Thermodynamics Commons^™

Design And Development Of A Resonance Ignition System Using Gaseous Propellants, Benjamin J. Hoefer

Master's Theses

This work presents the development and experimental evaluation of a resonance igniter (RI) operating with premixed gaseous propellants. Resonance ignition is a non-electrical ignition concept in which an underexpanded jet impinges on a closed-end Hartmann–Sprenger tube (HST), generating cyclic compression and expansion waves that rapidly heat gas near the tube endwall. A modular experimental system was designed and built to investigate resonance ignition using methane–air and methane–oxygen mixtures. The system includes a supplemental configuration that may probe for mixture conditions favorable to ignition, informing RI testing. Pressure and temperature measurements were used to characterize pressure control, mixture pressure ratio (MPR), …

Deep Learning Based Control System For Multi-Zone Hvac Residential Buildings, Mohammad H. Z. Alghalayeeni

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are major contributors to residential energy consumption. However, most homes continue to rely on single zone thermostat control, which regulates temperature based on a single sensor and cannot account for thermal variations across multiple rooms. This often leads to uneven thermal conditions and inefficient energy use in multi-zone residential buildings. This thesis presents a deep reinforcement learning based approach for improving HVAC zoning control through dynamic airflow distribution. A physics based multi zone thermal model of a residential house was developed to simulate heat transfer processes including conduction, convection, solar and internal heat …

Computational Study Of Rotating Detonation Combustors, Aditya Balasubramaniam

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Rotating detonation combustors (RDCs) are pressure-gain combustion devices that sustain one or more continuously rotating detonation waves, offering potential thermodynamic and performance advantages over conventional deflagration-based systems. Their behavior depends strongly on combustor geometry and operating conditions. Understanding these effects is therefore essential for the design and optimization of practical RDCs. Accordingly, this thesis numerically investigates annular RDCs with two primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the effects of propellant mass flux and (2) to assess the influence of annular width on detonation-wave dynamics and combustor performance.

A finite-volume framework is used to solve the compressible reactive Euler equations with hydrogen–air …

Numerical Modelling And Co-Optimization Of Gasoline Fuels For Gasoline Compression Ignition Using Multi Component Approach, Ashwin Karthik Purushothaman

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Future mobility is expected to rely on a broad spectrum of powertrain technologies, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Despite the shift toward electrification, internal combustion engines are projected to remain a key component of future powertrains, either as the primary power source or as range extenders to generate electricity in hybrid systems. As such, significant research efforts continue to focus on enhancing the efficiency and reducing the emissions of ICEs to meet increasingly stringent regulatory and environmental targets. Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) has been …

Fabrication And Performance Of Scalable Bio-Engineered Porous Layers For Efficient Co2 Capture, Mary Sharon Rose Bondugula

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the critical challenge of mitigating climate change by advancing CO2 capture technologies. As global CO2 emissions continue to rise, effective methods for capturing and separating CO2 from industrial processes are essential to combat climate change. Existing CO2 capture systems, such as Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA), often rely on packed bed designs that face limitations, including poor heat and mass transfer, slow gas diffusion, and low thermal conductivity, reducing their efficiency. To overcome these challenges, this dissertation explores innovative solutions by developing advanced adsorbent coatings and scalable bed configurations.

This research begins by …

Interaction Of Particles With Plasma And Shock Produced By Pulsed Spark Discharge, Shomik Mukhopadhyay

Dissertations

Interactions of powders with high-temperature plasma and shockwaves occur in diverse scenarios, such as nuclear blasts, accidental industrial dust explosions, solid propellant combustion in explosive charges and when removing contaminants from surfaces. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), known for generating shock and plasma, is a promising lab-scale technique for simulating these interactions. Studies with ESD involved placing powders near a spark-producing gap between electrodes and observing mechanical and chemical processes like particle motion and ignition. A limited range of spark conditions and material properties have been tested, which facilitated the development and validation of preliminary computational models describing this system. Significant gaps …

Synthesis Of Durable Zeolite 13x Insertion Coatings And Scaled-Up Experimental Demonstration For Co2 Capture, Daniel Jamil Hocheimy

Theses and Dissertations

Minimizing the energy requirement for capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from post-combustion sources is critical to efficient industrial decarbonization and subsequent mitigation of the effects of climate change. The current portfolio of CO₂ capture technologies includes absorption, membrane separation and packed bed adsorption, which suffer from high energy and temperature requirements, scalability, and location dependency issues. Adsorption-based systems could cater to these concerns; however, their current embodiments primarily use packed adsorbent bed design and electricity-driven vacuum pumps to regenerate them. While simple and easy to fabricate, these designs are not scalable and cannot use heat to regenerate them …

Benchmarking Of A Sco2 Heat Exchanger Flow Loop, David Velasco

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) was studied experimentally by commissioning a sCO2 flow loop featuring a horizontal tube-in-tube counterflow heat exchanger with a circular cross section. The main objective was to establish experimental heat transfer research capabilities for sCO2 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Thermal Science Lab. sCO2 experiences a drastic change in thermophysical properties near its critical point that results in unique heat transfer characteristics. The high pressures at which sCO2 exists make the large gradients in thermophysical and transport properties difficult to study, experimentally and numerically. However, understanding the heat transfer characteristics and thermophysical behavior of …

Carbon Dioxide Gasification Of Biochar: A Study On Utilizing Captured Co2 To Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emission And Improving Carbon Conversion Efficiency, Nnamdi Ofuani

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With rapidly growing global economies and world population, fossil fuel continues to play a major role in meeting current energy demands. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies have, hence, been implemented to reduce CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere. With the implementation of CCS technologies comes the need to utilize the captured CO₂. This research, therefore, proposes CO₂ gasification of biochar as a viable carbon utilization pathway. With captured CO₂ coming at various concentrations, there is a need to understand how CO₂ concentration affects biochar conversion to useful products. This study, therefore, evaluates the effects …

Investigation Of Operational Parameter Differences Between The Standard Ron Test Method And Knock-Limited Modern Spark-Ignition Engine Operation, Alexander Hoth

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Octane numbers (ONs) are used worldwide to rate the knock propensity of gasoline-like fuels for spark-ignition engines, making ONs the leading indicator of fuel quality for commercial distribution. The ONs were established 90 years ago and have only received minor changes compared to significant advancements in modern engine operation and fuel composition. This has resulted in discrepancies between knock-limited modern engine operation and standard ON ratings. This dissertation used a standard CFR octane rating engine at Argonne National Laboratory that was instrumented with modern combustion research tools to investigate key differences between the Research Octane Number (RON) rating conditions and …

Mathematical Modeling Of Coupled Heat And Mass Transfer In Metal-Hydride Hydrogen Storage Systems, Muhammad Hasnain

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As a promising clean energy carrier hydrogen has recently gained significant interest, but its efficient and safe storage is a major challenge. Compared to the gaseous state and liquid state, metal hydrides (MH) offer a potentially more effective storage approach for hydrogen. However, the main challenge in this approach is the low thermal conductivity of the MH bed that leads to low heat transfer and ultimately to higher charging and discharging times. The purpose of this work is to develop an in-house comprehensive heat and mass transfer model for hydrogen sorption in MH reactors to simulate the dynamic behavior of …

Numerical Modeling Of Thermal Runaway In Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Decomposition Kinetics And Inter-Cell Contact Resistance, Shehzad Khan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are central in numerous high-demand applications due to their high energy density and prolonged cycle life. Despite these advantages, their susceptibility to thermal runaway (TR) poses a significant safety risk, with the potential for catastrophic failures. This study focuses on the thermal behavior of prismatic lithium-ion cells, using a finite volume-based partial differential equation (PDE) solver developed in MATLAB and JULIA to model TR behavior. This solver accurately simulates transient behaviors, convection, diffusion, and source terms across various coordinate systems. By engaging in a series of increasing complex case studies, this research aims to identify the critical …

Attrition Study Of Copper-Supplemented Iron-Based Oxygen Carrier For Chemical Looping Combustion, Neng Huang

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a promising technology that can mitigate the carbon emissions for power generation. The cost of oxygen carriers (OCs) impedes the scale up of CLC. Compared to synthetic iron-based OCs, red mud (RM), an abundant iron-based solid waste from industry, is a cost-effective choice due to its intrinsic inclusion of both inert and catalytic phases that are crucial for CLC. It was anticipated that the addition of copper oxide to RM using a mechanical mixing method that can be easily scaled up would enhance both reactivity and oxygen transport capacity (OTC), and the heat of reaction …

Impact Of Spallation And Internal Radiation On Fibrous Ablative Materials, Raghava Sai Chaitanya Davuluri

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Space vehicles are equipped with Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) that encounter high heat rates and protect the payload while entering a planetary atmosphere. For most missions that interest NASA, ablative materials are used as TPS. These materials undergo several mass and energy transfer mechanisms to absorb intense heat. The size and construction of the TPS are based on the composition of the planetary atmosphere and the impact of various ablative mechanisms on the flow field and the material. Therefore, it is essential to quantify the rates of different ablative phenomena to model TPS accurately. In this work, the impact of …

Investigations Of A Surrogate Fuel Based On Fischer-Tropsch Gtl And Ctl In Cvcc, Idi And Di Compression Ignition Engines, Amanda C. Weaver

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With the increase in availability, feedstocks, and properties of alternative fuels, compatibility issues emerge between current engine platforms often requiring a limit on the blend percentage of alternative fuel in conventional fuel or alteration to the engine platform. Two key metrics were identified, autoignition quality and lubrication characteristics, as vital for the proper function of a compression ignition engine, and if the blend of alternative fuels matches these two criteria for the diesel standard, then the resulting blend percentage can be considered as a viable alternative for complete replacement of conventional petroleum ULSD. Autoignition quality was matched using blends S-8, …

Combustion Characteristics Of Methane, Ethane, Propane, And Butane Blends Under Conditions Relevant Of A Dual-Fuel Diesel And Natural Gas Engine, Christopher Joseph Ulishney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As natural gas production infrastructure is already in place in most of the world and will continue expanding for the foreseeable future, natural gas is an alternative to traditional liquid petroleum fuels in heavy-duty engines. Dedicated natural gas or dual-fuel diesel-natural gas heavy-duty engines are alternatives to diesel-only power generation equipment. One challenge is the large variation in the natural gas composition available for such applications, which is known to significantly affect engine’s combustion characteristics and the emissions composition. As the literature on dual-fuel combustion under low load engine operating conditions that use more realistic natural gas mixtures (i.e., mixtures …

Evaluating Electrification Of Fossil Fuel-Fired Boilers For Decarbonization Using Discrete Event Simulation, Nahian Ismail Chowdhury

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Decarbonizing fossil fuel usage is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change. CO2, which comprises the major portion of greenhouse gas, is emitted from burning fossil fuels. One of the significant sources of fossil fuel user is industrial process heating, and most of the heating in industrial processes is achieved through boilers. Electrification is a promising solution for decarbonizing these boilers, as it enables renewable energy sources to generate electricity, which can then be used to power the electric boilers. The electrification of boilers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and increase energy efficiency. However, it requires …

Novel Thermal Coating For High-Speed Airplanes, Abinash Satapathy, Lakshay Battu, Liam Watson, Nazanin Rajabi

Symposium of Student Scholars

In comparison to various other materials, Carbon Fiber, specifically Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP), is pre-eminent amongst other materials for use on aeronautical systems. Due to its high specific strength (strength-to-weight ratio), CFRP is prominent for carrying heavy loads while maintaining a lightweight build. However, when influenced by heat resulting from air resistance, CFRP is known to undergo serious degradation that would significantly decrease the effectiveness of the polymers. To prevent this degradation and maintain the strength of the CFRP, thermal protective layers (TPLs) are designed to shield the CFRP from heat exposure. This research is focused on the examination …

Development Of Advanced Models For Pre-Ignition Prediction In Gas Engines And Analytical Model For Wallfilm Evaporation, Ankith Ullal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Ever-changing regulations aimed at improving efficiency and reducing harmful emissions have resulted in many power-generation device (engine) manufacturers to adopt new strategies. Computer simulation of these new strategies of power generation requires more accurate and higher fidelity modelling tools. In the present study, two such models are developed. The first model deals with pre-ignition phenomena driven by lubricant (lube) oil in natural gas engines and the second model is relevant to prediction of wallfilm evaporation by employing analytical solutions to transport governing equations for boundary layers.

Pre-ignition in engines has been the subject of current research with the advent of …

A Vacuum-Driven Distillation Technology Of Aqueous Solutions And Mixtures, Guo Guangyu

Dissertations

Distillation of aqueous solutions and aqueous mixtures has vast industrial applications, including desalination, wastewater treatment, and fruit juice concentration. Currently, two major distillation technologies are adopted in the industry, membrane separation and thermal distillation. However, both of them face certain inevitable drawbacks. Membrane separation has disadvantages as relying on high-grade energy, requiring membrane, fouling problem, narrow treatment range, limited scalability, and vibrating and noisy operating conditions. Traditional thermal distillation technologies can avoid above concerns but has other shortcomings, such as relatively low energy efficiency and yield rate, complicated and bulky system structure, and scaling problem.

This project proposes an innovative …

Numerical Investigation On The Effect Of Spectral Radiative Heat Transfer Within An Ablative Material, Raghava S. C. Davuluri, Rui Fu, Kaveh A. Tagavi, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The spectral radiative heat flux could impact the material response. In order to evaluate it, a coupling scheme between KATS - MR and P1 approximation model of radiation transfer equation (RTE) is constructed and used. A Band model is developed that divides the spectral domain into small bands of unequal widths. Two verification studies are conducted: one by comparing the simulation computed by the Band model with pure conduction results and the other by comparing with similar models of RTE. The comparative results from the verification studies indicate that the Band model is computationally efficient and can be used to …

Fully Coupled Internal Radiative Heat Transfer For The 3d Material Response Of Heat Shield, Raghava S. C. Davuluri, Rui Fu, Kaveh A. Tagavi, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The radiative transfer equation (RTE) is strongly coupled to the material response code KATS. A P-1 approximation model of RTE is used to account for radiation heat transfer within the material. First, the verification of the RTE model is performed by comparing the numerical and analytical solutions. Next, the coupling scheme is validated by comparing the temperature profiles of pure conduction and conduction coupled with radiative emission. The validation study is conducted on Marschall et al. cases (radiant heating, arc-jet heating, and space shuttle entry), 3D Block, 2D IsoQ sample, and Stardust Return Capsule. The validation results agree well for …

Relationship Between Thermal Conductivity And Free Electrons In Metal, Yansong Liu

Senior Theses

An experiment was designed and conducted to explore the relationship between thermal conductivity with free electrons in metal. In the experiment, copper, iron, aluminum, and titanium rods with close diameters were used to carry out the experiment. Each rod was heated up by a heat unit at one end while cooled on the other end with a heat sink to maintain a steady state. DC current was applied to rods in the direction along, as well as against, the heat flow. Thermal conductivities were measured in these two situations for each rod. Results showed electrons do dominate thermal flow inside …

Thermal Control Development Of A Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell System, Ola Mohammed Taha Al-Shalash

Mechanical Engineering Theses

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that uses fuel to generate electricity. It basically converts the chemical energy of reactants directly into electricity without combustion. In a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), the reactants, hydrogen and oxygen, are fed into the two electrodes, anode and cathode, respectively. A reaction takes place at each electrode and produces electricity, as well as water, and heat as the by-products. In order to maximize performance of a fuel cell, many factors can be considered for tuning and control. Temperature management is one of these factors.

A thermal-fluid model of a …

What Difference Does A Catalyst Make?, Tammy Guthrie, Mike Jackson, Holly Haney

High School Lesson Plans

Students will use different catalysts for the decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide, to determine if different catalysts affect the energy that is generated during the reaction.

Energy Conservation And Heat Transfer Enhancement For Mixed Convection On The Vertical Galvanizing Furnace, Dan Mei, Yuzheng Zhu, Xuemei Xu, Futang Xing

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The alloying temperature is an important parameter that affects the properties of galvanized products. The objective of this study is to explore the mechanism of conjugate mixed convection in the vertical galvanizing furnace and propose a novel energy conservation method to improve the soaking zone temperature based on the flow pattern and heat transfer characteristics. Herein, the present study applied the k-ε two-equation turbulence model to enclose the Navier-Stokes fluid dynamic and energy conservation equations, and the temperature distributions of the steel plate and air-flow field in the furnace were obtained for six Richardson numbers between 1.91 ⋅ 10^{5 …}

Electrification Of Domestic Hot Water To Aid The Integration Of Renewable Energy In The California Grid, Alejandro Cervantes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Water heating in residential buildings, also known as domestic hot water (DHW), is the third largest use of energy after appliances and space conditioning. About 90% of the residential buildings in the state use natural gas fueled water heaters, 6% use electricity, and a small percent use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or solar water heaters. The current energy use associated with residential water heating is small relative to the total amount of energy consumption in the residential building sector, but it is still a contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Improving hot water systems can be beneficial for bill customer …

Energy Transformation And Conservation Investigation, Mike Jackson, Holly Haney

High School Lesson Plans

Students will use a thermoelectric generator module to analyze the relationship between thermal and electrical energies. Using data collection sensors and analysis software, students will investigate the relationship between the temperature gradient across a thermoelectric generator module and the resulting electrical potential. Students will then use their data and analysis to solve problems relating to waste thermal energy in electrical systems and communicate their work to their peers and teacher.

Examination Of Flow Dynamics And Passive Cooling In An Ultra Compact Combustor, Tylor C. Rathsack

Theses and Dissertations

The Ultra Compact Combustor (UCC) promises to greatly reduce the size of a gas turbine engine’s combustor by altering the manner in which fuel is burnt. Differing from the common axial flow combustor, the UCC utilizes a rotating flow, coaxial to the engine’s primary axis, in an outboard circumferential cavity as the primary combustion zone. The present study investigates two key UCC facets required to further this combustor design. The first area of investigation is cooling of the Hybrid Guide Vane (HGV). This UCC specific hardware acts as a combustor center body that alters the exit flow angle and acts …

Reduction Of Nox Emissions In A Single Cylinder Diesel Engine Using Sncr With In-Cylinder Injection Of Aqueous Urea, Anthony Timpanaro

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The subject of this study is the effect of in-cylinder selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) of NO_x emissions in diesel exhaust gas by means of direct injection of aqueous urea ((NH₂)₂CO) into the combustion chamber. A single cylinder diesel test engine was modified to accept an electronically controlled secondary common rail injection system to deliver the aqueous urea directly into the cylinder during engine operation.

Direct in-cylinder injection was chosen in order to ensure precise delivery of the reducing agent without the risk of any premature reactions taking place. Unlike direct in-cylinder injection of neat water, …