Engineering Commons^™

Design And Analysis Of A Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Micro Combustor, Matthew H. Mccrink

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the design and construction of a Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) micro combustion system. The design of the combustor requires a detailed analysis of the flame’s operational properties and stability. To this end, an analytic model was created to address these concerns. These results were used in conjunction with a detailed numerical analysis to determine the stable operating range of the combustors. The combustion of gaseous fuels requires a device with a lower bound on the channel feature size. This lower limit for combustion corresponds to the minimum quenching distance of the specific fuel being used and …

Towards Optimization Of A Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Catalyst Chamber For A Monopropellant Microthruster, Andrew Vissotski

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The reduction in space vehicle size and mass presents the need to develop a proportionally smaller propulsion system for orbital station keeping. A Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) monopropellant micropropulsion device has been developed at BSU. The simple, robust design features a heterogeneous catalyst chamber used to decompose a rocket-grade hydrogen peroxide monopropellant, to produce thrust. Initial prototype testing indicates only partial peroxide decomposition requiring an in-depth analysis of the geometric layout of the devices to increase system efficiency. This study employs a control volume based methodology to analyze the performance of various catalyst chamber designs. This approach was chosen …

Effect Of Loading Condition On Traction Coefficient Between Shoes And Artificial Turf Surfaces, Seth M. Kuhlman, Michelle B. Sabick, Ronald Pfeiffer, Benjamin Cooper, Jackie Forhan

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background. The interaction between a shoe and a turf surface is highly complex and difficult to characterize. Over the three decades since artificial turf was introduced, researchers have attempted to understand the traction caused by the interaction. However, some of the methodologies used for traction measurements have not capitalized on advances in currently available technology for testing and most testing conditions have not simulated realistic physiological loads.

Method of Approach. To assess the effect of test condition on traction results, the newly designed TurfBuster testing device was used to collect traction data on FieldTurf™ brand artificial turf under varying conditions. …

An Mpi-Cuda Implementation For Massively Parallel Incompressible Flow Computations On Multi-Gpu Clusters, Dana A. Jacobsen, Julien C. Thibault, Inanc Senocak

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Modern graphics processing units (GPUs) with many-core architectures have emerged as general-purpose parallel computing platforms that can accelerate simulation science applications tremendously. While multi-GPU workstations with several TeraFLOPS of peak computing power are available to accelerate computational problems, larger problems require even more resources. Conventional clusters of central processing units (CPU) are now being augmented with multiple GPUs in each compute-node to tackle large problems. The heterogeneous architecture of a multi-GPU cluster with a deep memory hierarchy creates unique challenges in developing scalable and efficient simulation codes. In this study, we pursue mixed MPI-CUDA implementations and investigate three strategies to …

Cross Sections Used To Elucidate Differences In Wavelet Transforms Of Ground Force Reactions, Wesley John Orme

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A study done for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that over 50% of sports related injuries are to the lower extremities [1] with additional studies indicating that females, adolescent through collegiate, have a higher rate of lower extremity sports related injuries than males [2-4]. Conditions surrounding non-contact injuries can be analyzed using ground reaction force (GRF) data from force plates during unanticipated single leg drops, however, the expected gender differences in GRF may not be apparent when viewing data independently in the time or frequency domains.

Graphing the results of a wavelet transform, currently used by scientific, medical, …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Atmospheric Flow Applied To Wind Energy Research, Alan Russell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

High resolution atmospheric flow modeling using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has many applications in the wind energy industry. A well designed model can accurately calculate wind speed, direction, and turbulence at any point in a wind farm using data from a fixed location source. The model can extend point source data over an area of several square kilometers, or map terrain influenced microclimates using remote wind data. A local flow model is critical for wind resource site assessment, and for optimizing wind farm turbine layout for maximum power production. A CFD simulation of an operating wind farm, coupled with a …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Glenohumeral Joint Stabilizing Muscles During Provocative Tests Designed To Diagnose Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior Lesions, Vanessa J. C. Wood

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Despite considerable advances in the understanding of glenohumeral (GH) biomechanics and glenoid labral pathologies, arthroscopy remains the only definitive means of Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior (SLAP) lesion diagnosis. Unfortunately, natural GH anatomic variants limit the reliability of radiography. Accurate clinical diagnostic techniques would be advantageous due to the invasiveness, patient risk, and financial cost associated with arthroscopy. Twenty provocative tests designed to elicit labral symptoms as a diagnostic sign have shown promising accuracy by their respective original authors, but later studies generally fail to reproduce those findings. The purpose of this study was to compare the behavior of GH joint stabilizing …

Influence Of Towing Force Magnitude On The Kinematics Of Supramaximal Sprinting, David A. Clark, Seth Kuhlman, Michelle B. Sabick, Ronald P. Pfeiffer, Nicole A. Knigge

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of towing force magnitude on the kinematics of supramaximal sprinting. Ten high school and collegiate aged track and field athletes ran 60m maximal sprints under 5 different conditions: non-towed (NT), Tow A (2.0% body weight), Tow B (2.8%BW), Tow C (3.8%BW), and Tow D (4.7%BW). Three-dimensional kinematics of a 4-segment model of the right side of the body were collected starting at the 35m point of the trial. Significant differences were observed in stride length (SL) and horizontal velocity of the center of mass (VH) during Tow C and Tow …

The Relationships Between Muscle, External, Internal And Joint Mechanical Work During Normal Walking, Kotaro Sasaki, Richard R. Neptune, Steven A. Kautz

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Muscle mechanical work is an important biomechanical quantity in human movement analyses and has been estimated using different quantities including external, internal and joint work. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationships between these traditionally used estimates of mechanical work in human walking and to assess whether they can be used as accurate estimates of musculotendon and/or muscle fiber work. A muscle-actuated forward dynamics walking simulation was generated to quantify each of the mechanical work measures. Total joint work (i.e. the time integral of absolute joint power over a full gait cycle) was found to underestimate total …

Rapid-Response Urban Cfd Simulations Using A Gpu Computing Paradigm On Desktop Supercomputers, Inanc Senocak, Julien C. Thibault, Matthew Caylor

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the event of chemical or biological (CB) agent attacks or accidents, first-responders need hazard prediction data to launch effective emergency response action. Accurate and timely knowledge of the wind fields in urban areas is critically important to identify and project the extent of CB agent dispersion to determine the hazard-zone. In their 2008 report (GAO-08-180), U.S. Government Accountability Office has reported that first responders are limited in their ability to detect and model hazardous releases in urban environments. The current set of modeling tools for contaminant dispersion in urban environments rely on empirical assumptions with diagnostic equations (Wang et …

Carbon-Free Compressed Air Energy Storage, Dustin Andrew Shively

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The inherent intermittency of the two fastest growing renewable energy sources, wind and solar, presents a significant barrier to widespread penetration and replacement of fossil-fuel sourced baseload generation. These intermittencies range from short term ramp events experienced by wind farms to the diurnal fluctuation of solar installations. Traditionally, grid operators have had very little control over demand and full control over supply. With the increase in wind and solar based generation onto an electric grid comes a decrease in control of supply. Grid operators are required to have a certain amount of spinning reserve ready to respond when wind or …

Cuda Implementation Of A Navier-Stokes Solver On Multi-Gpu Desktop Platforms For Incompressible Flows, Julien C. Thibault, Inanc Senocak

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graphics processor units (GPU) that are traditionally designed for graphics rendering have emerged as massively-parallel "co-processors" to the central processing unit (CPU). Small-footprint desktop supercomputers with hundreds of cores that can deliver teraflops peak performance at the price of conventional workstations have been realized. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation capability with rapid computational turnaround time has the potential to transform engineering analysis and design optimization procedures. We describe the implementation of a Navier-Stokes solver for incompressible fluid flow using desktop platforms equipped with multi-GPUs. Specifically, NVIDIA’s Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) programming model is used to implement the discretized …

Hardware Dispenser Project, John D. Raff, Dave Owen, Paul Sheppard

Service-Learning Program

The purpose of this design project was to develop a system that will allow employees of the ARC to be able to work on a greater variety of projects and to improve their productivity. The hardware dispenser group developed a design for a tray that would help the ARC employees work quicker and more efficiently. The tray has bins to hold hardware which the supervisor loads onto the tray. The employee slides a bag over the tip of the funnel and into the clip which holds the bag in place. The worker then chooses which parts need to be in …

Real-World Industry Collaboration Within A Mechatronics Class, Vidya Nandikolla, Susan Shadle, Patricia Pyke, John Gardner, Robert Grover, Suhas Pharkute

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes the implementation and assessment of an innovative senior/graduate level mechatronics (robotics) module that integrated structured and unstructured learning experiences, in collaboration with an industry partner. With real-world constraints and expectations, students designed and delivered a product as the final project. In fall 2007, the corporate partner provided state-of-the-art, programmable robotic kits with a user-friendly programming environment. The assigned project was to design a biomedical robot to work in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) to perform tasks such as transporting supplies or delivering paperwork. Students with diverse skills and majors were grouped in ten teams, two to …

Stochastic Event Reconstruction Of Atmospheric Contaminant Dispersion Using Bayesian Inference, Inanc Senocak, Nicolas W. Hengartner, Margaret B. Short, W. Brent Daniel

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental sensors have been deployed in various cities for early detection of contaminant releases into the atmosphere. Event reconstruction and improved dispersion modeling capabilities are needed to estimate the extent of contamination, which is required to implement effective strategies in emergency management. To this end, a stochastic event reconstruction capability that can process information from an environmental sensor network is developed. A probability model is proposed to take into account both zero and non-zero concentration measurements that can be available from a sensor network because of a sensor’s specified limit of detection. The inference is based on the Bayesian paradigm …

The Party’S Over: Sustaining Support Programs When The Funding Is Done, John Gardner, Pat Pyke, Cheryl Schrader, Janet M. Callahan, Amy Moll

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the lifecycle of an engineering education grant, the phase where best practices are sustained and disseminated is perhaps the most crucial stage for maximizing impact. Yet this transition phase often receives the least attention as project team enthusiasm can wane, while funding tapers off, and faculty priorities are pulled in other directions. There are numerous obstacles associated with sustaining program changes, even those perceived as very valuable. Typical challenges are: What happens when the funding runs out? What grant-developed programs should be sustained by the university? Does the institution need to internally allocate resources in an annual budget large …

Investigation Of Reynolds Stresses In A 3d Idealized Urban Area Using Large Eddy Simulation, Akshay A. Gowardhan, E. R. Pardyjak, Inanc Senocak, M. J. Brown

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

High resolution, large eddy simulation (LES) of neutral flow through an array of cubes has been conducted with periodic boundary conditions in lateral and longitudinal directions. In this paper, we first describe the model formulation and validate the simulation by comparing the mean flow and turbulence statistics with wind-tunnel experimental data from a cube array of buildings. The LES model is then used to investigate the physical mechanisms that lead to the low turbulent stresses that have been reported in the lower half of the urban canopy layer. To do this, the urban boundary layer is conceptually broken down into …

Lower Extremity Mechanics During Cutting Tasks In Different Shoe-Turf Combinations, Rafael Garcilazo

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The demands placed on the lower extremity when performing jumping and cutting maneuvers are depending, in part, on the interaction between the playing surface and the athlete's footwear. Higher demands are likely to result in increased incidence of injury, so for safety reasons it is important to quantify how the shoe-turf interface affects joint loads. The purpose of this study is to compare the forces on the lower extremity while landing and side cutting (rapid direction change at approximately 45 degrees) on artificial football turf with different styles of football cleats.

Conditions For Capacitor Voltage Regulation In A Five-Level Cascade Multilevel Inverter: Application To Voltage-Boost In A Pm Drive, John Chiasson, Burak Ozpineci, Zhong Du, Leon M. Tolbert

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A cascade multilevel inverter is a power electronic device built to synthesize a desired AC voltage from several levels of DC voltages. Such inverters have been the subject of research in the last several years, where the DC levels were considered to be identical in that all of them were either batteries, solar cells, etc. Similar to previous results in the literature, the work here shows how a cascade multilevel inverter can be used to obtain a voltage boost at higher speeds for a three-phase PM drive using only a single DC voltage source. The input of a standard three-leg …

A Five-Level Three-Phase Hybrid Cascade Multilevel Inverter Using A Single Dc Source For A Pm Synchronous Motor Drive, John N. Chiasson, Burak Ozpineci, Leon M. Tolbert

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The interest here is in using a single DC power source to construct a 3-phase 5-level cascade multilevel inverter to be used as a drive for a PM traction motor. The 5-level inverter consists of a standard 3-leg inverter (one leg for each phase) and an H-bridge in series with each inverter leg, which use a capacitor as a DC source. It is shown that one can simultaneously maintain the regulation of the capacitor voltage while achieving an output voltage waveform which is 25% higher than that obtained using a standard 3-leg inverter by itself.

The Role Of Mechanical Design In Mechatronics Education, John Gardner

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A survey of Mechatronics course offerings around the United States shows a rich variety of approaches to this topic.[1] Indeed, it appears that a majority of Mechanical Engineering programs across the county offer some formal offering in this area and it seems clear that the vast majority of Mechatronics courses are offered through Mechanical Engineering departments. With the traditional emphasis on design skill in mechanical engineering, it would seem obvious that mechatronics courses would feature a major design component. Surprisingly, very few existing mechatronics courses (at least those reported in the literature) feature a strong emphasis on mechanical design. That …

Personal Reflections On Psi In Engineering Mechanics, David Haws

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

There seems to be little argument that our students need to be encouraged toward educational selfdirectedness. Yet self-direction must be based on past learning success and present learning readiness. There is at least a potential conflict here: students needs to assume responsibility for their own education, directing it to topics of their own choosing, but their learning must also at least occasionally be directed along a hierarchical path of sequentially dependent learning objectives (which path may not be so obvious to the uninitiated). The Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) seems to enable both of these not-always-compatible goals. PSI allows the …