team photo

Figure 1
project photo

Figure 2
project photo


Team 15

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Alexandra Buss
Johannah Litchfield
Oleg Nazarovets
Nathaniel Burgess
Tyrese Gaffney
Gabriel Zepeda (Fall)

Reza Sheikhi

Sponsor

National Guard

sponsored by
sponsor logo

The 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group is a division of the Connecticut National Guard located in Groton, CT. They are responsible for the refurbishment of helicopters used by the National Guard, which includes the task of blasting the paint off of the helicopter during the beginning stages so it can be painted to look brand new. The ME15 team, in collaboration with ECE 2111, was tasked with modernizing the 25 year old blast media system currently in use at the facility. As a result of its age, there are several problems that reduce its efficiency and inhibit the operators’ abilities to do their jobs: the floor recollection system clogs easily, the ventilation system does not maintain the required negative air pressure, and 50% of the operators' working time is spent cleaning up. During the team’s research and design process, the relevant safety codes, the available space, and the weight of the helicopters serviced in the booth were taken into consideration. The team was able to design and recommend a new floor recollection system as seen in Figure 2. This recommendation was based on the cost, efficiency, and needs of the facility. The team was also tasked with recommending new filtration equipment. In order to meet the needs of the site and adhere to the budget, the team consulted with an outside company. The final design and team’s recommendations are currently being handed off to the National Guard to fully develop and implement the project.