Engineering Commons^™

Calculation Of Scalar Isosurface Area And Applications, Kedar Prashant Shete

Masters Theses

The problem of calculating iso-surface statistics in turbulent flows is interesting for a number of reasons, some of them being combustion modeling, entrainment through turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces, calculating mass flux through iso-scalar surfaces and mapping of scalar fields. A fundamental effect of fuid turbulence is to wrinkle scalar iso-surfaces. A review of the literature shows that iso-surface calculations have primarily been done with geometric methods, which have challenges when used to calculate surfaces that have high complexity, such as in turbulent flows. In this thesis, we propose an alternative integral method and test it against analytical solutions. We present a parallelized …

The Promise Of Vr Headsets: Validation Of A Virtual Reality Headset-Based Driving Simulator For Measuring Drivers’ Hazard Anticipation Performance, Ganesh Pai Mangalore

Masters Theses

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets to measure driving performance. This is desirable because they are several orders of magnitude less expensive and, if validated, could greatly extend the powers of simulation. Out of several possible measures of performance that could be considered for evaluating VR headsets, the current study specifically examines drivers’ latent hazard anticipation behavior both because it has been linked to crashes and because it has been shown to be significantly poorer in young drivers compared to their experienced counterparts in traditional driving simulators and in open …

Topology Network Optimization Of Facility Planning And Design Problems, Ravi Ratan Raj Monga

Masters Theses

The research attempts to provide a graphical theory-based approach to solve the facility layout problem. Which has generally been approached using Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) in the past, an algebraic method. It is a very complex problem and is part of the NP-Hard optimization class, because of the nonlinear quadratic objective function and (0,1) binary variables. The research is divided into three phases which together provide an optimal facility layout, block plan solution consisting of MHS (material handling solution) projected onto the block plan. In phase one, we solve for the position of departments in a facility based on flow …

On The Fuel Spray Applications Of Multi-Phase Eulerian Cfd Techniques, Gabriel Lev Jacobsohn

Masters Theses

Eulerian-Eulerian Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques continue to show promise for characterizing the internal flow and near-field spray for various fuel injection systems. These regions are difficult to observe experimentally, and simulations of such regions are limited by computational expense or reliance on empiricism using other methods. The physics governing spray atomization are first introduced. Impinging jet sprays and Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) are selected as applications, and modern computational/experimental approaches to their study are reviewed. Two in-house CFD solvers are described and subsequently applied in several case studies. Accurate prediction of the liquid distribution in a like-doublet impinging jet …

Optical-Fiber-Based Laser-Induced Cavitation For Dynamic Mechanical Characterization Of Soft Materials, Qian Feng

Masters Theses

In the laser-induced cavitation (LIC) technique, a vapor-gas cavity is generated in water, or a soft material by focusing an intense laser pulse into the sample. The high-strain-rate mechanical properties of these samples can be investigated through a real-time size measurement of the expanding cavity bubble. Although this LIC technique has been applied to multiple research fields such as mechanical, biological and medical areas. It is possible to simplify and improve this LIC method by introducing optical-fibers. In this approach, we propose to employ an optical-fiber to deliver the intense laser pulse to an arbitrary position of an optical opaque …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Models Of Electromagnetic Levitation Experiments In Reduced Gravity, Gwendolyn Bracker

Masters Theses

Electromagnetic levitation experiments provide a powerful tool that allows for the study of nucleation, solidification and growth in a containerless processing environment. Containerless processing allows for the study of reactive melts at elevated temperatures without chemical interactions or contamination from a container. Further, by removing the interface between the liquid and its container, this processing technique allows for greater access to the undercooled region for solidification studies. However, in these experiments it is important to understand the magnetohydrodynamic flow within the sample and the effects that this fluid flow has on the experiment.

A recent solidification study found that aluminum-nickel …

Advanced Virtual Reality Headset Based Training To Improve Young Drivers’ Latent Hazard Anticipation Ability, Ravi Agrawal

Masters Theses

Driving safety among young novice driver is one of the largest concern in the transportation domain. Many Paper-based or PC- based training program have been developed over the years to train the young novice driver to improve their driving skills (Hazard Anticipation). This training programs does help young novice driver to improve their situational awareness and so the hazard anticipation skills. But, there is one common problem with most of the currently available training programs. They are not very immersive, because such training program mostly provide plain view of the training scenario’s along with some description about the scenario and …

Forecasting The Cost Of Electricity Generated By Offshore Wind Turbines, Timothy Costa

Masters Theses

To impede the progress of climate change, many policy makers are considering avenues to decarbonize electricity production. In addition to decarbonization, policy makers must consider how the cost of electricity will impact various stakeholders, balancing cost and social benefits. Offshore wind farms have the potential to produce affordable, carbon-free electricity, but they are a relatively new technology. The relative juvenescence of offshore wind lends itself to an uncertain future, regarding production costs. In this thesis, we seek to understand cost drivers behind offshore wind electricity by analyzing historic trends in offshore wind levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) through learning curves, …

Ammonia Production From A Non-Grid Connected Floating Offshore Wind-Farm: A System-Level Techno-Economic Review, Vismay V. Parmar

Masters Theses

According to U.S. Department of Energy, offshore wind energy has the potential to generate 7,200 TWh of energy annually, which is nearly twice the current annual energy consumption in the United States. With technical advances in the offshore wind industry, particularly in the floating platforms, windfarms are pushing further into the ocean. This creates new engineering challenges for transmission of energy from offshore site to onshore. One possible solution is to convert the energy produced into chemical energy of ammonia, which was investigated by Dr. Eric Morgan. In his doctoral dissertation, he assessed the technical requirements and economics of a …