual Settlement Versus Predicted for the North Strathfield Rail
Underpass Tunnel - (12cp)
Shane King - A14-028
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Emre Erkmen
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
This report is a case study on a shallow driven under live rail traffic, which demands minimal
ground settlement to ensure commuter safety. Prior to construction, a finite element analysis
was completed using Phases2 Geotechnical Modelling software. The aim of this report is to
assess the effectiveness of these techniques by comparing the results to settlements recorded
during construction.
To achieve this, the predicted geotechnical profile and tunnel settlement cross sections, were
compared to recorded construction data including:
• Face-mapping,
• Surface settlement,
• Tunnel convergence measurements, and
• External factors such as rainfall and train movement.
This was completed for the full length of tunnel excavated to date, and at chainages where
settlement estimates were made.
Tunnel settlement was generally found to be around 2mm compared to the 5mm predicted. This
value is closer to the calculated value, but was increased for the final judgmental estimate. The
reason for such small and consistent settlement values is primarily due to the construction
method and tunnel design. The tunnel implemented a circular arch, and the rock below the
springline (where the circle joins the vertical sides) was found to be of much higher strength.
Overlapping 12m long canopy tubes were installed prior to excavation, as well as a grid of
fiberglass dowels directly into the tunnel face. This restricted the amount the face heaved during
excavation and prevented a progressive longitudinal settlement trough being generated ahead of
the tunnel.
These results support the use of finite element analysis software, combined with refined
techniques from previous works, to assess and develop geotechnical designs. They also
demonstrate that specialised techniques for particular soil conditions can achieve minimal
settlement with predictable results.
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The Rehabilitation Indoor Bicycle Control System - (12cp)
Sangwon Lee - S13-226
Supervisor: Steven Su
Assessor: Li Li
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Aerobic exercise is a good method of health assists for personal training and rehabilitation. In
addition, the concern toward health is become increased among the members of society now a
days. With these concerns, the popularity also has been grown up among the members. The
most popular method among aerobic exercises is indoor bicycle cause its convenient and
economic advantages. However, even though indoor bicycles, the professional training
machines are expensive for individual training and also rehabilitation purpose. Considering
these factors, mainly goal of the whole project is designing indoor bicycle control system for
individual to access easily and to supply the benefits in economic part. This project has a great
potential to supply opportunity for individual to take an advantage using the system for their
health. Main targets of the project are cheaper and easy controlling system. However, at a first
step of the whole project, the system is realized in the Labview program which is very powerful
and useful design tool before commercializing the products.
The main control system has two type of sensors are used. One is heart rate sensor to sense
user‘s heart rate and the other is magnetic sensor which is installed in pedal of bicycle to guide
pedaling time for user. Both sensors use serial communication method toward Labview main
controller. In case of heart rate sensor, it also uses blue tooth technology to communication with
the device which Labview program is installed at. Main principle of system is that at first,
measured heart rate is compared to profile heart rate which is calculated by selected options that
are ages of user exercising mode and intended time of exercise then depend on the error of the
comparing the sound of pitches and period are changed to guide user. Also, the guide also
supplies as a visualization method on the control panel. The user can easily control and obtain
information through control panel. Also, the graphs of profile heart rate graph and current the
rate of user are presented on the control panel.
It can be expected positive influence not only personal training purpose but also medical
rehabilitation purpose when this system is commercialized in the future due to its enhancement
of economy and convenience.
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Recent AdvanceS and Technology in Soil Nail Construction - (12cp)
Yinglang Liang - S13-205
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Ali Parsa Pajouh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Nowadays, as the issue of the overpopulation, more and more buildings are required and due to
the limitation of the ground spacing, buildings are required to be constructed on a site where
large slope is existed, moreover, unstable slope may present danger to people‘s life and
property, Hence, earth retention techniques are required to stabilized slopes and protect people‘s
life. Soil nailing technology can be regardED as one of the cost effectively earth retention
system, that used to reinforce and strengthen slopes by installing a series soil nail bars into a
slope.
The aim of this project is to evaluate and provide recommendations on different types of soil
nailing construction technologies. The report presents four types of soil nailing construction
systems, each of them has a comprehensive review in terms of their advantages and limitations
when encounter in different soil conditions. Suggestions are provided for how to choose a
suitable soil nailing system to be constructed in the following aspects: the soil conditions, time
and cost.
The innovation way of building of ―road under bridge‖ by box pushing using soil nailing
technique was chosen as a detail case study to evaluating the chances of using traditional soil
nailing technique in the innovation manner. Two failure case studies have selected to address
the possible failure manners that soil nailed slope collapse in the practice and recommended
remediation works is provided. In addition, from studying and evaluating the existing soil
nailing technologies, a possible and feasible idea has come out for increase soil nailing pull out
resistance, which is installing a soil nail bar by using of modified soil nailing centralizer
combined with pressurized grouting. This idea can be further developed and tested for the
efficiencies in traditional grout soil nailing system.
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Recent Advances and Technology in Soil Nailing Design - (12cp)
Qi Liu - S13-209
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Ali Parsa Pajouh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
As both urban and rural areas develop in a rapid pace, more and more earth works are involved
in the developing stage. Without any doubts, slopes in terms of nature and cut will be
encountered in plenty of earth works. Hence, considerations upon slope stability are needed to
be taken into. Given that, soil nailing, as an earth retention technique, provides temporary or
permanent support by installing an array of nails (slender steel bars) to stabilize soil slopes,
retain excavations and underpin existing cuts. Furthermore, soil nailing can be applied to in
disaster situations, such as earthquakes as a cost-effective technique.
The purpose of this project is to gain the knowledge of soil nailing systems regarding to its
advantages and limitations over other earth retention techniques. Furthermore, factors affecting
a soil nailing system, such as soil conditions and its potential failure modes are identified and
evaluated respectively based on the literature review. A case study of a 15 m vertical soil nailed
wall is provided to identify significant parameters to facilitate the design of a soil nailing wall.
Then, developed spread sheets in this study and a software package (Snail Plus) are utilised to
analyse and design the soil nailing wall based on different failure mechanisms.
The system designed by both spread sheets and Snail Plus software are verified by an
illustrative example, provided in this study. Finally, recommendations are made for better
design in terms of safety aspects and cost-effective issues. The outcomes and recommendations
of this study may assist geotechnical engineers in identifying and determining key parameters
affecting the design process significantly of a soil nailing system and selecting the most
appropriate and reasonable methods for a proper design.
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Comparison of Complementary and Kalman Filtering - (12cp)
Xi Liu - S13-193
Supervisor: Steven Su
Assessor: Li Li
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is an electronic device that measures an object‘s motion in
space. This type of technology enjoys ever accelerating development, posing a tremendous
influence on the everyday life of individuals. Accompanying the appearance of such
technology, a range of newly-developed products and concepts have come to the market, which
have been utilized in many hi-tech gadgets. A smartphone with IMU embedded inside can
detect the precise self-movement. For instance, racing games these days can be controlled by
tilting the device, which creates a dazzling amount of interaction between users and the
equipment itself compared with buttons before. Wearable devices such as smart watches and
wristbands are able to determine the health level of the user by detecting the movements of the
users. Considering these factors, the main goal of the project is to compare two filter methods
Kalman filter and complementary filter, one of which involves complex computing, and the
other one is comparatively easy to implement and requires less computing power.
IMU consists of three components, an accelerate meter, gyroscope, and a magnetic sensor. Each
component has its own advantages and disadvantages. The accelerate meter provides accurate
readings in still condition. However, it is influenced in motion. Gyroscope, on the other hand,
can provide useful data in fast movements, while it will drift with time. The magnetic sensor
can provide stable readings of orientations, but it is heavily interfered by the surrounding
environment. The two filters coordinate the data measured by the three sensors, and make up for
each other‘s disadvantages in order to minimize the inaccuracy. The Kalman filter in theory can
provide a higher accuracy, while it demands a large amount of computing power.
Complementary filter, on the other hand, can provide a reasonable result requiring a small
amount of computing.
The study will aid low-end devices to achieve the function of IMU. Meanwhile, the high-end
devices will have the possibility to improve their accuracy.
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An Overhaul of the Design and Manufacturing Procedures for Commercial Tilting Pans -
(12cp)
Marcus Low - A14-025
Supervisor: Paul Walker
Assessor: Jin Chen Ji
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
In today‘s economic climate, manufacturing in Australia has become less common. With
cheaper manufacturing prices internationally and local cost of living increasing, it has become
increasingly difficult for the Australian manufacturing industry. To stay competitive, local
companies have had to adapt by creating a better quality product more efficiently.
This report looks at the detailed redesign of the ―Bratt Pan‖, a locally designed and
manufactured tilting pan product. The ―Bratt Pan‖ consists of a 150L saucepan mounted above
7 natural gas burners and is used to cook large quantities of food in commercial cooking
applications. The manufacturing and servicing processes currently implemented are inefficient
and as a result are heavily cost ineffective. Due to poor design and lack of proper
documentation, the sale of this product is squandering company resources and making it
difficult to compete with international manufacturers.
The data collected from function testing procedures, cost and time analysis, interviews with
factory workers, supervisors and service technicians allowed an understanding of the roots of
the problem and the solutions available.
It was found that a complete overhaul and redesign of components including frame, firebox,
manifold, surface panels, lid and hinge increased materials costs by 1% however saved
production times by up to 30% and resulting total fabrication costs by 15%. To ensure future
manufacturing costs are kept to a minimal, a Process Work Instruction and complementary Unit
Testing Procedure of the Bratt Pan were produced.
The findings in this thesis were that improvements in design and documentation; and the
implementation of consistent manufacturing procedures are critical to improve efficiency and
stay competitive. The implementation of time and cost analysis, as well as Process Work
Instructions and Unit Testing Procedures throughout the manufacturing industry will improve
efficiency and ensure a positive future for local manufacturing.
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Embodied Energy Calculator - (12cp)
Ryan Matthews - S13-088
Supervisor: Ken Halstead
Assessor: Michael Mobbs
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering Major BEBus and BEBSc
The construction of apartments requires a huge amount of energy and resources in order to
reach the final product. With the large-scale nature of the production of the apartments, the
smallest changes in design, methodology and construction techniques can lead to a significant
saving in resources and consumption of energy.
The project has created a simple calculator which can be used by any person without training,
whether a school student or teacher, a client developer, a project manager, an engineer or an
architect or citizen. The calculator has been published on a website and made freely available.
The calculator provides positive options so designers, builders and policy-makers may easily
estimate the impact of their choices on the development such as materials, construction methods
and building design. The calculator provides the user with figures for their specific development
for embodied energy, carbon emissions, operational energy and water. The data for the
calculator has been obtained through a mix of primary research, published articles and research
databases such as the inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database.
The project examines current examples of sustainable development from all over the world as
well as Sydney Australia. It demonstrates ways of implementing this to become standard
practice in construction of buildings in order to significantly reduce the environmental impact of
construction in parallel without impacting a projects completion time or increasing the budget.
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A Comparative Study into the Impact Attenuation Effectiveness of Sydney Rugby Union
Oval Surfaces - (12cp)
Thomas Matthews - A13-187
Supervisor: David Eager
Assessor: Chris Chapman
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BEBBus and BEBSc
Children should be encouraged to participate in competitive sport. Such activities represent a
vital contribution to a child‘s growth and development. A concern with contact sports like
Rugby Union is the hesitation from parents due to their perceptions of the game, and the
likelihood of injury. This concern can be compounded if the playing surfaces provided,
particularly at club level, are not maintained to a safe condition.
The quality of playing surfaces throughout the Sydney area varies considerably. In Australia,
there is no recognised minimum standard specific to Rugby Union ovals. The performance of
impact attenuating surfaces is governed by the Australian and New Zealand Standard
‗Playground surfacing – Specifications, requirements and test method AS/NZS 4422:1996‘.
This standard specifies the required performance of playground surfaces when absorbing an
impact.
This project has successfully explored and analysed impact attenuation data from various Rugby
Union playing surfaces in the Sydney area. Testing has covered ovals over a range of quality
and maintenance levels, to provide an effective comparative analysis. In addition, the results of
two separate headforms (data acquisition units) have been compared at identical locations on a
field. This has provided an understanding of how each unit returns data, and the reasons for any
discrepancy between the results.
The research has found that the inclusion of a cricket pitch within the boundaries of a playing
surface dramatically increases the likelihood of injury. This was measured using parameters
such as Head Injury Criteria (HIC) and maximum g-force during impact (gmax). Further, the
results provided by each headform vary due to their mass, shape, material properties and impact
velocity. It was found that the larger impact surface area and higher mass of the J-type
headform generally resulted in more compression of the surface and shorter contact times. This
produced higher HIC and gmax values.
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Prototype Development of an Efficient Air-Conditioning System with (Condensed) Water
Evaporation - (12cp)
Nathan McCartney - S13-171
Supervisor: Jianguo Jack Wang`
Assessor: Sarath Kodagoda
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The vapour compression cycle is the most feasible method of keeping occupants cool and
comfortable on public transport. This project aims to improve the efficiency of the vapour
compression cycle by utilising the condensed water produced on the chilled (Evaporator) coils.
When implemented in public transport this has the benefits of utilising a by-product, which
conventionally goes to waste, to increase the effectiveness of the air conditioning unit whilst
maintaining a closed system.
To achieve these improvements the condensed water will be utilised in two main areas. The
first, to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant in the system after exiting the
condenser with the use of a heat exchanger. The second is to reduce the temperature of the air
passing over the heated (Condenser) coils through evaporative cooling. The addition of these
processes will aim to reduce the power input required, and increase the cooling capacity of the
cycle.
The intention of the design is to be feasibly implementable on buses. This gives greater value to
the condensation produced as the system needs to be self-containing and adaptable to the
already implemented air-conditioning systems on public buses. Through the analysis of the
results obtained from the experiments carried out, calculations were used to determine the
feasibility of implementing a heat exchanger system and an evaporative cooling process.
Results concluded that it would be unfeasible to adapt a heat exchanger system to an existing
refrigeration unit due to its compact size and small diameter tubing. While the evaporative
cooling process may be feasible, yet it is heavily depended upon environmental conditions
which could not be fully analysed with the available experimental set up. If utilised the
evaporative cooling process can produce reductions in energy input to the vapour compression
cycle which will reduce auxiliary costs associated with public buses.
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Cross Laminated Timber: The Functional Aspects as a Construction Material and an
Analysis of the Connection Systems Available - (6cp)
Thomas McGregor - A14-018
Supervisor: Rijun Shrestha
Assessor: Ali Saleh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BBEBBus and BEBsc
As humans become more conscious of their impact on the environment, a growing need for
sustainable materials within the construction industry has begun to become more prevalent.
There is an increasing understanding in the value of reducing the environmental impact not only
post-construction when the building is in operation but also during construction.
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is a construction material that meets these requirements in
helping to reduce the environmental impact of the construction life cycle. It has been used in
Europe for the last 10 years but only recently has CLT been implemented in Australia. It has
been chosen as an alternative to common construction materials such as concrete and steel. It
possesses similar properties to reinforced concrete with the added benefit of a weight reduction,
minimal waste and constructed from a renewable resource.
This paper discusses the functional aspects of using CLT in Australia as a construction material
for both commercial and residential buildings. It will focus on the environmental benefits of
using CLT, how it can be designed to meet fire engineering requirements and the need to
publish Australian CLT standards to help the growth of CLT construction within Australia. It
will also discuss the benefits and possible issues of the current connection systems used in CLT
construction including wall-wall, wall-floor and other common connections.
The Lend Lease Forté Building located in Docklands, Melbourne is a 10-storey, CLT
constructed apartment block and is the tallest CLT building in the world. This building has been
used as a case study within this paper.
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Steam Turbine Degradation and Performance Testing for Turbine Efficiency - (12cp)
Micherlin Moodley - S13-143
Supervisor: Guang Hong
Assessor: John Dartnall
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Steam turbine degradation is a common occurrence is aged steam Power Plants. This results in
an overall decrease of the Plants efficiency. Operational costs increase and severe damage can
be done to other sub-systems and equipment. Performance testing of a steam Power Plants is a
non-invasive method used to search for indications of turbine degradation. The method of data
analysis of performance testing for steam turbines is important to drawing the correct
conclusion for the type of turbine degradation, if any. Analysis of a turbines isentropic
efficiency is the paramount approach when testing for turbine degradation because it focuses on
the efficiency of the turbine not the entire Power Plant.
This project provides an insight about common types of steam turbine degradation such as solid
particle erosion, material deposition, fatigue cracking and mechanical deformation.
Recommendations are made for the repair and prevention of steam turbine degradation
including the use of protective coatings, strengthen the blades shroud and steam path
adjustments and modifications.
The project utilizes a practical example demonstrating the implementation of performance
testing using daily Power Plant operational data to identify if any degradation of the steam
turbine has occurred. The turbine isentropic efficiencies are calculated for data a few years apart
and comparisons are done to initial design conditions. Key pressures and temperature
parameters are also analyzed. Several sets of data from different parts of the year have been
analyzed to ensure the results are reliable. Recommendations are made to the Plant owners
regarding the accuracy of the instrumentation and further tests that can be done to confirm my
conclusion about the type of turbine degradation.
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Task-Based Evaluation of Robotic Co-Workers - (12cp)
Bryan Moutrie - S13-168
Supervisor: Dikai Liu
Assessor: Marc Carmichael
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Until now, robotic systems have principally operated in isolation to humans. However, new
technologies and needs have seen an increasing number of scenarios in which they are work
directly with humans. Applications of these robotic co-workers include rehabilitation robotics,
materials handling, and enhancing strength or endurance.
To this end, a framework for the task-based evaluation of robotic co-workers has been
developed. There are six core components for analysis in the framework: robot reachable
workspace, robot payload capacity, human reachable workspace, human strength capacity,
human-robot collisions, and the assistance paradigm that governs the physical contribution of
the robot to the task.
The aim of this project is to provide tools to calculate the robot reachable workspace,
robot payload capacity, human reachable workspace and, human-robot collisions. Solutions are
implemented in MATLAB®, and packaged collectively in a toolbox called pHRIWARE.
Three case studies were conducted to demonstrate both the framework and pHRIWARE.
Insights to the workspace size determinants of physical human-robot interactions were gained.
The optimum standing distance from a wall for sandblasting and the capability of a real robot to
assist a person to sandblast was evaluated. This gave rise to a quantitative measure of the
robot‘s ability to assist in the task, called the robot assistance efficiency (RAE) index, being
derived.
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Investigate Noise Reduction on Small Wind Turbine “Focusing on Attaching a
Modification Shape on the Leading Edge Blades” - (12cp)
Muhammad Nurdin - S13-197
Supervisor: Jafar Madadnia
Assessor: Khaled Chahine
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Deploying wind power as the alternative energy has been developed intensively in term of
enhancing energy capture and system efficiency. Wind turbine as the device to generate
electricity by converting kinetic energy into mechanical energy has been experienced to
exposure aerodynamic and mechanical noises. Noise reduction experiments have been focused
on reducing aerodynamic noise where this noise is more complicated to address than
mechanical noise.
The noise reduction experiment on small wind turbines was conducted at the UTS laboratory by
measuring the noise level (dB) for single and double fan. A vibrating beam rig motor drive
(closed loop speed control) was used as a new power supply. The project investigated two noise
reduction strategies such as active noise reduction and blade modification focusing on a new
leading edge attachment. The data was recorded for five different speeds from 600 rpm to 840
rpm with 60 rpm increment.
The experiment shows that a single fan produces a higher level of system efficiency than
deploying a double fan where the system efficiency is down by 30 %. The best noise level
reduction is occurred on double fan 100 mm spacing and the wind speed is decreased with the
spacing increment. A high tip speed ratio on single fan produces a low value of system
efficiency and a low tip speed creates high-level efficiency. However, this condition does not
occur on double fans. Attaching a modified leading edge to the single fan successfully reduced
the noise level for more than 1 dB. Deploying double fan to the system with modified leading
edge attachment proved a decrease in the noise level for up to 3.5 dB. This project will
contribute significantly to the field of renewable energy to improve the development of small
wind turbine which is more efficient and less noise pollution
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Design and Implementation of a Passive 3DOF End Effector for Exoskeletons in Industry.
- (12cp)
Andrew Parker - S13-127
Supervisor: Dikai Liu
Assessor: Marc Carmichael
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Sandblasting is a widespread and important operation in bridge maintenance and ship hull
restoration around the world. Due to the nature of the operation, it contains many risks that can
potentially cause serious injuries to the operator, such as skin abrasions and back strain. Given
the continued reliance on sandblasting in industry for the foreseeable future, there is a need to
mitigate these risks from both an operator‘s and business perspective (avoiding
compensation/Lost-Time injury costs).
A robotic exoskeleton is currently under development at the University of Technology, Sydney
that will assist operators during the sandblasting process, thereby reducing many of the risks
and potential for injury so that sandblasting can be undertaken in a safer and more efficient
manner.
The purpose of this capstone project is the design, production and testing of a passive robotic
wrist joint, or end-effector, to be incorporated with the aforementioned exoskeleton system. The
wrist joint connects both the user and an external sandblasting system to the exoskeleton, and
has three degrees of freedom (3DOF) with restricted ranges of motion so that it can replicate
and assist human wrist movement.
The ranges of motion have been set at: ±50° in the flexion/extension DOF (z-axis); ±20° in the
radial/ulnar deviation DOF (y-axis); and ±85° in the supination/pronation DOF (x-axis).
The design of the wrist joint went through much iteration and various approaches and solutions
were analysed and refined to develop a final design and prototype that satisfied the project
requirements and specification. Sensors were implemented on the prototype to capture the
user‘s applied force and its direction in order to control the movement of the active exoskeleton.
Various safety features were also included in the final design of the wrist such as ―deadman‖
trigger switch to ensure the user is aware while the exoskeleton is activated; two handles to so
that the unused hand can assist in controlling the nozzle direction and away from the blasting
zone.
The result of this project was a design that provides a safe and user-friendly solution for
allowing the user to directly control the assistive exoskeleton while sandblasting.
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Investigation and Evaluation of Current Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Systems and their
Application for Bridge Loading Estimation - (12cp)
Scott Pierce - A13-189
Supervisor: Jianchun Li
Assessor: Ali Saleh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Bridges across NSW are continually subject to overloading events that are beyond original
design intentions and operational capacities. When considered in conjunction with ageing,
overloading can jeopardise the safety, serviceability and life-span of bridge structures.
Increasing heavy vehicle movements across the Australian road network resulting from
population and economic growth has led to a growing occurrence of these events. It is no
surprise then that engineers are seeking effective and efficient approaches to manage this
problem.
Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems are one of a number of potential solutions to the overloading
problem. If bridge engineers can improve knowledge and understanding of the types, quantities,
and extent of loads on bridges by employing accurate WIM systems, there is opportunity for
progress towards creating and maintaining safer and more durable structures.
The predominant objectives of this project are:
1. Investigate and evaluate current WIM systems, comparing globally implemented
systems with current Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) systems.
2. Investigate a specific RMS WIM system to support the findings of the literature review.
3. Explore data processing research performed by UTS.
4. Recommend an improved and appropriate WIM system to implement in NSW.
5. Apply investigative findings to the field of Bridge Loading Estimation (BLE).
6. Provide key recommendations to assist the RMS in identifying and controlling
overloaded vehicles to protect bridge structures.
This project achieves these objectives by making an informative, relevant, and comprehensive
assessment on not only the state of WIM systems currently available, but on how the RMS can
improve their use of WIM systems. Bridge engineers, freight companies, and personnel
associated with WIM in Australia will benefit from these conclusions and recommendations as
there is now a foundation for the relationship between WIM and BLE to be further advanced. In
addition, the project outcomes have the potential to influence key decision making personnel so
that proactive changes are implemented.
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A Comparative Study of Various Earth-Retaining Systems - (6cp)
Peter Polak - A14-283
Supervisor: Shami Nejadi
Assessor: Hadi Khabbaz
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Earth-retaining structures are used to maintain an abrupt change in elevation. The past 40 years
has shown an increased adoption of innovative earth-retaining structures and an increased
availability of short and long term performance data of such systems. Currently there is a wide
range of available earth-retaining system, making it a complex endeavour for designers and
contractors to select the most suitable earth-retaining system for a given project.
This study will propose an earth-retaining system selection model, to assist persons such as
designers and contractors to evaluate the suitability of available earth-retaining systems with
respect to a given scenario—determined through user defined inputs. The objective of this
model will be to allow for a comprehensive analysis to be carried out on conventional and non-
conventional earth-retaining systems, with intent on keeping the model relatively practical.
Through synthesis of available literature and consultation with design and construction
professionals, influences on earth-retaining system selection and currently adopted earth-
retaining systems will be identified and presented in this study. With this information, a
selection model will be created using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.5, allowing users to input project
specific parameters and receive recommendations on the most suitable earth-retaining systems.
A two-staged model, an initial screening stage will be carried out to first determine which
selection factors will be considered in the model and what their importance will be. This initial
screening stage will eliminate systems which would quite clearly not be suitable for the user
defined parameters. The second stage will draw on secondary parameters entered by the user,
with which the remaining earth-retaining systems will be scored in a weighted selection matrix.
The model will then output a list of systems with their corresponding scores, indicating which
systems the model deems most suitable based on input parameters.
Suitable for use as a reference tool for designers and contractors involved in the selection of
earth-retaining systems, this model would provide guidance on initial earth-retaining system
selection for design or bidding purposes prior to detailed design being carried out.
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Development of Engineered Strand Woven Bamboo for Structural Applications - (12cp)
Ian Pomeroy - A14-016
Supervisor: Rijun Shrestha
Assessor: Emre Erkmen
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
We are living on the planet as if we have another one to go to, but we can and must improve our
impact through sustainable choices, especially within the construction industry. The use of
sustainable materials, those that renew faster than they are depleted, has seen the large scale
adoption of green technologies in the past decade and now we must look towards replacing steel
in structural applications with a sustainable resource, such as bamboo.
For centuries, bamboo has been used in certain parts of the world, primarily Asia and South
America, for housing, agriculture and primitive construction due to its abundance, strength, pest
resistance, sustainability and growth rate. Since major bamboo studies commenced in the west
around the 1920‘s, it has gained in popularity with further understanding of its properties and
appreciation of its beauty to the stage that our homes are now fashioned with bamboo
floorboards, bench tops, furniture, utensils, pergolas and many more products made from this
wonder material.
The aim of this capstone is firstly to investigate the advantages and limitations of bamboo as a
structural material, including the current manufacturing techniques of engineered wood
products and secondly, to develop and test a manufacturing technique using strand woven
bamboo mats. The mats were developed by hand to replicate manufacturing conditions
experienced by those who have limited accessibility to modern construction materials and
techniques, so as to raise those communities to a decent standard of living in accordance and
sensitivity to cultural norms. The mats were developed from a single species of bamboo to
reduce variability within the results. This report includes a literature review, stakeholder
identification, test methodology, results and recommendations.
If the results show that the material is not yet fit for structural application, then further tests,
prototype developments and uses will be recommended.
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Application of Permeable Concrete Pavements in City of Sydney Local Government Area
- (12cp)
Anupam Saha - S13-235
Supervisor: Ravi Ravindrarajah
Assessor: Hadi Khabbaz
Major: Civil Engineering Major BBEBBus and BEBsc
As urban areas broaden, the obstacles related to runoff management have become further
strenuous. The focus on the negative environmental effects related to pavement runoff has also
increased. As less stormwater infiltrates the ground or returns to the air through evaporation and
transpiration, due to impervious infrastructure, more stormwater flows over the pavement
surface, carrying with it a variety of pollutants that ultimately contaminate water ecosystems.
These concerns have impelled the current interest in permeable concrete pavements.
Permeable concrete pavement can perform both as a pavement infrastructure and stormwater
management solution. Lacking fines, permeable concrete has a void ratio that typically ranges
from 15 to 25%, allowing it to store and infiltrate stormwater. Permeable concrete allows water
to infiltrate at very high rates, typically 2.54 to 5.08 metres an hour, whereas the underlying
soils will infiltrate water at a much lower rate, usually by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. The
drainage ability can be the source for environmental and financial dividends.
Permeable concrete pavement is a low impact development as it does not alter the natural
hydrological cycle when implemented, unlike a conventional impermeable pavement. This
research represents some of the initial investigations into permeable concrete pavement use in
the City of Sydney Local Government Area. The hypothesis of this research was that permeable
concrete pavement can be successfully planned, designed, constructed and maintained in
Sydney for successful performance.
This thesis presents the findings from the various phases of the life cycle of permeable concrete
pavement: planning; design; construction; maintenance; and decommissioning. The applications
and engineering properties of permeable concrete is reviewed, including environmental benefits,
structural properties and durability. Both hydraulic and structural design of permeable concrete
pavements is discussed, as well as construction techniques. A decision support tool is developed
for evaluating the use of permeable pavements while considering the related decision of
detention pond sizing. The decision support tool will allow designers to assess the attributes of a
particular site against suitable criteria such as peak flow restriction and cost savings. The
limitations of the tool and possible extensions are also discussed.
Due to its low compressive strength compared to conventional concrete, permeable concrete has
had limited use in pavements enduring low traffic volume. Using smaller sized aggregate, silica
fume and superplasticiser in the permeable concrete can enhance the strength, achieving
compressive strength of 50 MPa and flexural strength of 6 MPa. Use of permeable concrete
pavement as a method of stormwater management has shown great promise in previous studies.
Permeable concrete pavements have a number of benefits with respect to sustainable
construction and its management. In particular, permeable concrete pavement has potential to
manage runoff from urban landscapes, treat runoff water through natural biological processes,
manage heat, promote the growth of trees and manage pollution. Permeable concrete pavement
also has the potential to reduce noise resulting from the impact of tyre and pavement. These
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benefits mean that they are able to promote sustainable construction methods, and so assist the
Sydney municipality to better respond to global sustainability challenges.
Permeable concrete pavement has the potential to make a positive contribution to sustainable
infrastructure construction and life cycle management for the City of Sydney municipality. It
can meet stakeholder requirements through less impact on the environment on which
infrastructure are constructed. The major issue that needs attention is the need to apply quality
management closely to pavement and mix design, and concrete placement.
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Effect of Soil Flexibility on Dynamic Behaviour of Frame Building - (12cp)
Sazzad Sarker - S13-221
Supervisor: Emre Erkmen
Assessor: Ali Saleh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
In general it‘s assumed that the structure is resting on rigid foundation to analyse the dynamic
responses of frame building under seismic loads. As well the effect of lateral seismic loads on a
structure is considered same as free field earthquake forces around the area. Therefore the
impact of soil-structural interaction is neglected for the dynamic analysis of the structure.
However, during the ground movements and imposing soil deformation the soil always interacts
with foundations and structures. The compressibility of soil has a direct effect on any type of
building through decreasing the lateral stiffness of the structure. Consequently the natural
period of the structural system increases which influences the dynamic response of the building
under lateral earthquake forces. Therefore soil-structural interaction should be considered to get
more accurate estimation in the dynamic behaviour analysis and design of a frame building.
The main aim of this project is to develop unique computer program that will be able to
incorporate the different soil conditions into the dynamic responses of multi-storeyed frame
buildings under seismic loads. In the dynamics analysis stiffness matrices method and discrete
lumped mass matrices are used to calculate effective stiffness, mass and damping for every
degree of freedom at each joint. As well horizontal and vertical spring-dashpots with the
supports of the structure have been considered to analyse the effects of soil flexibility on a
frame building.
To develop the program by using Matlab three main steps which are information for analytical
model, analyses procedure and output results have been followed step by step. In primary stage
structural and soil parameters such as number of storeys, number of joints, number of
members, density of concrete, soil density, poison ratio and shear modulus of soil have been
stored in the program. Next stage, element stiffness matrices, structural stiffness matrices,
imposed boundary condition, Newmark‘s step by step time integration method and lumped
mass matrices have been used to develop program coding. In the final stage output results have
been compared to the expected values.
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Experimental Investigation of Utilising Robotic Exoskeletons to Provide Specialised
Assistance to the Upper Limb - (12cp)
Christine Sebeih - S13-131
Supervisor: Dikai Liu
Assessor: Marc Carmichael
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BEBBus and BEBSc
The capability to perform simple activities of daily living is essential for normal self-care and
survival. However, for those suffering motor impairment, as a result of disease or other
ailments, these activities may be challenging and result in a lower quality of life. It is common
for these patients to undergo physical therapy in the hope of improving functionality of
impaired limbs. Regular rehabilitation techniques involve constraint induced movement where
patients are required to repeat tasks whilst under restraint with the assistance of a therapist.
However, by introducing assistance by robotic rehabilitation, these tasks can be completed
independently. By first assessing the user‘s capabilities, robotic rehabilitation can provide
physical assistance and potentially strengthen weakened muscles, which will gradually increase
independence and the user‘s ability to carry out regular daily activities.
This thesis will present data through a two part experimental investigation to validate a human
interactive upper limb exoskeleton design. Preliminary investigations will comparatively
analyse Electromyogram (EMG) results of seven muscle groups in the upper arm. Using eight
subjects, the aim is to identify varying patterns in muscle activation when upper limb
movements are performed both with and without the exoskeleton. Part two of the investigation
will involve manipulation of load forces to assess the exoskeleton‘s capability to provide
assistance to the human musculoskeletal system, while also investigating the level of impedance
caused by the device. Assistance provided directly by the exoskeleton will be assessed by
gradually decreasing assistance levels from 100% to 0% and assessing EMG patterns
representing muscular activity. The human interactive exoskeleton has successfully shown a
decrease in required muscular activation with increasing robotic assistance and an overall
decline in muscle activity when using the exoskeleton. Means of further development of the
experimental design, including implementation of tasks to mimic specific daily living activities
and recommendations for further structural development have been discussed.
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Numerical Analysis for Twin Tunnel Interaction in Soft Ground - (12cp)
Hashaam Shakeeb - S13-141
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Ali Parsa Pajouh
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Engineers and Urban Planners are being faced with the competing demands for providing
various critical infrastructures. With above ground space limited in urban areas, delivery of this
infrastructure is being transferred underground, often where unfavourable soft ground
conditions are prevalent.
The construction of tunnels and twin tunnels in particular can lead to alterations in ground
conditions whereby tunnel induced ground settlement and subsurface movements lead to the
structural integrity of a tunnel and adjacent structures being compromised.
Three arrangements of twin tunnels are looked at; side by side, piggy-back and angular offset.
The principle of superposition, in addition to empirical formulae proposed by Peck (1969),
Atkinson & Potts (1979), Mair (1983), O‘Reilly (1982) and Loganathan (1998) have been used
in undertaking calculations based on variations in a number of key parameters including
distance between tunnels and depth.
In addition, the project reviews recent developments in computation numerical modelling. The
non-linear finite element modelling software, PLAXIS 2D has been used to determine the effect
of twin tunnel interaction on surface and sub-surface settlement. The project links the use of
PLAXIS 2D to a case study on the Tabriz Metro Project in Iran.
A parametric analysis has been undertaken to determine the relationship between each
parameter and its associated influence on settlement. Through this a comparison of the results
provided by empirical and numerical methods has been generated.
The results demonstrate the greater accuracy numerical modelling provides over empirical
methods using the principle of superposition. Empirical methods do not take into account field
measurements and ground conditions, resulting in lower values of settlement being generated.
The findings of this study can supplement recent developments in the field of twin tunnel
deformation analysis and reiterate the importance of numerical modelling as opposed to the
more conventional empirical methods.
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Condition Monitoring of Doubly Fed Induction Generator in Wind Turbines - (12cp)
Anom Shakya - S13-220
Supervisor: David Dorrell
Assessor: Li Li
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Doubly Fed Induction Machines have standardized itself as the generators of choice for wind
turbines. Eccentricity in the rotor (non-centered rotor) constitutes a large portion of faults in
these generators. In practice electric machines have some degree of static and dynamic
eccentricity. However higher degrees of fault can lead to rotor-stator rub and heating losses.
These mechanical faults are not easy to identify and cause severe damage to the machine if not
detected.
Previous studies have quantified the use of stator line-current harmonics to identify eccentricity
in 3 phase cage machines like the Squirrel Cage Induction Machines. The existence of specific
non-supply-frequency components in the stator-line-current highlight it as method to identify
rotor eccentricity. Thus far, only cage machines have been under observation and the presence
of these components are unknown in wound rotor machines. The research has diverted towards
other techniques like the power spectral, wavelet and vibration monitoring rather than the cheap
and easy method of stator current analysis.
This project will analyze previous monitoring strategies for the wound rotor induction machines
like the doubly fed induction generator. It will examine the presence of –5th and 7th order
harmonics in the stator current as well as homo-polar flux in the rotor shaft. It will
experimentally analyze the harmonics of wound rotor machines with current signature analysis
method. These results will be useful in formulating algorithms in condition monitoring devices
to identify eccentric abnormalities in the rotor position. Due to the isolation and high cost of
maintenance in wind turbines, monitoring devices will provide a step toward the efficiency and
practical generator operation.
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Use of Inertial Measurement Unit to Improve Maneuverability of a Bridge Climbing
Robot in Confined Spaces - (12cp)
Tejbir Singh - S13-166
Supervisor: Dikai Liu
Assessor: Marc Carmichael
Major: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The purpose of this project was to develop a low cost system to accurately track the position
and orientation of the Bridge climbing robot which is conceptually a mobile robotic arm
designed to manoeuvre on Harbour Bridge.
Bridge climbing Robot a chain of interconnected servo actuators currently relies on servo
encoders to estimate its position. The robot body is modelled as a rigid structure however due to
its own weight an undesirable flex develops at the joints which result in unpredictable
modelling errors. As the robot movement requires path planning algorithm using IGBT camera
sensor as well as collision avoidance with its environment the project goal was to implement
inexpensive MEMs based IMU sensors to approximate the sag in the robot‘s model and correct
its position and orientation estimate.
A simpler algorithm is developed and verified through experimentation along with simulation
plots that calculate the difference between desired transformations applied to joints and the
actual joint transformations that includes extra flex component using gravity vector measured
by accelerometers.
In total four sensors were applied on the robot consisting of seven actuators in particular near
the softer joints identified. Addition of more sensors provided only slightly better
approximation. Two main limitations of the algorithm verified are firstly the method being
dependent upon robot being static or in slow motion and secondly that a very small flex rotation
occurring about gravity axis assumed negligible. Experimentations were conducted in order to
validate the algorithm against these assumptions and also identify future recommendations.
As the future iterations of Bridge climbing robot may incorporate more rigid structure they
would still have finite life span against wear. This work has identified a key strategy that with
the recommendations proposed can provide further positioning control to this as well as other
manipulators based flexible robots.
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Security of Internet of Everything Devices using FPGA Design Methodologies (12cp) -
(12cp)
Nathan Stathis - S13-082
Supervisor: Peter McLean
Assessor: Adel Al-Jumaily
Major: ICT Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The new paradigm introduced by the Internet of Everything (IoE) has also introduced related
security challenges. As IoE devices progressively become smaller, mobile, and the demand for
data transmission speed increases; the design for security encounters new challenges. This
Capstone investigates the security concerns related to IoE devices and also seeks to implement a
solution which addresses many of the security concerns for an IoE style device.
The primary design parameters related to IoE devices include size, power, upgradeability,
portability, and transmission speed. The investigation into IoE device security indicates that
relevant and scalable security also needs inclusion into the above design parameters. The sum of
these features presents a significant challenge for the design of IoE devices.
As sensors feature heavily in the IoE and computer vision as a sensor is especially prominent; a
demonstrable scenario was conceived to showcase the securing of a high definition video feed
in real time. With these design parameters in mind a technology investigation was conducted
into possible solutions. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) was determined as the best
candidate to satisfy the IoE device and scenario design parameters. A Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA
was used to process and secure video from a high definition embedded camera by the
implementation of the Advanced Encryption Algorithm (AES) in Counter Mode. This proves
the concept that a small, mobile, low power consumption and upgradeable system can
effectively secure a high bit rate stream of data.
Future developments include additional functionality added to the scenario. This can include
capabilities to accept and transmit data over a variety of standard communication protocols such
as SPI, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.11, LTE, HSDPA and I2C. In addition the standard of security
can be increased with the implementation of an effective key exchange process.
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Investigation of the Extent to which a Ladder Complies with Australian Standard
AS1892.1 - (12cp)
Daniel Sullo - S13-185
Supervisor: Bruce Moulton
Assessor: Terry Brown
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Ladder related injuries have accounted for numerous hospital admissions and a majority of
these injuries had links to faulty ladders. Injuries sustained whilst using a ladder can be
minimised while following certain safety methods but an understanding of the most common
causes and trends leading to falls can assist in understanding where ladder design can be
improved to improve the overall safety of the product.
This report aims to investigate the testing of a ladder which would be available to purchase at
any hardware store and test if it is compliant with the Australian Standards as advertised. This
will be done through the testing which is outlined in AS1892.1 and must not fail any of these
tests. This investigation will use several of these tests to determine if the ladder is deemed safe
for commercial use and how we must understand that safety should be the largest issue to be
concerned about when designing and using ladders. This can be applied to numerous situations
and may garner concern for greater provisions on what is approved for safe use so that
consumers are not exposed to unnecessary dangers.
This paper explores the possibility that not all ladders comply with the standards as advertised
and questions design principles employed by the distributors of sub-par quality ladders and
whether greater stipulations are required.
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Experimental Investigation into the Impact Attenuating Properties of Rugby Headgear -
(12cp)
Kevin Suwidji - S13-116
Supervisor: David Eager
Assessor: Chris Chapman
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
The International Rugby Board (IRB) constrains manufacturing guidelines of rugby headgear to
10 mm thickness and uniform foam density to 60 kg/m3. There‘s not a lot of flexibility given to
headgear manufacturers to design more effective headgears to reduce the likelihood and/or
consequences of head impacts, particularly with a high incidence rate of concussions and
traumatic brain injury in the sport.
Concerns have been raised within the sporting community that the use of headgear can
potentially provide the user with a false sense of feeling protected. This results in greater risks
being taken than they would have otherwise done without wearing the headgear, which in turn
increases the potential for detrimental head injury. Currently some players use headgear to
prevent physical abrasions and lacerations as opposed to reducing the probability of concussion.
This research investigates the effectiveness of commercially available rugby headgear in
minimizing impact energy exerted on the head. Additionally, various foam samples were tested
that both adhere to and violate the IRB regulations of thickness & density (IRB Regulation 12
Schedule 3.3.1) and construction design (IRB Regulation 12 Schedule 3.2.2). Tests were
conducted to identify potential improvements in current headgear acceptance criteria to improve
performance.
Various parameters were observed and measured during testing procedures including maximum
acceleration and head injury criterion (HIC). It was no surprise that all tested headgear had
minimal effectiveness in reducing the likelihood and/or consequences of head related impact.
It is concluded that the IRB should reconsider the performance acceptance criteria of headgear
used in rugby by increasing the maximum thickness to 20 mm and allowing manufacturers to
optimize the performance by using composite construction designs with densities exceeding 60
kg/m3.
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Rachet Lever Engine System (RLS ENGINE) - (12cp)
Fadi Taouk - S13-102
Supervisor: Terry Brown
Assessor: Guang Hong
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Two major components of modern-day internal combustion (IC) machinery are an engine and a
gearbox which can often cost as much as the engine it is connected to. This increases
manufacturing costs, resource requirements, and fuel consumption. The objective of this
research project was to develop a more straightforward, powerful and efficient IC engine to
address the issue of excess pollution. This engine would eliminate the need for an elaborate
gearbox by providing the same amount of torque per displacement as most other complex
engines with elaborate gearboxes.
A thorough investigation of IC engines was conducted and highlighted weaknesses and
inefficiencies within their design. Mathematical analyses and a review of relevant mechanical
engineering principles resulted in a novel engine design.
In order to evaluate its power and speed, a calculation of the ratchet lever engine system (RLS)
engine torque output was compared to other common IC engines. The results revealed an
approximately 10-fold increase in the engine‘s torque. However, there was also nearly a 4.5
time reduction in its output speed.
A Solidworks design has been completed to support the results calculated and a prototype of the
RLS engine is anticipated in the coming weeks to further illustrate the engine‘s mechanisms. A
limitation of the current design is that it still requires the use of fuel to operate and that it is
slower than a conventional engine. However, it will significantly reduce fuel usage and energy
consumption in the manufacturing and resources sector. The potential utility of this project is
considerable as it can significantly reduce powering costs in the commercial, automotive,
electrical and logistical industries. Future research in this area should focus on minor
adjustments to the timing valve, crankshaft balance and material selection for the RLS engine.
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Study on the Effect of Steel Reinforcement Corrosion on Bond Strength in Polymer
Modified Concrete - (12cp)
Miljan Tepic - S13-137
Supervisor: Shami Nejadi
Assessor: Anne Gardner
Major: Civil Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Concrete is an important structural material used in the construction industry today due to its
high compressive strength. Steel needs to be added to concrete in order to improve the weak
tensile and flexural strength that concrete alone possesses. A major durability issue found with
reinforced concrete has been the corrosion of steel reinforcement. The corrosion of steel
reinforcement leads to staining and cracking which eventually causes delamination and concrete
spalling. As structures have aged, steel corrosion has proven to be a major factor leading to
early failure of concrete structures.
The properties of conventional reinforced concrete can be improved upon by the addition of
polymer admixtures in the concrete mix. This type of material is termed polymer modified
concrete and is commonly produced using polymer latexes such as styrene-butadiene rubber.
The addition of polymer latexes to conventional concrete improves properties such as
permeability leading to a more homogeneous material. This homogeneity assists in improving
the bond strength between concrete and steel.
This project will investigate the effect that corrosion has on the bond strength of polymer
modified concrete compared to conventional Portland cement concrete. Four different batches
of concrete have been cast and three cylindrical specimens per batch containing a steel rod were
used for testing the bond strength. The batches cast included one batch of conventional concrete
and three batches of polymer modified concrete containing 5%, 10% and 15% styrene-
butadiene rubber relative to the amount of cement. Chlorides were added during mixing to
promote corrosion. The specimens were exposed to varying wet and dry conditions for five
months to provide an ideal environment for corrosion. Direct tension pull-out tests have been
conducted to evaluate the bond strength and these tests have provided promising results for
polymer modified concrete showing superior bond strength compared to conventional concrete.
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Construction Technology of Ancient Monuments in Sri Lanka - (12cp)
Wellala Don Nisan Thilakawardena - S13-160
Supervisor: Ravi Ravindrarajah
Assessor: Rijun Shrestha
Major: Civil?
In the ancient times, structural aspects of a building has been given a great importance as they
believed that construction of a well-designed structure would not only have the tendency to be
durable for a longer lifespan but would benefit the people where the techniques which were
used will enhance the future superstructures. Sri Lanka, a country which has a structural history
which spans for more than two thousand and five hundred years has set great examples for the
current technicians in the construction industry as well as the architects. The methods which the
ancient rulers together with the designers used for their structures has done a great impact as
most of the creations are visible in a good state after hundreds of years.
This capstone project primarily focuses on the construction methods and materials which they
have used throughout the different eras in Sri Lankan history. The Stupas, which are the
equivalent superstructure to the pyramids in Egypt takes the centre stage in the analysis of stress
and bearing pressure. The designing forms of superstructures as well as the landscaping
methodologies during ancient times are in focus with the comparison to the modern structures.
Some of the structures still remain as the most remarkable of its kind and the conservation
methods which they have used are taken in to consideration. The knowledge gained as an
engineering student has been put together in analysing these ancient methodologies and have
highlighted the positive facts which would be helpful for the current engineers.
Separate case studies are conducted to address technical and statistical analysis of the chosen
structures.
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Vibration Analysis of Fluid Filled Pipelines - (12cp)
Omer Tokh - A13-247
Supervisor: Jin Chen Ji
Assessor: Terry Brown
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Vibration can simply be described as repetitive motion of a body due to either an initially
present or a continuously applied driving force. It ranges from the simple oscillation of a
pendulum to the complex vibration patterns in engine shafts to vibrations in pipes induced by
fluid flows. The study of vibrations is an essential part of design of any mechanical system
(Rao, 2011).
The vibration due to the sudden opening and closing of a valve of an industrial water tank is
analyzed using SolidWorks. The pipe has a span length of 1 meter and is part of large pipeline
infrastructure. The displacement in the 1 meter pipe due to sudden flow of water causes a
displacement in the entire pipeline structure and results to downtime of other machinery
connected to this structure.
The effect of extending the pipe length is investigated. It is observed that as the length of the
pipe is increasing its natural frequency decreases due to the extra pipe material and a further
reduction in its natural frequency when the pipe is filled with the fluid. The result shows a 42%
cyclic frequency reduction in a 2 meter-pipe and 72% reduction in a 3 meter-pipe for the 1st and
2nd mode, however, the 3rd and 4th mode have negligible difference.
The displacement of the pipe under the mentioned loading is also analyzed, it is observed that
the sectional displacement is 44% when the length is increased from 1 meter to 2 meters and
54% when it is 3 meters. Therefore, the results agree with theory that as the length increases the
displacement decreases because more material is added to the pipe and also resistance of the
pipe movement is distributed across the length of the pipe.
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Development of an Augmented Reality Monitoring Smart Gridding for the iOS Platform -
(12cp)
Amy Tran - A14-026
Supervisor: Zenon Chaczko
Assessor: Robin Braun
Major: ICT Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is currently gaining significant popularity among the
public. This is attributed to new AR centric devices such as Google Glass and the capabilities of
mobile devices now enable the effortless integration with the technology. There are many
possible applications of AR technology including interactive learning in education, and context
awareness in fields such as civil engineering and firefighting.
This project involves utilising AR technology to assist in monitoring independent of the
environment. Currently, there are several sophisticated AR toolkits on the market and by
leveraging an existing framework; the focus can be more on the development of a Smart Grid.
An investigation was conducted to determine which of these existing AR toolkits would be
suitable for integration with this project. The criteria being its capabilities, limitations and most
importantly, the amount of development work reduced. The analysis revealed OpenCV to be the
best candidate based on its powerful image-processing framework, which would also support in
the Smart Grid implementation.
The AR Smart Grid application has been developed on the iOS platform specifically for iPad
devices. The app utilises AR elements to monitor events of a scene, which can be a live video
stream from the device‘s camera or a website, in a Smart Grid overlay. The Smart Grid is fully
configurable and consists of cells that function independently of each other. Each cell is
responsible for its own area and triggers an alert if a monitored event is detected.
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Microtunnelling - Trenchless Technology in Urban Areas - (12cp)
Thuc Tran - S13-218
Supervisor: Hadi Khabbaz
Assessor: Ali Parsa Pajouh
Major: STM90494 Civil Engineering BE
As the social and environment costs are gaining recognised in urban engineering projects, the
demand for trenchless technology, especially for microtunnelling has increased. The project
points out main advantages and challenges in microtunnelling projects, which are highlighted
and re-emphasised in distinct case studies. The project also covers a detailed outline of
Microtunnelling Boring Machine operation, together with various applications and some
variations of microtunnelling techniques.
Further regarding the need for constructing safe microtunnels, the project investigates three
different methods where surface and subsurface settlements of microtunnels are determined,
including the empirical method by Peck (1969) and its development by several other
researchers, Loganathan and Poulos‘ method (1998), and a geotechnical engineering finite
element method using PLAXIS. The project incorporates different geometrical sets of twin
tunnels in deep clay condition in analysing and comparing the results obtained from various
methods mentioned. As expected, the method using PLAXIS yields a higher level of accuracy
in determining settlement of microtunnels, since many soil and microtunnel lining properties are
integrated into the models. The empirical method, however, is relatively simple, where several
assumptions have to be made regarding soil properties, in the determination of the volume loss
factor. The highlight of the theoretical methods is the relationship developed by Loganathan and
Poulos, which predicts quite accurate settlement results, in comparison to this of PLAXIS.
The project also conducts a parametric study using PLAXIS, where the microtunnel depth,
distance between twin microtunnels, diameter of tunnels, soil stiffness (Young‘s modulus),
surcharge, water table, and soil conditions are varied for the purpose of numerical examination.
By establishing the relationship between these parameters and the microtunnel settlement, to
which parameters the change in settlement of the twin microtunnels are more responsive are
also determined. These findings might be useful in the design of twin microtunnels.
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An Investigation into Low Voltage Power Flow Optimization Using Smart Demand Side
Management - (12cp)
Michael Walz - S13-083
Supervisor: Li Li
Assessor: Steven Su
Major: Electrical Engineering Major BEBBus and BEBSc
Energy usage is on the rise. This results in increased prices for not only consumers but also
suppliers. Upgrading infrastructure to meet this demand is costly, with this cost being passed
onto consumers. Peak demand on days of high usage determines the ratings of the infrastructure
that must be used. A higher peak demand results in a higher rated, and more costly, set of
infrastructure being used. This paper proposes and simulates a solution to shaving peak demand,
using an intelligent online demand side management system in low voltage residential
networks. A two way communication system installed at the transformer and within the
customers house allows loads to be controlled while allowing for customer needs to be met.
Results are shown for a residential network consisting of 30 homes. Simulations show that the
peak demand is shaved at a certain level and shifted to the off peak period. The transformer
stays under the rated power and is not overloaded, even though demand exceeds the rating. Use
of such a system would allow for more houses to be serviced by a single transformer, and would
allow for better control of system overloads.
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Improving the Measurement Uncertainty of a Low Pressure Gas Flow Standard at
National Measurement Institute (NMI) by Optimising its Temperature Profile - (12cp)
Zhe Wang - S13-200
Supervisor: Guang Hong
Assessor: Khaled Chahine
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major BE and BEDipEngPrac
A mercury-sealed piston prover, manufactured by Brooks USA, is currently used at the National
Measurement Institute (NMI) as the primary standard for gas flow rates ranged from 0.5 to 20
000 cc min-1. The prover consists of five glass tubes with inside diameters varying from 19 mm
to 144 mm. These tubes are used to calibrate flow measuring devices such as critical flow
Venturi nozzles. Inside each of the tubes, a mercury-sealed piston is used to deliver a volume of
air to the device under test. The mass flowrate is determined from the displaced volume by the
prover and the density of the air. The displaced volume is calculated from measurements of the
cross-sectional area of the tube, whereas the density of air is calculated from measurements of
temperature, pressure and relative humidity. The uncertainty associated with using the Brooks
prover is currently 0.11% (at 95% C.L.). A major contributor to this uncertainty is the
temperature uniformity in and around the tube, which is previously estimated to be 0.1°C
leading to 0.037% at one standard deviation.
The aim of the project here is to improve the uncertainty of the gas flow measurement, which
can be primarily done by optimizing the temperature uniformity of the volume delivered by the
Brooks prover. Preliminary measurements had shown that the major contributor to the
temperature uncertainty is radiative exchanges between the surface of the tubes and their
surroundings and free convection from these surfaces caused by the thermo-lines in the
laboratory where these tubes are used.
The outcomes of this project will be beneficial to Australian industry as they will contribute to
minimizing the uncertainty and increasing the accuracy with improved uniformity of
temperature in the measurements of low pressure gas flow rates using Brooks‘s prover.