The Hyperloop Team is a student run design team that builds a Hyperloop pod to compete in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. The goal is to build a pod that can travel at the speed of sound in a vacuum tube. During my freshman year, I worked with others to determine the best braking system for the pod by analyzing various friction braking methods. I also used Siemens NX to design the disk brake rotor in CAD. As part of the summer build team, I implemented the pneumatics system that actuated the brake calipers.During my sophomore year, I worked to design a high power and low power system to deliver the necessary power from a battery to various components on the pod, including the motors, actuators for braking, and sensors for control. I also used design software to make a schematic for a DC-DC converter that stepped down voltages. Later in the year I took over as Power Subteam Lead, where I organized team tasks. These tasks included Altium PCB design and interfacing a BMS with a battery pack to balance the cells.

My major task was to design and perform a test for Gateway controllers to determine the thermal response of the module. I worked with hardware engineers to increase the power dissipation on the PCB using resistors, and worked with mechanical engineers to analyze heat transfer on components and how the components react to higher power. I also performed thermal simulations on Ansys to observe how heat spreads on various componentsI was also tasked with characterizing the thermal resistance and other aspects of specific components using T3Ster (Thermal Transient Tester), a product and software from Mentor Graphics.

My first major task was to determine what via layout is the best for dissipating heat in a circuit. To do this, I worked with a PCB designer to design many layouts, and I performed thermal tests on components to see which layout performed best thermally.Another big project I worked on is thermal testing on seat modules in car seats. I analyzed how hot some components got in these circuits by driving many motors at a time with simulated loads and used this information to see if a design change was needed.

I was a part of a group of roughly 15 people that worked with engineers at Visteon to design a senior capstone project. The goal of the project was to build a functional system that can be implemented in a car to detect and prevent drowsy driving and texting while driving.I focused specifically on creating a scent atomizer that would release a mint smell to help alert the driver. The car would use sensors to detect whether the driver was feeling drowsy, and then the atomizer would be turned on. There were other components of the project, such as a vibrating seat to help awaken the driver.