Engineering Commons^™

Numerical Modeling Of Infrared Thermography Techniques Via Ansys, Hayder Abdulnabi Thajeel

Masters Theses

"Several inspection techniques have been developed over years. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) technology has become a widely accepted as a nondestructive inspection (NDI) technique for different fields and various applications as well. Infrared thermography stands as one of the most an attractive and a successful NDI technique that has ability to detect the object's surface/subsurface defects remotely based on observing and measuring the surface's emitted infrared heat radiation by using an infrared camera. The finite element modeling FEM ANSYS was successfully used for the modelling of several IRT techniques; such as Pulsed Thermography (PT) and Lock-in Thermography (LT) that can …

Analytical Solutions For A Large-Scale Long-Lived Rotating Layer Of Fluid Heated Underneath, Pouya Jalilian

Masters Theses

In this work, the system of equations for a large- scale long lived rotating layer of fluid with the deformable upper free surface and non-deformable lower free surface heated underneath has been reviewed and derived. The quasi-geostrophic approximation, the beta effect and the method of multi-scale expansions have been employed to and as a result, an equation governing the evolution of large-scale perturbations, has been derived. The effect of each term present in the upper surface deformation equation has been analyzed and the analytical solutions have been obtained by virtue of employing auxiliary Riccati equation method. The soliton solutions obtained …

Implementation And Analysis Of A 1.4l Turbo Liquid Cooled Cac And Ac Condenser System, Mitchell Zajac

Masters Theses

This project report serves as a continuation and finalization of an overall experience with the design process including working on the development of system components, working with automotive industry leaders, suppliers and dealing with the aspects of business and production feasibility. The development of a dual level cooling concept to apply Centro Richerche Fiat established components on a Chrysler Group vehicle application was the foundation of the design project completed in December 2012 by Matt Cutler and Mitch Zajac. The development of this system aimed to decrease overall vehicle power consumption, minimize overall system packaging space, and to increase vehicle …

Investigation Of The One-Probe And Two-Probe Calibration Integral Equation Methods Using Experimental Data, Abhay Sanjeev Pande

Masters Theses

This work aims to expand the applicability of the recently devised physics-based Calibration Integral Equation Method (CIEM) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, for solving the Inverse Heat Conduction Problem (IHCP) as applied to a one-dimensional domain. Contrary to conventional schemes of solving the IHCP, the CIEM does not require the knowledge of the thermo-physical properties of the domain, sensor characterization and sensor probe locations. The pertinent information is implicitly accounted for via an experimental run. The experimental run ‘calibrates’ the physics of the domain and is called the ‘calibration run’. The net surface heat flux during a real ‘unknown’ …

Characterization Of Heat Transfer Coefficient Uncertainty In Support Of High Temperature Probe Measurement Technology, Marcus S. Conner

Masters Theses

The development of new materials and processes have enabled defense, industrial, and research devices that operate in high temperature environments. Measurement technology must keep up with the demand of these environments.

The objective of this work is to provide a correlation between the heat transfer coefficient (and Nusselt Number) and the flow Reynolds number (and Prandtl number) for a truncated cylindrical probe. The correlation provides reduced uncertainty for materials whose heat transfer coefficient is not well defined. The configuration for the experiment uses the University of Tennessee Space Institute’s (UTSI) blow down air supply system discharging into a duct and …

A Novel Approach To Multiphysics Modeling Of Heat And Mass Transfer In Porous Media, Seth Allen Pemberton

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to investigate conjugate heat and mass transfer in porous media with an emphasis on textiles. Both hygroscopic materials, those that absorb water vapor, and non-hygroscopic materials are examined. A model was developed that utilizes COMSOL’s equation-based partial differential equation (PDE) interface which allows the user to input any equation(s) to be solved. By the use of experimental and numerical data each part of the model, i.e. flow field, gas diffusion, convection and vapor absorption, is verified. The accuracy of the equation-based unsteady flow field is verified by modeling the flow over a circular cylinder and extracting the …

Modeling And Validation Of Heat Transfer Present In A Solar Thermal Collector, Eric Ezekiel Stannard

Masters Theses

A solar absorber panel for a solar water heating system located at the College of Architecture’s New Norris House in Norris, TN was modeled and validated against field data in this work. The purpose of this modeling was to create the foundations of a tool that can be used in collector design and building energy simulations. This tool would take into account the radiometric properties of the collector materials, which are essential for an accurate model. Solar water heaters convert the shortwave energy of the Sun into usable heat for residential and industrial applications and have the potential to greatly …

Two-Dimensional Formulation And Quasi-One-Dimensional Approximation To Inverse Heat Conduction By The Calibration Integral Equation Method (Ciem), Hongchu Chen

Masters Theses

The recently devised calibration integral equation method developed at the University of Tennessee for resolving transient inverse heat conduction in one-dimensional applications is extended and studied in the context of two-dimensional linear inverse heat conduction. This study investigates a simplified plate geometry possessing three known boundary conditions and one unknown boundary condition. This plate contains a series of temperature sensors located on a fixed plane below the surface of interest. To begin the investigation, a quasi-one-dimensional formulation is proposed for predicting the surface heat flux (W/m²) based on a zonal formulation where each zone contains a single thermocouple. …

Neutron Imaging Of Lithium Inside A High-Temperature Heat Pipe, Eric Henry Kirchoff

Masters Theses

Neutron imaging of a high-temperature Mo-Li [molybdenum-lithium] heat pipe has been performed to assess Li flow visualization. The high neutron attenuation cross section of Li allows for imaging inside the heat pipe shell structure, which has a lower value of neutron attenuation, making neutron radiography an ideal choice for characterizing Li movement.

The gravity assisted, cylindrical heat pipe was heated to 903^oC [degree] using a wire resistance Mo heater operating under vacuum. This Mo-Li heat pipe is 35 cm long with a square internal geometry 2.2 cm per side, utilizing small corner radii as the wicking structure for …

Water Transport In Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells: An Exploration Of Net Water Drag In Real Time, Susan Katherine Reid

Masters Theses

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are a promising alternative energy source. One challenge preventing widespread use of this technology is water management. A balance must be reached between providing sufficient water for membrane ionic conductivity while maintaining low enough water content to mitigate the reduction of available reaction sites in the cathode catalyst layer due to liquid water build up. Much exploration of this area of fuel cell research has been conducted, but the details of water transport in an operating fuel cell are not yet fully understood. The motivation of this work was to elucidate mass transport phenomena occurring …

A Decision Support Methodology For Improving Equipment Reliability, Caiqiao Xu

Masters Theses

Purpose - Aggressive Maintenance Strategy can improve the overall operation and reliability through redesigning or modifying equipment. A decision support tool is proposed that could aid in discovering the many options and in selecting the best approach for redesigning or for modifying the equipment. The new tool has three sections that correspond to the equipment life cycle:

1. Keeping the equipment in perfect running condition.
2. Identifying defects as soon as the equipment starts to degrade.
3. Minimizing losses after the equipment has ceased functioning.

Design/Methodology – The first section seeks to keep the equipment running in perfect condition. There …

Direct Measurement Of Through-Plane Thermal Conductivity Of Partially Saturated Fuel Cell Diffusion Media, Guoqing Xu

Masters Theses

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are predicted by many as the most feasible alternative to heat engines and for battery replacement in automotive, portable, and stationary power applications. Fuel cell performance and durability are inseparably related to the presence of liquid water throughout the fuel cell system. To better understand the mechanical and thermal characterization of diffusion media (DM) is essential to PEFC DM design, optimization and production to improve water and thermal managements. Diffusion media are one of the important components in PEFCs in terms of the reactant permeability, the product permeability, the electronic conductivity, the heat conductivity, and …

Broncoblade: An Open Source Wind Turbine Blade Analysis Tool, Alex R. Quinlan

Masters Theses

This thesis reports the development and validation of BroncoBlade, a horizontal axis wind turbine analysis tool. BroncoBlade prepares finite element models and integrates them with an aeroelastic simulator. Analysis results for the SNL100-00 baseline blade are evaluated against reference results published by Sandia National Laboratories. Variations on the SNL100-00 blade incorporating carbon fiber are compared to the baseline blade.

Development Of Cfd Models For The Purposes Of Exploring Free Surface Wave Phenomena, Leonard P. Stoehr

Masters Theses

With the push for finding alternative, green energy sources, the harnessing of energy from ocean and lake waves is becoming a more researched field. To fully understand the behavior of wave interactions and optimize designs to extract this energy, it is necessary to develop computer models that can accurately replicate this behavior. A case is presented in which previous work done using the wave tank found in the Western Michigan University fluids lab is examined. The case involves harnessing the energy generated by ocean waves through the usage of plates of different shapes resting horizontally on the water’s surface. The …

A New Method For Failure Modes And Effects Analysis And Its Application In A Hydrokinetic Turbine System, Liang Xie

Masters Theses

"The traditional failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a conceptual design methodology for dealing with potential failures. FMEA uses the risk priority number (RPN), which is the product of three ranked factors to prioritize risks of different failure modes. The three factors are occurrence, severity, and detection. However, the RPN may not be able to provide consistent evaluation of risks for the following reasons: the RPN has a high degree of subjectivity, it is difficult to compare different RPNs, and possible failures may be overlooked in the traditional FMEA method. The objective of this research is to develop a …

Manufacturing And Performance Evaluation Of Out-Of-Autoclave Sandwich Composites, Sriram Nagarajan

Masters Theses

"Composite sandwich structures are being increasingly employed in applications which require high strength, high in-plane and flexural stiffness coupled with a reduction in weight. Sandwich composites used in the aerospace industry are typically manufactured using high pressure autoclave processing which is expensive and time consuming. A viable low cost alternative is the Out-of-autoclave (OOA) process. One of the most dominant failure modes in sandwich composites is the debonding that occurs at the facesheet skin to core interphase leading to severe degradation of structural properties of the sandwich. A well formed adhesive bond at the skin to core interphase and improved …

Enhancement Of Vortex Induced Vibrations Using Roughness Strips, Ashwin Vinod

Masters Theses

"The current experimental work focuses on studying the effects of surface roughness on vortex induced vibration (VIV) of an elastically mounted circular cylinder which is free to vibrate in a direction transverse to the flow. Flow separation in known to occur due to viscous effects when a fluid flows over a bluff body. The separation of fluid causes shedding of alternating vortices in the downstream region, which in turn impart an alternating force on the bluff body. The vibrations incurred due to such forces are called as Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV) and have been traditionally known to be harmful to …

Development Of A Methodology For Pseudo-Rigid-Body Models Of Compliant Segments With Inserts, And Experimental Validation, Raghvendra Sharadchandra Kuber

Masters Theses

"Compliant mechanisms have shown a great deal of potential in the last few decades in providing better solutions to design problems with numerous benefits; however, their use has been limited due to current challenges in the material selection. With ever increasing focus on the applications of compliant mechanisms, it is necessary to find alternatives to the existing materials and methods of prototyping. The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology for pseudo-rigid-body models of compliant segments with compliant inserts, comprised of a resilient material placed between the layers of a softer material, to alleviate any creep and strength …

Development Of A New Temporary Fastener For Aerospace Automation, Xiangwen Zhang

Masters Theses

"Temporary fasteners are required in aircraft assembly, especially in the assembly of wings, fuselage, and aircraft skin's substructure prior to drilling holes for permanent fasteners by automated drilling machines. The objective was to develop a temporary fastener that can be installed, clamped, loosened, and removed from one side with a short head length. Published papers, web pages and patents relating to temporary fasteners were reviewed. Then by considering the ability to meet the operation requirements and concerns, a temporary fastener was designed with the following advantages:

• a simple structure that can be easily fabricated
• a short head length to save …

Effects Of Machining Parameters And Cooling Strategies On Cutting Forces And Surface Integrity In High-Speed Slot End-Milling Of Titanium Alloy, Emenike Chukwuma

Masters Theses

“Paper 1 presents the results of the investigations of the effects of cooling strategies [Emulsion cooling, Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) and Liquid Nitrogen (LN₂)] and machining parameters (feed rate and spindle speed) on cutting force components, cutting temperature and tool wear during slot end-milling of titanium Ti-6Al-4V workpiece. All machining experiments were conducted using four-flute 0.5 inch diameter uncoated solid carbide end-mill on Cincinnati Milacron, Sabre 750 vertical machining center equipped with Acramatic 2100 controller. Cutting force components were acquired and tool wear was indirectly measured from maximum cutting force variation per slot from the first pass to …

Rotary Displacement Piezoelectric Energy Harvester, Headman Sanei

Masters Theses

“This study proposes a novel piezoelectric energy harvester for rotary motion applications. It is based on an annular unimorph plate, mounted on a shaft rotating at a constant angular velocity, under constant amplitude point-wise force. The mathematical model and the analysis was proposed for the inverse problem of a rotating disk under a static stationary force. The disk, however, is assumed to be stationary subjected to a traveling force. The distributed parameter electromechanical equations governing the behavior of the system are provided in closed-form, incorporating both an AC and a simple rectifier circuit. The performance of the energy harvester was …

Development Of Marker-Based Human Motion Capture Systems For Assembly Simulation And Ergonomic Analysis, Sajeev C. Puthenveetil

Masters Theses

"In aerospace industry, the assembly operator is often exposed to potential ergonomic injuries due to awkward postures while working in confined spaces. Manually generating worker postures in simulation software for ergonomic analysis is cumbersome. This research focuses on the use of marker-based optical motion capture technology to generate human motion simulations in real-time for ergonomic analysis. To address the challenges involved in capturing human motions in a real work environment, an assembly operation was simulated in a four-walled Computer Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) which provides an immersive 3D environment to the worker performing the assembly operation. Multiple cameras were set-up …

Processing Of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Composites For Ultra High Temperature Applications Using Organosilicon Polymer Precursors, James Robert Nicholas

Masters Theses

"The current work is on the development of continuous fiber reinforced ceramic materials (CFCCs) for use in ultra high temperature applications. These applications subject materials to extremely high temperatures (> 2000⁰C). Monolithic ceramics are currently being used for these applications, but the tendency to fail catastrophically has driven the need for the next generation of material. Reinforcing with continuous fibers significantly improves the toughness of the monolithic materials; however, this is a manufacturing challenge. The development of commercial, low-viscosity preceramic polymers provides new opportunities to fabricate CFCCs. Preceramic polymers behave as polymers at low temperatures and are transformed into ceramics …

Effects Of Initial Conditions On Rayleigh-Taylor Instability Using Elastic-Plastic Materials, Pamela Susan Roach

Masters Theses

"When an elastic-plastic solid is accelerated by a fluid of lower density, Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) is observed, and the instability is mitigated by the material's mechanical strength, initial conditions, and the acceleration that drives the instability. Such instances of RTI are observed in supernovas, explosive welding, and inertial confinement fusion. In contrast to Newtonian fluids, experimental study of RTI in accelerated solids is traditionally hindered by difficulty to measure material properties and exceedingly small time scales. An understanding of the role initial conditions and material properties have on the growth of RTI will lead to better control of the instability. …

A Generalized Approach For Compliant Mechanism Design Using The Synthesis With Compliance Method, With Experimental Validation, Ashish B. Koli

Masters Theses

"Compliant mechanisms offer numerous advantages over their rigid-body counterparts. The synthesis with compliance technique synthesizes compliant mechanisms for conventional rigid-body synthesis tasks with energy/torque specifications at precision positions. In spite of its usefulness, the method suffers from some limitations/problems. The purpose of this work is to investigate these sensitivities with the synthesis with compliance technique and improve upon existing method. A new, simple but efficient, method for synthesis with compliance using an optimization approach is proposed, and its usefulness and simplicity demonstrated over the existing method. The strongly and weakly coupled system of kinematic and energy/torque equations in the existing …

Development Of A Postprocessor For A Multi-Axis Cnc Milling Center, Mihir Satish Adivarekar

Masters Theses

"Most of the current college design and manufacturing curricula are primarily focused on computer aided design (CAD), while less emphasis is given to computer aided manufacturing (CAM). A great opportunity has been missed as the benefits of CAD/CAM cannot then be fully learned. Postprocessor plays a vital role in integration of CAD//CAM with computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. Hence, postprocessor must be developed accurately. This thesis is composed of one paper. Paper I proposes a novel methodology to determine compensation vectors for the post processor of multi-axis milling center. The new approach that has been implemented in Paper I involves …

Parameter Optimization For Controlling Aluminum Loss When Laser Depositing Ti-6al-4v, Richard Charles Barclay

Masters Theses

"The ability to predict the mechanical properties of engineering materials is crucial to the manufacturing of advanced products. In the aerospace industry, Ti-6Al-4V is commonly used to build structures. Any deviation from the alloy's standard properties can prove detrimental. Thus, the compositional integrity of the material must be controlled. The ability to directly build and repair large, complicated structures directly from CAD files is highly sought after. Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology has the potential to deliver that ability. Before this process can gain widespread acceptance, however, a set of process parameters must be established that yield finished parts of …

Water Management Capabilities Of Bio-Inspired Flow Field Configurations For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Nicholas Warren Freer

Masters Theses

"Fuel cells have received an increasing amount of attention over the past decade for their power production capabilities. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells in particular are researched because of their high power density, large range of operating conditions, green products, and ease of scalability. PEM fuel cells do have a number of issues that reduce their overall performance. These issues include variations in reactant distribution, materials issues for the bipolar plate, and flooding caused by poor water management. Variations in the reactant distribution causes lower overall power output due to regions of low reactant density. This means that optimizing …

Paste Development And Co-Sintering Test Of Zirconium Carbide And Tungsten In Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Ang Li

Masters Theses

"Ultra-high temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000°C. However, their brittle properties make them susceptible to thermal shock failure. Components fabricated as functionally graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal by fabricating graded composites. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGMs parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and …

Manufacturing And Characterization Of Polyurethane Based Sandwich Composites, Stephen Robert Hawkins

Masters Theses

"Composite sandwich structures have been extensively employed in aerospace structures, ship building, infrastructure, etc. due to their light weight and high strength to weight ratio. The understanding of their behavior under impact and environmental conditions is extremely important for the design and manufacturing of these engineering structures since these problems are directly related to structural integrity and safety requirements. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is one of the commonly used low cost composite manufacturing processes. Polyurethane (PU) resin system has been observed to have better mechanical properties and higher impact strength when compared to conventional resin systems such as …