Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Cushop: A Simulated Shopping Environment Fostering Consumer-Centric Packaging Design & Testing, Charles Tonkin

All Dissertations

Consumer product packaging provides product damage protection, extends product shelf life, and communicates product usage instructions to the consumer. Its collective contribution to the waste stream is notorious, but its role in product salability is much less understood. Consumers now make the majority of product purchase decisions while present at the shelf, and since they do it very quickly (within 5-8 seconds), and do not appear to adhere to strong brand loyalty as was once more common, packaging (and more specifically, its aesthetics and contrast with its competitors) plays a dominant role in the decision-making process. It is difficult, however, …

Vertical Track Modulus Trending, Shane Michael Farritor, Sheng Lu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Systems and methods for determining a trend in Vertical track modulus are disclosed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Vertical deflection data is collected along a particular section of railroad track. A first set of Vertical track modulus is determined, based in part, on the collected vertical deflection data. At a second time, vertical deflection data is again collected along the particular section of railroad track to be used in determining a second set of vertical track modulus. At least the first and second sets of Vertical track modulus are analyzed to determine a math ematical algorithm that …

Friction Bit Joining Of 5754 Aluminum To Dp980 Ultra-High Strength Steel: A Feasibility Study, Britney Weickum

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the dissimilar metals 5754 aluminum and DP980 ultra-high strength steel were joined using the friction bit joining (FBJ) process. The friction bits were made using one of three steels: 4140, 4340, or H13. Experiments were performed in lap shear, T-peel, and cross tension configurations, with the 0.070" thick 5754 aluminum alloy as the top layer through which the friction bit cut, and the 0.065" thick DP980 as the bottom layer to which the friction bit welded. All experiments were performed using a computer controlled welding machine that was purpose-built and provided by MegaStir Technologies. Through a series …

A Digital Hydraulic Valve, Actuated Using A Piezoelectric Linear Motor, Brian C. Bevill

Purdue Polytechnic Directed Projects

Proportional control in hydraulics is widely utilized. The most widely used current types of proportional valves utilize solenoid technology. While this technology has been around for decades and has been proven an effective means of control, there is always a demand for improved performance of advancing technologies. Integrating piezoelectric devices as a means to control hydraulic systems helps advance control for hydraulic systems.

Piezoelectric stack devices have been used to control hydraulic systems with success. Advantages of these stacks include being relatively small with a high power to weight ratio, using less energy than solenoid operations, and being fast acting. …

A Study On Facility Planning Using Discrete Event Simulation: Case Study Of A Grain Delivery Terminal, Sarah M. Asio

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The application of traditional approaches to the design of efficient facilities can be tedious and time consuming when uncertainty and a number of constraints exist. Queuing models and mathematical programming techniques are not able to capture the complex interaction between resources, the environment and space constraints for dynamic stochastic processes. In the following study discrete event simulation is applied to the facility planning process for a grain delivery terminal. The discrete event simulation approach has been applied to studies such as capacity planning and facility layout for a gasoline station and evaluating the resource requirements for a manufacturing facility. To …

Identifying Changes In Climatic Trends And The Fingerprints Of Landuse And Landcover Changes In The High Plains Of The Usa, Denis Mutiibwa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human activities such as conversion of natural ecosystem to croplands and urban-centers, deforestation and afforestation impact biophysical properties of land surface such as albedo, energy balance, and surface roughness. Alterations in these properties affect the heat and moisture exchanges between the land surface and atmospheric boundary layer. The objectives of this research were; (i) to quantitatively identify the High plains’ regional climate change in temperatures over the period 1895 to 2006, (ii) detect the signatures of anthropogenic forcing of LULC changes on the regional climate change of the High Plains, and (iii) examine the trends in evolving regional latent heat …

The Effects Of Damage Arrestment Devices In Composite Plate Sandwiches With Fastener Holes, Mark Anderson, Nancy Hung Choy, Lacey Jones, Rita Kourskaya

Aerospace Engineering

Composite materials such as a carbon fiber are used in a variety of new technologies including aircraft, spacecraft, and motor vehicles. Carbon fiber has a high strength to weight ratio, a key advantage over other material options. This report discusses the use of composite damage arrestment devices (DADs) in composite sandwich panels with a foam core. There are three different curing cycles tested for the DADs: pressure only, vacuum only, and vacuum with 1000 lbs of pressure. Using a Tetrahedron Heat Press to cure the composite specimen and an Instron Machine to perform tensile testing, data was collected for each …

Characterisation, Modelling And Simulation Of Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Conor Briody, Barry Duignan, Stephen Jerrams

Conference Papers

Flexible polyurethane foam is an open-celled polymeric material that exhibits strain rate and temperature effects. It has found various applications in areas including the packaging, medical, sports, aerospace and aeronautical industries. Polyurethane foam is ubiquitous in seating applications and finds particular use in specialised wheelchair seating where customised seating solutions are required which can provide proper comfort and support without the risk of developing pressure ulcers. Proper seating design is critical for users if this problem is to be avoided, but a lack of quantitative knowledge of this material’s behaviour has limited its effectiveness. The objectives of the work presented …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, June 2011, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Plasma Processing Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) (Pet) In An Oxygen Decoupled Plasma Source, Russell L. Rhoton

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Catalytic Property Of Flaked Spindle-Like Cuo Nanocrystals, Jian-Feng Fan, Li-Qing Li, Yu-Feng Huang, Lou-Zhen Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

A simple and efficient electrochemical route was developed for the synthesis of flaked spindle-like CuO nanocrystals using aqueous electrolyte and Cu sacrificial anode (graphite as the cathode) in an undivided cell at a constant potential mode under room temperature. The morphologies, structure and component of CuO nanocrystals obtained were characterized by SEM, XRD, respectively. Flaked spindle-like CuO nanocrystals were successfully used to modify a GC electrode to detect H₂O₂ with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometric (AC).The results showed that products were pure monoclinic CuO nanocrystals. The linear range for the determination of hydrogen peroxide is from 1.0 …

Detection Of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Pml/Rarî± Fusion Gene Using Graphene Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode, Zhi-Xian Lian, Guang-Xian Zhong, Kun Wang, Ai-Lin Liu, Xin-Hua Lin, Yuan-Zhong Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

A graphene modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared by electrochemical reduction of graphite oxide fixed on the surface of GCE. Then, the amino-group modified probe of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) PML/RARα fusion gene fragment was immobilized onto surface of the graphene modified GCE by coupling activating agent. With methylene blue (MB) as a novel electrochemical indicator, artificial APL PML/RARα fusion gene fragment was measured by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The result indicated graphene nanomaterial showed good sensitization on the signal of MB. The relationship between the reduction peak current of MB and the concentration of complementary strand was linear …

Influence Of Tert-Butylpyridine On The Band Energetics Of Nanostructured Tio2 Electrodes And The Photoelectrochemical Properties Of Dye-Seneitized Electrodes, Shu-Ming Yang, Ji-Chao Wang, Hui-Zhi Kou, Hong-Bin Xue, Hong-Jun Wang, Yu-Ling Guo

Journal of Electrochemistry

The flat band edges (Efb) of nanostructured TiO₂ electrodes in electrolyte solutions with tert-butylpyridine (TBP) of different concentrations have been determined with spectroelectrochemical technique. TBP played a role in band energetics of nanostructured TiO₂ electrodes. The Efb values of -2.25, -2.46 and -2.62 V were determined in three 0.2 mol•L^-1 tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) acetonitrile electrolytes which contain 0, 0.2 and 0.4 mol•L^-1 TBP respectively. The addition of Li+ ions shifted Efb positively. The Efb values of -1.12, -1.22 and -1.30 V were determined in three 0.2 mol•L^-1 LiClO₄ acetonitrile electrolytes which contain 0, 0.2 …

Effects Of Additives On The Electrochemical Behaviors Of Zn Electrode In Alkaline Solutions, Shu-Na Hong, Hai-Bin Lin, Zuo-Jian Su, He-Bing Zhou, Man Liang, Wei-Shan Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical behaviors of Zn in 3mol⋅L^-1 KOH solution containing the single additive(Pb(NO₃)₂, SDBS) the mixed additives(Pb(NO₃)²⁺SDBS) were investigated. The results showed that all the additives can supress the corrosion of zinc in 3mol•L_^-1 KOH solution. And the inhibition effeciency of the mixed additives is higher than that of any single additive.

Preparation And Electrocatalytic Activity Of The Pt/Wc/Tio2 Composites, Chun-An Ma, Bin Yu, Mei-Qin Shi, Xiao-Ling Lang

Journal of Electrochemistry

TiO₂ was used as the support for preparation of Pt/WC/TiO₂ composite catalyst. The composites were characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM methods. The electrocatalytical activity of Pt/WC/TiO₂ composite for oxidation of methanol was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Pt/WC/TiO₂ exhibited higher activity compared with that of Pt/TiO₂ and Pt/WC composite catalysts. Based on this we discussed the effects of crystal phases of TiO₂ on the electrocatalytical activity of Pt/WC/TiO₂ composite catalyst.

Dft Study Of Co2 Reduction To Hydrocarbons On Cu Surfaces, Li-Hui Ou, Sheng-Li Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

CO₂ reduction on Cu(111) single crystal surfaces was studied using DFT calculations on the reaction energies and the minimum energy paths. The results indicated that the possible reaction paths for CO₂ reduction on Cu(111) surface are CO₂(g) + H* → COOH* → (CO +OH)*, (CO + H)* → CHO*, CHO + H → CH₂O* → (CH_2⁺O)*, CH₂* + 2H* → CH₄ or 2CH₂* → C₂H₄. On Cu(111) surface, the reaction rate is controlled by steps of CH₂O* → (CH_{2 …}

Capacitance Behaviors Of Ti/Ru0.1Ti0.1Sn0.8O2 Electrodes, Hai-Yan Chen, Yan-Qun Shao, Dian Tang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Ti/Ru_0.1Ti_0.1Sn_0.8O₂ electrodes were prepared by low temperature thermal decomposition. The structural characteristics were analyzed by X-ray diffraction(XRD).The performances were tested by cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge-discharge measurements. The results show that, the structure of Ti/Ru_0.1Ti_0.1Sn_0.8O₂ belongs to small rutile phase. A high specific capacitance of 933F/g is obtained at scan rate of 20 mV/s. The cycle life test shows a 23.6% specific capacitance lost after 1000 cycles. The electrode has a good cycle stability and reversibility.

Preparation And Performance Of Carbon-Coated Si/C Composites, Li-Li Du, Quan-Chao Zhuang, Tao Wei, Yong-Li Cui, Zhi Sun, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Si/C composite for lithium ion batteries was obtained by pyrolyzing and ball-milling. The microstructure and component of the composite was characterized by SEM and XRD, the electrochemical performance was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvano static charge-discharge tests. The results illustrate that the particle of Si/C composite prepared by pyrolysis exhibits inerratic morphology, uniform carbon-coating layer, good electrical conductivity, low resistance. The first intercalated-lithium capacity of the composite material is 4495 mAh/g; the first coulomb efficiency is 65.3%. From the second week the coulomb efficiency maintains 97%, and the capacity at the 100th cycle can …

The Flip-Flop Behavior Of Acetonitrile At Au Electrode Surface Investigated By Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy, Zhi Huang, Xin Tang, Gang-Hua Deng, En-Cai Zhou, Hong-Fei Wang, Yuan Guo

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical interface between liquid acetonitrile and polycrystal gold electrode is investigated by in situ infrared visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG-VS). The structure of acetonitrile adsorbed at polycrystal gold electrode surface is studied as a function of electrode potential. The SFG spectra of CH₃ group indicate acetonitrile orients in response to the electrode potential. The SFG signal of CH₃ group turns lower as the electrode potential changes from -700mV to 300mV, and vanishes around the 300mV(pzc), then becomes a negative signal above 500mV, which indicates that the orientation is predominately with the CH₃ group toward the …

Research Progress In Orthosilicates As Cathode Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, Dong-Ping Lv, Lin Wang, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Rechargeable Li-ion batteries fulfilling high-energy density, high safety, environmental friendliness, and low cost are demanded urgently for energy storage systems. Besides the structure stability arising from the strong Si-O covalent bond, environmental benignancy and low cost from the characteristics of Fe, Mn, Si elementals, orthosilicates (Li₂MSiO₄) show promising prospect to meet the demand of high-energy density for its two available Li+ per formula unit. Motivated by these significant advantages, Li₂MSiO₄ have been intensively investigated in the past few years. In the present work, we gave a review on the progress of orthosilicate research …

Effect Of Pore Size On Pseudo-Capacitive Performance Of Nio In The Mixed Electrolyte Of Koh And Hexacyanoferrate, Wen Wu, Meng-Yan Hou, Dan-Dan Zhou, Yong-Yao Xia

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, five kinds of NiO samples with different pore size distributions were synthesized .The electrochemical capacitance of the samples were characterized in 3 mol/L KOH solution with and without hexacyanoferrate addition. Electrochemical test results indicated the NiO sample with an optimum pore size of about 15 nm shows high Coulombic efficiency of the N₄(NiO) electrode as the redox reaction of hexacyanoferrate ions would be limited in the pore, thus prevent ion diffusion into the bulk electrolyte solution .

Investigation Of Supercapacitors Based On Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel-Polymer Electrolyte, Kai-Qing Xu, Le-Qing Fan, Ji-Huai Wu, Qing Leng, Xin Zhong, Jian-Ming Lin, Miao-Liang Huang, Zhang Lan

Journal of Electrochemistry

For the first time, the supercapacitor based on the hydrogel-polymer electrolyte which consisted of the cross-linking of polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde (PVA-GA) using 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) as solicitation reagent was assembled. The gel polymer electrolyte was characterized by FTIR and AC impedance. The maximum ionic conductivity is 1.23 mS/cm at room temperature. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitor were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, AC impedance spectra and constant current charge-discharge curve. The results show that the specific capacitance reachs 139 F/g with AMPS of 1.0 g and 0.05 mL of 5 %(by mass) GA. And the specific capacitance still retained …

Study On Direct Electro-Oxidation Of Anisaldehyde, Lin-Lin Wu, Ying-Hong Zhu, Shan-Shan Li, Hong-Yan Zeng, Chun-An Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

The oxidation of anisole on Pt electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammery and constant potential electrolysis. The influence of scan rates, substrate concentration, supporting electrolytes and solvent were considered . The results show that the electro-oxidation process of anisole was irreversible. In this research the sulfuric acid was the best supporting electrolytes and acetone was the best solvent, and the process was controlled by diffusion . The product of constant potential electrolysis was charactered by GC-MS .The results show that the main products was anisaldehyde, and the selectivity was up to 66.5% when using acetone as solvent.

Electric Vehicles And Power Batteries, Xin-Ping Ai, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In retrospect of the historical development of Electric Vehicles (EV), the impact of battery technologies on the progress of EV was discussed. In consequence, it is concluded that the lack of advanced batteries was the main cause for the fluctuations of EV development and the sluggish commercialization of electric cars in the past century. After a brief introduction to the classification and the requirements of electric vehicles, the main issues of the batteries including safety, temperature range for operation and the cost as well as the effects of these factors on the applications of advanced batteries for electric vehicles were …

Comparison Of Catalytic Performance On Different Materials Supported Pd Catalysts For Formic Acid Oxidation, Su-Dong Yang, Yan-Yu Liang, Zhu-Liang Wen, Qi-Jun Song, Xiao-Gang Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Graphite oxide (GO) was prepared from by Hummers method. Then the graphene nanosheets supporting Pd catalysts were prepared by a single-step chemical reduction method. The electrocatalytic performance for formic acid oxidation of the prepared Pd/graphene composite was studied as an electrode material in comparison with the composite catalysts based on the other carbons (MWCNTs, SWCNTs, and Vulcan XC-72 carbon black). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements indicated that the Pd nanoparticles were well dispersed on the surface of the graphene nanosheets with a small particle size. The electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid was studied by electrochemically active …

Anode Electrodeposition Of Ti/Mno2 Electrode And Electrocatalytic Oxidization Properties Of Phenol Degradation, Ye Chen, Wen-Li Zhao, Qing Wen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Ti-base manganese dioxide (Ti/MnO₂) electrode was prepared by anodically electrodeposition technology in this paper. The structure of the electrode, the microstructure of the electrode surface and the element composition of the electrode were analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDS. The preparation process parameters of the electrode were studied in detail with the help of the V~logi curve and phenol degradation curve. The Ti/MnO₂ electrode was anodically electrodeposited at current density 4mA•cm^-2, the Mn^{2 +} ions concentration 0.5mol•L^-1 and temperature70℃. The V~logi curve and phenol degradation curve were used to evaluate electrocatalytic oxidization properties …

Electrochemical Capacitive Performance Of Mesoporous Carbon Based Co-Ni Oxides, Zhen-Sheng Yang, Ling-Bin Kong, Li Deng, Yong-Chun Luo, Long Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

By using defects on the surface of CMK-3 served as nucleation center, Co_0.25Ni_0.75 oxide/C composite was successfully prepared through a simple chemical co-precipitation method. Characterization was carried by using X-ray diffraction, BET and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that a perfect mesoporous network of interconnected nanoflakes was obtained for Co_0.25Ni_0.75 oxide/C composite and, this material has a less crystallization, interconnected nanoflakes network structure and a narrow mesoporous distribution at about 3~4 nm. The highly dispersed and loosely packed Co_0.25Ni_0.75 oxide/C composite possessed good electrochemical accessibility and fast diffusion rate of OH …

Review Of The Maxus 8 Sounding Rocket Experiment To Investigate Solidification In A Ti-Al-Nb Alloy, Robin Mooney, David Browne, Olga Budenkova, Yves R. Fautrelle, Ludo Froyen, Andrey Kartavykh, Stephan Rex, Burkhard Schmitz, Daniella Voss, Shaun Mcfadden

Conference Papers

A review of the MAXUS 8 sounding rocket microgravity experiment to investigate solidification structures in a Ti-Al-Nb intermetallic alloy is presented. The experiment was part of the Intermetallic Materials Processing in Relation to Earth and Space Solidification (IMPRESS) EU FP6 project. Key objectives were to investigate columnar and equiaxed solidification, and to achieve Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition (CET) in the alloy. A microgravity experiment was designed to achieve this using a controlled power-down method. Two alloys were tested: one inoculated with a grain refiner and the other without grain refinement. Unrefined samples displayed axial and radial columnar growth. Boride inoculated samples displayed …

Analysis Of A Monolithic Crystal Plate Acoustic Wave Filter, Huijing He

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We study thickness–shear and thickness–twist vibrations of a finite, monolithic, AT-cut quartz plate crystal filter with two pairs of electrodes. The equations of anisotropic elasticity are used with the omission of the small elastic constant c56 . An analytical solution is obtained using Fourier series from which the res-onant frequencies, mode shapes, and the vibration confinement due to the electrode inertia are calculated and examined.

Transverse Permeability Of Fibrous Porous Media, Ali Tamayol, Majid Bahrami

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, the transverse permeability of fibrous porous media is studied both experimentally and theoretically. A scale analysis technique is employed for determining the transverse permeability of various fibrous matrices including square, staggered, and hexagonal arrangements of unidirectionally aligned fibers, as well as simple two-directional mats and simple cubic structures. In the present approach, the permeability is related to the porosity, fiber diameter, and tortuosity of the medium. In addition, the pressure drop in several samples of tube banks of different arrangements and metal foams are measured in the creeping flow regime. The pressure-drop results are then used to …