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Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Graduate Student Lands Position as Race Engineer

Development Of A Combined Thermal Management And Power Generation System Using A Multi-Mode Rankine Cycle, Nathaniel M. Payne

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Two sub-systems that present a significant challenge in the development of high performance air vehicle exceeding speeds of Mach 5 are the power generation and thermal management sub-systems. The air friction experienced at high speeds, particularly around the engine, generates large thermal loads that need to be managed. In addition, traditional jet engines do not operate at speeds greater than Mach 3, therefore eliminating the possibility of a rotating power generator. A multi-mode water-based Rankine cycle is an innovative method to address both of these constraints of generating power and providing cooling. Implementing a Rankine cycle-based system allows for the …

Pulse Decay Thermal Conductivity Device, Matthew Schrenk

All Undergraduate Projects

Currently, there are several ways in which thermal conductivity can be calculated or assessed on a given material. However, with each method of testing comes potential limitations such as size, material state, complexity, and time. The goal of this study was to develop a pulse heated thermistor that would reduce all four limitations, thus provide precise and timely results regardless of the material state and size. A thermistor is resistor which changes resistance in accordance to temperature. To achieve the design, heat transfer and electrical methods were applied. As with all resistors, heat is dissipated across the element and released …

Performance Of A Dual Plane Airfoil Model With Varying Gap, Stagger, And Decalage Using Pressure Measurements And Particle Image Velocimetry, Salome Kenneth Nunes

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The dual-plane airfoil has been adopted in the design of aircraft wings, wind turbine blades, and propellers. The purpose of this research is to investigate the most important design parameters of a dual-plane airfoil model for the best aerodynamic performance, such as gap, stagger, and decalage. The dual-plane airfoil model was designed using the S826 profile. A mechanical mechanism with electrical actuator control is particularly designed to alter the gap and stagger smoothly, as well as the angle of attack (AOA) for each airfoil. It results in a gap range of 1.38c to 2.17c, a stagger range of -0.75c to …

Effect Of Cloud Cover On Optimum Orientations Of Fixed Solar Panels For Maximum Yearly Energy Collection, Prethew Prasad

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The amount of cloud cover present in the sky is a significant factor when determining the solar radiation impinging on a solar panel. The optimum tilt required to achieve maximum energy impingement on a surface is also influenced by the amount of cloud cover. This work presents a method for determining the optimum tilt angle for a fixed solar panel when a set amount of cloud cover is present in the sky. Fixed tilt angles that have the most incident solar energy over the course of a year as a function of cloud cover, latitude, and azimuthal angle orientation are …

Development Of A Computer Model To Simulate Battery Performance For Use In Renewable Energy Simulations, Arjun Sundararajan

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Renewable and clean energy has been the driving force behind the booming storage industry. The need for producing energy from clean and quickly replenishable energy sources has never been as high as it is now. However, renewable energy only supplies a little over a quarter of the world’s electricity needs and much less of the world’s total energy requirements. One reason is the intermittent nature of renewable energy. Inexpensive and convenient storage technologies are required to solve this issue. It is believed that batteries offer the most viable solution to conquer the problem of renewable energy intermittency. To aid the …

Contact Fatigue Of Spur Gear Operating Under Starved Lubrication Condition, Aparna Udthala

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This study describes contact fatigue behavior of spur gear contacts operating under mixed elastohydrodynamic condition. The focus is placed on the starvation effect on fatigue crack initiation. With the model, parametric simulations are carried out with different contact parameters. In the process, the lubricant supply is varied to alter the lubrication condition from fully flooded to severely starved circumstance. Multi-axial stress fields induced by surface normal and tangential tractions are evaluated, whose amplitudes and means are used in a multi-axial fatigue criterion to determine the crack initiation life. It is found a lower lubricant viscosity elongates fatigue life when severe …

Computer Modeling Of Solar Thermal System With Underground Storage Tank For Space Heating, Mohammad Yousef Mousa Naser

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Space heating is required in almost every dwelling across the country for different periods of time. The thermal energy needed to meet a heating demand can be supplied using different conventional and/or renewable technologies. Solar energy is one example of a renewable resource that can be used for supplying heating needs. It can be utilized either by using photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, that in turn can be used to operate heaters, or by using solar thermal panels. Solar thermal panels obtain higher operating efficiencies than photovoltaic panels, but solar energy for heating purposes suffers from a mismatch between supply …

Bayesian Inspired Multi-Fidelity Optimization With Aerodynamic Design, Christopher Corey Fischer

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In most engineering design problems, there exist multiple models of varying fidelities for use in predicting a single system response such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models constructed using Potential Flow, Euler equations, or full physics Navier Stokes implementation. Engineering design is constantly pushing the forefront of the field through imposing stricter and more complex constraints on system performance, thus elevating the need for use of high-fidelity models in the design process. Increasing fidelity level often correlates to an increase in cost (financial, computational time, and computational resources). Traditional design processes rely upon low-fidelity models for expedience and resource savings. …

Numerical Investigation Of Flow Around A Deformed Vacuum Lighter-Than-Air Vehicle, Jared N. Kerestes

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This study characterizes the functional dependence of drag on Reynolds number for a deformed vacuum lighter-than-air vehicle. The commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, FLUENT, is used to preform large eddy simulations (LES) over a range of Reynolds numbers; only Reynolds numbers less than 310,000 are considered. While the overarching goal is drag characterization, general flow-field physics are also discussed, including basic turbulence spectra. All large eddy simulations are preceded by a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation using Menter’s shear stress transport (SST) model. The precursor RANS simulation serves to (1) provide realistic initial conditions, (2) decrease the time needed to …

Development And Application Of A Computational Modeling Scheme For Periodic Lattice Structures, Abdalsalam Fadeel

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Sandwich structures are widely used for aerospace, marines and other applications due to their light-weight, strength, and strain energy absorption capability. The cores of the sandwich structure are typically fabricated by using high strength cellular materials such as aluminum and titanium alloys, or polymer foams, and honeycombs. Lattice cell structures (LCS) of different configurations such as body centered cubic (BCC), tetrahedron and pyramidal are being investigated as core material due to their design freedom and periodic nature. Due to the recent advent of additive manufacturing (AM), new research is being sought in the areas of designing and developing application-specific LCS …

Development Of A Robust And Tunable Aircraft Guidance Algorithm, Jacob R. Spangenberg

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A set of guidance control laws is developed for application to a reduced order dynamic aircraft model. A feedback control formulation utilizing a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) is developed, together with methods for easing the design burden associated with gain tuning. Metrics are developed to assess the stability margin of the controller over the full flight envelope of a notional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) model. A feedforward control path is then added to the architecture. The performance of the guidance control laws is assessed through time domain step response metrics as well as through execution of a design mission. The …

Utilizing Rotational Energy In Wind Turbine Blades With The Flywheel Mechanism And Predicting The Power Output By Neural Networking, Anamika Mishra

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As we expand and innovate for better and safer living, there will always be a need for new energy sources. By replacing fossil fuels, renewable energy is becoming a viable option for primary power generation. That is why researchers are turning their attention to renewable energy sources and ways of making the most of them. WIND ENERGY is a promising renewable and clean energy source harvested from the wind which is plentiful on the planet. We already have the technology to harvest it, but the efficiency and power output are not optimal. In this thesis, to enhance the energy harvesting …

Development Of A Robust And Tunable Aircraft Guidance Algorithm, Jacob R. Spangenberg

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A set of guidance control laws is developed for application to a reduced order dynamic aircraft model. A feedback control formulation utilizing a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) is developed, together with methods for easing the design burden associated with gain tuning. Metrics are developed to assess the stability margin of the controller over the full flight envelope of a notional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) model. A feedforward control path is then added to the architecture. The performance of the guidance control laws is assessed through time domain step response metrics as well as through execution of a design mission. The …

Utilizing Rotational Energy In Wind Turbine Blades With The Flywheel Mechanism And Predicting The Power Output By Neural Networking, Anamika Mishra

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As we expand and innovate for better and safer living, there will always be a need for new energy sources. By replacing fossil fuels, renewable energy is becoming a viable option for primary power generation. That is why researchers are turning their attention to renewable energy sources and ways of making the most of them. WIND ENERGY is a promising renewable and clean energy source harvested from the wind which is plentiful on the planet. We already have the technology to harvest it, but the efficiency and power output are not optimal. In this thesis, to enhance the energy harvesting …

Progress, Georgia Southern University

College of Engineering & Computing: News & Publications (2010-2023)

Welcome to the new online version of Progress, the magazine of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. We are approaching 10,000 subscribers, and as we are the College of Engineering and Computing, we think online is the way to go! This issue features three of our first female engineering graduates, a recent student success story, two of our pre-eminent female faculty, as well as one of our most influential female industry/business collaborations. Welcome to the Women of Engineering and Computing issue of Progress!

Advanced Thermal Characterization And Temperature Control To Enable The Next Generation Of Micro-Electronic Technologies, Assaad El Helou

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In the electronics world, self-heating is an inevitable by-product of electrical activation that has a major impact on device performance and reliability. Thermal technologies have been in constant development to effectively dissipate the generated heat and keep device operation temperatures within reliable limits. Moreover, thermal characterization technologies have been implemented to understand the thermal performance within microelectronic sys- tems, but not without facing experimental and numerical challenges. This work presents ad- vanced thermal investigations, both experimental and numerical, that are adapted and most suited for emerging micro-electronic technologies. Initially, the main experimental and numerical modeling challenges faced in the thermal …

Microparticle Propulsion For In Vivo Navigation, Louis Rogowski

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Microscale propulsion impacts a diverse array of fields, with simplistic microrobots allowing for novel innovations in microscale surgery and drug delivery. Propulsion at the microscale is constrained by physics, with time-reversal and geometric symmetries limiting available propulsion mechanisms. However, certain fluid environments and surface coatings allow for the propulsion of microparticles through externally applied magnetic fields. Presented here is a detailed analysis of microparticles propelling using spontaneous symmetry breaking, flagella surface coatings, and multi-modal actuation mechanisms. Spontaneous symmetry breaking in nonlinearly viscoelastic fluids is presented for the first time in literature, with two equal and opposite propulsion states existing along …

The Effect Of Surface Air Entrapment On Oscillating Fin Flow At Intermediate Reynolds Number, Nicholas Davis

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Oscillating fin flow has been a subject of study due to its simplicity and similarity to aquatic propulsion methods found in nature. At intermediate Reynolds numbers, in the range of 10 to 1000, drag tends to have a larger impact than at higher Reynolds numbers and the boundary layer thickness on the fin surface tends to be larger, which can alter the vortices shed during oscillation. To attempt to reduce these effects, an apparent slip condition may be placed on the surface of the fin. In this investigation, entrapment of pneumatically supplied air at a perforated fin surface was used …

Detection Of Nucleotides In Hydrated Ssdna Via 2-D H-Bn Nanopore With Ionic-Liquid/Salt-Water Interface, Jungsoo Lee

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses and Dissertations

Accomplishing slow translocation speed with high sensitivity has been the greatest mission for solid-state nanopore (SSN) to electrically detect nucleobases in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). In this study, a method to detect nucleobases in ssDNA using a SSN is introduced by considerably slowing down the translocation speed and effectively increasing its sensitivity. The ultra-thin titanium dioxide (TiO₂) coated hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanopore was fabricated, along with an ionic-liquid [bmim][PF₆]/2.0 M KCl aqueous (cis/trans) interfacial system, to increase both the spatial and the temporal resolutions. As the ssDNA molecules entered the nanopore, a …

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Engineering Design Conference Held Virtually

Aerosol Jet Printed Capacitive Strain Gauge For Soft Structural Materials, Kiyo T. Fujimoto, Jennifer K. Watkins, Timothy Phero, Takoda Bingham, Kshama Lakshmi Ranganatha, Benjamin C. Johnson, Zhangxian Deng, Brian Jaques, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soft structural textiles, or softgoods, are used within the space industry for inflatable habitats, parachutes and decelerator systems. Evaluating the safety and structural integrity of these systems occurs through structural health monitoring systems (SHM), which integrate non-invasive/non-destructive testing methods to detect, diagnose, and locate damage. Strain/load monitoring of these systems is limited while utilizing traditional strain gauges as these gauges are typically stiff, operate at low temperatures, and fail when subjected to high strain that is a result of high loading classifying them as unsuitable for SHM of soft structural textiles. For this work, a capacitance based strain gauge (CSG) …

Data Analysis To Evaluate The Performance Of Breathing Masks Used For Filtering Nano-Level Particles At Manufacturing Sites, Gracia M. Dardano

Honors College Theses

The work performed in this research aims to evaluate the performance of commercially available breathing masks in filtering airborne nanoparticles at manufacturing sites. Nanoparticles are found virtually anywhere, from dust in a worksite to a simple sneeze. Therefore, they pose a substantial threat to human health as their velocity and volatility are high. This research analyzes if current efforts of breathing masks to hinder nanoparticles are effective, especially at manufacturing sites. Data has been collected in order to analyze the behavior of nanoparticles and to measure nanoparticle levels at manufacturing sites and its working environment. Data is statistical in nature …

High-Performance Flexible Bismuth Telluride Thin Film From Solution Processed Colloidal Nanoplates, Madhusudan Kongara, Tony Varghese, Karthik Chinnathambi, Jesse Schimpf, Josh Eixenberger, Paul H. Davis, Yaqiao Wu, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Thermoelectric generators are an environmentally friendly and reliable solid‐state energy conversion technology. Flexible and low‐cost thermoelectric generators are especially suited to power flexible electronics and sensors using body heat or other ambient heat sources. Bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) based thermoelectric materials exhibit their best performance near room temperature making them an ideal candidate to power wearable electronics and sensors using body heat. In this report, Bi₂Te₃ thin films are deposited on a flexible polyimide substrate using low‐cost and scalable manufacturing methods. The synthesized Bi₂Te₃ nanocrystals have a thickness of 35 ± …

Modeling, Simulation, And Testing Of Sweeping Convection, Amir Kiaee

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the new convection heat transfer concept of sweeping convection, using large particles flowing with a fluid in a channel, is considered. This novel concept is inspired by the gas exchange process in alveolar capillaries, where red blood cells (RBCs) flow with blood plasma, yielding very high gas transfer efficiency. An important characteristic of alveolar capillary blood flow, believed to be related to the high efficiency of the lungs, is the snug fitting of the RBCs into the capillaries. This tight fitting sets the RBCs (particles) acting like pistons as they flow downstream with the plasma (fluid), facilitating …

A Cathode Support Structure For Use In A Magnetron Oscillator Experiment, Daylon Black, Ryan Harper, Patrick Ward, Jacob Davlin, Omar Bentancourt, Donald Plumlee, Jim Browning

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic (LTCC) material system has been used to develop a protype field emission cathode structure for use in an experimental magnetron oscillator. The structure is designed for used with 30 Gated Field Emission Array (GFEA) die electrically connected through silver metal traces and electrical vias. To approximate a cylinder, the cathode structure (48 mm long and 13.7 mm in diameter) is comprised of 10 faceted plates which cover the GFEA dies. Slits in the facet plates allow electron injection. The GFEA die (3 mm x 8 mm) are placed in axial columns of 3 and spaced …

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Dr. Cesmeci Awarded DOE Grant

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Dr. M. Xu Receives Faculty Award from AIST

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Computer Lab Availability for Commuting Students

Wireless Wearable System For The Assessment Of Gait, Abdallah Jabr

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the development and use of a wireless wearable system for the assessment of gait. The system proposed consists of a sensor module that is attached to the foot. The sensor proposed is an inertial measurement unit, often abbreviated as IMU - a 9-axis System in Package (SiP) including a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer, as well as a fusion engine for signal processing. While the focus of this work is on evaluating gait metrics, the performance of the proposed IMU in evaluating orientation is quantified. In doing this work, we try to address …