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Mechanical Engineering

Optimization

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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Review Of Computational Models For Large-Scale Mdao Of Urban Air Mobility Concepts, Darshan Sarojini, Marius L. Ruh, Jiayao Yan, Luca Scotzniovsky, Nicholas C. Orndorff, Ru Xiang, Han Zhao, Joshua J. Krokowski, Michael Warner, Sebastiaan Pc Van Schie, Ashley Cronk, Alexandre T. R. Guibert, Jeffrey T. Chambers, Lauren Wolfe, Rachel Doring, Robin Despins, Cibin Joseph, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ning, Hyunjune Gill, Seongkyu Lee, Zeyu Cheng, Zhi Cao, Chunting Mi, Y Shirley Meng, Christopher Silva, Jiun-Shyan Chen, H. Alicia Kim, John T. Hwang Jan 2024

Review Of Computational Models For Large-Scale Mdao Of Urban Air Mobility Concepts, Darshan Sarojini, Marius L. Ruh, Jiayao Yan, Luca Scotzniovsky, Nicholas C. Orndorff, Ru Xiang, Han Zhao, Joshua J. Krokowski, Michael Warner, Sebastiaan Pc Van Schie, Ashley Cronk, Alexandre T. R. Guibert, Jeffrey T. Chambers, Lauren Wolfe, Rachel Doring, Robin Despins, Cibin Joseph, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ning, Hyunjune Gill, Seongkyu Lee, Zeyu Cheng, Zhi Cao, Chunting Mi, Y Shirley Meng, Christopher Silva, Jiun-Shyan Chen, H. Alicia Kim, John T. Hwang

Faculty Publications

The advent of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has necessitated a paradigm shift in aircraft design from traditional regression methods to physics-based analysis and the use of modern computational methods. This paper explores the intricacies of UAM aircraft design, acknowledging the limitations of historical empirical equations and advocating for the use of physics-based tools in the early stages of the design process. It underscores the importance of Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization (MDAO) as a means to integrate physics-based tools for conceptual design, facilitating decisions on configuration and sizing. The paper presents a comprehensive survey and review of computational models across …


Design And Development Of Ultrabroadband, High-Gain, And High-Isolation Thz Mimo Antenna With A Complementary Split-Ring Resonator Metamaterial, Ammar Armghan, Khaled Aliqab, Meshari Alsharari, Osamah Alsalman, Juveriya Parmar, Shobhit K. Patel Jun 2023

Design And Development Of Ultrabroadband, High-Gain, And High-Isolation Thz Mimo Antenna With A Complementary Split-Ring Resonator Metamaterial, Ammar Armghan, Khaled Aliqab, Meshari Alsharari, Osamah Alsalman, Juveriya Parmar, Shobhit K. Patel

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The need for high-speed communication has created a way to design THz antennas that operate at high frequencies, speeds, and data rates. In this manuscript, a THz MIMO antenna is designed using a metamaterial. The two-port antenna design proposed uses a complementary splitring resonator patch. The design results are also compared with a simple patch antenna to show the improvement. The design shows a better isolation of 50 dB. A broadband width of 8.3 THz is achieved using this complementary split-ring resonator design. The percentage bandwidth is 90%, showing an ultrabroadband response. The highest gain of 10.34 dB is achieved …


Low-Fidelity Design Optimization And Parameter Sensitivity Analysis Of Tilt-Rotor Evtol Electric Propulsion Systems, Tyler Critchfield, Andrew Ning Jan 2023

Low-Fidelity Design Optimization And Parameter Sensitivity Analysis Of Tilt-Rotor Evtol Electric Propulsion Systems, Tyler Critchfield, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Urban air mobility requires a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the important chal- lenges facing the design of these aircraft. This work uses low-to-mid fidelity tools to model rotor aerodynamics, blade structures, vehicle aerodynamics, and electric propulsion for a tilt-rotor electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We use gradient-based design optimization and extensive parameter sensitivity analysis to explore the design space and complex tradeoffs of tilt-rotor distributed electric propulsion systems.


Sparsity For Gradient-Based Optimization Of Wind Farm Layouts, Benjamin T. Varela, Andrew Ning Jan 2023

Sparsity For Gradient-Based Optimization Of Wind Farm Layouts, Benjamin T. Varela, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Optimizing wind farm layouts is an important step in designing an efficient wind farm. Optimizing wind farm layouts is also a difficult task due to computation times increasing with the number of turbines present in the farm. The most computationally expensive part of gradient- based optimization is calculating the gradient. In order to reduce the expense of gradient calculation, we performed a study on the use of sparsity in wind farm layout optimization. This paper presents the findings of the sparsity study and provides a method to use sparsity in wind farm layout optimization. We tested this sparsity method by …


Optimal Synthesis Of Crank-Rocker Mechanisms With Optimum Transmission Angle For Desired Stroke And Time-Ratio Using Genetic Programming, Bahman Ahmadi, Behnam Ahmadi Oct 2022

Optimal Synthesis Of Crank-Rocker Mechanisms With Optimum Transmission Angle For Desired Stroke And Time-Ratio Using Genetic Programming, Bahman Ahmadi, Behnam Ahmadi

Michigan Tech Publications

Dimensional synthesis of crank-rocker mechanisms applied to provide some desired values of stroke and time ratio, is of utmost importance for designing an efficient mechanism. In the synthesis and manufacturing of crank-rocker mechanisms, the designers are further challenged by other design criteria, such as quality of motion. In this study, a novel approach based on genetic programming (GP) is proposed for dimensional synthesis of planar crank-rocker mechanisms with optimum transmission angle over the desired stroke and time-ratio. An analytical approach is elaborated which leads to an interesting relationship of length of the coupler and rocker links. It is, therefore, advised …


Employing Boundary Element Approach With Genetic Algorithm To Increase Travel Range Of Repulsive Actuators, Yu Tian, Ronald N. Miles, Shahrzad Towfighian Jul 2022

Employing Boundary Element Approach With Genetic Algorithm To Increase Travel Range Of Repulsive Actuators, Yu Tian, Ronald N. Miles, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The design of repulsive electrostatic actuators having enlarged travel range is achieved by combining the boundary element approach and a genetic algorithm. The boundary element method enables calculating the electrostatic forces without time consuming finite element simulations. Once a static equation that uses a model of effective lumped mass solves the travel ranges, the GA maximizes travel ranges by optimizing the dimensional parameters. The effectiveness of the scheme is demonstrated with extensive experimental results showing the travel ranges of a micro out-of-plane actuator are increased by up to 190%. The developed platform can improve the signal-to-noise ratios and the performance …


Grey-Taguchi Approach To Optimize Fused Deposition Modeling Process In Terms Of Mechanical Properties And Dimensional Accuracy, Md Asif Bin Syed, Qausar Rhaman, Hasan Md Shahriar, Mohammad Muhshin Aziz Khan Jun 2022

Grey-Taguchi Approach To Optimize Fused Deposition Modeling Process In Terms Of Mechanical Properties And Dimensional Accuracy, Md Asif Bin Syed, Qausar Rhaman, Hasan Md Shahriar, Mohammad Muhshin Aziz Khan

Graduate Student Scholarship

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a process that allows for the rapid production of functional parts through the deposition of fused material layers in a sequential manner. FDM has flexibility and the potential to create complicated parts. This study aims to optimize the FDM process parameters in terms of tensile strength, flexural strength, and longitudinal shrinkage using the Grey-Taguchi approach. The input parameters chosen to study the effects on dimension and mechanical properties are layer thickness, the raster angle, fill density, the number of contours, printing temperature, and printing speed. The Taguchi L27 orthogonal array is used as the statistical …


Optimal Kanban Number: An Integrated Lean And Simulation Modelling Approach, Angassu Girma Mullisa, Walid Abdul-Kader Mar 2022

Optimal Kanban Number: An Integrated Lean And Simulation Modelling Approach, Angassu Girma Mullisa, Walid Abdul-Kader

Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering Publications

Kanban is credited as a major means to controlling the inventory within a manufacturing system. Determining the optimum number of Kanban is of great interest for manufacturing industries. To fulfill this aim, an integrated modelling approach using discrete-event simulation technique and Kanban Lean tool is developed for a pull system ensuring an optimum Kanban number. This research has developed a base-case simulation model which was statistically validated using ANOVA. Initial Kanban number obtained from the mathematical model of Toyota motor company is used to obtain initial results. A Kanban integrated simulation model is developed that employed the idea of pull …


Using Blade Element Momentum Methods With Gradient-Based Design Optimization, Andrew Ning May 2021

Using Blade Element Momentum Methods With Gradient-Based Design Optimization, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Blade element momentum methods are widely used for initial aerodynamic analysis of propellers and wind turbines. A wide variety of correction methods exist, but common to all variations, a pair of residuals are converged to ensure compatibility between the two theories. This paper shows how to rearrange the sequence of calculations reducing to a single residual. This yields the significant advantage that convergence can be guaranteed and to machine precision. Both of these considerations are particularly important for gradient- based optimization where a wide variety of atypical inputs may be explored, and where tight convergence is necessary for accurate derivative …


A Demand-Supply Matching-Based Approach For Mapping Renewable Resources Towards 100% Renewable Grids In 2050, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Mohammad Abujubbeh, Abdulaziz Almalaq, Mohamed A. Mohamed Apr 2021

A Demand-Supply Matching-Based Approach For Mapping Renewable Resources Towards 100% Renewable Grids In 2050, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Mohammad Abujubbeh, Abdulaziz Almalaq, Mohamed A. Mohamed

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Recently, many renewable energy (RE) initiatives around the world are based on general frameworks that accommodate the regional assessment taking into account the mismatch of supply and demand with pre-set goals to reduce energy costs and harmful emissions. Hence, relying entirely on individual assessment and RE deployment scenarios may not be effective. Instead, developing a multi-faceted RE assessment framework is vital to achieving these goals. In this study, a regional RE assessment approach is presented taking into account the mismatch of supply and demand with an emphasis on Photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine systems. The study incorporates mapping of renewable …


An Advanced Machine Learning Based Energy Management Of Renewable Microgrids Considering Hybrid Electric Vehicles’ Charging Demand, Tianze Lan, Kittisak Jermsittiparsert, Sara T. Al-Rashood, Mostafa Rezaei, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Mohammed A. Mohammed Jan 2021

An Advanced Machine Learning Based Energy Management Of Renewable Microgrids Considering Hybrid Electric Vehicles’ Charging Demand, Tianze Lan, Kittisak Jermsittiparsert, Sara T. Al-Rashood, Mostafa Rezaei, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Mohammed A. Mohammed

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Renewable microgrids are new solutions for enhanced security, improved reliability and boosted power quality and operation in power systems. By deploying different sources of renewables such as solar panels and wind units, renewable microgrids can enhance reducing the greenhouse gasses and improve the efficiency. This paper proposes a machine learning based approach for energy management in renewable microgrids considering a reconfigurable structure based on remote switching of tie and sectionalizing. The suggested method considers the advanced support vector machine for modeling and estimating the charging demand of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). In order to mitigate the charging effects of HEVs …


Concrete Delamination Depth Estimation Using A Noncontact Mems Ultrasonic Sensor Array And An Optimization Approach, Homin Song, Jinyoung Hong, Hajin Choi, Jiyoung Min Jan 2021

Concrete Delamination Depth Estimation Using A Noncontact Mems Ultrasonic Sensor Array And An Optimization Approach, Homin Song, Jinyoung Hong, Hajin Choi, Jiyoung Min

Michigan Tech Publications

In this study, we present a method to estimate the depth of near-surface shallow delamination in concrete using a noncontact micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) ultrasonic sensor array and an optimization-based data processing approach. The proposed approach updates the bulk wave velocities of the tested concrete element by solving an optimization problem using reference ultrasonic scanning data collected from a full-depth concrete region. Subsequently, the depth of concrete delamination is estimated by solving a separate optimization problem. Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed ultrasonic data processing approach. The results demonstrated that the depth of …


Recent Progress Trend On Abrasive Waterjet Cutting Of Metallic Materials: A Review, Jennifer Milaor Llanto, Majid Tolouei-Rad, Ana Vafadar, Muhammad Aamir Jan 2021

Recent Progress Trend On Abrasive Waterjet Cutting Of Metallic Materials: A Review, Jennifer Milaor Llanto, Majid Tolouei-Rad, Ana Vafadar, Muhammad Aamir

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Abrasive water jet machining has been extensively used for cutting various materials. In particular, it has been applied for difficult-to-cut materials, mostly metals, which are used in various manufacturing processes in the fabrication industry. Due to its vast applications, in-depth comprehension of the systems behind its cutting process is required to determine its effective usage. This paper presents a review of the progress in the recent trends regarding abrasive waterjet cutting application to extend the understanding of the significance of cutting process parameters. This review aims to append a substantial understanding of the recent improvement of abrasive waterjet machine process …


Modeling And Optimization Of Process Parameters In Face Milling Of Ti6al4v Alloy Using Taguchi And Grey Relational Analysis, Al Mazedur Rahman, S M Abdur Rob, Anil K. Srivastava Jan 2021

Modeling And Optimization Of Process Parameters In Face Milling Of Ti6al4v Alloy Using Taguchi And Grey Relational Analysis, Al Mazedur Rahman, S M Abdur Rob, Anil K. Srivastava

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Titanium alloys are extensively used in aerospace, missiles, rockets, naval ships, automotive, medical devices, and even the consumer electronics industry where a high strength to density ratio, lightweight, high corrosion resistance, and resistance to high temperatures are important. The machining of these alloys has always been challenging for manufacturers. This article investigates the combined effect of radial depth, cutting speed and feed rate on cutting forces, tool life, and surface roughness during face milling of Ti6Al4V alloy. This study focuses on the significance of radial depth of cut on cutting force, tool life and surface roughness compared to that of …


A Comparison Of Aerodynamic Models For Optimizing The Takeoff And Transition Of A Bi-Wing Tailsitter, Ryan Anderson, Jacob Willis, Jacob Johnson, Andrew Ning, Randal Beard Jan 2021

A Comparison Of Aerodynamic Models For Optimizing The Takeoff And Transition Of A Bi-Wing Tailsitter, Ryan Anderson, Jacob Willis, Jacob Johnson, Andrew Ning, Randal Beard

Faculty Publications

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft take advantage of distributed electric propulsion as well as aerodynamic lifting surfaces to take off vertically and perform long-duration flights. Complex aerodynamic interactions and a hard-to-predict transition maneuver from hover to wing-borne flight are one challenge in their development. To address this, we compare three different interaction models of varying fidelity for optimizing the transition trajectory of a biplane tailsitter. The first model accounts for simplified rotor-on-wing interactions using momentum theory, while the other two account for wing-on-wing interactions using a vortex lattice method and rotor-on-wing aerodynamic interactions using blade element momentum theory. …


Optimization Of Turbine Tilt In A Wind Farm, James Cutler, Andrew P.J. Stanley, Jared J. Thomas, Andrew Ning Jan 2021

Optimization Of Turbine Tilt In A Wind Farm, James Cutler, Andrew P.J. Stanley, Jared J. Thomas, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Wind farm power production is significantly affected by upstream turbines creating wakes of slower wind speeds that overlap the rotor swept areas of downstream turbines. By optimizing the tilt angle of the turbines in a farm, wakes may be deflected away from downstream turbines, increasing the overall energy production. In this study, we optimized the tilt angle of turbines in a wind farm to maximize energy production. We used an analytic wake model modified for gradient-based optimization to consider wake deflection from tilt. We considered optimizing the tilt angle of each turbine assuming that it remained fixed for the lifetime …


Optimization Of Energy Absorption Performance Of Polymer Honeycombs By Density Gradation, Oyindamola Rahman, Behrad Koohbor Nov 2020

Optimization Of Energy Absorption Performance Of Polymer Honeycombs By Density Gradation, Oyindamola Rahman, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Density gradation has been analytically and experimentally proven to enhance the load-bearing and energy absorption efficiency of cellular solids. This paper focuses on the analytical optimization (by virtual experiments) of polymeric honeycomb structures made from thermoplastic polyurethane to achieve density-graded structures with combined desired mechanical properties. The global stress-strain curves of single-density honeycomb structures are used as input to an analytical model that enables the characterization of the constitutive response of density-graded hexagonal honeycombs with discrete and continuous gradations and for various gradients. The stress-strain outputs are used to calculate the specific energy absorption, efficiency, and ideality metrics for all …


Optimization Of Railroad Bearing Health Monitoring System For Wireless Utilization, Jonas Cuanang, Constantine Tarawneh, Martin Amaro Jr., Jennifer Lima, Heinrich D. Foltz Jul 2020

Optimization Of Railroad Bearing Health Monitoring System For Wireless Utilization, Jonas Cuanang, Constantine Tarawneh, Martin Amaro Jr., Jennifer Lima, Heinrich D. Foltz

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the railroad industry, systematic health inspections of freight railcar bearings are required. Bearings are subjected to high loads and run at high speeds, so over time the bearings may develop a defect that can potentially cause a derailment if left in service operation. Current bearing condition monitoring systems include Hot-Box Detectors (HBDs) and Trackside Acoustic Detection Systems (TADS™). The commonly used HBDs use non-contact infrared sensors to detect abnormal temperatures of bearings as they pass over the detector. Bearing temperatures that are about 94°C above ambient conditions will trigger an alarm indicating that the bearing must be removed from …


Numerical Method For Rapid Aerostructural Design And Optimization, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Douglas F. Hunsaker Jun 2020

Numerical Method For Rapid Aerostructural Design And Optimization, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

During early phases of wing design, analytic and low-fidelity methods are often used to identify promising design concepts. In many cases, solutions obtained using these methods provide intuition about the design space that is not easily obtained using higher-fidelity methods. This is especially true for aerostructural design. However, many analytic and low-fidelity aerostructural solutions are limited in application to wings with specific planforms and weight distributions. Here, a numerical method for minimizing induced drag with structural constraints is presented that uses approximations that apply to wings with arbitrary planforms and weight distributions. The method is applied to the NASA Ikhana …


A Reduced Model For Microbial Electrolysis Cells, Dina Aboelela, Moustafa A. Soliman, Ibrahim Ashour Jan 2020

A Reduced Model For Microbial Electrolysis Cells, Dina Aboelela, Moustafa A. Soliman, Ibrahim Ashour

Chemical Engineering

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are breakthrough technology of cheap hydrogen production with high efficiency. In this paper differential-algebraic equation (DAE) model of a MEC with an algebraic constraint on current was studied, simulated and validated by implementing the model on continuous-flow MECs. Then sensitivity analysis for the system was effectuated. Parameters which have the predominating influence on the current density and hydrogen production rate were defined. This sensitivity analysis was utilized in modeling and validation of the batch-cycle of MEC. After that parameters which have less influence on MEC were eliminated and simplified reduced model was obtained and validated. Finally, …


Efficient Incorporation Of Fatigue Damage Constraints In Wind Turbine Blade Optimization, Bryce Ingersoll, Andrew Ning Jan 2020

Efficient Incorporation Of Fatigue Damage Constraints In Wind Turbine Blade Optimization, Bryce Ingersoll, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Wind turbine design is a challenging multidisciplinary optimization problem, where the aerodynamic shapes, structural member sizing, and material composition must all be determined and optimized. Some previous blade design methods incorporate static loading with an added safety factor to account for dynamic effects. Others incorporate dynamic loading, but in general limit the evaluation to a few design cases. By not fully incorporating the dynamic loading of the wind turbine, the final turbine blade design is either too conservative by overemphasizing the dynamic effects or infeasible by failing to adequately account for these effects. We propose an iterative method that estimates …


Optimization Of Geometry Parameters Of Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Traces On Pdms Substrates Using Response Surface Methodology, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Ahmad Nadi, Razan Saraireh, Abdulrahman Rabayah, Safwan Altarazi, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli Oct 2019

Optimization Of Geometry Parameters Of Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Traces On Pdms Substrates Using Response Surface Methodology, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Ahmad Nadi, Razan Saraireh, Abdulrahman Rabayah, Safwan Altarazi, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Inkjet printing is an emerging technology with key advantages that make it suitable for the fabrication of stretchable circuits. Specifically, this process is cost-effective and less complex compared to conventional fabrication technologies. Inkjet printing has several process and geometry parameters that significantly affect the electromechanical properties of the printed circuits. This study aims to optimize the geometry parameters of inkjet-printed silver nanoparticle traces on plasma-treated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The optimization process was conducted for two printed shapes, namely straight line and horseshoe patterns. The examined input factors for the straight line traces were: the number of inkjet-printed layers and line …


Takeoff And Performance Tradeoffs Of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion For Urban Transport, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning Aug 2019

Takeoff And Performance Tradeoffs Of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion For Urban Transport, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

While vertical takeoff and landing aircraft have shown promise for urban air transport, distributed electric propulsion on existing aircraft may offer immediately implementable alternatives. Distributed electric propulsion could potentially decrease takeoff distances enough to enable thousands of potential inter-city runways. This conceptual study explores the effects of a retrofit of open-bladed electric propulsion units. To model and explore the design space we use blade element momentum method, vortex lattice method, linear-beam finite element analysis, classical laminate theory, composite failure, empirically-based blade noise modeling, motor and motor-controller mass models, and gradient-based optimization. With liftoff time of seconds and the safe total …


Toward A Fast And Accurate Modeling Strategy For Thermal Management In Air-Cooled Data Centers, Long Tran Bao Phan Jun 2019

Toward A Fast And Accurate Modeling Strategy For Thermal Management In Air-Cooled Data Centers, Long Tran Bao Phan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a popular tool compared to experimental measurement for thermal management in data centers. However, it is very time-consuming and resource-intensive when used to model large-scale data centers, and may not be ready for real-time thermal monitoring. In this thesis, the two main goals are first to develop rapid flow simulation to reduce the computing time while maintaining good accuracy, and second, to develop a whole building energy simulation (BES) strategy for data center modeling. To achieve this end, hybrid modeling and model training methodologies are investigated for rapid flow simulation, and a multi-zone model …


Electrical Response Of Thermoelectric Generator To Geometry Variation Under Transient Thermal Boundary Condition, Elias Yazdanshenas, Alireza Rezania, Meysam Karami Rad, Lasse Rosendahl Jan 2018

Electrical Response Of Thermoelectric Generator To Geometry Variation Under Transient Thermal Boundary Condition, Elias Yazdanshenas, Alireza Rezania, Meysam Karami Rad, Lasse Rosendahl

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A three-dimensional numerical model is applied in this study to illustrate the electrical response of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) during transient heat flux at the hot side. In this work, various types of thermal boundary conditions are considered to evaluate the performance of the TEG. Thus, a TEG under pulsed heat flux is studied numerically, and the numerical model is verified by experimental results. With the consideration of a defined reference geometry, different heat flux frequencies are applied in order to evaluate the corresponding electrical output by the TEG. In addition, variation of the module performance for various TEG leg …


Improving The Floris Wind Plant Model For Compatibility With Gradient-Based Optimization, Jared Thomas, Pieter Gebraad, Andrew Ning Aug 2017

Improving The Floris Wind Plant Model For Compatibility With Gradient-Based Optimization, Jared Thomas, Pieter Gebraad, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

The FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady-state (FLORIS) model, a parametric wind turbine wake model that predicts steady state wake characteristics based on wind turbine position and yaw angle, was developed for optimization of control settings and turbine locations. This paper provides details on the recent changes made to the FLORIS model to make the model more suitable for gradient-based optimization. Changes to the FLORIS model were made to remove discontinuities and add curvature to regions of non-physical zero gradient. Exact gradients for the FLORIS model were obtained using algorithmic differentiation. A set of three case studies demonstrate that using …


Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis Of Railroad Bearings For Wayside Hot-Box Detector Optimization, Arthur Mealer, Constantine Tarawneh, Stephen Crown Jul 2017

Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis Of Railroad Bearings For Wayside Hot-Box Detector Optimization, Arthur Mealer, Constantine Tarawneh, Stephen Crown

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The railroad industry utilizes wayside detection systems to monitor the temperature of freight railcar bearings in service. The wayside hot-box detector (HBD) is a device that sits on the side of the tracks and uses a non-contact infrared sensor to determine the temperature of the train bearings as they roll over the detector. Various factors can affect the temperature measurements of these wayside detection systems. The class of the railroad bearing and its position on the axle relative to the position of the wayside detector can affect the temperature measurement. That is, the location on the bearing cup where the …


An Optimization Model For Operating Room Scheduling To Reduce Blocking Across The Perioperative Process, Amin Abedini, Wei Li, Honghan Ye Jul 2017

An Optimization Model For Operating Room Scheduling To Reduce Blocking Across The Perioperative Process, Amin Abedini, Wei Li, Honghan Ye

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Operating room (OR) scheduling is important. Because of increasing demand for surgical services, hospitals must provide high quality care more efficiently with limited resources. When constructing the OR schedule, it is necessary to consider the availability of downstream resources, such as intensive care unit (ICU) and post anaesthesia care unit (PACU). The unavailability of downstream resources causes blockings between every two consecutive stages. In this paper we address the master surgical schedule (MSS) problem in order to minimize blockings between two consecutive stages. First, we present a blocking minimization (BM) model for the MSS by using integer programming, based on …


Optimization Under Uncertainty For Wake Steering Strategies, Julian Quick, Jennifer Annoni, Ryan King, Katherine Dykes, Paul Fleming, Andrew Ning May 2017

Optimization Under Uncertainty For Wake Steering Strategies, Julian Quick, Jennifer Annoni, Ryan King, Katherine Dykes, Paul Fleming, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Wind turbines in a wind power plant experience significant power losses because of aerodynamic interactions between turbines. One control strategy to reduce these losses is known as 'wake steering,' in which upstream turbines are yawed to direct wakes away from downstream turbines. Previous wake steering research has assumed perfect information, however, there can be significant uncertainty in many aspects of the problem, including wind inflow and various turbine measurements. Uncertainty has significant implications for performance of wake steering strategies. Consequently, the authors formulate and solve an optimization under uncertainty (OUU) problem for finding optimal wake steering strategies in the presence …


A Vertical Axis Wave Turbine With Hydrofoil Blades, Yingchen Yang, Isaiah Diaz, Sergio Soto Quintero Feb 2017

A Vertical Axis Wave Turbine With Hydrofoil Blades, Yingchen Yang, Isaiah Diaz, Sergio Soto Quintero

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This work discusses a new wave energy converter (WEC) design that, when deployed in waves, performs unidirectional rotation about a vertical shaft. The uniqueness of this new WEC design is on utilizing omnidirectional water flow generated by waves to drive a rotor to perform unidirectional rotation about a vertical axis. This unique feature circumvents the frequency-dependent issue of common WECs, and eliminate realignment needs to cope with dynamically changing wave propagation directions. The key component of the WEC is a rotor, which has a vertical shaft with a number of blades mounted to it. Each blade has a hydrofoil-shaped cross …