Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

An Investigation Of Methods For Actuating Robot Arms: Direct Vs. Pulley Vs. Bowden Cable Actuation Methods, Dallin Swiss, Dr. Mark Colton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A group of BYU researchers and therapists designed a robot named “Troy” for use in studies to investigate robot-assisted therapy for children with autism [1]. Troy was considered effective and successful but studies suggest that developing a new robot with greater realism and additional capabilities may promote greater clinical benefits [2]. The next robot must be safer and enable physical interaction between the robot and child. This can be done by controlling the weight, speed and flexibility of the robot arms. In particular, reducing their weight would reduce the inertial forces put on the child when interacting with the robot

Measuring Combustion Efficiency Of Improved Cookstoves And Associated Air Quality, Whitney Steed, Erin Hamson, Jeff Lord, Dr. Matt Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Statistics report that approximately three billion people in the world prepare their meals using solid fuels1. The incomplete combustion that comes from burning these solid fuels creates harmful fumes and particulate matter that damage human health. Our goal was to create standard methods to measure progress towards cleaner stove emissions, focusing on cookstoves in Peru. These consistent testing procedures will allow designers to assess the impact of design changes on cookstoves by using them to measure the combustion efficiency of biomass cookstoves and to measure the indoor air quality in homes where biomass cookstoves are used.

Direct Generation Of Smart Pareto Sets In Multiobjective Optimization, Braden Hancock, Dr. Christopher A. Mattson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In October 2013, we proposed the development of a method to directly generate smart Pareto sets of solutions in multiobjective optimization problems. Thanks to the opportunity that we received to pursue this research through an ORCA grant, we were able to develop that technology and disseminate it in the scientific community. The results of this research include a peer-reviewed journal article, a professional conference paper, a regional student conference paper, and an Honors thesis.

Influence Of Intermediate Lamina Propria Composition On Synthetic Vocal Fold Vibration: A Comparison Of The Epi And Stiff Ligament Models, Ryan Jenkins, Dr. Scott Thomson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The vocal folds are two multi-layered regions of tissue located in the larynx that vibrate as air flows past from the lungs. This vibration is the basis of voiced speech, one of mankind’s primary means of expression. Due to a complex fluid-structure-acoustic interaction and the inaccessibility of in vivo tissue for observation, synthetic models have been developed and used to study different aspects of the mechanics of speech production. This project compared the performance of two self-oscillating synthetic vocal fold models that differed in their composition of an internal tissue layer called the intermediate layer of the lamina propria. Until …

An Analytical Model For Heat Transfer Through A Thermoelectric Device Used In Waste Heat Recovery, Zachary Smith, Dr. Matthew Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A considerable amount of energy that is produced in a typical power generation process is rejected to the environment as low-grade waste heat. This heat is rejected at a temperature that is difficult to efficiently convert into electricity. One promising method of recovering this waste heat is through the use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that operate by means of the Seebeck effect. Effort has previously been placed in predicting the power output of TEGs. With knowledge of the temperature differential across a thermoelectric device and the properties of the electrical components the device is connected to, the electrical power output …

Reproducing Laboratory-Scale Rip Currents On A Barred Beach By A Boussinesq Wave Model, Ke-Zhao Fang, Ji-Wei Yin, Zhi-Li Zou, Zhong-Bo Liu, Ping Dong

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The pioneering work of Haller [8] on physically investigating bathymetry-controlled rip currents in the laboratory is a standard benchmark test for verifying numerical nearshore circulation models. In this paper, a numerical model based on higher-order Boussinesq equations was developed to reproduce the number of experiments involved in such an investigation, with emphasis on the effect of computational domain size on the numerical results. A set of Boussinesq equations with optimum linear properties and second-order full nonlinearity were solved using a higher-order finite difference scheme. Wave breaking, moving shoreline, bottom friction, and mixing were all treated empirically. The developed model was …

A Modelling Study Of Seawater Intrusion In The Liao Dong Bay Coastal Plain, China, Fei Ding, Takao Yamashita, Han Soo Lee, Graduate School For International Development And Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan Pan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

To investigate the extent of seawater intrusion in the Liao Dong Bay coastal plain, China, a numerical model for variable-density groundwater flow and miscible salt transport was developed. The SEAWAT code was used to solve the density-dependent groundwater flow and solute transport governing equations. The simulation was conducted for 55 months from October, 2004 to April, 2009. The numerical model was calibrated by the hydraulic heads measured in April, 2009. Using the calibrated model and the same hydrogeological conditions in 2004, the extent of seawater intrusion prediction was conducted for the next 40 years. The results show that the extent …

Experimental Study Of Characteristics Of Motions Of A Large Mooring Ship In Long-Period Waves, Xian-Ying Shi, Ning-Chuan Zhang, Chang-Ping Chen, Heng-Zhi Jiang, Lei Cui

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

By using the method of physical model tests, the characteristics of mooring ship’s motion responses in transverse long-period waves have been studied under different conditions, including such elements as loading conditions, wave heights, and specific patterns of mooring, etc. The results indicate that: the mooring ship’s movements of surge, sway and yaw had their own natural periods; the movement of sway was a period motion. The ratio of the natural period of sway and the natural rolling period of the mooring ship was within 1.11~1.23. The peak value of sway grew along with the increase of the wave period; the …

Subtalar Fusion Fixture Design And Test, Nathan Ortiz

Honors Theses

Subtalar arthrodesis is performed when cartilage in the talo-calcaneal (the ankle) joint is degraded in a patient and there are multiple approaches to this surgery. Using synthetic bone material, fixtures were cast from aluminum, using the process of evaporation pattern casting, and epoxy. This casting was used to grip the calcaneus bone of the foot in order to load it mechanically, simulating different scenarios that would be encountered during walking. The relative displacement of the ankle joint was measured using a digital image correlation (DIC) program that was modified to work in both two- and three-dimensional space. This program can …

Truncated Model Tests For Mooring Lines Of A Semi-Submersible Platform And Its Equivalent Compensated Method, Dong-Sheng Qiao, Jin-Ping Ou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study conducted a model test of 1:100 model scale of a semi-submersible platform with a 1500 m full-depth mooring system in the Joint Laboratory of Wind Tunnel & Wave Flume at Harbin Institute of Technology. A truncated mooring system of 400 m water depth was designed based on the static equivalent principle. The semi-submersible platform was tested under regular wave excitation periods that ranged from 10 s to 45 s and one year of irregular wave conditions in the South China Sea. The results validated the feasibility of using numerical simulation in the motions calculation of semisubmersible platform and …

Liquefaction Potential Of Non-Plastic Silty Sand, Chun-Chi Chen, Wei F Lee, Jing-Wen Chen, Kenji Ishihara

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper is to introduce research progress on liquefaction potential of undisturbed high fines content non-plastic silty sand. A new sampling technique that was applied to the field allowing sensitive and high fines content silty sand material to be retrieved in sounding condition is described. Laboratory tests on the liquefaction resistance of non-plastic silty sand that emphasized on the influence of fines content percentages were conducted. It concludes that soil liquefaction would occur in non-plastic silty sand deposits even with high nonplastic fines contents. Both fines contents and void ratios have deterministic influences to the cyclic resistance of such silty …

Design And Analysis Of A Cold Gas Propulsion System For Stabilization And Maneuverability Of A High Altitude Research Balloon, Mitchell Brownell

Honors Theses

The need for a cold gas propulsion system is crucial to the scientific industry which allows for maneuvering and stabilizing a high altitude research balloon and propose an inexpensive, light weight design that researchers can reproduce. The methodology to the design of this system was based on factors that are all dependent upon one another. The parameters that directed the decisions made throughout this design project was the thrust needed to rotate the unit, and the allowable weight permitted by federal regulations. The frame was designed with a gas storage system, gas transmission system, and nozzle assembly which was integrated …

Dynamics And Cutting Stability Of Dynamically Loaded Worktable Subjected To Elastic Supports, Kuo-Chiang Cha, Nenzi Wang, Jen-Yi Liao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper investigated the dynamic characteristics and the cutting stability of a dynamically loaded worktable on elastic supports in a surface grinder. The operation of worktables is usually dynamically loaded in various positions, which results in a complex system of governing equations. In this study, the assumptions of elastic and rigid body modes of a free-free beam were specified in analyzing the worktable. By combining the Lagrange energy method with the technique of assumed mode expansion, the system of equations was developed. The absolute value of the maximum negative real part of the overall dynamic compliance (MNRPODC) and the limiting …

The Design Of A Mobile, Animatronic Bald Eagle, Eric Burns

Phi Kappa Phi Research Symposium (Archived)

Modern animatronics are used as a tool to help engage audiences in realistic and entertaining experiences. Many animatronic figures are dynamic in movement, but static in mobility. The research presented covers the beginnings of mobile animatronic research. An animatronic bald eagle, Opportunity, was designed for that purpose. Animations for Opportunity are generated by integration of Arduino, Pololu Mini Maestro, and Hitec Servo Motors. Arduino receives signals from flex sensors which cause voltage variations when “flexed”. The 1:1 scale, animatronic eagle can be perched on the arm of an “actor” who simulates an eagle’s caretaker. The flex sensors are located within …

Electroplating Of Nickel And Copper Layers On Nanoengineered Plastics, Brandon Voelker, Muralidhar K. Ghantasala, Jeff Wheeler

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

• The motivation for this project is the development and proposed use of novel nanoengineered polymeric materials in many industrial and commercial applications. This necessitated the development of a robust metallic coating that can withstand aggressive environmental conditions.
• This research explores the methods of electroplating nickel and copper to the substrate, including the effects of various duty cycles and cathode current density

A 3-D Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model For Rectangular Cantilever Beams With An Arbitrary Force End-Load, Jairo Renato Chimento

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation introduces a novel three-dimensional pseudo-rigid-body model (3-D PRBM) for straight cantilever beams with rectangular cross sections. The model is capable of capturing the behavior of the neutral axis of a beam loaded with an arbitrary force end-load. Numerical integration of a system of differential equations yields approximate displacement and orientation of the beam's neutral axis at the free end, and curvatures of the neutral axis at the fixed end. This data was used to develop the 3-D PRBM which consists of two torsional springs connecting two rigid links for a total of 2 degrees of freedom (DOF). The …

Modeling Replenishment Of Ultrathin Liquid Perfluoropolyether Z Films On Solid Surfaces Using Monte Carlo Simulation, M.S. Mayeed, T. Kato

Faculty Articles

Applying the reptation algorithm to a simplified perfluoropolyether Z off-lattice polymer model an NVT Monte Carlo simulation has been performed. Bulk condition has been simulated first to compare the average radius of gyration with the bulk experimental results. Then the model is tested for its ability to describe dynamics. After this, it is applied to observe the replenishment of nanoscale ultrathin liquid films on solid flat carbon surfaces. The replenishment rate for trenches of different widths (8, 12, and 16 nms for several molecular weights) between two films of perfluoropolyether Z from the Monte Carlo simulation is compared to that …

Autonomous Indoor Localization For Fire Safety And Resource Location Via Field Mapping Techniques, Jaeyoung Kim, Kartik Ariyur, Yan Cui, Benjamin D. Branch, Joshua Ebung Umo

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

An overall result of this collaboration between the Mechanical Engineering Dept. and the Purdue University Libraries (PUL) should result in building a big data framework that make have knowledge transfer for similar large scale geospatial data implementations. Such may promote best practices of data management where the library skill sets may aid faculty research and student learning. Here, the PUL is concerned with advancing the Mechanical Engineering‘s STEM pipeline capacity with this type of research, collaboration and data management engagement.

Autonomous Indoor Localization For Fire Safety And Resource Location Via Field Mapping Techniques (Android Version), Joshua Ebung Umo, Yan Cui, Kartik Ariyur, Benjamin D. Branch, Jaeyoung Kim

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

An overall result of this collaboration between the Mechanical Engineering Dept. and the Purdue University Libraries (PUL) should result in building a big data framework that make have knowledge transfer for similar large scale geospatial data implementations. Such may promote best practices of data management where the library skill sets may aid faculty research and student learning. Here, the PUL is concerned with advancing the Mechanical Engineering‘s STEM pipeline capacity with this type of research, collaboration and data management engagement.

Junior Design: Automatic Page Turner, Matthew Stewart, Jesse Mcintire, Seth Tilson, Hector Ortiz, Ed Meserve

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

This project details the design and build process of an automatic pageturner. The primary goal of this project is to design and manufacture a product that not only has an efficient operation, but is easy to use for people with disabilities and minimal assistance. The device will consist of a mechanical structure to support the book, an electrical system to facilitate the turning of pages in both directions, and additional features to support comfort and readability, such as LED reading lights.