Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Metal Thin Film Stiffness Extraction Technique For Surface Acoustic Wave Filters, Travis R. Weismeyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate knowledge of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) properties propagating at the surface of a piezoelectric substrate with thin films, electrodes or temperature compensated films, is critical in SAW filter design to meet the target frequency response, power durability and performance prior to device fabrication. While reliable material constants exist for substrates such as LiNbO3 used in SAW filters, the absolute elastic constants associated with operational thin films used for electrodes or temperature compensation do not exist. Although the bulk values of the constituent materials are known, the composite film/substrate properties are difficult to predict since they depend strongly on …

Optical Micro-Seismometer Based On Evanescent Field Perturbation Of Whispering Gallery Modes, Jaime Da Silva

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a light-weight, compact, and accurate optical micro-seismometer that could be used in many applications, such as planetary exploration. The sensor proposed here is based on the principle of whispering gallery optical mode (WGM) resonance shifts of a dielectric micro-resonator due to disturbances of its evanescent field. The micro-seismometer could be used in place of the traditional bulky seismometers. The design of a waveguide-resonator and mechanical structure to disturb the evanescent field are presented. A proof-of-concept a seismometer model that uses a 5µm ring resonator is numerically tested with actual seismic data. The results show that a WGM-based …

Optimal Placement Of Distributed Energy Storage Systems In Distribution Networks Using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm, Choton K. Das, Octavian Bass, Ganesh Kothapalli, Thair S. Mahmoud, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The deployment of utility-scale energy storage systems (ESSs) can be a significant avenue for improving the performance of distribution networks. An optimally placed ESS can reduce power losses and line loading, mitigate peak network demand, improve voltage profile, and in some cases contribute to the network fault level diagnosis. This paper proposes a strategy for optimal placement of distributed ESSs in distribution networks to minimize voltage deviation, line loading, and power losses. The optimal placement of distributed ESSs is investigated in a medium voltage IEEE-33 bus distribution system, which is influenced by a high penetration of renewable (solar and wind) …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2018, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Immittance Response On Carboxymethyl Cellulose Blend With Polyvinyl Alcohol- Doped Ammonium Bromide-Based Biopolymer Electrolyte, Norfatihah Mazuki, Yuki Nagao, Ahmad Salihin Samsudin

Makara Journal of Technology

The blended carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped with various compositions of ammonium bromide (NH4Br)-based solid biopolymer electrolytes (SBEs) were prepared by using the casting method. In this present work, CMC/PVA–NH4Br SBE thin film was used to investigate the electrical conductivity via electrical impedance spectroscopy. The maximum conductivity obtained was 3.21 X 10−4 S cm−1 for sample AB20 at ambient temperature (303 K), and this result might be due to the increased number of charge carrier. A dielectric study was conducted to understand the conductivity behavior. The electrical properties have been measured as a function of frequency of …

Automated Compilation Test System For Embedded System, Mohamad Khairi Ishak, Ooi Jun Hwan, Teh Jiashen, Nor Ashidi Mat Isa

Makara Journal of Technology

Embedded system testing involves testing an integration of software and hardware. It is increasingly difficult to evaluate the functionality of each module within a short time because of the increasing number of tests required. In this paper, a novel stepwise methodology involving the use of an automated compilation test system (ACTS) is proposed, to improve the quality of testing and optimize the testing time using automation. Using the proposed method, the testing coverage can be maximized, while minimizing the manual work and testing time required. This ACTS was used to automate the test code compilation and execution for different hardware …

Transition Metal Dichalcogenide For High-Performance Electrode Of Supercapacitor, Saifful Kamaluddin Muzakir, Ahmad Salihin Samsudin, Bouchta Sahraoui

Makara Journal of Technology

Molybdenum dichalcogenides have been reviewed from the perspectives of bandgap, conductivity, and oxidation states of transition metal. Researchers have concluded that a narrow-bandgap transition metal dichalcogenide with high conductivity could be achieved for the high-performance electrode of a supercapacitor.

Ascorbic Acid Degradation In Cut Lemon Packaged Using Oxygen Scavenging Active Film During Storage, Kurniawan Yuniarto, Setyo Purwanto, Bruce Ari Welt, Anang Lastriyanto

Makara Journal of Technology

Oxygen scavenging active film can be used to prevent diffusion of free oxygen due to the action of permeation mechanism. In this study, biodegradable oxygen scavenging plastic film was designed by incorporating an antioxidant agent into plasticized polylactic acid or PLA-PEG (PPLA). Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was added at different concentrations into the matrix of the PPLA film using a direct casting method to produce oxygen scavenging active film. The antiradical activity of the oxygen scavenging active film was observed, which could be applied for preventing vitamin C degradation in cut lemon during storage. The antiradical activity of the active film …

A 2.3/3.3-Ghz Dual Band Low Noise Amplifier Using Switchable Load Inductor In 0.18-Um Cmos Technology, Taufiq Alif Kurniawan, Hsiao-Chin Chen

Makara Journal of Technology

In this paper, the dual band low noise amplifier is designed in 0.18-μm CMOS technology. By combining the proposed switchable load inductor for gain controlling and the conventional inductive source degeneration topology, narrow band gain and good impedance matching are achieved at 2.3/3.3-GHz frequency bands. The new mathematical analysis of low noise amplifier design is derived to define the component parameters of the proposed circuits. The proposed low noise amplifier exhibits gain of 17.18 dB and 15.5 dB, and noise figure of 2.67 dB and 2.52 dB at the two frequency bands, respectively.

Conversion Of Heat Energy From Cooling Water Of Diesel Engine To Electrical Energy Using Thermoelectric Generator, Muhammad Hasan Albana

Makara Journal of Technology

This research objective is to convert heat from the radiator fluid of a diesel engine to electrical energy by utilizing a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The TEG consists of 20 semiconductors (TE modules) and is equipped with a heat sink. The research shows that using the TEG, the heat of radiator fluid can be converted to electrical energy, although the electricity generated is small. The maximum electrical voltage generated by the TEG when modules were connected in series was 10 volts. When the TE modules were connected in parallel and series-parallel, the maximum voltages generated were 2.11 and 2.53 volts, respectively. …

The Importance Of Usability Aspect In M-Commerce Application For Satisfaction And Continuance Intention, Yassierli Yassierli, Vinsensius Vinsensius, M. S. Syed Mohamed

Makara Journal of Technology

There has been a rapid growing of m-commerce application in recent years due to the development of mobile communication technology and e-commerce business. However, only about 30% of online users, who conduct online searching, make online purchases. The low conversion rate seems to be correlated with poor usability aspect of most m-commerce applications and poor satisfaction reported by users. Research has reported that satisfaction and continuance intention in using m-commerce applications have relationships with service quality and information quality. In this study, a new model of user satisfaction and continuance intention in the context of mobile application was proposed by …

Activated Carbon Fixed-Bed Adsorber Design For Treating Chromium Hexavalent Wastewater, Tedi Hudaya, Velicia Rachmat

Makara Journal of Technology

Pollution caused by industrial wastewater containing heavy metals is a major issue, primarily due to its toxic nature. A cheap yet effective method to deal with such wastewater is activated carbon adsorption. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and design a fixed bed adsorber with granular activated carbon as an adsorbent to process wastewater-containing chromium hexavalent (Cr 6+). Experiments show that the Langmuir isotherm fits the equilibrium data as effectively as the Freundlich isotherm. Activated carbon used in this research is Jacobi 2000® derived from bituminous coal. The lab scale inlet volumetric flow is 100 mL/h with different …

Development Of A Rapid Fatigue Life Testing Method For Reliability Assessment Of Flip-Chip Solder Interconnects, Cody Jackson Marbut

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The underlying physics of failure are critical in assessing the long term reliability of power packages in their intended field applications, yet traditional reliability determination methods are largely inadequate when considering thermomechanical failures. With current reliability determination methods, long test durations, high costs, and a conglomerate of concurrent reliability degrading threat factors make effective understanding of device reliability difficult and expensive. In this work, an alternative reliability testing apparatus and associated protocol was developed to address these concerns; targeting rapid testing times with minimal cost while preserving fatigue life prediction accuracy. Two test stands were fabricated to evaluate device reliability …

Furnace System Improvements, Kenji K. Anzai, Ethan Fedor, Patrick Zailaa

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) documents the work done by the group to manufacture the system to deliver improvements to the furnace in the Cal Poly microfabrication laboratory (better known as the cleanroom). The document describes the material covered in the Scope of Work (SOW), including background research, customer needfinding, and the problem statement, material associated with concept development and selection for Preliminary Design Review (PDR), material detailing the design and manufacturing plan of the system for Critical Design Review (CDR), and new material detailing the manufacture of the system for FDR.

Research done for the SOW resulted in a …

Comparative Study Of Power Semiconductor Devices In A Multilevel Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter, Kenneth Mordi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compares the performance of a nine-level transformerless cascaded H-bridge (CHB) inverter with integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) using SiC power MOSFETs and Si IGBTs. Two crucial performance drivers for inverter applications are power loss and efficiency. Both of these are investigated in this thesis. Power devices with similar voltage and current ratings are used in the same inverter topology, and the performance of each device is analyzed with respect to switching frequency and operating temperature. The loss measurements and characteristics within the inverter are discussed. The Saber® simulation software was used for the comparisons. The power MOSFET …

Intelligent Application Of Flexible Ac Transmission System Components In An Evolving Power Grid, Robert Wall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The world revolves around energy and the energy sector is continually transforming and evolving. The status quo has been set by governing agencies in the United States for completely reliable power. The demand for energy efficiency continually rises for multiple reasons. Technology has improved for all sectors of the power grid, including renewable energy sources, fault protection, and SMART grid technology. The addition of new energy sources has led to the decommissioning of inefficient energy sources. The implementation of new technologies and power load on a large scale, coupled with the removal of grid stabilizers has posed different challenges that …

Nanosatellite Launch Data-Logger (Sync), Christopher Martin Gerdom

Master's Theses

CubeSat designers are increasingly looking to incorporate delicate structures and optics into their payloads. These delicate payloads, however, may not survive the required absolute-worst-case launch vibration testing needed for flight certification. To help address this problem, and to better match testing conditions to real-world launch environments, this thesis introduces Sync, a compact 1/4U CubeSat payload designed to collect data on the vibrations and thermal environments CubeSats experience inside a deployer on the way to orbit. This data can be used to better understand the launch environment for different vehicles, and help develop new, more realistic testing guidelines that could enable …

Transcribing Braille Code: Learning Equations Across Platforms, Deegan Atha, Courtney Balogh

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Deegan Atha, a graduating senior in electrical engineering and a future engineer, is interested in human-centered design and developing technology that helps students engage and be successful in STEM.

Courtney Balogh, a junior in mechanical engineering, is interested in human-centered design and the importance it plays in product development. Deegan and Courtney are members of the Purdue EPICS project, Learning Equations Across Platforms (LEAP). They partnered with the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) to develop a braille transcription device and web application that converts braille to print in real time.

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Led Vs Florescent Lighting, Kurtis Clark, Phillip Humphrey

Student Research

Over the last few years, the state of Oklahoma has been looking at ways to reduce expenses to address concerns about a budget deficit. There have been efforts made to reduce expenses due to the use of energy. It has been said, when the lights are on, work is getting done. Running lights is therefore the cost of doing business. Our research examines the question, “is there a way to provide better lighting while operating at a lower cost.” This research examines the current lighting at Southwestern State University, primarily fluorescent lighting (FL), and a cost benefit analysis of switching …

Creating A Computational Tool To Simulate Vibration Control For Piezoelectric Devices, Ahmet Ozkan Ozer, Emma J. Moore

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Piezoelectric materials have the unique ability to convert electrical energy to mechanical vibrations and vice versa. This project takes a stab to develop a reliable computational tool to simulate the vibration control of a novel “partial differential equation” model for a piezoelectric device, which is designed by integrating electric conducting piezoelectric layers constraining a viscoelastic layer to provide an active and lightweight intelligent structure. Controlling unwanted vibrations on piezoelectric devices (or harvesting energy from ambient vibrations) through piezoelectric layers has been the major focus in cutting-edge engineering applications such as ultrasonic welders and inchworms. The corresponding mathematical models for piezoelectric …

Cfd Modeling On Hydrodynamic Characteristics Of Multiphase Counter-Current Flow In A Structured Packed Bed For Post-Combustion Co2 Capture, Li Yang, Fang Liu, Kozo Saito, Kunlei Liu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Solvent-based post combustion CO₂ capture is a promising technology for industrial application. Gas-liquid interfaces and interactions in the packed bed are considered one of the key factors affecting the overall CO₂ absorption rate. Understanding the hydrodynamic characterizations within packed beds is essential to identify the appropriate enhanced mass transfer technique. However, multiphase counter-current flows in the structured packing typically used in these processes are complicated to visualize and optimize experimentally. In this paper, we aim to develop a comprehensive 3D multiphase, counter-current flow model to study the liquid/gas behavior on the surface of structured packing. The output from …

Application And Evaluation Of Lighthouse Technology For Precision Motion Capture, Soumitra Sitole

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the development towards a system that can capture and quantify motion for applications in biomechanical and medical fields demanding precision motion tracking using the lighthouse technology. Commercially known as SteamVR tracking, the lighthouse technology is a motion tracking system developed for virtual reality applications that makes use of patterned infrared light sources to highlight trackers (objects embedded with photodiodes) to obtain their pose or spatial position and orientation. Current motion capture systems such as the camera-based motion capture are expensive and not readily available outside of research labs. This thesis provides a case for low-cost motion capture …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Characterizing Single Plasmonic Nanostructure And Single-Cell Analysis, Nishir Sanatkumar Mehta

LSU Master's Theses

Orientation of plasmonic nanostructures is an important feature in many nanoscale applications such as photovoltaics, catalyst, biosensors DNA interactions, protein detections, hotspot of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Silver nanocubes with significant spectral signatures between 400-700 nm are observed in this experimental research. Whereas study of single cells will enable the analysis of cell-to-cell variations within a heterogeneous population. These variations are important for further analysis and understanding of disease propagation, drug development, stem cell differentiation, embryos development, and how cells respond to each other and their environment. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells possess the …

Multidimensional Optimal Droop Control For Dc Microgrids In Military Applications, Kaitlyn J. Bunker, Michael D. Cook, Wayne Weaver, Gordon Parker

Michigan Tech Publications

Reliability is a key consideration when microgrid technology is implemented in military applications. Droop control provides a simple option without requiring communication between microgrid components, increasing the control system reliability. However, traditional droop control does not allow the microgrid to utilize much of the power available from a solar resource. This paper applies an optimal multidimensional droop control strategy for a solar resource connected in a microgrid at a military patrol base. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop experiments of a sample microgrid show that much more power from the solar resource can be utilized, while maintaining the system’s bus voltage around a …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Spring 2018, Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

No abstract provided.

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Fall 2017, Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

No abstract provided.

Method To Provide Meta-Stable Operation Of Dc Microgrid Comprising A Pulsed Load, David G. Wilson, Wayne Weaver, Rush D. Robinett Iii, Ronald Matthews, Steven F. Glover

Michigan Tech Patents

A Hamiltonian surface shaping power flow control (HSSPFC) method is used to analyze the meta-stability and adjust pulsed power loads on a DC electric power distribution network. Pulsed power loads are nonlinear, time-variant systems that cause nonlinear limit-cycles. During the on periods of a pulsed load, the system can be in an unstable state and is damped back to stability during the off state of the load. Therefore, over the entire period of the pulse the system may only be assessed as meta-stable. As shown through simulation, HIL and hardware results, the HSSPFC method is more accurate than the other …

Interface Model Of Pem Fuel Cell Membrane Steady-Dtate Behavior, Russell L. Edwards, Ayodeji Demuren

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Modeling works which simulate the proton-exchange membrane fuel cell with the computational fluid dynamics approach involve the simultaneous solution of multiple, interconnected physics equations for fluid flows, heat transport, electrochemical reactions, and both protonic and electronic conduction. Modeling efforts vary by how they treat the physics within and adjacent to the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Certain approaches treat the MEA not as part of the computational domain, but rather an interface connecting the anode and cathode computational domains. These approaches may lack the ability to consistently model catalyst layer losses and MEA ohmic resistance. This work presents an upgraded interface formulation …

Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Acetone To Produce Isopropanol Using A Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Reactor, Chen Li, Ashanti M. Sallee, Xiaoyu Zhang, Sandeep Kumar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of acetone is a relatively new method to produce isopropanol. It provides an alternative way of upgrading bio-fuels with less energy consumption and chemical waste as compared to conventional methods. In this paper, Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) hardware was used as an electrochemical reactor to hydrogenate acetone to produce isopropanol and diisopropyl ether as a byproduct. High current efficiency (59.7%) and selectivity (>90%) were achieved, while ECH was carried out in mild conditions (65 degrees C and atmospheric pressure). Various operating parameters were evaluated to determine their effects on the yield of acetone and …

Accurate Flexible Refinement Of Atomic Models Against Medium-Resolution Cryo-Em Maps Using Damped Dynamics, Julio A. Kovacs, Vitold E. Galkin, Willy Wriggers

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Dramatic progress has recently been made in cryo-electron microscopy technologies, which now make possible the reconstruction of a growing number of biomolecular structures to near-atomic resolution. However, the need persists for fitting and refinement approaches that address those cases that require modeling assistance.

Methods: In this paper, we describe algorithms to optimize the performance of such medium-resolution refinement methods. These algorithms aim to automatically optimize the parameters that define the density shape of the flexibly fitted model, as well as the time-dependent damper cutoff distance. Atomic distance constraints can be prescribed for cases where extra containment of parts of …