Digital Commons Network^™

Methods Of Making And Using Cubic Boron Nitride Composition, Coating And Articles Made Therefrom, Ajay P. Malshe, Sharad N. Yedave, William D. Brown, William C. Russell, Deepak G. Bhat

Patents Granted

Methods for coating a substrate and methods of shaping a workpiece comprise formation and use, respectively, of a surface or substrate comprising a first phase selected from nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, borides, sulphides, chalcogenides, oxides, and silicides, and a second phase selected from nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, borides, sulphides, chalcogenides, oxides, and silicides. The second phase comprises a multiplicity of discrete portions positioned into the first phase, with these multiplicity of portions comprising a continuous second phase, and made thereof, coating and articles, especially machining, cutting and shaping tools, wearparts, and methods of making and using the composition, coating and articles.

Distributions Of Noble Metal Pd And Pt In Mesoporous Silica, J. Arbiol, A. Cabot, J. R. Morante, Fanglin Chen, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous silica nanostructures have been synthesized and loaded with Pd and Pt catalytic noble metals. It is found that Pd forms small nanoclusters (3–5 nm) on the surface of the mesoporous structure whereas Pt impregnation results in the inclusion of Pt nanostructures within the silica hexagonal pores (from nanoclusters to nanowires). It is observed that these materials have high catalytic properties for CO–CH4 combustion, even in a thick film form. In particular, results indicate that the Pt and Pd dispersed in mesoporous silica are catalytically active as a selective filter for gas sensors.

Effect Of Residual Thermal Stresses On Fracture Behavior And Mechanical Properties Of Al Sub 2 O Sub 3/Ni Cermets, Guo Jin Li, Da Ming Chen, Xiao Xian Huang, Jing Kun Guo

Faculty Publications

Effect of residual thermal stresses on fracture behavior and mechanical properties of Al₂O₃/Ni cermets was qualitatively explained by using theory on residual thermal stresses. When Ni particles are located within Al₂O₃ grains or Ni content is relatively low, tensile stresses are exerted at Al₂O₃-Al₂O₃ grain boundary. While fracturing, intergranular fracture is easily produced. When Ni particles are dispersed at Al₂O₃ grain boundary or Ni content is relatively high, compressive stresses are exerted at Al₂O₃-Al₂O₃grain boundary. …

Pressure Compensated Variable Displacement Internal Gear Pumps, Jack H. Cole, Yong Fong Tay

Patents Granted

Describes a pump that has a fixed gear axis eccentricity and varies displacement by moving controlling elements linearly along the drive shaft. A pressure compensator may be employed to displace the controlling elements. It includes a housing penetrated by a drive shaft rotating internal elements. The internal components slide along the longitudinal axis established by the drive shaft to vary the fluid displacement. The axially-moving elements include the drive shaft, inner gerotor element, port plug, thrust bearing and retainer sleeve. The drive shaft includes an internal flanged forming a piston. The outward face of the piston is in contact with …

Reduced-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Fabricated By Screen Printing, Changrong Xia, Fanglin Chen, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Electrolyte films of samaria-doped ceria (SDC, Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9) are fabricated onto porous NiO-SDC substrates by a screen printing technique. A cathode layer, consisting of Sm_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ and 10 wt % SDC, is subsequently screen printed on the electrolyte to form a single cell, which is tested at temperatures from 400 to 600°C. When humidified (3% H₂O) hydrogen or methane is used as fuel and stationary air as oxidant, the maximum power densities are 188 (or 78) and 397 (or 304) mW/cm² at 500 and 600°C, respectively. Impedance analysis …

Process For Sequential Multi-Beam Laser Processing Of Materials, Ajay P. Malshe, Arzu M. Ozkan, William D. Brown

Patents Granted

A method of processing a substrate by first processing the substrate surface with a laser operating at a first wavelength to both evaporate a portion of the substrate and structurally weaken the substrate surface, and then by processing the substrate surface with a laser operating at a second wavelength to remove the structurally weakened surface.

Preparation Of Ordered Macroporous Sr0.5sm0.5coo3 As Cathode For Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Fanglin Chen, Changrong Xia, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Ordered macroporous Sr_0.5Sm_0.5CoO₃ structrures with an average pore size of 140 nm have been prepared using closepacked arrangement of monodispersed polystyrene spheres as templates. A fuel cell using ordered macroporous Sr_0.5Sm_0.5CoO₃ as the cathode, gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) film as the electrolyte, and GDC–NiO as the anode generated maximum power densities of 150, 196 and 267 mW/cm² at 500, 550 and 600 °C, respectively.

Preparation Of Mesoporous Sno2-Sio2 Composite As Electrodes For Lithium Batteries, Fanglin Chen, Zhong Shi, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous SnO₂–SiO₂ composite stable up to 600 °C with a BET surface area of 350 m² g^-1 and an average pore size of 3.4 nm is successfully prepared, which exhibits promising cycling properties as anodes for lithium batteries

Preparation Of Mesoporous Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (Ysz) And Ysz-Nio Using A Triblock Copolymer As Surfactant, Fanglin Chen, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and YSZ-NiO have been prepared for the first time using Pluronic P103 as a structure-directing agent and inorganic chlorides as precursors in a nonaqueous medium. After being fired at 500°C for 2 h, mesostructured YSZ has a BET surface area of about 146 m² g^-1, with an average pore size of 3.8 nm, while mesostructured YSZ-NiO has a BET surface area of about 108 m² g^-1, with an average pore size of 4.5 nm.

Program Quality Review - Department Of Mechanical Engineering (2000), William T. O'Malley

Collection Development Reports and Documents

"Program Quality Review" measuring library support for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Tracks library expenditures on materials serving mechanical engineering and related topics, books added and circulated by subject with peer comparisons, scholarly books published by subject, and URI Library holdings of top-ranked journals.

F99rs Sgb No. 10 (Mech Engr Senior), Griggs

Student Senate Enrolled Legislation

A BILL

To appropriate one thousand five hundred dollars ($1500.00) to the LSU Department of Mechanical Engineering Senior Project Team to help defray the cost of purchasing hardware to be used in the fabrication of a solar powered boat that will be in competition in the Solar Splash Regatta in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cable Steering System, David A. Renfroe, Joseph F. Partain

Patents Granted

Describes a steering system in an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle with independent suspension where the necessary forces for steering control are supplied by cable and pulley actuators with the cable running parallel to the suspension arm between vehicle frame and wheel, steering control by the driver is by manipulation of right and/or left steering levers eliminating the need of steering wheel and steering column in front of the driver. The steering actuators are independent and there is no linkage for coordinating their turning angles. Close coordination of the wheel turning angles for achieving the turning angle relation between the wheels is …

Oxygen Permeation Through Composite Oxide-Ion And Electronic Conductors, Kevin Huang, Michael Schroeder, John B. Goodenough

Faculty Publications

Oxygen permeation through composites consisting of four well-known oxide-ion conductors and a noble metal, Pd or Ag, is reported. The oxides were Zr_0.9Y_0.1O_1.95 (YSZ), (Bi_1.75Y_0.25O₃)_0.95(CeO₂)_0.05 (BYC5), Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 (SSC), and La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.83Mg_0.17O_2.815 (LSGM). The results show that (BYC5 + Ag) yields the highest oxygen permeation flux, but the composite deteriorates with time. The composites (SSC + Pd), (LSGM + Pd), and (YSZ + Pd) give stable, but relatively lower oxygen permeation flux …

Method Of Electroplating A Substrate, And Products Made Thereby, John H. Glezen, Hameed A. Naseem, William D. Brown, Leonard W. Schaper, Ajay P. Malshe

Patents Granted

Disclosed is an electroplating method and products made therefrom, which in one embodiment includes using a current density to form a conductive metal layer having a surface roughness no greater than the surface roughness of the underlying member. In another embodiment of electroplating a substrate surface having peaks and valleys, the method includes electroplating a conductive metal onto the peaks to cover the peaks with the conductive metal, and into the valleys to substantially fill the valleys with the conductive metal.

Preparation Of Mesoporous Tin Oxide For Electrochemical Applications, Fanglin Chen, Meilin Liu

Faculty Publications

Mesoporous tin oxide stable up to 500 °C has been prepared for the first time using both cationic and neutral surfactants.

Apparatus For And Method Of Polishing And Planarizing Polycrystalline Diamonds, And Polished And Planarized Polycrystalline Diamonds And Products Made Therefrom, Ajay P. Malshe, Hameed A. Naseem, William D. Brown

Patents Granted

Disclosed are polished and planarized diamond films and a method and apparatus for polishing and planarizing diamond films. The method generally includes mechanical polishing of the diamond film against a ceramic surface in the presence of a treating agent of potassium nitrate and a polishing agent of potassium hydroxide. The produced films have an average surface roughness on the order of 0.05 microns, a planarization uniformity within eight percent, and are relatively free of process-induced contaminants.

Lever Steering System, David A. Renfroe

Patents Granted

Describes a steering system in an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle with independent suspension where the necessary forces for wheels to respond to steering control is supplied by fluid pressure or electrical actuators mounted parallel to the suspension arm between vehicle frame and wheel control arm. Steering control by the driver is by manipulation of right and/or left steering levers eliminating the need of steering wheel and steering column in front of the driver. The steering actuators are independent and there is no tracking rod or other linkage for coordinating their turning angles. Close coordination of the wheel turning angles for achieving …

Preparation Of Nd-Doped Baceo3 Proton-Conducting Ceramics By Homogeneous Oxalate Coprecipitation, Fanglin Chen, Ping Wang, O. Toft Sorensen, Guangyao Meng, Dingkum Peng

Faculty Publications

Nd-doped BaCeO₃ have been obtained from homogeneous coprecipitated oxalates when calcined at temperatures T≥1000 °C. Ball-milling of the calcined powders well disperses the agglomerates and consequently has a beneficial effect in the densification process. The calcination temperature has a major influence on the sintering process and powders calcined at 1100 °C possess good sinterabilities. The pressure applied to press the green pellets has no apparent influence on the sintered density at sintering temperatures of T≥1400 °C. By controlling the processing variables it was possible to obtain near fully dense Nd-doped BaCeO₃ ceramics with homogeneous microstructure at a sintering …

Chemical Stability Study Of Bace0.9Nd0.1O3−Α High Temperature Proton-Conducting Ceramic, Fanglin Chen, O. Toft Sorensen, Guangyao Meng, Dingkum Peng

Faculty Publications

BaCe_0.9Nd_0.1O_3−a (BCN) ceramic is known to be an excellent high-temperature proton conductor and is a candidate electrolyte for use in solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen or steam sensors and steam electrolysers. In this work, the chemical stability of BCN was investigated systematically by combining XRD and DTA–TG techniques to study its processing compatibility and its feasibility in potential applications. It was found that above 1200 °C, BCN reacted with alumina or zirconia, leading to the loss of barium and an excess of cerium. In cold water, both sintered BCN disks and powder samples had very …

Method Of Planarizing Polycrystalline Diamonds, Planarized Polycrystalline Diamonds And Products Made Therefrom, Ajay P. Malshe, William D. Brown, Hameed A. Naseem, Leonard W. Schaper

Patents Granted

A method of planarizing a diamond film which generally includes orifices in the surface is described. The method includes first polishing the diamond film surface to reduce the surface roughness. A filler material is applied to the surface of the film to fill the orifices in the film. The film is polished to remove excess filler material and expose the diamond film surface. Also disclosed are planarized diamond films diamond substrate having a polished surface of both diamond and filler material and a variation in thickness of less than 8 percent.

Hydrostatic Manual Vehicle Steering System, David A. Renfroe

Patents Granted

Describes a steering system for a wheeled vehicle, particularly one with independent suspension of the steerable wheels. This is characterized by the lack of any necessity for a direct physical linkage between steering control arms of the left and right wheels and by the use of separate, independent fluid pressure cylinder pairs connected by fluid pressure conduit for imparting motion to the respective steerable wheels. Coordination between the angular motion of the left and right steerable wheels is attained by a direct mechanical linkage between actuator members of the hydraulic cylinders remote from the wheel suspension which linkage can be …

System Modeling And Control Of Smart Structures, Frank J. Kern, Leslie Robert Koval, K. Chandrashekhara, Vittal S. Rao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents multidisciplinary research and curriculum efforts at the University of Missouri-Rolla in the smart structures area. The primary objective of our project is to integrate research results with curriculum development for the benefit of students in electrical, and mechanical and aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics. The approach to the accomplishment of curriculum objectives is the development of a two-course sequence in the smart structures area with an integrated laboratory. The research portion of the project addresses structural identification and robust control methods for smart structures. A brief summary of the research results and a description of curriculum development …

The Asymptotic Structure Of Transient Elastodynamic Fields At The Tip Of A Stationary Crack, Xiaomin Deng

Faculty Publications

The asymptotic structure of the transient elastodynamic near-tip fields around a stationary crack is investigated for all three fracture modes. The transient fields are obtained as the sum of their quasi-static counterparts and corresponding transient correction terms, in terms of variable-separable expansions. By allowing the coefficients of terms in the quasi-static expansion to deviate from their quasi-static restrictions, the correction terms are shown to be the particular solutions of a set of first order (for mixed mode I and II) or second order (for mode III) ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients and non-homogeneous terms involving only sine and cosine …

On Stationary And Moving Interface Cracks With Frictionless Contact In Anisotropic Bimaterials, Xiaomin Deng

Faculty Publications

The asymptotic structure of near-tip fields around stationary and steadily growing interface cracks, with frictionless crack surface contact, and in anisotropic bimaterials, is analysed with the method of analytic continuation, and a complete representation of the asymptotic fields is obtained in terms of arbitrary entire functions. It is shown that when the symmetry, if any, and orientation of the anisotropic bimaterial is such that the in-plane and out-of-plane deformations can be separated from each other, the in-plane crack-tip fields will have a non-oscillatory, inverse-squared-root type stress singularity, with angular variations clearly resembling those for a classical mode II problem when …

A Kinematically Intelligent Blackboard For Computer Aided Instruction, J. Keith Nisbett, D. Watkins, Clark R. Barker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A CAI (computer-aided instruction) package is being developed to be used as a classroom tool for the instruction of undergraduate mechanical engineering students in an introductory kinematics of mechanisms course. This graphical environment allows the instructor to emulate on the projected graphics screen everything that is currently done on the blackboard for planar mechansims. Unlike the blackboard, the software will have the intelligence to interpret the drawings in a kinematic sense so that the drawing of the linkage will behave as a linkage. The software environment involves three principal components: (1) a sketching method for defining the linkage, (2) the …

Graduates, 1894 To 1904 With Degrees, Unknown

Reports of the Secretary to the President Student Affairs President’s Correspondence, 1900-1907

Notecard with number of graduates from 1894 to 1904 with degrees from Utah Agricultural College.