Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Coarsening Dynamics Of Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals, Nikolai V. Priezjev, Robert A. Pelcovits

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

We study the coarsening dynamics of two- and three-dimensional biaxial nematic liquid crystals, using Langevin dynamics. Unlike previous work, we use a model with no a priori relationship among the three elastic constants associated with director deformations. Biaxial nematics possess four topologically distinct classes of defects, three of which have half-integer charge, while the fourth, which plays a minor role in coarsening, is of integer charge. We find a rich variety of coarsening behavior, including the presence of one, two, or three of the half-integer classes at late times, depending on the relative values of the elastic constants and the …

Virtual Surfaces, Director Domains And The Freedericksz Transition In Polymer Stabilized Nematic Liquid Crystals, Pavel A. Kossyrev, Jun Qi, Nikolai V. Priezjev, Robert A. Pelcovits, Gregory P. Crawford

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The critical field of the Freedericksz transition and switching dynamics are investigated for polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystals as a function of polymer concentration. A simple phenomenological model is proposed to describe the observed critical field and dynamic response time behaviors as a function of concentration. In this model the polymer fibrils form director domains, which are bounded by virtual surfaces with a finite anchoring energy. The Freedericksz transition occurs independently within each of these domains.

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities: Phase Ii Quarterly Report, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Multipacting is one of the major loss mechanisms in rf superconductivity cavities for accelerators. This loss mechanism limits the maximum amount of energy/power supported by the cavities. Optimal designs have been identified in others’ studies. In practice, these designs are not easily manufactured. Chemical etching processes used to polish the cavity walls result in a nonuniform surface etch. A nonuniform surface etch will leave some unclean areas with contaminants and micron size particles. These significantly affect mutipacting. Further, a nonuniform etch will leave areas with damaged grain structure, which is not good for superconducting properties. Typically, the depth of chemical …

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements: Quarterly Progress Report (June 1 – August 31, 2002), Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The purpose of this collaborative research project involving the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), the Idaho State University (ISU), and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is to evaluate the feasibility of determining residual stresses in cold-worked, plastically-deformed, and welded materials using a nondestructive method based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. This technique uses γ-rays from a small MeV electron Linac to generate positrons inside the sample via pair production. This method is known to have capabilities of characterizing defects in thick specimens, that could not be accomplished by conventional positron technique or other nondestructive methods. The generated data will …

System Integration And Real-Time Control Architecture Of A Laser Aided Manufacturing Process, Mallikharjuna R. Boddu, Robert G. Landers, Srinivas Musti, Sanjeev Agarwal, Jianzhong Ruan, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper discusses a hybrid deposition–removal manufacturing system being developed at the University of Missouri--Rolla. The system consists of a laser system, five-axis CNC machining center, and powder feeder system. A description of the control software, real-time control architecture, and integration of various subsystems to build the hybrid system is given. The interaction of the real-time controller with various sensors and subsystems to monitor and regulate the process is presented. The communication between integrated process planning for the system and real–time control is also discussed in this paper.

Correlation Between The Xps Peak Shapes Of Y1bu2cu3o7-X And Film Quality, Paul N. Barnes, Sharmila M. Mukhopadhyay, Timothy J. Haugan, Swaminathan Krishnaswami, Justin C. Tolliver, Iman Maartense

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling was used to investigate the compositional and chemical profile of a typical YBCO coated conductor architecture. Results of the process revealed that the Y(3d) photoelectronic peak shape in these films is very different from bulk YBCO. To investigate this, several samples of Y i Ba2Cu307_„ thin films were intentionally created of varying quality. The films were deposited on LaA10 3 by pulsed laser deposition with ./c. values ranging from poorly conducting up to several MA/cm2. Initial results indicated a potential correlation between the Y(3d) XPS peak shape (full-width-half-maximum) of the YBCO and the film …

Simulations Of Nematic Liquid Crystals: Confined Geometries, Phase Transitions And Topological Defects, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The physics of liquid crystals is an exciting field of research with important practical applications. In this dissertation we present the results of simulation studies of nematic liquid crystals using Monte Carlo and molecular dynamic techniques. In our first project we performed Monte Carlo Simulations of the Lebwohl-Lasher (LL) model of nematic liquid crystals confined to cylindrical cavities with perpendicular anchoring. In this particular geometry one has an interesting interplay between bulk and surface energies, which results in different director configurations inside the cylinder. Our work reconciled the apparent contradictions between the results of earlier simulations and approximate analytics theories. …

Design And Analysis Of A Process For Melt Casting Metallic Fuel Pins Incorporating Volatile Actinides, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Randy Clarksean

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

UNLV has developed and will continue to develop process models for the analysis of melt casting processes. This work will continue to be performed under the guidance of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) engineers to ensure that their knowledge and experience benefits the project. The research to be conducted during the second year will center on performing detailed analyses on a conceptual design of an inductively heated skull-crucible casting furnace. Processing conditions will be analyzed, basic models utilized, and detailed heat and mass transfer models will be developed to analyze the most promising processes. The goal of this second year is …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities: Phase Ii, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Niobium cavities are important parts of the integrated NC/SC high-power linacs. Over the years, researchers in several countries have tested various cavity shapes. They concluded that elliptically shaped cells are the most appropriate shape for superconducting cavities. The need for very clean surfaces led to the use of a buffered chemical polishing procedure for surface cleaning to get good performance of the cavities. This proposal discusses the second phase of research in the second year of the project.

The first phase (starting Summer 2001) has resulted in improving the basic understanding of multipacting and the process of chemical etching. Based …

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The purpose of this collaborative research project involving the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Idaho State University (ISU) is to evaluate the feasibility of determining residual stresses of welded (after pre-straining) engineering materials using a new nondestructive technique based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. The proposed technique is to use γ-rays 2 from a small MeV electron Linac to generate positrons inside the sample via pair production. This method can be used for materials characterization and investigation of defects in thick samples that could not be accomplished by conventional positron techniques or other nondestructive methods. The data generated will …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities – Phase I: Quarterly Progress Report November 20, 2001 - February 20, 2002, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Multipacting is one of the major loss mechanisms in RF superconductivity cavities for accelerators. This loss mechanism limits the maximum amount of energy/power supported by the cavities. Optimal designs have been identified in others’ studies. In practice, these designs are not easily manufactured. Chemical etching processes used to polish the cavity walls result in a nonuniform surface etch. A nonuniform surface etch will leave some unclean areas with contaminants and micron size particles. These significantly affect multipacting. Further, a nonuniform etch will leave areas with damaged grain structure, which is not good for superconducting properties. Typically, the depth of chemical …

Strongly Screened Vortex Lattice Model With Disorder, C. Giardina', Nikolai V. Priezjev, J. M. Kosterlitz

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The three dimensional XY model with quenched random disorder and finite screening is studied. We argue that the system scales to model with λ≃0≃T and the resulting effective model is studied numerically by defect energy scaling. In zero external field we find that there exists a true superconducting phase with a stiffness exponent θ≃+1.0 for weak disorder. For low magnetic field and weak disorder, there is also a superconducting phase with θ≃+1.0 which we conjecture is a Bragg glass. For larger disorder or applied field, there is a non superconducting phase with θ≃−1.0. We estimate the critical external field whose …

Heat Transfer In A Thin Liquid Film In The Presence Of Electric Field For Non-Isothermal Interfacial Condition, Rama S.R. Gorla, Jorge E. Gatica, Bahman Ghorashi, Pijarn In-Eure, Larry W. Byrd

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat transfer enhancement in an evaporating thin liquid film using the electric field under non-isothermal interfacial condition is presented. A new mathematical model subjected to van der Waals attractive forces, the capillary pressure and the electric field is developed to describe the heat transfer enhancement in the evaporating thin liquid film. The effect of an electrostatic field on the curvature of the thin film, evaporative flux, pressure gradient distribution, heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient in the thin film is presented. The results show that the electric field can enhance heat transfer in the thin liquid film significantly. In addition, …

Effect Of Polymer-Surface Mobility On Adhesion In Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)-Tape System, Bhavesh C. Gandhi, Frank D. Blum, Lokeswarappa R. Dharani

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The interaction between two polymer layers, especially adhesion between them, plays an important role in polymer processing and other applications. Detailed knowledge of the molecular structure and dynamics of polymer interfaces, and how they relate to macroscopic mechanical properties, should help designers construct more functional systems. Unfortunately, there have been few studies where both molecular and macroscopic studies have been performed on similar systems. In previous studies from our group, we have probed the dynamics of poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) and thermal behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on silica. These studies helped us paint a picture for strongly bound molecules on …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities: Phase Ii Second Quarterly Report, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Niobium cavities are important parts of the integrated NC/SC high-power linacs. Over the years, researchers in several countries have tested various cavity shapes. They concluded that elliptically shaped cells are the most appropriate shape for superconducting cavities. The need for very clean surfaces lead to the use of a buffered chemical polishing produce for surface cleaning to get good performance of the cavities. Up to this point, the second phase has resulted in the design of an experimental setup for the fluid flow experiment. Other experimental activities include the evaluation of a vacuum system are underway. Little reportable progress has …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia, Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

All technologies for the transmutation of nuclear waste require a large source of neutrons. One of the principal methods of generating these neutrons is by using a particle accelerator to bombard a heavy metal target. One of the more promising designs for particle accelerators for transmutation systems is the Superconducting Radio Frequency (RF) high-current linear accelerator (linac). The power supplies for these systems have three major components: niobium cavities, power couplers, and cryomodules. This research project will develop models to predict the behavior and performance of the niobium cavities, which will then be used to design and optimize the superconducting …