Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Foundry Sand Source Reduction Options: Life Cycle Assessment Evaluation, Samuel Ghormley, Robert Williams, Bruce Dvorak

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Foundries represent a significant part of the world’s economy and are a large consumer of energy and producer of solid waste. Sand-handling processes can use 5–10% of a foundry’s total energy. The goal of this research was to explore source reduction and waste minimization at a foundry, using both economic and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to compare three secondary sand-reclamation options. LCA software modeled all sand processes at a mid-sized ferrous foundry in the USA. The LCA showed all secondary reclamation technologies, while more energy intensive at the foundry, lowered life cycle environmental impacts, including GHG emissions, ecotoxicity, and …

An Overview Of Additive Manufacturing Technologies—A Review To Technical Synthesis In Numerical Study Of Selective Laser Melting, Abbas Razavykia, Eugenio Brusa, Cristiana Delprete, Reza Yavari

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes enable their deployment in broad applications from aerospace to art, design, and architecture. Part quality and performance are the main concerns during AM processes execution that the achievement of adequate characteristics can be guaranteed, considering a wide range of influencing factors, such as process parameters, material, environment, measurement, and operators training. Investigating the effects of not only the influential AM processes variables but also their interactions and coupled impacts are essential to process optimization which requires huge efforts to be made. Therefore, numerical simulation can be an effective tool that facilities the evaluation of the AM …

Facile Production Of Large-Area Cell Arrays Using Surface-Assembled Microdroplets, Karla Perez-Toralla, Angel Olivera-Torres, Mark A. Rose, Amir Monemian Monemianesfahani, Keerthana Reddy, Ruiguo Yang, Stephen Morin

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Techniques that enable the spatial arrangement of living cells into defined patterns are broadly applicable to tissue engineering, drug screening, and cell–cell investigations. Achieving large-scale patterning with single-cell resolution while minimizing cell stress/damage is, however, technically challenging using existing methods. Here, a facile and highly scalable technique for the rational design of reconfigurable arrays of cells is reported. Specifically, microdroplets of cell suspensions are assembled using stretchable surface-chemical patterns which, following incubation, yield ordered arrays of cells. The microdroplets are generated using a microfluidic- based aerosol spray nozzle that enables control of the volume/size of the droplets delivered to the …

Ultrahigh Strength And Plasticity In Laser Rapid Solidified Al–Si Nanoscale Eutectics, Huai-Hsun Lien, Jyoti Mazumder, Jian Wang, Amit Misra

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

As-cast Al–20wt.% Si alloys were processed via laser rapid solidification (LRS) techniques to create eutectic microstructures with nanoscale interconnected, nanotwinned Si fibers. LRS morphologies exhibit higher flow stress, exceeding 800 MPa and uniform plastic deformation above 20% compared to as-cast alloy that fractures at strains below 8% at flow strength of approximately 200 MPa. The strengthening mechanisms of LRS morphologies are interpreted in terms of the interfacial constraints: increase in yield strength as well as strain hardening rate due to nanoscale confined slip in fibrous Al–Si eutectic, and load transfer and eventual plasticity in the nanoscale Si fibers.

Characteristic Boundaries Associated With Three-Dimensional Twins In Hexagonal Metals, Shujuan Wang, Mingyu Gong, Rodney J. Mccabe, Laurent Capolungo, Jian Wang, Carlos N. Tomé

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Twinning is a critically important deformation mode in hexagonal close-packed metals. Twins are three-dimensional (3D) domains, whose growth is mediated by the motion of facets bounding the 3D twin domains and influences work hardening in metals. An understanding of twin transformations therefore necessitates that the atomic-scale structure and intrinsic mobilities of facets be known and characterized. The present work addresses the former point by systematically characterizing the boundary structures of 3D { ̄1012} twins in magnesium using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Eight characteristic facets associated with twin boundaries are reported, five of which have never been experimentally observed before. …

Fluid Mechanics Education Using Japanese Anime: Examples From “Castle In The Sky” By Hayao Miyazaki, Sangjin Ryu, Haipeng Zhang, Markeya S. Peteranetz, Tareq Daher

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Current K-12 and undergraduate student have grown up with constant exposure to visual popular culture (e.g., movies, TV programs, graphic novels, etc.). Because youth find pop culture references in the classroom to be engaging, many science and engineering instructors have shown that examples found in visual pop culture can be used to teach science and engineering concepts.1,2 One recent study on the efficay os using pop ulture for instruction found that high school studetns learning from graphic-novel styles comics acquired deeper understanding of complex subject matter and reported higher engagement with the instructional materials as compared to students learning from …

Rotating-Liquid-Based Hydrogel Bead Generator, Haipeng Zhang, Sangjin Ryu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hydrogel beads are widely used in various applications, but producing such beads often requires complicated devices. Instead, we propose an easy-to-adopt, cost effective, open source hydrogel bead generator. This generator consists of two modules. The first module rotates two immiscible liquids in rigid body motion: mineral oil as the continuous phase (CP) liquid on top, and a hydrogel cross-linking (CL) liquid at bottom. The second module injects a hydrogel pre-polymer solution as the dispersed phase (DP) liquid into the rotating CP liquid. As the DP liquid flows out of a syringe needle, its drops are pinched off by the shear …

Assistive Rehabilitation Elliptical System, Carl Nelson, Cale J. Stolle, Judith M. Burnfield, Thad W. Buster, Bernadette Mccrory

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

An elliptical system is disclosed having a crank assembly configured to be adjusted in length to accommodate users having varying gaits. In some embodiments, the crank assembly includes a crank and an axle connection bracket that is slidably adjustable with respect to the crank. For example, the crank assembly can include a crank link having a longitudinal body, where the longitudinal body is connected to the crank at one end and includes a longitudinal slots slidably coupled with the axle connection bracket. The axle connection bracket is configured to slide through a plurality of positions along the longitudinal body. In …

Role Of Active Nanoliposomes In The Surface And Bulk Mechanical Properties Of Hybrid Hydrogels, R. Kadri, J. Bacharouch, K. Elkhoury, G. Ben Messaoud, C. Kahn, S. Desobry, M. Linder, Ali Tamayol, G. Francius, J.F. Mano, L. Sanchez-Gonzalez, E. Arab-Tehrany

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nanoliposomes are widely used as delivery vehicles for active compounds. Nanoliposomes from rapeseed phospholipids were incorporated into interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels of gelatin methacryloyl and alginate. The multiscale physicochemical properties of the hydrogels are studied both on the surface and through the thickness of the 3D network. The obtained composite hydrogels exhibited strong mechanical properties and a highly porous surface. The blend ratio, as well as the concentration of nanoliposomes, affects the properties of the hydrogels. Nanofunctionalized hydrogels induced keratinocyte growth. These advantageous characteristics may open up many applications of the developed hydrogels in drug delivery and tissue engineering

Narrow Band Perovskite Single Crystal Photodetectors With Tunable Spectral Response, Jinsong Huang, Yanjun Fang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Photoelectronic devices using perovskite single-crystal materials having a narrow spectral response, e.g., with a full-width-at-half-maximum response of less than about 20 nm, are provided. The response spectra are continuously (in frequency band) settable or tunable, e.g., from blue to red, by changing the halide composition and thus the band gap of the single crystals. The narrow-band response can be explained by the strong surface charge recombination of the excess carriers lose to the crystal surfaces generated by short wavelength light. The excess carriers generated by below-band gap excitation locate away from the surfaces and can be much more efficiently collect …

Crystallographic Orientation Dependence [email protected] Mechanical Responses Of Fecral Micropillars, Dongyue Xie, Binqiang Wei, Wenqian Wu, Jian Wang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys are used in automobile exhaust gas purifying systems and nuclear reactors due to its superior high-temperature oxidation and excellent corrosion resistance. Single-phase FeCrAl alloys with a body centered cubic structure plastically deform through dislocation slips at room temperature. Here, we investigated the orientation dependence of mechanical responses of FeCrAl alloy through testing single-crystal and bi-crystal micropillars in a scanning electron microscopy at room temperature. Single-crystal micropillars were fabricated with specific orientations which favor the activity of single slip system or two slip systems or multiple slip systems. The strain hardening rate and flow strength increase with increasing …

Hydrogel Microphone, Li Tan, Yang Gao, Qin Zhou, Yongmei Chen

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A device includes a capacitive sensor having a hydrogel structure that includes a first surface and a second surface. A first electrode is provided at the first surface of the hydrogel structure, the first electrode including a network of conductive nanoparticles extending into the hydrogel structure. A second electrode is provided at the second surface of the hydrogel structure.

Microstructural Evolution Of Nanotwinned Al-Zr Alloy With Significant 9r Phase, N.A. Richter, Y.F. Zhang, D. Y. Xie, R. Su, Q. Li, S. Xue, T. Niu, J. Wang, H. Wang, Xinghang Zhang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Aluminum (Al) alloys have a multitude of applications, notably in the automotive, aerospace and coating industries, yet they exhibit significantly lower mechanical strength than conventional steels. Nanotwins drastically improve mechanical strength while retaining ductility. However, the high SFE of Al largely prevents twinning. Here, we synthesize Al-Zr alloy films containing an abundance of incoherent twin boundaries and 9R phases. These alloys exhibit an extended solid solubility of Zr, retaining a columnar nanotwinned structure across all compositions. These films reach a hardness up to 4.2 GPa with 10 at% Zr and demonstrate the capacity for producing strong Al alloys with nanotwins.

Development Of Bio-Based 2t Engine Oil In Marine Engine Application / Babooraman Shanmuganathan, Babooraman Shanmuganathan

Student Works (2020-2029)

Two-storke enginers are simple and lightweight two-cycle spark ignition engine with no oil sump is needed. The use of bio-based lubricants was analyzed to replace commercial mineral and synthetic-based lubricants. Lubricants were prepared by mixing three components of oil which comprise of base oil, additives, and solvent. In this research, four samples of base oil had been prepared with a different weight ratio of the PFAD-NPGester and Type II mineral. Then each of the simples were added with a similiar weight ratio of additives and solvent. A commercial lubricant was used as areference lubricant to be compared with samples prepared. …

Buckling Load Study On Pop Nut (Rivet) Using Finite Element Analysis, Saurabh Shankar Shegokar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study highlights the material behavior in riveting operation that includes buckling load analysis using ABAQUS. Finite Element Analysis is used to find the buckling load vs. Displacement results and validated with the results obtained in physical testing of rivet (POP Nut). A mesh sensitivity study is performed using ABAQUS to understand the optimum mesh size for this analysis. An axisymmetric model with contact properties is created and simulated to reduce the simulation time using ABAQUS. The results obtained through Finite Element Analysis show a good resemblance with the testing results. Design changes were suggested to achieve better results that …

Development Of An Eco Approach And Departure Application To Improve Energy Consumption Of A Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle In Charge Depleting Mode, Brandon Narodzonek

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A recent study at Michigan Technological University as part of the NEXTCAR DOE APRA-E Project was conducted to determine the potential energy savings of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) equipped with various Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Technologies. One aspect of this study focused on the development of an Eco Approach and Departure (Eco AnD) Application that would further reduce the energy consumed around a signalized intersection.

Many modern intersections are equipped with traffic signals that can broadcast Basic Safety (BSM), MAP, and Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) message sets that contain intersection ID, location, current phase, and cyclic …

Generalized Ultrasonic Scattering Model For Arbitrary Transducer Configurations, Andrea P. Arguelles, Joseph A. Turner

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic scattering in polycrystalline media is directly tied to microstructural features. As a result, modeling efforts of scattering from microstructure have been abundant. The inclusion of beam modeling for the ultrasonic transducers greatly simplified the ability to perform quantitative, fully calibrated experiments. In this article, a theoretical scattering model is generalized to allow for arbitrary source and receiver configurations, while accounting for beam behavior through the total propagation path. This extension elucidates the importance and potential of out-of-plane scattering modes in the context of microstructure characterization. The scattering coefficient is explicitly written for the case of statistical isotropy and ellipsoidal …

Generalized Ultrasonic Scattering Model For Arbitrary Transducer Configurations, Andrea P. Arguelles, Joseph A. Turner

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic scattering in polycrystalline media is directly tied to microstructural features. As a result, modeling efforts of scattering from microstructure have been abundant. The inclusion of beam modeling for the ultrasonic transducers greatly simplified the ability to perform quantitative, fully calibrated experiments. In this article, a theoretical scattering model is generalized to allow for arbitrary source and receiver configurations, while accounting for beam behavior through the total propagation path. This extension elucidates the importance and potential of out-of-plane scattering modes in the context of microstructure characterization. The scattering coefficient is explicitly written for the case of statistical isotropy and ellipsoidal …

Mechanized Advent Calendar, Oma Skyrus, Sigrid Derickson, Tyler Koski, Daniel Clifton

Mechanical Engineering

Within this document, the “Naughty and Nice” team will describe the details associated with the completion of this project, which involves creating an animated advent calendar for the Cambria Christmas Market. The problem, the customers and stakeholders, and the general goals of the project are introduced. The team conducted background research; how this research helps in finding a solution or supporting the needs of the sponsor is illustrated. Initial research includes interviews with the sponsor and potential users, patent and existing product searches, and some technical research pertaining to the subject. The team found that there are not many existing …

Flight Test Data System For Strain Measurement, Zachary David Wilson

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the design and evaluation of two devices to be included in the next generation of the family of devices called the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS). The first device, called the Quasi-Static Strain Data Acquisition System, is a continuation of the BLDS-M series of devices to be known as the Flight Test Data System (FTDS) that uses a modular approach to acquire non-flow, quasi-static mechanical strain measurements. Various breakout boards and development boards were used to synthesize the device, which were housed by a custom PCB board. The system is controlled by the Simblee^TM System on …