Structures and Materials Commons^™

Martian Atmospheric Rover Simulation (M.A.R.S.), Matt Berard, Shelby Beddard, Alexander Brunette, Emma Conti, Collin Duke, Delaney Novak, Keelin Weaver

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

While rovers have been used by various agencies to explore Mars, their travel is limited by terrain obstacles, which may prevent mission completion. Creating a vehicle equipped with both driving and flight capabilities would allow greater range of motion on extraterrestrial planets. Integrating the technology for both transportation modes into one rover allows for efficiency and advancements in technological and planetary research.

Damage Control Measures In Composites: Focus On Damage Tolerance Of Aerospace Structures, Kais Jribi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) in composite materials presents a stealthy yet significant risk to structural integrity, particularly challenging due to its elusive nature. The approach adopted here diverges from traditional methodologies, focusing on the novel application of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to map surface area changes during in-situ Compression After Impact (CAI) tests. This technique allows for an in-depth analysis of planar strains along the x and y axes, shedding light on the material's behavior under stress.

A pivotal advancement lies in developing a method for precisely identifying when BVID-induced delamination recommences. By meticulously analyzing strain pattern deviations along …

Ti Nano Powder Speckle Pattern Creation And Use In Dic Of Zno Modified Single Carbon Fibers, James Matthew Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As the use of composites continues to grow across aerospace, naval, automotive, construction, 3D printing, and other countless industries, so does the desire to continuously improve their mechanical properties. Improving the adherence of the fiber-matrix interface is one important step for amplifying the capabilities of composites. Work has been performed in modifying carbon fibers by growing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods in the fiber surface using a hydrothermal approach, increasing interfacial area and fiber-matrix friction. Macroscale evaluation has shown that the interfacial modification decreases the inter-ply movement and reduces the processing strains and residual stresses. To fully understand the mechanism taking …

Indentation Protection Of Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Woven Fiber Metal Laminates, Sida Xu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used as electric power sources for smartphones, tablets, laptops, e-scooters, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, electric vehicles, airport equipment, and numerous other transportable electronic devices. When these types of batteries get excessively loaded, damage can occur. To study the effects of excessive damage, lithium-ion battery modules with prismatic cells were subjected to destructive quasi-static indentation using a V-shaped stainless steel wedge indenter at different loading orientations, directions, and rates. The modules were discharged to a very low state of charge prior to testing. Force and voltage were measured as a function of displacement to monitor the damaging …

Starfish: A Compact, Biomimetic, And Adaptive Shape Memory Alloy Orbital Debris Remover, Katelyn Branaman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis aims to turn the tides on the orbital debris issue through the fabrication and demonstration of a compact, biomimetic, and adaptive shape memory alloy actuated orbital debris remover. The design, referred to as Starfish, is discussed in detail along with its fabrication process and object capture ability. A hard skeleton crafted from PETG was combined with shape memory alloy wires and extension springs to create a biomimetic structure that operates similar to the human hand, capable of gripping a wide range of objects. Relevant simulations were performed and discussed, the iterative fabrication process used to create each component …

Adaptive Control Of An Aeroelastic System For Active Flutter Suppression And Disturbance Rejection, Patrick Sterling Downs

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The future of aircraft design strives for lighter weight, more aerodynamically efficient structures. These improvements may come with the drawback of increased structural flexibility and elevated aeroelastic effects, often resulting in a lower flutter speed. This motivates the implementation of advanced control methods to control aeroelastic systems over a range of flight conditions, suppress and delay the onset of flutter, and compensate for disturbances, actuator dynamics, and unmodeled nonlinear dynamics.

This dissertation first develops a novel method for constructing time-domain simulation models of two and three-dimensional aeroelastic systems, resulting in models that are suitable for the implementation of state-space control …

A Comparison Of Beamforming Characteristics In Isotropic And Composite Plate Structures For Use In Structural Health Monitoring, Sarah Ketchersid

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Structural health monitoring in plate-like simple structures using phased array beamsteering of guided Lamb waves is useful in damage detection and evaluation efforts. Lamb waves can be effectively used for beamsteering using a linear array. The experimentation primarily focuses on beamsteering in the aluminum panel, which involves developing a simulation based on extracted data to visualize the dispersion of waves across the panel. By evaluating parameters such as slowness, velocity, and amplitude direction and variation for a specific metallic plate, the wavefront generated by a single wave source can be represented as a function of propagation angle and distance from …

Computational Modeling Of Single Shear Bolted Joints In Hybrid Composite Laminates With And Without Film Adhesive, Cameron S. Mcmahan

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the effectiveness of predicting composite failure subject to quasi-static loading conditions using computational methods. FEA models were created using Abaqus and were employed to predict composite yield and initial failure behavior. Boundary conditions are generated to replicate the loading scenario seen in the experimental tests. Computationally predicted structural response of the composite range in accuracy from a 2% difference compared to experimental values to a maximum of 63%.

Influence Of Environmental Barrier Coatings On The Overall Effectiveness Of A Film Cooled Ceramic Matrix Composite Plate, Shane P. Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

Silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites, a promising new potential upgrade over the conventional metals currently used for jet engine turbine blades, have a propensity to oxidize in a combustion environment. Engine manufacturers often apply environmental barrier coatings to prevent the composites from oxidizing. What is unclear, however, is how environmental barrier coatings effect underlying composite temperatures. This research examined the coatings’ effects by first characterizing the influence of environmental barrier coatings on the underlying temperature of a protected ceramic, then evaluating the significance of lateral conduction for cooling a coated ceramic, and finally comparing cooling results for coated and uncoated …

Modeling Of Single-Lap Joints With Auxetic Adhesive Utilizing Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Bondline Microstructures, Chatarina P. Puspaningtyas, Annisa Jusuf, Bambang K. Hadi, Arief Yudhanto

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Producing lightweight structures can be effectively achieved using adhesive bonding that incorporates a high-performance adhesive, eliminating the mechanical joints (rivet, bolts). Here, the proof-of-concept of tailoring the high-performance adhesive using microstructures exhibiting a negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) is investigated using two single lap joint (SLJ) models developed in ABAQUS/Standard. The SLJ models consist of two rigid adherends that are bonded using either homogeneous or heterogeneous adhesive that produces auxetic response. In homogeneous adhesive, a negative value of Poisson's ratio is defined in the adhesive part of the models. In heterogeneous adhesive, the negative Poisson's ratio is obtained by explicitly building …

Kissing Bond Assessment In Adhesive Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites Using Dielectric Spectroscopy, Minhazur Rahman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The widespread use of fiber-reinforced composites in industries such as space, aviation, automobiles, and construction necessitates the formation of robust composite joints between critical structural components. Although adhesive-bonded joints are superior with improved load distribution and reduced weight, they are often overlooked in favor of bolted joints and mechanical fasteners due to the lack of reliable Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques for adhesive-bonded composites. The anisotropic nature of the substrate and the intricate interfacial interactions between the adherend and adhesive material present significant challenges for conventional NDE methods. Moreover, weak adhesive bonds can result from uncontrolled manufacturing parameters, such as accidental …

Experimental Investigations And Optimization Of 3d Printed Cellular Structures For Protection Against Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron R. Jackson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) disrupts brain function due to head impacts, blast exposures, and ballistic penetrations. It is a significant cause of mental health issues and disability, particularly among military personnel. Historically, combat helmets were designed primarily to protect against fragments. However, recent data highlights the need for helmets that also protect against blast and blunt impacts. Effective TBI prevention requires helmets that address various energy threats while remaining lightweight. A critical metric in this effort is head acceleration, which is closely linked to injury across different scales of brain damage.

Four lattice structures were 3D printed using Digital ABS …

Development Of A 3d Printed Optimization-Driven Aeroelastically Scaled Wind Tunnel Model For High Aspect Ratio Flying Wings, Mikaela K. Leevy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Design optimization coupled with 3D printing and parametric CAD offers a unique approach to investigating flutter phenomena by creating low-cost iterative aeroelastic wind tunnel models. Recently, there is an interest in studying flutter phenomena at low air speeds in flying wing configurations. The X-56 experimental flying wing was designed to investigate flutter phenomena and flutter suppression, which makes the X-56 a logical choice for the full-scale model. The goal of this work is to optimize, physically print, and geometrically characterize a scaled aeroelastic wind tunnel model. The 18% reduced scale X-56 model was optimized by matching the mode shapes to …

Parametric Analysis Of A Dynamic And Static Model For Low Velocity Impact Of Specially Orthotropic Laminates, Juan Daniel Ruiz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The high specific strength and specific stiffness of composite materials makes them highly desirable for structural applications, but their laminated nature makes them susceptible to impact damage. Even low velocity impacts (LVI), generally, result in barely visible impact damage (BVID) and delamination, which can go unnoticed and grow during service, eventually leading to catastrophic failure. Due to this, the study of impact resistance and damage tolerance is typically studied through LVI followed by compression after impact (CAI) experiments. However, conducting LVI experiments are time consuming and expensive, as they require specialized equipment and extensive pre-test preparations.

In this study, the …

Image-Based Thermal And Mechanical Analysis Of Polymers, Yukti Shinglot

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In recent years, application of polymers have rapidly expanded across industries due to their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to diverse manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing. Innovations in PolyJet technology enable the creation of complex geometries with tailored color combinations, transparency, and flexibility, broadening applications in medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Advances in processing viscoelastic rubbers like PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) have further enhanced its mechanical properties, expanding its use in biomedical devices and electronic components. However, polymers are susceptible to complex deformation and failure under thermal and mechanical stresses, which can impact their performance and safety. This research examines the thermal behavior …

Thermal Damage And Mechanical Failure Analysis Of Polymers, Tina Ko

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

As the demand for more intricate and precise components increases, polymers continue to stand out for their flexibility, durability, and adaptability across numerous applications. From aerospace to biomedical engineering industries, polymers are valued for their versatility and customizability, enabling the creation of complex geometries or achieving specific material properties. Since polymers are widely used, analyzing their thermal and mechanical properties is essential to understand their behavior under high-energy exposure or defects. Two types of polymers were analyzed: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and 3D-printed digital materials. This thesis investigates the mechanical and thermal response of polymers through two distinct studies. The first part …

Graphene Reinforced Polymer Composite For Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Rotors, Kunal A. Bachim

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Polymers have evolved as an indispensable asset in various sectors ranging from packaging and construction to energy and aerospace. However, the accumulation of polymer waste poses a necessity to shift toward sustainable waste management processes. Mechanical recycling is a primary method in establishing a circular economy approach for polymers. However, a fundamental challenge arises in this process: a decrease in the mechanical performance of the recycled product compared to that of its pristine counterpart.

This project addresses the challenge of enhancing the recyclability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from discarded polymer material by incorporating graphene nanoparticles into the polymer matrix during …

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. To this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. A dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middling. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

Mechanics Of Pure Bending And Eccentric Buckling In High-Strain Composite Structures, Jimesh D. Bhagatji, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

To maximize the capabilities of nano- and micro-class satellites, which are limited by their size, weight, and power, advancements in deployable mechanisms with a high deployable surface area to packaging volume ratio are necessary. Without progress in understanding the mechanics of high-strain materials and structures, the development of compact deployable mechanisms for this class of satellites would be difficult. This paper presents fabrication, experimental testing, and progressive failure modeling to study the deformation of an ultra-thin composite beam. The research study examines the deformation modes of a post-deployed boom under repetitive pure bending loads using a four-point bending setup and …

Restoration Of Strength In Polyamide Woven Glass Fiber Organosheets By Hot Pressing, Mohammad Nazmus Saquib, Edwing Chaparro-Chavez, Christopher Morris, Kuthan Çelebi, Diego Pedrazzoli, Mingfu Zhang, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite organosheets (OSs) are increasingly recognized as a viable solution for automotive and aerospace structures, offering a range of benefits including cost-effectiveness through high-rate production, lightweight design, impact resistance, formability, and recyclability. This study examines the impact response, post-impact strength evaluation, and hot-pressing repair effectiveness of woven glass fiber nylon composite OSs across varying impact energy levels. Experimental investigations involved subjecting composite specimens to impact at varying energy levels using a drop-tower test rig, followed by compression-after-impact (CAI) tests. The results underscore the exceptional damage tolerance and improved residual compressive strength of the OSs compared to traditional thermoset composites. …