Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Multi-Disciplinary Hands-On Desktop Learning Modules And Modern Pedagogies, Bernard J. Van Wie, David B. Thiessen, Marc Compere, Ximena Toro, Jennifer C. Adam, Et Al.

Publications

Our team’s research focuses on fundamental problems in undergraduate education in terms of how to expand use of well researched, yet still “new”, teaching pedagogies of ‘sensing’ or ‘hands-on’, ‘active’ and ‘problem-based learning’ within engineering courses. It is now widely accepted that traditional lectures ARE NOT best for students – yet that is what the community almost universally does.

To address this issue we are developing new Desktop Learning Modules (DLMs) that contain miniaturized processes with a uniquely expandable electronic system to contend with known sensor systems/removable cartridges, as well as, unknown expansions to the project. We have shown that …

The Development Of A Phase Locked Excitation Testing Method For Full‐Scale Wind Turbine Blades, Waleed Fathi Gowharji

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Full scale blade testing provides blade manufacturers with quantitative data regarding their blade design, manufacturing processes and durability. Structural fatigue tests are designed to assess the structural health of the turbine blade as well as simulate a lifespan worth of damage in a laboratory environment. These tests also provide a further understanding of the dynamics involved in modern turbine blades. Blade tests are typically conducted in one of the following manners: a dual-axis forced displacement, single axis or dual axis resonant configurations. Historically, fatigue testing has been performed by utilizing forced displacement systems. These systems do not allow for the …

Development And Implementation Of A Fault Mitigating Control System For A Biodiesel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle For The Ecocar: The Next Challenge Competition, Sean Christopher Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The automotive industry is continuously developing, and with it hybrid vehicle technology is a growing field of interest. The design of the electric vehicle is a pressing matter and grows in complexity with new powertrain components such as power inverters and transmission systems that use electric motors. As a control system develops, the architecture always comes back to systems engineering documentation to find safety protocols, solutions to problems through fault testing, and validating and verifying the control architecture throughout the whole process. Testing and evaluation plans are required more than ever and are constantly being updated and implemented in today's …

Multi-Disciplinary Project-Based Paradigm That Uses Hands-On Desktop Learning Modules And Modern Learning Pedagogies, William David Schlecht, Bernard J. Wie, Paul B. Golter, Robert F. Richards, Marc Compere, Et Al.

Publications

It has been established that traditional lectures ARE NOT best for student learning – yet that is what the community almost universally does! Furthermore, engineers work in broad multidisciplinary teams while classroom learning is individual and narrow. Yet, educators rarely invest the time and resources necessary to employ such innovations.

In this CCLI type II award we are further refining Desktop Learning Modules (DLMs) within a Cooperative, Hands-on, Active, Problem based, Learning (CHAPL) setting for Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Bio- and Electrical Engineering courses at a diverse set of institutions, including a community college engaged through a distance learning mode. A …

Classification Of Marine Vessels In A Littoral Environment Using A Novel Training Database, Robert Andrew Lister

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Research into object classification has led to the creation of hundreds of databases for use as training sets in object classification algorithms. Datasets made up of thousands of cars, people, boats, faces and everyday objects exist for general classification techniques. However, no commercially available database exists for use with detailed classification and categorization of marine vessels commonly found in littoral environments. This research seeks to fill this void and is the combination of a multi-stage research endeavor designed to provide the missing marine vessel ontology. The first of the two stages performed to date introduces a novel training database called …

Supervisory Autonomous Control Of Homogeneous Teams Of Unmanned Ground Vehicles, With Application To The Multi-Autonomous Ground-Robotic International Challenge, Katrina L. Corley

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

There are many different proposed methods for Supervisory Control of semi-autonomous robots. There have also been numerous software simulations to determine how many robots can be successfully supervised by a single operator, a problem known as fan-out, but only a few studies have been conducted using actual robots. As evidenced by the MAGIC 2010 competition, there is increasing interest in amplifying human capacity by allowing one or a few operators to supervise a team of robotic agents. This interest provides motivation to perform a more in-depth evaluation of many autonomous/semiautonomous robots an operator can successfully supervise. The MAGIC competition allowed …

The Development Of A Phase Locked Wind Turbine Blade Finite Element Model To Predict Loads And Deflections During Fatigue Testing, Kyle Freeman

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Full scale blade testing provides blade manufacturers with quantitative data in order to assess blade design, manufacturing and durability. Structural testing is a requirement in order to design reliable blades, and to develop a further understanding of the dynamics involved in a modern turbine blade. Blade tests can be conducted in either a single axis or dual axis configurations. Historically, fatigue testing has been performed by utilizing forced displacement systems. These systems do not allow for the load phase angle to be controlled, and the maximum load application in the edge and flap directions are allowed to vary. The PhLEX …

The Development Of An Adaptive Control System For A Phase-Locked Excitation (Phlex) Method For Advanced Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Testing, William Michael Haupfear

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) provides the means necessary for advanced wind turbine blade testing. To improve on the current testing methods, a new testing method is being developed using the existing dual-axis fatigue testing capabilities in conjunction with another actuator to provide a phase-locked excitation method with adaptive algorithms and advanced control system strategies. This testing method will provide a more representative loading of the blade for fatigue testing as compared to loading seen in the field. The control system will integrate the MTS software and controller with a supervisory controller, programmed in …

System Identification And State Estimation For Intake Manifold Charge Flow Temperature Of A Compression Ignition Diesel Engine, Ryle D. Maxson

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Intake manifold charge temperature is a factor used in mean value engine models (MVEMs) for the calculation of intake mass air charge and oxygen flow. More stringent emission requirements have led to increased deployment of more advanced engine combustion models onto production engine controllers. Measurement of the temperature via physical thermocouple sensors mounted to the engine intake manifold is both slow, in comparison to the changing conditions of an engine, and undesirable due to the cost and increased complexity of extra sensors. A state estimation model has been evaluated that imitates the function of the intake manifold temperature sensor reading, …

Body Limb Movement Limiter, Susan Davis Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A body limb movement limiter restrains the movement of a person's arm so as to protect the person's shoulder or restrains the movement of a person's lower leg with respect to the upper leg so as to protect the person's knee. The device uses a housing having a reel disposed therein with a tether attached thereto and a shear thickening non-Newtonian fluid disposed within the housing so that the fluid acts on the reel during a payout procedure of the tether. The housing is attached to a strap secured about the torso of the person while the free end of …

Multi-Color Cavity Ringdown Based Detection Method And Apparatus, Scott Reeve, Susan Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A multi-color cavity ringdown based spectrometer is housed in a light tight enclosure to detect the presence of trace quantities of gas phase molecules emanating from explosives, drugs, or hazardous materials being transported through the enclosure or compounds contained in a patient's breath. A method is also disclosed for detecting gas phase molecules emanating from explosives, drugs, hazardous materials, or a patient's breath.

A Proposed Learner-Centered Mechatronics Engineering Instructional Program, Patrick N. Currier, Richard Goff, Janis Terpenny

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

This paper examines the need and requirements for a mechatronics degree program. The results of a survey of the few existing programs in this field are provided. Then, using a case study example for Virginia Tech, a proposed mechatronics curriculum based on a learner-centered paradigm is described. The curriculum combines existing courses in mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering with new, hands-on courses to provide students with a chance to practice and explore the subject matter in ways consistent with the demands of both industry and accreditation. This program, if implemented, could provide a university with a unique offering to attract …

Thermal Modeling Of Lithium-Ion Energy Storage Systems For Hybrid Electric Vehicles Using Computational Fluid Dynamics With Conjugate Heat Transfer, Craig R. Czlapinski

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The success and performance of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) relies largely on its Energy Storage System (ESS). High temperatures and thermal variations can significantly affect a battery's performance and lifecycle. An effective thermal management system is vital to the health and safe operation of the ESS's batteries. A well designed thermal management system begins with the accurate prediction of the battery's thermal conditions. In hot climates, HEVs may be required to operate within ten degrees Celsius of the maximum safe operating temperature of their batteries. This study aims to evaluate the thermal management system of a lithium-ion based energy …

Singular Superposition/Boundary Element Method For Reconstruction Of Multi-Dimensional Heat Flux Distributions With Application To Film Cooling Holes, Mahmood Silieti, Eduardo Divo, Alain J. Kassab

Publications

A hybrid singularity superposition/boundary element-based inverse problem method for the reconstruction of multi-dimensional heat flux distributions is developed. Cauchy conditions are imposed at exposed surfaces that are readily reached for measurements while convective boundary conditions are unknown at surfaces that are not amenable to measurements such as the walls of the cooling holes. The purpose of the inverse analysis is to determine the heat flux distribution along cooling hole surfaces. This is accomplished in an iterative process by distributing a set of singularities (sinks) inside the physical boundaries of the cooling hole (usually along cooling hole centerline) with a given …

Body Limb Movement Limiter, Susan Davis Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A body limb movement limiter restrains the movement of a person's arm so as to protect the person's shoulder or restrains the movement of a person's lower leg with respect to the upper leg so as to protect the person's knee. The device uses a housing having a reel disposed therein with a tether attached thereto and a shear thickening non-Newtonian fluid disposed within the housing so that the fluid acts on the reel during a payout procedure of the tether. The housing is attached to a strap secured about the torso of the person while the free end of …

Apparatus For Removal Of Minute Particles From A Surface Using Thermophoresis To Prevent Particle Redeposition, Susan Davis Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A method and apparatus for removing minute particles from a surface of a sample are provided that prevent redeposition of the particles onto the surface. By combining thermophoresis with laser assisted particle removal (LAPR), the methods and apparatus remove minute particles (for example, micrometer and nanometer sizes) and assure that they will not redeposit.

Derivation And Application Of A Conserved Orbital Energy For The Inverted Pendulum Bipedal Walking Model, Jerry E. Pratt, Sergey V. Drakunov

Publications

We present an analysis of a point mass, point foot, planar inverted pendulum model for bipedal walking. Using this model, we derive expressions for a conserved quantity, the “Orbital Energy”, given a smooth Center of Mass trajectory. Given a closed form Center of Mass Trajectory, the equation for the Orbital Energy is a closed form expression except for an integral term, which we show to be the first moment of area under the Center of Mass path. Hence, given a Center of Mass trajectory, it is straightforward and computationally simple to compute phase portraits for the system. In fact, for …

Nanosecond Near-Spinodal Homogeneous Boiling Of Water Superheated By Pulsed Co/Sub 2/ Laser, Sergey I. Kudryashov, Kevin Lyon, Susan D. Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

The fast boiling dynamics of superheated surface layers of bulk water cavitating under near-spinodal conditions during nanosecond C O2 laser heating pulses was studied using contact broad-band photoacoustic spectroscopy. Characteristic pressure-tension cycles recorded by an acoustic transducer at different incident laser fluences represent (a) weak random oscillations of transient nanometer-sized near-critical bubbles-precursors and (b) well-defined stimulated oscillations of micron-sized supercritical bubbles and their submicrosecond coalescence products. These findings provide an important insight into basic thermodynamic parameters, spatial and temporal scales of bubble nucleation during explosive liquid/vapor transformations in absorbing liquids ablated by short laser pulses in the thermal confinement regime. …

Transient Non-Linear Heat Conduction Solution By A Dual Reciprocity Boundary Element Method With An Effective Posteriori Error Estimator, Eduardo Divo, Alain J. Kassab

Publications

A Dual Reciprocity Boundary Element Method is formulated to solve non-linear heat conduction problems. The approach is based on using the Kirchhoff transform along with lagging of the effective non-linear thermal diffusivity. A posteriori error estimate is used to provide effective estimates of the temporal and spatial error. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the approach.

Method And Apparatus For Removal Of Minute Particles From A Surface Using Thermophoresis To Prevent Particle Redeposition, Susan Davis Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A method and apparatus for removing minute particles from a surface of a sample are provided that prevent redeposition of the particles onto the surface. By combining thermophoresis with laser assisted particle removal (LAPR), the methods and apparatus remove minute particles (for example, micrometer and nanometer sizes) and assure that they will not redeposit.

Laser-Assisted Fabrication Of Nmr Resonators, William W. Brey, Susan D. Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A detection coil for use in nuclear resonance magnetic (NMR) spectroscopy and a method of manufacture thereof. At least two film layers of material are deposited on an outer surface of a cylindrical tube of dielectric material. The layers are patterned to form a solenoid on the tube. At least one of the deposited materials is a conductor.

Simulation Of Engineering Systems Described By High-Index Dae And Discontinuous Ode Using Single Step Methods, Marc Compere

Publications

This dissertation presents numerical methods for solving two classes of or-dinary diferential equations (ODE) based on single-step integration meth-ods. The first class of equations addressed describes the mechanical dynamics of constrained multibody systems. These equations are ordinary differential equations (ODE) subject to algebraic constraints. Accordinly they are called differential-algebraic equations (DAE).

Specific contributions made in this area include an explicit transforma-tion between the Hessenberg index-3 form for constrained mechanical systems to a canonical state-space form used in the nonlinear control communities. A hybrid solution method was developed that incorporates both sliding-mode control (SMC) from the controls literature and post-stabilization from …

Method For Producing Conductive Or Insulating Feedthroughs In A Substrate, Janet K. Lumpp, Susan D. Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A method for producing feedthroughs in a substrate having a front and back surface, wherein the substrate either has a hole or absorbs radiation at a given wavelength. The method includes selecting and intimately bonding a sheet to the back surface of the substrate with an adhesive which is absorptive at the given wavelength. If the substrate has a hole, an exposed area of the sheet is illuminated with laser radiation at the given wavelength and at a power level sufficient to ablate a portion of the sheet behind the exposed area, thereby creating the feedthrough in the substrate. If …

Experimental Validation Of Finite Element Analysis Software Applied To The Design Of A Motorcycle Swingarm, Bret Schaller

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis documents the experimental validation of finite element analysis software applied to the design of a motorcycle swingarm. The process includes design and implementation of an onboard data acquisition system; definition and measurement of operational loads; laboratory correlation of loads; experimental validation of Pro/Mechanica finite element analysis software; design and prototype development of a single-sided motorcycle swingarm; and computer modeling using the Pro/Engineer solid modeling package.

Apparatus And Method Of Fabricating Directional Fiber Optic Taps, Sensors And Other Devices With Variable Angle Output, Susan D. Allen, Changhun Lee

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

An apparatus and method for fabricating directional fiber optic taps having a variety of output angles. The taps can be used to monitor losses due to misalignment of the fiber or losses due to bending and straining of the fiber. The apparatus and method can also be used to fabricate taps which filter out higher order modes in a fiber. The apparatus and method can also be used to produce taps which can be used in a position or refractive index measuring system.

Running With The Pack: Jit & Automation For Small Manufacturers, Thomas E. Phillips, John R. Ledgerwood

Publications

While both just in time (JIT) concepts and automation programs have been widely implemented and highly successful in large manufacturing companies, many smaller manufacturing companies have wondered whether it would be economically feasible to utilize these same techniques and derive these same benefits. When JIT is adopted by small manufacturers, it provides them with advantages over traditional manufacturing systems, such as lower cost, quality improvements, higher productivity, and less working capital tied up in inventory. Small US manufacturers must understand the basic principles and philosophy of JIT and update their production equipment if they are to be competitive in today's …

Composite Structure Ultimate Strength Prediction From Acoustic Emission Amplitude Data, James Lewis Walker Ii

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The acoustic emission (AE) given off by a structure as it is stressed provides a passive means to characterize flaw growth activity in complex structures. This thesis demonstrates how the qualitative analysis of AE data can be refined to provide a quantitative tool for predicting the ultimate strength of composite tensile test specimens. From an original sample set of only six specimens, a multivariate statistical analysis was used to generate an ultimate strength prediction equation. The variables of the multivariate statistical analysis were obtained through the mathematical modeling of the specimen’s AE amplitude distributions produced during proof testing. Ultimate strengths …