Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Purification Simulation With Vapor Permeation And Distillation-Adsorption In Bioethanol Plant, Misri Gozan, Mia Sari Setiawan, Kenny Lischer

Makara Journal of Technology

High purity of Bioethanol is required in biofuel mixing with gasoline (EXX). In bioethanol production line, the azeotropic property of ethanol-water becomes the barrier for purification process. This study examined two bioethanol separation processes by support of simulation tools, Superpro Designer 9.0 software. Ethanol purity and a low costeconomical process were the major considerations. Purification method of vapor permeation membrane technology was compared with distillation-adsorption method. Data from previous lab experiments and some literatures were used. The results showed that distillation-adsorption method is more economical compared to vapor permeation technology. Payback period of the simulation is 3.9 years and 4.3 …

P26. Global Exponential Stabilization On So(3), Soulaimane Berkane

Western Research Forum

Global Exponential Stabilization on SO(3)

The Influence Of Bmss On The Characterization And Modeling Of Series And Parallel Li-Ion Packs, Sandra Castano-Solis, Daniel Serrano-Jimenez, Lucia Gauchia, Javier Sanz

Michigan Tech Publications

This work analyzes the effects of a BMS (battery management system) on the characterization and modeling of series and parallel connections of Li-ion cell packs. The Li-ion pack studied consists of four series modules connected in parallel. This pack has been characterized by means of charge, discharge and frequency tests. As a result of these tests, series and parallel influence on battery parameters have been determined. A model considering the effects of a BMS is established and compared with a model based on a single-cell approach. Experimental validations show that the single cell based approach gives poor results in comparison …

High Sensitivity Refractometer Based On Reflective Smf-Small Diameter No Core Fiber Structure, Guorui Zhou, Qiang Qu, Rahul Kumar, Wai Pang Ng, Hao Liu, Longfei Niu, Nageswara Lalam, Xiaodong Yuan, Yuliya Semenova

Conference Papers

A high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on a single mode-small diameter no core fiber structure is proposed. In this structure, a small diameter no core fiber (SDNCF) used as a sensor probe, was fusion spliced to the end face of a traditional single mode fiber (SMF) and the end face of the SDNCF was coated with a thin film of gold to provide reflective light. The influence of SDNCF diameter and length on the refractive index sensitivity of the sensor has been investigated by both simulations and experiments, where results show that the diameter of SDNCF has significant influence. …

Control Of Single- And Dual-Probe Atomic Force Microscopy, Muthukumaran Loganathan

Doctoral Dissertations

“Atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the important and versatile tools available in the field of nanotechnology. It is a type of probe-based microscopy wherein an atomically sharp tip, mounted on the free end of a microcantilever, probes the surface of interest to generate 3D topographical images with nanoscale resolution. An integral part of the AFM is the feedback controller that regulates the probe deflection in the presence of surface height changes, enabling the control action to be used for generating topographical image of the sample. Besides sensing, the probe can also be used as a mechanical actuator to …

Redesign Of A Volume Adjustable Transtibial Prosthetic Socket, Samuel Terrazas Quezada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recent research and development in prosthetics have aimed at improving socket designs and components to mimic more efficiently the human body. One such innovation is the Aperture Socket, a low-cost volume adjustable prosthetic socket. During the validation stage of its development, the Aperture Socket successfully demonstrated that it could compensate for volume changes, but various improvements on use and comfort were identified. This project develops and tests a redesign of the Aperture Socket previously developed for amputees in developing countries and subsequently patented and licensed to LIMBS International, Inc.

The first phase of this study was the creation of various …

Simulation Of Magnetically Confined Inductively Coupled Plasma, Sina Javadpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work, a new parallel coil design was presented to address the need for high density inductively coupled plasmas with enhanced properties and a more uniform and consistent distribution, suitable for large-area material processing. Fluid model simulations of 3D argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) were performed in COMSOL for the proposed coil and a conventional single cylindrical coil with the same impedance to be used as reference, to compare and evaluate the performance of this new halftoroidal parallel coil design and study its effects on the main variables of the generated plasma. Through different comparisons of the simulations results, …

Model-Based Control Of Hybrid Electric Powertrains Integrated With Low Temperature Combustion Engines, Ali Soloukmofrad

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Powertrain electrification including hybridizing advanced combustion engines is a viable cost-effective solution to improve fuel economy of vehicles. This will provide opportunity for narrow-range high-efficiency combustion regimes to be able to operate and consequently improve vehicle’s fuel conversion efficiency, compared to conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)s. Low temperature combustion (LTC) engines offer the highest peak brake thermal efficiency reported in literature, but these engines have narrow operating range. In addition, LTC engines have ultra-low soot and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, compared to conventional compression ignition and spark ignition (SI) engines. This dissertation concentrates on integrating the LTC engines (i) in …

Model-Based Control Of An Rcci Engine, Akshat Abhay Raut

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a combustion strategy that offers high fuel conversion efficiency and near zero emissions of NOx and soot which can help in improving fuel economy in mobile and stationary internal combustion engine (ICE) applications and at the same time lower engine-out emissions. One of the main challenges associated with RCCI combustion is the difficulty in simultaneously controlling combustion phasing, engine load, and cyclic variability during transient engine operations.

This thesis focuses on developing model based controllers for cycle-to-cycle combustion phasing and load control during transient operations. A control oriented model (COM) is developed by using …

Electromagnetic Signal Feedback Control For Proximity Detection Systems, Adam K. Smith

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States and remains an essential source of energy. While more than half of coal production comes from surface mining, nearly twice as many workers are employed by underground operations.

One of the key pieces of equipment used in underground coal mining is the continuous mining machine. These large and powerful machines are operated in confined spaces by remote control. Since 1984, 40 mine workers in the U. S. have been killed when struck or pinned by a continuous mining machine. It is estimated that a majority of these accidents could …

Design, Modeling, Fabrication, And Testing Of A Multistage Micro Gas Compressor With Piezoelectric Unimorph Diaphragm And Passive Microvalves For Microcooling Applications, Shawn Thanhson Le

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the development of a multistage micro gas compressor utilizing multiple pump stages cascaded in series to increase the pressure rise with passive microvalves and piezoelectric unimorph diaphragms. This research was conducted through modeling, simulation, design, and fabrication of the microcompressor and its components. A single-stage and a two-stage microcompressor were developed to demonstrate and compare the performance and effectiveness of using a cascaded multistage design.

Steady fluid flow through static microvalves structure was studied to gain insight on its gas flow dynamics and characteristics. Transient analysis combined with the structure's interaction was investigated with an analytical model …

Sensitivity Analysis Method To Address User Disparities In The Analytic Hierarchy Process, Marie Ivanco, Gene Hou, Jennifer Michaeli

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Decision makers often face complex problems, which can seldom be addressed well without the use of structured analytical models. Mathematical models have been developed to streamline and facilitate decision making activities, and among these, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) constitutes one of the most utilized multi-criteria decision analysis methods. While AHP has been thoroughly researched and applied, the method still shows limitations in terms of addressing user profile disparities. A novel sensitivity analysis method based on local partial derivatives is presented here to address these limitations. This new methodology informs AHP users of which pairwise comparisons most impact the derived …

Autonomous Quadrotor Collision Avoidance And Destination Seeking In A Gps-Denied Environment, Thomas C. Kirven

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

This thesis presents a real-time autonomous guidance and control method for a quadrotor in a GPS-denied environment. The quadrotor autonomously seeks a destination while it avoids obstacles whose shape and position are initially unknown. We implement the obstacle avoidance and destination seeking methods using off-the-shelf sensors, including a vision-sensing camera. The vision-sensing camera detects the positions of points on the surface of obstacles. We use this obstacle position data and a potential-field method to generate velocity commands. We present a backstepping controller that uses the velocity commands to generate the quadrotor's control inputs. In indoor experiments, we demonstrate that the …

Target Read Operation Of Passive Ultra High Frequency Rfid Tag In A Multiple Tags Environment, Zi Qin Phua

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency Identification (RFID) has emerged as a promising solution for many industrial applications. Passive UHF systems are relatively inexpensive to implement and monitor, as no line of sight is required for the communication. There are several advantages to using a passive RFID system. For example, no internal power source is required to activate the tags, and lower labor costs and efficient multitasking operations are expected in a long term scenario. However, due to factors such as tag-to-tag interference and inaccurate localization, RFID tags that are closely spaced together are difficult to detect and program accurately …

Advances In Multi-Agent Flocking: Continuous-Time And Discrete-Time Algorithms, Brandon Wellman

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

We present multi-agent control methods that address flocking in continuous-time and discrete-time settings. The method is decentralized, that is, each agents controller relies on local sensing to determine the relative positions and velocities of nearby agents. In the continuous-time setting, each agent has double-integrator dynamics. In the discrete-time setting, each agent has the discrete-time double-integrator dynamics obtained by sampling the continuous-time double integrator and applying a zero-order hold on the control input. We demonstrate using analysis, numerical simulations, and experimental demonstrations that agents using the flocking methods converge to flocking formations and follow the centralized leader (if applicable).

Behavioral Responses Of Sub-Adult Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Oxyrinchus) To Electromagnetic And Magnetic Fields Under Laboratory Conditions, Andrew Mcintyre Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by high voltage (HV), submarine transmission cables leading from offshore wind energy generation facilities could affect foraging or migratory behaviors of electro-receptive fishes, including endangered Atlantic Sturgeon. However, no published studies have quantitatively evaluated the possible behavioral effects of EMF exposure on sturgeon during residence in coastal waters. This study evaluated behavioral responses by sub-adult Atlantic Sturgeon to electromagnetic and magnetic fields under controlled laboratory conditions. Fabricated EMF generators were used to emulate a range of field EMF conditions that migratory fishes could encounter in proximity to submarine HV sources. Sensor arrays and digital video recorders …

Optimized Endpoint Delivery Via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Fuad Gazal

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are remotely piloted aircraft with a range of varying applications. Though early adoption of UAVs focused on military applications, surveillance, photography, and agricultural applications are presently on the rise. This work aims to ascertain how UAVs may be employed to elicit deceased transportation times, increased power efficiency, and improved safety. Resulting in optimized end point delivery. A combination of tools and techniques, involving a mathematical model, UAV simulations, redundant control systems, and custom designed electrical and mechanical components were used towards reaching the goal of a 10-kilogram maximum payload delivered 10 miles under 30 minutes. Two …

Organic-Inorganic Graphite And Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Based Composites For 3d Printing, Jorge Alfredo Catalan Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This project was multipronged to help fuse together topics of additive manufacturing and two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, and studying the mechanical and electrical properties of the composites produced. The composites are made from the thermoplastic polymer acting as a matrix and the graphite and 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) serving as the filler or reinforcement. Different concentrations of TMD's were added to the matrix to study the effect of composition on the mechanical and electrical properties. To shed insights into the mechanical properties, test coupons were produced as "dog bone" structures for tensile testing using the ASTM D638 type 5 …

Solar Irradiance Forecasting And Implications For Domestic Electric Water Heating, Christopher Nutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the effects of burning fossil fuels continues to present its prevalence, the interests in alternative forms of energy is expanding. Within the home, the domestic electrical water heater accounts for approximately 17% of its energy consumption. Reducing the amount of energy required to produce hot water from this thermal system alone can have a significant effect on reducing its carbon footprint. In this presented work, a modeled domestic electrical water heater was supplied photovoltaic and on-grid electrical power to increase its energy efficiency. As photovoltaic (PV) energy is directly related to solar irradiation, it is important to receive accurate …

Audio-Based Productivity Forecasting Of Construction Cyclic Activities, Chris A. Sabillon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to its high cost, project managers must be able to monitor the performance of construction heavy equipment promptly. This cannot be achieved through traditional management techniques, which are based on direct observation or on estimations from historical data. Some manufacturers have started to integrate their proprietary technologies, but construction contractors are unlikely to have a fleet of entirely new and single manufacturer equipment for this to represent a solution. Third party automated approaches include the use of active sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, passive technologies such as computer vision and image processing, and audio signal processing. Hitherto, most …

Investigation Of The Use Of 3-D Printer Platform As Building Block For Rapid Design Of Research And Manufacturing Tool, Handy Chandra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis attempts to show how an open source 3-D printer platform, the self replicating rapid prototype (RepRap), could be used to accelerate the development of research and manufacturing tools. Two projects are shown as examples, both utilizing components of the 3-D printer platform.

The first project is to develop an instrument capable of performing automated large-area four-point probe measurements. A modified RepRap 3-D Printer with a four-point probe in place of the 3-D printer head is utilized as a precision positioning platform. The printer together with custom designed measurement circuit and software performs automated measurement on multiple points on …

Control Of A Powered Ankle-Foot Prosthesis: From Perception To Impedance Modulation, Guilherme Aramizo Ribeiro

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Active ankle prostheses controllers are demonstrating gaining smart features to improve the safety and comfort offor users. The perception of user intention to modulate the ankle dynamics is a well-known example of such feature. But not much work focused on the perception of the environment, nor how the environment should be included in the mechanical design and control of the prosthesisprostheses. The proposed work aims to improve the feasibility of integrate the environment perception integration intoto the prostheses controllersler, and to define the desired ankle dynamics, as mechanical impedance, duringof the human walk on different environmental settings. As a preliminary …

Using Lower Extremity Muscle Activations To Estimate Human Ankle Impedance In The External-Internal Direction, Lauren N. Knop

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For millions of people, mobility has been afflicted by lower limb amputation. Lower extremity prostheses have been used to improve the mobility of an amputee; however, they often require additional compensation from other joints and do not allow for natural maneuverability. To improve upon the functionality of ankle-foot prostheses, it is necessary to understand the role of different muscle activations in the modulation of mechanical impedance of a healthy human ankle. This report presents the results of using artificial neural networks (ANN) to determine the functional relationship between lower extremity electromyography (EMG) signals and ankle impedance in the transverse plane. …