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Cloudbots: Autonomous Atmospheric Explorers, Akash Binoj
Cloudbots: Autonomous Atmospheric Explorers, Akash Binoj
Honors Scholar Theses
The CloudBot is an autonomous weather balloon that operates on the principle of variable buoyancy to ascend and descend in the atmosphere. This project aims to develop a device that will collect atmospheric measurements and communicate them mid-flight. The apparatus consists of a helium-filled balloon, the robotic payload, and an air cell. The fixed-volume helium balloon at the top provides an upwards buoyancy force, while the air cell at the bottom can hold a variable amount of pressure to adjust the weight of the CloudBot. By doing so, it is able to travel in storm conditions and collect valuable atmospheric …
Triggering Thermal Runaway In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Chris John
Triggering Thermal Runaway In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Chris John
Honors Scholar Theses
The proliferation of lithium-ion batteries enables electric devices such as cell phones to electric vehicles to become a reality. A latent danger, however, exists in these batteries. Mechanical, thermal, or electrical damage can initiate a phenomenon known as thermal runaway (TR). This damage causes internal short circuits within the battery, releasing heat and triggering exothermic decomposition reactions. The battery will catch fire if rapid cooling is not present. While experimental designs exist for evaluating TR, significant safety hazards and impracticality may impede testing efforts. Finite element analysis, therefore, becomes a vital tool in modeling TR and mitigation techniques. However, there …