MSOE helps power Milwaukee bridges
| Published: 08/14/2012 |
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Traffic is flowing smoothly through downtown Milwaukee again on the roads and down the river, thanks in part to
MSOE’s Fluid Power Institute™. Students and staff were involved in the design of the hydraulic systems powering the new vertical lift bridges at Wisconsin Avenue and Juneau Avenue, over the Milwaukee River.
FPI became involved in the project in August 2011 when one of the subcontractors, Dan Krall & Company, needed their assistance testing components for the bridges.
FPI designed the hydraulic system and tested the functionality of the hydraulic assemblies for these bridges. They conducted performance testing on the flow divider/combiners that will be used to split and combine the flow to lift the cylinders on each end of the bridge, as well as pump performance testing for each of the four pump-motor assemblies.
They also conducted functionality testing on the main manifolds and cylinder manifolds to ensure they operated as designed and all valve adjustments were made properly. After testing, the components were shipped directly to the bridge for installation. FPI provided on-site start up assistance, and complete hydraulic system drawing and documentation information (operational and maintenance manuals).
Russ Steinmetz ’91, FPI project engineer, managed the project, while Dave Gerow, P.E., ’81, adjunct associate professor in Mechanical Engineering; was contracted to design and create drawings for the hydraulic cylinders and a structural enclosure to protect the hydraulic power units from the elements. The power units and enclosures are located in the pier structures underneath the bridge.
Four mechanical engineering students also were involved in the project: Max Kubicki, Eric Lovelady and Steve Shaffroth, all FPI undergraduate research assistants, and Dane Jones, FPI senior lab technician.
The Wisconsin Avenue bridge opened Aug. 9, 2012, and work is expected to be complete on the Juneau Avenue bridge in November 2012.
Pictured left to right are Max Kubicki, Eric Lovelady, Dane Jones, Russ Steinmetz and Steve Shaffroth.
