Ashley Chen, Kamryn Chin, Shrijan Ganguly, Arman Hariri, Keval Shah and Dhruv Sharma
- Community Partner: Misty West Design and Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
Our design solution
Our prototype device consists of two main subsystems. The first, our air handler, is a Stairmand cyclone that uses centrifugal forces to separate particles based on size. Sample particles larger than 10 microns move to the cyclone wall while smaller particles follow the vortex core and exit through the outlet.
Our second subsystem is the sample collector. Particles larger than 10 microns fall onto our adhesive tape collection mechanism, which advances in precise increments and is linked to a GPS coordinate.
Although this project was a proof of concept, we approached all design decisions knowing that it might ultimately be mounted on a drone. To that end, we took efforts to make it light, compact and modular.
Our final product met the requirements we’d set out at the start of the project: that the system should be able to separate and isolate particles larger than 10 microns, and that samples must be protected from cross-contamination, geographically traceable, secured safely during operation and storage, and compliant with post-processing techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).
How we validated our design
We adopted a test-driven development approach. At the outset, we defined requirements and validation criteria for both subsystems and then structured our design, fabrication and testing cycles around them.
Designing the test equipment was a significant component of our project. We built a modular testing apparatus that would enable us to input different sized and shaped cyclones. Inspired by a paper we read, we placed the sensors off the main flow path to avoid disturbing the cyclone’s internal vortex.
What we’re most proud of
When we started out on this project, each of us identified areas where we had strength and experience as well as areas where we wanted to grow our skills, both for this project and for our future careers. We took a lot of risks as a team, which proved very useful for coming up with innovative approaches, and we all shared a commitment to open communication and high standards.
This project exemplifies the interdisciplinarity of manufacturing engineering, which draws on the domains of mechanical design, software and controls.
It was exciting to be part of a relatively unique exercise within our field. Many manufacturing engineering projects start with a validated product and focus on scaling up, whereas we started with an idea on paper and built the product itself.
