Application Of Finite Element Method In Protein Normal Mode Analysis, 2013 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Application Of Finite Element Method In Protein Normal Mode Analysis, Chiung-Fang Hsu
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
This study proposed a finite element procedure for protein normal mode analysis (NMA). The finite element model adopted the protein solvent-excluded surface to generate a homogeneous and isotropic volume. A simplified triangular approximation of coarse molecular surface was generated from the original surface model by using the Gaussian-based blurring technique. Similar to the widely adopted elastic network model, the finite element model holds a major advantage over standard all-atom normal mode analysis: the computationally expensive process of energy minimization that may distort the initial protein structure has been eliminated. This modification significantly increases the efficiency of normal mode analysis. In …
Numerical Modeling And Characterization Of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays, 2013 University of Kentucky
Numerical Modeling And Characterization Of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays, Johnson Joseph
Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering
Since their discoveries, carbon nanotubes have been widely studied, but mostly in the forms of 1D individual carbon nanotube (CNT). From practical application point of view, it is highly desirable to produce carbon nanotubes in large scales. This has resulted in a new class of carbon nanotube material, called the vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays (VA-CNTs). To date, our ability to design and model this complex material is still limited. The classical molecular mechanics methods used to model individual CNTs are not applicable to the modeling of VA-CNT structures due to the significant computational efforts required. This research is to …
A Closed-Form Solution For The Similarity Transformation Parameters Of Two Planar Point Sets, 2013 Universiti Teknikal
A Closed-Form Solution For The Similarity Transformation Parameters Of Two Planar Point Sets, Shamsul A. Shamsudin, Andrew P. Murray
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications
Image registration covers the set of techniques used in matching images of the same scene. A subset of the image registration problem, identifying the parameters in a similarity transformation, has emerged as useful in a recently defined area of machine design: designing mechanisms for rigidbody shape-change. First, this brief paper shows a potential use for image registration techniques outside the field of machine vision. Second, it presents a closed-form solution for the similarity transformation parameters when the point sets to be matched are restricted to two-dimensional space as is needed in the aforementioned design problem.
Carbon Dioxide Absorption And Channelling In Closed Circuit Rebreather Scrubbers, 2013 Department of Mechanical, Biomedical and Manufacturing Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland.
Carbon Dioxide Absorption And Channelling In Closed Circuit Rebreather Scrubbers, Shona Cunningham
Theses
Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCRs) are a type of Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) used predominantly by the diving community. CCR technologies have become prevalent within the commercial, military and technical diving communities over recent years. CCRs work by recycling breathing gas, by-passing the gas through a carbon dioxide (CO2) chemical scrubber and topping the resultant scrubbed gas up with pure oxygen to maintain the oxygen content at a level which supports life. One of the main dangers currently faced by divers using this equipment is the risk of CO2 poisoning if the scrubber fails. This failure …
Wave Propagation In Metamaterial Using Multiscale Resonators By Creating Local Anisotropy, 2013 University of South Carolina - Columbia
Wave Propagation In Metamaterial Using Multiscale Resonators By Creating Local Anisotropy, Raiz U. Ahmed, Sourav Banerjee
Faculty Publications
Directional guiding, passing or stopping of elastic waves through engineered materials have many applications to the engineering fields. Recently, such engineered composite materials received great attention by the broader research community. In elastic waves, the longitudinal and transverse motion of material particles are coupled, which exhibits richer physics and demands greater attention than electromagnetic waves and acoustic waves in fluids. Waves in periodic media exhibit the property of Bragg scattering and create frequency band gaps in which the energy propagation is prohibited. However, in addition to the Bragg scattering, it has been found that local resonance of artificially designed resonators …
The Effect Of Isostatic Pressing On The Dielectric Properties Of Screen Printed Ba0.5Sr0.5Tio3 Thick Films, 2013 University of South Carolina - Columbia
The Effect Of Isostatic Pressing On The Dielectric Properties Of Screen Printed Ba0.5Sr0.5Tio3 Thick Films, Siwei Wang, Lingling Zhang, Jiwei Zhai, Fanglin Chen
Faculty Publications
Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thick films with B2O3–Li2O glass sintering aid were prepared by the screen printing method on Al2O3 substrates. A 200 MPa isostatic pressure was applied to the films before sintering. After being sintered at 950∘C, lower porosity and denser microstructure was obtained compared with the films without isostatic pressing. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were 238 and 0.0028, respectively. A tunability of 61.7% was obtained for the isostatic pressed films, a 27.8% enhancement compared to unpressurized films. These results suggest that isostatic pressing …
Testing The Fuel Efficiency Of Tractors With Continuously Variable And Standard Geared Transmissions, 2013 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Testing The Fuel Efficiency Of Tractors With Continuously Variable And Standard Geared Transmissions, Christopher N. Howard, Michael F. Kocher, Roger M. Hoy, Erin E. Blankenship
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
A John Deere 8295R IVT tractor with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a John Deere 8295R PowerShift (PST) tractor with a standard geared transmission (GT) were tested for fuel consumption at three different travel speeds with six different load levels applied per speed. The JD 8295R PST tractor was tested both at full throttle (FT) and shifted up two gears and throttled back (SUTB) to achieve the same travel speed as at full throttle. For each travel speed with each transmission mode, fuel consumption was determined to be linearly related to drawbar power. Linear regression analyses were performed, and …
Us Patent 8,338,976: Magnetically-Levitated Wind Turbine, 2012 Selected Works
Us Patent 8,338,976: Magnetically-Levitated Wind Turbine, Sanza Kazadi
Sanza Kazadi
Stress And Strain Adaptation In Load-Dependent Remodeling Of The Embryonic Left Ventricle, 2012 Bucknell University
Stress And Strain Adaptation In Load-Dependent Remodeling Of The Embryonic Left Ventricle, Christine Buffinton
Faculty Journal Articles
Altered pressure in the developing left ventricle (LV) results in altered morphology and tissue material properties. Mechanical stress and strain may play a role in the regulating process. This study showed that confocal microscopy, three-dimensional reconstruction, and finite element analysis can provide a detailed model of stress and strain in the trabeculated embryonic heart. The method was used to test the hypothesis that end-diastolic strains are normalized after altered loading of the LV during the stages of trabecular compaction and chamber formation. Stage-29 chick LVs subjected to pressure overload and underload at stage 21 were reconstructed with full trabecular morphology …
A Finite Difference Implementation Of Phase Field Theory, 2012 University of Connecticut - Storrs
A Finite Difference Implementation Of Phase Field Theory, Nicholas W. Oren
Master's Theses
Computationally handling cracks generally results in numerically unstable results. Specifically handling the infinite stresses at the crack tip as well as the abrupt change from virgin material to failed material creates numerical instabilities. This project seeks to determine if phase field physics theory, particularly the physics based modification developed by B. N. Cassenti, can be appropriately applied to cracks. Phase field theory introduces an additional state variable, the phase of the material. The phase represents the level of failure (by cracking), and diffuses the failure along a crack by specified equations. The modification, based on a variational principle, was tested …
High Performance Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells With Novel Electrode Architecture, 2012 University of South Carolina - Columbia
High Performance Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells With Novel Electrode Architecture, Yu Chen, Qian Liu, Zhibin Yang, Fanglin Chen, Minfang Han
Faculty Publications
In this study, we have fabricated high performance low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) with both acicular anodes and cathodes with thin Gd-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte film. The acicular Ni-Gd0.1Ce0.9O2−δ (Ni-GDC) anode was prepared using freeze drying tape casting, while the hierarchically porous cathode with nano-size Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (SSC) particles covering an acicular GDC skeleton was prepared by a combination of freeze drying tape casting and self-rising approaches. The acicular electrodes with 5–200 μm pores/channels enhance mass transport, while SSC particles of about 50 nm in the cathode promote …
Formula Sae Turbocharger Engine Development, 2012 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Formula Sae Turbocharger Engine Development, Eric Griess, Kevin Mccutcheon, Matthew Roberts, William Chan
Mechanical Engineering
This project, Formula SAE Turbocharger System Development, was sponsored by the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Formula SAE team. The team proposed this project in order to have a powerful yet lightweight engine so they can be extremely competitive at their competition. The baseline output of the single cylinder 450cc engine (2006 Yamaha WR450F) was 46 horsepower and 27 ft-lb of torque. The goal of this project was to increase the output of that engine to 60 horsepower and 35 ft-lb through the use of a turbocharger.
Implementation Of Magnetic Resonance Elastography For The Investigation Of Traumatic Brain Injuries, 2012 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Implementation Of Magnetic Resonance Elastography For The Investigation Of Traumatic Brain Injuries, Thomas Boulet
Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a potentially transformative imaging modality allowing local and non-invasive measurement of biological tissue mechanical properties. It uses a specific phase contrast MR pulse sequence to measure induced vibratory motion in soft material, from which material properties can be estimated. Compared to other imaging techniques, MRE is able to detect tissue pathology at early stages by quantifying the changes in tissue stiffness associated with diseases. In an effort to develop the technique and improve its capabilities, two inversion algorithms were written to evaluate viscoelastic properties from the measured displacements fields. The first one was based on …
Handitrike - Recumbent Tricycle, 2012 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Handitrike - Recumbent Tricycle, Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, Vinay Patel
Mechanical Engineering
This report covers the design and construction of the recumbent racing tricycle for Mr. Robert T. Kelly, a disabled veteran. Unfortunately Rob’s right leg is five inches shorter than his left one and therefore is unable to properly operate standard cranks. Our team HandiTrike is composed of Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, and Vinay Patel and our project requires us to come up with a design that is feasible to complete within the given three quarters, as well as allow Rob to gain full use of his tricycle. Currently Rob ‘s trike uses the standard crank set up found on most …
Solar Turbines Creep Test Fixture, 2012 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Solar Turbines Creep Test Fixture, Rene Maciel, Eric Nelson, Chris Ewald
Mechanical Engineering
No abstract provided.
Fluid–Structure Interaction Modeling Of Wind Turbines: Simulating The Full Machine, 2012 University of California, San Diego
Fluid–Structure Interaction Modeling Of Wind Turbines: Simulating The Full Machine, Ming-Chen Hsu, Yuri Bazilevs
Ming-Chen Hsu
In this paper we present our aerodynamics and fluid–structure interaction (FSI) computational techniques that enable dynamic, fully coupled, 3D FSI simulation of wind turbines at full scale, and in the presence of the nacelle and tower (i.e., simulation of the “full machine”). For the interaction of wind and flexible blades we employ a nonmatching interface discretization approach, where the aerodynamics is computed using a low-order finite-element-based ALE-VMS technique, while the rotor blades are modeled as thin composite shells discretized using NURBS-based isogeometric analysis (IGA). We find that coupling FEM and IGA in this manner gives a good combination of efficiency, …
Isogeometric Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis With Emphasis On Non-Matching Discretizations, And With Application To Wind Turbines, 2012 University of California, San Diego
Isogeometric Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis With Emphasis On Non-Matching Discretizations, And With Application To Wind Turbines, Y. Bazilevs, Ming-Chen Hsu, M. A. Scott
Ming-Chen Hsu
In this paper we develop a framework for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) modeling and simulation with emphasis on isogeometric analysis (IGA) and non-matching fluid–structure interface discretizations. We take the augmented Lagrangian approach to FSI as a point of departure. Here the Lagrange multiplier field is defined on the fluid–structure interface and is responsible for coupling of the two subsystems. Thus the FSI formulation does not rely on the continuity of the underlying function spaces across the fluid–structure interface in order to produce the correct coupling conditions between the fluid and structural subdomains. However, in deriving the final FSI formulation the interface …
Stochastic Optimal Control In Nonlinear Systems, 2012 University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Stochastic Optimal Control In Nonlinear Systems, Celestin Nkundineza
Celestin Nkundineza
Stochastic control is an important area of research in engineering systems that undergo disturbances. Controlling individual states in such systems is critical. The present investigation is concerned with the application of the stochastic optimal control strategy developed by To (2010) and its implementation as well as providing computed results of linear and nonlinear systems under stationary and nonstationary random excitations. In the strategy the feedback matrix is designed based on the achievement of the objectives for individual states in the system through the application of the Lyapunov equation for the system. Each diagonal element in the gain or associated gain …
Crack Identification By Multifractal Analysis Of A Dynamic Rotor Response, 2012 University of Lublin
Crack Identification By Multifractal Analysis Of A Dynamic Rotor Response, Grzegorz Litak, Jerzy Sawicki
Jerzy T. Sawicki
Multifractal analysis has been used to diagnose cracked and healthy rotors. Is has been shown that the complexity and regularity criteria of the dynamical systems defined by the multiple scaling of the time series can indicate the damages of the rotating shaft. Relation to the standard power spectrum technique has been also discussed.
Characterization Of Solar Roadways Via Computational And Experimental Investigations, 2012 The University of Western Ontario
Characterization Of Solar Roadways Via Computational And Experimental Investigations, Rajesh Kanna Selvaraju
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Efficiency of traditional solar panels is known to be very low and hence necessitates the use of extensive open spaces for producing solar-based electric power. In solar roadways concept, open spaces such as roads, parking lots, bicycle lanes, footpaths are proposed to be utilized. An in-depth quantitative feasibility study for implementing solar roadways in Canada is carried out considering the total available surfaces, solar panel efficiency and effects of fast moving shades. The load carrying capability of commercially available materials for the solar panel top cover is studied in an effort to examine the current as well as near-future implementation …