The Highest Rankine Team(2017-2018)

My senior year I designed a partial Rankine power cycle as my senior design project. The system will be used by the Rice Mechanical Engineering Department to demonstrate the Rankine power cycle to undergraduate students, and thus show how electricity is generated. The project was created by the Rice Mech. Eng. Department and granted $20,000 by the Rice Engineering Alumni(REA).

I led a team of 5 other students to design the system. I organized and lead regular meetings for the team. I worked closely between the mechanical department’s machinist and the Rice Facilities and engineering department to renovate the old steam and water lines to the laboratory. I used Solidworks to help design a prototype Tesla-turbine as well as Solidworks routing toolbox to design a pipe-network for the system. I facilitated the order of made-to-order rotary seals that could withstand up to 120 psi steam at 350 F from Parker Hannafin.    

Unfortunately, I graduated before I was able to complete the project.

However, the Mechanical Engineering department’s machinist, Joe Gesenhues, was able to finish the project for me.