Engineering Commons^™

Flexible Manufacturing System Utilizing Computer Integrated Control And Modeling, Yahia Mohammed Al-Smadi

Theses

In today's fast-automated production, Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) play a very important role by processing a variety of different types of workpieces simultaneously. This study provides valuable information about existing FMS workcells and brings to light a unique concept called Programmable Automation.

Another integrated concept of programmable automation that is discussed is the use of two feasibility approaches towards modeling and controlling FMS operations; the most commonly used is programmable logic controllers (PLC), and the other one, which has not yet implemented in many industrial applications is Petri Net controllers (PN). This latter method is a unique powerful technique to …

Nanofatigue Studies Of Ultrathin Hard Carbon Overcoats Used In Magnetic Storage Devices, Xiaodong Li, Bharat Bhushan

Faculty Publications

A technique to perform nanofatigue experiments was developed. This technique utilizes a depth-sensing nanoindenter with harmonic force. The nanofatigue behavior of 20 nm thick amorphous carbon coatings was studied. The contact stiffness was monitored continuously throughout the test. The abrupt decrease in the contact stiffness indicates fatigue damage has occurred. The critical load amplitude, below which no fatigue damage occurs, was identified. It was found that the filtered cathodic arc coating exhibits longer fatigue life than a direct ion beam coating. Failure mechanisms of the coatings during fatigue are also discussed in conjunction with the hardness,elastic modulus, and fracture toughness, …

Performance And Impact From Duct Repair And Ventilation Modifications Of Two Newly Constructed Manufactured Houses Located In A Hot And Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Two nearly identical houses situated next to each other in Bossier City, Louisiana were studied in an effort to better understand moisture and cooling energy related problems in manufactured houses with low thermostat set-points during the cooling season. By design, the major difference between houses was the type of air conditioning units. House A had a standard split air conditioner and House B had a two-speed split air conditioner.

In an effort to make the buildings more similar, the building airtightness was adjusted until it was the same in each house, and duct leaks were sealed so that the ducts …

Structure And Magnetic Properties Of The Mnbi Low Temperature Phase, Jinbo Yang, William B. Yelon, William Joseph James, Qingsheng Cai, Samit Roy, Naushad Ali

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

High purity MnBi low temperature phase has been prepared and analyzed using magnetic measurements and neutron diffraction. The low-temperature phase of the MnBi alloy has a coercivity μ_0iH_c of 2.0 T at 400 K, and exhibits a positive temperature coefficient from 0 to at least 400 K. The neutron data refinement indicated that the Mn atom changes its spin direction from c axis above room temperature to nearly perpendicular to the c axis at 50 K. A canted magnetic structure has been observed below 200 K. The anisotropy field increases with increasing temperature which gives rise to …

Closed-Form Solution For The Size Of Plastic Zone In An Edge-Cracked Strip, Xiangfa Wu, Yuris A. Dzenis

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Faculty Publications

This paper is concerned with the problem of plastic zone at the tip of an edge crack in an isotropic elastoplastic strip under anti-plane deformations. By means of complex potential and Dugdale model, the stress intensity factor and the size of plastic zone are obtained in closed-form. Furthermore, the analytic solutions for an edge crack at the free boundary of a half-space and a semi-infinite crack heading towards a free surface are determined as the limiting cases of the strip geometries. 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sufficient Conditions Used In Admittance Selection For Planar Force-Guided Assembly, Shuguang Huang, Joseph M. Schimmels

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Admittance control approaches show significant promise in providing reliable force-guided assembly. An important issue in the development of these approaches is the specification of an appropriate admittance control law. This paper identifies procedures for selecting the appropriate admittance to achieve reliable planar force-guided assembly for single-point contact cases. A set of conditions that are imposed on the admittance matrix is presented. These conditions ensure that the motion that results from contact reduces part misalignment. We show that for bounded misalignment, if the conditions are satisfied for a finite number of contact configurations, the system ensures that force guidance is achieved …

The Development And Application Of A Low-Cost Force Feedback System For A Haptic Interface For Use Within A Three-Dimensional Virtual Reality Environment, Sarne M. Hutchersin

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

Virtual Reality is a fast growing market. Everyday new applications of this technology are being discovered. Virtual Reality (VR) benefits many sectors of the world market. It has applications in areas such as medicine, research, industry, education, and the military. In the field of medicine, VR is being used to train anesthesiologists in the delicate work of delivering anesthesia and in rehabilitation treatment. Researchers use VR to explore micro- and nanoscale systems with scanning tunneling microscopes. Industrial organizations use VR to operate robotics equipment from remote locations. Educational institutions can use VR to augment course work and in research applications. …

Simulations Of Nematic Liquid Crystals: Confined Geometries, Phase Transitions And Topological Defects, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The physics of liquid crystals is an exciting field of research with important practical applications. In this dissertation we present the results of simulation studies of nematic liquid crystals using Monte Carlo and molecular dynamic techniques. In our first project we performed Monte Carlo Simulations of the Lebwohl-Lasher (LL) model of nematic liquid crystals confined to cylindrical cavities with perpendicular anchoring. In this particular geometry one has an interesting interplay between bulk and surface energies, which results in different director configurations inside the cylinder. Our work reconciled the apparent contradictions between the results of earlier simulations and approximate analytics theories. …

The Rheological Behavior Of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites, Qiang Zeng

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A rheological study of the thermoplastic HDPE filled with vapor grow carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) has been performed with a RheoStress 150 Tester. VGCNF having average 50 nm diameter were used. These nanofibers were purified to provide for an open network of high purity nanofibers. A rheomixer was used to disperse the nanofibers uniformly in the polyethylene matrix because of shear working conditions. The influence of fiber loading, frequency and temperature on the rheology was investigated. Studies were carried out in the temperature range of 160 to 210°C and frequency range of 0.062 to 628.3 rad/s. The rheological measurements show that …

In-Plane Linear-Displacement Bistable Microrelay, Troy Gomm, Larry L. Howell, Richard H. Selfridge

Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the Linear Displacement Bistable Mechanism (LDBM) for use in microrelays. The LDBM, thermal actuators, and contacts are integrated to demonstrate a relay design. The performance of the relay is characterized using relay performance metrics, including size (1.92 mm2), contact force (23.4 μN), switching time (340 μs), breakdown voltage (> 475 V), and isolation (> 235 V). The actuation voltage and current are 11 V and 85 mA, respectively. AC characteristics, including contact-to-contact crosstalk and AC isolation are also measured. The testing results demonstrate that it is feasible to use the LDBM as a microrelay and that it …

Apr 2002, Tractor Museum

Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum: Planning and Development Documents

Potential Board Members Conservation Assessment Program Tractor Museum Calender

Design And Analysis Of A Process For Melt Casting Metallic Fuel Pins Incorporating Volatile Actinides, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Randy Clarksean

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

UNLV has developed and will continue to develop process models for the analysis of melt casting processes. This work will continue to be performed under the guidance of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) engineers to ensure that their knowledge and experience benefits the project. The research to be conducted during the second year will center on performing detailed analyses on a conceptual design of an inductively heated skull-crucible casting furnace. Processing conditions will be analyzed, basic models utilized, and detailed heat and mass transfer models will be developed to analyze the most promising processes. The goal of this second year is …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities: Phase Ii, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Niobium cavities are important parts of the integrated NC/SC high-power linacs. Over the years, researchers in several countries have tested various cavity shapes. They concluded that elliptically shaped cells are the most appropriate shape for superconducting cavities. The need for very clean surfaces led to the use of a buffered chemical polishing procedure for surface cleaning to get good performance of the cavities. This proposal discusses the second phase of research in the second year of the project.

The first phase (starting Summer 2001) has resulted in improving the basic understanding of multipacting and the process of chemical etching. Based …

A Model Study Of Displacement Instabilities During Cyclic Oxidation, Anette M. Karlsson, C. G. Levi, A. G. Evans

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The shape changes that occur at imperfections on the surface of an alumina-forming alloy, subject to thermal cycling, have been simulated and measured. Observations have been made by emplacing a surface groove into a FeCrAlY material. Upon thermal cycling, large shape distortions have been observed: whereas, for comparable isothermal oxidation, the shape changes are minimal. The simulations predict similar responses. Upon cycling, upward displacements (pile-up) occur around the perimeter, accompanied by downward displacements at the center. Yet, minimal displacements arise upon isothermal oxidation. To realize cyclic displacements comparable in magnitude to those found experimentally, large values of the in-plane growth …

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The purpose of this collaborative research project involving the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Idaho State University (ISU) is to evaluate the feasibility of determining residual stresses of welded (after pre-straining) engineering materials using a new nondestructive technique based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. The proposed technique is to use γ-rays 2 from a small MeV electron Linac to generate positrons inside the sample via pair production. This method can be used for materials characterization and investigation of defects in thick samples that could not be accomplished by conventional positron techniques or other nondestructive methods. The data generated will …

A Taxonomy Of Scheduling Problems In Semiconductor Device Test Operations, Tali Freed, Robert C. Leachman, Kenneth H. Doerr

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Semiconductor device test facilities differ not only by production volume and tester brands. The complexity of the devices and the characteristics of the testers affect the scheduling methodologies as well. Goals and strategies vary from one firm to another, leading to a variety of objectives and performance measures. Due to random yield lot size is variable and lot priorities are common. Changeover times are oftentimes sequence-dependent. Since semiconductor device testing systems are very costly, scheduling methods that increase the throughput of the facility are financially significant. In this paper we describe a variety of semiconductor device testing environments, develop mathematical …

Characterization Of Residual Stress In Microelectromechanical Systems (Mems) Devices Using Raman Spectroscopy, Lavern A. Starman

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the small scale of MEMS devices, the inherent residual stresses during the deposition processes can affect the functionality and reliability of the fabricated devices. Residual stress often causes device failure due to curling, buckling, or fracture. Currently, few techniques are available to measure the residual stress in MEMS devices. In this dissertation, Raman spectroscopy is used to measure and monitor the residual and induced stresses in MUMPs polysilicon MEMS devices. Raman spectroscopy was selected since it is nondestructive, fast, and provides potential in situ stress monitoring. Raman spectroscopy scans on unreleased and released MEMS fixed-fixed beams, cantilevers, and …

Integrating Passenger And Modulo As Learning Tools For Collaborative Engineering Education, Kalamullah Ramli, Frank Schwarz, Stefan Werner, A Halim Shamsuddin, Axel Hunger

Makara Journal of Technology

The University of Indonesia (UI), Gerhard Mercator University (GMU), the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have agreed to cooperate as partners to develop a joint bachelor (3+1) and masters (1+1) degree, and collaborate in the research fi elds of multimedia- and internet-based learning and application level active networks. This paper describes the introduction of the Offshore Project and the extending of information technology applications to the partner institutions in this international cooperation which would very much enhance the operations of the new initiative in engineering education, which could provide students in far distance with more fl exible learning environment.

2002 (Spring) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the spring of 2002.

Study Effect Of Salt Washing Process On Content And Iodium Stability Of Salt, Nelson Saksono

Makara Journal of Technology

Effect of Salt Washing Process on Content and Iodium Stability of Salt. Salt washing process should increase the salt quality. It should clean the salt from sludge or clay and also reduce the impurity compound such as Mg, Ca and the reductor content. The objective of these reseach is to assess the effect of washing process on the content og hygroscopic impurities compound (Ca and Mg), and reductor content of salt. The research also investigate the water absorbing, pH, KIO3 content as function of time to obtain effect of washing process on KIO3 stability in salt. The experiment result shows …

Object Classfification In Computer Vision With Discriminant Analysis, Amir Hamzahan

Makara Journal of Technology

A robotic sensor system is always supported by a computer system called ‘computer vision’. The important concept of computer vision is object classfifi cation. In this study two algorithms for object classifi cation in this system will be compared. Firstly, A simple method that do not need complex computation and that considered as an informal method is called binary tree decision structure. This method is based on modest caracteristic decriptors of an object such as vertical line, horizontal line or ellipse line. Unfortunately this method has weakness in recognize an image that contaminated by a noise. Secondly, a more formal …

Making Alloys (Ti1 - Xalx) N Using Plasma Cvd Technique From Alcl3 Powder, H2 And N2 Gas ,With Solvent Ticl4, Keba Moto

Makara Journal of Technology

The substitution of Ti atoms by Al atoms in TiN lattice sites to form (Ti1-xAlx)N is clearly demonstrated by the coatings which were deposited on steel substrate and using plasma CVD technique. The presence of Al atoms in TiN lattice site is shown by means of XRD and EDX techniques: lattice parameters decreasing of TiN as the fraction of Al increases (XRD) and precipitation of hexagonal AlN phase (XRD) as the fraction of Al exceeding 0.8 (EDX). The hardness of these coating are just around 30 GPa, which is beyond the values reported in literatures.

Effects Of 0.25 % Mo (Molybdenum) Which Is Contained In The Ductile Cast Iron On Mechanical Properties Of Austempered Ductile Iron (Adi)., Nukman Nukman, Bustanul Arifin, Bambang Sugiarto

Makara Journal of Technology

The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of 0.25 % Mo (Molybdenum) which is contained in the ductile cast iron on mechanical properties of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI). The various temperatures and the holding times are used in the heat treatment processes. Using a given 0.25 % Mo in the ductile iron, ADI's alloyed developes a higher ultimate tensile stress value and decreases the elongation if we compare with the as cast (non alloy ductile iron). The higher impact energy value obtained at 9000 C austenization and 375o C austempering temperatures during 60 minutes holding times. The …

The Manufacturing Properties Of Galvanised Steel Sheet With Hexagonal And Tetragonal Network Of Circle Holes, Rahmat Saptono

Makara Journal of Technology

Galvanized steel sheet of 0.8 mm in thickness was drilled with circle holes of 2.5 mm diameter and spacing arranged in tetragonal and hexagonal pattern. The manufacturing properties of specimen were studied through drawing and stretching simulative test. It was concluded from the results that, at high ratio of punch to hole diameter (40/2.5), the drawing properties (LDR) of both square and hexagonal perforated sheet were slightly lower than that of solid sheet, while hexagonal perforated showing LDR somewhat higher than the square one. The stretching properties (LDH) of sheet, however, were much lower than that of solid sheet while …

Develops The Software Of Dsp Processor For The Cdma Circuitry, Arman Djohan D.

Makara Journal of Technology

This research develops the software of DSP Processor type TMS320C54X for the CDMA circuitry. This research apply two algorithms namely Mathematic Algorithm and table lookup Algorithm. From both algorithms, the research examine what algorithm have the fasted processing time and the smallest memory occupation. From the examination results the Mathematic Algorithm have 20.62 milliseconds processing time and the Table lookup algorithm have 14.08 milliseconds processing time. The Table lookup algorithm have the fastest processing time because the Matematic algorithm need the rounding process of the fi gure. Eventhough such processing time is not exceed from the 125 millisecond of delay …

A Mixture Of Elastic Materials With Different Constituent Temperatures And Internal Constraints, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

A novel treatment of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and the development of general thermomechanical constraints are introduced for a mixture of two elastic materials in which the constituents may have different temperatures. First, a homothermal quasi-static process at a common mixture temperature is introduced. Part I of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is invoked to assert that the Clausius integrals are path-independent, which leads to a prescription, or an identification, of the partial entropy functions. Then, two assumptions are introduced that establish the values of the partial entropy functions for general processes, including those for which the constituent temperatures …

External Aerodynamics Of Heavy Ground Vehicles: Computations And Wind Tunnel Testing, Ilhan Bayraktar

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Aerodynamic characteristics of a ground vehicle affect vehicle operation in many ways. Aerodynamic drag, lift and side forces have influence on fuel efficiency, vehicle top speed and acceleration performance. In addition, engine cooling, air conditioning, wind noise, visibility, stability and crosswind sensitivity are some other tasks for vehicle aerodynamics. All of these areas benefit from drag reduction and changing the lift force in favor of the operating conditions. This can be achieved by optimization of external body geometry and flow modification devices. Considering the latter, a thorough understanding of the airflow is a prerequisite.

The present study aims to simulate …

Energy Conservation Using The Closed Water Loop Heat Pump, Harry J. Sauer, Guruprasad Rao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The closed water loop heat pump (CWLHP) system has been shown to be an energy conserving building heating and cooling system. Such systems are most applicable where simultaneous heating and cooling needs occur. In these systems, internally generated space heat is used to meet heating needs before external heat is provided from a heating plant. The water loop is the transport system moving heat from where it is not wanted to where it is required. Addition of water storage gives an option to store thermal energy for later use. In the common arrangement for the closed water loop heat pump …

Analysis Of A Direct Expansion Solar-Assisted Heat Pump Using Different Refrigerants, Francis Benjamin Gorozabel Chata

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A direct expansion solar-assisted heat pump, the components of which are properly matched for a specified ambient condition characterized by geographical location, has been analyzed. The steady state energy equation across the collector is solved for several refrigerants for two configurations; bare collector and one-cover collector. The REFPROP computer program, developed by the National Institute of Science and Technology, is used to predict refrigerant properties that are used in the steady state energy balance. The thermal performance as characterized by the coefficient of performance (COPn) is determined for a variety of refrigerants. A graphical procedure is developed for sizing of …

The Effect Of Temperature On The Optical Absorptive And Reflective Behavior Of Metals, Thomas A. Hunyady

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the five decades since its invention, the laser has been used to commercially process materials in an increasingly diverse number of ways. The precise control over the delivery of the incident energy that is afforded by a laser allows for a wide variety of applications. All of these processes depend in some way on two important physical properties of the material being treated. These properties are known as the optical reflectivity and absorptivity of a material. The values of each of these properties are different for each material and are influenced by a number of factors, including surface roughness, …