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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Investigation Of The One-Probe And Two-Probe Calibration Integral Equation Methods Using Experimental Data, Abhay Sanjeev Pande Dec 2013

Investigation Of The One-Probe And Two-Probe Calibration Integral Equation Methods Using Experimental Data, Abhay Sanjeev Pande

Masters Theses

This work aims to expand the applicability of the recently devised physics-based Calibration Integral Equation Method (CIEM) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, for solving the Inverse Heat Conduction Problem (IHCP) as applied to a one-dimensional domain. Contrary to conventional schemes of solving the IHCP, the CIEM does not require the knowledge of the thermo-physical properties of the domain, sensor characterization and sensor probe locations. The pertinent information is implicitly accounted for via an experimental run. The experimental run ‘calibrates’ the physics of the domain and is called the ‘calibration run’. The net surface heat flux during a real ‘unknown’ …


Prediction Of Discrete Element Parameters For Modeling The Strength Of Sandy Soils In Wheel/Soil Traction Applications, Timothy Reeves May 2013

Prediction Of Discrete Element Parameters For Modeling The Strength Of Sandy Soils In Wheel/Soil Traction Applications, Timothy Reeves

All Dissertations

The problem of wheel performance on deformable soil has been studied for many years, but prior to the rise of computational mechanics, such investigations have been limited to development of analytical and empirical models, as well as experimental research. Such models have merit but are necessarily highly idealized and are limited in their applications. Today, many computational models have been implemented for a wide variety of wheel/soil applications.
For the specific case of sandy (i.e. non-cohesive) soils, in terms of the soil's physics the Discrete Element Method (DEM) provides arguably the most realistic model. In DEM, each element represents a …


Calibration And Optimization Of A Load Sensor Embedded In A Railroad Bearing Adapter, Lorenzo Saenz Iv May 2013

Calibration And Optimization Of A Load Sensor Embedded In A Railroad Bearing Adapter, Lorenzo Saenz Iv

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Freight railcars rely heavily on weigh bridges and stations to determine cargo load. As a consequence, all load measurements are limited to certain locations and specified prices. To this end, this study presents work performed to develop one of the first economical, reliable sensors for keeping track of both dynamic and static loads on a freight railcar. Preliminary testing provided a strain-gauge based sensor that delivered load information in the laboratory environment. Federal Railroad Association (FRA) protocol testing was met and consistent results were obtained from the sensing device. The latter allowed for an optimized sensor that could potentially deliver …