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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Vibration-Based Defect Detection For Freight Railcar Tapered-Roller Bearings, Joseph Montalvo, Constantine Tarawneh, Arturo A. Fuentes
Vibration-Based Defect Detection For Freight Railcar Tapered-Roller Bearings, Joseph Montalvo, Constantine Tarawneh, Arturo A. Fuentes
Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations
The railroad industry currently utilizes two wayside detection systems to monitor the health of freight railcar bearings in service: The Trackside Acoustic Detection System (TADS™) and the wayside Hot-Box Detector (HBD). TADS™ uses wayside microphones to detect and alert the conductor of high risk defects. Many defective bearings may never be detected by TADS™ due to the fact that a high risk defect is considered a spall which spans more than 90% of a bearing’s raceway, and there are less than 20 systems in operation throughout the United States and Canada. Much like the TADS™, the HBD is a device …
An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Wayside Hot-Box Detector Data, Constantine Tarawneh, James Aranda, Veronica Hernandez, Claudia J. Ramirez
An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Wayside Hot-Box Detector Data, Constantine Tarawneh, James Aranda, Veronica Hernandez, Claudia J. Ramirez
Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations
Wayside hot-box detectors (HBDs) are devices that are currently used to monitor bearing, axle, and brake temperatures as a way of assessing railcar component health and to indicate any possible overheating or abnormal operating conditions. Conventional hot-box detectors are set to alarm whenever a bearing is operating at a temperature that is 94.4°C (170°F) above ambient, or when there is a 52.8°C (95°F) temperature difference between two bearings that share an axle. These detectors are placed adjacent to the railway and utilize an infrared sensor in order to obtain temperature measurements. Bearings that trigger HBDs or display temperature trending behavior …
Defect Prognostics Models For Spall Growth In Railroad Bearing Rolling Elements, Nancy De Los Santos, Constantine Tarawneh, Robert E. Jones, Arturo A. Fuentes
Defect Prognostics Models For Spall Growth In Railroad Bearing Rolling Elements, Nancy De Los Santos, Constantine Tarawneh, Robert E. Jones, Arturo A. Fuentes
Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations
Prevention of railroad bearing failures, which may lead to catastrophic derailments, is a central safety concern. Early detection of railway component defects, specifically bearing spalls, will improve overall system reliability by allowing proactive maintenance cycles rather than costly reactive replacement of failing components. A bearing health monitoring system will provide timely detection of flaws. However, absent a well verified model for defect propagation, detection can only be used to trigger an immediate component replacement. The development of such a model requires that the spall growth process be mapped out by accumulating associated signals generated by various size spalls. The addition …
3d Printed Soft Robotic Hand, Zack Kisner, Chris Szigeti, David Leonardo
3d Printed Soft Robotic Hand, Zack Kisner, Chris Szigeti, David Leonardo
Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses
Soft robotics is an emerging industry, largely dominated by companies which hand mold their actuators. Our team set out to design an entirely 3D printed soft robotic hand, powered by a pneumatic control system which will prove both the capabilities of soft robots and those of 3D printing. Through research, computer aided design, finite element analysis, and experimental testing, a functioning actuator was created capable of a deflection of 2.17” at a maximum pressure input of 15 psi. The single actuator was expanded into a 4 finger gripper and the design was printed and assembled. The created prototype was ultimately …
Slab Tipper, Thomas C. Durand
Slab Tipper, Thomas C. Durand
All Undergraduate Projects
Stone countertops are very heavy and fragile. When installing a finished countertop, up to six workers are required to lift the stone onto the countertop, risking their safety and possibly breaking the stone. The safety of both the workers and the stone are very important, so there needs to be a better way. NSI Solutions came up with an idea for a mechanism to aid in the insulation process while limiting the number of workers required, and keeping the workers safer while adequately supporting the stone to prevent it from breaking. Designing methods and calculations were done to ensure the …
Building Entry Flood Barrier, Richard Esker, Shannon Mccall, Andrew Udovich, Brian Foust
Building Entry Flood Barrier, Richard Esker, Shannon Mccall, Andrew Udovich, Brian Foust
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
The purpose of this project is to develop a flood barrier that would resist flood water from entering through the doorways of a building. The goal is to mitigate extensive flooding within a structure. After the disastrous weather events that impacted American citizens late in the year of 2017, the team was inspired to develop a project to help disaster victims. Through extensive preliminary and market research, it was discovered that flooding is a serious issue that affects people all over the world. A product to stop flooding could benefit people in developed countries, but it could also help citizens …