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Characterization Of Bamboo Petung Fiber Reinforced Composites With Environmentally Friendly Enzymes, Rudianto Raharjo, Teguh Dwi Widodo, Redi Bintarto, Fikrul Akbar Alamsyah

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Natural fiber composites are a good choice for many businesses uses because of their better mechanical properties and are friendly environment. Researchers are currently looking into bamboo petung fiber (BPF) and epoxy composites as alternative to synthetic fibers and products made from petroleum. This study's goal is to improve the overall performance of these composites while reducing the need for non-organic materials. This study used the various concentration of bromelain enzyme in BPF to changes the mechanical and physical properties of epoxy composites made from BPF. Composites were characterized the mechanical properties including tensile strength using tensile tester, impact strength …

Tear Resistance Evaluation Of Room Temperature Vulcanizing Silicone Rubber: A Comparative Study, F R. Mawandi, P D. Safitri, D Mirnanda, F H. R. Nurrokhim, Ndaru Adyono, W D. Lestari

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) silicone cures at room conditions, providing tear resistance and flexibility to a wide range of industries. Yet, its mechanical performance improvement continues to be difficult when it is filled and catalyzed. In this work, the tear resistance of three RTV materials—RTV 48, RTV 683, and RTV M4503—is investigated with different talc (2–4 wt.%) and catalyst (40–60 wt.%) formulations. Tear resistance testing per ASTM D624 yielded average and standard deviation values for material consistency determinations. Comparative analysis is also given in the research to ascertain the effect of over-cross-linking on elasticity and structural morphology. RTV 48 experienced …

Effect Of Thickness Of Nanofiber Separator Membrane Pan/Pvdf On Supercapacitor’S Performance, Silvia Nurlaili Agustina, Markus Diantoro, Hartatiek Hartatiek, Nasikhudin Nasikhudin

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Separators in supercapacitors have an important role as intermediaries for ions that pass during the chargedischarge process and affect the performance of supercapacitors. Therefore, a comprehensive study is needed related to separator characteristics, including morphology, pore size, diameter, functional group, and electrochemical performance of separator membranes from PAN/PVDF composites. The separator membrane was synthesized using the electrospinning method with thickness variation (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 layers), followed by supercapacitor fabrication with coin cell device. The resulting membrane was then characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). For the result of supercapacitor fabrication with coin …

Simulation Of Magnet Thickness And Angle Of Attack On Magnetic Force For Magnetic Turbine Design, Eka Pratama, Wirawan Wirawan

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Electric motors play a vital role across various industries. As their electricity demand grows, improving efficiency has become a priority. One area of innovation involves the use of magnetic strips for improving performance. This study aims to determine the magnet thickness and the angle of attack position in producing the strongest repulsive force in the magnetic turbine. The study used a simulation using SOLIDWORKS and EMS software, applying neodymium N52 magnets with varying sizes and angles of attack. The results indicate that the most efficient magnetic turbine configuration utilizes rotor and stator magnets with dimensions of Ø10 × 20 mm …

Harnessing The Role Of Carbon Black: A New Frontier For Energy-Density Supercapacitor Electrodes, Ana Yuli Komariyah, Ishmah Luthfiyah, Ida Vaeruza Albadi’Ah, Nasikhudin Nasikhudin, Worawat Meevasana, Markus Diantoro

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The performance of activated carbon (AC)-based supercapacitor electrodes is often limited by poor electrical conductivity, prompting interest in conductive additives such as carbon black (CB). This study explores the transformative potential of CB as a conductive additive in AC-based supercapacitor electrodes and systematically investigates CB mass loadings of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, using styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as the binder. The findings in this study demonstrate that 10% CB is the optimal loading, offering a balanced performance in terms of structure, morphology, and capacitance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals a distinct structural evolution at 10% CB, characterized by the …

Surface Analysis Of Bacterial Cellulose Membrane Made From Biowaste Added With Zno Nanopowder, Naufal Rizky Amasda, Heru Suryanto, Uun Yanuhar, Aminnudin Aminnudin, Fajar Nusantara, Quota Alief Sias

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Utilization of pineapple biowaste is important to increase the value added to biowaste and solve the environmental problem. So, the study objective is to synthesize membranes of bacterial cellulose made from pineapple biowaste and characterize the surface morphology and porosity of the membrane after being added with ZnO nanopowder. The study starts with extracting biowaste as a bacterial cellulose culture medium for the fermentation process. The obtained pellicle was crushed and homogenized with the added ZnO nanopowder in the presence of ultrasonic waves. The membrane is dried in the oven. The membrane morphology was monitored using scanning electron microscope and …

Influence Of Different Nanoparticles On Thermophysical Properties And Wear Resistance Of Corn Oil-Based Cutting Fluid In Mql-Cnc Milling Machining, M Nuril Anwar Habiby, Poppy Puspitasari, Aminnudin Aminnudin, Diki Dwi Pramono, Ahmad Atif Fikri, Mariyam Jameelah Ghazali

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Vegetable oil-based cutting fluids have emerged as a promising innovation in machining operations, supporting the advancement of sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing practices. This study delves into the development of a biolubricant derived from corn oil, enriched with 0.15% mass fractions of various nanoparticles, including calcium carbonate (CaCO3), copper oxide (CuO), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). These nano-cutting fluids were applied through the Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) method during CNC milling of AISI 1045 steel. The investigation focused on evaluating thermophysical properties, including density, thermal conductivity, and dynamic viscosity, as well as tool wear performance. The results demonstrated that CuO nanoparticles …

Predicting Leakage From Nuclear Material Containers At Los Alamos National Laboratory Through Drop Testing, Leak Testing, Finite Element Analysis And Digital Image Correlation, Jude M. Oka, Yu-Lin Shen, Osman Anderoglu, Pankaj Kumar, Rajendra Vaidya

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) relies on containment vessels to safely manage special nuclear material. These containers are subject to rigorous testing—such as drop, fire, and water ingress testing—to ensure integrity under adverse conditions. While elastomer-based seals are well studied, metal-to-metal sealing mechanisms remain under investigation, particularly under dynamic loading. This research focuses on the relationship between container mating surfaces and impact loading through drop testing. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models were developed and validated using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to measure strain during impact. Drop tests at varying heights showed strong correlation between FEA and DIC results, confirming the …

Networked Systems: Synchronization, Decomposition And Transient Dynamics, Amirhossein Nazerian

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation investigates synchronization, transient dynamics, control, and signal amplification in networked dynamical systems. First, it examines complete and cluster synchronization, including cases with large parametric mismatches, in both natural (e.g., brain networks, fireflies) and technological systems (e.g., power grids, robotics). Second, it studies transient dynamics in consensus processes, designing synchronization strategies that link reactivity, contraction theory, and Lyapunov exponents. Third, it addresses the computational limits of Model Predictive Control (MPC) for large networks by introducing an algebraic decomposition method that enables parallel online computation of smaller subproblems, enhancing MPC performance under hardware constraints. Finally, it analyzes the structural role …

Instability Analysis In Cylindrical Thin Film–Compliant Core Structures: Numerical Simulations And Effects Of Inelastic Deformation, Md Al Rifat Anan

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

When a thin film bonded to a thick compliant substrate is subject to in-plane compression, wrinkles can develop if the critical state for instability is reached. In various applications the film/substrate system may also take the form of cylindrical fibers, where an axial compressive loading can trigger axisymmetric wrinkles. A straightforward computational approach to simulate such wrinkling behavior is needed for material design, to either prevent wrinkling or to exploit its benefits for flexible device applications. In this work a comprehensive numerical study is undertaken by employing the finite element method. The embedded imperfection approach used previously for planar structures …

Multiscale And Multi-Model Studies Of Metal Plasticity, Luo Li

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Plastic deformation is the process in which the material deforms permanently due to external effects. Twinning and slip are two main mechanisms of plastic deformation in metallic materials. The prominent mechanism of plastic deformation in metals that have FCC crystal structures is slip or gliding movement of dislocations, which is mainly focused on here. In the current study, frameworks for investigating plasticity phenomena of metals at different scales ranging from microscale to macroscale are demonstrated. Specifically, the macroscale modeling of plastic response of metallic materials induced by indentations are emulated by nonlinear FEA simulations. Simulation results of macroscale modeling are …

Photocatalytic Self-Pumping Membranes, Lily D. Farmer, David Warsinger, Sudharshan Anandan

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

The physics of nanofiltration is not well understood, as many types of membranes and filters exist, but they all interact very differently with the substance they are filtering. This research investigates membranes that can autonomously pump fluid through catalytic reactions. The first set of experiments was to collect zeta potential measurements as zeta potential is a critical property that directly affects fluid transport. Zeta potential was measured using the Anton Parr SURPASS 3, which measures the sample by streaming a given solution through a channel of membranes and uses the Smoluchowski equation to return the zeta potential value. Measurements were …

Incorporating Industry-Standard Technical Writing Into A Materials Testing Laboratory, Caleb Levi Head

Theses and Dissertations

The fluid analysis and materials testing laboratories are crucial for engineering students to learn experimental procedures and data interpretation. Engineers spend a significant portion of their workday on report writing, yet many feel their undergraduate education did not adequately prepare them for this task. At the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, students were given an industry-influenced lab report template to expand their knowledge of the necessary information required in technical writing, thereby teaching and improving their technical writing skills actively. These reports were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively against previous submissions over two semesters in the mechanical engineering fluids and …

Fundamental Exploration Of Soot Formation And Morphology From A Molecular Modeling Perspective, Khaled Mosharraf Mukut

Dissertations (1934 -)

Soot formation remains one of the least understood phenomena in combustion science, posing significant challenges due to its complex physicochemical nature and considerable environmental and health impacts. This dissertation presents a comprehensive molecular-level investigation into the fundamental mechanisms governing soot inception, particle growth, and morphological evolution through state-of-the-art reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations of acetylene pyrolysis. A novel computational analysis utility, Molecular Arrangement and Fringe Identification and Analysis from Molecular Dynamics (MAFIA-MD), was developed to accurately characterize soot particle formation, providing detailed insights into chemical composition, internal structure, and surface characteristics. Critical physicochemical markers defining the boundary between gas-phase species …

Hourly Sulfur Dioxide Observations Over North America: First Retrieval Results From Tempo, Can Li, Nickolay A. Krotkov, Joanna Joiner, Simon Carn, Vitali Fioletov, Chris Mclinden, Debora Griffin, Xiong Liu, Heesung Chong

Michigan Tech Publications

We present the first sulfur dioxide (SO2) retrievals from Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), the first geostationary atmospheric composition sensor to cover North America, along with some potential applications of TEMPO SO2 data. We show that high resolution (∼10 km²) TEMPO measurements can be used to produce good quality SO2 retrievals with relatively small noise and biases. We demonstrate that hourly TEMPO data are useful for monitoring volcanic hazards, by providing frequent updates on the plume location and additional information on the plume height or winds. With the large number of measurements from TEMPO, it is also …

Recent Advances In Modelling Of Frost Formation For Mechanical Systems, Yong Tao

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The physics underlying frost and ice formation has been extensively studied over the past few decades, with significant contributions to our understanding of this phenomenon. These insights have primarily been applied to engineering systems with refrigerated surfaces, such as refrigerators, freezers and heat pumps of various sizes. Despite considerable progress, the dynamic and complex mechanisms governing frost and ice formation remain an active area of research, as competing factors continue to challenge predictive accuracy. The increasing interest from stakeholders in reducing energy consumption and carbon footprints in mechanical systems further underscores the importance of advancing modelling and simulation capabilities in …

Numerical Simulation Of Frost Formation And Heat Transfer On Fin-And-Tube Heat Exchangers In Turbulent Cross-Flow, Mahsan Farzaneh, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. Balachandar, S. A. Sherif

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Frost formation in fin-and-tube heat exchangers in turbulent cross-flow presents significant challenges in industrial refrigeration applications, affecting heat transfer efficiency and operational reliability. The purpose of this work is to investigate frost deposition and growth on a staggered bank of a fin-and-tube freezer coil under turbulent forced convection conditions. The focus here is on investigating conditions that closely replicate real-world scenarios in large walk-in industrial freezers. Using a direct numerical simulation approach, we examine the flow dynamics and thermal behaviour in the presence of frost, considering turbulent regimes characterized by a Reynolds number in the range 1050≤𝑅⁢𝑒𝐷,avg≤4800, with the characteristic …

Stokes-Dependent Droplet Collection Efficiency On A Naca 0012 Airfoil From Droplet-Informed Simulations With Statistical Overloading, Arash Shad, Hashnayne Ahmed, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. Balachandar, S. A. Sherif

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate modelling of ice accretion on aircraft wings requires analysing droplet impingement on the surface to optimize the design of ice-protection systems. We perform Euler–Lagrange simulations of a droplet-laden flow impinging on a NACA 0012 airfoil. Our study includes water droplets with eight discrete sizes ranging from 1 to 160 microns. We vary the free-stream velocity of the incoming airflow in the range 60≤⁢𝑈≤⁢240 m s−1 and the chord length of the airfoil in the range 0.5≤⁢𝑐≤⁢2 m. Due to the dilute nature of supercooled clouds, one-way coupling is used in the simulations. The effects of droplet breakup and collision …

A Rigorous Framework For An Improved Messinger/Myers Model Of Ice Accretion Under Conditions Of Variable Property And Unsteady Aircraft Icing, Hashnayne Ahmed, Arash Shad, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. A. Sherif, S. Balachandar

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

We analyse the Messinger/Myers model by critically evaluating simplifying assumptions through a rigorous formulation of the rime ice accretion process. We explore the effects of both constant and variable ice density and thermal conductivity, along with the effects of sublimation from the ice surface. The effects of key factors such as droplet impact rate, ambient temperature relative to the freezing temperature and the temperature difference between the ambient air and the airfoil surface are examined. Under these varying conditions, the present rigorous formulation is used to assess the significance of unsteady effects, variable ice properties and sublimation. We observe that …

Aeroponic System Optimization For Butterhead Lettuce Growth And Future Sustainability Using Flow Blurring Atomization: An Overview, Taylor J. Johnson

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

The global population has grown by 6 billion people over the last century and is trending toward 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. Agriculture accounts for 70% of global fresh water usage. Technology must be developed to accommodate the increase of food production demanded by the growing global population and the subsequent increase in water usage. Aeroponic technology is a water-efficient vertical farming technology that can reduce water usage by 90% by suspending plant roots in air within a controlled chamber and supplying atomized droplets of a water-nutrient solution directly to the roots.

This study simultaneously tests six droplet …

The Design And Effect Of Continuum Robot Compliance On Locomotion, Parsa Molaei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Continuum robots, due to their compliant structures and ability to navigate through constrained environments, offer significant advantages in applications requiring safe physical interaction and dexterous motion. However, challenges related to limited structural stiffness, payload capacity, and precise control remain open problems in the field. This dissertation presents novel contributions aimed at addressing these limitations through two main actuation units of continuum robots: tendon-driven continuum robots (TDCRs) and concentric tube robots (CTRs). In the first part, we focus on methods to improve the stability and modify the stiffness of the TDCR. A tendon decoupling strategy is introduced for planar TDCRs. The …

The Potential Of Microbial Fuel Cells As A Dual Solution For Sustainable Wastewater Treatment And Energy Generation: A Case Study, Shajjadur Rahman Shajid, Monjur Mourshed, Md. Golam Kibria, Bahman Shabani

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical systems that harness microorganisms to convert organic pollutants in wastewater directly into electricity, offering a dual solution for sustainable wastewater treatment and renewable energy generation. This paper presents a holistic techno-economic and environmental feasibility assessment of largescale MFC deployment in Dhaka’s industrial zone, Bangladesh, as a relevant case study. Here, treating 100,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily would require a capital investment of approximately USD 500 million, with a total project cost ranging between USD 307.38 million and 1.711 billion, depending on system configurations. This setup has an estimated theoretical energy recovery of 478.4 …

Soft Hexapod Robot With Tendon-Driven Continuum Legs For Internal Infrastructure Inspection, Setayesh Yavari

LSU Master's Theses

The need for robotic systems capable of operating in confined, hazardous, or complex environments has driven interest in soft and legged platforms for industrial inspection and structural integrity assessment. This thesis presents the design and fabrication of a tentacle-like, soft-legged hexapod robot, which uses six cable-stiffened, pre-curved, tendon-driven continuum robot (TDCR) legs. These biologically inspired legs are designed to offer a balance between compliance and control, enabling the robot to navigate unstructured terrains and potentially grasp cylindrical structures such as pipes. The design phase involved the development and comparison of multiple leg geometries using CAD modeling and finite element analysis …

Machine Tool Interoperability In Smart Manufacturing And Industry 4.0, M. R. Mccormick, Mohammed Shafae, Thorsten Wuest

Faculty Publications

Real-time decision making is supported by data-hungry emerging technologies such as machine learning and digital twins. Innovations in manufacturing process control utilizing these technologies are constrained by interoperability. Marketing materials, sales pitches, and academic literature portray interoperability on the factory floor as seamless and robust. However, this study demonstrates that in spite of plentiful mature standards, interoperability on the factory floor is neither seamless nor robust. To exemplify interoperability in the context of an established and widely adopted standard, this study analyzes the interoperability of machine tools produced by a premier equipment builder which has exceeded US$1 billion in sales …

Development Of An Experimental Stand For The Study Of The Directions Of Movement And Velocity Of Air Flows In The Pneumatic Channel Of The Final Aspiration Of The Muz-16 Air Sieve Separator, Alexey Igorevich Ermakov, Alexey Alexandrovich Yazenkov, Sergey Anatolyevich Zelenko, Zulfiya Kakhramonovna Ergasheva

Technical science and innovation

The article describes the principle of operation of the MUZ-16 air-sieve separator produced by CJSC Borisov Plant Metalist, intended for preliminary, primary and secondary purification of grain and seeds of cereals, legumes, cereal crops and rapeseed. The results of a study of the directions of air flow in the MUZ-16 aspiration system and the efficiency of purifying buckwheat from impurities that differ in aerodynamic properties are presented. It has been established that the part of the MUZ-16 aspiration system, responsible for preliminary aspiration, works effectively, while the part of the system responsible for the final aspiration of the grain mixture …

Research Of Hereditarily Deformable Structures Under Seismic Impacts, Abdali Abdukarimov, Kazbek Nuratdinov

Technical science and innovation

This article examines the responses of a structure to both single-component and multi-component seismic impacts if they are generally described by three linear displacements and three rotations of the foundation relative to three orthogonal axes.

A mathematical apparatus has been created that allows developing statistical theories of seismic resistance for studying hereditarily deformable structures under random seismic impacts. Using impulse transition functions, having established the explicit form of the reaction of hereditarily deformable structures to an arbitrary form of random disturbance, it is possible to determine: the mathematical expectation and moments of the outgoing process; correlation functions; spectral densities, i.e. …

Research Into Technological Features In The Curring Process Of Multilayer Polymer Composite Parts, Umidbek Dilshod Ugli Kosimov, Jonibek Kobilovich Tokhirov, Andrey Dmitrievich Novikov

Technical science and innovation

This paper examines the main technologies and mechanisms used in the curing process of multilayer thick-walled parts of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made of polymer composite materials (PCM) based on epoxy resin. The study provides a detailed analysis of the technological features of the curing process, its kinetics, and the influence of heat transfer mechanisms on the final quality of molded components. It is emphasized that due to the low thermal conductivity of PCM, temperature inhomogeneity may occur during curing, leading to defects, internal stresses, and deterioration of the mechanical properties of the product. Therefore, ensuring uniform temperature distribution throughout …

Comparative Analysis Of Gas And Mechanical Emissions From Electric Cars And Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles, Bakhtiyor Akhmatjonovich Kosimov

Technical science and innovation

This article analyzes the environmental impact of modern cars, in particular the amount of harmful substances emitted into the environment by electric cars and internal combustion engine cars, and provides scientific information on the substances that are released from cars in the form of not only gaseous emissions, but also dust particles generated by the mechanical wear of the brake system and tires. At the same time, this article also takes a scientific approach to the wear rates of brake pads and tires, their impact on environmental safety, and the level of dispersion of the microdust generated. Comparative tables have …

Application Of Polymer Nanocomposites In The Design Of Prosthetic Sockets That Feature Auxetic Meta-Structures, Sumit Suryakant Kolte, Vinayak Vijayan, Lihua Lou

Publications

This research evaluates the response of prosthetic sockets constructed using polymer nanocomposites and incorporating auxetic meta-structures. The prosthetic sockets feature lightweight meta-structures between the inner and outer walls of the socket. Three different prosthetic designs featuring chiral, reentrant hexagon, and honeycomb meta-structures are evaluated in this study. The prosthetic sockets were designed in SolidWorks and compared using finite element analysis. The polymer nanocomposites used in this study include polypropylene and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene containing uniformly distributed inclusions of either titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or graphene nanoplatelets. Our results show a favorable pressure profile at the interface between the prosthetic …

Creating Blood Analogs To Mimic Steady-State Non-Newtonian Shear-Thinning Characteristics Under Various Thermal Conditions, Hang Yi, Alexander Wang, Christopher Wang, Jared Chong, Chungyiu Ma, Luke Bramlage, Bryan Ludwig, Zifeng Yang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Blood analogs are widely employed in in vitro experiments such as particle image velocity (PIV) to secure hemodynamics, assisting pathophysiological diagnoses of neurovascular and cardiovascular diseases, as well as pre-surgical planning and intraoperative orientation. To obtain accurate physical parameters, which are critical for diagnosis and treatment, blood analogs should exhibit realistic non-Newtonian shear-thinning features. In this study, two types of blood analogs working under room temperature (293.15 K) were created to mimic the steady-state shear-thinning features of blood over a temperature range of 295 to 312 K and a shear range of 1~250 s−1 at a hematocrit of ~40%. Type …