Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Modeling, Simulation And Control Of Microrobots For The Microfactory., Zhong Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Future assembly technologies will involve higher levels of automation in order to satisfy increased microscale or nanoscale precision requirements. Traditionally, assembly using a top-down robotic approach has been well-studied and applied to the microelectronics and MEMS industries, but less so in nanotechnology. With the boom of nanotechnology since the 1990s, newly designed products with new materials, coatings, and nanoparticles are gradually entering everyone’s lives, while the industry has grown into a billion-dollar volume worldwide. Traditionally, nanotechnology products are assembled using bottom-up methods, such as self-assembly, rather than top-down robotic assembly. This is due to considerations of volume handling of large …

The Characterization Of Atmospheric Turbulence And Its Effect On Laser Beam Propagation, Michael Cox

All Theses

Having a controlled environment to measure atmospheric turbulence is essential to understanding its effects on different laser beam characteristics. The Clemson Variable Turbulence Generator (VTG) has the capability to propagate a laser beam up to 100 m and be able to dial many turbulence settings up to a heat flux of 357 W/m². A high-speed camera, power detector, and high-resolution temperature probes characterize the VTG with theoretical turbulence spectrums. The exponent associated with the Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) temperature structure constant equation is studied. Two different laser beam profiles are used throughout this work: Gaussian and Asymmetric Perfect Vortex (APV). …

A One-Dimensional Analysis Of A Microbial Fuel Cell For Efficient Acetate Removal And Power Density Output, David Rouhani

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices that utilize microorganisms to convert organic matter into electrical energy. MFCs have been discussed to have potential application for sustainable wastewater treatment due to their ability to generate electricity while simultaneously treating contaminated water. To optimize MFC performance, numerical models can be used to understand the complex electrochemical and biological processes occurring in the system. In this study, a numerical model was developed to simulate the performance of MFCs under varying operating conditions and to investigate the performance of a MFC for treating wastewater fuel. More specifically, the MFC was modeled to oxidize …

Metastability And Degradation In Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cells, Mohsen Jahandardoost

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 or CIGS is a thin-film semiconductor that has shown a device efficiency of 23.35% and 24.2% for single-junction and perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, respectively. CIGS offers promising properties such as tunable bandgap and ease of processing making them great candidates for thin-film tandem devices. However, knowledge of the effect of material defects, buffer materials, and post-deposition treatment (PDT) on degradation and metastability behavior in these devices is not well understood.In this dissertation, metastability and long-term degradation of CIGS thin-film solar cells have been investigated under combinatorial stress factors of heat, light, and voltage bias to systematically understand the effect …

Fabrication Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Components Using Stereolithography 3d Printing, Hannah Dyer

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Transitioning from fossil fuel supplied energy to renewable technology must meet cost efficient parameters throughout the manufacturing process while possessing the characteristics of a functioning and reliable power source. With a significant demand in renewable energy products, developmental techniques require adaptive approaches and procedures for novel materials in the manufacturing phase. This report proposes how a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a renewable energy system, can employ additive manufacturing for directly 3D printing its components by utilizing stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing techniques. Fabrication of the printed components from the mixtures were first mixed with varying concentrations of ceramic powder and …

Optical Fiber Tip Micro Anemometer, Jeremiah C. Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim

AFIT Patents

A passive microscopic flow sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of an optical fiber. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure includes a post attached off-center to and extending longitudinally from the cleaved tip of the optical fiber. A rotor of the three-dimensional microscopic optical structure is received for rotation on the post. The rotor has more than one blade. Each blade has a reflective undersurface that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber when center aligned with the optical fiber, the blades of the rotor shaped to rotate at a rate related to …

Rubber Band Car Activity, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Student learn about forces and engineering by designing a car powered by rubber bands

Test 2240: Kubota M8-231, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Controlling Mechanical Properties Of Well-Defined Polymer Networks, Ipek Sacligil

Doctoral Dissertations

Polymer networks are one of the most versatile and highly studied material class that revolutionized many aspects of life. Connecting the final network properties to the molecular parameters of its building blocks remains a major research thrust. Recent advances in network synthesis techniques allowed for accurate predictions of elastic modulus in model networks. Tew Group has developed highly efficient, thiol-norbornene networks with controllable mechanical properties. Chapter 2 focuses on modifying the gel fracture energy predicted by Lake-Thomas theory by accounting for loop defects. This study allowed for a priori estimates of gel fracture energy by combining theory, experiments, and simulations. …

Thermal Transport Across 2d/3d Van Der Waals Interfaces, Cameron Foss

Doctoral Dissertations

Designing improved field-effect-transistors (FETs) that are mass-producible and meet the fabrication standards set by legacy silicon CMOS manufacturing is required for pushing the microelectronics industry into further enhanced technological generations. Historically, the downscaling of feature sizes in FETs has enabled improved performance, reduced power consumption, and increased packing density in microelectronics for several decades. However, many are claiming Moore's law no longer applies as the era of silicon CMOS scaling potentially nears its end with designs approaching fundamental atomic-scale limits -- that is, the few- to sub-nanometer range. Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) materials present a new paradigm of materials science and …

Sharprazor: Automatic Removal Of Hair And Ruler Marks From Dermoscopy Images, Reda Kasmi, Jason Hagerty, Reagan Harris Young, Norsang Lama, Januka Nepal, Jessica Miinch, William V. Stoecker, R. Joe Stanley

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: The removal of hair and ruler marks is critical in handcrafted image analysis of dermoscopic skin lesions. No other dermoscopic artifacts cause more problems in segmentation and structure detection. Purpose: The aim of the work is to detect both white and black hair, artifacts and finally inpaint correctly the image. Method: We introduce a new algorithm: SharpRazor, to detect hair and ruler marks and remove them from the image. Our multiple-filter approach detects hairs of varying widths within varying backgrounds, while avoiding detection of vessels and bubbles. The proposed algorithm utilizes grayscale plane modification, hair enhancement, segmentation using tri-directional …

Effects Of Various Dietary Carbohydrate Sources On The Growth Performance And Body Composition Of The Dog Conch, Laevistrombus Canarium, Jen-Hong Chu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study investigates the effects of dietary supplementation with various carbohydrate sources on the growth and dietary nutrient utilization efficiency of a 0.72-g dog conch, Laevistrombus canarium. Five treatment diets had supplementation with alpha-starch (Sta), dextrin (Dex), pullulan gum (Pg), xanthan gum (Xg), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). At the end of the feeding trial, the best growth performance (weight gain, 442.23%) and diet efficiency (protein efficiency ratio, 1.25, and feed conversion ratio [FCR], 2.04) were exhibited by the dog conch fed the Sta diet, whereas the lowest growth performance was observed in the dog conch fed the Xg and CMC …

Cost Advantages Of Far East/Europe Trunk Route Deployment With Port Selection In East Asia, Tai Hui-Huang, Chang Chin-Wei

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

To cater to the gradually increasing sizes of ships, several traditional container ports in East Asia built deep-water wharves to attract shipping carriers to berth, a decision that is considered highly reasonable because it allows for shipping carriers to gain a cost advantage. For traditional Far East/Europe (F/E) trunk routes, shipping carriers must deploy vessels that are large enough at hub ports to maintain low transshipment costs. However, for a port to attract shipping carriers, it should be able to first meet the cargo demand of these carriers. The port would also need to improve the loading ratio to enjoy …

Influence Of Vacuum Condition On Rapid Chloride Migration (Rcm) Test For Chloride Penetration Resistance Of Concrete, Chih-Yen Lin, Chun-Fu Chang, Chung-Chia Yang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

NT Build 492 regulates that the pressure be set at 7.5–37.5 torr and be maintained for 3 h for vacuum processing. This large range of acceptable vacuum pressure is awkward for research, and 3 h of pump-down time may be excessive. In this study, vacuum conditions were divided into vacuum pressure and pump-down time groups: various vacuum pressures and pump-down times were used to preprocess specimens to explore the effect of vacuum conditions on the RCM test. The salt ponding test was also conducted to identify the optimal vacuum conditions. It is shown that the relationship between vacuum pressure and …

Exhaust Noise Elimination Using Silencers Fortified With Perforated Tubes, Extended Tubes, Penetrable Resin Inlet And Orifice Plate, Min-Chie Chiu, Ho-Chih Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Pneumatic equipment in marine diesel engine and associated piping system often emit extremely high level of noises when releasing pressure. Concerning the crew’s hearing health, discovering an efficient noise silencing device becomes essential. A silencer fortified with extended tubes, perforated tubes, orifice plate, and penetrable resin inlet is presented in order to competently dampen the blown-up noises. A simplified objective function by means of FEM, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is established to enable the numerical calculation when using a finite element method. Three silencer designs, silencer A (with element A, a penetrable resin inlet), B …

Deep Learning–Based, Oceantdlx Sea Ice Detection Model For Sar Image, Liu Lin, Li Wanwu, Li Hang, Sun Yi

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study constructs four deep-learning OceanTDLx series models and uses a WinR-AdaGrad gradient descent algorithm to train and optimize the constructed models. Through an analysis of the loss, accuracy, and time consumption of the four models (i.e., OceanTDL2, OceanTDL3, OceanTDL5 and OceanTDL8), we reveal that the models’ performance does not improve when the number of layers is increased and that OceanTDL5 provides the optimal performance. OceanTDL5 is compared with OceanTDA9 (a model that we previously constructed), and the curves for training loss_batch and training accuracy_batch indicate that OceanTDL5 is more suitable than OceanTDA9 for detecting distributed targets, particularly semi-melted sea …

Application Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Based Infrared Images In Determining Characteristics Of Sea Surface Temperature Distribution, Hsing-Yu Wang, Hui-Ming Fang, Yun-Chih Chiang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

This study investigated the temperature field of a body of water by using rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual) comprising visible light and infrared cameras to determine sea temperature distribution. With a flight height of 150 m, image overlap of 80%, and image resolution of 4.75 cm/pixel, the proposed method was more effective than the conventional portable conductivity–temperature–depth device in rapidly measuring sea surface temperature and determining sea temperature distribution. The discharged heated water of the Hoping Power Plant traveled 100–330 m from the wastewater outfall and then gradually diffused in the range of 100–490 m before …

Quadcopter Control Using Single Network Adaptive Critics, Alberto Velazquez, Lei Xu, Tohid Sardarmehni

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, optimal tracking control is found for an inputaffine nonlinear quadcopter using Single Network Adaptive Critics (SNAC). The quadcopter dynamics consists of twelve states and four controls. The states are defined using two related reference frames: the earth frame, which describes the position and angles, and the body frame, which describes the linear and angular velocities. The quadcopter has six outputs and four controls, so it is an underactuated nonlinear system. The optimal control for the system is derived by solving a discrete-time recursive Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation using a linear in-parameter neural network. The neural network is trained to …

Application Of Gaussian Mixture Models To Simulated Additive Manufacturing, Jason Hasse, Semhar Michael, Anamika Prasad

SDSU Data Science Symposium

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the process of building components through an iterative process of adding material in specific designs. AM has a wide range of process parameters that influence the quality of the component. This work applies Gaussian mixture models to detect clusters of similar stress values within and across components manufactured with varying process parameters. Further, a mixture of regression models is considered to simultaneously find groups and also fit regression within each group. The results are compared with a previous naive approach.

Session 2: The Effect Of Boom Leveling On Spray Dispersion, Travis A. Burgers, Miguel Bustamante, Juan F. Vivanco

SDSU Data Science Symposium

Self-propelled sprayers are commonly used in agriculture to disperse agrichemicals. These sprayers commonly have two boom wings with dozens of nozzles that disperse the chemicals. Automatic boom height systems reduce the variability of agricultural sprayer boom height, which is important to reduce uneven spray dispersion if the boom is not at the target height.

A computational model was created to simulate the spray dispersion under the following conditions: a) one stationary nozzle based on the measured spray pattern from one nozzle, b) one stationary model due to an angled boom, c) superposition of multiple stationary nozzles due an angled boom, …

Using Dielectric Scatters To Selectively Excite Embedded Eigenstates In Cavity Resonators, Olugbenga Joshua Gbidi

Theses and Dissertations

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are waves that remain in the continuous spectrum of radiating waves that carry energy, however, still localized within the spectrum. BICs, also embedded eigenmodes, exhibit high quality factors that have been observed in optical and acoustic waveguides, photonic structures, and other material systems. Presently, there are limited means to select these BICs in terms of the quality factor and their excitation. In this work, we show that a different type of BIC, Quasi-BICs (Q-BICs), in open resonators can have their quality attuned by introducing embedded scatters. Using microwave cavities and dielectric scatters as an …

Enabling An Equitable Energy Transition Through Inclusive Research, Michael Ash, Erin Baker, Mark Tuominen, Dhandapani Venkataraman, Matthew Burke, S. Castellanos, M. Cha, Gabe Chan, D. Djokic, J.C. Ford, Anna P. Goldstein, David Hsu, Matt Lacker, C. Miller, D. Nock, A.P. Ravikumar, Allison Bates, Anna Stefanopoulou, E Grubert, D.M Kammen, M. Pastor, S.Z, Attari, S. Carley, D.L Clark, D. Dean-Ryan, U. Kosar, Kerry Bowie, Tina Johnson

ETI Publications

Comprehensive and meaningful inclusion of marginalized communities within the research enterprise will be critical to ensuring an equitable, technology-informed, clean energy transition. We provide five key action items for government agencies and philanthropic institutions to operationalize the commitment to an equitable energy transition.

Assessing The Economic Feasibility Of Capturing And Utilizing Carbon Dioxide From Ethanol Production In South Dakota, Makiah Stukel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the Industrial Revolution, anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have spiked dramatically, prompting discussions on climate change. Mitigating climate change requires significant reductions in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as CO2 is the most abundant anthropogenic GHG. A process that assists in offsetting the exponential growth in CO2 emissions is carbon capture and storage (CCS). Integrating carbon capture technology into the ethanol industry can provide an economically feasible way to achieve net reductions in CO2 emissions. The proposed work investigates the economic viability of applying CCS technologies to the 16 ethanol facilities in South Dakota (SD) and quantifies the potential …

Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) CCUS capabilities. Includes information on the Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership initiative, Brine Extraction and Storage Test (BEST), Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE), Red Trail Energy Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), a feed study at Coal Creek Station, Bell Creek and Cedar Creek anticline projects, and Partnership for CO₂ Capture (PCO₂C).

Mechanical Behavior Of Metallic Core-Shell Nanoparticles Under Compressive Loading, Phillip Tomich

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Core/shell metallic nanoparticles have been shown to be a promising material type for additive manufacturing in the aerospace and automotive fields. Within additive manufacturing they will be used to accurately make an array of nanoparticles within the grains of metal matrix composites. This in turn will help to strengthen the material while remaining ductility and light weight. In this study, copper/aluminum core/shell nanoparticles are compressed under [100], [110], [111], and [112] directions to showcase their anisotropic material properties. Models of their individual counterparts were also investigated. There are no previous works showing the deformation mechanisms of copper/aluminum core/shell nanoparticles. Molecular …

Multi-Chamber Silencer Composed Of Screw-Perforated Tubes And Straight-Perforated Tubes, Tian-Syung Lan, Min-Chie Chiu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The use of silencers to reduce noise is mandatory due to severe hearing damage caused by high venting noise in the engine room of ocean-going vessels. While straight and perforated tubes have been used as acoustical elements in traditional silencer design, studies have shown that the acoustical design still requires improvement. To enhance acoustical efficiency, the use of multi-chamber mufflers is proposed composed of screw and perforated tubes. Additionally, a mathematical finite element model built for acoustical simulation using the COMSOL program expedites the analysis of silencers with complicated acoustical elements. A sensitivity analysis of transmission loss concerning the geometric …

Methanol As An Eco-Environmental Alternative Fuel For Ships: A Case Study, Samar K. Sallam, Mohamed M. Elgohary, Ibrahim S. Seddiek

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Global emissions of Green House Gases and air pollutants are significantly influenced by shipping. Diesel fuel use for energy production is primarily responsible for these emissions. The substitution of traditional marine diesel oil with methanol as a marine fuel is recommended in this study. Moreover, the methanol-diesel dual-fuel engine's environmental and financial benefits are investigated numerically. A cruise passenger ship named Costa Toscana has been evaluated as a case study. Based on the data, the suggested dual-fuel engine reduces emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx, and PM by 25.7%, 38.46%, 45%, and 45%, respectively, with a cost-effectiveness of 286.5, 6645, 268403.4, …

Coastal Traffic Safety Index Based On Marine Accident And Traffic Records, Joohwan Kim, Sang-Lok Yoo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

In this study, a comprehensive index for evaluating the degree of coastal traffic safety by simultaneously considering marine accident frequency, severity, and traffic volume was considered. To do so, the concept of Equivalent Property Damage Only (EPDO), which is widely used in the road transportation industry, was benchmarked to assess both frequency and severity of accidents. In addition, the total sailing distance of ships was chosen as a variable to explain traffic volume. Finally, a composite performance indicator called "M-EPDO per nautical mile" was built up, enabling the safety performance score for each type of ships in three criteria: on-board …

Path Planning Of Uav Navigation Mark Inspection Using A K-Means Clustering Aca, Jiaqi Li, Weifeng Li, Wenting Zhang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

With increasing speeds and application of artificial intelligence in the shipping industry, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has been applied to navigation mark inspections to improve the inspection efficiency and safety. Aimed at the UAV path planning problem of navigation mark inspection, this paper proposes an improved K-means clustering ant colony algorithm (KCACA) to design the shortest route for UAV navigation mark inspections. First, the K-means algorithm and the UAV maximum flight distance were used to cluster the navigation marks, which were then split into several secondary clusters. Each cluster was regarded as an independent traveling salesman problem to be …

Collision Risk Prediction For Small Ships In South Korea Via Optimization Of Wireless Communication Period, So-Ra Kim, Myoung-Ki Lee, Sangwon Park, Dae-Won Kim, Young-Soo Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

Since the emergence of COVID-19, there has been a global surge in demand for marine leisure activities. In Korea, the population using marine leisure has risen approximately 192% to 20,406 people, compared to 6,966 people in the year 2000, indicating a continuous growth over the past two decades.. Maritime transportation has become increasingly intricate worldwide due to the development of increasingly autonomous, larger, and faster ships. To effectively address potential hazards in such complex traffic environments, it is imperative to anticipate future scenarios and respond rapidly. However, small vessels account for the highest proportion of marine accidents, exhibit movements that …