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Mechanical Engineering

Physics

Senior Theses

Publication Year

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Relationship Between Thermal Conductivity And Free Electrons In Metal, Yansong Liu Apr 2021

Relationship Between Thermal Conductivity And Free Electrons In Metal, Yansong Liu

Senior Theses

An experiment was designed and conducted to explore the relationship between thermal conductivity with free electrons in metal. In the experiment, copper, iron, aluminum, and titanium rods with close diameters were used to carry out the experiment. Each rod was heated up by a heat unit at one end while cooled on the other end with a heat sink to maintain a steady state. DC current was applied to rods in the direction along, as well as against, the heat flow. Thermal conductivities were measured in these two situations for each rod. Results showed electrons do dominate thermal flow inside …


Exploring The Electrical Properties Of Twisted Bilayer Graphene, William Shannon May 2019

Exploring The Electrical Properties Of Twisted Bilayer Graphene, William Shannon

Senior Theses

Two-dimensional materials exhibit properties unlike anything else seen in conventional substances. Electrons in these materials are confined to move only in the plane. In order to explore the effects of these materials, we have built apparatus and refined procedures with which to create two-dimensional structures. Two-dimensional devices have been made using exfoliated graphene and placed on gold contacts. Their topography has been observed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) confirming samples with monolayer, bilayer, and twisted bilayer structure. Relative work functions of each have been measured using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) showing that twisted bilayer graphene has a surface potential …


Transferring Power Through A Magnetic Couple, Nickolas Cruz Villalobos Jr. May 2019

Transferring Power Through A Magnetic Couple, Nickolas Cruz Villalobos Jr.

Senior Theses

Properties of several working magnetic coupled rotors have been measured and their performance compared to theoretical models. Axial magnetic couplers allow rotors to work within harsh environments, without the need for seals, proper alignment, or overload protection on a motor. The influence of geometrical parameters, such as distance from the center of the rotors, polarity arrangement, and the number of dipole pairs were experimentally tested. These results can be used to improve rotor designs, to increase strength and efficiency.


A Human Powered Micro-Generator For Charging Electronic Devices, John Adam May 2018

A Human Powered Micro-Generator For Charging Electronic Devices, John Adam

Senior Theses

A hand-pulled generator has been designed and tested. A preliminary result has been obtained and discussed. This device was created to provide outlet-free charging. Electronic devices are useful when going out into the wilderness. A portable power supply is necessary to keep an electronic device alive. This project created a device that converts human energy into electricity to charge electronic devices. This thesis overviews the device’s design, build, and tests. Two different tests were run to determine that the device is capable of charging the storage battery. The device presented can provide 14 minutes of charging time with one hour …


Effects Of Tension On Resonant Frequencies Of Strings, Blake Burnett May 2018

Effects Of Tension On Resonant Frequencies Of Strings, Blake Burnett

Senior Theses

This project tests and explores resonance of strings. Since all materials and mechanisms are affected by vibrations, it is important to know the frequencies at which resonance occurs. To explore this subject, strings were used as a model material to test the effect tension has on resonance. The fundamental frequencies and the corresponding modes of resonance were used to analyze the data. The results of this experiment show that increasing tension on a string increases its resonance frequency. Understanding the physics behind resonance frequency allows systems to be designed to take advantage of resonance properties, or to avoid resonance where …


The Effects Of Surface Pace In Baseball, Jason Farlow May 2018

The Effects Of Surface Pace In Baseball, Jason Farlow

Senior Theses

A baseball travels across different surfaces at different paces. The goal of this experiment is to find a percentage difference in speeds the ball will reflect off a given surface. The energy lost on the turf surface was far more significant than on dirt surface as the turf lost an average of 26% of its energy as compared to just 16% of the energy on dirt. In the Northwest conference, teams play on four turf-based infields and five dirt-based infields. The results of this study suggest that kinetic friction forces are more significant in reducing ball rebound speed than in …


Are Solar Panels A Viable Power Source For A Green Energy Vehicle?, Mason C. Adams May 2017

Are Solar Panels A Viable Power Source For A Green Energy Vehicle?, Mason C. Adams

Senior Theses

A solar cell powered go-kart has been built and tested. The result shows using solar energy alone cannot meet the requirement of running a regular passenger car. This is due to the limited surface area of the passenger car. This thesis also discusses the operating principles of solar panels, the physics of P type and N type semiconductors, and the formation of the PN junction, as well as the solar current. Modifications of an existing go-kart are described in detail in this thesis. Suggestions for making green vehicles are discussed as well.