Engineering Commons^™

Predicting Joint Mechanics Using Semg And Deep Neural Networks, Heath James Staley Boyea

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Foot-Controlled Supernumerary Robotic Arm: Foot Interfaces And Human Abilities, Brandon William Rudolph

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

A supernumerary robotic limb (SRL) is a robotic limb that can act as an extra arm or leg for a human user. An unsolved issue with SRLs is how to operate them well. One possibility is to control an SRL with the foot, which offers the benefit of a third arm because the user’s arms remain unoccupied. While hand interfaces are common, foot interfaces are not well understood. Developing a good foot interface is challenging because of differences between feet and hands, such as the larger inertia of the leg. This thesis presents work to determine some design principles for …

The Axisymmetric Harmonic Element Including Gyroscopic Effects: A Complete Derivation, Zachary Charles Glick

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

Various types of finite elements have been used in the prediction of critical speeds of turbomachinery. Among these, axisymmetric harmonic elements provide both accurate natural frequency prediction and computational speed. Yet, a full derivation of such an element including gyroscopic effects is not widely available in the relevant literature. In this work, the finite elements for rotordynamics available in the literature are reviewed. Derivations necessary for the axisymmetric harmonic element mass, gyroscopic damping, and stiffness matrices and the equations of motion are clearly expounded using Hamilton’s principle. The formulation is applied to two model shafts, and the comparison of results …

Solar Tracking Using A Parallel Manipulator Mechanism To Achieve Two-Axis Position Tracking, Joseph Otto Hubach

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

A novel solar tracker is presented that uses a parallel manipulator for the tracking mechanism instead of a traditional serial manipulator. The motivation is to create a solar tracker that displays the advantages of two-axis tracking systems (e.g., increased exposure to incident radiation, and enabling the use of efficient concentrating solar cells) while addressing some of the disadvantages of current two-axis tracking systems (e.g., the difficulties associated with having actuators mounted to moving elements within the mechanism). The mobility of the proposed parallel manipulator is examined using Grübler’s Criterion to establish that the manipulator displays the required two degrees of …

Design Of Vibration Class Laboratory Assignments: Focusing On Broader Application, Ethan Wayne Cating

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

Courses in vibration taught at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology are designed to blend classroom discussion of the science of vibration with practical, hands-on applications. The laboratory portion of the undergraduate course in vibration focuses on two areas: (1) system identification for single- and multi-degree-of-freedom systems in the frequency domain through sine-sweep shake testing; and (2) identifying natural frequencies and mode shapes for continuous systems via experimental modal analysis using frequency response data collected through a roving hammer test. Modal analysis is performed using an in-house MATLAB-based program known as Easy Modal Analysis Program (EMAP). The goals of this thesis are …

Gait Modeling Using Genetic Algorithm Optimized Four-Bar Linkages, Hazen James Hamather

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

Important in diagnosing gait abnormalities and pathologies is knowing the position of the leg at various points throughout the gait cycle. This is currently done with motion capture technology but the demand for Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) based navigation and position tracking has been on the rise. A required component of this alternative is a gait model that can accurately predict the position of points of interest. In this thesis, a Kalman Filter is constructed using a contrived model to test if, given an accurate gait model, the filter can converge to an accurate and true position solution. Also presented …

Aquaponic System Design And Modeling Ammonia Production: An Overview Of Aquaponics, Spencer Davis Wright

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

The study of aquaponics in academia has been slowly gaining momentum, but the majority of the research and testing performed is done in an informal, backyard setting. This publication seeks to collate the widespread information into a singular location, as well as to outline various methods by which the necessary tasks can be accomplished. The ammonia production rate of the aquatic life in the system, whether living or deceased, was also explored in order that a more accurate model of the ammonia and nitrate levels of the system may be created. It was found that 20 tilapia produced approximately 3,300 …

Analysis Of Shock-Plugs In Quasi-One-Dimensional Compressible Flow, Matthew Alexander Thompson

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

At small length scales, such as in micro-nozzles, the assumption that a shock wave is infinitesimally thin breaks-down due to the thickness of the shock being non-negligible compared to the dimensions of the nozzle. In this thesis, shock waves of finite thickness, or “shock-plugs,” are modeled using the same methods and assumptions as a standard shock wave analysis. Due to the finite thickness of shock-plugs, however, two additional parameters are required in order to account for the differing inlet and exit areas, as well as the pressure on the side walls of the channel. A “typical” micro-nozzle with appropriate dimensions …

Design And Implementation Of A Controller For A Beaglebone Quadcopter, Peter Olejnik

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

Unmanned aerial vehicles are quickly becoming a significant and permanent feature in today's world of aviation. Amongst the various types of UAVs, a popular type is the quadcopter. Also referred to as a quadrotor, this rotor craft's defining feature is that it has four propellers. While its use is common in the hobbyist community, this aircraft's use within industry is blooming.

Presented are the efforts to design and implement a controller for a BeagleBone based quadcopter. As part of this effort, characteristics of the quadcopter were experimentally determined. These characteristics consist of physical properties of the quadcopter, such as the …

Implementation Of Space-Time Finite Element Formulation In Elastodynamics, Sidharth Ramesh

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

Elastodynamics is an academic field that is involved in solving problems related to the field of wave propagation in continuous solid medium. Finite element methods have long been an accepted way of solving elastodynamics problems in the spatial dimension. Considerable thought has been given to ways of implementing finite element discretization in the temporal dimension as well. A particular method of finite element solving called space-time finite element formulation is explored in this thesis, which is a relatively recent technique for discretization in spatial and temporal dimensions. The present thesis explores the implementation of the Space-Time finite element formulation in …

Euler-Lagrange Optimal Control Of Indirect Fire Symmetric Projectiles, Austin L. Nash

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

An important aspect of controls engineering is the dynamic modeling and flight control of smart weapons. One division of this area involves the guidance, navigation, and control of smart projectiles. In recent decades, methods for controlling projectiles have become much more sophisticated. In this thesis, principles of optimal control are used to develop a controller for indirect fire symmetric projectiles, or high-launch projectiles. A plant model is created to simulate the flight of a 2.75-inch Hydra-70 rocket. Two pairs of forward-mounted controllable canards are used as actuators to modify the flight toward a downrange target. A linear optimal regulator is …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Method For Understanding The Impact Of Transmission Loss On The Overall Noise Attenuation Of Finite Barriers, Ashwin Arvind Upasani

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of transmission loss on the overall noise reduction obtained from finite barriers. The noise attenuation ability of barriers is understood to be a consequence of sound waves diffracting around their edges. Although the presence of transmission loss is acknowledged, its significance in affecting noise attenuation is usually not considered a priority in barrier design. This study incorporates the Fresnel Number concept for predicting theoretical insertion loss of a finite barrier and compares these predictions to experimental observations. The experiments performed in this study offer a method to isolate the transmission …

The Development Of Advanced Control Laboratories, Matthew Randall Winter

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

In this thesis, a series of advanced control labs have been developed for use in the senior/graduate-level advanced controls course. Advanced controls laboratories are non-existent at many institutions, and since hands on laboratories are such an integral part of engineering education it was decided to develop a few. The goal of these laboratories is to reinforce some of the more advanced topics in control theory. Topics of the laboratories include Parameter Identification, Eigenstructure Assignment, Linear Optimal Regulators and Linear Quadratic Gaussian Control with Loop Transfer Recovery. These laboratories are carried out on the Educational Control Products Model 210 Rectilinear Control …

Workspace Analysis Of A Linear Delta Robot: Calculating The Inscribed Radius, Michael Louis Pauly

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

One of the most important traits of a robotic manipulator is its work envelope, the space in which the robot can position its end effector. Parallel manipulators, while generally faster, are restricted by smaller work envelopes [1]. As such, understanding the parameters defining a physical robot’s work envelope is essential to the optimal design, selection, and use of robotic parallel manipulators. A Linear Delta Robot (LDR) is a type of parallel manipulator in which three prismatic joints move separate arms which connect to a single triangular end plate [2]. In this study, general inverse kinematics were derived for a linear …