Engineering Commons^™

A New Course In Defense Manufacturing – An Introduction To Shipbuilding, Alley C. Butler

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper discusses the development and deployment of a new course in DMEI (Defense Manufacturing Engineering Innovation) titled, “Introduction to Shipbuilding.” This course has been taught using Zoom since 2021 at both the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Hispanic Serving Institution, and Virginia State University, a Historically Black University. After a brief literature review, an outline of the course is presented with topics including the maritime market for shipbuilding, economics of shipbuilding, the classification agencies, metallurgy and welding processes, ship structure and assembly, shipyard layout, accuracy control, and shipbuilding planning and scheduling. Difficulties in obtaining an appropriate textbook …

Numerical Study Of The Time-Periodic Electroosmotic Flow Of Viscoelastic Fluid Through A Short Constriction Microchannel, Jianyu Ji, Shizhi Qian, Armani Marie Parker, Xiaoyu Zhang

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) is of utmost significance due to its numerous practical uses in controlling flow at micro/nanoscales. In the present study, the time-periodic EOF of a viscoelastic fluid is statistically analyzed using a short 10:1 constriction microfluidic channel joining two reservoirs on either side. The flow is modeled using the Oldroyd-B (OB) model and the Poisson-Boltzmann model. The EOF of a highly concentrated polyacrylamide (PAA) aqueous solution is investigated under the combined effects of an alternating current (AC) electric field and a direct current (DC) electric field. Power-law degradation is visible in the energy spectra of the velocity fluctuations …

Gamelan Gong Directivity Dataset, Samuel D. Bellows, Dallin T. Harwood, Kent L. Gee, Micah R. Shepherd

Directivity

No abstract provided.

Aerostructural Predictions Combining Fenics And A Viscous Vortex Particle Method, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ning, Ru Xiang, Sebastiaan P. C. Van Schie, Mark Sperry, Darshan Sarojini, David Kamensky, John T. Hwang

Faculty Publications

Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft experience complex, unsteady aerodynamic interactions between rotors, wings, and fuselage that can make design difficult. We introduce a new framework for predicting aerostructural interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate the coupling of a finite element solver with Reissner-Mindlin shell theory for computing deflections and a viscous vortex particle for capturing wakes. We perform convergence studies of the aerodynamics and the coupled aerostructural model. Finally, we share some preliminary results of the dynamic aeroelastic response of Uber’s eCRM-002 main wing, and share some qualitative observations.

Data-Driven Dynamic Motion Planning For Practical Fes-Controlled Reaching Motions In Spinal Cord Injury, Derek N.N. Wolf, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Eric M. Schearer

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising technology for restoring reaching motions to individuals with upper-limb paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the limited muscle capabilities of an individual with SCI have made achieving FES-driven reaching difficult. We developed a novel trajectory optimization method that used experimentally measured muscle capability data to find feasible reaching trajectories. In a simulation based on a real-life individual with SCI, we compared our method to attempting to follow naive direct-to-target paths. We tested our trajectory planner with three control structures that are commonly used in applied FES: feedback, feedforward-feedback, and model …

3d-Printed Hydrogels Dressings With Bioactive Borate Glass For Continuous Hydration And Treatment Of Second-Degree Burns, Fateme Fayyazbakhsh, Michael J. Khayat, Candy Sadler, Delbert Day, Yue-Wern Huang, Ming-Chuan Leu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent advances in additive manufacturing have led to the development of innovative solutions for tissue regeneration. Hydrogel materials have gained significant attention for burn wound treatment in clinical practice among various advanced dressings due to their soothing and moisturizing activity. However, prolonged healing, pain, and traumatic removal due to the lack of long-term wound hydration are some of the challenges in the treatment of second-degree burn wounds. In this study, 3D-printed dressings were fabricated using gelatin, alginate, and bioactive borate glass (BBG) using an extrusion-based bioprinter. After ionic crosslinking, the 3D-printed dressings were characterized for mechanical properties, degradation rate, hydration …

Static I-V Based Pim Evaluation For Spring And Fabric-Over-Foam Contacts, Kalkidan W. Anjajo, Yang Xu, Shengxuan Xia, Yuchu He, Haicheng Zhou, Hanfeng Wang, Jonghyun Park, Chulsoon Hwang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spring Clips and Fabric-Over-Foams (FOFs) Are Widely Used in Mobile Devices for Electrical Connection Purposes. However, the Imperfect Metallic Connections Tend to Induce Passive Intermodulation (PIM), Resulting in a Receiver Sensitivity Degradation, Known as RP Desensitization. Due to the Complexity of the PIM Characterization, there is Not Yet a Way to Evaluate PIM Performance using a Simple Setup for Environments Like Factories. in This Paper, a Current-Voltage (I-V) Behavior-Based PIM Evaluation Method is Proposed and Validated with Various Metallic Contacts and Contact Forces. the Test Results Demonstrated the Feasibility of the PIM Performance Evaluation based on the Measured Static I-V …

Low-Fidelity Design Optimization And Parameter Sensitivity Analysis Of Tilt-Rotor Evtol Electric Propulsion Systems, Tyler Critchfield, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Urban air mobility requires a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the important chal- lenges facing the design of these aircraft. This work uses low-to-mid fidelity tools to model rotor aerodynamics, blade structures, vehicle aerodynamics, and electric propulsion for a tilt-rotor electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We use gradient-based design optimization and extensive parameter sensitivity analysis to explore the design space and complex tradeoffs of tilt-rotor distributed electric propulsion systems.

Sparsity For Gradient-Based Optimization Of Wind Farm Layouts, Benjamin T. Varela, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Optimizing wind farm layouts is an important step in designing an efficient wind farm. Optimizing wind farm layouts is also a difficult task due to computation times increasing with the number of turbines present in the farm. The most computationally expensive part of gradient- based optimization is calculating the gradient. In order to reduce the expense of gradient calculation, we performed a study on the use of sparsity in wind farm layout optimization. This paper presents the findings of the sparsity study and provides a method to use sparsity in wind farm layout optimization. We tested this sparsity method by …

A Review Of Piezoelectric Footwear Energy Harvesters: Principles, Methods, And Applications, Bingqi Zhao, Feng Qian, Alexander Hatfield, Lei Zuo, Tian-Bing Xu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Over the last couple of decades, numerous piezoelectric footwear energy harvesters (PFEHs) have been reported in the literature. This paper reviews the principles, methods, and applications of PFEH technologies. First, the popular piezoelectric materials used and their properties for PEEHs are summarized. Then, the force interaction with the ground and dynamic energy distribution on the footprint as well as accelerations are analyzed and summarized to provide the baseline, constraints, potential, and limitations for PFEH design. Furthermore, the energy flow from human walking to the usable energy by the PFEHs and the methods to improve the energy conversion efficiency are presented. …

Piv Measurements Of Open-Channel Turbulent Flow Under Unconstrained Conditions, James K. Arthur

Faculty Journal Articles

Many open-channel turbulent flow studies have been focused on highly constrained conditions. Thus, it is rather conventional to note such flows as being fully developed, fully turbulent, and unaffected by sidewalls and free surface disturbances. However, many real-life flow phenomena in natural water bodies and artificially installed drain channels are not as ideal. This work is aimed at studying some of these unconstrained conditions. This is achieved by using particle image velocimetry measurements of a developing turbulent open-channel flow over a smooth wall. The tested flow effects are low values of the Reynolds number based on the momentum thickness Re …

Additively Manufactured Carbon Fiber- Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Mold Plates For Injection Molding Process, C. Bivens, A. Wood, D. Ruble, M. Rangapuram, S. K. Dasari, K. Chandrashekhara, J. Degrange

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polymer injection molding processes have been used to create high-volume parts quickly and efficiently. Injection molding uses mold plates that are traditionally made of very hard tool steels, such as P20 steel, which is extremely heavy and has very long lead times to build new molds. In this study, composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) was used to create mold plates using long-fiber carbon fiber and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). These mold plates were installed in an injection molding machine, and rectangular flat plates were produced using Lustran 348 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Tensile and flexural testing was performed on these parts …

Thermotrophy Exploratory Study, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The question of whether environmental heat energy could be utilized as a source of energy for biological metabolism is the center of this exploratory research. In 1979, this author postulated a hypothesis for the existence of thermotrophs that could isothermally utilize environmental heat energy as a source of their energy on Earth. According to this hypothesis, the thermotrophs could be the first primitive forms of life in the early Earth environment. The chemotrophs and phototrophs that we currently are all well familiar with might have been evolved somehow from the primitive thermotrophs. Furthermore, all the organisms currently regarded as the …

Zno Varistors – The Ideal Microstructure And Characteristics, And Methods Investigated And Developed To Achieve These, Maura Kelleher

Books/Book Chapters

ZnO-Bi2O3-Sb2O3 varistors have been extensively studied since their discovery 5 decades ago. Their function in protecting increasingly sensitive electronic components by absorbing random surges of energy is even more important today. Also, the metal oxides from which they are made from are becoming even more precious. Their electrical characteristics are highly dependent on their microstructural characteristics which are highly dependent on their composition and methods used. The purpose of this article is to explain the ideal microstructure required to obtain the ideal electrical characteristics, the powder preparation methods investigated and developed to achieve it, and some future directions are outlined.

Perceptual Anthropomorphic Walking Robot Platform For Navigation In Unstructured And Undifferentiated Environments, Luige Vladareanu, Mihai Rădulescu, Marius Pandelea, Hongbo Wang, Florentin Smarandache, Yongfei Feng, Ionel-Alexandru Gal, Alexandra C. Ciocîrlan

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This scientific presentation studies the VIPRO Platform for control of Anthropomorphic Walking Robots (AWR), the architecture control system of the SiMeLA MP robot motion, and shows several experimental results.

Simplified Mass And Inertial Estimates For Aircraft With Components Of Constant Density, Benjamin C. Moulton, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Aircraft mass and inertial properties are required for predicting the dynamics and handling qualities of aircraft. However, such properties can be difficult to estimate since these depend on the external shape and internal structure, systems, and mass distributions within the airframe. Mass and inertial properties of aircraft are often predicted using computer-aided design software, or measured using various experimental techniques. The present paper presents a method for quickly predicting the mass and inertial properties of complete aircraft consisting of components of constant density. Although the assumption of constant density may appear limiting, the method presented in this paper can be …

A Coupled Source Panel, Actuator Line, And Viscous Vortex Particle Method In An O(N) Scheme, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Wake interactions play a significant role in aerodynamics. However, common modeling approaches are either expensive or lack fidelity, making them unreliable or difficult to use in the design process. The vortex particle method can capture the relevant physics effectively, but imposing boundary conditions with solid surfaces in a computationally efficient way is challenging. We explore two possible methods of imposing solid surface boundary conditions of vortex particle simulations. The first, a novel variation on a pure particle approach, is easy to implement but is moderately expensive, and suffers from some numerical instability. The second, source panels accelerated with a fast …

Nanobubble-Induced Aggregation Of Ultrafine Particles: A Molecular Dynamics Study, Eric Bird, Zhi Liang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanobubble-induced aggregation (NBIA) of fine and ultrafine particles in liquid is a promising method for enhancing floatation rates in mineral processing, cleaning contaminants from water, and reviving marine ecosystems. Although the current experimental techniques can measure the nanobubble capillary force between two surfaces with controlled approach speed, they are not capable of imaging NBIA dynamics of fine/ultrafine particles by real-time observation with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this work, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study dynamics of NBIA of Ag particles in a Lennard-Jones fluid system. The molecular-level modeling allows us to study microscopic details of NBIA dynamics that …

Fine-Grained Activity Classification In Assembly Based On Multi-Visual Modalities, Haodong Chen, Niloofar Zendehdel, Ming-Chuan Leu, Zhaozheng Yin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Assembly activity recognition and prediction help to improve productivity, quality control, and safety measures in smart factories. This study aims to sense, recognize, and predict a worker's continuous fine-grained assembly activities in a manufacturing platform. We propose a two-stage network for workers' fine-grained activity classification by leveraging scene-level and temporal-level activity features. The first stage is a feature awareness block that extracts scene-level features from multi-visual modalities, including red, green blue (RGB) and hand skeleton frames. We use the transfer learning method in the first stage and compare three different pre-trained feature extraction models. Then, we transmit the feature information …

Comparison Of The Thermal Stability In Equal-Channel-Angular-Pressed And High-Pressure-Torsion-Processed Fe–21cr–5al Alloy, Maalavan Arivu, Andrew Hoffman, Jiaqi Duan, Jonathan Poplawsky, Xinchang Zhang, Frank W. Liou, Rinat Islamgaliev, Ruslan Valiev, Haiming Wen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanostructured Steels Are Expected to Have Enhanced Irradiation Tolerance and Improved Strength. However, They Suffer from Poor Microstructural Stability at Elevated Temperatures. in This Study, Fe–21Cr–5Al–0.026C (Wt%) Kanthal D (KD) Alloy Belonging to a Class of (FeCrAl) Alloys Considered for Accident-Tolerant Fuel Cladding in Light-Water Reactors is Nanostructured using Two Severe Plastic Deformation Techniques of Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) and High-Pressure Torsion (HPT), and their Thermal Stability between 500–700 °C is Studied and Compared. ECAP KD is Found to Be Thermally Stable Up to 500 °C, Whereas HPT KD is Unstable at 500 °C. Microstructural Characterization Reveals that ECAP KD …

Microstructure, Mechanical Properties And Oxidation Behavior Of Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloys By Laser Remelting And Conventional Manufacturing, Visharad Jalan, Seth Crawford, Sung Heng Wu, Frank W. Liou, Haiming Wen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloys (RMPEAs), HfNbTaTiZr, (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr, and (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Al, Were Manufactured using Vacuum Arc Melting Followed by Laser Remelting to Mimic Additive Manufacturing. the Microhardness of the As-Cast HfNbTaTiZr, (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr, and (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Al Samples after Arc Melting Was Measured as 6.20, 7.63, and 6.89 Gpa, respectively. after Laser Remelting and Re-Solidification, the Hardness Increased by ~ 30% for Each Composition; the Hardest Was (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr Measured at 9.60 GPa, While the Softest Was HfNbTaTiZr with a Hardness of 8.42 GPa, Which Was Still Harder Compared to All the Other Samples. the Addition …

Experimental Approach For Development Of A Powder Spreading Metric In Additive Manufacturing, M. Hossein Sehhat, Austin T. Sutton, Zane Yates, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Powder Spreading is a Vital Step of Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing (AM) Processes. the Quality of Spread Powder Can Considerably Influence the Properties of Fabricated Parts. Poorly Packed Powder Beds with High Surface Roughness Result in Printed Part Layers with Large Porosity and Low Dimensional Accuracy, Leading to Poor Mechanical Properties. Therefore, the Powder Spread ability and its Dependence on Process Parameters and Powder Characteristics Should Be Quantified to Improve the Efficiency of Powder-Based AM Methods. This Study Proposes a Novel Dimensionless Powder Spread Ability Metric that Can Be Commonly Used in Different Powder-Based AM Processes. the Quality of Spread …

Experimental Study For Improving The Productivity Of Laser Foil Printing, Tunay Turk, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Aims to Improve the Productivity of Laser Foil Printing (LFP), Which is a Foil-Based Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) Process. LFP Uses a Dual-Laser System to Fabricate a 3-Dimensional Part in a Layered Fashion by Performing Four Steps in Each Layer: Spot Welding, Pattern Welding, Contour Cutting, and Edge Polishing, All of Which Performed by Use of Lasers. We Experimentally Examined the Welding and Polishing Steps in This Study to Enhance LFP Productivity. the Jump Speed, Dwelling Duration, and Weld Path of Spot Welding and the Line Welding Speed and Wait Time between Weld Lines of Pattern Welding Are …

Optimal Spacecraft Guidance, Matthew W. Harris, M. Benjamin Rose

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This book is designed for a one-semester course at Utah State University titled MAE 6570 Optimal Spacecraft Guidance. The class meets for 75 minutes, twice per week, for 14 weeks. There are no prerequisites other than graduate standing in engineering. Proficiency in calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and computer programming is required. Students find that previous experience in space dynamics, linear multivariable control, or optimal control is helpful.

The goal of the book and course is for students to develop fundamental skills needed to do professional work in the area of spacecraft guidance. After working through the book, students should …

Performance Evaluation Of Composite Sandwich Structures With Additively Manufactured Aluminum Honeycomb Cores With Increased Bonding Surface Area, M. Rangapuram, S. K. Dasari, Joseph William Newkirk, K. Chandrashekhara, H. Misak, P. R. Toivonen, D. Klenosky, T. Unruh, J. Sam

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Modern aerostructures, including wings and fuselages, increasingly feature sandwich structures due to their high-energy absorption, low weight, and high flexural stiffness. The face sheet of these sandwich structures are typically thin composite laminates with interior honeycombs made of Nomex or aluminum. Standard cores are structurally efficient, but their design cannot be varied throughout the structure. With additive manufacturing (AM) technology, these core geometries can be altered to meet the design requirements that are not met in standard honeycomb cores. This study used a modified aluminum honeycomb core, with increased surface area on the top and bottom, as the core material …

Jet Noise Reduction: A Fresh Start, Christopher K. Tam, Fang Q. Hu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Attempts to reduce jet noise began some 70 years ago. In the literature, there have been many publications written on this topic. By now, it is common knowledge that jet noise consists of a number of components. They possess different spectral and radiation characteristics and are generated by different mechanisms. It appears then that one may aim at the suppression of the noise of a single component instead of trying to reduce jet noise overall. The objective of the present project is to reduce large turbulence structures noise. It is the most dominant noise component radiating in the downstream direction. …

Elevation-Distributed Multistage Reverse Osmosis Desalination With Seawater Pumped Storage, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A seawater reverse osmosis (RO) plant layout based on multistage RO with stages located at different elevations above sea level is described. The plant uses the weight of a seawater column from pumped storage as head pressure for RO (gravity-driven multistage RO) or to supplement high-pressure pumps used in RO (gravity-assisted multistage RO). The use of gravitational force reduces the specific energy for RO compared to using high-pressure pumps. By locating the RO stages at different elevations based on demand sites, the total specific energy consumption for RO and permeate transport to different elevations above sea level is reduced from …

Board 341: Mobile Learning In Stem: A Case Study In An Undergraduate Engineering Course, Krishna Pakala, Maeve Bakic, Diana Bairaktarova, Devshikha Bose

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Student-centered educational system is needed for better educational outcomes. Technology enabled pedagogy has helped immensely during the pandemic times when rapid transition to remote learning was essential. This poster reports findings on year one of a two-year research study to utilize mobile technologies and a technology-enhanced curriculum to improve student engagement and learning in STEM undergraduate courses. This poster describes a quasi-experimental mixed methods study on implementing mobile devices (iPad and Pencil) and a technology-enhanced curriculum in an undergraduate thermal-fluids engineering course, a foundational engineering class.

The technology-enabled curriculum was fully integrated in the thermal-fluids course to deliver content and …

Comparative Analysis Of Injection Of Pyrolysis Oil From Plastics And Gasoline Into The Engine Cylinder And Atomization By A Direct High-Pressure Injector, Magdalena Szwaja, Jeffrey Naber, David Shonnard, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Stanislaw Szwaja

Michigan Tech Publications

The article discusses the results of experimental studies on the course of pyrolysis oil injection through the high-pressure injector of a direct-injection engine. The pyrolysis oil used for the tests was derived from waste plastics (mainly high-density polyethylene—HDPE). This oil was then distilled. The article also describes the production technology of this pyrolysis oil on a laboratory scale. It presents the results of the chemical composition of the raw pyrolysis oil and the oil after the distillation process using GC-MS analysis. Fuel injection tests were carried out for the distilled pyrolysis oil and a 91 RON gasoline in order to …

Bio-Inspired Micromachined Volumetric Flow Sensor With A Big Dynamic Range For Intravenous Systems, Lansheng Zhang, Yingchen Yang, Georgios A. Bertos, Chang Liu, Huan Hu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Real-time monitoring of drug delivery in an intravenous infusion system can prevent injury caused by improper drug doses. As the medicine must be administered into the vein at different rates and doses in different people, an ideal intravenous infusion system requires both a low flow rate and large dynamic range monitoring. In this study, a bio-inspired and micromachined volumetric flow sensor is presented for the biomedical application of an intravenous system. This was realized by integrating two sensing units with different sensitivities on one silicon die to achieve a large dynamic range of the volumetric flow rate. The sensor was …