Students engineer reusable tool to monitor abandoned wells
Mechanical engineering students partnered with Los Alamos National Laboratory to design a reusable sensor attachment that could improve monitoring of abandoned oil and gas wells.
The capstone team at the Engineering Project Showcase.
For many mechanical engineering seniors, the Senior Capstone Design experience is the first opportunity to solve a problem without a textbook answer. For six Texas A&M University students, that challenge came from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where they were tasked with improving sensor deployment in abandoned oil and gas wells. Months of testing, redesigning and collaboration led to a solution that earned first place in the mechanical engineering division of the Senior Design Showcase.
Orphaned oil and gas wells are abandoned wells with no responsible owner to maintain or properly seal them. These sites can leak methane, contaminate groundwater and create long-term environmental concerns. LANL is working with partners to better identify and monitor these wells, but the process requires a more practical way to couple sensors inside the well pipes.
Instead of improving the existing method, the team challenged the problem itself.
“We researched an alternative solution, presented it, created an experimental procedure to test it, and it worked,” said Naomi Drori, team project manager. “Not only that, but it outperformed the previous sensor type.”
The students designed the Sensor Positioning and Locking Attachment Tool (S.P.L.A.T.), a flexible, reusable housing that securely holds a thin sensor against the inside or outside of a pipe. Using 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane and magnets, the tool replaces a permanent epoxy-based attachment method, making the sensor easier to deploy, remove and reuse while reducing waste and lowering cost.
The completed Sensor Positioning and Locking Attachment Tool (S.P.L.A.T.) features four reusable sensor attachments designed to securely position thin piezoelectric film sensors inside or outside of oil and gas well pipes.
“The flexible arms give it a splatter-like shape, and because it’s highly magnetic, it even makes a ‘splat’ sound when it attaches to the pipe,” Drori said. “We thought it would be fun to turn that into an acronym, and it ended up becoming a memorable way to present our project.”
One of the biggest challenges involved learning how to prepare and test an extremely thin piezoelectric film sensor. Small mistakes during cutting, cleaning or assembly could damage the sensor, forcing the team to rethink its process and repeat testing multiple times. Those setbacks ultimately became valuable learning opportunities that strengthened both the design and the team’s understanding of the technology.
“Every adjustment, whether major or minor, contributed to a more refined, clean and professional final product,” said Valeria Jimenez, team project manager. “The exchange of ideas among team members played a critical role, and the result would not have been possible without diverse perspectives and an openness to feedback.”
Dr. James Hubbard Jr., mechanical engineering professor and the team’s studio instructor, commended the students’ persistence and creative problem-solving.
“What impressed me most about this team was their willingness to challenge conventional thinking,” Hubbard Jr. said. “Rather than simply improving the existing approach, they asked whether there was a fundamentally better way to solve the problem. They designed experiments, trusted the data, learned from setbacks and ultimately developed a solution that exceeded expectations.”
The experience also gave the students a deeper appreciation for the realities of engineering. They balanced project timelines, adapted to unexpected setbacks, coordinated multiple workstreams and learned the importance of effective group communication while working toward a shared goal.
“This team experience has helped prepare us to think long-term while working on a project,” Jimenez said. “We had to manage our time effectively, order materials in advance, work on multiple tasks, communicate clearly and document our progress throughout the process. These are all practical skills that will carry over directly into the real world.”
For Drori and her teammates, the project was about more than designing a better tool. It was about discovering what is possible when curiosity, collaboration and persistence come together to solve problems that matter.
Through meaningful partnerships with organizations such as LANL, which funds an array of capstone teams throughout the College of Engineering, students can apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems.
