Engineering Commons^™

Design Features And Optimization Of Profile Extrusion Dies, Abhishek Sai Erri Pradeep

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report deals with design of dies used in the plastic extrusion industry. The design methodology for extrusion dies has evolved over the years with advancement of computing technology. However, the design process is still heavily dependent on the experience of the die designer, and hence is still considered to be more of an art than science. Even for an experienced designer, the time required to design the die and perform consecutive fine tuning iterations is high. In this report, a proprietary optimization code for extrusion dies, .developed by Plastic Flow LLC, was tested and shown to be advantageous over …

Pilot-Scale Study Of Low-Tech Methods Of Sustainable Class A Biosolids Production: A Trial Run, Rebecca L. Green

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Water resource recovery facilities can improve sustainability by producing Class A biosolids. However, many conventional methods for achieving Class A biosolids are expensive, with high maintenance and energy costs. However, low-cost, low-tech (LCLT) treatment methods are also available. The overall goal of the larger project of which this study was a part is to develop a rational and universal approach for design of LCLT processes. To achieve this goal, pilot-scale studies of LCLT processes will be performed. The goal of this portion of the project was to perform a trial run pilot-scale study. During the trial run, the pilot-scale biosolids …

Integration And Testing Of An Advanced Conformable Cng Tank In A Full-Sized Light-Duty Pickup, Abayomi Famuyiwa

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Michigan Technological University is collaborating with Southwestern Energy and REL Inc. to develop and integrate a compressed natural gas (CNG) matrix tank that enables efficient packaging, increases range, and reduced cost for CNG vehicle applications. The vehicle being used in this project is a light-duty pickup truck to take advantage of the open space underneath the body and bed of the vehicle. With today’s cylindrical CNG tanks consuming cargo space, a solution is to develop a tank capable of being shaping to the underbody of the truck to free cargo space. University faculty and graduate students utilizes Finite Element Analysis …

An Experimental Investigation Of Low Temperature Combustion Regimes In A Light Duty Engine, Kaushik Kannan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A continuous investigation on the improvement of internal combustion engines is necessary due to the stringent emission and fuel economy regulations. Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) is a promising field of research since it can simultaneously reduce NOx and soot while attaining high thermal efficiencies in automotive engines. A thorough study of several LTC regimes is necessary to understand the quantitative comparison and the extent of feasibility of these regimes functioning on an automotive engine. This thesis concentrates on an experimental investigation of three different LTC modes namely Homogeneously Charged Compression Ignition (HCCI), Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (PPCI) and Reactivity Controlled …

A Cultural And Technical Study Of Wastewater Treatment Plant Maintenance In A Small Community In Peru, Rebecca C. Midkiff

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Management of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been found to be especially challenging in small, rural communities of the developing world. This study examined maintenance of two small WWTPs in Leymebamba and Palmira, Peru through interviews with local authorities, observation of maintenance practices, wastewater measurements, and prediction of effects from maintenance with modeling using a wastewater process simulation software, BioWin. Challenges and motivations related to maintenance were investigated with semi-structured interviews, and maintenance practices were recorded during observations. It was found that outside supervision was a key motivating factor, and the existence of an operator who is supported by the …

Experimental Investigations Of Fused Filament Fabrication For Applications To Affordable Scientific Hardware, Bas Wijnen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research aims to make science more accessible through the use of open source 3-D printers.

A new control system for CNC machines in general and 3-D printers specifically, is developed and presented that enables web-based control of 3-D tools from any Internet connected device. The system can be set up and controlled entirely from a web interface.

A tool was designed to help apply science to the developing world. The developing world remains plagued by lack of access to safe drinking water. A methodology is provided for the design, development, and technical validation of a low-cost open-source water testing …

Integrated Computational And Experimental Evaluation Of Electromagnetic Energy-Induced Self-Healing Performance Of Asphalt Composites, Zigeng Wang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The objective of this doctoral research is to investigate the electromagnetic energy induced self-healing effect of modified asphalt mixture material by developing computational and experimental characterization tools. More than 90% of the pavements in United States are constructed by asphalt mixture. The durability of pavement decreased by distresses has significant impact on maintenance costs. The asphalt mixture has self-healing capability because the asphalt could flow and fill the microcracks if enough external energy can be transmitted to the asphalt mixture system. However, the self-healing capability of asphalt is limited based on the climatic condition and traffic volume. Therefore, it is …

Air Charge Estimation For An Si Engine Using In-Cylinder Pressure Sensor, Arya Yazdani

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

An accurate estimation of cycle by cycle in-cylinder mass and the composition of the combustion chamber charge is required for engine control strategies to meet stringent pollution emission and fuel consumption regulations. Estimation of fresh charge and residual gas masses is beneficial in terms of fuel efficiency, tailpipe emissions, engine performance, for engine control strategies. Air-flow meter, which is mounted in the intake air circuit, can be utilized in a closed-loop strategy to control air charge. However, air flow meter has a response delay; moreover dynamics of intake manifold and pipes must be taken into consideration to improve the estimation …

Nanosphere Lithography And Its Application In Rapid And Economic Fabrication Of Plasmonic Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Devices, Chenlong Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Solar photovoltaic (PV) devices harvest energy from solar radiation and convert it to electricity. PV technologies, as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels, use clean and renewable energy while minimizing pollution. For decades researchers have been developing thin film solar cells as an important alternatives to the relatively expensive bulk crystal solar cell technology. Among those, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells prevails for good efficiency, non-toxic and materially abundant nature. However, a-Si:H thickness must be minimized to prevent light induced degradation, so optical enhancement is necessary. Light manipulation has to be applied and carefully engineered to trap light within …

Designing A Permeable Reactive Barrier For The Remediation Of Copper Contaminated Groundwater., Christopher Walkons

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This project details the design of a sorption based pilot-scale permeable reactive barrier (PRB) for the removal of copper from groundwater. The reactive material for the barrier is the residual of coagulants used in drinking water treatment operations. Physical and chemical properties of these water treatment residuals (WTR) have been studied to optimize PRB design. Batch reactor tests have shown that equilibrium sorption of copper can be fit to a Langmuir type isotherm. Kinetic and column experiments have been conducted to understand the significance of chemical and physical mass transfer limitations. A leaching test indicated the concentrations of hazardous elements …

Enhancing Osseointegration Of Orthopaedic Implants With Titania Nanotube Surfaces, Erin A. Baker

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Introduction: As joint arthroplasty surgical procedures increase annually, the development of new strategies, including novel materials and surface modifications, to attain solid bone-implant fixation are needed to increase implant terms of service. In this study, we evaluate two morphologies of titania nanotubes in both in vitro and in vivo experiments to quantify osseointegrative potential and material-level biocompatibility.

Materials and Methods: Samples were prepared via an electrochemical etching process. Two different titania nanotube (TiNT) morphologies were produced, Aligned and Trabecular. For the in vitro experiment, Sprague Dawley (SD) rat marrow-derived bone marrow cells (BMC) were seeded on samples. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) …

A Sustainability-Based Project Selection Algorithm: Socio-Technical-Economic Project Selection (Steps) Algorithm, Bharathi Bhattu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Multi-dimensional aspects play a vital role in the task of project-decision making. Environmental effects are to be considered in addition to other technical and non-technical aspects in order to avoid undue environmental damage. This current work introduces a new decision-making algorithm (Socio-Technical-Economic Project Selection or STEPS) that is demonstrated with the use of RCA (recycled concrete aggregate) as riprap for slope stabilization and erosion control which leaches chemical arsenic when in contact with water. Arsenic has long been recognized for its lethal properties. The main intention of introducing this new algorithm is to use sustainability concepts of social, technical, and …

An Experimental Investigation Of The Effect Of Temperature And Space Velocity On The Performance Of A Cu-Zeolite Flow-Through Scr And A Scr Catalyst On A Dpf With And Without Pm Loading, Vaibhav Kadam

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Abstract The heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engines use the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), catalyzed particulate filter (CPF) and urea injection based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in sequential combination, to meet the US EPA 2010 PM and NOₓ emission standards. The SCR along with a NH₃ slip control catalyst (AMOX) offer NOₓ reduction >90 % with NH₃ slipHowever, there is a strong desire to further improve the NOₓ reduction performance of such systems, to meet the California Optional Low NOₓ Standard implemented since 2015. Integrating SCR functionality into a diesel particulate filter (DPF), by coating the SCR catalyst on the DPF, …

Methodology For Analyzing Epoxy-Cnt Phononic Crystals For Wave Attenuation And Guiding, Madhu Kolati

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Phononic crystals (PhnCs) control, direct and manipulate sound waves to achieve wave guiding and attenuation. This dissertation presents methodology for analyzing nanotube materials based phononic crystals to achieve control over sound, vibration and stress mitigation. Much of the analytical work presented is in identifying frequency band gaps in which sound or vibration cannot propagate through these PhnCs. Wave attenuation and mitigation analysis is demonstrated using finite element simulation. Engineering principles from current research areas of solid mechanics, solid-state physics, elasto-dynamics, mechanical vibrations and acoustics are employed for the methodology. A considerable effort is put to show that these PhnCs can …

Modeling Impacts Of Combined Sewer Overflows In Swmm In Cleveland, Ohio, Zoe A. Miller

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Despite its legacy of pollution, the City of Cleveland, Ohio, has historically been at the forefront of water quality management. Today, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), which serves the Greater Cleveland area, is following a consent decree with the State of Ohio to minimize combined sewer overflows (CSOs), along with implementing an integrated Clean Water Act planning study to prioritize infrastructure improvements with a broader view of water quality objectives. This report summarizes an urban watershed modeling effort to support the integrated planning (IP) process. Specifically, the development, calibration, and validation of the EPA Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) …

Nanoionics And Nanocatalysts: Conformal Mesoporous Surface Scaffold For Cathode Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Yun Chen, Kirk Gerdes, Xueyan Song

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Nanoionics has become increasingly important in devices and systems related to energy conversion and storage. Nevertheless, nanoionics and nanostructured electrodes development has been challenging for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) owing to many reasons including poor stability of the nanocrystals during fabrication of SOFCs at elevated temperatures. In this study, a conformal mesoporous ZrO2 nanoionic network was formed on the surface of La1−xSrxMnO3/yttria-stabilized zirconia (LSM/YSZ) cathode backbone using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and thermal treatment. The surface layer nanoionic network possesses open mesopores for gas penetration, and features a high density of grain boundaries for enhanced ion-transport. The mesoporous nanoionic …

A 3-D Finite Element Model Of The Synthesis, Degradation, And Spatial Spread Of Camp, S Shettleworth, K J. Webb, A V. Phan, T C. Rich

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 4: Materials; pp. 112-116

Drop Tower Data Filtration Validation, L Lisenbee, David L. Littlefield

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 2: Design & Manufacturing; pp. 33-37

Cfd Simulation Of Fluid Accumulation In Normal And Injured Alveolar Sacs Models, Parya Aghasafari, Sommer Ihab Anjum, Ramana Pidaparti

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 1: Bio-Medical/Bioengineering; pp. 15-21

Aqueous Reactive Species Induced By A Surface Air Discharge: Heterogenous Mass Transfer And Liquid Chemistry Pathways, D. X. Liu, Z. C. Liu, C. Chen, A. J. Yang, D. Li, M. Z. Rong, H. L. Chen, M. G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Plasma-liquid interaction is a critical area of plasma science and a knowledge bottleneck for many promising applications. In this paper, the interaction between a surface air discharge and its downstream sample of deionized water is studied with a system-level computational model, which has previously reached good agreement with experimental results. Our computational results reveal that the plasma-induced aqueous species are mainly H+, nitrate, nitrite, H2O2 and O-3. In addition, various short-lived aqueous species are also induced, regardless whether they are generated in the gas phase first. The production/loss pathways for aqueous species are quantified for an air gap width ranging …

Sparse Encoding Of Binocular Images For Depth Inference, Sheng Y. Lundquist, Dylan M. Paiton, Peter F. Schultz, Garrett T. Kenyon

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sparse coding models have been widely used to decompose monocular images into linear combinations of small numbers of basis vectors drawn from an overcomplete set. However, little work has examined sparse coding in the context of stereopsis. In this paper, we demonstrate that sparse coding facilitates better depth inference with sparse activations than comparable feed-forward networks of the same size. This is likely due to the noise and redundancy of feed-forward activations, whereas sparse coding utilizes lateral competition to selectively encode image features within a narrow band of depths.

Impairment Of Continuous Insulin Delivery Therapy And Analysis From Graeco-Latin Square Design Model, Norou Diawara, Ayodeji Demuren, Eric Gyuricsko

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The desire to deliver measured amount of insulin continuously to patients with type I diabetes, for glycemic control, has attracted a lot of attention. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has seen some success in recent years. However, occlusion of insulin delivery may prevent the patient from receiving the prescribed dosage, with adverse consequence. An in vitro study of insulin delivery is performed, using different insulin pumps, insulin analogs and operating conditions. The aim is to identify incidences of occlusion due to bubble formation in the infusion line. A detailed statistical analysis was performed on the data collected to determine any significant …

Direct Experimental Evidence For Differing Reactivity Alterations Of Minerals Following Irradiation: The Case Of Calcite And Quartz, Isabella Pignatelli, Aditya Kumar, Kevin G. Field, Bu Wang, Yingtian Yu, Yann Le Pape, Mathieu Bauchy, Gaurav Sant

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Concrete, used in the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs), may be exposed to radiation emanating from the reactor core. Until recently, concrete has been assumed immune to radiation exposure. Direct evidence acquired on Ar⁺-ion irradiated calcite and quartz indicates, on the contrary, that, such minerals, which constitute aggregates in concrete, may be significantly altered by irradiation. More specifically, while quartz undergoes disordering of its atomic structure resulting in a near complete lack of periodicity, calcite only experiences random rotations, and distortions of its carbonate groups. As a result, irradiated quartz shows a reduction in density of around …

The Effect Of Drying On The Release Of Small Hydrophilic Molecular Drugs From Polyelectrolyte Complex Beads, Dounsavanh Letdara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The effects of bead composition and dryness on the release rate of small molecules, like a drug or dye, from polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) beads were studied. Release studies were performed on dried and not dried beads prepared using different PEC to drug ratios. The beads were dried for two hours, which allowed them to reach a constant weight. The beads were loaded with a dye, so their release could be detected through the visible light regime. A plate reader was used to determine the absorbance of a sample, and then the amount of dye released was determined. The data presented …

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion: Rhamnolipid Effects, Andrea M. Wildroudt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to identify if a rhamnolipid could inhibit the growth of a biofilm on carbon steel coupons and result in less corrosion activity. This type of research impacts various industries (with one of the largest being the oil and gas industry). Multiple systems with varying concentrations of the rhamnolipid were created to determine, if any, the optimum concentration to inhibit biofilm growth. The systems were created and exposed to optimum physio-chemical environments to promote SRB induced corrosion. Coupons were immersed for 28 days. Seven systems were created with varying rhamnolipid concentrations; to ensure accurate results, …

Calcium Alginate Microbead Production Via An Air Assisted Shearing Process, Ryan Loftus

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to model the size of calcium alginate microbeads produced by extruding a solution of 1.5 wt.% alginate from a syringe and needle with air shear generated from a pneumatic line flowing in an annular tube around the extrusion needle. The air shear would create microdroplets that would fall into a solution of 2 wt.% calcium chloride in water, crosslinking the droplets into beads. These microbeads can be used in drug dispersion applications or in encapsulation of cells throughout the body due to their biocompatibility. The goal was to create uniform beads that ranged from …

Separation Of Water From Ulsd Using Superhydrophobic Ps Nanofiber Mats, Alisa G. Webel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Superhydrophobic polystyrene nanofiber membranes have potential to separate micron scale water droplets from organic due to their hydrophobicity and small pore openings. Polystyrene nanofibers were electrospun into flat sheets and cylindrical filter membranes. The fibers were crosslinked to increase strength and reduce solubility in diesel fuel. The filters were tested and the filtration efficiency was compared to their non-crosslinked counterparts. The optimal electrospinning conditions to create superhydrophobic nanofibers were found to be 20 wt. % PS fibers at 1 mL/hr. under a current of 20kV and at a distance of 20 cm away from the ground. It was found that …

Compact Electric Personal Transport, James M. Maganja Mr.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project was to design a compact and powerful personal transport vehicle around the high performance electric power systems associated with large radio controlled aircraft. The relatively powerful and lightweight components associated with these models are the perfect candidate for this application. The selected electric motor for instance is rated at 3kW of continuous power with a mass of just 384 grams.

There were engineering challenges that arose from using these types of components for a vehicle application. At its designed operating voltage the motor will be spinning at around 25,000 rpm. This will require a novel …

Home Networking With Enterprise Equipment, Alex Lowers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project tested various wired and wireless topologies and benchmarked download speeds and quality for various types of media. For music, topology had a negligible impact. High quality video streams were impacted by latency introduced in the wireless topologies. Likewise, video game streaming, especially games of high graphical fidelity, were negatively impacted when streamed over a wireless network. For all types of media, a fully wired topology is recommended.

Titan Wireless Camera Control System, Matthew J. Trowbridge, Ian Drake, Samuel Davis, Ognjen Krco

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Titan Camera Control System is an eletromechanical device that allows the user to wirelessly control a camera’s digital operations as well as physical orientation through the use of a mobile device application. The Titan system accepts input in the form of virtual user commands on the mobile app and performs system output in the form of sending photos/video from the camera back to the app as well as changing the orientation of the camera in accordance with the user’s commands.