Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Hitch Cart “Landing Gear”, Rebekah White, Jose Raygoza, Randy Hernandez, Brandon Leon

Mechanical Engineering

This report aims to allow our sponsor, to review our design process of the Hitch Cart Landing Gear Prototype. In the design overview section of this report, we discuss the primary design modifications we made to the wheel mechanism of the existing hitch cart prototype, including the addition of the ACME screws and the folding brackets. This allows our sponsor to see the intended improvements made to the past prototype and understand the primary goal of our project. Then, in the implementation section, we cover the entire manufacturing process to allow our sponsor to understand what manufacturing steps must be …

Shape Memory Alloy Capsule Micropump For Drug Delivery Applications, Youssef Mohamed Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

Implantable drug delivery devices have many benefits over traditional drug administration techniques and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. By delivering the medication directly to the tissue, they enable the use of larger localized concentrations, enhancing the efficacy of the treatment. Passive-release drug delivery systems, one of the various ways to provide medication, are great inventions. However, they cannot dispense the medication on demand since they are nonprogrammable. Therefore, active actuators are more advantageous in delivery applications. Smart material actuators, however, have greatly increased in popularity for manufacturing wearable and implantable micropumps due to their high energy …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Of Multi-Materials Fabricated Through A Combination Of Lpbf And Ded Additive Manufacturing Techniques, Christopher J. Bettencourt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research explores the use of different metals combined through 3D-printing to enhance the performance of materials, with a focus on making heat exchangers more cost-effective for renewable energy. The goal is to replace a costly high-temperature alloy with a more affordable low-temperature alloy, using metal additive manufacturing for its benefits such as less material waste, faster production, reduced weight, and the ability to print entire assemblies in one go. The study delves into a unique combination of two 3D-printing techniques, Directed Energy Deposition and Laser Powder-Bed Fusion, to create a multi-material composed of stainless steel 316L and a nickel-based …

Wavelength-Induced Shedding Frequency Modulation Of Seal Whisker Inspired Cylinders, Trevor Dunt, Kirby S. Heck, Kathleen Lyons, Christin Murphy, Raul Bayoan Cal, Jennifer A. Franck

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The spanwise undulated cylinder geometry inspired by seal whiskers has been shown to alter shedding frequency and reduce fluid forces significantly compared to smooth cylindrical geometry. Undulation wavelength is systematically investigated in order to explore its effect on unsteady lift force and shedding frequency. Prior research has parameterized the whisker-inspired geometry and demonstrated the relevance of geometric variations on force reduction properties. Among the geometric parameters, undulation wavelength was identified as a significant contributor to forcing changes. To analyze the effect of undulation wavelength, a thorough investigation isolating changes in wavelength is performed to expand upon previous research that parameterized …

Effects Of Redrying Methods On The Milling Potential, Crude Protein And Total Phenolic Content, And Antioxidant Activity Of Stored Inorganic And Organically-Grown Paddy, Mary Ann Baradi, Jessica Solero, Clarence Dangcil, Gerome Corpuz, Marissa Romero

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study sought to determine the effects of redrying techniques (no redrying or Control, 2-h, 4-h, and 6-h redrying with stirring every 30 min, Farmer's Practice or 6-h redrying with one stirring) on grain quality of stored inorganic and organic paddy rice as well as the redrying method that gives the best quality rice. PSB Rc82 rice harvested in October 2016 was used in the experiment conducted in February 2017. Quality parameters evaluated were moisture content, brown rice, total milled rice, crude protein content in percent, total phenolic content, and 2-2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. PSB Rc82 paddy exposed …

Experimental Investigation Of Long-Term Performance Of Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy And Polyurethane Polymer Composites, Abdel Hamid I. Mourad, Amir Hussain Idrisi, Asima Zahoor, Muhammad M. Sherif, Beckry M. Abdel-Magid

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

The primary challenge encountered by polymers and their composites when exposed to saline water is their inadequate ability to withstand wear and tear over time. With a potential to replace conventional materials the long-term performance of FRP composites is still a novice area. This manuscript thus, reports an experimental investigation and prediction of the durability of fiber-reinforced polymer composites exposed to seawater at different temperatures. E-glass/epoxy and E-glass/polyurethane samples were exposed to 23 °C, 45 °C and 65 °C seawater for up to 2700 days (90 months). Tensile tests evaluated the mechanical performance of the composite as a function of …

Jet-Driven Mixing Regimes Identified In The Unsteady Isothermal Filling Of Rectangular Municipal Water Storage Tanks, Pramod Narayan Bangalore, K. (Kelly) O. Homan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Poor mixing of old and new water in municipal water storage vessels is a well-documented basis for potentially harmful water quality degradation in drinking water distribution systems. This numerical study investigates the effects of inflow and operational variables on mixing in the jet-driven filling process, with a particular focus on the transition from inadequate to sufficient mixing levels. An isothermal unsteady reynolds-averaged-navier-stokes volume-of-fluid (RANS-VOF) simulation is used to model the variable-volume filling process, accounting for the moving free surface following a draw-down in the stored water volume. A low diffusivity tracer is used to mark the old-water volume, and a …

Atomistic Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Ultrasonic Bonding, Milad Khajehvand

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

This thesis research uses a combination of computational and experimental approaches to provide atomistic insights into the mechanisms of ultrasonic bonding (UB), a family of solid-state metal-metal joining techniques, including ultrasonic wire bonding, ultrasonic flip-chip bonding, ultrasonic additive manufacturing, and ultrasonic spot welding. The work investigates the atomic-scale contact formation (i.e., the so-called Jump-to-Contact (JC) mechanism) between the UB counterparts, generation of a network of dislocations (i.e., one-dimensional crystallographic defects) at their interface, and the evolution of the network when the interface is under ultrasonic vibration. In particular, the thesis delivers invaluable insights on the mechanisms for contact formation, bond …

A Study On High-Frequency Bending Fatigue, Microhardness, Tensile Strength, And Microstructure Of Parts Made Using Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (Adam) And Additive Friction Stir Deposition (Afsd), Hamed Ghadimi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reports the findings of several studies on the mechanical and microstructural properties of parts made using atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM) and additive friction stir deposition (AFSD). The design of a small-sized bending-fatigue test specimen for an ultrasonic fatigue testing system is reported in Chapter 1. The design was optimized based on the finite element analysis and analytical solution. The stress–life (S–N) curve is obtained for Inconel alloy 718. Chapter 2 presents the findings of ultrasonic bending-fatigue and tensile tests carried out on the ADAM test specimens. The S-N curves were created in the very high-cycle fatigue regime. …

Residual Stress Generation In Additive Manufacturing Of Complex Lattice Geometries, Katie Bruggeman, Nathan Klingbeil, Anthony N. Palazotto

Faculty Publications

Residual stresses developed during additive manufacturing (AM) can influence the mechanical performance of structural components in their intended applications. In this study, thermomechanical residual stress simulations of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process are conducted for both simplified (plate and cube-shaped) geometries as well as five complex lattice geometries fabricated with Inconel 718. These simulations are conducted with the commercial software package Simufact Additive©, which uses a nonlinear finite element analysis and layer-by-layer averaging approach in determining residual stresses. To verify the efficacy of the Simufact Additive© simulations, numerical results for the plate and cube-shape geometries are analyzed for …

Development Path And Policy Guarantee Of China's Advanced Manufacturing Industry Under Background Of Fourth Industrial Revolution, Chang Wang, Siyuan Zhou, Hongjun Geng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

How to seize the opportunity window opened by the fourth industrial revolution and enhance the international competitive advantage of advanced manufacturing has become an important issue concerned by existing research and policy practitioners. This study analyzes the background, characteristics, and influence of the fourth industrial revolution on the development of advanced manufacturing industry. Based on this, it discusses the development status and problems of four types of advanced manufacturing industries, including digitally empowered new infrastructure industries, intelligent manufacturing high-end equipment industries, brand-oriented new consumption industries, and science-based industries. The development paths of “fusion innovation”, “intelligent manufacturing upgrade”, “quality improvement”, and …

Key Elements, Mechanism Analysis And Evaluation Indicators Of Digital And Intelligent Integration Transformation And Development Of Manufacturing Industry, Xiaoqiang Sun, Xiuyun Gao, Yumei Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The digital and intelligent integration transformation of manufacturing industry has become an important driving force for the high-quality development of traditional manufacturing enterprises. This study clarifies the main research context and key issues of scholars on the digital and intelligent integration transformation of manufacturing industry, refines the goals, main elements, and influencing factors of digital and intelligent integration transformation of manufacturing industry, builds a power network model for the transformation and development of digital and intelligent integration of manufacturing industry according to the system feedback principle of system dynamics, analyzes the mechanism of action between various elements of the system, …

Electric Vehicles Contribute To China's Energy Security And Carbon Peaking And Carbon Neutrality, Jianfeng Guo, Xuemei Zhang, Qi Cao, Fu Gu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The current international situation is complicated and unstable, and China is in the midst of an important economic transition as it deals with the twin concerns of energy security and carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (referred to as dual carbon goals). Although the dual carbon goals aim a strong emphasis on energy security, certain emission reduction strategies will place restrictions on energy security that is directly connected, such as energy supply and grid load, making it challenging to simultaneously fulfill the optimization goal. China now has the task of figuring out how to rationalize and optimize the coordinated promotion of …

Left Ventricle Function And Post-Transcriptional Events With Exercise Training In Pigs, Stephanie L. Samani, Shayne C. Barlow, Lisa A. Freeburg, Traci L. Jones, Marlee Poole, Mark A. Sarzynski, Michael R. Zile, Tarek Shazly, Francis G. Spinale

Faculty Publications

Background

Standardized exercise protocols have been shown to improve overall cardiovascular fitness, but direct effects on left ventricular (LV) function, particularly diastolic function and relation to post-transcriptional molecular pathways (microRNAs (miRs)) are poorly understood. This project tested the central hypothesis that adaptive LV remodeling resulting from a large animal exercise training protocol, would be directly associated with specific miRs responsible for regulating pathways relevant to LV myocardial stiffness and geometry.

Methods and results

Pigs (n = 9; 25 Kg) underwent a 4 week exercise training protocol (10 degrees elevation, 2.5 mph, 10 min, 5 days/week) whereby LV chamber stiffness (KC) …

Analyses For Assessing The Centreline Translation, Asymmetrical Wind-Field, And Velocity Fluctuations Of Tornado Vortices, Niall C. Bannigan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Tornadoes present an ever-increasing threat to communities worldwide, especially those with geographic conditions that place them in the path of several tornadoes annually. These conditions are likely to be exacerbated by ongoing trends in the climate. As such, it is necessary to move towards experimental and numerical tornado-like vortex studies that allow for more advanced simulation methods. Novel techniques for tracking and analysing tornado vortices simulated at high spatial and temporal resolution are presented herein. Significant wandering of the tornado's position and large peaks in the velocity field can be captured, demonstrating tangential gusting at more than 1.5 times the …

Droplet Jump From A Particle Bed, Karl Cardin, Facundo Cabrera-Booman, Raúl Bayoán Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Drop tower experiments have been performed to study droplet jump from a particle bed across a wide range of fluid viscosities. Here the droplet jumps from the particle bed in response to the apparent step reduction from terrestrial gravity to microgravity when the experiment is dropped and enters free fall. The presence of a particle layer has been found to affect contact line dissipation and the overall jumping behavior of droplets. Additionally, the study has identified the impact of the Ohnesorge number (Oh) on droplet morphology. The investigation has yielded results that not only validate a modified version of the …

Effects Of Laser Defocusing On Bead Geometry In Coaxial Titanium Wire-Based Laser Metal Deposition, Remy Mathenia, Aaron Flood, Braden Mclain, Todd Sparks, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coaxial wire-based laser metal deposition is a versatile and efficient additive process that can achieve a high deposition rate in the manufacturing of complex structures. In this paper, a three-beam coaxial wire system is studied, with particular attention to the effects of deposition height and laser defocusing on the resulting bead geometry. As the deposition standoff distance changes, so does the workpiece illumination proportion, which describes the ratio of energy going directly into the feedstock wire and into the substrate. Single titanium beads are deposited at varying defocus levels and deposition rates and the bead aspect ratio is measured and …

Containerization Of Seafarers In The International Shipping Industry: Contemporary Seamanship, Maritime Social Infrastructures, And Mobility Politics Of Global Logistics, Liang Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation discusses the mobility politics of container shipping and argues that technological development, political-economic order, and social infrastructure co-produce one another. Containerization, the use of standardized containers to carry cargo across modes of transportation that is said to have revolutionized and globalized international trade since the late 1950s, has served to expand and extend the power of international coalitions of states and corporations to control the movements of commodities (shipments) and labor (seafarers). The advent and development of containerization was driven by a sociotechnical imaginary and international social contract of seamless shipping and cargo flows. In practice, this liberal, …

Study Of Vortices Formation In Lateral Intakes Of Pumping Stations, Muhammad Elgindi

Theses and Dissertations

The inefficient design of pumping stations leads to undesirable flow characteristics and the formation of vortices in the sump. These undesirable flow features adversely affect the pumping unit performance and increase the operation and maintenance cost. The aim of this thesis is to assess the ability of the Realizable turbulence model to predict the formation of free-surface and submerged vortices within lateral pumping stations’ intakes. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the effect of the flow ratio and bottom clearance on the flow characteristics and the vortices formation in the sump. Finally, the study introduces an assessment of curtain walls …

A 3d Imaging-Based Critique Of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (Waam) Simulations, Omar Oraby

Theses and Dissertations

Residual stresses play a critical role in the mechanical behavior and structural integrity of engineered components. Understanding and quantifying these stresses are essential for ensuring the reliable performance and durability of materials and structures. Traditionally destructive methods are used that involve sample sectioning and material removal. However, non-destructive methods have gained popularity due to their advantages in preserving the specimen's integrity for further testing and material waste reduction. Among these techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) stands out as a powerful non-contact and full-field measurement approach. DIC captures displacements and strain distributions by analyzing the deformation of speckle patterns on the …