Digital Commons Network^™

Numerical Modeling Of Infrared Thermography Techniques Via Ansys, Hayder Abdulnabi Thajeel

Masters Theses

"Several inspection techniques have been developed over years. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) technology has become a widely accepted as a nondestructive inspection (NDI) technique for different fields and various applications as well. Infrared thermography stands as one of the most an attractive and a successful NDI technique that has ability to detect the object's surface/subsurface defects remotely based on observing and measuring the surface's emitted infrared heat radiation by using an infrared camera. The finite element modeling FEM ANSYS was successfully used for the modelling of several IRT techniques; such as Pulsed Thermography (PT) and Lock-in Thermography (LT) that can …

Liquid Phase Stability Under An Extreme Temperature Gradient, Zhi Liang, Kiran Sasikumar, Pawel Keblinski

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Using Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations, We Subject Bulk Liquid to a Very High-Temperature Gradient and Observe a Stable Liquid Phase with a Local Temperature Well above the Boiling Point. Also, under This High-Temperature Gradient, the Vapor Phase Exhibits Condensation into a Liquid at a Temperature Higher Than the Saturation Temperature, Indicating that the Observed Liquid Stability is Not Caused by Nucleation Barrier Kinetics. We Show that, Assuming Local Thermal Equilibrium, the Phase Change Can Be Understood from the Thermodynamic Analysis. the Observed Elevation of the Boiling Point is Associated with the Interplay between the "Bulk" Driving Force for the Phase …

Development Of An Experimental Testbed For Research In Lithium-Ion Battery Management Systems, Nima Lotfi, Poria Fajri, Samuel Novosad, Jack Savage, Robert G. Landers, Mehdi Ferdowsi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advanced electrochemical batteries are becoming an integral part of a wide range of applications from household and commercial to smart grid, transportation, and aerospace applications. Among different battery technologies, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are growing more and more popular due to their high energy density, high galvanic potential, low self-discharge, low weight, and the fact that they have almost no memory effect. However, one of the main obstacles facing the widespread commercialization of Li-ion batteries is the design of reliable battery management systems (BMSs). An efficient BMS ensures electrical safety during operation, while increasing battery lifetime, capacity and thermal stability. Despite …

Computational Modeling And Experimental Study On Optical Microresonators Using Optimal Spherical Structure For Chemical Sensing, Hanzheng Wang, Lei Yuan, Jie Huang, Xinwei Lan, Cheol-Woon Kim, Lan Jiang, Hai Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chemical sensors based on optical microresonators have been demonstrated highly sensitive by monitoring the refractive index (RI) changes in the surrounding area near the resonator surface. In an optical resonator, the Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) with high quality (Q) factor supported by the spherical symmetric structure interacts with the contiguous background through evanescent field. Highly sensitive detection can be realized because of the long lifetime of the photons. The computational models of solid glass microspheres and hollow glass spheres with porous wall (PW-HGM) were established. These two types of microresonators were studied through simulations. The PWHGM resonator was proved as …

Study Of A Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Combined Heat, Hydrogen And Power System: End-Use Application, Tarek A. Hamad, Abdulhakim Amer A. Agll, Yousif M. Hamad, Sushrut Bapat, Mathew Thomas, Kevin B. Martin, John W. Sheffield

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To address the problem of fossil fuel usage and high greenhouse gas emissions at the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus, using of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources can lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Biogas, produced by anaerobic digestion of wastewater, organic waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste, and animal by-products is a potential source of renewable energy. In this work, we have discussed the design of CHHP system for the campus using local resources. An energy flow and resource availability study is performed to identify the type and source of feedstock required to continuously run the …

Multi-Axis Planning Of A Hybrid Material Deposition And Removal Combined Process, J. Zhang, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Numerical Analysis Of Thermal Stress And Deformation In Multi-Layer Laser Metal Deposition Processes, Heng Liu, Todd E. Sparks, Frank W. Liou, David M. Dietrich

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct metal deposition (DMD) has gained increasing attention in the area of rapid manucooling rate, resulting in residual stresses and distortion. This paper presents a 3D sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model to predict residual stresses and deformations. The temperature distribution, thermal stress field and geometry deformation across domain are illustrated. The effect of deposition parameters on residual stress and deflections are also explored. A set of validation experiments for mechanical effects were conducted using laser displacement sensor. The comparisons between the simulated and experimental results show good agreement

Vision-Based Process Monitoring For Laser Metal Deposition Processes, Sreekar Karnati, Niroop Matta, Todd E. Sparks, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laser Metal deposition is a process with immense scope and promise for becoming a robust manufacturing technology in the near future. Monitoring process variables is very instrumental in process planning and output monitoring. The current work deals with realizing the effect of power modulation on size of the high temperature region during deposition with varying powder feed. A thermal camera was used to visualize and analyze the deposition process. The area of the high temperature region through the deposition was identified and compared to realize the effect of each variable parameter during deposition. The power modulation was fruitful in modulating …

Additive Manufacturing Laser Deposition Of Ti‐6al‐4v For Aerospace Repair Applications, Nanda Kumar Dey, Frank W. Liou, C. Nedic

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Parts or products from high performance metal are very expensive, partly due to the processing complexities during manufacturing. The purpose of this project is to use additive laser deposition and machining processes to repair titanium parts, thus extending the service life of these parts. The study broadly included preparing the defects, laser deposition, machining, sample preparation and mechanical tests. Comparative study of mechanical properties (UTS, YS, percentage elongation) of the repaired samples to the ideal conditions was undertaken. The research throws up interesting facts where the data from the test sample shows enhancement of properties of the repaired part.

Effect Of Architecture And Porosity On Mechanical Properties Of Borate Glass Scaffolds Made By Selective Laser Sintering, Krishna C. R. Kolan, Ming-Chuan Leu, Greg Hilmas, Taylor Comte

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The porosity and architecture of bone scaffolds, intended for use in bone repair or replacement, are two of the most important parameters in the field of bone tissue engineering. The two parameters not only affect the mechanical properties of the scaffolds but also aid in determining the amount of bone regeneration after implantation. Scaffolds with five different architectures and four porosity levels were fabricated using borate bioactive glass (13-93B3) using the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The pore size of the scaffolds varied from 400 to 1300 μm. The compressive strength of the scaffolds varied from 1.7 to 15.5 MPa …

Experimental Investigation Of Different Cellular Lattice Structures Manufactured By Fused Deposition Modeling, Osman Iyibilgin, Cemil Yigit, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the compressive properties (yield strength and compressive modulus) and build time for five different cellular lattice structures fabricated by the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process. The lattice structures had repeating unit cells, and the shapes of the unit cell under study included honeycomb, square, diamond, triangle, and circle. Test specimens were manufactured by a Stratasys Fortus 400mc machine using ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) as the part material. The five different lattice structures were compared with each other and also with the sparse and sparse-double dense build styles that are directly available from the Fortus …

Development Of Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication With Use Of Sacrificial Material, Ming-Chuan Leu, Diego A. Garcia

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) process to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) ceramic parts with use of sacrificial material to build support sections during the fabrication process is presented in this paper. FEF is an environmentally friendly, additive manufacturing process that builds 3D parts in a freezing environment layer-by-layer by computer controlled extrusion and deposition of aqueous colloidal pastes based on computer-aided design (CAD) models. Methyl cellulose was identified as the support material, and alumina was used as the main material in this study. After characterizing the dynamics of extruding alumina and methyl cellulose pastes, a general tracking controller was …

Probabilistic Simulation Of Solidification Microstructure Evolution During Laser-Based Metal Deposition, Jingwei Zhang, Frank W. Liou, William Seufzer, Joseph William Newkirk, Zhiqiang Fan, Heng Liu, Todd E. Sparks

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A predictive model, based on a Cellular Automaton (CA) - Finite Element (FE) method, has been developed to simulate microstructure evolution during metal solidification for a laser based additive manufacturing process. The macroscopic FE calculation was designed to update the temperature field and simulate a high cooling rate. In the microscopic CA model, heterogeneous nucleation sites, preferential growth orientation and dendritic grain growth kinetics were simulated. The CA model was able to show the entrapment of neighboring cells and the relationship between undercooling and the grain growth rate. The model predicted the dendritic grain size, structure, and morphological evolution during …

Hybrid System For Enhancing Algal Growth Using Vertical Membranes, David J. Bayless, Ben J. Stuart

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A method for enhancing gas-to-liquid transfer rate and algal growth using vertical membranes suspended over a pond, wherein the membranes are formed of fibers. An aqueous solution is applied to the top edges of the membranes through a series of headers. The membranes are exposed to a stream of gas containing soluble gas species as the aqueous solution migrates downwardly through the membranes by virtue of gravity-assisted capillary action. The aqueous solution collects the soluble gases from the gas stream, thus promoting the growth of photosynthetic organisms on the membranes and in the pond. The membranes facilitate a gradual introduction …

Near- And Far-Field Spectroscopic Imaging Investigation Of Resonant Square-Loop Infrared Metasurfaces, J. D'Achangel, E. Tucker, Edward C. Kinzel, E. A. Muller, H. A. Bechtel, M. B. Martin, G. Boreman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Apparatus And Method For Growing Biological Organisms For Fuel And Other Purposes, David J. Bayless, Morgan Lefay Vis-Chiasson, Ben J. Stuart, Gregory G. Kremer

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A bioreactor apparatus in which a container has sidewalls, a floor and a ceiling defining a chamber that contains a slurry of water, nutrients and photosynthetic microorganisms. A plurality of optical fibers, each of which has a first end disposed outside the chamber and a second end in the mixture. A light collector spaced from the container has light incident on it and focuses the light onto the first ends of the plurality of optical fibers, thereby permitting the light to be conveyed into the mixture to promote photosynthesis. At least one nozzle is in fluid communication with a source …

Structural Health Monitoring Data Transmission For Composite Hydrokinetic Turbine Blades, A. Heckman, Joshua L. Rovey, K. Chandrashekhara, Steve Eugene Watkins, Daniel S. Stutts, Arindam Banerjee, Rajiv S. Mishra

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Numerical Investigation Of Plasma Actuator Configurations For Flow Separation Control At Multiple Angles Of Attack, Thomas Kelsey Iv, West, Serhat Hosder

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Equilibrium And Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Thermal Conductance At Solid-Gas Interfaces, Zhi Liang, William Evans, Pawel Keblinski

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Thermal Conductance at Solid-Gas Interfaces with Different Interfacial Bonding Strengths is Calculated through Green-Kubo Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (EMD) Simulations. Due to the Finite Size of the Simulation System, the Long-Time Integral of the Time Correlation Function of Heat Power Across the Solid-Gas Interface Exhibits an Exponential Decay, Which Contains the Information on Interfacial Thermal Conductance. If an Adsorbed Gas Layer is Formed on the Solid Surface, It is Found that the Solid-Gas Interface Needs to Be Defined at a Plane Outside the Adsorbed Layer So as to Obtain the Correct Result from the Green-Kubo Formula. the EMD Simulation Result …

Improvement Of Heat Transfer Efficiency At Solid-Gas Interfaces By Self-Assembled Monolayers, Zhi Liang, William Evans, Tapan Desai, Pawel Keblinski

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, We Demonstrate that the Efficiency of Heat Exchange between a Solid and a Gas Can Be Maximized by Functionalizing Solid Surface with Organic Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs). We Observe that for Bare Metal Surfaces, the Thermal Accommodation Coefficient (TAC) Strongly Depends on the Solid-Gas Interaction Strength. for Metal Surfaces Modified with Organic SAMs, the TAC is Close to its Theoretical Maximum and is Essentially Independent from the SAM-Gas Interaction Strength. the Analysis of the Simulation Results Indicates that Softer and Lighter SAMs, Compared to the Bare Metal Surfaces, Are Responsible for the Greatly Enhanced TAC. © 2013 …

Development Of A Methodology For Pseudo-Rigid-Body Models Of Compliant Segments With Inserts, And Experimental Validation, Raghvendra Sharadchandra Kuber

Masters Theses

"Compliant mechanisms have shown a great deal of potential in the last few decades in providing better solutions to design problems with numerous benefits; however, their use has been limited due to current challenges in the material selection. With ever increasing focus on the applications of compliant mechanisms, it is necessary to find alternatives to the existing materials and methods of prototyping. The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology for pseudo-rigid-body models of compliant segments with compliant inserts, comprised of a resilient material placed between the layers of a softer material, to alleviate any creep and strength …

Development Of A Postprocessor For A Multi-Axis Cnc Milling Center, Mihir Satish Adivarekar

Masters Theses

"Most of the current college design and manufacturing curricula are primarily focused on computer aided design (CAD), while less emphasis is given to computer aided manufacturing (CAM). A great opportunity has been missed as the benefits of CAD/CAM cannot then be fully learned. Postprocessor plays a vital role in integration of CAD//CAM with computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. Hence, postprocessor must be developed accurately. This thesis is composed of one paper. Paper I proposes a novel methodology to determine compensation vectors for the post processor of multi-axis milling center. The new approach that has been implemented in Paper I involves …

Dynamic Contact Analysis Of A Piezoelectrically Driven Ultrasonic Crawler-Actuator, Dwight Santiago Maness

Masters Theses

"A standing wave ultrasonic motor (SWUM) is presented in this thesis. The actuator is piezoelectrically powered and operates in the first and second bending modes to move forwards and backwards, respectively. The kinematic stability of the crawler, backed by experimental results is shown in the first paper presented in this thesis. This study demonstrates that in the absence of a preload or kinematic constraints, the crawler shows vertical stability. A full transient analysis using the finite element method is performed characterizing the speed and contact variables is conducted in the second paper. The results show that given enough time the …

Numerical Study Of Pressure Fluctuations Due To A Mach 6 Turbulent Boundary Layer, Lian Duan, Meelan M. Choudhari

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to examine the pressure fluctuations generated by a Mach 6 turbulent boundary layer with nominal freestream Mach number of 6 and Reynolds number of Reτ ≈ 464. The emphasis is on comparing the primarily vortical pressure signal at the wall with the acoustic freestream signal under higher Mach number conditions. Moreover, the Mach-number dependence of pressure signals is demonstrated by comparing the current results with those of a supersonic boundary layer at Mach 2.5 and Reτ ≈ 510. It is found that the freestream pressure intensity exhibits a strong Mach number dependence, irrespective of …

Approximate Dynamic Programming Based Solutions For Fixed-Final-Time Optimal Control And Optimal Switching, Ali Heydari

Doctoral Dissertations

"Optimal solutions with neural networks (NN) based on an approximate dynamic programming (ADP) framework for new classes of engineering and non-engineering problems and associated difficulties and challenges are investigated in this dissertation. In the enclosed eight papers, the ADP framework is utilized for solving fixed-final-time problems (also called terminal control problems) and problems with switching nature. An ADP based algorithm is proposed in Paper 1 for solving fixed-final-time problems with soft terminal constraint, in which, a single neural network with a single set of weights is utilized. Paper 2 investigates fixed-final-time problems with hard terminal constraints. The optimality analysis of …

Bio-Inspired Design, Fabrication And Testing Of Bipolar Plates For Pem Fuel Cells, Nannan Guo

Doctoral Dissertations

"The flow field of a bipolar plate distributes reactants for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and removes the produced water from the fuel cells. It greatly influences the performance of fuel cells, especially the concentration losses. Two approaches were developed to improve flow field designs in this dissertation. One is inspired by the biological circulatory structures and called bio-inspired designs, which have great potential to transport reactant efficiently and hence improve fuel cell performance. Another way is using a network-based optimization model to optimize the conventional flow field configurations, i.e., pin-type, parallel and serpentine designs, to improve flow distributions …

Numerical Modeling Of Heat Transfer And Fluid Flow In Laser Metal Deposition By Powder Injection, Zhiqiang Fan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Laser metal deposition is an additive manufacturing technique which allows quick fabrication of fully-dense metallic components directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD) solid models. A self-consistent three-dimensional model was developed for the laser metal deposition process by powder injection, which simulates heat transfer, phase changes, and fluid flow in the melt pool, The governing equations for solid, liquid and gas phases in the calculation domain have been formulated using the continuum model. The free surface in the melt pool has been tracked by the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, while the VOF transport equation was solved using the Piecewise Linear …

Manufacturing And Characterization Of Polyurethane Based Sandwich Composites, Stephen Robert Hawkins

Masters Theses

"Composite sandwich structures have been extensively employed in aerospace structures, ship building, infrastructure, etc. due to their light weight and high strength to weight ratio. The understanding of their behavior under impact and environmental conditions is extremely important for the design and manufacturing of these engineering structures since these problems are directly related to structural integrity and safety requirements. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is one of the commonly used low cost composite manufacturing processes. Polyurethane (PU) resin system has been observed to have better mechanical properties and higher impact strength when compared to conventional resin systems such as …

Development Of Marker-Based Human Motion Capture Systems For Assembly Simulation And Ergonomic Analysis, Sajeev C. Puthenveetil

Masters Theses

"In aerospace industry, the assembly operator is often exposed to potential ergonomic injuries due to awkward postures while working in confined spaces. Manually generating worker postures in simulation software for ergonomic analysis is cumbersome. This research focuses on the use of marker-based optical motion capture technology to generate human motion simulations in real-time for ergonomic analysis. To address the challenges involved in capturing human motions in a real work environment, an assembly operation was simulated in a four-walled Computer Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) which provides an immersive 3D environment to the worker performing the assembly operation. Multiple cameras were set-up …

Development Of A New Temporary Fastener For Aerospace Automation, Xiangwen Zhang

Masters Theses

"Temporary fasteners are required in aircraft assembly, especially in the assembly of wings, fuselage, and aircraft skin's substructure prior to drilling holes for permanent fasteners by automated drilling machines. The objective was to develop a temporary fastener that can be installed, clamped, loosened, and removed from one side with a short head length. Published papers, web pages and patents relating to temporary fasteners were reviewed. Then by considering the ability to meet the operation requirements and concerns, a temporary fastener was designed with the following advantages:

• a simple structure that can be easily fabricated
• a short head length to save …