ME08 and MEM02 have been tasked with identifying and designing a test rig that can maintain 5000 psi of water pressure with minimal variation in pressure. The test rig will be used to perform hydrostatic leakage and burst-pressure tests on characterized control ball valves (CCV) made by Belimo to verify that the valves will not leak or fail beyond their maximum operating pressures. The burst test pressurizes a flow vessel in increasing intervals to determine its maximum pressure. This test can be destructive, so proper safety measures must be considered in the design of the rig. It is also important that the regulator/regulator system that pressurizes the water moving throughout the rig is accurate and does not fluctuate. As a group, we are expected to research the fundamentals of hydraulics, identify and size components, and put together a test rig that is capable of supplying pressures up to 5000 psi for the ball valves to be tested. Once the best design is identified, a prototype, consisting of only the essential parts to build and maintain pressure, will be constructed and subjected to a series of tests to verify acceptable pressure control can be achieved. Any necessary modifications and troubleshooting will be made, the final design tested, and the results demonstrated to Belimo for final acceptance. We are to provide all schematics, CAD designs, analysis and test results, bill of materials, and our interim and final reports.

Our team collaborated with Management & Engineering for Manufacturing 2 on this project.