University of Houston Team 6 Blog 1

 University of Houston Capstone Team 6 - Blog 1

    Springs are important in many products, like cars, planes, medical devices, and everyday items. They move in different ways and can handle different amounts of force. Springs come in different sizes, shapes, and materials, which affect how well they work. Testing equipment for springs needs to be able to control their movement and measure the force they can handle. Engineers have many options when choosing a testing system, and they should consider factors like the application, cost, and long-term value. Schlumberger (SLB), a global technology company, driving energy innovation for a balanced planet, is developing unique materials, but lacks the specialized testing equipment to better study the properties of these materials. One specific test they were missing was a compression test of polymer springs. The test involves applying force and temperature changes to these springs to study their behavior. We're going to create a device that is compact enough to solve what SLB is missing. The spring measurement device will be able to hold polymer spring samples varying in height from 0.125 inches to 0.500 inches while applying an initial compression force of 50 to 500 pounds. It also should be able to heat the spring sample to a stable temperature and track how the compressed spring loses force over time. 

    SLB needs a solution to test polymer springs for use in their facilities to understand how their compression will be affected by heat and force over time. This testing device thus needs to meet specific requirements that simulate use in a real-world environment. Some of these include being able to compress the spring anywhere from 50 to 500 lbs., heating the specimen from ambient to 400°F, and compressing the spring to a specific displacement without any electronic actuators. These springs are also no larger than half an inch in height and diameter. The client requests that this device take up a minimal footprint and also be a cost-effective solution under $1,000 to $2,000. A major deadline is to have parts selected by Thanksgiving, so the overall design process would have taken place beforehand. Weekly client meetings will be held to discuss progress and set short-term goals for upcoming meetings. 

    The team faces several significant obstacles, which include ensuring the load sensor's protection in environments with temperatures reaching a maximum of 400°F, and accurately gathering data from both the load sensor and thermocouple to achieve precise measurements of force, spring compression, and temperature in high-temperature enclosures. Furthermore, we must develop a solution that aligns with the SLB spring compression test requirements. Among the hurdles we need to address are the imperative to maintain a cost-effective project while ensuring optimal performance and generating graphs/outputs capable of predicting theoretical outcomes or spring compression accurately such as force over spring compression. 

    There will be multiple key challenges that our team will need to overcome in our project. First, being able to satisfy the temperature requirement of the device up to 400°F. Second, being able to get an accurate displacement of the compression from the spring mechanically without an actuator. Third, having a frame that can support a maximum load of 500 lbf along with a minimum footprint. With all these features we will also need to include the factor of safety during testing and validating our design. For example, if the device is exceeding the load at 510 lbf we'll need to make sure it will safely fail and without damaging the original frame to reduce additional cost to replace parts and maintenance of the device overall. 

Figure 1 - Conceptual 2D Sketch of the Spring Testing Device

Figure 2 - 2D Sketch of the Spring Testing Device with Description

Figure 3 - 3D Solidworks of the Spring Testing Device

Sources: https://www.slb.com/ 

Reference source: Spring Testing | ADMET