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Multiple Objective Function Optimization And Trade Space Analysis, Yifan Xu Dec 2022

Multiple Objective Function Optimization And Trade Space Analysis, Yifan Xu

All Theses

Optimization can assist in obtaining the best possible solution to a design problem by varying related variables under given constraints. It can be applied in many practical applications, including engineering, during the design process. The design time can be further reduced by the application of automated optimization methods. Since the required resource and desired benefit can be translated to a function of variables, optimization can be viewed as the process of finding the variable values to reach the function maxima or minima. A Multiple Objective Optimization (MOO) problem is when there is more than one desired function that needs to …


An Application Of Optimized Bistable Laminates As A Low Velocity, Low Impact Mechanical Deterrent, Graham Lancaster Dec 2022

An Application Of Optimized Bistable Laminates As A Low Velocity, Low Impact Mechanical Deterrent, Graham Lancaster

All Theses

This research considers the problem of using bistable laminates as a mechanical deterrent to the impending impact of a particle. The structure will be controlled through an algorithm that will utilize piezoelectric devices to activate them in unison with the bistable laminate to successfully deter. A novel experimental setup will be constructed to ensure that the bistable laminate stays fixed when acting as a mechanical deterrent. Piezoelectricity is the main driving force of the bistable laminate to morph and this study will use a Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) actuator that contains piezoelectric ceramic rods in a patch to transfer electrical …


Multi-Fidelity Predictions For Control Allocation On The Nasa Ikhana Research Aircraft To Minimize Drag, Justice T. Schoenfeld Dec 2022

Multi-Fidelity Predictions For Control Allocation On The Nasa Ikhana Research Aircraft To Minimize Drag, Justice T. Schoenfeld

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Optimal control settings (camber scheduling) can be used by aircraft to minimize drag at various operating conditions during flight. In this work, camber schedules for minimum drag on the NASA Ikhana are obtained over a range of lift coefficients. A modern numerical lifting-line algorithm is used to predict the lift and drag of the aircraft as a function of operating condition and wing section shape (airfoil camber). The SLSQP optimization algorithm is used to solve for the camber schedule that minimizes drag for a given operating condition. The process is repeated, varying the number of control sections to evaluate the …


Aeroacoustic Analyses For Noise Reduction Application, Mahmoud M. Abdalmola Nov 2022

Aeroacoustic Analyses For Noise Reduction Application, Mahmoud M. Abdalmola

Mechanical Engineering Theses

In this study, we examine the hypothesis that airflow noise can be reduced by adding metamaterials. The introduction of any obstacle will generate more disturbance in the airflow and therefore add noise. Hence an efficient metamaterial design is required, capable of reducing noise even at higher flow disturbance. In order to examine this hypothesis, we developed a platform to perform isogeometric aeroacoustic analyses to solve Navier stokes equations first. We obtained the velocity fields from fluid-structure analyses and utilized the light-hill analogy to calculate the noise generated as a result of airflow. Then the Helmholtz equation was solved to perform …


Optimal Synthesis Of Crank-Rocker Mechanisms With Optimum Transmission Angle For Desired Stroke And Time-Ratio Using Genetic Programming, Bahman Ahmadi, Behnam Ahmadi Oct 2022

Optimal Synthesis Of Crank-Rocker Mechanisms With Optimum Transmission Angle For Desired Stroke And Time-Ratio Using Genetic Programming, Bahman Ahmadi, Behnam Ahmadi

Michigan Tech Publications

Dimensional synthesis of crank-rocker mechanisms applied to provide some desired values of stroke and time ratio, is of utmost importance for designing an efficient mechanism. In the synthesis and manufacturing of crank-rocker mechanisms, the designers are further challenged by other design criteria, such as quality of motion. In this study, a novel approach based on genetic programming (GP) is proposed for dimensional synthesis of planar crank-rocker mechanisms with optimum transmission angle over the desired stroke and time-ratio. An analytical approach is elaborated which leads to an interesting relationship of length of the coupler and rocker links. It is, therefore, advised …


Enhancements To Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Rockets, Kimberly Gonzalez Aug 2022

Enhancements To Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Rockets, Kimberly Gonzalez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nuclear thermal rocket propulsion has been proposed as a highly efficient technology for space vehicles traveling from earth orbit to the moon, Mars, and other locations in the solar system. With twice the performance of a chemical rocket, nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) uses the thrust produced by heating hydrogen gas within a thermal nuclear reactor where the exhaust is then passed through a de Laval nozzle to produce supersonic flow. NTP engines were the subject ofthe NERVA experiments at the Nevada Test Site in the 1970’s, and they produced a specific impulse of up to 900 seconds which is almost …


Optimization Of Lattice Structure Using Machine Learning Approach, Tanzila Bint Minhaj Aug 2022

Optimization Of Lattice Structure Using Machine Learning Approach, Tanzila Bint Minhaj

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal line of designing any structure is to get maximum performance at minimum cost. Therefore, optimization is the only method to achieve that objective. Engineers have been practicing different formats of optimization. Topological optimization is one of the well-known long-practiced methods. But it is always desired to find the most helpful design method that considers every relevant parameter associated with the structure. In the continuation of this search to enhance the efficacy of design through optimization, a new approach was explored in the following work. The motivation was to enable a model to be capable of finding out the …


Development Of A Reverse Engineered, Parameterized, And Structurally Validated Computational Model To Identify Design Parameters That Influence American Football Faceguard Performance, William Ferriell Aug 2022

Development Of A Reverse Engineered, Parameterized, And Structurally Validated Computational Model To Identify Design Parameters That Influence American Football Faceguard Performance, William Ferriell

All Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to have the greatest incidence among athletes participating in American football. The headgear design research community has focused on developing accurate computational and experimental analysis techniques to better assess the ability of headgear technology to attenuate impacts and protect athletes from TBI. Despite efforts to innovate the headgear system, minimal progress has been made to innovate the faceguard. Although the faceguard is not the primary component of the headgear system that contributes to impact attenuation, faceguard performance metrics, such as weight, structural stiffness, and visual field occlusions, have been linked to athlete safety. To improve …


Employing Boundary Element Approach With Genetic Algorithm To Increase Travel Range Of Repulsive Actuators, Yu Tian, Ronald N. Miles, Shahrzad Towfighian Jul 2022

Employing Boundary Element Approach With Genetic Algorithm To Increase Travel Range Of Repulsive Actuators, Yu Tian, Ronald N. Miles, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The design of repulsive electrostatic actuators having enlarged travel range is achieved by combining the boundary element approach and a genetic algorithm. The boundary element method enables calculating the electrostatic forces without time consuming finite element simulations. Once a static equation that uses a model of effective lumped mass solves the travel ranges, the GA maximizes travel ranges by optimizing the dimensional parameters. The effectiveness of the scheme is demonstrated with extensive experimental results showing the travel ranges of a micro out-of-plane actuator are increased by up to 190%. The developed platform can improve the signal-to-noise ratios and the performance …


Grey-Taguchi Approach To Optimize Fused Deposition Modeling Process In Terms Of Mechanical Properties And Dimensional Accuracy, Md Asif Bin Syed, Qausar Rhaman, Hasan Md Shahriar, Mohammad Muhshin Aziz Khan Jun 2022

Grey-Taguchi Approach To Optimize Fused Deposition Modeling Process In Terms Of Mechanical Properties And Dimensional Accuracy, Md Asif Bin Syed, Qausar Rhaman, Hasan Md Shahriar, Mohammad Muhshin Aziz Khan

Graduate Student Scholarship

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a process that allows for the rapid production of functional parts through the deposition of fused material layers in a sequential manner. FDM has flexibility and the potential to create complicated parts. This study aims to optimize the FDM process parameters in terms of tensile strength, flexural strength, and longitudinal shrinkage using the Grey-Taguchi approach. The input parameters chosen to study the effects on dimension and mechanical properties are layer thickness, the raster angle, fill density, the number of contours, printing temperature, and printing speed. The Taguchi L27 orthogonal array is used as the statistical …


Design And Control Of Next-Generation Uavs For Effectively Interacting With Environments, Caiwu Ding May 2022

Design And Control Of Next-Generation Uavs For Effectively Interacting With Environments, Caiwu Ding

Dissertations

In this dissertation, the design and control of a novel multirotor for aerial manipulation is studied, with the aim of endowing the aerial vehicle with more degrees of freedom of motion and stability when interacting with the environments. Firstly, it presents an energy-efficient adaptive robust tracking control method for a class of fully actuated, thrust vectoring unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with parametric uncertainties including unknown moment of inertia, mass and center of mass, which would occur in aerial maneuvering and manipulation. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through simulation. Secondly, a humanoid robot arm is adopted to serve as …


Machine Learning Based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization, Noe Martinez Jr. May 2022

Machine Learning Based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization, Noe Martinez Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The coefficient of pressure distribution for various 2D airfoil geometries were found using source – vortex panel methods. The data obtained in these simulations was used in multiple machine learning models which would predict the airfoil geometry from a given coefficient of pressure distribution. The neural networks employed were fully connected feedforward networks with Levenberg – Marquardt backpropagation and one model employed Bayesian Regularization. A novel tool for optimizing airfoil shape for a given coefficient of pressure distribution was created which performed well during testing. These models serve as the first step in minimizing the conflict between aerodynamic and stealth …


A Numerical Optimization Study Of A Novel Electrospray Emitter Design, Joshua H. Howell May 2022

A Numerical Optimization Study Of A Novel Electrospray Emitter Design, Joshua H. Howell

Masters Theses

The low thrust and high specific impulse of electric propulsion has been brought to the forefront for CubeSat and small spacecraft applications. Electrospray thrusters, which operate via electrostatic principles, have seen much research, development, and application in recent years. The small sizes of the spacecraft that utilize electrospray thrusters has focused development into the miniaturization of this technology to the micro-scale. Miniaturization introduces design challenges that must be addressed, including power supply mass and footprint requirements. This consequence requires investigation into the effects of design choices on the thruster onset voltage, defined as the voltage at which ion emission begins. …


Optimal Kanban Number: An Integrated Lean And Simulation Modelling Approach, Angassu Girma Mullisa, Walid Abdul-Kader Mar 2022

Optimal Kanban Number: An Integrated Lean And Simulation Modelling Approach, Angassu Girma Mullisa, Walid Abdul-Kader

Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering Publications

Kanban is credited as a major means to controlling the inventory within a manufacturing system. Determining the optimum number of Kanban is of great interest for manufacturing industries. To fulfill this aim, an integrated modelling approach using discrete-event simulation technique and Kanban Lean tool is developed for a pull system ensuring an optimum Kanban number. This research has developed a base-case simulation model which was statistically validated using ANOVA. Initial Kanban number obtained from the mathematical model of Toyota motor company is used to obtain initial results. A Kanban integrated simulation model is developed that employed the idea of pull …


Pymoocfd - A Multi-Objective Optimization Framework For Cfd, George Martin Cunningham Love Jan 2022

Pymoocfd - A Multi-Objective Optimization Framework For Cfd, George Martin Cunningham Love

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Modern computational resource have solidified the use of computer modeling as an integral part of the engineering design process. This is particularly impressive when it comes to high-dimensional models such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. CFD models are now capable of producing results with a level of confidence that would previously have required physical experimentation. Simultaneously, the development of machine learning techniques and algorithms has increased exponentially in recent years. This acceleration is also due to the widespread availability of modern computational resources. Thus far, the cross-over between these fields has been mostly focused on computer models with low …