Brainstorming - Semester Long Engineering Project

[Challenger]

Stirling or pulse jet?

 

You can always look into the thermodynamics of them.

 

Also whats your intented major Ryan? I looked up PLU and it mentioned 2 years at that school along with 3 at an engineering school... just curious how that works. Would you transfer to UW, WSU, or GU or some other 4 year? Do you have a degree after 2 years at PLU, I saw it mentioned something about a physics minor.

[cockerstar]

Well, I have finalized my basic idea for the project.

Fully electronically controlled potato cannon that shoots at ~800psi. Construction should be all steel, and the base will pivot 360 degrees, and I'm planning on ~100 degrees of horizontal adjustment. Should be able to use an n64 controller (or similar) to lob a potato at least a quarter of a mile when it's all done

I'll be posting another thread in here with progress pics and then a final video. A build thread, if you will.

 

While at PLU I'll get my BA in Chemistry and then I'll transfer to another engineering school to get my BS in Chemical Engineering. It's 3 years here at PLU and 2 at whichever other school I choose to attend. With the first 3 years you can either pick up your BA in chem or your BA in physics. I chose chem because I want to be a chemical engineer.

The transfer is open to nearly any school I want, but I have guaranteed admission to Columbia University in Manhattan, and Washington University in St. Louis if I maintain a 3.0 GPA. Right now I am considering transferring to UW because it's so close and the campus is great (not to mention that their programs are amazing), but having a BS from Columbia would surrrreeee look nice!

The transfer is still 2 or 3 years away (I might be able to pull this all of as a 2-2 program if I bust my ass), so I'm really trying to keep all of my options open.

 

What are you majoring in again Derek?

[Challenger]

Mechanical engineering. So how do you get a BA in chemistry in only 3 years? Is chemical engineering closer to being a chemist than an engineer? No need for statics, dynamics, and those types of classes.

 

Im so glad to only have 3 years left for mechanical, I cant imagine 5 more years of school.

[cockerstar]

It's pretty straightforward as far as meeting all of the requirements. It's just the way the program is laid out. It looks like my third year here is going to be straight chem and physics classes!

There's a huge range of what you can do as a chemical engineer. From what I understand you can work in a lab and do designing/improving on the molecular level, or you can be designing systems to implement lab processes into industry (classical example being going from the synthesis of aspirin to a factory where aspirin tablets are produced).

[Trevor]

1) Build a time machine

 

2) Travel forward to the end of the semester

 

3) Find out your final grade

 

4) Decide how much time & effort to put into the semester-long engineering project.

[josh817]

1) Build a time machine

 

2) Travel forward to the end of the semester

 

3) Find out your final grade

 

4) Decide how much time & effort to put into the semester-long engineering project.

Sounds lame

 

Notice how I responded within 5 minutes. I'm THAT good.

[h4nsm0l3m4n]

1) Build a time machine

 

2) Travel forward to the end of the semester

 

3) Find out your final grade

 

4) Decide how much time & effort to put into the semester-long engineering project.

Good idea but its never going to work. Go back and study your Back to the Future movies

 

Coincidentally I will be awarded my senior design project sometime within the next few days. My top choice was helping build a vehicle for our Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition team, next choices were several projects for our FSAE and Baja teams. Will be interesting to see what I get, I cant wait to get started!