Human
Powered Submarine Project Objectives
Eleven University of Maine
senior Mechanical Engineering students are involved in a Human Powered
Submarine (HPS) design project. The project consists of designing and
improving all aspects of the existing
HPS. The HPS will be competing in
an international competition in San Diego, CA,
June 2006. The HPS will
compete in the non-propeller driven category of
the competition. This will be the school’s first competition,
and
expectations are high, including breaking the current world record.
Fly-by-Wire
Team
Chris Walker, Devon
Gaudet, Richard Powers, and Aaron Sutton
The Fly-by-Wire Team is responsible
for physical changes, improvements to, and the controlling of the
HPS.
This team will design an autopilot system to control movements of the HPS
during propulsion. The
autopilot system will allow for electronic control
of the HPS. This will allow the operator to focus primarily
on propulsion
during competition. This team will also find ways to make the sub as
neutrally buoyant and
hydrodynamic as possible.
Dynamometer
Design Team
Jason Cutter, Zach Weinman, Ian
Oneill, Zach Ferry, and Dan Huber
The Dynamometer Design Team will
design and build a dynamometer for the HPS. The dynamometer
will test the
thrust, drag, and lift of the HPS. Tests will allow the team to fine-tune
the performance
aspects of the HPS. This will ultimately help to
determine the optimum design.
Computer
Modeling Team
Will Darling and Jason Collins
The Modeling Team will develop
computer modeling programs to determine theoretical performance and
effects of
theoretical design changes for the HPS. To do this, a scaled model of the
HPS will be built and
tested in conjunction with a wind tunnel to calculate
drag forces and estimate performance, including
speed and steering.
