Ongoing Projects

These are some of the projects our engineering students are currently working on or recently completed. Take a look!

Collapsible Truck Rack System

Students: Stephen Crockett, Kienan McIntee, Jacob Thies

Description: Design and build a collapsible truck rack system allowing truck owners to have the ability to carry long items without having permanently installed truck racks

Ultimate Fishing Companion

Students: Jared Sommers, Matthew Vogt

Description: Design a better fishing companion based on the wave of new devices that add functionality and ease of use to the traditional tacklebox

Terminal Sitework for the Amelia Earhart Memorial Aiport

Civil Senior Design

Description: Perform site-civil design work including pavement, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and grading for a new terminal

Wabash Automated Weld Grinding Machine: Horse

Students: Nicholas Brouillette, Adam Burke, William Hawkins, Paul Heuser, Christopher Goodwin

Description: Provide a structural support to house the electronics package, supply the interface for the “carriage” unit, and provide legs for the Mecanum wheels as one aspect of the Wabash project

Wabash Automated Weld Grinding Machine: Carriage

Students: Samuel Anderson, Joanclaire Flynn, John Krishnan Myjak, Nicholas Olache

Description: Design the “carriage” that supports the sensor arrays and attaches to the horse for the Wabash project

Wabash Automated Weld Grinding Machine: Electrical

Students: Jeanne-Marie Potthast, William Kayswer, John Corkum, Jack Herbic

Description: Provide the electrical and software segment, including controls and monitors, for the Wabash project

Model for Anatomical Lesson

Students: Saige Baalman, Rachelle Regli, Kevein Whiteside

Description: Develop a functional mechanical model of a leg as a musculoskeletal system to assist in teaching students about their own biology

Integrated Small Boat Power System

Students: Brett Burke, Adam Kutney

Description: Develop an integrated removable power system for a small boat, which typically does not require a large outboard motor

Outdoor Physics Lesson System

Students: Francis Paolucci, Riley Thielke, Richard McCoy

Description: Develop a lesson based on projectile motion to meet the demand for toys that are simultaneously enjoyable and educational

Atchison Hospital Design Team – Stand Assist Chair

Students: John Aumen, Joseph Gawdun, Heling Wang, Paul Wessel

Description: Design and fabricate a “Sit-to-Stand Assist Chair” at the Atchison Hospital Physical Therapy Department

Process Trainer

Students: Keegan Bell, Andrew Buss, Matthew Corbett, Nathan McMahon

Description: Design a laboratory device that controls water temperature for use in Measurements and Controls Lab, as well as Thermofluids Lab

CAM Testing and TIG Cart

Students: Derek Bretey, Daniel Freymuth, Zachary Siziec, Austin Windsor

Description: Redesign the CAM tester, adding the ability to control the unit via Lab View and recording the angular position, acceleration, and forces on the followers; build a utility cart with storage and a gas tank to support a TIG welder

Cap Gun

Students: Andrew Gormley, Timothy Krieg, Denzel Young

Description: Design a better cap gun, given the substantial room for improvement in reliability, aesthetics, and functionality of currently available models

Concrete Crusher

Students: Daniel Hayes, Kaleb Mitchell, Matthew Johll, Derek Rodgers

Description: Build a concrete crusher for Benedictine College Civil Engineering labs capable of testing both compressive and third point samples and of performing analysis according to ASCE and ASTM concrete testing standards

Wood in Concrete: A Study in Mix Design

Lead Student: Benjamin Suhr

Description: Investigate the economic, environmental, and weight advantages of using wood particles in concrete and determine the feasibility for commercial applications

An Acoustical Study

Lead Student: Matthew Johll

Description: Detect sound ‘dead spots’ as a first step in improving the sound system of St. Benedict’s Parish church

Ergonomics of Paddling

Lead Student: Adam Burke

Description: Design a more comfortable and ergonomic canoe seat that enforces good posture and allows a full range of motion

Automated Concrete Curing Chamber

Lead Student: Brett Burke

Description: Build a working concrete curing chamber with automated humidity control and improved water efficiency for future classes and student projects

Morphing Metal and Elastomer Bicontinuous Foams

Lead Student: Anthony Olimpio

Description: Make hybrid tools, such as a hammer and screwdriver in one, using a “metal foam,” a silicon skeleton filled with low-melting metals

AIChE ChemE Car Program Research at BC – Phase 1: Power System Development

Lead Student: Alissa Muggli

Description: Create a miniature car, controlled and powered solely by chemical reactions for entry into the AIChE ChemE Car competition

Vortex Chiller Tubes

Lead Student: Daniel Hayes

Description: Improve an existing vortex chiller tube by increasing air capacity, upgrading the control valve, and redesigning the tube interior

Site Development for A Simple House – Nicaragua

Lead Student: Kienan McIntee

Description: Survey a plot of land in Nicaragua and make a site development plan for the future missionary work of A Simple House – Nicaragua

Bike Rack Design for Atchison Bike Share

Lead Student: Skyler Valdez

Description: Design distinctive, functional, economical, and aesthetically pleasing bike racks for the Atchison Bike Share initiative

Enhancing Benedictine’s Potato Cannons

Lead Students: Paul Wessel, Adam Burke

Description: Develop a new cannon design focusing on valve performance and ergonomics.

Autonomous Quadcopter Data Collection and Analysis

Lead Student: Matthew Anderson

Description: Programming a quadcopter to surveil campus parking lots and developing software to analyze the images and video to locate open parking spots.

Design, Analysis, and Construction of a Snowboard

Lead Student: Gerard Edwards

Description: Design a snowboard using analytical software and manufacture the board using composite materials and a CNC milling machine.

Stopping the Signal

Lead Student: John Finders

Description: Build an electronic signal jammer and a Faraday cage to induce interference on signals of various strengths.

Study in the Viability of Anaerobic Digestion at Benedictine College, Phase 1: Construction of the Test Reactor and Procedure

Lead Student: Katharine Hirl

Description: Create a 10-liter test reactor and develop testing procedures to determine the reaction rate and biogas composition.

Design and Build Camera Ring Flash

Lead Student: Michael Klein

Description: Develop a flash for use in portrait photography that will eliminate unwanted shadows and allow for varied light intensity around the ring.

Vertical Milling Machine

Lead Student: Scott Kuefler

Description: Creation of a hobby sized vertical milling machine with improved rigidity and portability over commercial models.

Concrete Canoe - Construction

Lead Student: Joe Locascio

Description: Design, Analyze, and Construct a four person concrete canoe featuring pre-stressed cables for enhanced strength.

Open Hardware Off-Road Go Cart

Lead Students: Jacob Martin, Thomas Olache

Description: Engineering a go cart using modern tools for outreach projects, including at local high schools.

Compact and Portable UAV Design Optimization

Lead Student: Graham Matlock

Description: Optimize the small fixed-wing UAV from the SAE AeroDesign competition by: investigating different wing planforms and wing types, delaying boundary layer separation, and maximizing thrust.

Concrete Curing Chamber

Lead Student: Josh Scheuler

Description: Explore different curing methods to develop strength in concrete and construct a chamber to cure the concrete canoe.

Waste Oil Furnace

Lead Student: Jeremy Spalding

Description: Build a furnace that burns waste oil from the school’s Dining Hall, reaching the temperatures necessary to cast aluminum and bronze.

Liquid Fluidized Bed

Lead Student: Samantha Turner

Description: Observation of the reaction and separation processes occurring when fluids and solid particles interact.

Motorized Turret Control

Lead Student: Jacob Wildhaber

Description: Develop a mounting system to achieve precise rotational position control, allowing accurate scanning of the night sky with a dish or exact aiming of nerf blasters.

Location