Engineering Commons^™

On The Mechanism Of Performance Improvement Of Electroactive Polyvinyl Chloride (Pvc) Gel Actuators Via Conductive Fillers, Zachary Frank, Kwang J. Kim

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

The electromechanical actuation of transparent plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gels with conductive fillers were studied. The effects of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF4) ionic liquid (IL) on both the electrical conduction and dielectric processes within PVC gels were investigated, and the differences between the two were clarified. Both CNTs and IL were shown to increase the conductivity of the gels and produce larger electromechanical transduction of a contraction actuator, but only CNTs were shown to increase the electrostatic adhesion force of the PVC gels. The addition of charge carriers to the gel via the inclusion of ILs …

Preliminary Study Of Shape-Memory Alloy Torsional Tubes As Thermal Management Actuators Under Non-Ideal Conditions, Paula Sanjuan Espejo, Samuel Desloover, Devon Hardy, Mark Ricklick, Frederick Calkin, David Foutch

Publications

Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) have been used in many engineering applications because of their shape-memory effect and pseudoelasticity. SMA behavior is well understood under steady and constant temperature and loading conditions, whereas transient and non-ideal conditions effects should be further investigated. In this research, SMA torque tubes are studied for use in thermal management applications as self-regulated actuators responding to a process fluid with changes in temperature, with the goal of improved system efficiency by keeping components at an optimal temperature. When utilized in a thermal management configuration, it is likely that the SMA’s thermal environment will be different than that …

Anisotropic Third-Harmonic Generation Of Exfoliated As2s3 Thin Flakes, Ravi P.N. Tripathi, Xiaodong Yang, Jie Gao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Van der Waals (vdW) materials have recently attracted significant interest in the context of orientation-dependent linear and nonlinear optical properties. Recently, arsenic trisulfide (As2S3) or orpiment is identified as a new vdW layered material having anisotropic vibrational and optomechanical responses due to the reduced in-plane crystal symmetry, but its nonlinear optical response is still not well understood yet. Herein, the anisotropic third-harmonic generation (THG) response of mechanically exfoliated As2S3 thin flakes is reported. The polarization-dependent evolution of THG emission from butterfly-shaped pattern to four-lobe pattern is comprehensively explored. Moreover, the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of As2S3 crystal is extracted by analyzing …

Experimentation And Modeling Of Laser Radiation Scattering Through Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers, Steven P. Shepard

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

With the prevalence of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) in aerospace platforms, there is a need to better understand radiative heat transport through the material. A laboratory experiment was constructed and a computational zonal Monte Carlo (ZMC) model developed to quantify and understand the laser scattering properties of CFRPs. The ZMC model builds off of the zonal method (ZM)—developed by Hottel et al. and expanded by researchers such as Yuen et al.—by incorporating Monte Carlo techniques into the ZM. The ZMC method is superior in efficiency to the ZM and alternative ray tracing methods, which enables larger mediums of exchange …

Multifunctional Hybrid Mos2-Pegylated/Au Nanostructures With Potential Theranostic Applications In Biomedicine, Thiago R. S. Malagrino, Anna Paula Godoy, Juliano M. Barbosa, Abner G. T. Lima, Nei C. O. Sousa, Jairo J. Pedrotti, Pamela S. Garcia, Roberto M. Paniago, Lídia M. Andrade, Jaime Taha-Tijerina

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

In this work, flower-like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) microspheres were produced with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form MoS2-PEG. Likewise, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were added to form MoS2-PEG/Au to investigate its potential application as a theranostic nanomaterial. These nanomaterials were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron X-ray spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The produced hierarchical MoS2-PEG/Au microstructures showed an average diameter of 400 nm containing distributed gold nanoparticles, with great cellular viability on tumoral and non-tumoral cells. This aspect makes them with multifunctional characteristics with potential application …

A Porosity-Based Model Of Dynamic Compaction In Under-Dense Materials, John A. Moore, Nathan R. Barton

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Under-dense metals including micro-architectured structures and stochastic foams provide a combination of low weight, high strength-to-weight ratio, high permeability, and low stiffness, which make them desirable materials for a variety of applications. Specifically, their energy absorption capabilities under dynamic compressive loads are desirable. However, under high loading rates there are several challenges in performing accurate simulations of under-dense materials—primarily, the responses of materials with high, low, and zero porosity are difficult to accurately predict with a single model. A general model that tracks porosity and pore geometry and is flexible for a variety of matrix material constitutive responses has yet …

Gross Positioning Device And Related Systems And Methods, Mark A. Reichenbach, Shane M. Farritor

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Disclosed herein are gross positioning systems for use with robotic surgical devices to provide gross positioning of the robotic surgical devices. The gross positioning systems have a base, a first arm link operably coupled to the base, a second arm link operably coupled to the first arm link, a third arm link operably coupled to the second arm link, and a slidable coupling component slidably coupled to the third arm link.

Probabilistic Multi-Objective Inverse Analysis For Damage Identification Using Piezoelectric Impedance Measurement Under Uncertainties, Kai Zhou, Yang Zhang, Qi Shuai, Jiong Tang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Piezoelectric impedance sensing is promising for highly accurate damage identification because of its high-frequency active interrogative nature and simplicity in data acquisition. To fully unleash the potential, effective inverse analysis is needed in order to pinpoint the damage location and identify the severity. The inverse analysis, however, may be underdetermined since there exists a very large number of unknowns (i.e., locations and severity levels) to be solved in a finite element model but only limited measurements are available in actual practice. To uncover the true damage scenario, an inverse analysis strategy built upon the multi-objective optimization, which aims at matching …

Design And Control Of Modular Soft Robotic Actuators With Architected Structures, Nicholas Pagliocca

Theses and Dissertations

Soft robotic systems composed of highly compliant materials offer unparalleled advantages compared to rigid-body systems in applications such as fragile material handling and human-machine interactions. Often, their motions are prescribed by structural anisotropy and reinforcement materials to directionally limit motion. The continuum motion and non-linear material response intrinsic to soft robotics makes their design, modeling, and control a formidable challenge for engineers. Leveraging the deformation driven response of soft robotic actuators, highly versatile compliant architected structures whose local deformations dictate global material response can be integrated into soft robotic actuators for tunable mechanical responses. In this thesis, flexible center-symmetric perforated …

Bbt Side Mold Assy, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set covers the design and fabrication information of the ETSU Guitar Building Project’s BBT (OM-sized) Side Mold Assy for use with the STEM Guitar Project’s standard acoustic guitar kit. The extended 'as built' data set contains an overview file and companion video, the 'parent' CADD drawing, CADD data for laser etching and cutting a drill &/or layout template, CADD drawings in AutoCAD .DWG and .DXF R12 formats of the centerline tool paths for creating the mold assembly pieces on an AXYZ CNC router, and support documentation for CAM applications including router bit specifications, feeds, speed, multi-pass …

Effectiveness Of Air Pollution Mitigation Systems: Transport, Transformation, And Control Of Ozone In The Indoor Environment, Pradeep Ramasubramanian

Dissertations and Theses

Buildings are critical environments governing our collective exposure to air pollution and energy consumption. While there exist concerns regarding increases in building energy consumption due to indoor air interventions, improvements to the quality of air indoors can improve health, comfort, and productivity. Air cleaning technologies that can improve indoor air quality with minimal energy consumption have become ever more important. These technologies are utilized at various scales; from passive removal of pollutants in the air entering the indoor environment to active cleaning of air within the breathing zone. To better understand the effectiveness of active and passive ozone mitigation technologies …

Smart Bike Rack, Santiago Hinojosa Andonegui, Max Luna, August Rosedale, Connor Mcgoldrick

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

With more and more people turning to bicycles as their main method of transportation every year, bike theft has become a pressing problem all around the world. Every year, millions of bicycles are stolen due to how ineffective current locking mechanisms are at protecting all the main components of a bike. Furthermore, the inefficiency of these locking mechanisms and the fear of bike theft continues to discourage potential users from buying a bike and using it to commute on a daily basis. Our team constructed a proof of concept for an automatic Smart Bike Rack which employs a three-point locking …

Cart Loader, Hayelom Fitsum, Dalveer Grewal, Ishan Kumar, Sean Mccauley, Nick O'Brien

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

For this senior design project, the team partnered with a startup, Dishcraft Robotics, to design and create a device that would decrease the time it takes to unload and load their products in and out of a truck. The team’s design, Cart Loader, consists of an aluminum structure that is able to hold their products. Outfitted with a rail system on the truck and the liftgate, the Cart Loader can move onto the liftgate and roll inside the truck, where the products can then be rolled off the Cart Loader. There was extensive finite element analysis done to ensure that …

Ava: The Roving Vending Machine, Nicholas Elwell, Jordan Hibbs, Jagos Jovanovic, Alec Lindeman, Antonio Matusich

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

AVA is an undergraduate engineering senior project that focuses on the design and integration of a roving vending machine. Such a product looks to utilize passing period foot traffic on college campuses when students and faculty do not have time to walk to a dining hall. In an effort to showcase a proof of concept, the team built a working prototype that consists of multiple subsystems. The vehicle has the ability to move with the use of remote control, autonomously sense obstacles and stop on its own, quickly dispense chilled beverages at a convenient customer location, and power itself with …

New Advances In Fluid–Structure Interaction, Wenli Chen, Zifeng Yang, Gang Hu, Haiquan Jing, Junlei Wang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Fluid–structure interactions (FSI) play a crucial role in the design, construction, service and maintenance of many engineering applications, e.g., aircraft, towers, pipes, offshore platforms and long-span bridges. The old Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) is probably one of the most infamous examples of serious accidents due to the action of FSI. Aircraft wings and wind-turbine blades can break because of FSI-induced oscillations. To alleviate or eliminate these unfavorable effects, FSI must be dealt with in ocean, coastal, offshore and marine engineering to design safe and sustainable engineering structures. In addition, the act of wind on plants and its resultant wind-induced motions …

Solid Thermal Storage As An Energy Storage Device In Insulated Solar Electric Cookers: Thermal Modeling And Experiment, Michael Antonio Fernandez

Physics

The use of solid thermal storage (STS) as an energy storage device in insulated solar electric cookers (ISEC) was explored using a thermal simulation before retrofitting an existing cooker without energy storage and testing it under several conditions. STS sizing, material selection, and geometry were examined from both theoretical and practical perspectives and re-examined following experimental results. Characterization of the system’s thermal interfaces and methods to improve their thermal conductivities were investigated resulting in several performance enhancements to the system.

Estimation Of Joint Moments During Turning Maneuvers In Alpine Skiing Using A Three Dimensional Musculoskeletal Skier Model And A Forward Dynamics Optimization Framework, Dieter Heinrich, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Werner Nachbauer

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In alpine skiing, estimation of the joint moments acting onto the skier is essential to quantify the loading of the skier during turning maneuvers. In the present study, a novel forward dynamics optimization framework is presented to estimate the joint moments acting onto the skier incorporating a three dimensional musculoskeletal model (53 kinematic degrees of freedom, 94 muscles). Kinematic data of a professional skier performing a turning maneuver were captured and used as input data to the optimization framework. In the optimization framework, the musculoskeletal model of the skier was applied to track the experimental data of a skier and …

Moon Rocker: Eva Sample Bag And Dispenser, Birk D. Smith, Albert J. Kasinski, Christian Clephan

Mechanical Engineering

NASA’s next mission to the moon (Artemis) requires a device to dispense bags for holding and collecting rock samples on the lunar surface. The device must be lightweight, easy to use with an astronaut suit, and capable of withstanding the moon’s harsh environment. Our team has designed and revised several prototype dispensers to accomplish this challenge. Through testing and observations made while building our structural prototype, changes were made to build a more durable and usable dispenser. This led to our verification prototype, which was constructed with a carbon fiber frame and aluminum, or 3D printed smaller components. After manufacturing …

Sunsation’S Solar Powered Picnic Table, Michelle M. Barnett, Christopher Barber, Casey Durham, David Mason

Mechanical Engineering

Team SunSation is an interdisciplinary senior design project group that was tasked with developing a semi-permanent seating area for Cal Poly's electrical engineering courtyard. The EE courtyard is populated with plastic folding tables and chairs that are slowly falling apart. Dale Dolan, the head of the EE department, requested that a table design be developed that incorporates the use of solar panels. The addition of the solar panels to the table would help promote clean renewable energy as well as provide shade to those sitting in the courtyard.

The solution that SunSation arrived at is broken up into mechanical/structural, electrical, …

8 Dof Quadrupedal Hopping Robot, Clayton T. Elwell, John Bennett, Tyler Mccue, Daniel Munic

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of our senior project was to fabricate an eight degree of freedom (DOF) prototypical quadrupedal robot, develop a controller than commands the quadruped to repeatedly jump 10 cm in the air, and fabricate a modular test stand to safely deploy our controller on the quadruped. The creation of a functional quadruped will bring attention to Dr. Siyuan Xing and Charlie Refvem’s research group, Cal Poly Legged Robots, and will give future Cal Poly undergraduate and graduate students a learning tool to explore dynamic control of biomimetic robotic systems.

Over the course of our senior project, we successfully manufactured …

Coil Quick (Rv Sewer Hose Compressor) Device, Arturo Guijosa-Ruiz, David M. Bourgoin

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this design project is to design, build, and test an RV sewer hose compactor device that can be used by the project sponsor and marketed to other RV owners. The goal of the RV sewer hose compactor device is to mechanically compress an RV sewer hose from its fully extended length to its fully compressed and storable state. Since a prototype device has already been developed, this project will aim to improve the prototype design to make it smaller, quicker, quieter, and more durable. Additionally, we improved the device to make it more user friendly and have …

System Identification Of A Cantilever Beam With Interferometer Measurement Using Adaptive Filters, Jordan D. Kochavi

Master's Theses

Laser interferometry, commonly used in high-precision motion control systems, is rarely adopted in experimental vibration analysis because its installation and mounting is invasive to dynamical systems. However, metrology systems that already utilize laser interferometry, such as profilometry in semiconductor manufacturing, may benefit from interferometer feedback for signal processing. This study investigates the use of laser interferometry for system identification through a piezoelectrically actuated cantilevered beam.

The model of the beam including piezo actuators and optical measurement components are established through the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. From the method of separation of variables, the continuous system is transformed into a discrete system …

Modeling And Control Of A Planar Bounding Quadrupedal Robot, Patrick John Ward

Master's Theses

Legged robots have the potential to be a valuable technology that provides agile and adaptive locomotion over complex terrain. To realize legged locomotion's full abilities a control design must consider the nonlinear piecewise dynamics of the systems. This paper aims to develop a controller for the planar bounding of a quadrupedal robot.

The bounding of the quadruped robot is characterized by a simplified hybrid model that consists of two subsystems for stance and flight phases and the switching laws between the two states. An additional model, the Multibody model, with fewer simplifications, is used concurrently to best approximate real-world behavior. …

Design Of A Proprioceptive Actuator Utilizing A Cycloidal Gearbox, Craig John Kimball

Master's Theses

Legged robotics creates the demand for high torque compact actuators able to develop high instantaneous torque. Proprioceptive actuator design theory is a design theory that removes the need for a torque feedback device and relies on the stiffness in the leg for absorbing the high Ground Impact Forces created by walking locomotion. It utilizes a high torque density motor paired with a gearbox with a high gear ratio for torque multiplication. Previously work has been done to design a proprioceptive actuator design that utilizes a planetary gearbox to create a modular low-cost actuator for legged robotics. The purpose of this …

An Improved Method To Estimate Savings From Thermal Comfort Control In Residences From Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat Data, Abdulelah D. Alhamayani, Qiancheng Sun, Kevin P. Hallinan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The net-zero global carbon target for 2050 needs both expansion of renewable energy and substantive energy consumption reduction. Many of the solutions needed are expensive. Controlling HVAC systems in buildings based upon thermal comfort, not just temperature, uniquely offers a means for deep savings at virtually no cost. In this study, a more accurate means to quantify the savings potential in any building in which smart WiFi thermostats are present is developed. Prior research by Alhamayani et al. leveraging such data for individual residences predicted cooling energy savings in the range from 33 to 47%, but this research was based …

Mars Rover Structure, Ethan Nikcevich, Justin Marhoefer, Will Kish, Brenden Billing

Mechanical Engineering

Our project is the third iteration of a design to create a small Mars rover. Our main challenge was to change the existing rover structure into something that could survive the harsh conditions of Mars. This meant altering the design so that it could resist the large temperature fluctuations while still maintaining the structural stability and interface to support driving functions and the projects of the other rover teams. Our team accomplished this goal by altering the design of the existing rocker bogey from completely 3D printed to a tube and joint system. The longer portions of the rocker bogey …

Tini-Based Bi-Metallic Shape-Memory Alloy By Laser-Directed Energy Deposition, Yitao Chen, Cesar Ortiz Rios, Braden Mclain, Joseph William Newkirk, Frank W. Liou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, laser-directed energy deposition was applied to build a Ti-rich ternary Ti–Ni–Cu shape-memory alloy onto a TiNi shape-memory alloy substrate to realize the joining of the multifunctional bi-metallic shape-memory alloy structure. The cost-effective Ti, Ni, and Cu elemental powder blend was used for raw materials. Various material characterization approaches were applied to reveal different material properties in two sections. The as-fabricated Ti–Ni–Cu alloy microstructure has the TiNi phase as the matrix with Ti2Ni secondary precipitates. The hardness shows no high values indicating that the major phase is not hard intermetallic. A bonding strength of 569.1 MPa was obtained …

Developing A Miniature Smart Boat For Marine Research, Michael Isaac Eirinberg

Computer Engineering

This project examines the development of a smart boat which could serve as a possible marine research apparatus. The smart boat consists of a miniature vessel containing a low-cost microcontroller to live stream a camera feed, GPS telemetry, and compass data through its own WiFi access point. The smart boat also has the potential for autonomous navigation. My project captivated the interest of several members of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s (Cal Poly SLO) Marine Science Department faculty, who proposed a variety of fascinating and valuable smart boat applications.

Model Predictive Controller Design For Internal Combustion Engines Based On The Second Law Of Thermodynamics, Muataz Abotabik

Dissertations

Energy resources depletion and worldwide strict emissions policies pose challenges that automotive manufacturers try to overcome through researching advanced powertrain technologies such as lean-burn gasoline, direct injection, homogeneous charge compression ignition engines, powertrain electrification, etc. Most of these developments have been focused on conventional internal combustion engines (ICE) emissions and performance enhancements. Most ICE control strategies are built based on the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT) i.e., to deliver a specific load requirement, enhancing thermal efficiency, etc. The FLT doesn’t account for in-cylinder high temperature thermodynamics process irreversibilities that cause losses in the work potential; up to 25% of the …

San Francisco Space Saving Bike Rack, Silas Viskovich, James Mertke, Webster Mertke, Evan Josa

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Large cities like San Francisco can experience congested streets and crowded sidewalks. Increasing bike ridership has been shown to alleviate some of these pains, but they are currently being undersupported. In order to properly account for the growing cyclist population, more efficient bike storage solutions need to be made available. Current bike racks take up too much space, are not reasonably theft resistant, and are not adaptable to a variety of both indoor and outdoor spaces. In this paper, we designed and constructed a bike rack to take advantage of vertical space in order to reduce the footprint that storing …