Paper details:

Description: The students will complete an analytical-AND-experimental or analytical-AND-numerical project based on
the methods taught in the class, and methods presented in the text. The project topic and outline will be proposed by
the students based on their research/work activities, and will be approved by the instructor. The projects must be
unique, not previously-solved. Teams of five are highly encouraged.
Goals: The first goal of this project is to introduce the physical challenges of designing, modeling (and fabrication and
testing) of structures. The second goal is to make sure that the outputs of the first goal is communicated to others
through a report, and by this way, prepare the students for their immediate future in the workplace. Your audience for
this project assignment is a recent graduate with a B.S. degree in engineering.
Objectives: In order to achieve the main goals above, the objectives below must be achieved:
1) Identifying a challenging yet practical problem (must involve some literature search and discussion with the
professor)
2) Formulating a problem statement
3) Formulating methodology / outline (your “scientific method”)
4) Formulating deliverables that meet the requirements of this assignment (physical outputs and written outputs)
5) Formulating your own goals and objectives based on above AND in line with the project requirements
6) Creating a concise, one-page project Abstract which includes all items above
7) Following the proposed methodology to design, model, (fabricate and test) the proposed system
8) Recording detailed notes and results as project progresses (learning practicing note keeping, data recording on
qualitative and quantitative observations etc.)
9) Creating a concise project report that has been revised and reviewed that presents all information that is noted
above to an audience from engineering community. Supplemental information such as data and computer code
should be presented in the appendix.
Desired Outcomes: At the end of the project, students should be able to:
1) Successfully design and model a structure that is challenging yet practical in a lecture/laboratory environment
2) Personally understand the challenges of designing and modeling through exposure to modeling and fabrication
and through comparison of the model results to testing
3) Being able to successfully (accurately, logically and efficiently) explain all aspects of this project to an audience in
engineering community through writing a project report
Required Tasks and Submissions:
All written submissions must strictly adhere to the formatting requirements listed at the end of this document and listed
in the Blackboard site for the course. All submissions are due before the beginning of the lecture.
1) Preliminary Project Proposal (5 Pts.): A one- to two-page hardcopy Project Preliminary Proposal is due by the
deadline shown in the schedule. In your proposal, please include the following sections: Abstract, Problem
Description, Methodology, and Deliverables (theoretical and/or experimental). An illustration/drawing of your
proposed design is required. No cover page. One submission per team.
2) Revised/Approved Project Proposal (5 Pts.): A one- to two-page hardcopy Project Revised Proposal is due by the
deadline in the schedule. This is the revised and corrected version of the preliminary proposal based on your
discussions with the professor reflecting the final topic of the project (approved by the professor.) One
submission per team.
3) Safety Agreement: All students who are conducting experimental testing and/or fabrication must fill and sign
the agreement posted in Blackboard. This agreement is due by the deadline shown in the schedule.
(Experiments and fabrication are not approved and will not be graded unless the form is returned by the
deadline.) Every team member must submit his/her own safety agreement!
4) Design (CAD) Drawings for Fabrication (10 Pts.): These requirements are for experimental testing. Submit the
hardcopies of the following at the beginning of the lecture by the deadline shown in the schedule. Submit these
to the professor and discuss them in detail during the submission week. Before Friday on this week, revise the
3D CAD files and 2D drafts with accurate dimensions and submit them to the machine shop or for 3D printing.
One submission per team.
a) CAD drawings (3D CAD files and printouts showing all views)
b) Dimensioned 2D drafts (top, side, front, isometric) of your design
c) Parts and materials list (if applicable)
5) Project Reports (80 Base Pts.): Submit the preliminary and the final reports by the deadlines shown in the
schedule. Maximum of 10 pages for the body of the report is permitted. The final project must address the
following items:
a) Identify a need/problem (related to your current or future research if possible).
b) Propose a preliminary system to address that need/problem.
c) Perform the methods learned in the lectures and presented in the course text to design the component or
system.
d) Simulate and analyze the design.
e) Interpret the results of these analyses.
f) If necessary, propose changes to improve the design and implement these changes. Simulate and analyze
the final design.
g) Show final CAD model and 2D illustrations of the experiment/simulation.
h) Discuss the experiment/simulation in detail – you must show several pictures of the actual
experiment/simulation that you have conducted. The pictures must clearly show the details of the
experiment/simulation and the nature of the measurements/analyses.
i) Compare (quantitatively and qualitatively) the experimental/numerical findings to the analytical response –
discuss similarities and discrepancies.
6) Project Presentations: Present methods, simulations and results in an 8 min presentation with approximately 5
PowerPoint slides.