Individual Report Summary Page
November 29th, 2006
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| Author: Jordan Nelson | Team: Tornado Machine |
Problem Statement
The Tornado Machine design currently has two components that require electrical power: the ultrasonic humidifier and the radial blower. I selected to design an electrical transfer box that allows the electrical components of the tornado machine to receive power by a single external cord plugged into an outlet.
Approach
Many steps were taken in order to create the optimal design. The requirements of the design were created with the overall customer requirements in mind. Many concepts that fulfilled these requirements were then generated. First, a mindmap brainstorm was created with respect to the different characteristics of the design. Second, an overall concept sketch that fulfilled the requirements was drawn. Third, sketches of the major sub-catagories of the design were drawn. Fourth, sketches of the possible construction layout were drawn in order to understand how the design could be manufactured and assembled.
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| Mindmap brainstorm by Jordan Nelson | Overall concept sketch by Jordan Nelson |
A system to down-select was implemented due to the fact that there were many design concepts and sketches. A simplified QFD was done on various designs in order to select optimal designs based on factors weighted to importance. Two designs were selected from this QFD analysis and they were modeled in ProE. The QFD indicated which design was the best based on the weighting factors supplied, so a single design was developed fully and an assembly drawing was created so that this design could be manufactured and assembled.
Results
A QFD was performed on the many concepts that were generarated from the mindmap brainstorm, overall concept sketch, and the many concept sketches that were created. Based on the results of the QFD, two designs were selected for further development. These designs were modeled in ProE. The design with the highest QFD score was the slot design, which was further developed using “COTS” parts. An assembly drawing was created so that this design could be manufactured and assembled.
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| Assembled model of final design by Jordan Nelson | Assembly drawing of final design by Jordan Nelson |
Conclusions
The selected electrical transfer box design fulfills the requirements originally stated in the problem statement. It allows the entire tornado machine to be powered from a single extension cord that can be as long as desired. The box protects the plugs from water which makes the design safe. It hides the connected plugs making it more aesthetic. It also makes the tornado machine easier to use as only one wall outlet at a reasonable distance is required for operation.
The final design can be manufactured and assembled with ease. It utilizes “COTS” parts which makes the design less expensive and easier to assemble. The electrical transfer box enhances the operational capabilities of the Tornado Machine design.
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