Journal of Undergraduate Research

Brandon Decker and Dr. Matt Jones, Department of Mechanical Engineering This group aimed to construct a system that heated water to at least 38°C (100 OF) – warm enough for bathing, dish washing, and washing hands. Our goal was to create a system inexpensive and simple enough for implementation in Huatta, Peru. We also aimed […]

David Bilodeau and Dr. Daniel Maynes, Department of Mechanical Engineering Background Many metals rust when exposed to moisture and that rusting can cause the item that is made of that metal to break down. A superhydrophobic surface can repel liquids and keep metals from rusting longer. Superhydrophobic surfaces have existed in nature for a long […]

Trevor Terrill and Dr. Matthew Jones, Department of Mechanical Engineering Project Overview The purpose of this project was to conduct a rigorous investigation of each of the approximations made in the development of the pulsed laser method for measuring the thermal diffusivity. Thermal conductivity is an important engineering parameter, but measuring it directly is difficult. […]

Kimberly Stevens and Dr. Scott Thomson, Department of Mechanical Engineering Background and Motivation The flow-induced vibration of the human vocal folds produces the sound for voiced speech and singing. The vocal folds consist of two folds of tissue, one on each side of the larynx, that are nominally symmetric in terms of shape, composition, and […]

Angelina Schwartz and Dr. Eric Homer, Department of Mechanical Engineering The aim of 2ft Prosthetics is to design, test, and distribute low-cost prostheses to below-the-knee amputees in developing countries. To do this, a research and development team focuses on the design and construction of the prosthesis. It is then tested on local amputees by the […]

Suman Pokharel and Dr Matthew Jones, Department of Mechanical Engineering Each day more than 2 billion people cook using open fires or fires in primitive cook stoves that are fueled with biomass (wood, straw, crop waste, dung, etc…). These fires pollute homes and the environment, leading to serious health problems and contributing to global climate change. […]

Braden Hancock and Dr. Christopher Mattson, Department of Mechanical Engineering Introduction In my proposal for an ORCA grant, I provided a plan to assist design engineers in the early stages of the design process. This I proposed to do through the development of a computational environment wherein design engineers could more fully and simply analyze […]

Weston Baxter and Dr. Dale Tree, Department of Mechanical Engineering Goal/Purpose of the Project This project aimed to produce and test an opaque surface on an optical fiber tip that will survive temperatures up to 3000 K. The optical fiber is to be used to measure flame temperature in oxy-coal and other combustion processes. Importance […]

Ryan Anderson and Dr. Mark Colton, Department of Mechanical Engineering Introduction Ongoing research at BYU with the Flapping Flight Research Group (FFRG) is aimed at uncovering the physics behind flapping flight. Discoveries in this field could produce new aircraft designs and technolo- gies, as well as broaden our understanding of natural phenomena. One ambition of […]