Need some help with final year uni project selection
Turbo Mini Forums

I know a lot of you think this is a bad idea but i struggle to stay motivated at the best of times! lol!

I'm planning on doing some sort of project on the mini.

I had plans of doing calculated runs and real runs of engines NA and Turbo'd to show increased efficiency (or not) of the turbo'd engine.

other things i thought of were design various types of TB for the K head and including a plenum design. whether 1 was best or 4 or whatever.

If i keep it along the lines of something interesting i'll actually do work on it. the other advantage is the free machining facilities that will be available to me.

Or another thing i just thought of is bringing the mini engine into the 21st century regarding emmisions etc.

I have access to CFD progams, any machining i need so pretty well set up.

anything i can do to progress things, either with the K head or 5port i will.



Work seem to be pretty piss poor at finding me a project to do, its not easy being in the department i am as we dont really look after any long term projects.

My advice would be don't bother. Although this project may interest you from a personal point of view, you need to make sure there is enough meat in it to get sufficiently technical and hence get a good mark.

i know mate. if i can develop one idea sufficiently then i'll be happy to be honest.

trust me, i've weighed up all the options and if its something i have no interest in then i wont do very well. if i am interested then i know for a fact i'll stand a greater chance at getting a good mark.

If you think a particular subject has the chance for enough meat then point it out.

some of the ideas i've been given are along the same lines so can only assume that a quality design, with associated calcs/cfd etc would be enough.

unfortunately a lot of the "easier/interesting" projects are less mechanical biased and more electronics, such as telemetry etc.

its a tough decision and i need to get it right so any pointers would be gratefull received, also titles of past final year mech eng projects would be an inspiration.

Mine was on the redesign of a camshaft profile, an idea for you could be looking into reprofiling the BMW K head cams for turbo use, there is a lot of meat in that believe it or not, analysis of the existing K profiles, engine modelling, analysis of valve train forces, acceleration rates of the profile, etc etc. It has a bit more of a defined end than what you mention above, and also can get sufficiently technical to get you a good mark, not to mention being a useful project.

Iain, what ever you do, make sure you share the results! If I can help, let me know.

Team Racing

check you, clever fucker! Not just a monkey with a big turbo

I know nothing about engineering degrees, but plenum and tb design sounds interesting to me. Can see what you mean about it 'lacking meat' though. I guess it a case of working out what flows well and you're done.

Iain - I think you should chat to Tom about the cam thing in more detail...

You need to find something that you are either VERY good at, and have a great project lectrurer to assist with - OR - to find something that no-one has any other understanding of, such that YOU are the expert on the subject...
I chose the latter. And got an I-MechE award for best project.
My project was certainly what helped me get the 2:1 grade...

I'll send you a PM regarding you maybe taking a peek at my project report,,, :)

Daft question but what subject are you studying? I'm assuming Mechanical Engineering.

Tom, Saturday

Good plan though thats for sure. I have actually been talking to my engine builder about some custom cams for the K as well..

Rob, yes its a BEng Mechanical.

I'm pretty good with 3d modelling, as in i can do pretty much anything. And i know some people who would be more than willing to put some time in with me and some cfd.

I was going to do a gas turbine combustion related problem, BUT, they have just got a new lecturer and he helped design our latest systems etc so to be honest although i know a lot, i reckon he'd blow me out the water if marking it.

cheers for the help so far

Like Dave said try and do something you are good at. In my case I was a bit crap at course work and I knew that I would never get a good mark in the project. I did my best and got 55%. However I was good at exams and even though the project was 3 units I still got a 2:1 because of all my high exam results.

No help on the project side, but a slightly different take on things.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

Would a project to analyse the points of failure and suitable modifications as applied to high power Mini transmissions be a suitable subject.
The info coming from it would certainly be of use.
Regards
Dave

i like the idea of redesigning the gearbox due to advances in engine technology whilst keeping the same design envolope but i reckon that will be a little too involved for this project.

Well, thats piper, kent and BMW emailed to try and get some info to start with so we'll see where we go from there...

trying to get a head start on the project, which is very rare for me!

cock up i'll try again

Regards
Dave

Edited by danboy on 31st Jul, 2007.

Iain, Have a look at this:-

www.profblairandassociates.com

There is some other good stuff I will dig out for you.

Regards
Dave

cheers dave.

much appreciated.

I feel even more of a dim wit now!

The cam idea sounds good, failing that what about composite flywheels or further developing the verto clutch ( http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=11122 )

Edited by Rob H on 2nd Aug, 2007.

To start with I would think along the lines of a test rig with a linear sensor on it to allow you to VERY accurately map the existing profiles.

I'd prefer to see intercooler research... How's your thermodynamics?

has anyone done much research into 'squish'? i don't know how you could easily test it though.

Sounds expensive. All that thermal & internal cameras etc. Be interesting seeing how spark position & chamber shape effects things. What about a twin sparker???

well i submitted the cam idea and the lecturer is away for a couple of weeks and is getting back to me to discuss.

yeah a very accurate cam rig would be a nice thing to get made, i'll start drawing some designs up as then the uni workshop will machine it up for me.

if people on here have already done the course, then do what they did.

Copy and paste is your friend lol