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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Study On The Viability Of Preparing Plaster Molds For Rapid Prototyping Of Complex Ceramic Parts Using The Lost Pla Method, Shelton F. Fowler Iv Nov 2020

Study On The Viability Of Preparing Plaster Molds For Rapid Prototyping Of Complex Ceramic Parts Using The Lost Pla Method, Shelton F. Fowler Iv

Honors College Theses

In the field of metal casting, cast parts often require an internal cavity to be made to meet design requirements. Frequently, these interior surfaces are not manufacturable through standard machining processes, and even when possible, they would most likely involve expensive and time-consuming operations. In order to avoid these machining costs, expendable ceramic or sand cores are manufactured and placed into the mold to allow the direct casting of complex internal geometries. This research seeks to use relatively inexpensive plastic 3D printing technology and the lost PLA casting process for the production of low-cost and rapidly producible ceramic cores. A …


A Study Of The Efficiency And Effectiveness Of The First Four Iterations Of Sierpinski Carpet Fractal-Like Fins At Increasing Angles In Natural Convection, Sophia N. Fleri May 2020

A Study Of The Efficiency And Effectiveness Of The First Four Iterations Of Sierpinski Carpet Fractal-Like Fins At Increasing Angles In Natural Convection, Sophia N. Fleri

Honors College Theses

Fractal geometries have been found in several studies to increase a fin’s thermal performance. Both the reductions of volume and mass accompanied by an increase in performance are desirable to prevent malfunction of the device through passive heat dissipation. The Sierpinski carpet fractal pattern, beginning with a basic square geometry in which an increasing number of perforations are incorporated through each successive iteration, reduces the fin’s mass while increasing its surface area simultaneously; this increase in surface area increases the rate of heat transfer experienced across the fin. The first four iterations of the Sierpinski carpet pattern, each with identical …


Dynamic Loading Experimentation And Surface Imaging Of Pressure Vessel Loadcell Fractures, Austin T. Sumner Jan 2020

Dynamic Loading Experimentation And Surface Imaging Of Pressure Vessel Loadcell Fractures, Austin T. Sumner

Honors College Theses

Pressure vessels are very common pieces of equipment in industry and they are used for a variety of applications. It is standard in industry to rest pressure vessels on load cells. For some special cases, the pressure vessels are rested on load cells instead of solid foundation. Pressure vessels and their loadcells are generally designed for static environmental conditions and loading and tend to experience adverse effects when exposed to dynamic environments, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. These adverse-loading conditions cause vibrations and asymmetrical loading on the load cells, which can concurrently cause unexpected failure. This research investigates the effects …