Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Christopher David McCoy Sciences

Carburetors for the 21st Century: Flow and Temperature Sensor Integration with Enhanced Mixing

Small-scale power generation (10-100W) for electronic devices is currently supplied by batteries. Unfortunately, specific energy [Whr/kg] and power [W/kg] are limited by battery technology. The U.C. Berkeley liquid hydrocarbon fueled, rotary engine power system provides a greener more efficient and higher powered solution. In this work, MEMS-based (Microelectromechanical Systems) carburetion system with integrated air flow and temperature sensing is developed for more efficient engine operation. Chris will use Solidworks, a 3-D modeling program for carburetor design, while Femlab, CFDRC, and ANSYS will be used to predict device behavior and optimize the designed components. Conical venturis, piezoresistive flow sensors, fuel microchannel networks and wheatstone bridge circuitry are the primary design components. The culmination of Chris’ research will result in a semiconductor fabrication process flow for innovative carburetor design.

Profile image of Christopher David McCoy
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Mentor: Mentor: Professor Albert Pisano, Mechanical Engineering
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