In addition to enhancing my skills in applying fundamental design principles, I gained substantial knowledge about cost optimization and designing for casting. Previously, I had never faced the challenge of balancing cost with product performance in my design decisions. This project provided an excellent opportunity to do so. Most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, as it combined real-world constraints with foundational design principles.
The Rotary Vane Fuel Pump is a conceptual rotary vane pump designed to move gasoline to the combustion chamber of a large pickup truck. This project aimed to deepen our understanding of designing for manufacturing and assembly while using fundamental engineering concepts. Our pump needed to meet various performance parameters, including pressure and temperature requirements, mean time between failures, and annual production quantities. We aimed to develop precise engineering models, detailed drawings, and financial justifications for our design.
We divided the design process into three phases: concept development, preliminary design, and final design. During the concept development stage, we researched the fluid properties of gasoline and identified critical risk factors. I calculated the required fatigue life to guide material selection, while my teammates sized bolts to better understand overall dimensions. Moving to the initial design stage, we created high-level CAD models, made preliminary material and manufacturing process selections, and chose the shaft and face seal. I led the selection of O-rings for the back and front plate face seal, validated clearances for thermal expansion, and assisted with vane design by performing wear rate calculations.
We encountered a setback when sizing the rear and front bearings. Since the primary transmission method was through a serpentine belt, the required tension of the belt and the engine's torque placed a significant load on each bearing. Consequently, we designed a more robust geometry to accommodate these larger bearings, though at a higher cost. Ultimately though, our group produced a manufacturable and assemblable fuel pump that met all performance requirements, complete with engineering drawings. Our design could be improved by simplifying some parts' complexity, however. For instance, I conducted a full-stack manufacturing and assembly cost analysis using Apriori after completing our design. Due to the complexity of some parts, our materials, and manufacturing choices, machining costs were significantly higher than casting alone. Optimizing material volumes to minimize machine time would be beneficial to reduce costs.
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