Superway Senior Project

The solar sub-team is really starting to come together at this point.  We all know our designated positions, and we are becoming more and more efficient at dealing with problems.  I was personally the main designer of the physical structure, as well as the locator of the materials for the main racking structure.  Charles took charge of the electrical components, and he was also responsible for most of the team's financial documentation.  Updating the bill of materials, contacting vendors, and making purchases were all part of his responsibility.  Tan took charge of the CFD analysis that the team is tasked with completing.  Tan was also the team's equipment specialist, as he is more familiar with the Superway shop than the rest of the team.  Of course, the entire team came together to accomplish certain tasks, such as physically building the structure, as well as brainstorming solutions to problems.

The team has come up with a solution to the issue of the self-tapping screws.  Using a drill press, the team was able to drill a hole straight through both the channel and the gusset plates that were purchased the previous week.  After drilling a hole of a radius that is slightly smaller than the purchased screws.  The screws are than easily able to penetrate the both the metal channel and the gusset plates.  The team has spent a good number of hours at the shop at this point, and the fabrication process is starting to go faster, which is a good sign.

The team has made major purchases and is currently in the middle of the fabrication process.  While cutting the steel channels has proved to be a relatively easy experience with the use of a chop saw, drilling into the steel channels has proved to be a much more difficult process.  Dr. Furman advised the team to use self-tapping screws for ease of use, as self-tapping screws should require no pre-drilled threads, as the screws tap themselves.  However, the process is proving to be more difficult than expected.  Even while using a hammer drill, the screws are having difficulty piercing the Unistrut channel.  The issue lies in either the drill, the screws, or the channel, and the team is in the process of figuring out which one is the problem.

My group partner Charles has contacted Lord and Sons and informed them of our order placement.  Lord and Sons have replied that the order should be available for pickup on March 26th, or the first day of Spring Break.  It appears that the majority of the majority of the solar team's Spring Break will be spent in the Superway shop, figuring out fabrication details.

The team has decided that the best course of action for purchasing materials is to rent a twenty six foot U-Haul truck to move the twenty foot sections of channel that will be purchased from Lord and Sons.  The team may also stop to make other purchases, such as the gutter filtration system, from a store like Lowes or Home Depot.  The team is currently planning on doing most of the fabrication in the shop, so the team will have to learn what tools are available and how to use them.

The new design has been approved by Dr. Furman, and the team has started making preparations for purchasing materials.  The team is currently discussing the best way to move necessary materials to the shop.  Lord and Sons, the distributor through which the team is planning on purchasing the majority of building materials through, charges an $800 shipping fee, which is no small amount.  The team may end up renting a large truck to move necessary materials, rather than pay the freight shipping charge.