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Systems And Methods For Inspecting Coatings, Kozo Saito, Mohammed I. Hassan Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed A. Omar, Sakakibara Masahito, Suzuki Toshikazu, Tanigawa Yasuo

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature in order to determine anomalies in the coatings.

Seal Assembly For Machinery Housing, Lyndon Scott Stephens, Kevin W. Kelly

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

A seal assembly for a machinery housing includes a seal ring having a micro heat exchanger and a gland plate for securing the seal ring to the machinery housing. The gland plate includes a cooling fluid port in communication with the micro heat exchanger.

Active Flow Control Of Low Pressure Turbine Blade Separation Using Plasma Actuators, Karthik Ramakumar

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The current study examines plasma actuators as flow control devices. The actuators are placed on a turbine blade profile in a 2D turbine cascade for separation flow control. The configuration involves copper strips separated by a layer of dielectric material, across which an AC electric potential in the range of 5 kHz and 5 kV is applied. The efficiency of the actuator is monitored by measuring power input and flow control effectiveness. Preliminary observations are performed for a quiescent case on a flat plate profile to analyze the average and instantaneous velocities generated by the actuator for varied input parameters, …

New Ultra-Lightweight Stiff Panels For Space Apertures, Jonathan T. Black

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Stiff, ultra-lightweight thermal-formed polyimide panels considered in this dissertation are examples of next generation gossamer structures that resolve some of the technology barriers of previous, membrane-dominated gossamer designs while maintaining their low mass and low stowage volume characteristics. The research involved statically and dynamically characterizing and modeling several of these panels to develop validated computer models which can be used to determine the effects of changing manufacturing parameters and scalability. Static characterization showed substantial local nonlinear behavior that was replicated by new physics-based finite element models, and global linear bending behavior that was modeled using classical shell finite elements incorporating …

Heat Transfer And Chemical Processes In Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor For Synthesis Of Carbon Nanotubes, Wahed Rezk Wasel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A small-scale model of a CVD reactor was built. Axial and radial of major species concentrations and temperature profiles were obtained with a micro gas chromatograph and a fine thermocouple. Those temperature and species concentrations revealed detailed thermal and chemical structures of the CVD reactor.

The concentrations of argon plus hydrogen, methane, and C₂H_x (C₂H₂ + C₂H₄ + C₂H₆) resulting from xylene decomposition were measured along the CVD at different temperatures. Ferrocene was added to xylene to investigate the effect of a catalyst on composition profiles. The …