JGK
Gabe Kozielec

USC AME 408

Centrifugal governor FEA

Spring 2026

Stress and deflection trades in SolidWorks Simulation, with MATLAB analysis.

Representative photograph, not this project: a centrifugal governor and its mechanical linkage.

Stand-in, not this project · Clem Rutter · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Used here

Tools

  • SolidWorks Simulation
  • MATLAB
  • Static FEA
  • Parametric trade studies

What I did

  • Ran static stress and deflection studies across governor geometry variables, organized the team dataset, and produced MATLAB figures.
  • Supported selection of a design with converged maximum stress of 1,738 MPa against a 2,200 MPa limit, and half-leg axial deflection of 1.017 mm against a 1.25 mm limit at 7,000 rad/s.
  • Worked alongside teammates responsible for CAD and analysis setup, configuration optimization, and frequency analysis. Results describe the team design and computational studies.