Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

An Agri-Food Supply Chain Model To Enhance The Business Skills Of Small-Scale Farmers Using Corporate Social Responsibility, Wahyudi Sutopo, Muh. Hisjam, Yuniaristanto Yuniaristanto

Makara Journal of Technology

In general, small-scale vegetable farmers experience problems in improving the safety and quality of vegetables for supplying high-class consumers in modern retailers. Farmer Group and/or Cooperative (FGC) should be able to assist its members to meet the relevant provisions of modern retail on product specifications, delivery terms, and internal business requirements. This study proposed an agri-food supply chain (ASC) model that involves the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to enhance the business skills of the FGC as supplier of modern retailer. Multi-objective optimization programming is developed to determine the amount and timing of supply, level of farmers training skills, quality …

The Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis Of Water Process: An Investigation Of The Electrochemistry In A Base, Jessica Guertin

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The solar research team at Valparaiso University is developing solar thermal chemical processes that will transform solar energy into economically viable and reusable energy forms. One subgroup is working on the Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis of Water Process. In this multi-step process, the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen occurs at room temperature outside of the solar reactor, and it is facilitated by the oxidation of magnetite (Fe3O4) to hematite (Fe2O3). The hematite is then pumped to the solar reactor where it is reduced back to magnetite at high temperatures with the liberation of oxygen. This cycle is then repeated. …

Aircraft Route Optimization For Heterogeneous Formation Flight, Jia Xu, Andrew Ning, Geoffrey Bower, Ilan Kroo

Faculty Publications

We examine the value of extended formation flight in the context of airline operations. The study is based on a bi-level route optimization framework. The aircraft performance model includes the effects of rolled-up wakes, formation heterogeneity, and formation-induced compressibility effects. We incorporate airline economics to understand the trade-off between speed and drag savings in the context of formation flight. The application of formation flight to a representative South African Airlines (SAA) long-haul route network can reduce fuel burn by over 4.6% or reduce direct operating cost by 2.1%. The savings increase to 6.8% in fuel or 2.4% in cost when …

Microstructure Selection Of Sm–Co–Al Alloys To Increase Magnetization, Brian Dick

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

An ever increasing demand for higher performing magnets drives the need for new and innovative methods to achieve this goal. Sm-Co rare earth permanent magnets have a unique eutectic microstructure that, through refinement, could become a two-phase magnet which would significantly increase their energy product. The eutectic structure of Sm₈Co₉₂ is comprised of αCo rods embedded within a Sm₂Co₁₇ matrix. If the rods are small enough to encourage exchange coupling and the matrix is smaller than the single domain limit, then an efficient two-phase magnet is created.

Refining the Co rods and matrix size …

Error Reduction And Effect Of Step Size In Adjustment Calculus For Cam Applications, Sai Siddhartha Nudurupati

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Any measurement, however carefully done, will never be free from errors. Similarly, machining of cams for automobiles is prone to contain errors. These errors are naturally a part and parcel of cam manufacturing. The nature of deviations of the manufactured cam profile from the theoretical cam determines its usability. Sometimes, allowable deviations in high speed cams may be in the order of 2540 µm. Larger deviations will disqualify the cams for applications.

Velocity and acceleration of the cam are estimated from the measured displacement of the cam follower during quality control implementation. This data helps in eliminating the unfit cams. …

Development And Recommendations For A Non-Proprietary, High-Tension, Cable End Terminal System, Ryan J. Terpsma

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cable guardrail systems have been increasing in popularity in recent years due to several perceived benefits over the commonly used W-beam guardrail. A non-proprietary design was desired as an alternative to the many proprietary designs available. A non-proprietary, high-tension cable end terminal was necessary to accompany the non-proprietary, high-tension cable guardrail system under development.

The objective of this research project was to develop design recommendations for a non-proprietary, high-tension cable end terminal. An analysis of several cable guardrail end terminals was undertaken to identify any common features that may prove to be beneficial or detrimental to end terminal designs. Next, …

A Nanoporous Silicon Nitride Membrane Using A Two-Step Lift-Off Pattern Transfer With Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography, Bhargav P. Nabar, Zeynep Çelik-Butler, Brian H. Dennis, Richard E. Billo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanoimprint lithography is emerging as a viable contender for fabrication of large-scale arrays of 5500 nm features. A fabrication process for the realization of thin nanoporous membranes using thermal nanoimprint lithography is presented. Suspended silicon nitride membranes were fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) in conjunction with a potassium hydroxide-based bulk micromachining process. Nanoscale features were imprinted into a commercially available thermoplastic polymer resist using a prefabricated silicon mold. The pattern was reversed and transferred to a thin aluminum oxide layer by means of a novel two-stage lift-off technique. The patterned aluminum oxide was used as an etch mask …

Corrosion Rate Of Carbon Steel For Flowline And Pipeline As Transmission Pipe In Natural Gas Production With Co2 Content, Andi Rustandi, Muhammad Adyutatama, Enriko Fadly, Norman Subekti

Makara Journal of Technology

The purpose of this research is to investigate the corrosion rate of carbon steel as flowline and pipeline in natural gas production with CO2 content. The influence of variety of conditions that represent the actual conditions in practice such as CO2 partial pressure and solution composition, particularly NaCl percentage were performed. Research conducted by polarization test and simulation methods using PREDICTTM software. The result of this research is used to illustrate the level of corrosion rate of typical carbon steel i.e. API 5L X-52 occurred in natural gas pipelines due to the effect of dissolved CO2. From the experiments obtained …

Modification Of Flow Structure Over A Van Model By Suction Flow Control To Reduce Aerodynamics Drag, Harinaldi Harinaldi, Budiarso Budiarso, Warjito Warjito, Engkos Achmad Kosasih, Rustan Tarakka, Sabar Pangihutan Simanungkalit, I Gusti Made Fredy Lay Teryanto

Makara Journal of Technology

Automobile aerodynamic studies are typically undertaken to improve safety and increase fuel efficiency as well as to find new innovation in automobile technology to deal with the problem of energy crisis and global warming. Some car companies have the objective to develop control solutions that enable to reduce the aerodynamic drag of vehicle and significant modification progress is still possible by reducing the mass, rolling friction or aerodynamic drag. Some flow control method provides the possibility to modify the flow separation to reduce the development of the swirling structures around the vehicle. In this study, a family van is modeled …

Engineering Innovation And Design For Stem Teachers And The Stem Quality Framework, James Rowley, Sandi Preiss, Margaret Pinnell, Suzanne Franco

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The backbone of economic growth in the United States relies on engineering innovation. However, engineering innovation cannot occur without engineers and scientists. Unfortunately however, many K-12 students do not have a good understanding of the engineering design process or the vast field of engineering. As a result, many students lose interest in math and science and do not pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. This paper will describe a unique partnership among the Teacher Education Program and School of Engineering at the University of Dayton (UD) and the Dayton Regional STEM Center (DRSC). This partnership initiated with the …

Age, Gender, And Muscle Strength: A Study Based On Indonesian Samples, Henny Henny, Hardianto Iridiastadi, Iftikar Zahedi Sutalaksana

Makara Journal of Technology

Age and gender have been commonly used as a main criterion in accepting a job aplicant, but it is usually not clear how these affect job performance. While a number of recent studies have been done that describe the relationships between age, gender, and participants capacity (e.g., muscle strength), the results have been inconclusive. In Indonesia, in particular, such issues have been rarely investigated, and it is still important to study the issue since the relationships between these factors are population-specific. This study aimed at describing the relationships between age and muscle strength among workers for both genders. Ninety-six male …

Circularly Polarized Microstrip Array Antenna For Ground Segment In Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, Fitri Yuli Zulkifli, Eko Tjipto Rahardjo

Makara Journal of Technology

In satellite communication system, antenna plays an important role. Therefore, the antenna must meet some requirements, such as high gain, circular polarization, and good directivity. In this paper, a four element linear array triangular patch microstrip antenna with cross slot is designed to be used for Quasi-Zenith satellite system. A simulation study as well as experimental study was carried out. The simulation showed that the 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 87 MHz (2.569-2.656 GHz) is achieved while the measured results showed 96 MHz (2.556-2.652 GHz). The linear array of 4 element antenna has a gain of 13.73 dB and …

Numerical Study Of The Performance Of A Model Scramjet Engine, Ayad Alhumadi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A computational parametric investigation was conducted to study the effect of variations to several geometric parameters on the performance of a two-dimensional model scramjet engine (square cross section area for 3-D model). Geometric parameters included backstep location, height, and angle and fuel injector angle, diameter, and location. Two- and three-dimensional geometries have been studied, using a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (FLUENT) with structured grids with sizes between 50,000 and 90,000 cells for the two-dimensional geometry and with structured hexahedral grid sizes between 650,000 and 949,725 cells for the three-dimensional geometry. Otherwise, identical values of program inputs were utilized …

Molecular Dynamics Studies On Nanoscale Gas Transport, Murat Barisik

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Three-dimensional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of nanoscale gas flows are studied to reveal surface effects. A smart wall model that drastically reduces the memory requirements of MD simulations for gas flows is introduced. The smart wall molecular dynamics (SWMD) represents three-dimensional FCC walls using only 74 wall Molecules. This structure is kept in the memory and utilized for each gas molecule surface collision. Using SWMD, fluid behavior within nano-scale confinements is studied for argon in dilute gas, dense gas, and liquid states. Equilibrium MD method is employed to resolve the density and stress variations within the static fluid. Normal stress …

A Complete Autonomous Vehicle Solution: An Asv Case Study, Justin Michael Selfridge

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The field of robotics has grown at an astonishing rate over the past two decades, and the interest in autonomous vehicles has grown even faster. Autonomous vehicles offer the unique promise of removing drivers from dangerous environments, and increasing the efficiency of our highways. However, the development of these systems is no trivial task. For an autonomous vehicle to effectively navigate and interact with the world, the vehicle must ( 1) determine where it is located and create an accurate assessment of its surroundings, (2) develop a feasible navigational path based on the current surroundings and the vehicle's destination, and …

Design Of A Catenoidal Shaped Anechoic Termination, Kyle Myers

Masters Theses

An analytical model is developed in this thesis to predict the reflection coefficient of an anechoic termination consisting of a catenoidal horn connected to a tube lined with absorbing material. The theoretical predictions are compared to experimental measurements on a prototype. Comparisons are made for a variety of arrangements, including, an open horn, and a horn connected to absorbing terminations of two different lengths. The absorbing terminations are either open or closed to the environment and the analytical model can account for both these scenarios. The results indicate that the new model can accurately predict the reflection coefficient for each …

Water Main Break Rates In The Usa And Canada: A Comprehensive Study, April 2012, Steven Folkman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Modern societies base their economic prosperity on a standard of living which includes a complex network of infrastructure, both above and below ground. Quality drinking water brought to the tap through elaborate underground distribution systems is a critical component to our public health and economic well-being. In the USA and Canada, it has been the hallmark of our industry and cooperation.

EVIDENCE OF DECLINE

Our water infrastructure is now in decline after decades of service. The signs of distress surface daily as water mains break, creating floods and sink holes. The loss of water service is more than an inconvenience, …

Facility Implementation, Production, And Use Of Biodiesel On A University Campus, Michelle Erin Rodio

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

During the last two years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been in the process of having a fully-functional biodiesel processing facility on campus. Within this time, it was shown that biodiesel was a great alternative to diesel fuel based on emissions, performance, and cost, allowing for a grant of $10,000 being awarded to fund the project. Upon properly producing biodiesel, the fuel was tested in a John Deere 2653A tractor to see what differences, if any, existed when using a biodiesel blend over diesel fuel. In doing this, carbon buildup and fuel economy were compared, and a cost analysis conducted. It …

Concurrent Engineering Of Tolerance Synthesis And Process Selection For Products With Multiple Quality Characteristcs Considering Process Capability, Mohamad Imron Mustajib

Makara Journal of Technology

The existences of variances that are very difficult to be removed from manufacturing processes provide significance of tolerance to the product quality characteristics target of customer functional requirement. Furthermore, quality loss incurred due to deviation of quality characteristics of the target with a specified tolerance. This article discusses the development of concurrent engineering optimization model of tolerance design and manufacturing process selection on product with multiple quality characteristics by minimizing total costs in the system, namely total manufacturing cost and quality loss cost as functions of tolerance, also rework and scrap costs. The considered multiple quality characteristics have interrelated tolerance …

Pineapple Liquid Waste As Nata De Pina Raw Material, Agus Sutanto

Makara Journal of Technology

This research aims to study the quantity, quality, ecological and economic feasibility of nata de pina production (NP) from pineapple liquid waste (PLW). The design of the study employs complete random design (CRD) with three treatments: PLW without nutrients addition (A), PLW nutrients addition (B), and PLW stored for six months with nutrients addition (C). The nata de pina’s production factors measured were weight, thickness, fiber content, color, brightness, and residual waste. The highest weight was reached in treatment B (899 grams), followed by treatment A (616.4 grams), and C (477.8 grams). The thickness of NP of the height and …