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2023

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

A Unit-Load Approach For Reliability-Based Design Optimization Of Linear Structures Under Random Loads And Boundary Conditions, Robert James Haupin, Gene Jean-Win Hou Aug 2023

A Unit-Load Approach For Reliability-Based Design Optimization Of Linear Structures Under Random Loads And Boundary Conditions, Robert James Haupin, Gene Jean-Win Hou

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The low order Taylor’s series expansion was employed in this study to estimate the reliability indices of the failure criteria for reliability-based design optimization of a linear static structure subjected to random loads and boundary conditions. By taking the advantage of the linear superposition principle, only a few analyses of the structure subjected to unit-loads are needed through the entire optimization process to produce acceptable results. Two structural examples are presented in this study to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for reliability-based design optimization: one deals with a truss structure subjected to random multiple point constraints, and the …


Gradient-Based Trade-Off Design For Engineering Applications, Lena A. Royster, Gene Hou Jun 2023

Gradient-Based Trade-Off Design For Engineering Applications, Lena A. Royster, Gene Hou

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The goal of the trade-off design method presented in this study is to achieve newly targeted performance requirements by modifying the current values of the design variables. The trade-off design problem is formulated in the framework of Sequential Quadratic Programming. The method is computationally efficient as it is gradient-based, which, however, requires the performance functions to be differentiable. A new equation to calculate the scale factor to control the size of the design variables is introduced in this study, which can ensure the new design achieves the targeted performance objective. Three formal approaches are developed in this study for trade-off …


Numerical Simulation Of The Donor-Assisted Stir Material For Friction Stir Welding Of Aluminum Alloys And Carbon Steel, Joseph Maniscalco, Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa, Srinivasa Bhukya, Zhenhua Wu Jan 2023

Numerical Simulation Of The Donor-Assisted Stir Material For Friction Stir Welding Of Aluminum Alloys And Carbon Steel, Joseph Maniscalco, Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa, Srinivasa Bhukya, Zhenhua Wu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

In this research effort, we explore the use of a donor material to help heat workpieces without wearing the tool or adding more heat than necessary to the system. The donor material would typically be a small piece (or pieces) of material, presumably of lower strength than the workpiece but with a comparable melting point. The donor, a sandwich material, is positioned between the tool head and the material to be welded, where the tool initially plunges and heats up in the same manner as the parent material that is intended for welding. The donor material heats up subsequent to …


Effect Of Platelet Length And Stochastic Morphology On Flexural Behavior Of Prepreg Platelet Molded Composites, Siavash Sattar, Benjamin Beltran Laredo, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko Jan 2023

Effect Of Platelet Length And Stochastic Morphology On Flexural Behavior Of Prepreg Platelet Molded Composites, Siavash Sattar, Benjamin Beltran Laredo, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Prepreg platelet molding compound (PPMC) can be used to create structural grade material with a heterogeneous mesoscale morphology. The present work considered various platelet lengths of the prepreg system IM7/8552 to study the effect of platelet length on the flexural behavior of PPMC composite. A progressive failure finite-element analysis was used to understand competing failure modes in PPMC with the different platelet length. The interlaminar and in-plane damage mechanisms were employed to describe complex failure modes within the mesostructure of PPMCs. Experimental results of the flexural tests of the PPMC with different platelet length sizes were used to validate the …


Topologically Optimized Electrodes For Electroosmotic Actuation, Jianwen Sun, Jianyu Zhang, Ce Guan, Teng Zhou, Shizhi Qian, Yongbo Deng Jan 2023

Topologically Optimized Electrodes For Electroosmotic Actuation, Jianwen Sun, Jianyu Zhang, Ce Guan, Teng Zhou, Shizhi Qian, Yongbo Deng

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Electroosmosis is one of the most used actuation mechanisms for the microfluidics in the current active lab-on-chip devices. It is generated on the induced charged microchannel walls in contact with an electrolyte solution. Electrode distribution plays the key role on providing the external electric field for electroosmosis, and determines the performance of electroosmotic microfluidics. Therefore, this paper proposes a topology optimization approach for the electrodes of electroosmotic microfluidics, where the electrode layout on the microchannel wall can be determined to achieve designer desired microfluidic performance. This topology optimization is carried out by implementing the interpolation of electric insulation and electric …


Comparison Of Dynamics Stability Testing Techniques With Magnetic Suspension Wind Tunnel Capabilities, Otoniel A. Ramirez, Mark Schoenenberger, David E. Cox, Colin P. Britcher Jan 2023

Comparison Of Dynamics Stability Testing Techniques With Magnetic Suspension Wind Tunnel Capabilities, Otoniel A. Ramirez, Mark Schoenenberger, David E. Cox, Colin P. Britcher

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Dynamic stability testing techniques currently utilized at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) are conducted in multiple facilities and consists of free flight, forced oscillation, and free-to-oscillate tests. The NASA/ODU Magnetic Suspension and Balance System (MSBS) has been recommissioned to explore its utility as an additional facility to expand the dynamic stability test capabilities currently available at NASA LaRC. Simulations were created to replicate each current test facility and method as closely as possible. Data collected from the simulated environments was corrupted with replicated noise sources of the different testing environments and then compared to real data collected during tests when …


Post-Weld Heat Treatment Effects On Microstructure, Crystal Structure, And Mechanical Properties Of Donor Stir–Assisted Friction Stir Welding Material Of Aa6061-T6 Alloy, Aiman H. Al-Allaq, Manish Ojha, Yousuf S. Mohammed, Srinivasa N. Bhukya, Zhenhua Wu, Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa Jan 2023

Post-Weld Heat Treatment Effects On Microstructure, Crystal Structure, And Mechanical Properties Of Donor Stir–Assisted Friction Stir Welding Material Of Aa6061-T6 Alloy, Aiman H. Al-Allaq, Manish Ojha, Yousuf S. Mohammed, Srinivasa N. Bhukya, Zhenhua Wu, Abdelmageed A. Elmustafa

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Friction stir welding (FSW) technology combines heat input from friction and extreme plastic deformation to produce high-quality joints in aluminum and other alloy systems. This necessitates examining the final welded joint’s mechanical and structural properties. Post-weld heat-treated AA6061-T6 alloy that resulted from the application of a Cu donor stir–assisted (CDSA) friction stir welding (FSW) material was examined for crystal structure and mechanical properties. CDSA FSW samples were tested at a constant tool rotational speed of 1400 rpm and a welding translational speed of 1 mm/s. CDSA samples of 20% and 60% thickness of the AA6061-T6 base alloy were selected to …


Exploring Additive Manufacturing In A Space Environment - A Capstone Design Project Experience, Zain Zafar Khan, Zachary Alan Sobelman, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi Jan 2023

Exploring Additive Manufacturing In A Space Environment - A Capstone Design Project Experience, Zain Zafar Khan, Zachary Alan Sobelman, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The employment of additive manufacturing in the non-standard environments like space, ships, or submarines has the potential to be an advanced utility not only in the pre-flight production of aerospace components and structures, but also for the onboard manufacturing of components and tools necessary for future space missions. For example, the ability to produce tools and structural components on the International Space Station can provide the space community the opportunity to make repairs and upgrades to the space station without wasting time and resources transporting such materials through additional missions. Additive manufacturing would allow for space missions to use on …


Numerical Study Of The Time-Periodic Electroosmotic Flow Of Viscoelastic Fluid Through A Short Constriction Microchannel, Jianyu Ji, Shizhi Qian, Armani Marie Parker, Xiaoyu Zhang Jan 2023

Numerical Study Of The Time-Periodic Electroosmotic Flow Of Viscoelastic Fluid Through A Short Constriction Microchannel, Jianyu Ji, Shizhi Qian, Armani Marie Parker, Xiaoyu Zhang

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) is of utmost significance due to its numerous practical uses in controlling flow at micro/nanoscales. In the present study, the time-periodic EOF of a viscoelastic fluid is statistically analyzed using a short 10:1 constriction microfluidic channel joining two reservoirs on either side. The flow is modeled using the Oldroyd-B (OB) model and the Poisson-Boltzmann model. The EOF of a highly concentrated polyacrylamide (PAA) aqueous solution is investigated under the combined effects of an alternating current (AC) electric field and a direct current (DC) electric field. Power-law degradation is visible in the energy spectra of the velocity fluctuations …


A Review Of Piezoelectric Footwear Energy Harvesters: Principles, Methods, And Applications, Bingqi Zhao, Feng Qian, Alexander Hatfield, Lei Zuo, Tian-Bing Xu Jan 2023

A Review Of Piezoelectric Footwear Energy Harvesters: Principles, Methods, And Applications, Bingqi Zhao, Feng Qian, Alexander Hatfield, Lei Zuo, Tian-Bing Xu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Over the last couple of decades, numerous piezoelectric footwear energy harvesters (PFEHs) have been reported in the literature. This paper reviews the principles, methods, and applications of PFEH technologies. First, the popular piezoelectric materials used and their properties for PEEHs are summarized. Then, the force interaction with the ground and dynamic energy distribution on the footprint as well as accelerations are analyzed and summarized to provide the baseline, constraints, potential, and limitations for PFEH design. Furthermore, the energy flow from human walking to the usable energy by the PFEHs and the methods to improve the energy conversion efficiency are presented. …