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Me-Em Enewsbrief, March 2011, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Information Theory In Scientific Visualization, Chaoli Wang, Han-Wei Shen

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In recent years, there is an emerging direction that leverages information theory to solve many challenging problems in scientific data analysis and visualization. In this article, we review the key concepts in information theory, discuss how the principles of information theory can be useful for visualization, and provide specific examples to draw connections between data communication and data visualization in terms of how information can be measured quantitatively. As the amount of digital data available to us increases at an astounding speed, the goal of this article is to introduce the interested readers to this new direction of data analysis …

Anti-Neuroblastoma Activity Of Gold Nanorods Bound With Gd2 Monoclonal Antibody Under Near-Infrared Laser Irradiation, Ching-An Peng, Chung-Hao Wang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

High-risk neuroblastoma is one of the most common deaths in pediatric oncology. Current treatment of this disease involves a coordinated sequence of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Further advances in therapy will require the targeting of tumor cells in a more selective and efficient way so that survival can be improved without substantially increasing toxicity. To achieve tumor-selective delivery, disialoganglioside (GD2) expressed by almost all neuroblastoma tumors represents a potential molecular target that can be exploited for tumor-selective delivery. In this study, GD2 monoclonal antibody (anti-GD2) was conjugated to gold nanorods (GNRs) which are one of anisotropic nanomaterials that can absorb …

2011-2012 Che Newsletter, Department Of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Chemical Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

• Department
• Bioengineering Research
• Student News
• Alumni and Friends

Structure And Properties Of Graphene Nano Disks (Gnd) With And Without Edge-Dopants, Pubodee Ratana-Arsanarom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Graphene is one of the most important materials. In this research, the structures and properties of graphene nano disks (GND) with a concentric shape were investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, in which the most effective DFT methods - B3lyp and Pw91pw91 were employed.

It was found that there are two types of edges - Zigzag and Armchair in concentric graphene nano disks (GND). The bond length between armchair-edge carbons is much shorter than that between zigzag-edge carbons. For C24 GND that consists of 24 carbon atoms, only armchair edge with 12 atoms is formed. For a GND larger …

Investigation Of Using Waste Engine Oil Blended With Reclaimed Asphalt Materials To Improve Pavement Recyclability , Christopher Daniel Dedene

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

With the increasing importance of conserving natural resources and moving toward sustainable practices, the aging transportation infrastructure can benefit from these ideas by improving their existing recycling practices. When an asphalt pavement needs to be replaced, the existing pavement is removed and ground up. This ground material, known as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), is then added into new asphalt roads. However, since RAP was exposed to years of ultraviolet degradation and environmental weathering, the material has aged and cannot be used as a direct substitute for aggregate and binder in new asphalt pavements. One material that holds potential for restoring …

Orbits Design For Leo Space Based Solar Power Satellite System, Neelima Krishna Murthy Addanki

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Space Based Solar Power satellites use solar arrays to generate clean, green, and renewable electricity in space and transmit it to earth via microwave, radiowave or laser beams to corresponding receivers (ground stations). These traditionally are large structures orbiting around earth at the geo-synchronous altitude.

This thesis introduces a new architecture for a Space Based Solar Power satellite constellation. The proposed concept reduces the high cost involved in the construction of the space satellite and in the multiple launches to the geo-synchronous altitude. The proposed concept is a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that are smaller in size than …

Effect Of High Order Interpolation In The Stability And Efficiency Of The Time-Integration Process In Vorticity-Velocity Cfd Algorithms, Pankaj A. Jagadale

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations offers an effective alternative to the experimental analysis of Fluid-Structure interaction i.e. dynamical coupling between a fluid and a solid which otherwise is very complex, time consuming and very expensive. To have a method which can accurately model these types of mechanical systems by numerical solutions becomes a great option, since these advantages are even more obvious when considering huge structures like bridges, high rise buildings, or even wind turbine blades with diameters as large as 200 meters. The modeling of such processes, however, involves complex multiphysics problems along with complex geometries. …

Muffler Characterization With Implementation Of The Finite Element Method And Experimental Techniques, Tyler W. Le Roy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Determining how an exhaust system will perform acoustically before a prototype muffler is built can save the designer both a substantial amount of time and resources. In order to effectively use the simulation tools available it is important to understand what is the most effective tool for the intended purpose of analysis as well as how typical elements in an exhaust system affect muffler performance. An in-depth look at the available tools and their most beneficial uses are presented in this thesis. A full parametric study was conducted using the FEM method for typical muffler elements which was also correlated …

Comprehensive Review And Application Of Particle Image Velocimetry, Michael P. Norconk

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

For a fluid dynamics experimental flow measurement technique, particle image velocimetry (PIV) provides significant advantages over other measurement techniques in its field. In contrast to temperature and pressure based probe measurements or other laser diagnostic techniques including laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and phase Doppler particle analysis (PDPA), PIV is unique due to its whole field measurement capability, non-intrusive nature, and ability to collect a vast amount of experimental data in a short time frame providing both quantitative and qualitative insight. These properties make PIV a desirable measurement technique for studies encompassing a broad range of fluid dynamics applications. However, as …

Diesel Spray Mixing Limited Vaporization With Non-Ideal And Multi-Component Fuel Thermophysical Property Effects, Jaclyn Elyse Nesbitt

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Internal combustion engines are, and will continue to be, a primary mode of power generation for ground transportation. Challenges exist in meeting fuel consumption regulations and emission standards while upholding performance, as fuel prices rise, and resource depletion and environmental impacts are of increasing concern. Diesel engines are advantageous due to their inherent efficiency advantage over spark ignition engines; however, their NO_x and soot emissions can be difficult to control and reduce due to an inherent tradeoff. Diesel combustion is spray and mixing controlled providing an intrinsic link between spray and emissions, motivating detailed, fundamental studies on spray, vaporization, …

Hydrologic Analysis Of A Limestone Quarry Using Epa's Help Version 3.08 Model , Scott R. Bauer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Aggregates were historically a low cost commodity but with communities and governmental agencies reducing the amount of mining the cost is increasing dramatically. An awareness needs to be brought to communities that aggregate production is necessary for ensuring the existing infrastructure in today’s world. This can be accomplished using proven technologies in other areas and applying them to show how viable reclamation is feasible.

A proposed mine reclamation, Douglas Township quarry (DTQ), in Dakota Township, MN was evaluated using Visual Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. The HELP is commonly employed for estimating the water budget of a landfill, …

Study Of Water Use And Supply In The District Of Independencia, Peru, Fletcher A. Mckenzie

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Peru is a developing country with abundant fresh water resources, yet the lack of infrastructure leaves much of the population without access to safe water for domestic uses. The author of this report was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the sector of water & sanitation in the district of Independencia, Ica, Peru. Independencia is located in the arid coastal region of the country, receiving on average 15 mm of rain annually. The water source for this district comes from the Pisco River, originating in the Andean highlands and outflowing into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Pisco, Peru.

The …

A Study On The Feasibility Of Universal Chip Control In Machining, Thimmaiah Kumbera Ganapathi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

A novel solution to the long standing issue of chip entanglement and breakage in metal cutting is presented in this dissertation. Through this work, an attempt is made to achieve universal chip control in machining by using chip guidance and subsequent breakage by backward bending (tensile loading of the chip's rough top surface) to effectively control long continuous chips into small segments.

One big limitation of using chip breaker geometries in disposable carbide inserts is that the application range is limited to a narrow band depending on cutting conditions. Even within a recommended operating range, chip breakers do not function …

Engineering Research 2011, College Of Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Michigan Tech Engineering Magazine

Table of Contents

• Air & Water
• Energy
• Engineered Materials
• Health
• Sensing & Controls
• People
• Research Centers & Institutes

Undergraduate Education 2011, College Of Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Michigan Tech Engineering Magazine

Table of Contents

• Design
• International
• Research
• Programs

Me-Em 2011 Annual Report, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• ME-EM: 85 Years of Excellence
• Faculty & Staff
• Enrollment & Degrees
• Alumni
• Resources
• Graduates

Technique To Measure Heats Of Reaction Of Ti-B, Al-Ti-B, And Al-Ti-B4c Powder Blends, Andrew H. Baker

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In this research, a modification to initiation aid ignition in bomb calorimetry that involves systemically blending levels of boron and potassium nitrate initiation aids with a bulk structural energetic elemental power blend is developed. A regression is used to estimate the nominal heat of reaction for the primary reaction. The technique is first applied to the synthesis of TiB2 as a validation study to see if close proximity to literature values can be achieved. The technique is then applied to two systems of interest, Al-Ti-B, and Al-Ti-B4C. In all three investigations, x-ray diffraction is used to characterize the product phases …

Compressed Sensing Based Cyclic Feature Spectrum Sensing For Cognitive Radios, Yohannes Z. Tafesse

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Spectrum sensing is currently one of the most challenging design problems in cognitive radio. A robust spectrum sensing technique is important in allowing implementation of a practical dynamic spectrum access in noisy and interference uncertain environments. In addition, it is desired to minimize the sensing time, while meeting the stringent cognitive radio application requirements. To cope with this challenge, cyclic spectrum sensing techniques have been proposed. However, such techniques require very high sampling rates in the wideband regime and thus are costly in hardware implementation and power consumption. In this thesis the concept of compressed sensing is applied to circumvent …

Evaluation Of The Performance And Cost-Effectiveness Of Pavement Sections Containing Open-Graded Base Courses, Abdul A. Koroma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Moisture induced distresses have been the prevalent distress type affecting the deterioration of both asphalt and concrete pavement sections. While various surface techniques have been employed over the years to minimize the ingress of moisture into the pavement structural sections, subsurface drainage components like open-graded base courses remain the best alternative in minimizing the time the pavement structural sections are exposed to saturated conditions. This research therefore focuses on assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of pavement sections containing both treated and untreated open-graded aggregate base materials.

Three common roadway aggregates comprising of two virgin aggregates and one recycled aggregate were …

Comparative Study Of Anchorage Strengths Of Epoxy Coated Hooked Bars , Paul W. Koning

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Hooked reinforcing bars (rebar) are used frequently to carry the tension forces developed in beams and transferred to columns. Research into epoxy coated hooked bars has only been minimally performed and no research has been carried out incorporating the coating process found in ASTM A934. This research program compares hooked rebar that are uncoated, coated by ASTM A775, and coated by ASTM A934.

In total, forty-two full size beam-column specimens were created, instrumented and tested to failure. The program was carried out in three phases. The first phase was used to refine the test setup and procedures. Phase two explored …

Review Of Assessment, Design, And Mitigation Of Multiple Hazards, Aakash Ahuja

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Large parts of the world are subjected to one or more natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons), costal inundation and flooding. Virtually the entire world is at risk of man-made hazards. In recent decades, rapid population growth and economic development in hazard-prone areas have greatly increased the potential of multiple hazards to cause damage and destruction of buildings, bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure; thus posing a grave danger to the community and disruption of economic and societal activities. Although an individual hazard is significant in many parts of the United States (U.S.), …

Computational Prediction Of The Influence Of Crosslink Distribution On The Thermo-Mechanical Properties Of Epoxies, Ananyo Bandyopadhyay

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Experimental studies on epoxies report that the microstructure consists of highly crosslinked localized regions connected with a dispersed phase of low crosslink density. The various thermo-mechanical properties of epoxies might be affected by the crosslink distribution. But as experiments cannot report the exact number of crosslinked covalent bonds present in the structure, molecular dynamics is thus being used in this work to determine the influence of crosslink distribution on thermo-mechanical properties. Molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics simulations are used to establish wellequilibrated molecular models of EPON 862-DETDA epoxy system with a range of crosslink densities and various crosslink distributions. Crosslink …

Space Trajectories Optimization Using Variable-Chromosome-Length Genetic Algorithms, Ahmed H. Gad

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The problem of optimal design of a multi-gravity-assist space trajectories, with free number of deep space maneuvers (MGADSM) poses multi-modal cost functions. In the general form of the problem, the number of design variables is solution dependent. To handle global optimization problems where the number of design variables varies from one solution to another, two novel genetic-based techniques are introduced: hidden genes genetic algorithm (HGGA) and dynamic-size multiple population genetic algorithm (DSMPGA).

In HGGA, a fixed length for the design variables is assigned for all solutions. Independent variables of each solution are divided into effective and ineffective (hidden) genes. Hidden …

In-Situ Electrical, Mechanical And Electrochemical Characterizations Of One-Dimensional Nanostructures, Hessam Mir Shah Ghassemi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

One-dimensional nanostructures initiated new aspects to the materials applications due to their superior properties compared to the bulk materials. Properties of nanostructures have been characterized by many techniques and used for various device applications. However, simultaneous correlation between the physical and structural properties of these nanomaterials has not been widely investigated. Therefore, it is necessary to perform in-situ study on the physical and structural properties of nanomaterials to understand their relation. In this work, we will use a unique instrument to perform real time atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of nanomaterials inside a transmission electron microscopy …

Computational Simulations Of Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Systems - With Innovative And First-Principles Based Simulation For The Underlying Unsteady Melting (And Solidification) Processes, Rohan Achyut Gumaste

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This thesis develops an effective modeling and simulation procedure for a specific thermal energy storage system commonly used and recommended for various applications (such as an auxiliary energy storage system for solar heating based Rankine cycle power plant). This thermal energy storage system transfers heat from a hot fluid (termed as heat transfer fluid - HTF) flowing in a tube to the surrounding phase change material (PCM). Through unsteady melting or freezing process, the PCM absorbs or releases thermal energy in the form of latent heat. Both scientific and engineering information is obtained by the proposed first-principle based modeling and …

Development Of A Continuum Mechanics Model Of Passive Skeletal Muscle, Duane A. Morrow

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Skeletal muscle force evaluation is difficult to implement in a clinical setting. Muscle force is typically assessed through either manual muscle testing, isokinetic/isometric dynamometry, or electromyography (EMG). Manual muscle testing is a subjective evaluation of a patient’s ability to move voluntarily against gravity and to resist force applied by an examiner. Muscle testing using dynamometers adds accuracy by quantifying functional mechanical output of a limb. However, like manual muscle testing, dynamometry only provides estimates of the joint moment. EMG quantifies neuromuscular activation signals of individual muscles, and is used to infer muscle function. Despite the abundance of work performed to …

Michigan Cone Test : A Reliability Study, Karl M. Krueger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Mesh Distortion On The Accuracy Of High Order Vorticity-Velocity Cfd Approaches, Anurag Rajan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations offers an alternative to experimental analysis of fluid-structure interaction (FSI). We would save a lot of time and effort and help cut back on costs, if we are able to accurately model systems by these numerical solutions. These advantages are even more obvious when considering huge structures like bridges, high rise buildings or even wind turbine blades with diameters as large as 200 meters. The modeling of such processes, however, involves complex multiphysics problems along with complex geometries. This thesis focuses on a novel vorticity-velocity formulation called the Kinematic Laplacian Equation (KLE) …

Development Of A Physically-Based Method For Delineation Of Hydrologically Homogeneous Regions And Flood Quantile Estimation In Ungauged Basins Via The Index Flood Method, Fredline Ilorme

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Regional flood frequency techniques are commonly used to estimate flood quantiles when flood data is unavailable or the record length at an individual gauging station is insufficient for reliable analyses. These methods compensate for limited or unavailable data by pooling data from nearby gauged sites. This requires the delineation of hydrologically homogeneous regions in which the flood regime is sufficiently similar to allow the spatial transfer of information. It is generally accepted that hydrologic similarity results from similar physiographic characteristics, and thus these characteristics can be used to delineate regions and classify ungauged sites. However, as currently practiced, the delineation …