Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Constitutive Modeling Of Force-Controlled Fatigue Testing In Human Meniscus Tissue, Bradley Scott Henderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The meniscus is a wedge-shaped fibrocartilaginous tissue located between the femur and tibia that helps stabilize the knee and protect the underlying cartilage. There are 2.5 million reported knee injuries each year, making it the most injured joint in the human body. Nearly twenty percent of these injuries are due to a torn meniscus, leading to over half a million meniscus surgeries performed in the United States annually. Therefore, it is critical to understand the failure modes of meniscus tissue to prevent these debilitating injuries. A failure mode that accounts for one-third of all meniscus injuries is repeated exposure to …

Planar Corrugated Electrode Configuration For Manipulation Of Micro-Scale Entities In Dielectrophoretic Microfluidic Devices, Alia Mohammed Alblooshi

Mechanical Engineering Theses

This thesis conceptualizes the design of a planar electrode for employment in microfluidic devices to achieve dielectrophoretic focusing and separation of micro-scale entities. The planar electrode has corrugations with two such electrodes placed parallelly to form a pair and the electric field is generated between them; the presence of corrugations enhances the non-uniformity of the electric field. For purposes of 3D focusing, two pairs of electrodes are used with each pair on both sides of the microchannel. When the applied electric voltages are equal, the micro-scale entity is focused at the center of the microchannel and when the applied electric …

Energy Harvesting Using Flextensional Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters In Resonance And Off-Resonance Modes, Mohamed A. Shabara

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Energy harvesting technologies are integrated into various modern devices and systems. These systems include Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, Internet of Things (IoT), various types of energy harvesters are integrated in many engineering applications such as automotive, aerospace and ocean engineering. In order to develop a fully functioning stand-alone system, it is essential to integrate it with a built in power source such as a battery or a power generator. Also, in many situations, city power sources might not be available. Therefore, reliable, renewable and sustainable local power generators are desired. Piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) technologies, which are piezoelectric material-based devices, …

Integrated Resource Plan For Portland General Electric (Pge), Mary Biswal, Alejandro Castelan

Master's Projects and Capstones

An integrated resource plan (IRP) for Portland General Electric (PGE) is developed in this master’s project. The IRP is based on capacity expansion modeling for zero-carbon emission scenarios. PGE is a public electric utility based in Oregon and serves around 887,000 customers across a territory of 4,000 sq. miles. The utility’s resource mix is currently heavily dependent on natural gas making up almost 50% of its capacity. While the state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) require Oregon power utilities to derive 50% of their generation from renewable sources by 2040, PGE plans to move rapidly into a clean energy mix by …

Micro-Macro Mathematical Modeling Analysis Of An Al-Air Battery, Christopher Charles Welch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The aluminum-air battery is a very promising electrical energy storage system for portable electronics and electric vehicles because it is safe, inexpensive, and has a very high energy density. With the [EMIm]Cl-AlCl3 room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolyte, by controlling the acidity, H2 evolution and dendrite formation are prevented and the Al2O3 passive film on the anode can be partially dissolved (cracked), so the battery’s lifespan is extended and even allows battery charging. Still, the Al2O3 passive film on the anode and Al2O3 deposition on the cathode remain issues which negatively affect battery performance. While these phenomena have been experimentally observed, …

Computational Methods For Creep Modeling, Ricardo Vega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Creep is an important phenomenon present in the power generation and aerospace industry. Creep is a mechanism that degrades the quality of a part, such as the turbines used in different industries, when elevated temperatures and loads are applied. Creep damage can cause critical failures that can cost millions of dollars and as such, prevention is important. A multitude of creep models exist to help with design and failure prevention. These models are applied using computational tools which allows the engineer to properly predict the life of a part or other material properties. In this work various creep numerical optimization …

Modeling And Tuning Of Cvt Systems For Sae® Baja Vehicles, Sean Sebastian Skinner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Continuously variable transmission (CVT) describes a family of transmission styles. These systems serve the same purpose as their traditional counterparts; transmitting power while offering a variable gearing ratio. The difference lies in the CVT’s ability to change ratio continuously between a minimum and maximum without halting power transfer. They offer many benefits of an automatic transmission while being significantly lighter. For this reason, CVTs are often used on Baja SAE^® vehicles to control gearing ratio.

WVU’s Baja team has used mechanical CVTs for many decades. These systems are simpler in the sense that they don’t require power to operate. …

Literature Review On Modeling Of Density Difference Pumping Strategy For Geothermal Applications, Lucas A. Ware

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The utilization of geothermal ground heat sources has been demonstrated at both large and small scales across the world. However, methods of extraction of the hot working fluids are often a source of energy inefficiency and high capital expense. Current techniques to extract geothermal fluids rely on mechanically and electrically driven down-hole components that require maintenance on a regular basis. In providing a solution, one approach that reduces complexity, decreases maintenance, and allows access to fluids at greater depth is an airlift approach. The airlift approach relies on injection of gas at a depth within a geothermal well to lift …