Senior Design Team:#4

Welcome to our site

 

We are Team #4 of the 2013-2014 Senior Design Class from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Our Sponsor is Roger England of Cummins, Inc. and our Faculty advisor is Dr. Peter Kalu. Our project given by our sponsor is to find a cheaper and more cost effective material to replace the current cast aluminum which is used to fabricate compressor casings in their B series turbochargers.

 

Abstract

 

Our project sponsor has conveyed a desire to replace the aluminum alloy used to fabricate their compressor casings. Materials which are cheaper to manufacture and process, with the same properties and tolerances as those currently used in products, present huge advantages for companies such as Cummins. The revenue saved from using these more cost efficient materials can be used to increase the quantity of products manufactured and produced. This also allows the company an opportunity to expand its customer base while maintaining The same quality and reliability in its products. Cummins would like to use this approach in its B series turbochargers. The company wants to find a cheaper material capable of replacing the aluminum casting solution around the compressors in their turbochargers.

 

Background Information

 

Turbochargers present many advantages in increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines. The turbocharger essentially diverts heat from the exhaust side of the combustion chamber, which would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere as waste heat. These hot gases then spin a turbine coupled on a shaft with a compressor. The compressor then is able to draw in atmospheric air which increases the air's pressure while decreasing its velocity through a diffuser. After passing through the compressor the air's temperature is considerably higher and is passed through an intercooler to increase its density before it is forced into the combustion chamber. With the increased amount of air there is a reduction in the amount of fuel required to power the vehicle, which increases its efficiency. This particular project is concerned with the intake side of the turbocharger where the compressor is located.