Capstone Team 25

The team has completed a 3D CAD drawing of the test enclosure and the bearings that have been selected to support the shaft while it reaches its critical RPM speed. Figure 1 shows the shaft that is being used within the test enclosure. As stated previously, the shaft has been balanced through a balance machine and the natural frequency has been calculated to confirm that it is a rigid shaft. Figures 2 and 3 show the current progress made for the CAD drawings.  Figure 1: 3D CAD of shaft  Figure: 3D CAD of test enclosure  Figure 4: 3D CAD of Ball Element Bearing The team is currently working on designing an overspeed trip sensor. A Mechanical overspeed trip sensor is a device that is in contact when the plunger extrudes out of the overspeed trip system once it reaches its maximum RMPS. Once in contact, the sensor will shut down the system, and bring the shaft to a complete stop. This sensor will then rely on the operator or engineer to ensure that the system has exceeded it...

  The team's Gantt chart has Milestone 1 and Milestone 2 listed for October 28 – November 11.  Currently, the team has completed a vibration analysis on the shaft, weight, and balance of the shaft, and compared the vibration data with the experimental data collected through the modal hammer. Diversity Hires has accomplished the initial stage of the Overspeed trip test system, focusing on vibration analysis and calculations. This specific phase was prioritized to show whether the rotor shaft exhibited characteristics of a rigid or flexible rotor. Understanding this distinction is critical: rigid rotor shafts possess a natural frequency higher than the rotor's operating speed, ensuring minimal vibration, while flexible rotor shafts with a natural frequency below the operating speed experience excessive vibration when reaching that critical rpm. To establish the nature of the rotor shaft, the team referenced the 'International Journal of Advance Research in Science and Enginee...