Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Wire Neutralization System, Scott A. Bradley, Jason Wiitanen, Timothy B. Smigowski, John T. Niemeyer, Andrew Culkin

Michigan Tech Patents

A wire neutralizing system for use with a vehicle including a frame adapted to be hitched to a vehicle. At least one wheel supports the frame while a bottom of the wheel rolls over terrain having buried wires. The system also includes a blade movable between a stowed position in which the blade is above the bottom of the wheel and a deployed position in which the blade is below the bottom of the wheel, such that the blade plows through the terrain to disable buried wires when in the deployed position.

A New Gaskinetic Model To Analyze Background Flow Effects On Weak Gaseous Jet Flows From Electric Propulsion Devices, Chunpei Cai

Michigan Tech Publications

Recent work on studying rarefied background and jet flow interactions is reported. A new gaskinetic method is developed to investigate two closely related problems. The first problem is how a collisionless background flow can affect a highly rarefied jet flow. The rarefied jet and background flow conditions are assumed available and described with seven parameters. Gaskinetic theories are applied and formulas are obtained for the mixture properties. Simulations are performed to validate these expressions, and excellent agreement is obtained. The second problem is to recover the collisionless background and jet flow parameters with limited measurements. A group of linearized equations …

Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution, Jukka Kuuskoski

MARENER 2017

The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor – a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to propel a ship. When the wind conditions are favourable, Norsepower Rotor Sails allow the main engines to be throttled back, saving fuel and reducing emissions while providing the power needed to maintain speed and voyage time. Rotor sails can be used with new vessels or they can be retrofitted to existing ships.

Norsepower's first delivery project with two 18-metre Rotor Sails has been completed on board Bore's 9,700 DWT Ro-Ro carrier MS Estraden. …

Biomimetic Improvement Of Hydrodynamic Performance For Tidal Turbines, Weichao Shi

MARENER 2017

No abstract provided.

Advances In Composite Manufacturing Of Helicopter Parts, Tobias A. Weber, Hans-Joachim K. Ruff-Stahl

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study investigates and compares different methods for improving standard autoclave composite manufacturing in order to find suitable approaches to a more efficient composite production. The goal is not only a reduction in manufacturing times and costs but also quality enhancement. Improved part quality while decreasing costs enables a manufacturer of composite parts to expand its market share, especially in the helicopter market, which has been constantly shrinking over the last two years. Various approaches such as improved tooling technology, the use of automated systems for lamination as well as outsourcing are examined to provide an overview of possible advancements …

Real-Time Sensing Of Trust In Human-Machine Interactions, Wan-Lin Hu, Kumar Akash, Neera Jain, Tahira Reid

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Human trust in automation plays an important role in successful interactions between humans and machines. To design intelligent machines that can respond to changes in human trust, real-time sensing of trust level is needed. In this paper, we describe an empirical trust sensor model that maps psychophysiological measurements to human trust level. The use of psychophysiological measurements is motivated by their ability to capture a human's response in real time. An exhaustive feature set is considered, and a rigorous statistical approach is used to determine a reduced set of ten features. Multiple classification methods are considered for mapping the reduced …

Identifying Two Regimes Of Slip Of Simple Fluids Over Smooth Surfaces With Weak And Strong Wall-Fluid Interaction Energies, Haibao Hu, Luyao Bao, Nikolai V. Priezjev, Kai Luo

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The slip behavior of simple fluids over atomically smooth surfaces was investigated in a wide range of wall-fluid interaction (WFI) energies at low shear rates using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The relationship between slip and WFI shows two regimes (the strong-WFI and weak-WFI regimes): as WFI decreases, the slip length increases in the strong-WFI regime and decreases in the weak-WFI regime. The critical value of WFI energy that separates these regimes increases with temperature, but it remains unaffected by the driving force. The mechanism of slip was analyzed by examining the density-weighted average energy barrier (∆E) encountered by fluid atoms …

A Well Clear Recommendation For Small Uas In High-Density, Ads-B-Enabled Airspace, Timothy Mclain, Matthew O. Duffield

Faculty Publications

With the growing popularity of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), there is a significant need to enable small UAS to detect and avoid collisions with both manned and unmanned aircraft. The capabilities of ADS-B make it an attractive sensor for detect and avoid (DAA), but it is susceptible to frequency congestion. This paper quantitatively analyzes the frequency limitations of 978 MHz ADS-B. It then uses these limitations to make a recommendation for well clear in ADS-B-equipped airspace that has a high density of small UAS operations.

Adding A Polymer Film Barrier Layer In The Press Forming Process Of Paperboard Trays, Ville Leminen, Panu Tanninen, Mika Kainusalmi, Kirubel Bogale, Juha Varis

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

The aim of this paper was to investigate the possibility to add a barrier layer in the press forming phase of paperboard trays by sealing a polymer film to a paperboard substrate. Plastic coating is often an important part of packages manufactured for food packaging. Traditionally the paperboards for food packaging are coated in the paper mill before the actual forming of the package. Experiments with coated and uncoated boards were made and the bonding and adhesion of materials was observed. The results indicate that adhesion between the board and the film can be achieved in the forming process. However …

Quality Improvement In Drilling Silicon By Using Micro Laser Assisted Drilling, Barkin Bakir

The Hilltop Review

The micro-laser assisted drilling (µ-LAD) of monocrystalline silicon (100), using a diamond cutting tool coupled with a laser, was tested in order to improve the cutting edge quality of a drilled samples. The laser beam is transmitted through an optically transparent diamond drill bit and focused precisely at the tool-workpiece interface, where the material is under high pressure induced by the diamond tool. The influence of the laser power on the quality and the inner surface finish of the drilled materials is investigated. Different laser powers were used to carry out the experiments. The experimental results indicated that the µ-LAD …

Multi-Stage Nozzle-Shape Optimization For Pulsed Hydrogen-Air Detonation Combustor, Francesco Ornano, James Braun, Bayindir H. Saracoglu, Guillermo Paniagua

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Faculty Publications

hermal engines based on pressure gain combustion offer new opportunities to generate thrust with enhanced efficiency and relatively simple machinery. The sudden expansion of detonation products from a single-opening tube yields thrust, although this is suboptimal. In this article, we present the complete design optimization strategy for nozzles exposed to detonation pulses, combining unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solvers with the accurate modeling of the combustion process. The parameterized shape of the nozzle is optimized using a differential evolution algorithm to maxi­ mize the force at the nozzle exhaust. The design of experiments begins with a first optimization considering steady-flow conditions, subsequently …

Design And Validation Of Novel Potential High Entropy Alloys, Boliang Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The design approach and validation of single phase senary refractory high entropy alloys (HEAs) MoNbTaTiVW and HfNbTaTiVZr were presented in first part of this dissertation. The design approach was to combine phase diagram inspection of available binary and ternary systems and Calculation of Phase Diagrams (CALPHAD) prediction. Experiments using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques verified single phase microstructure in body centered cubic lattice for both alloys. The observed elemental segregation agrees well with the solidification prediction using Scheil model. The lattice constant, density and microhardness were measured to be 0.3216 nm, 4.954 GPa and 11.70 g/cm³ for …

Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Models For Real-Time Monitoring And Their Application To Chemical Mechanical Planarization, Jia (Peter) Liu, Omer F. Beyca, Prahalad K. Rao, Zhenyu (James) Kong, Satish T. S. Bukkapatnam

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of this work is to use sensor data for online detection and identification of process anomalies (faults). In pursuit of this goal, we propose Dirichlet process Gaussian mixture (DPGM) models. The proposed DPGM models have two novel outcomes: 1) DP-based statistical process control (SPC) chart for anomaly detection and 2) unsupervised recurrent hierarchical DP clustering model for identification of specific process anomalies. The presented DPGM models are validated using numerical simulation studies as well as wireless vibration signals acquired from an experimental semiconductor chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) test bed. Through these numerically simulated and experimental sensor data, we …

Tribological Behavior Of Spark Plasma Sintered Aluminum-Graphene Composites At Room And Elevated Temperatures, Sara Rengifo, Cheng Zhang, Sandip Harimkar, Benjamin Boesl, Arvind Agarwal

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

This study examines the role of Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as a solid lubricant additive to aluminum. Pure Al and Al-2 vol % GNP pellets are sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Their tribological properties are evaluated by a ball-on-disk tribometer at room temperature (RT) and high temperature (200 °C). Al-2 vol % GNP composite displayed poor densification (91%) and low hardness, resulting in poor wear resistance as compared to pure Al. However GNP addition resulted in a lower coefficient of friction (COF) as compared to pure aluminum at both temperatures. The results demonstrated that GNPs contribute to reducing COF by …

Hybrid Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Systems: A Review, Kody M. Powell, Khalid Rashid, Kevin Ellingwood, Jake Tuttle, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Concentrated solar power (CSP), or solar thermal power, is an ideal technology to hybridize with other energy technologies for power generation. CSP shares technology with conventional power generation and can be readily integrated with other energy types into a synergistic system, which has many potential benefits including increased dispatchability and reliability, improved efficiency, reduced capital costs through equipment sharing, and the opportunity for flexible operation by alternating between energy sources. Another advantage of CSP technology is the ability to readily store via thermal energy storage (TES), making the intermittent solar resource dispatchable. A review of CSP hybridization strategies with coal, …

Steady State Simulation Of Pyrolysis Gases In An Inductively Coupled Plasma Facility, Nicholas C. Martin

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

An important step in the more efficient use of PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator) as a Thermal Protection System (TPS) material for spacecraft is the understanding of its pyrolysis mechanics. The gases released during pyrolysis and their subsequent interaction with the reactive plasma environment is not yet well understood. The surface recession of PICA as it ablates during testing only makes the study and characterization of the chemical reactions more difficult. To this end, a probe has been designed for this study to simulate, in steady state, the pyrolysis gases within the UVM 30kW Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Torch Facility. …

Implementation Of A Self Leveling Controller On A Legged Rover, Rahul Rameshbabu

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Continuous Oscillation: Vibrational Effects And Acceptable Frequency Ranges Of Small Bore Piping In Field Applications, Marie Kasprzyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In turbomachinery, a common failure mode is cracking of welds at the equipment and piping connection point. Each incidence of these cracks causes a forced shutdown to perform repairs that cost millions of dollars. This type of failure is predominately seen in small bore piping, which has a nominal diameter of 2 inches and smaller. This thesis addresses the failure prediction analysis of small bore piping, specifically in turbomachinery applications. Performing failure analysis to predict the potential cracking of welds will allow for replacement of the piping during a planned shutdown which in the long term saves money due to …

Tensile-Compressive Asymmetry And Anisotropy Of Fused Deposition Modeling Pla Under Monotonic Conditions, Casey Perkowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) continues to gain popularity for its ability to produce complexly-shaped final use components that are impractical to manufacture by traditional methods; however, additive manufactured parts contain complex mesostructures that result in directionally-dependent mechanical properties that have yet to be fully characterized. This effort demonstrates a framework of experimental and analytical methods needed to characterize the uniaxial monotonic behavior of fused deposition modeling PLA using tensile and compressive experiments on specimens printed at various orientations. Based on experimental results, the asymmetry and anisotropy of the tensile and compressive response was analyzed for a candidate material. Specimens from different …

A Study On The Plasticity And Fracture Behaviors Of Inconel 718 Under Multiaxial Stress And Extremely Low Cycle Fatigue Loadings, Mohammed Algarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Engineering materials and structures are usually subjected to multiaxial stress states loading due to geometrical effects, residual stresses, or multi-directional loading. Ductile fracture and Extremely Low Cycle Fatigue (ELCF), less than 100 cycles to fail, are two common and co-exist failure modes in many engineering structures. However, the linkage between these two failure modes under multi-axial loading conditions has never been systematically studied. This research summarizes an extensive work of experimental and numerical studies of ductile fracture and ELCF under different stress states for nickel-base superalloy material "IN718" under room temperature. Specially designed specimens and tests were used to achieve …