Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Halloysite Reinforced Natural Esters For Energy Applications, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Karla Aviña, Victoria Padilla-Gainza, Aditya Akundi

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently, environmentally friendly and sustainable materials are being developed, searching for biocompatible and efficient materials which could be incorporated into diverse industries and fields. Natural esters are investigated and have emerged as eco-friendly high-performance alternatives to mineral fluids. This research shows the evaluations on thermal transport and tribological properties of halloysite nanotubular structures (HNS) reinforcing natural ester lubricant at various filler fractions (0.01, 0.05, and 0.10 wt.%). Nanolubricant tribotestings were evaluated under two configurations, block-on-ring, and 4-balls, to obtain the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear scar diameter (WSD), respectively. Results indicated improvements, even at merely 0.01 wt.% HNS concentration, …

Elevation-Distributed Multistage Reverse Osmosis Desalination With Seawater Pumped Storage, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A seawater reverse osmosis (RO) plant layout based on multistage RO with stages located at different elevations above sea level is described. The plant uses the weight of a seawater column from pumped storage as head pressure for RO (gravity-driven multistage RO) or to supplement high-pressure pumps used in RO (gravity-assisted multistage RO). The use of gravitational force reduces the specific energy for RO compared to using high-pressure pumps. By locating the RO stages at different elevations based on demand sites, the total specific energy consumption for RO and permeate transport to different elevations above sea level is reduced from …

Use Of Energy Consumption During Milling To Fill A Measurement Gap In Hybrid Additive Manufacturing, K. L. M. Avegnon, P. Noll, M. R. Uddin, G. Madireddy, R. Williams, A. Achuthan, M. P. Sealy

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Coupling additive manufacturing (AM) with interlayer peening introduces bulk anisotropic properties within a build across several centimeters. Current methods to map high resolution anisotropy and heterogeneity are either destructive or have a limited penetration depth using a nondestructive method. An alternative pseudo-nondestructive method to map high-resolution anisotropy and heterogeneity is through energy consumption during milling. Previous research has shown energy consumption during milling correlates with surface integrity. Since surface milling of additively manufactured parts is often required for post-processing to improve dimensional accuracy, an opportunity is available to use surface milling as an alternative method to measure mechanical properties and …

Triboelectric Energy Harvester With Large Bandwidth Under Harmonic And Random Excitations, Alwathiqbellah Ibrahim, Abdallah Ramini, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper investigates an approach to impact vibration energy harvesting using a triboelectric mechanism under harmonic and random excitation. The harvester consists of a clamped–clamped beam with a stiff plate in the middle to realize the impact electrification process when subjected to external vibrations. The harvester uses stiffening in the clamped–clamped beam introduced by the impact between two triboelectric layers to increase the frequency bandwidth. A piecewise theoretical model is used to model the harvester for two scenarios of motions, before and after impact. The harvester is tested experimentally under different harmonic excitation to validate the theoretical model. The outcomes …

An Assessment Of Renewable Energy Technology Implementation In Storrs, Connecticut: Emissions Reduction And Feasibility Of A Microgrid System At Uconn, Sophie Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this project is to design a clean energy-sourced microgrid for UConn’s main campus that would reduce the university’s energy emissions while remaining within the geographic boundaries of viable UConn-owned land. Economic cost was not considered in this analysis; instead, emissions and space constraints were the optimized measures of value and feasibility. Sources of energy that were considered include photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, hydrokinetic systems, and fuel cells. Energy storage capacity was included in the analysis as well. The overall system was optimized first by ignoring space constraints and for a minimum of 10% reduction from the current …

Energy Transformation And Conservation Investigation, Mike Jackson, Holly Haney

High School Lesson Plans

Students will use a thermoelectric generator module to analyze the relationship between thermal and electrical energies. Using data collection sensors and analysis software, students will investigate the relationship between the temperature gradient across a thermoelectric generator module and the resulting electrical potential. Students will then use their data and analysis to solve problems relating to waste thermal energy in electrical systems and communicate their work to their peers and teacher.

The Correlation Between Energy Cost Share, Human, And Economic Development Using Time Series Data From Australasia, Europe, North America, And The Brics Nations, Ryan Roberts, Josephine Kaviti Musango, Alan Colin Brent, Matthew K. Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper investigates how a change in a region's energy cost share (ECS), a ratio of a region's energy expenditure as a fraction of its gross domestic product (GDP), affects the region's social and economic development. Nations from four regions of the world, namely Australasia, Europe, North America, and the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) were chosen for this study. Using time series data from the period of 1978 to 2010, the annual ECS of each country was compared to the year-on-year GDP change, as well as the components of the human development index (HDI). High …

Dynamic Rops Test For Tractors Over 6,000 Kilograms, Caleb M. Lindhorst, Roger M. Hoy, Santosh Pitla, Michael F. Kocher

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

OECD static tests (Codes 4, 6, 7, and 8) for agricultural rollover protective structures (ROPS) have become accepted standards for evaluating the ability of these structures to protect the operator during tractor rollover events. The strength properties of some materials typically used in ROPS change because of cold weather embrittlement at low temperatures. The static ROPS tests lack the ability to evaluate the strength of these structures during cold weather. The use of the dynamic ROPS test is well noted as a means for proving cold weather embrittlement resistance properties. Unfortunately, application of the OECD dynamic ROPS test (Code 3) …

Proton Transfer In Molten Lithium Carbonate: Mechanism And Kinetics By Density Functional Theory Calculations, Xueling Lei, Kevin Huang, Changyong Qin

Faculty Publications

Using static and dynamic density functional theory (DFT) methods with a cluster model of [(Li2CO3)8H]+, the mechanism and kinetics of proton transfer in lithium molten carbonate (MC) were investigated. The migration of proton prefers an inter-carbonate pathway with an energy barrier of 8.0 kcal/mol at the B3LYP/6-31 G(d,p) level, which is in good agreement with the value of 7.6 kcal/mol and 7.5 kcal/mol from experiment and FPMD simulation, respectively. At transition state (TS), a linkage of O–H–O involving O 2p and H 1 s orbitals is formed between two carbonate ions. The calculated trajectory of H indicates that proton has …

Suspended Graphene-Based Gas Sensor With 1-Mw Energy Consumption, Jong-Hyun Kim, Qin Zhou, Jiyoung Chang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents NH₃ sensing with ultra-low energy consumption for fast recovery and a graphene sheet based on a suspended microheater. Sensitivity and repeatability are important characteristics of functional gas sensors embedded in mobile devices. Moreover, low energy consumption is an essential requirement in flexible and stretchable mobile electronics due to their small dimension and fluctuating resistivity during mechanical behavior. In this paper, we introduce a graphene-based ultra-low power gas detection device with integration of a suspended silicon heater. Dramatic power reduction is enabled by a duty cycle while not sacrificing sensitivity. The new oscillation method of heating improves …

Strain Energy Absorption Corresponds To Decreased Incidence Of Ventricular Fibrillation In A Commotio Cordis Model, Kayt E. Frisch, Mark S. Link, John Van Weelden

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

A healthy teenage boy is playing high school baseball, when he is struck in the chest by the ball; minutes later, his heart is experiencing ventricular fibrillation (VF) and the only way to resuscitate him is to use a defibrillator. This phenomenon, is known as Commotio Cordis (CC), and occurs as many as 20 times each year in the United States. CC most frequently occurs in sports with small balls (e.g. baseball or lacrosse) and requires a specific set of circumstances–a projectile with a certain amount of energy that impacts directly over the left ventricle of the heart during a …

Go With The Flow –Thermoelectric Energy, Shawn Bell

Middle School Lesson Plans

In this unit, students will learn how thermal energy be transferred and transformed. They will carry out investigations to gather evidence to support an explanation about direct conversion of heat into electrical energy. They will develop a model that shows the components of the system and changes in the system being investigated, and they will use evidence from the investigation to construct an explanation for how the energy flows.

Using The Moment Of Inertia As A Means Of Better Controlling The Speed Of Wind Turbines, Garrett L. Muhlstadt

Honors Program Projects

In the following document, the possibility of using the moment of inertia as a means of speed control for a wind turbine is explored. This document gives an introduction to wind energy and current speed control methods. This information was obtained through databases found at Benner Library. Also, an experiment was used to collect data and determine the relationship between the moment of inertia and angular velocity of a turbine. A model turbine was fabricated and powered by a fan while a Logger Pro program was used to record the angular velocity of the turbine. The moment of inertia of …

Hybrid Diesel-Electric Drivetrain For Small Agricultural Field Machines, Joseph Jackson, Joseph S. Dvorak

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

In this project, a series electric drivetrain sized for small agricultural machinery was developed and tested. Electric drives have noted benefits in simplicity, controllability, integration with other electronics such as those that provide autonomous action, and in efficiency over a wide operating range. Their biggest drawback for agricultural use is the limited capacity of electrical energy storage. A series hybrid drivetrain provides a method to overcome these capacity constraints through the use of chemical energy storage. The series hybrid drivetrain in this research was designed using well-established components. It consisted of a diesel-electric generator, a lead acid battery pack, a …

Classroom Exercise: Intro To Mechanical And Industrial Engineering, Erin Baker

Sustainability Education Resources

This classroom exercise was developed for Introduction to Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Engineering Sustainability: Energy and the Environment. This is a freshman class with a class size of about 200. It is intended to get students to think critically about energy in the economy; to recognize the power of technological change; and to inspire them to work toward solving climate change.

Understanding The Benefits And Limitations Of Increasing Maximum Rotor Tip Speed For Utility-Scale Wind Turbines, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

For utility-scale wind turbines, the maximum rotor rotation speed is generally constrained by noise considerations. Innovations in acoustics and/or siting in remote locations may enable future wind turbine designs to operate with higher tip speeds. Wind turbines designed to take advantage of higher tip speeds are expected to be able to capture more energy and utilize lighter drivetrains because of their decreased maximum torque loads. However, the magnitude of the potential cost savings is unclear, and the potential trade-offs with rotor and tower sizing are not well understood. A multidisciplinary, system-level framework was developed to facilitate wind turbine and wind …

A Novel Microgrid Demand-Side Management System For Manufacturing Facilities, Terance J. Harper, William J. Hutzel, James C. Foreman, Aaron L. Adams, Athula Kulatunga

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Thirty-one percent of annual energy consumption in the United States occurs within the industrial sector, where manufacturing processes account for the largest amount of energy consumption and carbon emissions. For this reason, energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities is increasingly important for reducing operating costs and improving profits. Using microgrids to generate local sustainable power should reduce energy consumption from the main utility grid along with energy costs and carbon emissions. Also, microgrids have the potential to serve as reliable energy generators in international locations where the utility grid is often unstable.

For this research, a manufacturing process that had approximately …

Why Waste The Wind? A Look Into Small Scale Wind Energy, Mitchell Negus, Jon Swanton, Ben Chilcoat, Mark Settembrino

Student Showcase

The human race’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation has started to cause major changes in the environment. Climate change is a universal issue and it is evident that our current energy schematic is not sustainable. At the University of Massachusetts, small-scale wind power has the potential to be a key component in UMass’ energy portfolio as the university shifts from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy. Strategically placed turbines would produce clean, renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help to decentralize energy dependence on the Central Heating Plant. Small-scale turbines, like the eddyGT, are tested technologies …

Performance Of Solid Oxide Iron-Air Battery Operated At 550°C, Xuan Zhao, Yunhui Gong, Xue Li, Nansheng Xu, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

“Metal-air” batteries have garnered much attention in recent years due to their high intrinsic specific energy and use of inexhaustible and storage-free oxygen source -air- for the “metal-oxygen” reaction. In this study, we report theperformance of a new type of all solid-state “iron-air” battery operated at 550°C. The results show that CeO₂ nanoparticles incorporated into the Fe-Fe₃O₄ redox-couple can improve the specific energy (Wh/kg) and round trip efficiency by 15% and 29%, respectively, over the baseline Fe-Fe₃O₄ battery. Use of supported Fe-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as the redox couple can increase the …

Investigations Of Attitudes Towards Offshore Wind Farm Development In Ireland: Their Implication Towards Future Development Of The Industry., Aidan Melia

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This current research investigates what the attitudes of Irish people are towards the development of offshore wind farms in Ireland. Using a qualitative approach, a questionnaire is carefully designed and distributed among a sample population from three coastal communities. One is located on the west coast and two on the east coast. The two locations on the east coast have an involvement in offshore wind farms. One of the locations plays host to Ireland’s only offshore wind farm, while there are plans in place for an offshore wind farm at the other location. The results from the questionnaires are analyzed …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems Used As An Electricity Storage Technology In A Wind Farm With Large Amounts Of Intermittent Energy, Yash Sanghai

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

With the growing demand for electricity, renewable sources of energy have garnered a lot of support from all quarters. The problem with depending on these renewable sources is that the output from them is independent of the demand. Storage of electricity gives us an opportunity to effectively manage and balance the supply and demand of electricity. Fuel cells are a fast developing and market capturing technology that presents efficient means of storing electricity in the form of hydrogen. The aim of this research is to study the impact of integrating hydrogen fuel cell storage system with a wind farm to …

Background And Available Potential Energy In Numerical Simulations Of A Boussinesq Fluid, Shreyas S. Panse

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

In flows with stable density stratification, a portion of the gravitational potential energy is available for conversion to kinetic energy. The remainder is not and is called “background potential energy”. The partition of potential energy is analogous to the classical division of energy due to motion into its kinetic and internal components. Computing background and available potential energies is important for understanding stratified flows. In many numerical simulations, though, the Boussinesq approximations to the Navier-Stokes equations are employed. These approximations are not consistent with conservation of energy. In this thesis we re-derive the governing equations for a buoyancy driven fluid …

Aerodynamics Of Biplane Wind Turbine Blades, Phillip K. Chiu

Link Foundation Energy Fellowship Reports

Little is known about the aerodynamics of biplane wind turbine blades. Even more fundamentally, the two-dimensional aerodynamics of thick biplane airfoils are not well-understood. Supported by the Link Foundation Energy Fellowship, this research has sought to develop a better understanding of these aerodynamics through wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics. An understanding of biplane aerodynamics is a key step towards the commercial implementation of biplane wind turbine blades. These designs could enable larger turbines designs, ultimately reducing the cost of wind-generated electricity and helping to displace conventional means of electricity generation.

Supercritical Co2 Brayton Cycles For Solar-Thermal Energy, Brian D. Iverson, Thomas M. Conboy, James J. Pasch, Alan M. Kruizenga

Faculty Publications

Of the mechanisms to improve efficiency for solar-­‐thermal power plants, one of the most effective ways to improve overall efficiency is through power cycle improvements. As increases in operating temperature continue to be pursued, supercritical CO2 Brayton cycles begin to look more attractive despite the development costs of this technology. Further, supercritical CO2 Brayton has application in many areas of power generation beyond that for solar energy alone.

One challenge particular to solar-­‐thermal power generation is the transient nature of the solar resource. This work illustrates the behavior of developmental Brayton turbomachinery in response to a fluctuating thermal input, much …

Technology Portal For Energy Efficient Buildings, Larry D. Hermanson, Daniel Studer, Annie Mroz

STAR Program Research Presentations

Project: Technology Portal for Energy Efficient Buildings

Date: August 2, 2012

Author: Larry Hermanson

Mentor: Daniel Studer

Cohort: Annie Mroz

Lab site: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Buildings account for 71% of the electricity demand and 39% of the primary energy consumption in the United States. The Commercial Buildings Group at NREL provides builders, designers and building owners accurate information to significantly improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. The Technology Portal for Energy Efficient Buildings will increase the accessibility of standardized and credible energy performance data for all building systems, thereby allowing building owners to better evaluate …

Assessing The Engineering Performance Of Affordable Net-Zero Energy Housing, Jordan P. Wallpe

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to evaluate affordable technologies that are capable of providing attractive, cost-effective energy savings to the housing industry. The research did so by investigating the 2011 Solar Decathlon competition, with additional insight from the Purdue INhome. Insight from the Purdue INhome verified the importance of using a three step design process to design a net-zero energy building. In addition, energy consumption values of the INhome were used to compare and contrast different systems used in other houses.

Evaluation of unbiased competition contests gave a better understanding of how a house can realistically reach net-zero. Upon …

Gate 3 Grid Connection Group Processing Approach:An Analysis, John Leahy

Msc. in Energy Management

The aim of this project is to analyse the Group Processing Approach (the “GPA”) to renewable generator grid connections, and in particular the Gate 3 process which is the latest round of the GPA that is currently being implemented in the Republic of Ireland, to determine if it is the most effective approach for connecting new renewable generation. Gate 3 is the third series of the GPA for connecting renewable generation to the Irish Electricity grid where applications are processed in groups or batches. The size of the Gate 3 has bee capped at 3,900MW with applicants being selected based …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint, Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This paper examines the context and meaning of the term ‘sustainability’, the factors that determine and govern climate on Earth, the population of the Earth and its trends and influencers, the requirements for sustaining life and the options that are available to humankind. Some viewpoints are presented that are alternative to ‘conventional alternative’ thinking. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’ and also argues that humankind needs to face …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Grain Boundary Property Determination Through Measurement Of Triple Junction Geometry And Crystallography, Brent L. Adams, D. Casasent, M. Demirel, Bassem S. El-Dasher, D. Kinderlehrer, C. Liu, I. Livshits, F. Manolache, D. Mason, A. Morawiec, W. W. Mullins, S. Ozdemir, Gregory S. Rohrer, Anthony D. Rollett, David M. Saylor, Shlomo Ta'asan, A. Talukder, Chialin T. Wu, C. C. Yang, W. Yang

Faculty Publications

This work was supported primarily by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation under Award Number DMR-0079996. Microstructure controls the properties of most useful materials. Thus an ability to control microstructure through the processing of materials is a key to optimization of materials performance. Most materials are polycrystalline and their grain structure is a very important aspect of their microstructure. Thanks to their complexity there is a great variety of grain boundary types even in relatively isotropic materials such as the cubic metals. Simply describing the crystallography requires five (macroscopic) parameters (e.g. disorientation and inclination). Evidently, acquiring a knowledge …