Description:

Oasis manufactures a range of ball valves used with compressed natural gas (CNG) and gaseous hydrogen (GH2) for the vehicle refuelling industry. These valves operate across an extreme range of pressures and temperatures which pushes the performance limits of existing designs and materials. 

Oasis has identified opportunities to make improvements to the nozzle designs to prevent dirt and foreign particle ingress into the nozzles causing the sealing systems to prematurely wear out and leak. Alongside this, accessories such as dispenser hangers can be developed to complement the nozzle design and allow for easy hanging of nozzles in the field to prevent them from being left on the ground or dropped. 

The aim of this project is to improve nozzle reliability and durability. 

Over the summer, concepts have been generated by Ben to eliminate dust, grease and other foreign bodies. 

He has a test rig in the development process to simulate the operating environment and product use. Initial tests of the rig are going well. Prototype drawings of the nozzle improvement concept have been submitted for production. 

The student group will run this project under guidance from the Oasis product development team to teach them about the product and the development processes used. They will be directly responsible for project tasks including: 

• Research of existing nozzle designs used by Oasis and competitors including sealing systems and dispenser hangers 
• Formulate a scope of work for the project including specifications for the nozzle changes and new hanger designs 
• Create and follow a project plan using the systems and frameworks used at Oasis such as Rapid Learning Cycles and Critical Chain Project Management. 
• Ideate and create concepts for the required nozzle changes and hangers 
• Design and co-ordinate the manufacture of prototype components using a variety of materials and manufacturing processes 
• Design and conduct tests on prototype nozzles and hangers to validate designs 
• Design and assemble test rigs for the validation tests 
• Plan and facilitate the smooth release of new products to the market, working closely with the Oasis Sales and Production teams 

The output of this project will increase the durability of the product and expand the number of products Oasis has on offer for the CNG industry, growing market share and sales potential. 

Type:

Undergraduate

Outcome:

Prerequisites

None

Specialisations

• Mechanical Engineering
• Mechatronics Engineering

Categories

• Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing Systems

Supervisor

• Yuqian Lu

Team

• Ben Bridger
• Canny Peng

Lab

Manufacturing Systems (405.870, Lab)