Section View of the Differential Case.

Problem
I was presented with the task of finding the optimal sealant/sealing method for a liquid lubricated GMC Yukon differential while utilizing a previously designed and made 3D-printed differential case.

Action
I designed and printed 3 unique test pieces that utilized the same material and print properties of the differential case. The test pieces were designed to contain some of the various internal geometries that the real case contained to investigate the effectiveness of different coatings (plastidip, a 2 part epoxy and a non-name brand spray coating were tested). A reinforcement plate was also designed and laser cut for the access panel on the bottom of the case in order to help distribute the pressure required to compress the gasket.

Result
These efforts led to us learning a lot about the various sealing techniques from gaskets to the various sealants. Ultimately, the case was able to retain the lubricant and no liquids were spilled at the subsequent competition during our tilt test where the car is tilted at 45 and 60 degrees. This aided in the car passing its first ever technical inspection and coming in 2nd in the EV category at FHE.

Photo of the rear corner assembly

Problem
Create a FSAE/FHE rules compliant suspension and steering systems for a formula style electric racecar to compete at our clubs first FSAE competition in 1 academic year. A goal of the project was to establish a platform for development for future NER generations in order to aid in the further growth of the club.

Action
I created and managed timelines for both the steering and suspension projects. I also made and upkept various sub-tasks to assign to a group of 5 other student engineers, managing them and ensuring that all blockers were addressed. I also created the geomtries for both the steering and suspension systems in SolidWorks utilizing a custom built dynamic calculator. I modeled 20+ unique components for both the steering and suspension system. I conducted simulations on these components to ensure that they passed various strength requirements utilizing FEA and other validation techniques. I also did some part optimization to ensure efficient material use so that components were as lightweight as possible.

Result
The suspension and steering are 30% of the previous iterations weight, improving performance drastically. The car is also predicted to handle signficantly better causing for less tyre degradation and faster overall lap times by roughly 15%. The platform created is also very adjustable and outfitted with many sensors so can be utilized as a testing device in the future for better and faster iteration. Our club has yet to compete so we are not sure how these improvements will fare at competition but we are very optimistic in our work and excited for the fututre iterations.

Photo of the Audi with the old engine out

I bought a totaled 2009 Audi A3 and worked on it with a friend to get it into a fully functional condition. Having to swap the motor as well as many other components. This project required a lot of troubleshooting, patience and research. I learned a lot during this project about perserverance and how systems within a car interact with eachother.

Photo of the Robot.

One of the projects that I have worked on at Northeastern was an autonomous waiter robot that could take an order from a customer, report that order to the kitchen and return to the table with the food on it. I did most of the coding, implementing a two Arduino system where one acted as the menu and the other as the driver, I created a fully interactive menu/order system and a line tracking program that allows the robot to follow any dark tape line and stop at the end. I also helped in the design process, creating models for the drive base, the top platter of the robot, and a few small brackets/mounts that were later printed for the robot, this was done using SolidWorks. Through this process I learned a lot about the engineering design process and how to properly work around constraints and issues that present themselves. I also got valuable coding experience and SolidWorks experience.