Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

An Experimentally Validated Computational Model For The Degradation And Fracture Of Magnesium-Based Implants In A Chemically Corrosive Environment, Mark M. Ousdigian

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the orthopedic and cardiovascular fields there is a growing interest for biodegradable implants, which can be naturally degraded in the body environment over time so that no extraction surgery is required. These implants must be designed to maintain their strength until the fracture has healed in the body, which could be influenced by many factors such as -the patient’s age, activities, body weight, pre-existing conditions etc. Hence, an ideal implant design should be done on a patient-by-patient basis. In the present work, a computational model is developed to predict the degradation and fracture of magnesium-based implants in a stress-coupled …

Resonance Of The Unseen, Dung Thi Thuy Nguyen

Senior Projects Fall 2023

in the moment

playful

in memory of

learning

altogether

Thuy-Dung (Julius) Nguyen's exhibition, 'Resonance of the Unseen,' confronts the sensory saturation of contemporary life by elevating the unobserved aspects of perception. Through sound, scent, and touch, this immersive installation encourages a rediscovery of the elemental experiences of life. The show illuminates the concept of absence, not only as something lacking but as an integral part of the sensory narrative, inviting a deeper resonance with the world.

Data-Driven Dynamic Motion Planning For Practical Fes-Controlled Reaching Motions In Spinal Cord Injury, Derek N.N. Wolf, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Eric M. Schearer

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising technology for restoring reaching motions to individuals with upper-limb paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the limited muscle capabilities of an individual with SCI have made achieving FES-driven reaching difficult. We developed a novel trajectory optimization method that used experimentally measured muscle capability data to find feasible reaching trajectories. In a simulation based on a real-life individual with SCI, we compared our method to attempting to follow naive direct-to-target paths. We tested our trajectory planner with three control structures that are commonly used in applied FES: feedback, feedforward-feedback, and model …

Quantifying The Effects Of Hvac Operation To Mitigate Aerosol Concentration In A Classroom Using Cfd, Scott Deprez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is a complex mechanical system for the transition of air between outdoor and indoor areas. These systems are directly responsible for temperature, humidity, and air flow into any given space, thereby providing a level of comfort to those who live indoors. These systems account for 52 percent of U.S. energy consumption. When designing HVAC systems, indoor air quality (IAQ) is the main focus for achieving safe and clean air, such as in the case of airborne diseases. HVAC systems are responsible for the flow of air in indoor spaces and thereby expand the transmissible …

Development Of Corn Kernel-Based Biocomposite Films For Food Packaging Applications, Swastika Bera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most of the current and active food packaging resources and methods are nonbiodegradable and nonrenewable therefore harmful to the environment. Due to this, alternate sources of food packaging materials are in high demand. In this study, a bio-composite film has been developed, with Corn kernel powder as fiber reinforcement which is mixed with gelatin, and lignin two biopolymers as the matrix. The effect of Corn Kernel (CK) reinforcement on the Gelatin/Lignin (G/L) matrix on mechanical and barrier properties has been studied. CK has shown great potential as reinforcement to natural polymer, gelatin, and lignin (G/L) for food packaging applications as …

Development And Testing Of A Low Mass Vibratory Lunar Compactor, Charles Carey

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

NASA and other agencies are working to return to the moon, with the Artemis Program [1]. As a part of this new effort, an emphasis is being placed on having a sustained presence, building lunar bases and other permanent structures. The development of such infrastructure will require the development of civil engineering structures, and site preparation becomes a necessity. The Planetary Surface Technology Development Laboratory is developing a low mass lunar compactor as part of an autonomous site preparation vehicle in partnership with Colorado School of Mines, funded by NASA’s 2021 Lunar Surface Technology Research grant. The low mass lunar …

Evaluating The Impact Of Increased Cycling On Thermal Power Plants Due To Wind Energy Penetration In The Midwest: A Case Study, Joscelyne Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. However, fossil fuels are still necessary to fulfill the world’s energy requirements. Despite efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, these sources can be at times unreliable, causing countries around the world to continue to rely on base load units such as coal and natural gas. This decrease in fossil fuels and increase in renewable energy sources presents many complex issues in terms of power system planning, …

Multiscale Modeling Of Cardiac Growth And Baroreflex Control, Hossein Sharifi

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

The heart functions within a complex system that adapts its function to any alteration in loading via several mechanisms. For example, the baroreflex is a short-term feedback loop that modulates the heart's function on a beat-to-beat basis to control arterial pressure. On the other hand, cardiac growth is a long-term adaptive response that occurs over weeks or months in response to changes in left ventricular loading. Understanding the mechanisms that drive ventricular growth and biological remodeling is critical to improving patient care. Multiscale models of the cardiovascular system have emerged as effective tools for investigating G&R, offering the ability to …

A Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis Of Oxyacetylene Combustion Flow For Use In Material Response Boundary Conditions, Craig Meade

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Oxyacetylene torches are used in the aerospace industry and research to test thermal protection system materials (TPS) due to their high flame temperatures and high heat flux capabilities. The purpose of this work is to determine a combustion model to accurately simulate the high temperature flow of an oxyacetylene torch. The flow conditions around a sample material can then be used as boundary conditions when modeling TPS material response. Two separate combustion models with equilibrium chemistry were investigated using ANSYS Fluent™; the Eddy-Dissipation Model, and the Partially Premixed model.The results of this study are compared to existing experiments for validation.

Optimal Spacecraft Guidance, Matthew W. Harris, M. Benjamin Rose

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This book is designed for a one-semester course at Utah State University titled MAE 6570 Optimal Spacecraft Guidance. The class meets for 75 minutes, twice per week, for 14 weeks. There are no prerequisites other than graduate standing in engineering. Proficiency in calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and computer programming is required. Students find that previous experience in space dynamics, linear multivariable control, or optimal control is helpful.

The goal of the book and course is for students to develop fundamental skills needed to do professional work in the area of spacecraft guidance. After working through the book, students should …

3d-Printed Hydrogels Dressings With Bioactive Borate Glass For Continuous Hydration And Treatment Of Second-Degree Burns, Fateme Fayyazbakhsh, Michael J. Khayat, Candy Sadler, Delbert Day, Yue-Wern Huang, Ming-Chuan Leu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent advances in additive manufacturing have led to the development of innovative solutions for tissue regeneration. Hydrogel materials have gained significant attention for burn wound treatment in clinical practice among various advanced dressings due to their soothing and moisturizing activity. However, prolonged healing, pain, and traumatic removal due to the lack of long-term wound hydration are some of the challenges in the treatment of second-degree burn wounds. In this study, 3D-printed dressings were fabricated using gelatin, alginate, and bioactive borate glass (BBG) using an extrusion-based bioprinter. After ionic crosslinking, the 3D-printed dressings were characterized for mechanical properties, degradation rate, hydration …

Fine-Grained Activity Classification In Assembly Based On Multi-Visual Modalities, Haodong Chen, Niloofar Zendehdel, Ming-Chuan Leu, Zhaozheng Yin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Assembly activity recognition and prediction help to improve productivity, quality control, and safety measures in smart factories. This study aims to sense, recognize, and predict a worker's continuous fine-grained assembly activities in a manufacturing platform. We propose a two-stage network for workers' fine-grained activity classification by leveraging scene-level and temporal-level activity features. The first stage is a feature awareness block that extracts scene-level features from multi-visual modalities, including red, green blue (RGB) and hand skeleton frames. We use the transfer learning method in the first stage and compare three different pre-trained feature extraction models. Then, we transmit the feature information …

Jcati Carbon Fiber Recycler- Fiber Conveyance, Taylor Miller

All Undergraduate Projects

Sponsored by the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI), this project stems from a partnership between Central Washington University’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program and The Boeing Company. The goal of this partnership was to create a device that repurposes carbon fiber from wing trimmings from the 777. The device features four different students’ projects including the crusher, shredder, oven heating system, and the fiber conveyance system; the focus of this project. The JCATI Carbon Fiber Recycler needed a device to transport material from the shredder to the oven to make for an easier, more seamless production process. To solve …

Rc Baja – Drivetrain & Chassis, Tyler Clerf

All Undergraduate Projects

Two of the most important subsystems of a vehicle are the drivetrain and chassis. The drivetrain is responsible for transmitting the power from the power source to the wheels. The chassis provides a sturdy host for all components. An optimal drivetrain will most often reduce the output speed and increase the torque from the motor, while minimizing losses. The ideal chassis will have minimal deflection with easy-to-use mounting points. The vehicle being created will compete in the CWU RC BAJA competition as well.

The analyses are the foundation of any engineering project. For this project Mechanical Design, Statics, and Dynamics …

Balsa Wood Bridge Senior Project, Ryan Moe

All Undergraduate Projects

For all of human history, people have been working to increase efficiency. This project followed in that pursuit by forcing engineers to create a 400 mm long bridge out of only balsa wood and glue that could withstand over 20 kgs of force with the bridge weighing a maximum of only 85 grams. The bridge also needed to have a lifting mechanism to raise it 140 mm above the starting position.

To accomplish this task, a strong truss needed to be built. Balsa wood is strong in compression so a truss with more beams in compression was used. Statics was …

Jcati Carbon Fiber Recycler: Gearing And Shredding, Diana Faamausili

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to build and improve on the carbon-fiber recycler at Central Washington University. The carbon-fiber recycler consists of four components such as a crusher, shredder, conveyor, and oven. This report will focus on the shredding and gearing elements. The chain drive on the shredder and the gearing module were replaced with a synchronous belt drive.

The pitch diameters for the sprockets on the shredder and the center distance of the shafts was evaluated to find the belt length. The velocity ratio and the angular velocity was used to find the minimum torque on the shaft. …

Nasa Student Launch Payload Deployment, Kallysta Ray

All Undergraduate Projects

For the NASA Student Launch Competition, a deployment system was created to deploy the payload of the rocket. To accomplish this the deployment system was designed, analyzed, manufactured, and tested to meet the requirements from the NASA Competition. The requirements included deployment of the payload as well as staying within 4 pounds. The project requirements were researched and each of the proposed components had analyses completed. The analyses included weight calculations, stress, and deflection analyses using statics, mechanics of materials, and dynamics. There were many discussions throughout the project between the teammates to ensure all components of the payload and …

Jack And Alex Rc-Baja, Alex Vornbrock

All Undergraduate Projects

Teams of two mechanical engineering students were tasked with the construction of an RC Baja car qualified by the rules and regulations of the Baja competition as well as specifications set by the individual team member for their portion of the vehicle. This proposal focuses on the Chassis and Drivetrain of the vehicle while team member Jack Stutz oversaw the steering and suspension. Teams will compete against each other in various modes to determine the best vehicles of the competitors. The chassis was made of standard aluminum, the remaining parts made by the students were made with PLA; both materials …

F-1/10th, Max Otterby

All Undergraduate Projects

Team members Nate and Max were tasked with designing, building, and testing an RC controlled vehicle to complete in a competition. This competition consists of an off-road course, on road course, and an obstacle course. The team set out to win this competition by creating a more than capable vehicle for the competition. This engineering report will cover Max’s contributions to the project.

The team was split into two roles. Max taking on steering and suspension, Nate taking on drivetrain and chassis. Each team member took responsibility for the design and construction of those systems. The design chosen was based …

Nasa Student Launch - Payload, Eli Kirk

All Undergraduate Projects

A team of mechanical engineering, physics, and computer science students from Central Washington University have constructed a fully functional subscale model rocket to be flown at the NASA Student Launch competition. The rocket’s payload was designed to open the nose cone and take a photo of the rocket’s surroundings after descending from the launch. Smaller parts were constructed through machining and 3D printing that will be added to the purchased major component, the linear actuator, in order to perform the required tasks. These tasks are signaled by an attached electronics board, which will receive an RF command remotely, execute code, …

Nasa Student Rocket Launch, Ethan Stapleton

All Undergraduate Projects

The Rocketry Payload team consisting of Kallysta, Eli and Ethan needed to build a payload that flew in a rocket also built by the team. After the rocket has landed, a camera is deployed outside the rocket through a 3-inch gap created by a linear actuator. The camera must rotate 360 degrees and take photos of the surrounding area. The entire system must weigh less than 4.4 pounds as well. The team designed this system using their knowledge obtained through the Mechanical Engineering program at Central Washington University. It was important for them to keep in mind that the system …

Rc Baja Drivetrain & Chassis, John Lange

All Undergraduate Projects

This project is centered around the development of the drivetrain and chassis for a 1/10th scale RC Baja vehicle capable of withstanding loads over the course of an RC Baja competition consisting of a solemn, drag race, and challenge course while maintaining high speeds and short acceleration times.

This project utilized 3D printing and CNC manufacturing techniques to produce a lightweight frame and efficient drivetrain. A 3800 KV brushless motor drives a two stage gearbox, which transfers force to a 90 degree locked differential to produce high torque and even application of force at low motor RPM. To support the …

Jack & Alex Rc Baja, Jack Stutz

All Undergraduate Projects

There are paramount necessities to build an RC car such as the steering and suspension. Without either, the vehicle will not be able to ascertain basic movement characteristics. The team will compete in the RC Baja competition with the other students which will have various challenges and obstacles that they will endure. The device must be able to complete tests that will prove competence for the competition. By using knowledge of prior classes and experience, the team will produce a functional device for the event. Mechanics of materials and statics were used to determine the bending strength of the control …

Jcati Carbon Fiber Recycler: Crusher System, Devin Riley

All Undergraduate Projects

With a substantial rise in Carbon Fiber use across all industries, the need for a way to recycle the waste has grown as well. A group of Mechanical Engineering Technology students at Central Washington University funded by the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology (JCATI) have created a machine to recycle waste wing trimmings from the Boeing company’s airplanes. This machine consists of 5 different sub-assemblies being the oven, crusher, gear train, conveyor, and shredder. The purpose of this project was to decrease the deflection in the crusher caused by bulging in the housing and movement of the bearings. To decrease …

Rc Baja - Drivetrain And Chassis, James C. Cando

All Undergraduate Projects

The annual RC Baja competition which is held at Central Washington University during the third week of April, showcases the different remote-control vehicles built by the student teams and put the vehicles in series of different challenges such as the sprint, slalom, and motocross. The objective of the senior project is to design, manufacture, and test mainly a drivetrain system as well as a chassis. The drivetrain system provides power for the driving force and the chassis provides housing for the different components of the vehicle. The process began with setting requirements for the vehicle that was used to determine …

Rc Baja Suspension And Steering, Garrett Bailey

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja team set out to engineer and construct a working remote-control device that can compete in the ASME Baja Competition. The students have a focus on either suspension and steering or drivetrain and chassis. This report is centered on the suspension and steering. First, multiple analyses were completed using engineering methods such as mechanical design, statics, strengths of materials, and dynamics for parts of the device. The calculations found in the analysis are then used to create designs for the parts so that they will meet the requirements and be successful in the competition. After the parts are …

Rc Baja 2023 Drivetrain And Chassis, Nathan Norby

All Undergraduate Projects

Students’ objective this quarter was to design a remote-controlled vehicle that utilizes a 4-link rear suspension, an I-beam front suspension, the ability to withstand a substantial front impact and several gearing options. The team also used several agreed upon design requirements to quantify the results of the objective.

To meet these objectives students followed a strict engineering method. Students split into a team’s divided the work into two sections. Max was responsible for the suspension and steering and Nathan was responsible for the chassis and drivetrain. Methods included engineering analysis which used mechanics of materials, static analysis, dynamic analysis, and …

Balsa Wood Bridge, Daniel R. Netro

All Undergraduate Projects

When building a bridge, there is a lot of criteria that need to be met so it can be functional. These criteria for this balsa bridge competition are what the bridge is made out of and can only weigh so much, the bridge must hold a certain amount of weight and not fail due to it, must allow a “vehicle” to go through the bridge and under it. For this bridge, the only material that can be used is balsa wood and any glue. With this, the strength of the material can be found and multiple calculations can be used …

Jcati Carbon Fiber Recycler: Oven Heating System, Kezyah Mantanona

All Undergraduate Projects

Central Washington University Mechanical Engineering Technology students are working with the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI) to create a device that recycles carbon fiber wing trimmings produced by the wing manufacturing process for the Boeing 777 airplanes. The solution to this problem was to utilize crushing, shredding, and pyrolysis to remove the resin from the composite material and provide carbon fiber that can be repurposed. This project focuses on both the Oven Enclosure which will house the Oven Heating System as well as the heating elements and control circuit that are responsible for allowing the material to reach …

Static I-V Based Pim Evaluation For Spring And Fabric-Over-Foam Contacts, Kalkidan W. Anjajo, Yang Xu, Shengxuan Xia, Yuchu He, Haicheng Zhou, Hanfeng Wang, Jonghyun Park, Chulsoon Hwang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spring Clips and Fabric-Over-Foams (FOFs) Are Widely Used in Mobile Devices for Electrical Connection Purposes. However, the Imperfect Metallic Connections Tend to Induce Passive Intermodulation (PIM), Resulting in a Receiver Sensitivity Degradation, Known as RP Desensitization. Due to the Complexity of the PIM Characterization, there is Not Yet a Way to Evaluate PIM Performance using a Simple Setup for Environments Like Factories. in This Paper, a Current-Voltage (I-V) Behavior-Based PIM Evaluation Method is Proposed and Validated with Various Metallic Contacts and Contact Forces. the Test Results Demonstrated the Feasibility of the PIM Performance Evaluation based on the Measured Static I-V …