Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Synthesis Of Structurally Ordered Platinum-Iron Catalysts With Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity, Ye-Zheng Cai, Ming-Chuan Luo, Fang-Hui Wang, Zhao-Nan Sun, Hong Zhu

Journal of Electrochemistry

To improve oxygen reduction reaction catalytic activity of the precious metals platinum for fuel cell, the precursors of carbon-supported structurally disordered platinum-iron alloy (D-Pt₃Fe/C and D-PtFe/C) catalysts with different compositions were synthesized via a modified polyol reduction method. Then, by optimizing the annealing conditions in the inert gas, we turned the structurally disordered platinum-iron alloy to the structurally ordered platinum-iron alloy (O-Pt₃Fe/C and O-PtFe/C) catalysts. The structural characterizations of the as-prepared catalysts were performed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results …

Rambling Between "Zhong Yong" And "Catalysis", Zi-Dong Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

“Zhong Yong” represents a traditional Chinese wisdom, which was first proposed by Confucius and continuously richened by his followers. “Zhong Yong” pursues the balances among all kinds of contradictions, and insists that neither “too much” nor “not enough” is good. For a successful catalyst, on which the adsorption of reactants must be not so strong and not so weak either. On this point of view, there are the same pursuits for “Zhong Yong” and catalysis. In this paper, the author starts his story with a conversation between Confucius and his student, followed by 3 interesting stories happening in the ancient …

Nitrogen, Fluorine Co-Doped Silk-Derived Carbon For Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction With High Performance In Alkaline Solution, Fang-Fang Liu, Hong-Liang Peng, Shi-Jun Liao

Journal of Electrochemistry

A high-performance, doped carbon-based catalyst was synthesized by pyrolyzing hydrothermally treated silkworm cocoon. The effects of preparation conditions and fluorine promotion on various catalysts’ performance were investigated. The catalyst prepared under optimal conditions and doped with nitrogen and fluorine possessed the high specific surface area of more than 1000 m^2⋅g^-1 and contained 3.5 and 7.3% (by mass, the same below) N and F, respectively. The activity of the catalyst toward oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium was comparable to that of commercial Pt/C, showing both superior tolerance to methanol poisoning and better durability. Doping with fluorine …

Human-Assisted Fluid Power Vehicle, Aaron Huntoon

Honors Theses

The rising cost of energy has prompted industrial and technology companies to research and implement renewable or green energy sources in every aspect of their business. This green technology can consist of sources such as: solar, wind, fluid, or others to create energy from renewable sources. The use of these various sources reduces the pollution associated with standard methods of energy development, and it will ultimately drive costs down to benefit the general population. One of the largest benefactors to the use of renewable energy sources is the transportation industry. Billions of people rely on various modes of transportation every …

Application Of Web Published Virtual Instruments In Delivering Engineering Instructions And Performing Experimental Research, Shahnam Navaee

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In this presentation the special utility of the LabVIEW Virtual Instruments published as HTML files is documented and discussed. The Virtual Instruments (LabVIEW programs) created using the software's web publishing tool can be used to complement the effectiveness of the classroom instructions and extend the reach of engineering researchers in more effectively conducting laboratory and field experimentation. The Virtual Instruments (VIs) created as web documents can be placed on a web-server and made available to users at remote locations. These files can enhance the collaborations and interactions among individuals at these stations. For example, the created VIs for a course …

Emotion Recognition Using Fuzzy Clustering Analysis, Tejal Udhan

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This research project investigates using fuzzy clustering algorithms for emotion recognition. Emotion recognition has gained significant attention in recent years in applications such as artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, speech and voice recognition. The ability of a computer or machine to understand human emotion and respond to users in a more human way can lead to significant advances in conversational speech recognition systems, improved quality of life in persons with speech disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and even in voice response systems, such as Google Voice or Apple’s Siri. Experimental results in this area can inform discovery and innovation of machine …

Particle Boards Created From Modified Lignin, Robbie Kazen

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

My name is Robert Kazen, a student directed under Dr. Rafael Quirino currently working on the Lignin Modification project. The research project involves the isolation of lignin from black liquor, a byproduct produced by the paper pulping industry. Isolated chemically the lignin was then modified using two methods, (1) acrylation acid and (2) transesterification with tung oil modifications. The black liquor obtained was sent by the Arizona Chemical and Herty Advanced Materials Development Center. Currently the tung oil modification gives the most valuable product physically and its products will be mainly used for particle board creation and testing. The tung …

Accelerated Insulation Recycling System (Airs), Debalina Ghosh

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Construction and demolition waste accounts for 52 % of the total landfilled space. While many advances in disassembly sequencing in buildings have been proposed to recycle concrete, steel, and tile associated with construction and demolition waste, the insulation contained within every building persists as a significant environmental challenge to recycle and reuse. Adding to this problem is the fact that when petroleum based foams are incinerated, it emits carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, isocyanine, acrylonitrile, and hydrogen cyanide in levels exceeding those allowed by the EPA, posing a significant threat to the environment and human health. Design for Disassembly (DfD) approach …

Warning Systems Evaluation For Overhead Clearance Detection, Clayton Rogers

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The accurate detection of road vehicle heights is a need that arises in departments of transportation across the nation. Usually, this dimension is required to solve various transportation issues. In particular, numerous bridges in the state of Georgia have been affected by repetitive crashes of tall vehicles against their structural elements. As an example, a recent inspection report of the Houlihan Bridge over the Savannah River documents damages resulting from numerous hits by overheight vehicles. This case emphasizes the urgency of finding preventive measures. To address this issue, a number of solutions are investigated. The known methods of vehicle height …

Autonomous Methods In The Application Of Simple Swarm Capabilities, Joseph Watt Iii

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Swarm technology is a relatively new aspect to the drone industry. It involves multiple drones being able to communicate with each other and relay this back to the user. From this standpoint one operator can control all of them at once while only giving directions to one or more. This involves the use of different autonomous algorithms, similar to autopilot where programs fly the plane, that relay to one another on what adjustments to make or where to go. This idea is very useful in search and rescue operations where it might be too dangerous to insert a human. Also …

Measuring Frequency Availability For Cognitive Radio Networks By Means Of Adaptive Threshold, Isaac Cushman

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Radio Frequency spectrums designated by the FCC broadcast almost all mediums of communication, in both licensed and unlicensed bands, within the United States. As technology rapidly grows however, the availability of open frequencies will quickly decrease. Our goal is to design and experimentally test a system that allows for secondary users to access frequency bands that are not currently being optimally used by the primary users and also determine the effects of mobility on the ability for a sensor to accurately find frequencies by determining an appropriate power level for communication. We set up experimental scenarios in order to test …

Fabrication Of Nano-Scale Metal Organic Framework (Mof) Loaded Nanofibrous Membrane For Enhanced Gas Adsorption Performance, Wahiduz Zaman

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Nitrogen storage capacity was investigated on a highly efficient adsorbent nanoparticle called Metal Organic Framework (MOF). A copper-based MOF called MOF-199 has been synthesized from subsequent reaction of Copper nitrate (10 wt.%), Trimesic Acid (8 wt.%) and Triethylamine (0.3 wt.%). TEA served as a deprotonating agent to form small particles. The reactants were mixed in a solution of Dimethylformamide (DMF), Ethanol and Deionized water (1:1:1) and vigorously sonicated for an hour at room temperature. This yielded single blue octahedral MOF crystals which were later washed with mother solution and extracted via centrifuge. The MOFªs were later activated for gas adsorption …

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 …

Bending Stiffness In Cadaveric And Composite Long Bones Following Total Joint Replacement, Danielle Gehron, Anderson Adams Ms, Tatsuya Sueyoshi Md, Scott R. Small Ms

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Research Publications

Several biomechanics studies have utilized commercially available replicate bone models as an alternative to cadaveric tissue specimens, in part due to their ease of handling and reduced expense. In an effort to validate the use of replicate bone specimens in biomechanics research, a number of studies have compared material properties of whole tibia and femur specimens to those of similar cadaveric specimens. Many of these validation studies have ascertained that the material properties of whole bone composite models fall within the range of those properties of cadaveric specimens, while offering reduced interspecimen variability. Current literature lacks, however, the direct comparison …

Multi-Axial Failure Of High-Performance Fiber During Transverse Impact, Matthew C. Hudspeth

Open Access Dissertations

The effect of projectile nose geometry on ensuing wave development in high-performance yarns is explored during single yarn transverse impact. Special attention has been placed on visualizing the immediate region around the projectile-yarn contact site for 0.30-cal round, 0.30-cal fragment simulation projectiles (FSP), and razor blades using high-speed imaging. Kevlar® KM2, Dyneema®SK76 and AuTx have been impacted at velocities ranging from ∼100 m/s to ∼1200 m/s depending on projectile nose shape, with an emphasis set on determining the critical velocity wherein below said velocity significant development of wave propagation occurs and above said velocity the yarn fails immediately upon impact. …

A Study On The Sustainable Machining Of Titanium Alloy, Abdulhameed Alaa Dawood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Titanium and its alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) are widely used in aerospace industries because of their light weight, high specific strength, and corrosion resistance. This study conducted a comparative experimental analysis of the machinability of Ti-6Al-4V for conventional flood coolant machining and sustainable dry machining. The effect of cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut on machining performance has been evaluated for both conditions. The machining time and surface roughness were found to be lower in dry machining compared to flood coolant machining. The tool wear was found to be unpredictable, and no significant difference was observed for dry and coolant …

A Parameterized Implementation Of A Hybrid Fuzzy Boolean Finite State Machine Using An Fpga, Sean T. Fuller

Masters Theses

A fuzzy system based on the extended Hybrid Fuzzy Boolean Finite State Machine (HFBFSM) model is designed and implemented in a Xilinx Zynq® all programmable System on Chip (SoC). The system allows for a single dominant crisp state and multiple non-dominant states to be activated simultaneously. A method is proposed to calculate the degree of membership of non-dominant states, β, by the distance of defuzzified fuzzy inputs to state transition trigger mechanisms.

The HFB-FSM is was realized by the author using custom logic written in VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language) in the Programmable Logic (PL) …

Ramifications Of Projectile Velocity On The Ballistic Dart Penetration Of Sand, Peter Anthony Sable

Master's Theses (2009 -)

With the advent of novel in-situ experimental measurement techniques, highly resolved quantitative observations of dynamic events within granular media can now be made. In particular, high speed imagery and digital analysis now allow for the ballistic behaviors of sand to be examined not only across a range of event velocities but across multiple length scales. In an attempt to further understand the dynamic behavior of granular media, these new experimental developments were implemented utilizing high speed photography coupled with piezo-electric stress gauges to observe visually accessible ballistic events of a dart penetrating Ottawa sand. Projectile velocities ranged from 100 to …

Tunable Terahertz Metamaterials With Germanium Telluride Components, Christopher H. Kodama

Theses and Dissertations

Terahertz (THz) technology is an emerging field with many exciting applications. THz waves can be used to locate explosives and illicit drugs in security applications, or DNA and other molecule resonances in medical applications. THz frequencies represent the next level of modern, high-speed computing, but they also can be used for covert battlefield communications links. Metamaterials are an integral part of THz technology because they can be used to create exotic material properties—permittivities and permeabilities—in a part of the frequency spectrum that is otherwise rather empty and passive. This work aims to acquire a fuller understanding of THz metamaterials in …

Analytical Investigation Of Fretting Wear With Special Emphasis On Stress Based Models, Arnab Jyoti Ghosh

Open Access Dissertations

Fretting refers to the minute oscillatory motion between two surfaces in contact under an applied normal load. It can cause either surface or subsurface initiated failure resulting in either fatigue or wear or both. Two distinct regimes – partial slip and gross slip are typically observed in fretting contacts. Due to the nature of contact, various factors such as wear debris, oxidation, surface roughness, humidity etc. effect failures caused due to fretting. A number of different techniques have been developed to quantify fretting damage and several numerical models are proposed to predict damage due to fretting. Fretting wear also depends …

Electrochemical H2O2 Sensor Based On The Co-Immobilization Of Phosphmolybdic Acid And Graphene On Pedot Film Electrode With Nafion, Hao-Xian Zhou, Jun-Ming Zhang, Zhi-Yu Qu, Pan-Yu Zhang, You-Jun Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

With a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as the substrate, the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film electrode was prepared through the electrochemical polymerization method, then a novel non-enzymatic electrochemical H₂O₂ sensor was fabricated by co-immobilizing phosphomolybdic acid and graphene with Nafion on the PEDOT/GCE electrode. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the responsive properties of the sensor to H₂O₂ were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results demonstrated that, under the optimized conditions, the sensor exhibited good electrocatalytic performance for H₂O₂ reduction. The current response of the sensor …

Electrochemical Detection Of Hydrogen Peroxide At Aunps Modified Electrode Using P-Hydroxyphenylboronic Acid As A Precursor, Chun-Yan Wang, Xiao-Qiu Liu, Ying-Xin Qi

Journal of Electrochemistry

We developed a new method for electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) based on boronate oxidation of p-hydroxyphenylboronic acid. This method using p-aminophenol which is produced from the reaction of H₂O₂ and p-aminophenylboronic acid as a well electrochemical probe, combined with a gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified electrode for an indirect detection of H₂O₂. Because of the large surface area and enhanced electrocatalytic behavior by the AuNPs modified electrode, the detection sensitivity was improved. The method could detect H₂O₂ in the concentration range of 1 ~ 100 …

Electrochemical Determination Of Hg(Ii) At Gold Nanoparticles@Carbonaceous Microspheres Modified Electrode, Tian-Yu Qiu, Ming-Chun Wang, Xian-Feng Du, Tian-Jia Jiang, Xing-Jiu Huang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The gold nanoparticles@carbonaceous microspheres (Au@CMSs) and  Au@CMSs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were prepared. The Au@CMSs modified  GCE was further examined for possible sensitive detection of mercury ions (Hg(II)) in an aqueous solution by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The excellent performance was found in the stripping analysis of Hg(II) in 0.1 mol•L^-1 NaAc-HAc(pH=5.0) with a sensitivity of 25.863 A•(mol•L^-1)^-1 and a detection limit of 3.69×10^-8 mol•L^-1 based on the 3σ method.

Fabrication Of Riboflavin Electrochemical Sensor Based On Au Nanoparticles/Polydopamine/Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode, Hua-Ping Peng, Mei-Ling Yu, Xin Liu, Pan Liu, Wei Chen, Ai-Lin Liu, Xin-Hua Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

A novel electrochemical platform for the high sensitivity detection of riboflavin was constructed by Au nanoparticles/polydopamine/carbon nanotubes (Au-PDA-MWCNTs) nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode. The Au-PDA-MWCNTs nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ reduction method. The characteristics of the as-prepared Au-PDA-MWCNTs nanocomposite modified electrodes were investigated by using UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to study the electrochemical behavior of riboflavin (RF) at Au-PDA-MWCNTs nanocomposite modified electrodes. The results demonstrated that the present electrochemical sensor exhibited a wide linear range from 5×10^-9 mol•L^-1to 1×10^-5 mol•L …

Synthesis Of Fe, N-Doped Graphene/Carbon Black Composite With High Catalytic Activity For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Chi Chen, Zhi-You Zhou, Xin-Sheng Zhang, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a bottleneck for improving the efficiency of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells as a cathode reaction due to its sluggish kinetics. The exploitation of low cost and high performance non-precious metal catalysts such as Fe/N/C based materials toward ORR has attracted extensive attentions. In this work, the Fe, N-doped graphene nanosheets/carbon black composite was prepared by hydrothermal polymerization and followed by a twice-heat-treatment procedure using 2-aminoimidazole as an N precursor, FeCl₃ as an Fe precursor and KJ600 carbon black as a support. The TEM images revealed that the graphene nanosheets were separated by carbon black …

Electrochemical Syntheses Of Graphene And Its Composites, Bo Zhao, Li Jiang, Ming-Hui Yuen, Xian-Zhu Fu, Rong Sun, Ching-Ping Wong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Graphene is a kind of ideal two-dimensional flat carbon nanomaterials which have unique chemical and physical properties. The attractive potential applications must be based on the high quality mass production of graphene. However, it remains a huge challenge. An electrochemical approach is a fast, environmental friendly and easy-operating method. single- or multi-layered graphene flakes can easily be produced in short periods of time. In this review, the structure, properties and preparation methods of graphene are first introduced. Accordingly, the electrochemical approaches used for the productions of graphene flakes, graphene/inorganic nanocomposites, graphene/polymer composites and graphene analogues are highlighted. Finally, challenges and …

Effect Of Flame Retardant On Electrochemical Performances Of Lithium Ion Battery With Lini0.4Co0.2Mn0.4O2 As A Positive Electrode Material, Yan-Zhuo Lv, Yong-Xian Ge, Zhen-Bo Wang, Ke Ke

Journal of Electrochemistry

The effect of flame retardant on the electrochemical performances of lithium ion battery by using LiNi_0.4Co_0.2Mn_0.4O₂ as a positive material was studied by measuring the first charge-discharge, cycling, circulation, and AC impedance curves. The experimental data indicated that the discharge capacity of the battery decreased, while the charge transfer resistance and the lithium ion diffusion resistance increased with the increases in the concentrations of the flame retardant in the electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, the stability of the battery at small discharge ratios and the cyclic performance were also improved by the addition of flame …

Electricity Generation Of Microbial Fuel Cell Using Stainless Steel Mesh As Cathode, Hong-Yan Dai, Hui-Min Yang, Xian Liu, Xuan Jian, Xiu-Li Song, Zhen-Hai Liang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In the present work, a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed with aeration tank sludge as an inoculum, carbon felt as an anode and stainless steel mesh without any modification as a cathode. The influence of the cathode size was investigated in terms of voltage output, power generation and electrochemical impedance. The long-term durability of the stainless steel mesh cathode was also evaluated. Results showed that the stainless steel mesh exhibited satisfactory long-term durability as MFC cathode. When the stainless steel mesh size was 2 × 2 cm², the maximum output voltage, power density, the internal resistance …

The Study On Comparison Of Electrochemical Performance In Microbial Fuel Cell With Glucose And Sodium Acetate Acting As Substrates, Lei Fan, Yu Zhao, Ting Li, Qin-Bo Yuan, En-Zhi Wang, Xiao-Bin Wang, Jun-Wen Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

By inoculating aerobic sludge and anaerobic sludge from the sewage treatment plant, two sets of dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were built with either glucose or sodium acetate acting as a substrate. Accordingly, the electrochemical performances of MFCs were explored with the concentration of the substrates being 0.0335 mol⋅L^-1. The results of the comparative study in glucose system and sodium acetate system showed that the impedance values of anodic half cell were 222 Ω for glucose and 213.67 Ω for sodium acetate, implying no significant effect on the internal resistance in battery with the different substrates. The exchange …

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 …