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Fire Life Safety Design of Technology Office
Get PDFThe subject building is an approximately 180,000 SF technology office; the location and some details are omitted for privacy of the project and client. It is a 3-story heavy timber frame (Type IIIA) over 1 level of concrete basement stepped into a hillside.
The building is compliant with the prescriptive building code for egress, fire alarm, and fire sprinkler systems. A NFPA 72 compliant fire detection, notification and communication system is provided. The building is fully sprinklered with a system that is hydraulically designed per NFPA 13, 2016 Section 11.2.3 Water Demand Requirements – Hydraulic Calculation Methods. Water supply is provided by the City.
It is largely compliant for passive protection features, with the exception that a performance-based design is used to justify exposed cross laminated timber (CLT) panels.
Three design fires, based on considerations outlined in NFPA 101, are used to stress the building’s fire protection systems assuming that sprinkler do not activate to control or suppress a fire.
Three deign fires, in accordance with NFPA 101, are selected. Assuming failure of the sprinkler system, based on typical occupancy specific use, and the most severe fuel load (workstations in open office areas, largest conference room table and chairs, and kitchen equipment), the following design fires are used:
NIST Office Workstation Fire (6 MW @ 5 min) Large Conference Room Fire (6 MW @ 25 min) Café Kitchen Fire (2 MW @ 15 min)
Based on the large conference room fire, a performance-based design confirms that life-safety is met by demonstrating that an available safe egress time (ASET) of 7.5 minutes exceeds the 3 minutes required safe egress time (RSET).
The ASET time of 7.5 minutes is governed by untenable visibility at 6 ft above finished floor (AFF), and the RSET time is comprised of time to detection and alarm, pre-movement time, and travel time. This ASET over RSET comparison results in a factor of safety over 2.
Additionally, it is confirmed that under the NIST office workstation fire that the actual temperatures and heat flux experienced by the exposed CLT panels is less than that which would generate prescriptive code char rates, allowing for these panels to remain exposed as an architectural feature.
Research into various char rates corresponding to different temperature profiles would assist in evaluation of exposed heavy timber in similar applications
WASTE TRUCK FIRE RESEARCH AND TRAINING
Get PDFPoster Presented at the Solid Waste Association of North America Western Region Symposium, Monterey, CA April 3 - 6, 202
Solar Farm Utilizing a Battery Energy Storage System
Get PDFAccording to the US Energy and Information Administration, between 2022-2023 60% of planned new electricity generation consists of solar farms with a battery energy storage system [1]. The demand for these paired systems has increased since batteries can be charged during the day with the energy captured from the solar farm then released to the customer in the evening during peak energy demand. This achieves peak load shaving which reduces the cost of electricity for the customer and is ecologically friendly.
This thesis aims to create an efficient solar farm with a battery energy storage system for a farmer in California that achieves peak load shaving. Full cell modules and half-cell modules were explored to determine the type that best suits this project. The half-cell modules were best suited because of the increased efficiency. Six different solar farm designs were created, four fixed tilt designs and two single axis tracking designs. Two types of software, System Advisor Model (SAM) and REopt, were compared to determine which would be most useful in simulating these designs. It was concluded that System Advisor Model (SAM) would be the most accurate to simulate the six designs and produce metrics such as the annual energy production, capacity factor, DC to AC ratio, and levelized cost of energy. The final design, design 6, a 2-string single axis tracking design produced the best metrics that met the project requirements and a battery energy storage system was sized for the design
Heavy Equipment Operation Topics Course as part of Construction Management Curriculum
Get PDFHeavy civil equipment is composed of many types of machines, brands, and models that serve different purposes all with the end goal of completing a job. With fuel prices being as high as they are, picking the right piece of equipment for a heavy civil job is critical. In order to do this, you must understand how each piece of equipment works in order to best utilize it. The focus for this course is the introduction and effective use of the primary pieces of heavy equipment used on job sites all over the country through the use of class discussion, presentations, and virtual simulators to give a closer look at what is being done on each heavy civil project. Being able to select between brands that offer similar pieces of equipment with different weight, fuel consumption, maintenance, and capacity is critical to successful completion of projects. This class will introduce simulator technology to give students a visual representation of each machine and a hands-on experience with how each piece of equipment works. By doing this, not only will interest in the heavy civil department grow, it will also better prepare students by giving them a more complete understanding of heavy civil and the machines used to complete the work. This project delivers a syllabus and schedule for a 15 week tech elective course meeting 4 hours per week
Dysmenorrhea Relief Device
No full textDysmenorrhea Relief Device is indicated for the relief of mild to moderate menstrual pains, specifically, abdomen cramping symptoms for females of menstruating age. This device can be used to lessen symptoms while maintaining everyday activities. Everyday activities include but are not limited to going to school and work. It can be used by any female who experiences dysmenorrhea in the lower abdomen, legs, or lower back. Some of the methods dysmenorrhea is treated with include oral medication, heating pad, muscle simulation, massage therapy, exercise, etc. The device uses mechanisms from blood pressure cuffs to apply pressure to specific pressure points that correspond to the fallopian tubes, spleen(SP6), and two bladder pressure points (BL60). The device will have a bulb for inflation and a pressure gauge. The bladders will be secured to the foot by pockets in a compression material sock. Corresponding specific metrics to ambiguous factors makes this device effective and unique. Our goal is to create a device that is accessible to each unique patient that experiences dysmenorrhea and to treat in a non-invasive, discrete, and inclusive manner. The sponsor’s needs and vision were invaluable in the development of the dysmenorrhea relief device: compression sock with inflatable bladders that apply pressure on acupoints to relieve menstrual pain. Bladder leak rate testing demonstrated that all bladders and tubing junctions were sealed and could hold pressure for at least two minutes (the duration that the bladders should be inflated). Also the weight of the device is less than a pound and far surpasses our specification. Pending IRB human testing approval, the pain relieving functionality will be tested with respect to the specification of decrease in pain by 40%
Headlamp/Bike Light Damping System
Get PDFThe task for this project is to design a headlamp and/or bike light that absorbs the impact shocks from the user’s actions. The user that the system is being designed for may be riding a bike or running on a trail in the evening or early in the morning where the light needs to be stabilized and their path must be illuminated. This report presents the final design chosen after months of prototyping and design iteration. It encompasses the system design, design verification through testing, implementation, future recommendations, and lessons learned throughout the process. The chosen design utilizes a fully passive, magnetic damping system to counteract disturbances in the vertical direction. Through vibration tests, drop tests, and field tests, the design is refined and validated to ensure it fulfills its intended functions. The main test was the vibration test which used accelerometers to help find the optimal height between the magnets that will induce the most damping. The vertical axis was the most important that saw the most instability so that was where the stabilizing system was implemented. The ideal distance was found to be 1.22 inches which means the distance to the middle magnets is 0.61 inches. When the magnets move closer than this 0.61 inches it causes a rapid increase in the magnetic force and causes the system to rapidly stabilize. This distance will provide the best damping for when the headlamp is worn for casual use and up to light jogging. When going through the design process many different types of damping systems were considered and magnets ended up being the most efficient due to their ability to self-stabilize, decrease the manufacturing difficulty, and keep the system completely mechanical
BITE Cookbook and Business Cards
Get PDFThis project aims to create a visually appealing and functional cookbook along with an accompanying business card design. The cookbook will serve as a comprehensive guide for culinary enthusiasts, featuring a diverse range of recipes from various cuisines, while the business card design will effectively represent the chef or the business behind the cookbook
Thermoacoustic Refrigerator
Get PDFIn the Thermoacoustic Refrigerator Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering senior project, we designed, built, and tested a thermoacoustic refrigeration system which achieved an average temperature difference of 11.0°C. Our system consists of a resonator tube with an instrumented stack, mounted onto a base with a speaker and amplifier. An external power supply and function generator provide the power and signal to the system, and a thermocouple reader displays the temperature of the top and bottom of the stack. The system consistently achieved a significant temperature difference between the two ends of the stack in various ambient conditions, and it was quick to respond, reaching a 5-6°C difference within 2-3 minutes. Our project documents the steps to make a simple thermoacoustic system and provides a promising learning tool for the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering Department
Low-Cost Portable Laser Communication Device
Get PDFThe portable laser communication device (PLCD), is a low cost system used to set up networks in data isolated regions via an optical line-of-sight communications protocol. In this manner the PLCD transmits at 9600 baud using UART protocol over the visible light band at 635nm. The device is intended to operate in indoor conditions and be semi-permanent until redeployed. The PLCD is built as a transmitter, receiver pair and when installed, utilizes tracking to find each other and automatically set up communication within a window of 30° laterally and 10° vertically. Each side of the system is less than 15 lb and portable with a volume of 1 cubic foot to allow for minimum bulk when transporting the device and installing it. The PLCD pair will communicate over lengths around 50 meters. The system latency does not exceed 30 ms and the system can interface with external USB devices. The PLCD does not exceed 6W in power consumption
Postpartum Hemorrhage Detection Device
Get PDFDuring a cesarean section, blood loss greater than 1000 mL is classified as a hemorrhage. Quantified blood loss methods are used to detect hemorrhage, however existing methods are inaccurate and time consuming. Our proposed device is inserted vaginally during a cesarean section to collect and quantify blood lost via the cervix during and after the procedure. The device also applies light suction to the uterus, which can aid in uterus collapse and decrease the risk of postpartum hemorrhage