Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

High-Yield Bioinspired Atmospheric Water Capture Through Hydrogels, Yiwei Gao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Water scarcity is a global issue affecting billions of people, and atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology has been identified as a potential solution. However, existing single-material AWH approaches have limited water harvesting yields due to alternated water capture, storage, and release stages, and only function within a high relative humidity range. In my doctoral research project, we developed a bio-inspired, hydrogel-based multi-layer AWH approach that allows for segregated capture, storage, and release stages, and is envisioned to have higher daily water harvesting efficiency even in low-humidity areas. My research began with understanding the relations between hydrogel mechanical stiffness, hydraulic permeability, …

Metastability And Degradation In Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cells, Mohsen Jahandardoost

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 or CIGS is a thin-film semiconductor that has shown a device efficiency of 23.35% and 24.2% for single-junction and perovskite/CIGS tandem solar cells, respectively. CIGS offers promising properties such as tunable bandgap and ease of processing making them great candidates for thin-film tandem devices. However, knowledge of the effect of material defects, buffer materials, and post-deposition treatment (PDT) on degradation and metastability behavior in these devices is not well understood.In this dissertation, metastability and long-term degradation of CIGS thin-film solar cells have been investigated under combinatorial stress factors of heat, light, and voltage bias to systematically understand the effect …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, March 2023, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Classification Of Electrical Current Used In Electroplastic Forming, Tyler Grimm

All Dissertations

Electrically assisted manufacturing (EAM) is the direct application of an electric current to a workpiece during manufacturing. This advanced manufacturing process has been shown to produce anomalous effects which extend beyond the current state of modeling of thermal influences. These purported non-thermal effects have collectively been termed electroplastic effects (EPEs).

While there is a distinct difference in results between steady-state (ideal DC) testing and pulsed current testing, the very definition of these two EAM methods has not been well established. A "long" pulse may be considered DC current; a "short" pulse may produce electroplastic effects; and even "steady-state" current shapes …

Machine Learning-Based Data And Model Driven Bayesian Uncertanity Quantification Of Inverse Problems For Suspended Non-Structural System, Zhiyuan Qin

All Dissertations

Inverse problems involve extracting the internal structure of a physical system from noisy measurement data. In many fields, the Bayesian inference is used to address the ill-conditioned nature of the inverse problem by incorporating prior information through an initial distribution. In the nonparametric Bayesian framework, surrogate models such as Gaussian Processes or Deep Neural Networks are used as flexible and effective probabilistic modeling tools to overcome the high-dimensional curse and reduce computational costs. In practical systems and computer models, uncertainties can be addressed through parameter calibration, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification, leading to improved reliability and robustness of decision and …

Shape Memory Polymer-Based Multifunctional Syntactic Foams, Siavash Sarrafan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the increase in popularity of shape memory polymers (SMPs), especially in applications such as aerospace, textile, biomedical engineering, and even structures, the weight of the material and the devices made with it has always been a crucial factor. Using the shape memory polymer as a matrix to make a syntactic foam is one of the best and most affordable approaches to creating a lighter material that still has the shape memory effect. The addition of particles of different stiffness, strength, and size, with variable fractions, creates a composite that enables engineering the mechanical, as well as other physical and …

Editorial: Disease Biomarker Analysis Based On Optical Biosensing, Tianshu Chen, Fanben Meng, Binwu Ying, Xiaoli Zhu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Disease biomarker analysis has become a crucial tool for diagnosing and evaluating disease prognosis, especially with the increasing understanding of diseases at the molecular level. Abnormalities in various biomarkers can indicate diseased states, and can be used to rapidly and specifically detect and quantify diseases using optical biosensing techniques (Gao et al., 2023). Optical biosensing techniques have several advantages over traditional methods including higher sensitivity, specificity, and faster analysis times (Plikusiene and Ramanaviciene, 2023). It also allows for non-invasive sample collection. With advancements in optical biosensing technology, many medical conditions including cancers, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders can be accurately …

Editorial: Disease Biomarker Analysis Based On Optical Biosensing, Tianshu Chen, Fanben Meng, Binwu Ying, Xiaoli Zhu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Disease biomarker analysis has become a crucial tool for diagnosing and evaluating disease prognosis, especially with the increasing understanding of diseases at the molecular level. Abnormalities in various biomarkers can indicate diseased states, and can be used to rapidly and specifically detect and quantify diseases using optical biosensing techniques (Gao et al., 2023). Optical biosensing techniques have several advantages over traditional methods including higher sensitivity, specificity, and faster analysis times (Plikusiene and Ramanaviciene, 2023). It also allows for non-invasive sample collection. With advancements in optical biosensing technology, many medical conditions including cancers, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders can be accurately …

Considering The Influence Of Coronary Motion On Artery‑Specific Biomechanics Using Fluid–Structure Interaction Simulation, Nicholas A. T. Fogell, Miten Patel, Pan Yang, Roosje M. Ruis, David B. Garcia, Jarka Naser, Fotios Savvopoulos, Clint Davies Taylor, Anouk L. Post, Ryan M. Pedrigi, Ranil De Silva, Rob Krams

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The endothelium in the coronary arteries is subject to wall shear stress and vessel wall strain, which influences the biology of the arterial wall. This study presents vessel-specific fluid–structure interaction (FSI) models of three coronary arteries, using directly measured experimental geometries and boundary conditions. FSI models are used to provide a more physiologically complete representation of vessel biomechanics, and have been extended to include coronary bending to investigate its effect on shear and strain. FSI both without- and with-bending resulted in significant changes in all computed shear stress metrics compared to CFD (p = 0.0001). Inclusion of bending within …

A Threshold Helium Leakage Detection Switch With Ultra Low Power Operation, Sulaiman Mohaidat, Fadi M. Alsaleem

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Detecting helium leakage is important in many applications, such as in dry cask nuclear waste storage systems. This work develops a helium detection system based on the relative permittivity (dielectric constant) difference between air and helium. This difference changes the status of an electrostatic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The switch is a capacitive-based device and requires a very negligible amount of power. Exciting the switch’s electrical resonance enhances the MEMS switch sensitivity to detect low helium concentration. This work simulates two different MEMS switch configurations: a cantilever-based MEMS modeled as a single-degreefreedom model and a clamped-clamped beam MEMS molded using …

A High-Strength Precipitation Hardened Cobalt-Free High-Entropy Alloy, Matthew Luebbe, Jiaqi Duan, Fan Zhang, Jonathan Poplawsky, Hans Pommeranke, Maalavan Arivu, Andrew Hoffman, Mario Buchely, Haiming Wen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent studies on precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloys (HEAs) demonstrate their high strength and thermal stability, making them promising materials for high-temperature structural applications such as nuclear reactors. However, many existing HEAs contain cobalt (Co), which is unsuitable for nuclear applications because of the long-term activation issue of Co. Co is also expensive and considered a critical material for other applications. Therefore, it is desired to exclude Co from the composition. a Co-free (Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1)88Ti4Al8 HEA was developed and studied in this work. in contrast to previous Co-free HEAs, this alloy is close to Equi atomic in its composition and promises a more …

Crystalline–Amorphous Nanostructures: Microstructure, Property And Modelling, Binqiang Wei, Lin Li, Lin Shao, Jian Wang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Crystalline metals generally exhibit good deformability but low strength and poor irradiation tolerance. Amorphous materials in general display poor deformability but high strength and good irradiation tolerance. Interestingly, refining characteristic size can enhance the flow strength of crystalline metals and the deformability of amorphous materials. Thus, crystalline–amorphous nanostructures can exhibit an enhanced strength and an improved plastic flow stability. In addition, high-density interfaces can trap radiation-induced defects and accommodate free volume fluctuation. In this article, we review crystalline–amorphous nanocomposites with characteristic microstructures including nanolaminates, core–shell microstructures, and crystalline/amorphous-based dual-phase nanocomposites. The focus is put on synthesis of characteristic microstructures, deformation …

Beirut Arab University - Faculty Of Engineering - Newsletter Issue 0, Faculty Of Engineering, Beirut Arab University

Engineering Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Plasmon Enhanced Quantum Properties Of Single Photon Emitters With Hybrid Hexagonal Boron Nitride Silver Nanocube Systems, Mohammadjavad Dowran, Andrew Butler, Suvechhya Lamichhane, Adam Erickson, Ufuk Kilic, Sy_Hwang Liou, Christos Argyropoulos, A. Laraoui

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a promising ultrathin host of single photon emitters (SPEs) with favorable quantum properties at room temperature, making it a highly desirable element for integrated quantum photonic networks. One major challenge of using these SPEs in such applications is their low quantum efficiency. Recent studies have reported an improvement in quantum efficiency by up to two orders of magnitude when integrating an ensemble of emitters such as boron vacancy defects in multilayered hBN flakes embedded within metallic nanocavities. However, these experiments have not been extended to SPEs and are mainly focused on multiphoton effects. …

Graphene Twistronics: Tuning The Absorption Spectrum And Achieving Metamaterial Properties, Ammar Armghan, Meshari Alsharari, Khaled Aliqab, Osamah Alsalman, Juveriya Parmar, Shobhit K. Patel

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Graphene twistronics using multilayer graphene is presented in such a way that it provides a metamaterial effect. This manuscript also analyzes the prediction of behavior using machine learning. The metamaterial effect is achieved by twisting the graphene layers. Graphene twistronics is a new concept for changing the electrical and optical properties of bilayer graphene by applying a small angle twist between the layers. The angle twists of 5^o, 10^o, and 15^o are analyzed for the proposed graphene twistronics design. Tuning in the absorption spectrum is achieved by applying small twists to the angles of the …

Heterogeneous Sensor Data Fusion For Multiscale, Shape Agnostic Flaw Detection In Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing, Benjamin Bevans, Christopher Barrett, Thomas Spears, Aniruddha Gaikwad, Alex Riensche, Harold (Scott) Halliday, Prahalada Rao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We developed and applied a novel approach for shape agnostic detection of multiscale flaws in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing using heterogenous in-situ sensor data. Flaws in LPBF range from porosity at the micro-scale (< 100 μm), layer related inconsistencies at the meso-scale (100 μm to 1 mm) and geometry-related flaws at the macroscale (> 1 mm). Existing data-driven models are primarily focused on detecting a specific type of LPBF flaw using signals from one type of sensor. Such approaches, which are trained on data from simple cuboid and cylindrical-shaped coupons, have met limited success when used for detecting multiscale flaws in complex LPBF parts. The objective of this work is to develop a heterogenous sensor data fusion …

Multifunctional Microgel-Based Cream Hydrogels For Postoperative Abdominal Adhesion Prevention, Bo Liu, Yunfan Kong, Olawale A. Alimi, Mitchell Kuss, Huiyin Tu, Wenfeng Hu, Abu Rafay, Kumar Vikas, Wen Shi, Megan Lerner, William L. Berry, Yulong Li, Mark A. Carlson, Bin Duan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Postoperative abdominal adhesions are a common problem after surgery and can produce serious complications. Current anti-adhesive strategies focus mostly on physical barriers and are unsatisfactory and inefficient. In this study, we designed and synthesized advanced injectable cream-like hydrogels with multiple functionalities, including rapid gelation, self-healing, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-cellular adhesion. The multifunctional hydrogels were facilely formed by the conjugation reaction of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and hyaluronic acid (HA)-based microgels and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based on the dynamic boronic ester bond. The physicochemical properties of the hydrogels including anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities were systematically characterized. A mouse cecum-abdominal wall adhesion model …

Hemodynamic Investigations In Intracranial Aneurysms: A Commentary, Hang Yi, Mark Johnson, Luke Bramlage, Zifeng Yang, Bryan Ludwig

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are abnormal bulges in a blood vessel in the brain that have a potential to rupture and even causing a stroke, which can lead to lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even loss of life. It has been widely acknowledged that hemodynamic factors, e.g., instantaneous wall shear stress, time-averaged wall shear stress, wall shear stress gradient, gradient oscillatory number, oscillatory shear index, pulsatile blood flow waveform (flow rate magnitude and shape, physical flow period), relative residence time/turnover time, blood pressure, and vortex (i.e., size, location, and numbers), have a close relationship with the pathobiology (i.e., initiation, growth, …

Surface Characterization Of Particulate Dust Subjected To Dew-Induced Cementation, Mohamed Adawi

Student Theses and Dissertations

Accumulation of soils and other particulate matter on the front cover glass of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules results in transmission losses that detrimentally affect the power output of PV installations. Cementation reactions occur due to interactions between the dust and the glass surface in the presence of temperature, humidity, and ph. In this study, accelerated soiling and cementation tests on glass coupons were performed using a custom instrumented soiling chamber and several standardized soils (Arizona Test Dust, Aramco Test Dust, and China Test Dust) to assess soil adhesion and cementation behaviors. Water contact angle (WCA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, December 2022, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Interfaces In Dynamic Brittle Fracture Of Pmma: A Peridynamic Analysis, Longzhen Wang, Javad Mehrmashhadi, Florin Bobaru

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Recent experiments in bonded PMMA layers have shown dramatic changes in dynamic crack growth characteristics depending on the interface location and toughness. In this paper we present a peridynamic (PD) analysis of this phenomenon and determine three elements that are essential in a model reproducing the observed fracture behavior: (1) softening near the crack tip to account for changes in PMMA due to heat-generation induced by the high strain rates reached around the crack tip in dynamic fracture; (2) independent extension (mode I) and shear (mode II) modes of fracture; (3) a two-parameter fracture model, which matches both strength and …

Effect Of Blank Moisture Content On Forming Behaviour And Mechanical Properties Of Paperboard Tray Packages, Arvo Niini, Lena Berthold, Tobias Müller, Panu Tanninen, Jens-Peter Majschak, Juha Varis, Ville Leminen

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Tray blanks were moisturised to study the effect of different blank moisture content levels on forming behaviour and mechanical properties of paperboard tray packages. The blank moisturisation was done by spraying water to the blanks before their three-dimensional (3D) forming. The trays were 3D formed by press forming or deep drawing. Visual quality and punch force values were used as indicators to evaluate the forming behaviour of the trays. The mechanical properties of the trays were investigated with compression, torsion, and storing tests. A high blank moisture content reduced the punch force, and the elevated blank moisture was connected to …

Freespan Analysis For Subsea Pipeline Integrity Management Strategy, Nurul Hadi, Muhammad Helmi, Edo Cathaputra, Dedi Priadi, Donanta Dhaneswara

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Abstract. Over a rough seabed or on seabed subject to scour, freespans can occur when contact between a subsea pipeline and the seabed is lost over an acceptable distance. When this exceeds the allowable freespan length, design stresses can be exceeded, and a vortex induced vibration (VIV) response can be initiated, resulting in the risk of fatigue failure. If this is not predicted and controlled properly, it will affect pipeline integrity, leading to expensive rectification and intervention work. Freespan analysis consisted primarily of a screening check in which the as-found freespans from Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) or multibeam Side …

Locally Resonant Metasurface For Low-Frequency Transmissive Underwater Acoustic Waves, Zhong Chen, Shenghong Guan, Qiang Xie, Zheng Li, Zhongmei Gao, Mehrdad Negahban

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Acoustic metasurfaces for underwater wave manipulation have great potential use, but the strong solid-fluid interaction caused by impedance closeness between the structure and water brings design difficulty, especially in the low-frequency range.

Methods: Here a locally resonant metasurface for transmissive underwater acoustic waves is proposed using finite element method for which each metasurface unit consists of one channel and three subunits. Each subunit has one plate and two rubber spacers to form a resonator. By changing the height ratio of the plate over the subunit, arbitrary phase shifts within the full 2π coverage can be obtained at …

Rc Baja Suspension And Steering, Garrett Bailey

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja team set out to engineer and construct a working remote-control device that can compete in the ASME Baja Competition. The students have a focus on either suspension and steering or drivetrain and chassis. This report is centered on the suspension and steering. First, multiple analyses were completed using engineering methods such as mechanical design, statics, strengths of materials, and dynamics for parts of the device. The calculations found in the analysis are then used to create designs for the parts so that they will meet the requirements and be successful in the competition. After the parts are …

An Efficient And Low-Cost Method To Create High-Density Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers In Cvd Diamond For Sensing Applications., Prem Bahadur Karki, Rupak Timalsina, Mohammadjavad Dowran, Ayodimeji E. Aregbesola, Abdelghani Laraoui, Kapildeb Ambal

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The negatively charged Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV^-) center in diamond is one of the most versatile and robust quantum sensors suitable for quantum technologies, including magnetic field and temperature sensors. For precision sensing applications, densely packed NV^- centers within a small volume are preferable due to benefiting from 1/√𝑁 sensitivity enhancement (N is the number of sensing NV centers) and efficient excitation of NV centers. However, methods for quickly and efficiently forming high concentrations of NV^- centers are in development stage. We report an efficient, low-cost method for creating high-density NV^- centers production from a relatively …

Correction: Nanoscale Imaging Of Antiferromagnetic Domains In Epitaxial Films Of Cr2o3 Via Scanning Diamond Magnetic Probe Microscopy, Adam Erickson, Syed Qamar Abbas Shah, Ather Mahmood, Ilja Fescenko, Rupak Timalsina, Christian H. Binek, Abdelghani Laraoui

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Correction for ‘Nanoscale imaging of antiferromagnetic domains in epitaxial films of Cr2O3 via scanning diamond magnetic probe microscopy’ by Adam Erickson et al., RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 178–185, https:// doi.org/10.1039/D2RA06440E

Traversing With Quantitative Fidelity Through The Glass Transition Of Amorphous Polymers: Modeling The Thermodynamic Dilatational Flow Of Polycarbonate, Mehrdad Negahban, Wenlong Li, Jean-Marc Saiter, Laurent Delbreilh, Kyle Strabala, Zheng Li

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We follow the assumption that the dilatational response of glassy polymers can be characterized by a back-stress type analog that includes a thermal expansion for each elastic component, and with a viscosity that is dependent on the expansion of the elastic back stress component. To this, we add the assumption of an unloaded equilibrium temperature that correlates to the past processing through the viscous flow. After setting this in a thermodynamically consistent structure, the elastic, elastic backstress, thermal expansion, back-stress thermal expansion, heat capacity and viscous damping are evaluated using existing experiments for the response of polycarbonate over the glassy …

Peridynamic Simulation Of Elastic Wave Propagation By Applying The Boundary Conditions With The Surface Node Method, Francesco Scabbia, Mirco Zaccariotto, Ugo Galvanetto, Florin Bobaru

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Peridynamics is a novel nonlocal theory able to deal with discontinuities, such as crack initiation and propagation. Near the boundaries, due to the incomplete nonlocal region, the peridynamic surface effect is present, and its reduction relies on using a very small horizon, which ends up being expensive computationally. Furthermore, the imposition of nonlocal boundary conditions in a local way is often required. The surface node method has been proposed to solve both the aforementioned issues, providing enhanced accuracy near the boundaries of the body. This method has been verified in the cases of quasi-static elastic problems and diffusion problems evolving …

Effect Of Platelet Length And Stochastic Morphology On Flexural Behavior Of Prepreg Platelet Molded Composites, Siavash Sattar, Benjamin Beltran Laredo, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Prepreg platelet molding compound (PPMC) can be used to create structural grade material with a heterogeneous mesoscale morphology. The present work considered various platelet lengths of the prepreg system IM7/8552 to study the effect of platelet length on the flexural behavior of PPMC composite. A progressive failure finite-element analysis was used to understand competing failure modes in PPMC with the different platelet length. The interlaminar and in-plane damage mechanisms were employed to describe complex failure modes within the mesostructure of PPMCs. Experimental results of the flexural tests of the PPMC with different platelet length sizes were used to validate the …