Final Year Project Ideas

[AJChuckles]

I am about to start my final year at college for Manufacturing Engineering. It requires me to create a project that either invents something new or improves on something previously concieved. It needs to have a research paper done on all the findings as well as state the improvements made. I have a pretty much stock 2001 camry and would like to make something for it. I am open to Ideas and any help would be appreciated.

I have an abundance of resources available such as CNC Lathes, Milling machines, routers, and an autoclave for composite parts. Keep in mind I need to fund the project personally and would like to keep it relativly cheap. (A couple of grand)

For example one of my ideas is to completly remake the headlight assembly and have it built for a projector/HID setup.

Examples of previous years projects inclue carbon fiber hood, a completely redesigned guitar, carbon fiber roof carrier.

Thanks for any ideas you guys might toss at me, Don't be shy please!

[dc_98_cam]

Build a spinning rotational mass to store kinetic energy ... from when you brake ... and re-use that energy to assist take-offs from a dead stop.

I think somebody actually used something like this in a race-track scenario ... will have to look around for the reference though.

Edit: .... This would probably be a project for an electric or hybrid vehicle. There would be too much modification required on your car.

[oopssorryy]

Hmmm, HID headlights have been done, but is there any way you could improve the rear lights?

[AJChuckles]

Thanks for the idea DC98CAM, it would defiantly ensure high marks if I could accomplish such a project and help with the slow get-up of my Camry.

And I've seen a few threads pertaining the retrofit (really want to get them done). Was looking at completely redesigning and remolding the hole assembly to make it look fully custom.

And regarding the taillights, was thinking of possibly doing them as a hole set but don't know what needs improving on them exactly. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

[bigbird]

if your going to do something camry related, Id make some sort chassis torsion braces. Perhaps carbon fiber. Prove that stregthening the frame doesnt have to be costly, complicated or heavy. Figure out the weak spots in the camry frame and devise some fairly cheap and simple way to improve it.

or how bout a cheap/light phnumatic jack system hard mounted to the car?

[camrtm3]

pneumatic car mounted jacks. Cause I will need one after I get my other car and drop the camry more. HAHA. And if you later plan on playing with a camry you will need one too, cause finding low jacks that are strong, ha, good luck.

[Silent Runner]

How about designing and building a REAL honest to goodness electric supercharger to work with small displacement engines in the 2-3L range? This idea has been done in super bogus ways (tiny little motors and fans in the induction system), for ages. A few serious companies are now researching and building real, prototypes for the automotive industry, in the serious search for economical ways to enhance the performance of smaller displacement/ more fuel efficient engines. It also goes without saying, that there would be a good aftermarket appeal for such a REAL enhancement. It would not have to be built to make a car a drag strip champ (leave that to turbos and superchargers), but if it made a 5S, feel a bit like a 3VZ, or 1MZ, and/or added 50ft/lbs to a 1MZ or 3VZ in low end, and the equivalent across the brands, I think it might be good for an "A", and a big plus on the "Resume".

[bigbird]

Electric S/C does not work becaue the theory of an SC thats non mechanical does not exist, its not real. MIT students have worked on such projects and came up with nothing the real world could use, but the auto industry did use some of the technology for hybribs. we had a writeup about 4 years back someone posted to squach the questions about electric crap. The idea, if it hadnt already been tried, would be a good one though.

[oopssorryy]

Ah, I get what ya mean. I thought you were just going to retro fit HIDs, lol. I really like the idea of a light weight chassis torsion braces. It would, IMO, the biggest help to the Camry. My car has more roll than China has Chins!

[EEngineer]

^no chinese jokes plz

anyways
if i were you, i would simply manufacture some bolt on performance parts.

big brake adapter brackets,
thicker rear sway bars,
underbody braces,
redesign some chassis components

a projector retrofit for a college final project is kinda weaksauce to be honest.

or even better. find an AWD transmission and make your car AWD。if that's too difficult, get a 6 speed manual transmission and custom mate it to your engine and make your car a 6 speed manual

[AJChuckles]

The only thing is I am not to knowledgeable regarding any engine components. Hence why I was trying to keep it on the more appearance side of things while still offering some sort of performance/safety gain. I simply want to keep it relatively simple without having to have to tear apart my vehicle. (It is my daily driver) and do not have a garage with a lift in it. My professors are simply trying to make sure that I use at least machining skill or composite/molding components in this project. A student last year built a carbon fiber suitcase while someone else tried to make some carbon fiber rims until they blew out to many cutters (still passed with a decent mark for the research and attempt but lacked on the presentation side).

But I am defiantly looking at these option and do appreciate all the ideas coming forward, much more than what I thought of. I like the attached jack idea especially after using shitty Ford ones this summer.

And regarding to the handling and beefing up the chassis, I agree I do not feel comfortable throwing this car into a corner like my old mans accord, but what exactly will need to be focused on for that? (Consider it does have a small 4 banger with a auto tranny, takes some time to get up to speed to throw into a corner).

And P.S. If anyone has any decent blueprints for the Camry chassis it would be appreciated. Our program deals with a lot of Catia which has the ability to test out stress under certain loads. It might help figure out best points of access and how much stability is required to beef it up to respectable standards

[Silent Runner]

Originally Posted by bigbird

Electric S/C does not work becaue the theory of an SC thats non mechanical does not exist, its not real. MIT students have worked on such projects and came up with nothing the real world could use, but the auto industry did use some of the technology for hybribs. we had a writeup about 4 years back someone posted to squach the questions about electric crap. The idea, if it hadnt already been tried, would be a good one though.

Bigbird: You are living in America, technology is going to be our savior if we are smart, innovative, and entreprenurial enough to take on new ideas and find a way to make them work. The stuff currently available is all BS as the guys at MIT must have figured out. We have to pin-point ideas, and technological applications to generate wealth in this super fast world.
These guys seem to be on track already, in spite of the fact that MIT said that non-mechanical systems can't work. http://en.wikipidia.org/wiki/Hybrid -turbocharger. Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I grew up with the Apollo space program, and Captain Kirk talking to guys in orbit around the Earth on a cell phone. Maybe this idea isn't too crazy.

BTW: I've already made one that works in real life, but it was far to crude to apply to my: "update the Camry to current Lexus levels of overall performance", goal.
Also, I'm just a dumb B.comm graduate with an extra 3years of University Engineering, working in the Consumer food industry right now.

[dc_98_cam]

Originally Posted by AJChuckles

And regarding to the handling and beefing up the chassis, I agree I do not feel comfortable throwing this car into a corner like my old mans accord, but what exactly will need to be focused on for that? (Consider it does have a small 4 banger with a auto tranny, takes some time to get up to speed to throw into a corner).

And P.S. If anyone has any decent blueprints for the Camry chassis it would be appreciated. Our program deals with a lot of Catia which has the ability to test out stress under certain loads. It might help figure out best points of access and how much stability is required to beef it up to respectable standards

If you take a rectangular frame, and put short braces at 45 degrees on each corner, your stability is improved 100%. Take your Catia program and set up a rectangle made out of box or square beam, with no braces, and apply torsional or shear stresses as the test load. For the next case, add interior short braces at each corner of the frame and run the stress test again. Compare the results of the two cases.

This is something that you can actually do ... assuming you can find the space on your Camry frame to affix the braces. ... And assuming that you don't damage the frame when you do any welding or drilling holes.
Maybe work with some exotic material for the braces ... like titanium ... to save weight.

[AJChuckles]

But what is the ideal length for such braces vs were can I attach them, I guess best bet is to crawl under and take some dimensions to where I can fit some braces?

And I would love to work with titanium, but with myself paying for such materials, I would need a full time job. Composite material like carbon fiber and kevlar intertwined is attainable with the exception of mounting to the the chasis itself.

And I guess Side note, I got this car from my parents last year which they purchased a couple years ago. (Was about 8 years old already when they bought it) It clearly was not oiled on a regular basis until my parents purchased it as its not in the best shape under there. (Recently replaced the power steering pipe which rotted out).

[dc_98_cam]

My experience comes from making wood frames ... like 4'x8'. If you don't put any corner brace at all, the frame just falls apart when you drop it on the ground... I'm using glued joints.

However, if you put a 6" diagonal brace at the interior of each corner, you can throw the thing on the ground and it just bounces around ... after the glue dries.

Maybe just use plain carbon steel to test out your idea. I don't know how you would efficiently fasten carbon fiber to steel ... Do some test joints I guess.