Our students also learn about the mechanical engineering profession through activities in the student section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a student club. These activities include entering national engineering competition, giving presentation at regional student conference, inviting speakers, touring local major employer facilities, and social functions that adds to the overall educational experience. The faculty advisor of the ASME student section is Dr. Frank J. Shih.

Nationally, ASME is a nonprofit educational and technical organization. It holds many technical conferences each year and sets standards for the profession.

SU HPVC Newsletter that was send during Summer 2006

Intercollegiate Competition

2006 Seattle University Entry - Larry O. Hawkenheimer
Video Clip: Powerslide (489 KB) (1.4 MB)
Video Clip: Night Lights (482 KB) (3.2 MB)
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Since 2003-4, the ASME student section has been entering the HPVC engineering competition on a yearly basis, focusing on the utility event. The team has steadily made improvements in design, innovation, execution, rider comfort, vehicle usability, maneuverability, and performance. The 2006 vehicle Larry O. Hawkenheimer (honoring the memory of Mr. Larry Orr), was completely designed and manufactured at Seattle University by students (a first for the program), including all the welding, fiberglass foam core composite vacuum bagging, and thermal forming of a clear thermoplastic aerodynamic fairing.

The vehicle also featured a portable on-board diagnostic system that monitored stresses in critical structural components, while the vehicle is in full-motion running over challenging obstacles, for the purpose of verifying design analysis. The system was comprised of a hand-held computer DAQ unit coupled with student-produced electronics and student-coded software.

The vehicle was extensively tested both on a component level (such as weld joints) and as a finished vehicle, including a 30-mph side impact test on the finished prototype Moe (loaded with a 180-pound sand bag dummy) at the PACCAR Technical Center in Mount Vernon, WA. The bucket seat held up extremely well. The impact test at PACCAR was the only external technical assistance received by the 2006 team.

Media & Links

• Corvallis Gazette-Times (w/ Victoria Templora '04 and Andrew Lybarger '07)
• Associated Press (w/ Jenna Kraft '04)

  ASME HPV Challenge (official site) SU ASME Club Web Site