EGR 3380 Phase 1 Design Project, Fall Semester 1999

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Feasibility Study for a

“Bottling System”

ASME Year 2000 Student Design Contest

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The ASME National Student Design Contest will provide the basis for the EGR 3380 Phase 1 design project. The complete problem statement can be found at the website:

http://www.asme.org/students/design_contest/Y2kindex.html

Please go to that website as soon as possible and familiarize yourself with the overall project. The ASME National Student Design Contest annually challenges students to develop solutions to practical engineering problems modeled upon problems encountered and contributed by professional engineers.

The problem for this year, involving a system for bottling a liquid as may be used in the soft-drink industry, has three essential, distinct features:

Transporting and orienting a bottle

Filling the bottle

Capping the bottle

For the first phase project in this course, each of these three sub-problems will be addressed by teams of students, with each team working on only one of the sub-problems, and developing a subsystem to solve it.

PROBLEM SPECIFICATION

Design teams in the EGR 3380 class will address one of the three sub-problems of the ASME engineering design contest problem, the “Bottling System”, by designing, constructing, and testing a prototype device that performs the desired functions according to the specifications detailed below. The prototype shall be delivered for testing at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, 9/16. In addition, conceptual plans and specifications must be delivered at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, 9/2.

Sub-Problem 1: Bottle Transport and Orientation

At the starting position, the bottle must be lying horizontal, in contact with the contest surface, and with its open mouth facing a destination target.

The edge of the open mouth must be placed at the start position one meter from the target center.

The bottle may be restrained by rails, chocks, or a cradle, but may not be attached to any other part of the bottle transport mechanism.

All other parts of the transport mechanism must be at least 5 cm from the bottle.

A start signal will be given to activate the system. Once the system is activated (e.g., with a single button push), no external communication, interaction, or influence of any kind is allowed (i.e., the system must be completely autonomous).

The bottle must be transported as fast as possible and set upright in the center of the target.

The system must then return to its original configuration ready to accept another bottle

When the judges have removed the bottle you are immediately required to begin a second trial. You are permitted ten seconds to place a bottle in the same location as in the first trial. No system adjustments, modifications, repairs, etc., are permitted between trials.

The system may be actuated only by unmodified Radio Shack DC motors (part no. 273-223 only). Each motor may be powered only by a single battery (size AA, any type or brand). No additional energy sources are allowed for actuation. Also, any energy storage devices other than the batteries (e.g., springs, capacitors, falling masses, or magnetic devices) must each end a trial with the same or more energy than at the start of the trial. If the system contains any control electronics (e.g., used in conjunction with sensors and transistors), the circuits may be powered by batteries of your choice.

Sub-Problem 2: Bottle Filling

The judges will then give you two one-liter bottles, each containing 1000 ml (+/- 1 ml) of colored water. After a bottle has been placed upright at the designated target location, you must pour at least half (1000 ml) of the colored water into a vented (unpressurized) reservoir on your system.

A start signal will be given to activate the system. Once the system is activated (e.g., with a single button push), no external communication, interaction, fluid addition, or influence of any kind is allowed (i.e., the system must be completely autonomous).

Then bottle must be filled as fast as possible, and without spillage.

The system must then return to its original configuration ready to accept another bottle.

When the judges have removed the filled bottle you may add any remaining liquid to your system if necessary.

You are then immediately required to begin a second trial. You are permitted ten seconds to place a bottle in the same location as in the first trial. No system adjustments, modifications, repairs, etc., are permitted between trials.

Sub-Problem 3: Bottle Capping

A filled bottle will be given to you to be placed upright at the designated target location. You will also be given a cap to be placed in your device at the appropriate location.

The bottle must then be capped by your device.

The system must then return to its original configuration ready to accept another bottle and cap.

When the judges have removed the capped bottle you are immediately required to begin a second trial. You are permitted ten seconds to place a new bottle and cap in the same location as in the first trial. No system adjustments, modifications, repairs, etc., are permitted between trials.

The judges will dry off the exterior of the filled and capped bottle and will then place it on its side in a shallow container for the leakage test.

NOTE: The specifications for the size and shape of the bottle and cap may be found on the contest website.

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