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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Effect Of Finite Geometry On Solidification Microstructure In Beam-Based Fabrication Of Thin Wall Structures, Satish C. Kuchi
Effect Of Finite Geometry On Solidification Microstructure In Beam-Based Fabrication Of Thin Wall Structures, Satish C. Kuchi
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With the advent of Rapid Protyping (RP) in the manufacturing industry, many newtechnologies came into development for quick fabrication of materials. One of the most versatile fabrication process among them is additive manufacturing. Laser based manufacturing (LBM) and electron beam manufacturing (EBM) processes use the energy from a laser or electron beam to build up structures layer by layer directly from powdered metals and wire feed stock. It has been determined from previous work that solidification cooling rate and thermal gradients are the important factors for controlling microstructure (grain size and morphology) and resulting mechanical properties of the deposit. The …
Separation And Vorticity Transport In Massively-Unsteady Low Reynolds Number Flows, Charles Webb
Separation And Vorticity Transport In Massively-Unsteady Low Reynolds Number Flows, Charles Webb
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There is no doubt that nature has existed as the very inspiration for many of technological achievements of today. Flight is no exception though our conventional methods of flight seem to be completely devoid of any flapping modes commonly seen in insects and birds. This is because the unsteady characteristics of natures keen flight capabilities is very difficult to study. However, as our computational and experimental methods of investigation have improved, our imagination again begins to turn to this one aspect of flight that has eluded man thus far. Birds and more specifically insects are capable of flying at such …
The Effect Of Variable Gravity On The Cooling Performance Of A Partially-Confined Fc-72 Spray, Travis Edward Michalak
The Effect Of Variable Gravity On The Cooling Performance Of A Partially-Confined Fc-72 Spray, Travis Edward Michalak
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This thesis discusses the effects of a variable-gravity environment on the performance of a subcooled partially-confined spray. An experiment, consisting of a test chamber, the associated flow loops, and instrumentation, was fabricated and flown on the NASA Reduced-Gravity Testing Platform. This modified KC-135 aircraft followed a parabolic flight path to provide various acceleration levels. The spray chamber contained two opposing nozzles spraying onto Thick Film Resistor (TFR) heaters, which were mounted on insulating glass pedestals. Only the upward facing heater was used during this testing. Thermocouples under the heater in the glass pedestal were used to determine the heater surface …
Integrated Bipolar Plate - Gas Diffusion Layer Design For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, David N. Neff
Integrated Bipolar Plate - Gas Diffusion Layer Design For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, David N. Neff
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Bipolar plates compose a large portion of the weight and manufacturing costs in fuel cells. Bipolar plates are metal plates that separate each membrane-electrode assembly in a fuel cell stack. They provide structural strength, contain flow channels for fuel transport, and conduct electricity in the fuel cell. Electricity also flows through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) which lies next to the bipolar plate. Because the GDL is separate from the bipolar plate, there is a contact resistance as the electricity flows from one to the other. The scope of this thesis is to research an efficient way of manufacturing a …
Identifying Structurally Significant Items Using Matrix Reanalysis Techniques, Bhushan M. Kable
Identifying Structurally Significant Items Using Matrix Reanalysis Techniques, Bhushan M. Kable
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Knowledge of critical structural items for an aircraft structural system is crucial for any risk integrated design and maintenance procedure. These critical items are those whose failure can cause catastrophic damage to the entire structure or result in loss of availability. For example, failure of the fuselage longeron of an F-15 aircraft resulted in the separation of the aircraft cockpit from the rest of the structure, resulting in a complete loss of the aircraft. This is clearly a critical structural item that was identified during the design process but did not have appropriate design, manufacturing, or maintenance controls that could …
Interfacial Modification Of Microcellular Carbon: Influence Of Ceramic And Carbon Nanotube Coatings, Anil Kumar Karumuri
Interfacial Modification Of Microcellular Carbon: Influence Of Ceramic And Carbon Nanotube Coatings, Anil Kumar Karumuri
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Microcellular carbon is an emerging ultra lightweight and efficient thermal management material, which also has great potential as a reinforcement material for selected composites. However, these porous materials exhibit relatively low mechanical properties, and are susceptible to degradation in oxidizing environment. The scope of this research is to investigate surface modification approaches that can address these issues. Two specific objectives were: (1) to develop ceramic coatings to improve the survivability of carbon foams in high temperature applications, and (2) to develop and test modifications that can improve cellular composites involving carbon foam. It was seen that a mixed layer of …
Aircraft Thermal Management Using Loop Heat Pipes, Andrew J. Fleming
Aircraft Thermal Management Using Loop Heat Pipes, Andrew J. Fleming
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The objective of this thesis was to determine the feasibility of using loop heat pipes to dissipate waste heat from power electronics to the skin of a fighter aircraft and examine the performance characteristics of a titanium-water loop heat pipe under stationary and elevated acceleration fields. In the past, it has been found that the boundary condition at the condenser can be a controlling factor in the overall performance of this type of thermal management scheme. Therefore, the heat transfer removed from the aircraft skin has been determined by modeling the wing as a flat plate at zero-incidence as a …
Dual Mode Scramjet: A Computational Investigation On Combustor Design And Operation, Ryan Timothy Milligan
Dual Mode Scramjet: A Computational Investigation On Combustor Design And Operation, Ryan Timothy Milligan
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Numerical analysis was performed on a Dual-Mode Scramjet isolator-combustor. Preliminary analysis was performed to form a baseline geometry. Another study validated the results of a 2D model compared to a 3D model. Stable combustion was shown at two different flight conditions, M=3.0 and M=2.5. A marginal 5% decrease in stream thrust was shown by introducing a 50/50 mix of methane and ethylene. Based on the results of the preliminary analysis, detailed geometry analysis was performed on the 3D baseline geometry. Adding a new set of cavity feeding injectors increased the overall stream thrust and the equivalence ratio in the cavity. …
Conductance Modulation In Bilayer Graphene Nanoribbons, Kirti Kant Paulla
Conductance Modulation In Bilayer Graphene Nanoribbons, Kirti Kant Paulla
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Graphene nanoribbons are among the recently discovered carbon nanostructures, with unique characteristics for novel applications. One of the most important features of graphene nanoribbons, from both basic science and application points of view, is their electrical conductivity. In this research, we study the electrical conductance of single and double layer nanoribbons of specified widths and edge geometries. The calculations are carried out using ab initio quantum mechanical simulations for obtaining the optimized atomic configurations of the nanoribbons and their electronic structures. These results are then used to calculate the conductance characteristics via Green's function approach to the Landauer's formalism. We …
New Formic Acid Fuel Cell Orientations To Reduce The Cost Of Cell Components, John Calvin Holtkamp
New Formic Acid Fuel Cell Orientations To Reduce The Cost Of Cell Components, John Calvin Holtkamp
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Formic acid fuel cells show the potential of outperforming or replacing direct methanol fuel cells. A number of issues need to be overcome in order for fuel cells, specifically formic acid fuel cells, to be seriously considered for use in small electronic devices. One of the largest issues inhibiting the commercial success of fuel cells is the cost of the components. The catalyst and ion-conducting membrane, key components in a fuel cell, are both expensive. With the current amount of costly materials needed to construct a fuel cell, fuel cells will have limited success in becoming mainstream power sources in …