1. National Oilwell Varco (NOV), a worldwide
leading company in the design, manufacture
and sale of equipment used in oil and gas
drilling, sponsored a team of BYU students to
design, build, and develop the actuation for
an adjustable hydrocyclone. A hydrocyclone
is a fluid separation device used in oil and
gas drilling that filters drilling mud by cen-
tripetally separating dense particles from
less-dense fluid. The new product is intended
to replace an expensive and complex particle
separating device as a more cost effective
device that can achieve proper separation
performance over varying feed conditions.
The BYU Capstone team acquired the project and, under the direction of
NOV, produced an adjustable hydrocyclone that can successfully vary its
geometry in order to adapt to changes in feed conditions and maintain
constant separation performance over a range of feed characteristics.
Actuation of the critical geometry was developed such that the hydrocy-
clone can be controlled remotely. The product was also designed to be
reliable for intensive operating conditions, easily assem-
bled/disassembled for ease of service, and cost effective.
The adjustable hydrocyclone is to be delivered to NOV where it will ad-
vance through further stages of product development. This development
will include additional acceptance testing and producibility refinement
where the product will be prepared to be manufactured in large quanti-
ties for use in the oil field. The new hydrocyclone, featuring improved
separation performance at lower cost, is expected to attract the market
as an innovative solution to a longtime industry problem. The product
continues National Oilwell Varco’s reputation of delivering excellent tech-
nology to solve industry challenges and also demonstrates the excellent
engineering and technology education at Brigham Young University.
Adjustable Particle Separator for Drilling Mud
National Oilwell Varco
Testing of the adjustable hydro-
cyclone prototype produced by
the BYU Capstone team

2. 2013–14 20: Team Maelstrom
Kelly Rasmussen Marlies Finch, Andrew Haymond, Scott Kunz, Mike Mikkelsen, Russell Peterson,
Rafael Vecchi
BYU Capstone Team 20
From left to right: Russell Peter-
son, Rafael Vecchi, Marlies
Finch, Andrew Haymond, Mike
Mikkelsen, and Scott Kunz
Testing of the adjustable hydro-
cyclone prototype produced by
the BYU Capstone team