My Background

My name is Brenton Fields (Brent for short). I just graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. Some of my passions include working on classic cars, and constructing/designing mechanical devices. Some hobbies include; camping, boating, hanging out with friends, driving, exploring new places, etc.

My Story

I have been interested in how things work since I was pretty young. When I was 14, I purchased my first car. It was a 1965 Mustang that was sitting in someone's yard for the last 10 years. It was a major project, but I really wanted a classic mustang, so I bought it with my life savings at the time. I trailered it home with the help of my dad and did a lot of research to figure out some basic car knowledge. Lots of starter fluid and carb cleaner later, I had a running and somewhat driving car. At this point I realized that the mustang needed a lot more work in order to have a reliable mode of transportation. I didn't have much money at this time and couldn't afford to have professionals rebuild/restore the car, so I decided I would do it myself. From here on out, I figured out how the car works and how to rebuild an entire drivetrain.

My decision to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering was mainly based on my previous experience with cars, and my desire to create and design new things. The hands on experience I have gained from the project cars I have worked on over the years gave me skills in problem solving.

This website was created in order to give you a summary of some of the projects that I am working on, or have completed. Some of these projects were assigned to me during my college career, and others were personal projects that I worked on in my free time.

My senior design project consisted of designing and testing a set of power transfer systems. The goal is to link an inline 4 diesel to an electrical motor on a tractor enabling the ability of a hybrid drivetrain system. John Deere tasked our team to design a scaled down version of the Diesel - Electric Motor system, then test three different power transfer systems (Belt, Chain, Gearset), and determine which transfer system proves to be the most logical based on efficiency and capabilities especially considering the conditions the system would encounter

Our team first did research on both the 4 cylinder diesel and the electric motor/generator (E-Drive) that John Deere want to use. Using that information, we then decided on a 3Hp electrical motor to replicate the diesel motor and a electric generator to act as the E-Drive in the system. We choose an electric motor because the efficiency is easier to calculate then that of a fuel burning engine.

Our group was tasked with designing a submarine that must sink, hit the ground, and then rise within a 4-foot water tank. The submarine must fit within required dimensions and perform alongside regulations. Each group competed in a competition to determine the efficiency, performance, durability and design of each device.

One of the biggest restrictions was that the submarine were to be activated by one movement (weather that be a button, switch, etc.) and that was all. The submarine was to start at the top, sink to the bottom, then automatically rise to the top. The tank the submarine was to be submerged into was approximately 4 feet tall, 1.5 feet in diameter, and constructed of PVC with windows for viewing.

Our group initially considered a propeller driven submarine using DC motors and an Arduino. The plans then shifted to a CO2 activator that would displace the water within a cylinder. This was once again using an Arduino. This design went into the construction phase and a prototype was created. Our group could not get the mechanics to function properly within the constraints of our submarine body, and therefore we started to consider using a design without electronics.

We eventually decided to go a completely different route and power our submarine using a chemical reaction. Alka-Seltzer was to be used to displace the water within the submarine body once it reached the bottom. The submarine would be activated by a manual valve that runs through the body (6) on the figure to the left. Initially the valve would be pushed and this would allow water to fill up the body and sink the device to the bottom. The valve would then be closed due to the impact of the submarine hitting the floor. At this point, the Alka-Seltzer would push the water in the body out of the bottom holes and then float back up to the top.

In the spring of 2021, I was taking a class called Mechatronics. In this class, we each had an individual project in which we each had to make a electronic device with an Arduino that had to meet specific requirements. I wanted to do something unique, so I decided that I was going to make a remote control car, but with my actual car.

I learned how to use the HC12 remote signal control and receiver, then created a series of controls on a board to use as a remote. In the car, I wired multiple sensors and actuators in order to operate the petals and controls within the car. The steering wheel was a little more complex, so I took a few short cuts here since I didn't have the time to build what I wanted to.