Engineering Commons^™

Effects Of Compliance And Machining Prameters On Robotic Grinding/Deburring, Kung-Le Chang

Theses

A theoretical model for robotic grinding/deburring has been developed and compared with experimental results. Various grinding parameters such as depth of cut, feed rate, surface profile and roughness, grinding forces, and robot stiffness, have been experimentally investigated in this study. It was observed that the depth of cut is a function of specific grinding energy, force, and robot compliance. The observed roughness and waviness are directly proportional to depth of cut and feed rate and, in addition, to the robot compliance and the encoder quantization error. Other effects of the robot system for grinding performance are also addressed.

An Automated System For Optimal Synthesis Of Planar Linkages, Daming Wang

Theses

This thesis addresses the fundamental weakness of the current CAD capabilities and develops a new CAD system with optimization capability. A computer-aided mechanism design system is developed for general problems of optimal kinematic synthesis of planar four-bar mechanisms. The new system is made as user-friendly as possible and it is unique in that it combines Graphics capability, general Analysis capabilities, and Optimization capability into one system. Related background theory in IMP, optimization and optimal synthesis of mechanisms are discussed. The problems and methods in developing the new system are addressed. New routines and modifications made to the original systems are …

Hydrodynamic Lubrication Performance Of Mineral Oils With Polymer Additives, Moshe David Felzenstein

Theses

This study was undertaken with the view to determining experimentally the influence of polymer additives on journal bearing performance under static load. Viscoelastic lubricants such as oils with polymer additives are in common use and exhibit a reduced dependence of the viscosity on temperature but the effect on the performance of a static journal bearing is not clear. Additives of the polymer polyisobutylene and STP were blended with Newtonian base oil which was used to establish the baseline performance of the test bearing. A comparison was made between the performance of these blends and the base oil. The performance of …

Artificial Intelligence And Mechanical Engineering, Efthimios Papayianis

Theses

Many artificial intelligence programs have been developed to assist engineers in their search for solutions. Most of them are designed to assist with a specific type of problem and they usually take the form of an expert system. However one may also use the concepts of artificial intelligence to solve a problem for which an expert system is not yet available.

Three expert systems were developed with Prolog to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can help solve problems in mechanical engineering. The first expert assists in the design of simply supported beams. The second expert assists in the design of thick …

Method For Forming A Pallet With Deep Drawn Legs, L. Bogue Sandberg, Bruce A. Haataja, Douglas C. Jurmu, Robert D. Palardy, Frank H. Story, William A. Yates

Michigan Tech Patents

A method for molding articles such as pallets from flake-like wood particles mixed with binder, the pallets housing a deck and integral molding legs. A loosely fitted mat of wood flakes is formed by depositing a first plurality of layers of wood flakes onto a supporting surface with a flake aligners provided for causing alignment of those flakes which will form legs of the pallet. A second plurality of layers are formed with a flake aligner provided for causing alignment of flakes which will form the legs of the pallet and in a direction transverse to the direction of alignment …

Consumer Facts About Radiant Barriers, Florida Solar Energy Center, Public Information Office

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Radiant barriers are becoming popular for use in Florida attics. Some marketing companies are now selling them with inflated claims of energy savings and questionable installation recommendations. Understandably confused consumers have called the FSEC Public Information Office for answers.

Economic Benefits Of Various Energy Conservation Options, Florida Solar Energy Center, Public Information Office

FSEC Energy Research Center®

An energy conservation investment for your home can be a significantly better investment than putting your money in the bank. While safe investments in the financial markets may yield about 8 percent return on investment, many energy investments can yield a considerably greater return when analyzed over their expected service life.

Build Your Own Solar Batch Water Heater, Florida Solar Energy Center, Public Information Office

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The solar batch water heater is a fun project for the do-it yourselfer and provides an inexpensive hot water source for the back yard workshop or weekend cabin, It is easy to construct, costs only about $70 to build and produces water temperatures as high as 150 degrees F.

Remember, the batch heater is not designed to operate with pressurized water system and should not be connected to a city water supply. If you are looking for such a system, consider manufactured solar systems, which have been designed to meet strict standards and aesthetic considerations.

Photovoltaic-Powered Lighting System For Overhead Highway Guide Signs, Florida Solar Energy Center, Public Information Office

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The problem: A safety hazard affected motorists traveling through a remote area in Brevard County near the St. Johns River on the eastbound Bee Line Expressway (S.R. 528). At that point the Bee Line splits, sending Titusville- bound motorists to the north, and Central Brevard- bound travelers to the south. Because of the high cost of extending utility service several miles from the nearest distribution point, the overhead guide signs were not illuminated, and at such a critical juncture on the 65-mph highway, it was difficult, if not impossible, to read them at night. The problem-solvers: Since 2.5 million vehicles …

The Role Of The Peripheral Vascular Bed In Arterial Pulse Wave Propagation, L. S. Baker, F. A. Anderson, Jr., H. B. Wheeler, William W. Durgin

Office of the Provost Scholarship

An analytical model was developed to simulate human arterial pulse wave propagation in major arteries. It was verified with an experimental model. The models investigated the effects of the peripheral vascular bed on pressure pulse morphology. The models revealed that the capillary bed in normal humans acts as a high resistance, low reflectance, boundary condition.

A Systematic Transition To Flexible Manufacturing, Sema E. Alptekin, Daniel L. Webber

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The transition from basic automation to flexible manufacturing is an expensive and tedious procedure. It requires meticulous planning and almost clairvoyant forecasting to insure that the initial flexibility obtained is sufficient to allow growth and expansion in the future. This paper will suggest a systematic and methodological approach to achieve optimal flexibility and describe the present results of its application to an ongoing system transformation. Conclusions based on existing levels of completion are presented along with identification of critical and non critical flexibility requirements. The considerations and steps taken are summarized in a procedural format which may then be applied …

Method And Apparatus For Conversion Of Coal In Situ, Ottfried J. Hahn

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

A method for the electro-thermal and electrochemical underground conversion of coal into oil and by-products comprises the steps of inserting an underground probe into a bore hole until the probe is in close proximity to a coal seam. A mixture of air, steam, an electrolyte and a suitable catalyst is supplied to the probe, and the mixture is then sprayed directly on the coal seam through a passage in a nozzle. The probe is also energized with electricity applied to the nozzle to produce an arc between the coal and the probe, simultaneous with the spraying of the mixture on …

An Arrayed Hot-Film Sensor For Detection Of Laminar Boundary-Layer Flow Disturbance Spatial Characteristics, Michael S. Wusk

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An arrayed hot-film sensor has been developed for use in laminar boundary-layer research for the detection of crossflow or Gortler vortices. This sensor has been developed to detect spatial variations in heat transfer and velocity perturbations which are characteristic of crossflow or Gortler vortices. The sensor is ultimately intended for flight research applications. This thesis describes the sensor, its principles of operation, signal analysis techniques, and experimental results illustrating the spatial detection capabilities of this specialized hot-film device. Discretely placed spheres placed in the boundary layer created alternating regions of undisturbed and disturbed laminar flow over a prototype sensor. Flow …

Finite Element Method In Turbo Pascal, Tingwang Kuo

Theses

A finite element program FEM2D in FORTRAN language by J.N. Reddy has been translated into TURBO PASCAL and several features such as interactive input, mesh generation for a rectangular plate with a circular hole at the center of the plate and graphical display of the meshes and node numbers have been implemented. Four examples including potential flow and plane stress problems have been tested successfully. It is concluded that the PASCAL language on a microcomputer can he used to write a finite element program and is easier to give graphical display than FORTRAN language. The maximal number of nodes that …

Test 1614: White 100 Diesel 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Test 1615: White 120 Diesel And White Workhorse 125 Diesel 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Test 1616: White 140 Diesel And White Workhorse 145 Diesel 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Test 1613: Caterpiller Challenger 65 Diesel 10-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Cotgame: Cotton Insect Pest Management Simulation Game, Kunter S. Akbay, R.W. Mcclendon, L. G. Brown

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

An interactive version of the Cotton and Insect Management (CIM) model was developed to aid individuals in improving their insect pest management decision making skills. This version, COTGAME, allowed the user to encounter situations and make decisions during the simulated cotton crop growing season. The intermediate results of these decisions were immediately delivered in the form of a report on the current status of the crop and insect populations. Based on the information presented in this status report, the user would make additional management decisions and take tactical actions. Once the harvest date had been reached, the economics of the …

Analysis Of Radiant Barrier Car Shade Performance: Preliminary Experiments And Proof Of Concept, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) has monitored several automobiles over the last two months in order to investigate how hot interior temperatures in parked cars might be reduced through the use of improved technology, car shades. We observed interior temperatures in un-shaded stationary automobiles in Cape Canaveral, Florida to commonly reach 150 °F and dashboard temperatures to rise to nearly 200 °F. We found the addition of a conventional cardboard car shade behind the automobile windshield on sunny days to reduce the interior air temperatures by an average of 15 °F. Dashboard temperatures were reduced by 40 °F.

We …

Test 1611: Case International 7130 And 7230 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

A Comparison Study Of Teaching Basic Drafting Concepts Using Computer-Assisted Equipment And Traditional Methods To Beginning Drafting Students At The Secondary Level, Thomas K. Farmer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine if basic drafting concepts and skills can be learned by students using computer-assisted drafting equipment as well as those students who were taught using traditional drafting equipment. The two methods used in this study were a traditional style, using drafting boards with drafting machines, and the second was using computer-assisted drafting equipment (CAD).

Test 1612: Case International 7140 And 7240 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Test 1610: Case International 7120 Diesel 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Test 1609: Case International 7110 And 7210 Diesel 18-Speed, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURE General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to the Agricultural Tractor Test Code approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers or official Nebraska test procedure. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested and certifies that it is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common power consuming accessories such as power steering, power lift pump, generator, etc., if available. Power consuming accessories may be disconnected only when the means for disconnecting can be reached from the operating station. An official representative of …

Viscous Shock Layer Analysis Of Hypersonic Flows Over Long Slender Vehicles, Kam-Pui Lee

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A method for solving the viscous shock-layer equations for hypersonic flows over long slender bodies is presented. The governing equations are solved by employing a spatial-marching implicit finite-difference technique. The two first-order equations, continuity and normal momentum, are solved simultaneously as a coupled set. This method yields a simple and computationally efficient technique.

Flows past hyperboloids and sphere cones with body half angles of five to 35 degrees are considered. The flow conditions included are from high Reynolds numbers at low altitudes to low Reynolds numbers at high altitudes. Detailed comparisons have been made with other predictions and experimental data …

Calculations Of Three-Dimensional Transonic Flows Using The Implicit Formulation Of The Isenthalpic Euler Equations With Flux Vector Splitting, Frank E. Cannizzaro

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A numerical method for solving three-dimensional transonic flows using the isenthalpic formulation of the Euler equations is developed. The method uses van Leer's flux vector splitting to solve the implicit formulation of the governing equations, which are applied to a cell centered finite-volume scheme. A three factor spatial approximate factorization is implemented in solving the implicit part of the governing equations. Time marching to a steady state solution requires short computational times due to the relative efficiency of the basic method. Computational times are further reduced by the implementation of the multigrid acceleration technique, which provided converged solutions in approximately …

Application Of Advanced Grid Generation Techniques For Flow Field Computations About Complex Configurations, Monchai Kathong

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the computation of flow fields about complex configurations, it is very difficult to construct a boundary-fitted coordinate system. An alternative approach is to use several grids at once, each of which is generated independently. This procedure is called the "multiple grids" or "zonal grids" approach, and its applications are investigated in this study. The method is a conservative approach and provides conservation of fluxes at grid interfaces. The Euler equations are solved numerically on such grids for various configurations. The numerical scheme used is the finite-volume technique with a three-stage Runge-Kutta time integration. The code is vectorized and programmed …

A Finite Element Formulation For The Large Deflection Random Response Of Thermally Buckled Structures, James Eugene Locke

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The effects of temperature and acoustic loading are included in a theoretical finite element large deflection formulation for thin, isotropic plate and beam type structures. Thermal loads are applied as steady-state temperature distributions, and acoustic loads are taken to be stationary and Gaussian with zero mean and uniform magnitude and phase over the surface of the structure. Material properties are considered to be independent of temperature. Also, inplane and rotary inertia terms are assumed to be neglegible, and all inplane edge conditions are taken to be immovable. For the random vibration analysis, cross correlation terms are included.

The nature of …

Numerical Simulation Of Turbulent Flows Past Three-Dimensional Cavities, Shivakumar Srinivasan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computations have been performed to simulate turbulent supersonic, transonic, and subsonic flows past three-dimensional deep, transitional, and shallow cavities. Simulation of these self sustained oscillatory flows has been generated through time accurate solutions of Reynolds averaged full Navier-Stokes equations using the explicit MacCormack scheme. The Reynolds stresses have been modeled, using the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic turbulence model with certain modifications. The computational results include instantaneous and time averaged flow properties everywhere in the computational domain. Time series analyses have been performed for the instantaneous pressure values on the cavity floor. Comparison with experimental data is made in terms of the mean …