Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Restoration And Instrumentation Of A Cantilever Beam Model Using Strain Gauge Measurement, Ana Paula Guevara

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project aims to restore and modernize an instructional cantilever beam model with a C‑shaped cross‑section used in Aerospace Structures courses, addressing the need for updated, hands‑on teaching tools that connect theoretical stress–strain concepts to real experimental data. The existing model, previously limited to qualitative demonstrations, is being rehabilitated and instrumented with a bonded strain gauge capable of detecting resistance changes under applied bending loads. These signals are processed through an Arduino‑based data acquisition system, which converts electrical resistance into strain values and displays them in real time on an LCD interface. The project’s objectives are to return the beam …

Additive Manufacturing Of Metals: Mechanical Properties And Their Implications, Sean Chih

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Additive manufacturing of metals is a relatively new and groundbreaking approach to manufacturing high-performance components. However, variability in mechanical properties from the process creates a barrier before this manufacturing technique can be widely applied. Understanding when and where to use this manufacturing is also important to create components with efficiency and without harmful defects. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of build orientation, printing parameters, internal defects, thermal history, and residual stresses, post-processing heat treatments, and fatigue behavior on additively manufactured components. Literature-based research is conducted on commonly used metals for additive manufacturing, such as stainless …

Modeling The Effect Of Damping On Mechanical Vibrations In An Aircraft Wing, Daniel Ingleton, Ethan Burrell, Noah Evans

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Aircraft wings experience vibrations during flight due to aerodynamic forces, turbulence, engine effects, and the flexibility of the structure itself. If these vibrations are not properly controlled, they can affect the wing’s performance, structural life, and overall aircraft safety. This research project focuses on modeling how damping reduces mechanical vibrations in an airplane wing. To make the problem manageable, the wing will be represented as a simplified cantilever beam. The project will examine how damping, stiffness, and mass influence the wing’s vibration response over time. Using mathematical equations of motion and simulation tools such as MATLAB or ANSYS, the study …

Simulation-Based Analysis Of Aeroelastic Flutter Using A 2-Dof Mass–Spring–Damper Model, Jamie Shore, Jose Murphy, Emily Brown, Leia Vargas Ii, Carl Pellegrino

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This research project focuses on utilizing a mass-spring dampening system to analyze wing flutter. Given that wing flutter is an instability caused by elastic and inertial forces, these create increasing oscillations that lead to structural failure. Our group will create a simulator developed in MATLAB to analyze data on how different variables such as angle of attack, aspect ratio and wind speed influence the flutter. The simulation will help us to determine how flutter is affected by mass, structural stiffness, and the damping coefficient on several materials. These materials include aluminum 6061, birch wood, steel 36, and tungsten. The goal …

Influence Of Infill Geometry On The Vibrational Behavior Of 3d-Printed Cantilever Beams, Owen Maute

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Vibration and damping are important considerations in many engineering structures, especially as additive manufacturing becomes more widely used in functional mechanical components. This project investigates how the internal structure of 3D-printed parts affects their vibrational behavior. A series of cantilever beams with identical outer dimensions will be designed and manufactured using a 3D printer with PLA filament, since PLA is one of the most commonly used materials in consumer and prototyping-level additive manufacturing. The study will examine five different infill patterns at three different infill densities, producing multiple beam configurations that vary only in their internal geometry. In addition to …

Modeling Seiche Oscillations Using Damped Vibration Differential Equations, Bianca Gerity, Arineh Shahbazi

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A seiche oscillation is a standing wave that oscillates in an enclosed body of water, like a lake or pool. Seiches are caused by strong winds, earthquakes, and rapid atmospheric changes. Seiches are an excellent real-world example of damped harmonic motion. The physics of these unique vibrations can actually be modeled using a second-order differential equation for damped oscillators of the general form mx''+cx'+kx=0, where m represents the mass of the vibrating water column, c represents the energy dissipation due to friction and viscosity, and k represents the force governed by gravity and the basin's geometry. The objective of this …

Mechanical Vibrations And Damping, Axon Deadrick, Will Standish, Tanay Agarwal

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Mechanical vibrations occur in many engineering systems and can be described using second-order differential equations. In this project, the motion of vibrating systems is studied using the mass–spring model. The focus is on three types of oscillations: free vibrations, dampened vibrations, and forced oscillations. Free vibration describes how a system moves when it is displaced and then released without any external force. Damped vibration includes effects such as friction or resistance that cause the motion to gradually decrease over time. Forced oscillations occur when an external force acts on the system and continuously drives the motion. This project also examines …

Mechanical Vibrations And Damping – Structural Analysis, Kelsey Hunsicker, Sarah Kraus, Sophia Muller Martinelli De Souza

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Mechanical Vibrations are crucial in understanding and structural analysis of engineering systems such as bridges and airplane wings. If not considered, these vibrations can lead to structural fatigue or failure. By using differential equations, structural vibrations will be examined. Researching the different kinds of vibrations and damping will help to find the vibration behavior of the system. For example, a mass-spring damper system will use second-order linear differential equations. The systems model can be shown to be underdamped, overdamped, or critically damped. These will compare the amplitudes and oscillation differences between the systems by using computational code. Analyzing these differences …

Numerical Investigation Of The Nonlinear Simple Pendulum And The Dependence Of Oscillation Period On Initial Angle, Kelly Wold, Aidan Hart, Patrick Gilliam

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Numerical Investigation of the Nonlinear Simple Pendulum and the Dependence of Oscillation Period on Initial Angle examines how the oscillation period of a simple pendulum varies with initial angular displacement and evaluates the accuracy of numerical methods in capturing this behavior. In classical treatments, the small-angle approximation simplifies the governing differential equation and predicts a constant period independent of amplitude; however, this assumption breaks down for larger angles, where the system exhibits nonlinear dynamics. The objective of this project is to model the full nonlinear equation of motion and quantify how the period depends on initial conditions. To achieve this, …

In-Situ Investigations Of Calcium-Magnesium-Aluminosilicates (Cmas) Infiltration Effects On Thermal Barrier Coatings Under Extreme Environments Replicating Jet Engines, Zachary Stein

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS) particulates, such as sand or volcanic ash, are ingested by gas turbine jet engines during operation. When operating within high abundance regions, these particulates negatively interact and degrade the high temperature thermal barrier coatings (TBC) protecting underlying superalloy turbine blades vital to engine operation. These CMAS particulates melt within the engine and infiltrate into the ceramic coatings. In electron-beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) TBCs, the CMAS within the intercolumnar gaps stiffens the coatings and causes thermomechanical induced high stress concentrations, risking crack formation. While molten, the CMAS thermochemically alters and destabilizes the coating, also risking coating failure. Premature, …

Investing Hysteresis In Floodplain Dynamics Of Lakes In The Middle St. Johns River Using Sentinel-1 Sar Imagery, Keenan Hubbard

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Floodplain dynamics are often complex, with hysteresis potentially affecting the temporal relationship between flood stage and flood extent during subsequent inundation phases. This study leverages Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to map flood extent in the Middle St. Johns River Lake floodplains and examine the presence of hysteresis during flood events. SAR scenes corresponding to river gauge readings were analyzed from the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph. By comparing these flood maps, we assess differences in inundated areas at equivalent water levels during each stage of the flood event. The findings aim to enhance flood monitoring …

Mno2 Nanoscale Interface Modification, Alexander C. Skoppe

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared …

Space Radiation Assessment And Mitigation: Meeting The Growing Demand For Shielding Solutions By Enhancing Models And Exploring Novel Shielding Opportunities, M. Laura Sorgi Johann

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid growth of satellite technology and the increasing presence of vulnerable technology and human life in space have highlighted the need for improved shielding materials. Industry standard protocols for shielding are being pushed to their limits as we gain a deeper understanding of the harsh space environment and as chip sizes approach the scale of radiation wavelengths. Furthermore, the commercialization of space is attracting interest from industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductor crystal growing, as they explore the potential benefits of zero-gravity production environments. However, the eagerness to develop lighter shielding and the lack of consideration for existing tools …

Neutralization Of Fuel Tankering Emissions For Environmental Sustainability, Peter O'Reilly, Maria Petrescu, Fabricio Sulzbacher, Diogo Coutinho

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

As aviation has been one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions, this paper explores sustainable solutions in the equation of the economic savings from the fuel tankering practice, in a way it could represent gains of credibility for this industry (Boussauw & Vanoutrive, 2019). The fuel expenses in Brazil have been responsible for the highest operational cost for the airlines and, as a result, there has been an ongoing pursuit of the highest level of efficiency (ANAC, 2019). In this context, this study has been focused on the emerging Brazilian aviation market, and uses primary data collected from three major …

Dynamics Of Discontinuities In Elastic Solids, Arkadi Berezovski, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

The paper is devoted to evolving discontinuities in elastic solids. A discontinuity is represented as a singular set of material points. Evolution of a discontinuity is driven by the configurational force acting at such a set. The main attention is paid to the determination of the velocity of a propagating discontinuity. Martensitic phase transition fronts and brittle cracks are considered as representative examples.

Dynamic And Control Of Air-Bearing Spacecraft Simulator, Jacob Joseph Korczyk

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

An air bearing is being designed as a spacecraft rotational motion simulator, featuring the Sawyer Robot and its control box. The objective is to maneuver the robot as desired, performing operations specific to on-orbit servicing operations while maintaining stability of the system. Before the control can be designed, the dynamics of the platform and the robot must be modeled. The dynamics of the robot can be derived utilizing a Newton-Euler recursive approach. By beginning with a simple pendulum, then adding links (degrees of freedom) to more closely resemble the Sawyer arm, the equations of motion for the robot can be …

Fe Modeling Methodology For Load Analysis And Preliminary Sizing Of Aircraft Wing Structure, Jun Hwan Jang, Sang Ho Ahn

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

It is a critical part at the basic design phase of aircraft structural design to build a finite element model and it will have a direct impact on time and cost for airframe structure development. In addition, the objective of finite element model will be varied depending on each design review phase and the modelling methodology varied accordingly. In order to build an effective and economic finite element model, it is required to develop adequate level of modelling methodology based on each design phase and its objectives. Therefore, in this paper, the finite element modeling methodology was presented for internal …

Full Field Computing For Elastic Pulse Dispersion In Inhomogeneous Bars, A. Berezovski, R. Kolman, M. Berezovski, D. Gabriel, V. Adamek

Publications

In the paper, the finite element method and the finite volume method are used in parallel for the simulation of a pulse propagation in periodically layered composites beyond the validity of homogenization methods. The direct numerical integration of a pulse propagation demonstrates dispersion effects and dynamic stress redistribution in physical space on example of a one-dimensional layered bar. Results of numerical simulations are compared with analytical solution constructed specifically for the considered problem. Analytical solution as well as numerical computations show the strong influence of the composition of constituents on the dispersion of a pulse in a heterogeneous bar and …

Numerical Simulation Of Energy Localization In Dynamic Materials, Arkadi Berezovski, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

Dynamic materials are artificially constructed in such a way that they may vary their characteristic properties in space or in time, or both, by an appropriate arrangement or control. These controlled changes in time can be provided by the application of an external (non-mechanical) field, or through a phase transition. In principle, all materials change their properties with time, but very slowly and smoothly. Changes in properties of dynamic materials should be realized in a short or quasi-nil time lapse and over a sufficiently large material region. Wave propagation is a characteristic feature for dynamic materials because it is also …

Optimization Of Takeoffs On Unbalanced Fields Using Takeoff Performance Tool, Nihad E. Daidzic

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Unbalanced field length exists when ASDA and TODA are not equal. Airport authority may add less expensive substitutes to runway full-strength pavement in the form of stopways and/or clearways to basic TORA to increase operational takeoff weights. Here developed Takeoff Performance Tool is a physics-based total-energy model used to simulate FAR/CS 25 regulated airplane takeoffs. Any aircraft, runway, and environmental conditions can be simulated, while complying with the applicable regulations and maximizing performance takeoff weights. The mathematical model was translated into Matlab, Fortran 95/2003/2008, Basic, and MS Excel computer codes. All existing FAR/CS 25 takeoff regulations are implemented. Average forces …

Heating Element Including Carbon Nanotube (Cnt) Layer, Santhosh Kumar Loganathan, Virginie Rollin, Daewon Kim

Publications

Apparatus , materials , and techniques and techniques herein can include providing a deposited layer comprising a com posite material including carbon nanotubes ( CNTs ) . Accord ing to various examples , the composite can be applied to a substrate such as using a solution containing CNTs and other constituents such as sulfur . The solution can be spray applied to a substrate , or spin - coated upon a substrate , such as to provide a uniform , conductive , and optically - transpar ent film layer . In one application , such a film layer can be …

Thermoelastic Waves In Microstructured Solids, Arkadi Berezovski, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

Thermoelastic wave propagation suggests a coupling between elastic deformation and heat conduction in a body. Microstructure of the body influences the both processes. Since energy is conserved in elastic deformation and heat conduction is always dissipative, the generalization of classical elasticity theory and classical heat conduction is performed differently. It is shown in the paper that a hyperbolic evolution equation for microtemperature can be obtained in the framework of the dual internal variables approach keeping the parabolic equation for the macrotemperature. The microtemperature is considered as a macrotemperature fluctuation. Numerical simulations demonstrate the formation and propagation of thermoelastic waves in …

Design And Commissioning Of A Community Scale Solar Powered Membrane-Based Water Purification System In Haiti, Shavin Pinto, Yung Wong, Kyle Fennesy, Yan Tang, Marc Compere

Publications

This paper presents the design and commissioning of a solar powered water purification system at the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti. This system supplies clean drinking water to the 200 children who live and go to school at REHC and also to the community in the form of a micro-business. This micro-business is the mechanism for income generation for sustainable system operation. The purifier uses a three stage filtration system with a disc-type sediment filter, a 0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane, and an ultraviolet light for disinfection. The backwash cycle extends the life of the ultrafiltration membrane …

Pattern Formation Of Elastic Waves And Energy Localization Due To Elastic Gratings, A. Berezovski, J. Engelbrecht, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

Elastic wave propagation through diffraction gratings is studied numerically in the plane strain setting. The interaction of the waves with periodically ordered elastic inclusions leads to a self-imaging Talbot effect for the wavelength equal or close to the grating size. The energy localization is observed at the vicinity of inclusions in the case of elastic gratings. Such a localization is absent in the case of rigid gratings.

Suborbital Spaceflight: A Student Team’S Plan To Send A Rocket To Space, Bryce Chanes, William Carpenter, Julio Benavides, Matthew Haslam, Brenda Haven

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The Eagle Space Flight Team was created with the goal of becoming the first undergraduate team to design, build, and launch a rocket capable of suborbital spaceflight. In order to achieve this goal, the team will have to design a rocket capable of atmospheric flight at speeds over Mach 5 and launch it on one of the largest amateur rocket motors ever made. Over the next three years, the team will progress towards accomplishing this feat through a series of incremental test flights. Before the space flight, the team will build three sub-scale rockets designed to reach altitudes of 30,000’, …

Nasa Human Exploration Rover Challenge, Gabriella E. Fortes, Zach Henney, Mo Sabliny, Johnnie Perry, Jessica Chow, Jessica Turcios, Aaron Taylor, Brenda Haven

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge, held annually in at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is an engineering design challenge that asks teams of student engineers to design a human-powered vehicle capable of traversing a simulated lunar surface. The rover must be able to be transported in a 5x5x5 foot cube, echoing the design constraint faced by the engineers who built the Lunar Roving Vehicles used by the astronauts of the later Apollo missions.

Liquid Slosh Analysis Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, Kristopher S. Field

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of the research described here is to study the implementation of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithms as an adequate means for propellant slosh simulations in 1g and 0g environments. The dualSPHysics solver has been adapted for propellant slosh simulations. Simulated sloshing liquid frequency and damping ratio data for 1g cases has been compared to existing experiments for both spherical and prismatic container geometries. The 0g case has been studied to determine what further modifications would be required to obtain realistic simulations results. The findings in this research will be used to create a sloshing simulation to determine torques …

Dispersive Waves In Microstructured Solids, A. Berezovski, J. Engelbrecht, A. Salupere, K. Tamm, T. Peets, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

The wave motion in micromorphic microstructured solids is studied. The mathematical model is based on ideas of Mindlin and governing equations are derived by making use of the Euler–Lagrange formalism. The same result is obtained by means of the internal variables approach. Actually such a model describes internal fields in microstructured solids under external loading and the interaction of these fields results in various physical effects. The emphasis of the paper is on dispersion analysis and wave profiles generated by initial or boundary conditions in a one-dimensional case.

Influence Of Microstructure On Thermoelastic Wave Propagation, Arkadi Berezovski, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

Numerical simulations of the thermoelastic response of a microstructured material on a thermal loading are performed in the one-dimensional setting to examine the influence of temperature gradient effects at the microstructure level predicted by the thermoelastic description of microstructured solids (Berezovski et al. in J. Therm. Stress. 34:413–430, 2011). The system of equations consisting of a hyperbolic equation of motion, a parabolic macroscopic heat conduction equation, and a hyperbolic evolution equation for the microtemperature is solved by a finite-volume numerical scheme. Effects of microtemperature gradients exhibit themselves on the macrolevel due to the coupling of equations of the macromotion …

On The Stability Of A Microstructure Model, Mihhail Berezovski, Arkadi Berezovski

Publications

Abstract

The asymptotic stability of solutions of the Mindlin-type microstructure model for solids is analyzed in the paper. It is shown that short waves are asymptotically stable even in the case of a weakly non-convex free energy dependence on microdeformation.

Research highlights

The Mindlin-type microstructure model cannot describe properly short wave propagation in laminates. A modified Mindlin-type microstructure model with weakly non-convex free energy resolves this discrepancy. It is shown that the improved model with weakly non-convex free energy is asymptotically stable for short waves.