Engineering student 'hammers out' research project with faculty member

Jeremy Watkins, an engineering graduate student, said he should have trusted his instincts when he started building a water tank.

The 180-gallon tank would be used to measure the forces acting on a cantilever beam submerged in water. Watkins said he initially thought of building the tank in component panels; someone suggested working from a larger piece of metal and he went with that idea.

"So, it was me and a hammer for a long time, bending it into shape," Watkins joked. 

The end result was still successful. This project was part of Watkins's independent study course with Farid Jafari, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. They used strain gauges to measure the deformations and calculate the forces on the beam, which looks like a small metal ruler.

Jafari said this research has extended from initial tests of the beam in the air and wind. Testing the beam in water means the data could be used for harvesting energy from ocean waves or calculating the thrust of underwater vehicles.

The next step, Jafari said, is to add a high-speed camera to measure the displacements. Another student will take over Watkins's role in the fall semester.

Watkins enrolled at Grand Valley using the GI Bill, following a stint in the Marine Corps. He earned an associate degree before entering the Marines and said he chose an engineering path "because I spent a lot of time fixing other people's designs and thinking, 'I could do this better.'"

"I've enjoyed my time at Grand Valley because I'm a very hands-on person and I can see how my classes have transferred to this practical knowledge," said Watkins, who will graduate in December with a combined bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering. 

Jafari said working with undergraduate and graduate students on research projects gives him energy.

"Jeremy's stubbornness to not give up paired well with the trial-and-error type of work involved with this project. The tank was not working the way he wanted it, so he needed to spend more time to work out the details," Jafari said. "He is genuinely interested in learning new things and I will also learn from this."