Structures and Materials Commons^™

Modeling Of Single-Lap Joints With Auxetic Adhesive Utilizing Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Bondline Microstructures, Chatarina P. Puspaningtyas, Annisa Jusuf, Bambang K. Hadi, Arief Yudhanto

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Producing lightweight structures can be effectively achieved using adhesive bonding that incorporates a high-performance adhesive, eliminating the mechanical joints (rivet, bolts). Here, the proof-of-concept of tailoring the high-performance adhesive using microstructures exhibiting a negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) is investigated using two single lap joint (SLJ) models developed in ABAQUS/Standard. The SLJ models consist of two rigid adherends that are bonded using either homogeneous or heterogeneous adhesive that produces auxetic response. In homogeneous adhesive, a negative value of Poisson's ratio is defined in the adhesive part of the models. In heterogeneous adhesive, the negative Poisson's ratio is obtained by explicitly building …

Kissing Bond Assessment In Adhesive Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites Using Dielectric Spectroscopy, Minhazur Rahman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The widespread use of fiber-reinforced composites in industries such as space, aviation, automobiles, and construction necessitates the formation of robust composite joints between critical structural components. Although adhesive-bonded joints are superior with improved load distribution and reduced weight, they are often overlooked in favor of bolted joints and mechanical fasteners due to the lack of reliable Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques for adhesive-bonded composites. The anisotropic nature of the substrate and the intricate interfacial interactions between the adherend and adhesive material present significant challenges for conventional NDE methods. Moreover, weak adhesive bonds can result from uncontrolled manufacturing parameters, such as accidental …

Experimental Investigations And Optimization Of 3d Printed Cellular Structures For Protection Against Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron R. Jackson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) disrupts brain function due to head impacts, blast exposures, and ballistic penetrations. It is a significant cause of mental health issues and disability, particularly among military personnel. Historically, combat helmets were designed primarily to protect against fragments. However, recent data highlights the need for helmets that also protect against blast and blunt impacts. Effective TBI prevention requires helmets that address various energy threats while remaining lightweight. A critical metric in this effort is head acceleration, which is closely linked to injury across different scales of brain damage.

Four lattice structures were 3D printed using Digital ABS …

Development Of A 3d Printed Optimization-Driven Aeroelastically Scaled Wind Tunnel Model For High Aspect Ratio Flying Wings, Mikaela K. Leevy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Design optimization coupled with 3D printing and parametric CAD offers a unique approach to investigating flutter phenomena by creating low-cost iterative aeroelastic wind tunnel models. Recently, there is an interest in studying flutter phenomena at low air speeds in flying wing configurations. The X-56 experimental flying wing was designed to investigate flutter phenomena and flutter suppression, which makes the X-56 a logical choice for the full-scale model. The goal of this work is to optimize, physically print, and geometrically characterize a scaled aeroelastic wind tunnel model. The 18% reduced scale X-56 model was optimized by matching the mode shapes to …

Parametric Analysis Of A Dynamic And Static Model For Low Velocity Impact Of Specially Orthotropic Laminates, Juan Daniel Ruiz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The high specific strength and specific stiffness of composite materials makes them highly desirable for structural applications, but their laminated nature makes them susceptible to impact damage. Even low velocity impacts (LVI), generally, result in barely visible impact damage (BVID) and delamination, which can go unnoticed and grow during service, eventually leading to catastrophic failure. Due to this, the study of impact resistance and damage tolerance is typically studied through LVI followed by compression after impact (CAI) experiments. However, conducting LVI experiments are time consuming and expensive, as they require specialized equipment and extensive pre-test preparations.

In this study, the …

Image-Based Thermal And Mechanical Analysis Of Polymers, Yukti Shinglot

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In recent years, application of polymers have rapidly expanded across industries due to their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to diverse manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing. Innovations in PolyJet technology enable the creation of complex geometries with tailored color combinations, transparency, and flexibility, broadening applications in medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Advances in processing viscoelastic rubbers like PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) have further enhanced its mechanical properties, expanding its use in biomedical devices and electronic components. However, polymers are susceptible to complex deformation and failure under thermal and mechanical stresses, which can impact their performance and safety. This research examines the thermal behavior …

Thermal Damage And Mechanical Failure Analysis Of Polymers, Tina Ko

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

As the demand for more intricate and precise components increases, polymers continue to stand out for their flexibility, durability, and adaptability across numerous applications. From aerospace to biomedical engineering industries, polymers are valued for their versatility and customizability, enabling the creation of complex geometries or achieving specific material properties. Since polymers are widely used, analyzing their thermal and mechanical properties is essential to understand their behavior under high-energy exposure or defects. Two types of polymers were analyzed: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and 3D-printed digital materials. This thesis investigates the mechanical and thermal response of polymers through two distinct studies. The first part …

Graphene Reinforced Polymer Composite For Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Rotors, Kunal A. Bachim

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Polymers have evolved as an indispensable asset in various sectors ranging from packaging and construction to energy and aerospace. However, the accumulation of polymer waste poses a necessity to shift toward sustainable waste management processes. Mechanical recycling is a primary method in establishing a circular economy approach for polymers. However, a fundamental challenge arises in this process: a decrease in the mechanical performance of the recycled product compared to that of its pristine counterpart.

This project addresses the challenge of enhancing the recyclability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from discarded polymer material by incorporating graphene nanoparticles into the polymer matrix during …

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. To this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. A dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middling. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

Mechanics Of Pure Bending And Eccentric Buckling In High-Strain Composite Structures, Jimesh D. Bhagatji, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

To maximize the capabilities of nano- and micro-class satellites, which are limited by their size, weight, and power, advancements in deployable mechanisms with a high deployable surface area to packaging volume ratio are necessary. Without progress in understanding the mechanics of high-strain materials and structures, the development of compact deployable mechanisms for this class of satellites would be difficult. This paper presents fabrication, experimental testing, and progressive failure modeling to study the deformation of an ultra-thin composite beam. The research study examines the deformation modes of a post-deployed boom under repetitive pure bending loads using a four-point bending setup and …

Restoration Of Strength In Polyamide Woven Glass Fiber Organosheets By Hot Pressing, Mohammad Nazmus Saquib, Edwing Chaparro-Chavez, Christopher Morris, Kuthan Çelebi, Diego Pedrazzoli, Mingfu Zhang, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite organosheets (OSs) are increasingly recognized as a viable solution for automotive and aerospace structures, offering a range of benefits including cost-effectiveness through high-rate production, lightweight design, impact resistance, formability, and recyclability. This study examines the impact response, post-impact strength evaluation, and hot-pressing repair effectiveness of woven glass fiber nylon composite OSs across varying impact energy levels. Experimental investigations involved subjecting composite specimens to impact at varying energy levels using a drop-tower test rig, followed by compression-after-impact (CAI) tests. The results underscore the exceptional damage tolerance and improved residual compressive strength of the OSs compared to traditional thermoset composites. …

Electrostatic Sorting Of Lunar Regolith Simulants For Sustainable Resource Utilization: Modeling And Characterization Of Particle Size Distribution, Abdullah Al Moinee, Peter Bachle, Kyle Newport, William Schonberg, David Bayless, Jeffrey Smith, Daoru Han, Fateme Rezaei

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In pursuit of sustainable resource utilization on the Moon, this paper delves into modeling and characterization of particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar regolith simulants in an electrostatic system. A prototype electrostatic sieve was built and tested with four sample simulants mirroring properties of lunar mare and highland regolith. An alternating four-phase (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees) traveling square-wave was utilized for particle-directed transport to model the diverse trajectories of the particles. Numerically, we scrutinized how the distribution functions of the particles are manifested as the electrostatic field propagates, with a focus on three distinct particle ranges …

Electrostatic Sorting Of Lunar Regolith Simulants For Sustainable Resource Utilization: Modeling And Characterization Of Particle Size Distribution, Abdullah Al Moinee, Peter Bachle, Kyle Newport, William Schonberg, David Bayless, Jeffrey Smith, Daoru Han, Fateme Rezaei

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In pursuit of sustainable resource utilization on the Moon, this paper delves into modeling and characterization of particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar regolith simulants in an electrostatic system. a prototype electrostatic sieve was built and tested with four sample simulants mirroring properties of lunar mare and highland regolith. an alternating four-phase (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees) traveling square-wave was utilized for particle-directed transport to model the diverse trajectories of the particles. Numerically, we scrutinized how the distribution functions of the particles are manifested as the electrostatic field propagates, with a focus on three distinct particle ranges …

A Concept Of Producing Aluminum In-Situ On The Moon Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel Stutts, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a concept of producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. This paper aims to demonstrate the use of electro-deoxidation to reduce aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) into aluminum and oxygen gas via electrolysis in a molten salt bath for the production of aluminum on the Moon. It is shown that with a steady supply of hydrogen chloride, this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method could supply several necessary materials consumed in the electro-deoxidation process except hydrogen chloride to produce …

The Determination Of Darcy Permeabilities And Slip Parameters In Porous Thermal Protection Media Via Pressure-Driven Steady Flows At Varying Levels Of Thermal Decomposition, John Ryan O'Nan

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

A flow apparatus for determining the Darcy permeability and Klinkenberg molecular slip adjustment parameter in arbitrary porous media was created. Two leak-proof methods were developed to secure samples of porous media in the flow apparatus independent of surface irregularities, structural integrity, or material porosity. The first of these methods uses thermoset resin casting to permit material samples of a highly irregular profile to be studied. The second method utilizes heat-shrink polyolefin tubing to create a wall seal while preserving the exposed faces of a given cylindrical sample, enabling the study of inhomogeneous surface features. These methods were used to characterize …

High-Fidelity Coupling For Studies Of Ablative Materials At Hypersonic Conditions, Aleksander Zibitsker

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The development of accurate models and robust numerical tools for simulating ablative thermal protection materials (TPMs) in hypersonic flows is crucial for advancing atmospheric entry and hypersonic technologies. Traditional methods for simulating ablative materials often rely on heavy assumptions, such as equal heat and mass transfer coefficients and chemical equilibrium in the boundary layer, leading to conservative thermal protection system (TPS) designs and insufficient accuracy for certain in-flight ablation phenomena.

This work presents a high-fidelity and versatile coupled framework between hypersonic flow and material response solvers. The flow domain is modeled with an innovative overset CHAMPS NBS-Cart solver, which features …

Characterization Of Heterogeneous Material Architectures Through X-Ray Computed Micro-Tomography, Cameron Brewer

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Low-density carbon-phenolic composites, such as phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA), possess meso-, micro-, and nano-pores making the structure of the resin difficult to characterize. X-ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) is a widely ac- cepted method for characterizing the carbon fiber preform, yet this technique is often insufficient for visualizing the resin because of its minimal attenuation of the incident x-ray beam. Phase Contrast Retrieval (PCR) reconstruction considers not only the linear attenuation coefficient, but also the refractive indices of the constituent materials. This research leverages phase contrast tomography to characterize the meso- and micro-structure of the porous resin phase with a …

Short Strand Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Filament For Additive Manufacturing, Dale Chenoweth, Lukas Seggi, Luke Phillips

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this design project, the additive manufacturing filament of short strand carbon fiber (SSCF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite was developed. The micro-size, precision cut SSCFs were mixed with the PLA pellets through a melting homogenization process. Through this process the composite material block is cut and divided into pieces for ease of pelletizing. The material block pieces are then pelletized to be fed through the single screw extruder to develop the SSCF-PLA composite filament. The SSCF-PLA filaments were manufactured with a varying amount of SSCF ranging from 0.5% to 10% of the material block's weight. Development of a 1% …

Inspection/Fault Detection Team, James Worrall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our project deals with a common problem that is encountered with satellites in earth orbit or beyond. It is very common in space for there to be small collisions between satellites and foreign space debris, and it takes a lot of time and money to send a person out to repair the damage caused by the collision. Our goal is to develop a way to perform these repairs autonomously. We plan to develop a way to scan a satellite or spacecraft hull for damage using a robot and then repair the damage while still maintaining the material specifications required for …

Space Force Spacecraft Hull Inspection: Creation Of A Process To Inspect, Compare, And Fault Detect On The Surface Of A Spacecraft Hull, Ethan Rainsburg

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Space Force Inspection design project aims to create a system for scanning the hull of a spacecraft, identifying any damage by cross-checking the new scan with a previous scan, and fixing any identified damage picked up by the scan. This project contains key objectives such as defining testable parameters for any given scanner, creating a repeatable process for comparing scans, and automating the process using open-source code and software. The ideal outcome for this project is to have the fully automated system implemented to a robot that is being designed and manufactured by a sister team. Some of the …

Uav To Carry Heavy Loads, Jacob Cannon, Robert Connor Downs, Anthony Orlando

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our senior design project aims to develop an innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of carrying heavy payloads up to 50 lbs. This UAV will address the growing demand for efficient and autonomous cargo transportation, unlocking new possibilities in logistics and remote deliveries. The primary goal is to design, build, and test a robust UAV platform equipped with advanced propulsion systems, stabilizing mechanisms, and a secure payload attachment system. The heavy-lift UAV will be capable of transporting payloads in challenging environments, enhancing its versatility for various industries, including emergency response, disaster relief, and commercial logistics. For the extent of this …

Ambient Temperature Strength Degradation Of A Ceramic Matrix Composite Due To Solid Particle Erosion, Jonathan Clawson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Solid particle erosion (SPE) is an issue for aircraft exposed to hard, fine particles, such as sand or dust, that can be ingested into the engine at a high velocity without reaching their melting point, resulting in material removal. SPE can be attributed to the intake of particulate debris from the runway or from airborne particulates. The cumulative mass loss from SPE damage affects the structural integrity and performance of the engine; however, its effects on ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), that are being employed in the aerospace industry, are not well understood in literature. The limited SPE research studies that …

Experimental Characterization And Quantification Of Deformation Behavior In A Porous Carbon Fiber Network, Robert N Quammen

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Due to their wide range of attractive functional properties (such as low thermal conductivity and low density) porous materials are utilized in a variety of applications. In order to characterize these properties and others, the intrinsically heterogeneous microstructures of these materials need to be taken into account. These microstructures result in interactions across multiple length scales spanning several orders of magnitude. This makes the creation of robust computational models and straight-forward predictions of mechanical properties difficult for porous materials. With this in mind, this dissertation aims to provide experimental mechanical and deformation information spanning the length scales of interest for …

Dynamic Load Identification Using Optimal Sensor Placement And Dynamic Condensation Methods, Iole Pecora

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of excitation loads that structures experience during their service life is pivotal in different engineering fields, not only from a structural design optimization point of view but also as prevention of possible damages to the structures themselves. However, in case of dynamic events such as tornadoes, structures subjected to impulsive load due to their vicinity of explosions, the excitation load cannot be directly determined through direct measurements. In these scenarios, the inverse problem is used, and it is called load identification. This type of problem tries to determine the excitation load knowing the system response through a series of …

Machine Learning-Assisted Multiscale Simulation And Design Optimization Of Composite Jackets Under Low-Velocity Impacts, Masoud Mohammadi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research presents the development of a data-driven machine learning-assisted approach to simulate and optimize the design of composite materials subjected to low-velocity impacts. It focuses on a specific type of hybrid composite comprised of fiberglass and Kevlar fabrics stitched with Kevlar threads. The study begins by creating a multiscale finite element simulation for the composite under a low-velocity impact, which operates across three scales: microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale. This simulation accepts various inputs, such as different layer configurations and orientations, and provides impact outputs including maximum load and energy absorption capacity and displacement at failure.

Python and MATLAB scripts …

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. to this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. a dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middlings. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

Kinetic Modeling Of Electrostatic Sieving For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation: Case Studies, Easton Ingram, Emmanuela Amen Eze, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new kinetic particle modeling framework was developed to investigate electrostatic transport of lunar regolith particles with applications to the concept of electrostatic sieving. the new approach is based on kinetic particle dynamics and includes major modules of sampling the particle size distribution, solving electric fields, and tracking motion of charged dust grains. Case studies for a concept of electrostatic sieving were chosen to validate the new model. the simulation achieved similar yields reported in previous works, which served as validation of the model. the new model is computationally efficient and could serve as a design, analysis, and optimization tool.

Progress Of Lisap-Mse: A Concept Of Producing Aluminum In-Situ On The Moon Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, David Bayless, Daniel Stutts, Daoru Han, Todd P. Sander, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, William Schonberg

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a concept of producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. This paper aims to demonstrate the use of electro-deoxidation to reduce aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) into aluminum and oxygen gas via electrolysis in a molten salt bath for the production of aluminum on the Moon. It is shown that with a steady supply of hydrogen chloride, this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method could supply several necessary materials consumed in the electro-deoxidation process except hydrogen chloride to produce …