Booth Id:
ENMC048
Category:
Engineering Mechanics
Year:
2021
Finalist Names:
Neff, Philip (School: Elko High School)
Abstract:
My sister has a rare muscle disease called FSHD, which degenerates her muscles. She cannot build muscle, but exercise is still beneficial for her. The disease is progressive, so she is not able to do the exercises that she could as a child. Her most significant exercise now is swimming in the therapy pool that we installed in our house many years ago. The pool is set above the ground, and previously, my sister got to the pool deck by a set of stairs. The stairs have become difficult for her, and a new solution had to be built. My engineering project was to build a custom elevator to lift my sister to the pool deck. I made a list of criteria that the project would follow, such as sufficient weight capacity, smooth operation, cost, and safety. Then, I made plans according to these criteria in order to find the best materials to purchase. I needed an electric hoist to power the elevator, assorted pulleys and hardware, steel channel, and assorted steel to complete this project. The hoist pulls the cable through a system of pulleys, and the end hook is attached to a platform that I fabricated. The elevator moves up and down on two side-by-side pieces of steel channel, and is attached to channel trolleys that roll through the channel. After obtaining the materials and planning out the design, I built the elevator with my criteria in mind. The elevator is now operational and meets my original criteria.