Engineering Commons^™

Effect Of Hierarchical Structure And Orientation On Water-Repellent Legs Of Water-Walking Insects, Georgia Hurchalla

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Some insects have the ability to walk on water surface due to hierarchical leg structure and wax coating. This work presents studies of water strider and fire ant leg immersion force profiles to measure resistance of legs to submersion and show orientation effects. A high-sensitivity microbalance measured force during immersion of insect legs at various angles into water droplets. Legs oriented parallel to water surface could support three to five times as much force before immersion, compared to legs in a perpendicular orientation. Water pressure affects the setae structure differently at parallel and perpendicular approaches, and complete wetting is more …

Analysis Of The Shock Response Spectrum And Resonant Plate Testing Methods, William Larsen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Intricacies of the shock response spectrum were discovered and investigated by testing a circular plate structure with integral damping. Effects on the SRS from physical alterations to the nonlinear structure were monitored from low and high shock impulses. A method was developed and validated to estimate high amplitude shock inputs from low amplitude frequency response functions. Finite element models explored variable thickness plate designs.

Control Oriented Modeling Of An Automotive Drivetrain For Anti-Jerk Control, Gurijala Venkat Prithvi Reddy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Drivability is an important metric during the development of an automobile. Calibration engineers spend a significant amount of time trying to improve the drivability of vehicles for various driving conditions. With an increase in the available computational power in an automobile, novel model-based methods are being implemented for further improving the drivability, while reducing calibration time and effort. Phenomenon known as clunk and shuffle, which are caused due to backlash and compliance in the driveline, are a major cause of issues related to drivability and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) during tip-in and tip-out scenarios.

This thesis focuses on developing …

Experimental And Computational Investigation Of Dual Fuel Diesel- Natural Gas Rcci Combustion In A Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine, Mufaddel Dahodwala

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Among the various alternative fuels, natural gas is considered as a leading candidate for heavy-duty applications due to its availability and applicability in conventional internal combustion diesel engines. Compared to their diesel counterparts natural gas fueled spark-ignited engines have a lower power density, reduced low-end torque capability, limited altitude performance, and ammonia emissions downstream of the three-way catalyst. The dual fuel diesel/natural gas engine does not suffer with the performance limitations of the spark-ignited concept due to the flexibility of switching between different fueling modes. Considerable research has already been conducted to understand the combustion behavior of dual fuel diesel/natural …

Experimental And Modeling Study Of Particulate Matter Oxidation Under Loading Conditions For A Scr Catalyst On A Diesel Particulate Filter, Abhishek Jadav

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The heavy-duty diesel engines use a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), a Catalyzed Particulate Filter (CPF), a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with urea injection and a Ammonia Oxidation Catalyst (AMOX), to meet the US EPA 2010/2013 particulate matter (PM) and NO_x emission standards. However, it is not possible to achieve the 2015 California low NO_x standards with this arrangement. Hence, there is a need to improve the existing aftertreatment system. This can be achieved by coating the SCR catalyst on a diesel particulate filter (DPF), thus combining the PM filtration and NO_x reduction functionality into a single device. …

Physical Modeling Of Lithium-Ion Aging For Automotive Applications, Anurag Kamal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis extends the full-scale electrochemical model for a Lithium-ion battery based on the porous electrode theory to incorporate aging mechanisms of solid electrolyte interface formation, cyclic electrode degradation, and lithium plating during overcharge, automotive vibrations, mechanical stress, and cell temperature, as reported in the existing literature. Further, the thesis presents the scope of the parameters used in the model to enable designers to extend the equations for new mechanisms and variability of other parameters.

An increased set of equations makes the complexity of the model even higher, and it would be very computationally complex to simulate this model. This …

Effects And Limitations Of Residual Alloying Elements In Silicon Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Ductile Iron, Julia Scruton

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Transitioning from traditional grades of ductile iron to solution strengthened ferritic ductile iron (SSFDI) grades can be difficult because of the need to reduce the amount of pearlite promoting elements, particularly copper and manganese, which are used in traditional grades. Knowing the acceptable threshold of residual alloying elements will allow for more cost-effective tailoring of the charge stream. Data were generated from a series of casting trials with the target grade of EN-GJS-500-14 where the levels of copper and manganese were varied from 0.05% to 0.3% and 0.15% to 0.4% respectively while maintaining silicon in the 3.8%-4.3% range. The pearlite …

Applications Of Robot Operating System (Ros) To Mobile Microgrid Formation Outdoors, John Naglak

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Application of mobile robots to microgrid formation has value for disaster response and service of forward operating bases. This thesis describes the development, testing and demonstration of broad effort across multiple disciplines to enable outdoor positioning and connection of mobile microgrids for the first time. This work includes an outdoor waypoint controller for a UGV agent, specifically the Clearpath Husky. It details sensor fusion of 2D LiDAR and stereo vision, and fusion of odometry sources using an Extended Kalman Filter. Development of these software tools entails integration of many of the packages available through the Robot Operating System (ROS), with …

Testing Of Recursive And Non-Recursive Algorithms For Real-Time Phasor And Frequency Estimations In Power Systems, Dhruv Sharma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Steady-state performance of various recursive and non-recursive algorithms are tested in this report according to the test signals given in the IEEE Standard C37.118.1-2011. Phase magnitude and phase angle of the power grid signals have been estimated using Discrete Fourier Transform (non-recursive), Discrete Fourier Transform (recursive), Least Square, and Wavelet Transform Algorithms. Frequency estimation is performed using Discrete Fourier Transform, Weighted Least Square, and Zero Crossing methods. These algorithms are evaluated in LabView software and tested by generating test signals in a Simulink model. Furthermore, Total Vector Error (TVE) is calculated using dynamic test signals as per the IEEE Standard …

Design And Evaluation Of Auditory-Supported Air Gesture Controls In Vehicles, Jason Sterkenburg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The number of visual distraction-caused crashes highlights a need for non-visual information displays in vehicles. Auditory-supported air gesture controls could fill that need. This dissertation covers four experiments that aim to explore the design auditory-supported air gesture system and examine its real-world influence on driving performance. The first three experiments compared different prototype gesture control designs as participants used the systems in a driving simulator. The fourth experiment sought to answer more basic questions about how auditory displays influence performance in target acquisition tasks. Results from experiment 1 offered optimism for the potential of auditory-supported displays for navigating simple menus …

Probabilistic Regional Landslide Hazard Assessment For The Enguri Dam (Jivari, Georgia), Maria Diletta Acciaro

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Enguri Dam forms a reservoir in a seismically active area in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountain range near Jvari, Georgia. The slopes are steep, highly fractured, and weathered, which make them at risk to failure during or following extreme rainfall events. Hydroelectricity produced by the water retained by the 271-m dam provides almost half of the electricity for the country. The reservoir perimeter is more than 40 km and the surrounding slopes span an area of more than 30 km2. The size of the area and paucity of slope data have made slope-failure hazard assessment of the broader …

Design And Optimization Of An Electromagnetic Railgun, Nihar S. Brahmbhatt

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Railgun is a future weapon for shooting long-range targets with high accuracy. Railgun is an economical weapon as it does not use any kind of propellant for shooting a projectile. It uses high impulsive current to generate the necessary force required to hit the target. The US Navy has been planning to implement railgun system on ships as their long-range shooting weapon. Railgun needs to be charged up to a certain voltage level to generate the necessary force to shoot the projectile to achieve the specified target location. It is very important that minimal voltage is required for shooting the …

Analyzing The Life-Cycle Of Unstable Slopes Using Applied Remote Sensing Within An Asset Management Framework, El Hachemi Y. Bouali

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

An asset management framework provides a methodology for monitoring and maintaining assets, which include anthropogenic infrastructure (e.g., dams, embankments, and retaining structures) and natural geological features (e.g., soil and rock slopes). It is imperative that these assets operate efficiently, effectively, safely, and at a high standard since many assets are located along transportation corridors (highways, railways, and waterways) and can cause severe damage if compromised. Assets built on or around regions prone to natural hazards are at an increased risk of deterioration and failure. The objective of this study is to utilize remote sensing techniques such as InSAR, LiDAR, and …

Viability Of Graywater Reuse In Lesotho’S Lowland Agricultural District, Ryan Wagner

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Water security has become a large issue with populations rising and weather patterns changing to drier and hotter conditions in southern Africa. Lesotho, a mountainous country landlocked by South Africa, is responsible for a large amount of the rainfall in southern Africa. As such, Lesotho provides water to South Africa in exchange for national economic growth. Lesotho, however, is also prone to droughts and with water reserves being sold to South Africa, water security has become a national issue. This study looked at Lesotho’s current water use habits and found that graywater reuse could lead to much more available water. …

Experimental Investigation Of Impinged Droplet Dynamics, Nitisha Ahuja

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The fuel spray wall interaction phenomenon plays an essential role in determining the emissions and performance of an internal combustion engine. The investigation of single droplet wall interaction is crucial to understanding of a spray wall impingement process. This report is a compilation of the experimental work done to understand the droplet impingement characteristics, through optical diagnostics and temperature measurement. Different fuels and different surface under ambient and elevated temperature conditions are used for these tests, with two objectives: Development of a common depositionsplashing criteria; and Understanding droplet post impingement dynamics variation with factors like: Weber number (ratio of inertia …

Target Detection, Tracking, And Localization Using Multi-Spectral Image Fusion And Rf Doppler Differentials, Casey D. Demars

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

It is critical for defense and security applications to have a high probability of detection and low false alarm rate while operating over a wide variety of conditions. Sensor fusion, which is the the process of combining data from two or more sensors, has been utilized to improve the performance of a system by exploiting the strengths of each sensor. This dissertation presents algorithms to fuse multi-sensor data that improves system performance by increasing detection rates, lowering false alarms, and improving track performance. Furthermore, this dissertation presents a framework for comparing algorithm error for image registration which is a critical …

Reversibly Switching Adhesion Of Smart Adhesives Inspired By Mussel Adhesive Chemistry, Ameya R. Narkar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Catecholic groups in mussel adhesive proteins transition from being strongly adhesive in a reduced state under acidic conditions to being weakly adhesive in an oxidized state under basic conditions. Here, we exploit this pH responsive behavior of catechol and demonstrate that its oxidation state can be manipulated by incorporation of boronic acid to facilitate reversible transitions between strong and weak adhesion. Our first approach involved the addition of 3- acrylamido phenylboronic acid (APBA) to dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) containing adhesives. The synthesized adhesives showed strong adhesion to quartz surface in an acidic medium (pH 3), while weak adhesion was observed on …

Cyber-Based Contingency Analysis And Insurance Implications Of Power Grid, Zhiyuan Yang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cybersecurity for power communication infrastructure is a serious subject that has been discussed for a decade since the first North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) critical infrastructure protection (CIP) initiative in 2006. Its credibility on plausibility has been evidenced by attack events in the recent past. Although this is a "very high impact, rare probability" event, the establishment of quantitative measures would help asset owners in making a series of investment decisions. First, this dissertation tackles attackers' strategies based on the current communication architecture between remote IP-based (unmanned) power substations and energy control centers. Hypothetically, the identification of intrusion paths …

Optimization And Control Of An Array Of Wave Energy Converters, Jianyang Lyu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study explored optimal configuration of both the array layout and the dimension of each WEC in the array. The array contains heaving buoys with full interaction and exact hydrodynamics. Optimization of dimension was done on each WEC in the array with a given optimal layout, and a higher q-factor was achieved. Both impedance matching optimal control and derivative control were employed, which provides both theoretical maximum energy and a more realistic case. Then the work was expanded to optimization of both the array layout and the dimension of each WEC in the array. An average of 39.21% higher q-factor …

Mse Annual Report 2018, Department Of Materials Science And Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• Faculty and Staff News
• STEM Feature
• Student News
• Senior Design Teams
• Graduate Student News
• Outreach
• Alumni News
• By the Numbers
• Michigan Tech Foundry Fund

Electrical And Computer Engineering Annual Report 2018, Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Annual Reports

• Welcome New President and Dean
• Faculty Directory
• Faculty Highlights
• Exciting Challenges for Expert Teacher
• Mobility Research: Sumit Paudyal
• Mobility Research: Chee-Wooi Ten
• Mobility Research: Bruce Mork
• Faculty Profile and Department Award
• Faculty Publications
• Staff Profile and Directory
• Graduate Student Awards and Degrees
• Student Highlights
• Senior Design
• Enterprise
• Enterprise and Undergraduate Student Awards
• ECE Academy Class of 2018
• External Advisory Committee
• Contracts and Grants
• Department Statistics

Evaluation Of Driver Behavior At Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings Based On Environmental Conditions And Driver Demographics, Alawudin Salim

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Although the total number of highway-railroad grade crossing (HRGC) accidents has significantly decreased in recent decades, they remain as one of the highest causes of injuries and fatalities in rail transportation. It is known that driver behavior is the leading cause for accidents at HRGCs, but there is less understanding on the reason for these inappropriate behaviors. This research uses the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (SHRP 2 NDS) data and a behavior scoring methodology developed at Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech), to evaluate driver behavior when traversing HRGCs. More specifically, it uses a two-sample t-test to …

Pressure Measurements Inside Multiple Cavities Of A Torque Converter And Cfd Correlation, Edward De Jesus Rivera

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A torque converter was instrumented with 29 pressure transducers. The pressure transducers were located in multiple cavities. The instrumented cavities included, four transducers mounted on the impeller shell, on the channel between blades. Six transducers mounted on the pressure and suction sides on the middle streamline of a turbine blade. Another seven transducers mounted on the pressure and suction sides of the core, middle and shell streamlines of a stator blade. Seven transducers mounted on the torque converter clutch cavity. Finally, five on the cavity between the pressure plate and the turbine shell. The torque converter was part of a …

Generalizable Modeling Of Charge Transport In Single Electron Transistor Devices: Application To Thermal Sensitivity In Semiconducting Island Systems, Paniz Khanmohammadi Hazaveh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Electronic devices, especially MOSFETs, have been dimensionally scaled down to enhance operation of integrated circuits, addressing challenges such as current leakage, fluctuation of intrinsic semiconductor properties, and power dissipation. Reaching dimensions below 20 nm, there are fundamental limitations that are difficult to overcome, driving alternative device paradigms to be sought utilizing the quantum mechanical behavior of electrons. Single electron transistor (SET) devices are examples of a new generation of low-power transistors designed to transport information via single electron tunneling through one or more islands separated by tunnel junctions. Experimentally explored SET devices have shown that there are advantages to using …

Effective Turning Motion Control Of Internally Actuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Saeedeh Ziaeefard, Brian R. Page, Anthony Pinar, Nina Mahmoudian

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This paper presents a novel roll mechanism and an efficient control strategy for internally actuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The developed control algorithms are tested on Michigan Tech’s custom research glider, ROUGHIE (Research Oriented Underwater Glider for Hands-on Investigative Engineering), in a controlled environment. The ROUGHIE’s design parameters and operational constraints were driven by its requirement to be man portable, expandable, and maneuverable in shallow water. As an underwater glider, the ROUGHIE is underactuated with direct control of only depth, pitch, and roll. A switching control method is implemented on the ROUGHIE to improve its maneuverability, enabling smooth transitions between …

Evaluation, Improvement, And Application Of Models Of Environmental Fate And Transport Of Atmosphere-Surface Exchangeable Pollutants (Aseps), Tanvir Khan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Certain toxic, semivolatile chemicals, also known as atmosphere-surface exchangeable pollutants (ASEPs) are emitted into the environment from anthropogenic activities and natural sources. This dissertation focused on the (i) evaluation and improvement of dry particle deposition and atmosphere-surface exchange parameterizations of ASEPs for use in chemical transport models (CTMs), and (ii) application of a dynamic multimedia model to examine recovery of Lake Superior from historical inputs of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds (a class of ASEPs) contamination.

Current knowledge has been inadequate to propose quantitative measures of the relative performance of available dry particle deposition parameterizations. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, …

Effects Of Co-Product Uses On Environmental And Economic Sustainability Of Hydrocarbon Biofuel From One- And Two-Step Pyrolysis Of Poplar, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigated the environmental and economic sustainability of liquid hydrocarbon biofuel production via fast pyrolysis of poplar biomass through two pathways: a one-step pathway that converted poplar via fast pyrolysis only, and a twostep pathway that includes a torrefaction step prior to fast pyrolysis. Optimization of these fast pyrolysis-based biofuel processes were investigated through heat integration and alternative uses of the co-product biochar, which can be sold as an energy source to displace coal, soil amendment or processed into activated carbon. The impacts of optimization on the cost of hydrocarbon biofuel production as well as the environmental impacts were …

Modeling And Analysis For Driveline Jerk Control, Prince Lakhani

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In modern-day automotive industry, automotive manufacturers pay keen attention to driver’s safety and comfort by ensuring good vehicle drivability, feel of acceleration, limiting jerk and noise. The vehicle driveline plays a critical role to meet these criteria. By using high-fidelity simulation tool such as AMESim®, it is now possible to accurately model the vehicle driveline to be tested for different scenarios. With Simulink®, one can develop an efficient torque-based control system to limit the driveline oscillations and the generated noise. So, a joint simulation is used which provides a platform to evaluate the estimators and control system while considering the …

Kinesthetic Learning Experience Simulation Using An Online Intervention To Improve Hands-On Ability, David Leach

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Students enrolled in mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs employ differing levels of mechanical aptitude and practical hands-on ability. Many students lack practical experience tinkering with mechanical devices and mechanisms prior to entering their post-secondary years. Student attention spans in traditional classroom environments appear to be decreasing with the ever-increasing addiction to immediate gratification provided by electronic devices, gaming software, and social media platforms. The question is then raised whether or not modern engineering students have the ability to improve mechanical aptitude by simulating a kinesthetic or tactile learning experience through an online tutorial. This project describes the development and testing …

Development Of Bosch Rate Of Injection Measurement Procedure And Results, Tyler Menucci

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Recent developments in internal combustion engine technology have shown that gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion modes provide a viable pathway to meet future emission regulations. Lower octane middle distillate gasoline like fuels have also been formulated for GCI combustion applications and have shown similar benefits of improved fuel conversion efficiency and a reduction in particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. As these gasoline like GCI fuels have not been well studied, characterization of their rate of injection (ROI) will be beneficial to supplement injector spray characterization measurements and the development of computational fluid dynamic simulations. A fuel collection method and …