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Articles 1 - 15 of 15
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Attitude Determination Control Testing System (Helmholtz Cage And Air Bearing), Nicolas Theoret
Attitude Determination Control Testing System (Helmholtz Cage And Air Bearing), Nicolas Theoret
Honors Theses
The WALI team at Western Michigan University requested a test environment to validate their CubeSat’s de-tumbling control system and hardware. The test environment required a Helmholtz cage and spherical air bearing. The Helmholtz cage provides an adjustable magnetic field to simulate low earth orbit; the spherical air bearing simulates the friction free environment the CubeSat will experience in space. In conjunction, the two components create an adjustable system that simulates a satellite in low earth orbit.
Determining Energy Output In Manual And Automated Solar Arrays, James K. Ayres
Determining Energy Output In Manual And Automated Solar Arrays, James K. Ayres
Honors Theses
The scope for the project was to design and construct a system that could be used to both manually and automatically track the sun using solar panels to demonstrate engineering principles for classroom and laboratory experiments at both the primary and secondary education levels. For ease of demonstration, a manual and automatic tracker was designed for the experiment. Using a standard camera tripod, the solar panels were attached to fabricated mounts to allow for omnidirectional movement. For the automated, or active tracker, an Ardunio Uno microcontroller was used in conjunction with two 180˚ servos to adjust the active tracker solar …
Gasoline Confined In Nano-Porous Media, Matthew Giso
Gasoline Confined In Nano-Porous Media, Matthew Giso
Honors Theses
The heat of combustion was determined for gasoline confined in nano-porous media of differing pore size by bomb calorimetry. The heat of combustion of the confined fuels was comparable to that of bulk within the experimental uncertainty. This suggests that all of the confined fuel burns without any flame quenching and no chemical interactions at the interface between pore walls and fuel mitigate combustion.
Heat Of Fusion Of Primary Alcohol Confined In Nanopores, Harrisonn Griffin
Heat Of Fusion Of Primary Alcohol Confined In Nanopores, Harrisonn Griffin
Honors Theses
Melting behavior of physically confined 1-decanol in nano porous silica was probed using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). In agreement with the Gibbs-Thomson prediction, we observe that the melting temperature of the confined 1-decanol scales inversely with the physical size of the pores. Contrary to the assumption used in developing the Gibbs-Thomson equation, however, the apparent heat of fusion decreases as the pore size decreases. Previously, several models have been proposed where interfacial layers of molecules do not participate in the phase transition and thereby would not contribute to the heat of fusion. While these could reconcile the seeming contradiction, …
Material Evaluation Of A Lightweight, Automated Canned Pet Food Dispenser, Kathryn Marie Carr
Material Evaluation Of A Lightweight, Automated Canned Pet Food Dispenser, Kathryn Marie Carr
Honors Theses
No abstract provided.
Least Cost Analysis For Solar Photovoltaic Maintenance Of The Wmu Miller Auditorium Array, Kelsey Pitschel
Least Cost Analysis For Solar Photovoltaic Maintenance Of The Wmu Miller Auditorium Array, Kelsey Pitschel
Honors Theses
The solar photovoltaic array at Miller Auditorium is a 50 kW DC system that has relied on five seasonal angle adjustments and no cleaning measures to reach an average of 64.7 MWh annual energy generation since 2012 1 . This amount of energy generation yields $7,046 in annual energy savings based on current market pricing for end use electricity of $0.1089/kWh 2 . The current adjustment schedule based on seasonal tilts accounts for an annual costs between $760 and $848, but actual adjustments have historically not taken place according to the existing schedule. The analysis focuses on optimizing net energy …
Human-Assisted Fluid Power Vehicle, Aaron Huntoon
Human-Assisted Fluid Power Vehicle, Aaron Huntoon
Honors Theses
The rising cost of energy has prompted industrial and technology companies to research and implement renewable or green energy sources in every aspect of their business. This green technology can consist of sources such as: solar, wind, fluid, or others to create energy from renewable sources. The use of these various sources reduces the pollution associated with standard methods of energy development, and it will ultimately drive costs down to benefit the general population. One of the largest benefactors to the use of renewable energy sources is the transportation industry. Billions of people rely on various modes of transportation every …
Designing An Accessible Hall Effect Thruster, Matthew Baird
Designing An Accessible Hall Effect Thruster, Matthew Baird
Honors Theses
A group of three Mechanical Engineering students have selected to design a 200 W Hall Effect Thruster to fulfill the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering senior design project. Preliminary studies were performed on the theory behind electric propulsion and plasma physics. The group designed the Western Hall Thruster and used COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation software to refine the magnetic circuit. The group then fabricated and performed magnetic testing of their thruster in Western Michigan University’s Aerospace Laboratory for Plasma Experiments. This testing will seek to prove that a standard research HET can be built by universities without substantial financial resources.
Impact Of Additive Manufacturing Technologies And The Development Ofa Mixed Metal Powderbed Additive Manufacturing System, Gerald L. Knapp
Impact Of Additive Manufacturing Technologies And The Development Ofa Mixed Metal Powderbed Additive Manufacturing System, Gerald L. Knapp
Honors Theses
No abstract provided.
Phosphorus Adsorption Through Engineered Biochars Produced From Local Waste Products, Peter Ogonek
Phosphorus Adsorption Through Engineered Biochars Produced From Local Waste Products, Peter Ogonek
Honors Theses
Phosphorus contained in agricultural runoff is a major anthropogenic contributor to harmful algal blooms (HABs). Biochars are carbon-based materials produced from the pyrolysis of waste biomass that have the potential to amend soils and remediate inorganic and organic contaminants from water. Engineered biochars tailored to adsorb phosphorus from water could reduce the availability of the nutrient in agricultural runoff, reducing the size and frequency of HABs. This study observed the phosphorus adsorption properties of engineered biochars produced from two source materials, oak sawdust and cornstalk residue, and being unmodified, acid-rinsed, or loaded with magnesium prior to pyrolysis, creating acid-rinsed, unmodified, …
Design And Prototyping Of A Variable Geometry Extrusion Die To Exhibit Significant Alteration Of Shape, David C. Bell
Design And Prototyping Of A Variable Geometry Extrusion Die To Exhibit Significant Alteration Of Shape, David C. Bell
Honors Theses
Extruded parts are conventionally made by forcing melted plastic through a steel die having a fixed opening that matches the shape of the part. Plastic parts made by extrusion include weather stripping, PVC pipe, and composite lumber. Variable geometry dies can change their opening shape during the extrusion process. Developing shape-changing dies technology offers the possibility of making parts with varying cross-sections that currently need to be made through injection molding. This is desirable as, compared to molding, extrusion tends to be faster and less expensive. Variable geometry extrusion dies have been designed and prototyped by the University of Dayton …
Nonlinear Analysis Of Balance Data In The Easter Seals Adult Day Services Population, Taylor Marie Schemmel
Nonlinear Analysis Of Balance Data In The Easter Seals Adult Day Services Population, Taylor Marie Schemmel
Honors Theses
81.1 million adults are expected to be affected by dementia in 2040. Individuals with dementia are twice as likely to fall as healthy individuals and three times as likely to sustain an injury during a fall. Unfortunately, current fall prevention techniques in place for cognitively healthy older adults are not as effective for those with dementia. The objective of this study was to examine balance differences between individuals of varying cognitive ability utilizing Easter Seals Adult Day Services. All study participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Clinical assessments were done in conjunction with static posturography data collection on a …
A Feasibility Report On Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Arrays At The University Of Mississippi, Anne Marie Delee
A Feasibility Report On Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Arrays At The University Of Mississippi, Anne Marie Delee
Honors Theses
The following project is a feasibility report for rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar panel installations on select building across the University of Mississippi's campus. The purpose of this report is to determine the value of the energy that a rooftop solar system is capable of producing and the effect this generated energy will have on the energy needs of the building. As an entity with a stated commitment to sustainability and good stewardship of its resources, the University of Mississippi is on its way to become the state's leader in sustainability, boasting the state's largest roof-mount solar system. The analysis utilizes …
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet: Analysis On Fuel Options, Stephanie Barone
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet: Analysis On Fuel Options, Stephanie Barone
Honors Theses
This report focuses on different fuel options available to use for scramjet engines. The advantages and disadvantages of JP-7, JP-8, and hydrogen fuels are covered, also the effectiveness and requirements for each fuel are discussed. The recent history of the scramjet engine is included as well as its advantages and disadvantages. An explanation of what each fuel option encompasses and engineering analysis for each fuel are shown. The equations presented for the parametric analysis are shown as functions of the freestream Mach number, with the combustion Mach number as a parameter. The results can be seen for the theoretical possibilities …
Evaluation Of The Use Of High Frequency Acoustic Cavitation To Improve Water Quality In Commercial Catfish Operations, Bennett Elizabeth Barr
Evaluation Of The Use Of High Frequency Acoustic Cavitation To Improve Water Quality In Commercial Catfish Operations, Bennett Elizabeth Barr
Honors Theses
Catfish processing plants must chill the water used for their fillet wash and flush and refill their piping systems frequently, requiring a pause in operations until the piping flush is complete. There is a need for a (preferably non-chemical) solution that enables the plants to chill the water less and flush their systems less often to mitigate high energy and water consumption. High amplitude acoustic waves (sonication) were introduced into water samples from catfish ponds to determine if they could be used as a replacement for chemical treatments to improve the water quality in the plant piping systems. Preliminary tests …