Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Unsteady Tip Leakage, Bow Shock, Igv Wake Interaction In A Compressor, Xuedong Zhou, J. Mitch Wolff

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Unsteady aerodynamic analysis of Inlet Guide Vane (IGV)/rotor interaction is conducted with a commercial CFD solver, STAR-CD. 12% and 26% IGV axial chord IGV/Rotor spacing configurations were examined for 100% corrected speed at choke, peak efficiency and near stall conditions to investigate bow shock/tip leakage interaction within blade rows. Comparison with IGV surface unsteady pressure experimental data indicates good agreement at the IGV trailing edge across the span for both spacing configurations; therefore, validating the modeling of the high speed, highly loaded transonic compressor. The strongest effect on the tip clearance flow physics was caused by decreasing the axial spacing. …

High Voltage Bias Testing And Degradation Analysis Of Photovoltaic Modules, Vinaykumar Hadagali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis mainly focuses on two important aspects of the photovoltaic modules. The first aspect addressed the high voltage bias testing and data and degradation analysis of high voltage biased thin film photovoltaic modules. The second aspect addressed the issues of reliability and durability of crystalline silicon module. Grid-connected photovoltaic systems must withstand high voltage bias in addition to harsh environmental conditions such as intermittent solar irradiance, high humidity, heat and wind. a-Si:H thin-film photovoltaic modules with earlier generation SnO2:F transparent conducting oxide (TCO) on the front glass installed on the FSEC High Voltage Test Bed were monitored since December …

Synthesis Of Gold Nanoparticles Attached To Polypyrrole Nanofibers, Sunil K. Pillalamarri, Frank D. Blum, Massimo F. Bertino

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polypyrrole is a frequently studied conducting polymer due to its application in sensing and catalysis.1 Polypyrrole is considered among the most promising conductive polymers due to its stability and ease of conversion between conducting and insulating forms.2 Different chemical and electrochemical methods are generally used in the synthesis of polypyrrole.2 Despite many interesting applications, the use of polypyrrole is limited because of difficulty in processing it. Several approaches have been explored to improve the ability to process polypyrrole, including the use of emulsion, inverse emulsion, steric stabilizer, and microemulsion methods.1 Several reports have also been published on the synthesis of …

Copolymers And Blends Of Methyl Acrylate And Acrylic Isobutyl Poss Nanomaterials, Manikantan B. Nair, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultra-thin polymer films attached to solid substrates (supported films) have attracted significant interest in recent years. Supported films are used in the design of advanced materials like photoresists, lubricants and other electronic devices. Glass transition temperatures (Tgs) of supported polymer films have also been of significant interest. The Tg has been shown to depend on the thickness of the polymer film on the surface and the inherent nature of the surface. The effect of end-grafting of a polymer chain to a surface, on the Tg of the polymer has been studied previously.1 Reports on the study of glass transition behaviors …

Deuterium Nmr Studies Of Segmental Dynamics Of Anopore-Adsorbed Poly(Methyl Acrylate), Macduff O. Okuom, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Studies of segmental dynamics of polymers at interfaces provide a basis for understanding the properties of composite materials. Interfacial phenomena in multi-phase systems need to be understood as devices made from multi-phase polymeric systems become smaller. Various techniques have been used to investigate interfacial polymers at the air-polymer-solid interface; for example, ellipsometry,1 X-ray,2 and neutron reflectometry.3 These techniques typically characterize the structure (often the thickness) of the polymer layer and are normally used to determine the glass-transition temperature (Tg) through a break in the thicknesstemperature curve. There have been a few reports where the dynamics of polymers at the surface-air …

Estimation Of Bound Carbonyls In Pmma-R-Ps Copolymers Adsorbed On Silica, Pavan K. Challa, Bing Zhang, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The adsorption of random copolymers on solid surfaces is essential for developing good properties in composite materials. A good control and understanding of interfaces allows tuning of the properties of the individual components. Interfacial polymers are important in many industrial applications such as photoresists, protective coatings, metal insulator and semi-conductor insulator junctions, metal-filled polymer composites and polymer-lined metal containers for protective food packaging. The effect of the drying process,1 configuration and tacticity,2 molecular mass, density of surface hydroxyls,3 and adsorbed amounts4 have already been studied for interfacial polymers. The thermal characterization for polystyrene,5 PMMA11 and PMMA-r- PS6 copolymers adsorbed on …

Nmr And Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry Of Adsorbed Poly(Methyl Acrylate) On Silica, Frank D. Blum, Burak Metin

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The interaction between polymers and solid substrates can be studied by a variety of techniques. The results from different experiments can be affected by the nature of the polymer, surface, polymer-surface interactions and, also, the experiment. A great deal has been learned about the behavior of polymers at interfaces, but there is also much to be learned about the interactions and how they affect the physical properties of adsorbed polymers. In the present study, we report both deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) of poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) adsorbed on Cab-O-Sil silica. The focus of this …

Data Management And Visualization Of X-Ray Diffraction Spectra From Thin Film Ternary Composition Spreads, I. Takeuchi, C. J. Long, O. O. Famodu, M. Murakami, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers, G. W. Rubloff, M. Stukowski, K. Rajan

Faculty Publications

We discuss techniques for managing and visualizing x-ray diffraction spectrum data for thin film composition spreads which map large fractions of ternary compositional phase diagrams. An in-house x-ray microdiffractometer is used to obtain spectra from over 500 different compositions on an individual spread. The MATLAB software is used to quickly organize the data and create various plots from which one can quickly grasp different information regarding structural and phase changes across the composition spreads. Such exercises are valuable in rapidly assessing the “overall” picture of the structural evolution across phase diagrams before focusing in on specific composition regions for detailed …

Arc-Discharge In Solution: A Novel Synthesis Method For Carbon Nanotubes And In Situ Decoration Of Carbon Nanotubes With Nanoparticles, Debasis Bera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nanotechnology has reached the status of the 21st century's leading science and technology based on fundamental and applied research during the last two decades. An important feature of nanotechnology is to bridge the crucial dimensional gap between the atomic and molecular fundamental sciences and microstructural scale of engineering. Accordingly, it is very important to have an in-depth understanding of the synthesis of nanomaterials for the use of state-of-the-art high technological devices with enhanced properties. Recently, the 'bottom-up' approach for the fabrication of nanomaterials has received a great deal of attention for its simplicity and cost effectiveness. Tailoring the various parameters …

Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies In Shape Memory Alloys, Madhavi Tiyyagura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In NiTi, a reversible thermoelastic martensitic transformation can be induced by temperature or stress between a cubic (B2) austenite phase and a monoclinic (B19') martensite phase. Ni-rich binary compositions are cubic at room temperature (requiring stress or cooling to transform to the monoclinic phase), while Ti-rich binary compositions are monoclinic at room temperature (requiring heating to transform to the cubic phase). The stress induced transformation results in the superelastic effect, while the thermally induced transformation is associated with strain recovery that results in the shape memory effect. Ternary elemental additions such as Fe can additionally introduce an intermediate rhombohedral (R) …

Development Of Transparent And Conducting Back Contacts On Cds/Cdte Solar Cells For Photoelectrochemical Application, Upendra Sureshchandra Avachat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of devices with high efficiencies can only be attained by tandem structures which are important to the advancement of thin-film photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. FSEC PV Materials Lab has developed a PEC cell using multiple bandgap tandem of thin film PV cells and a photocatalyst for hydrogen production by water splitting. CdS/CdTe solar cell, a promising candidate for low-cost, thin-film PV cell is used as one of the thin film solar cells in a PEC cell. This research work focuses on developing various back contacts with good transparency in the infrared region (~750 - 1150 nm) …

Interdiffusion Analysis For Nicocraly And Nial Vs. Various Superalloys, Emmanuel Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hot section components in gas turbines can be NiCoCrAlY-coated to provide the component with an Al reservoir that maintains a protective oxide layer on its surface. Over the service life of the component, the coatings degrade by composition and phase changes due to oxidation/hot-corrosion, and multicomponent interdiffusion from and into the superalloy substrate. In this study, the rate of Al interdiffusion into selected Ni-base superalloys using various diffusion couples of two-phase NiCoCrAlY (beta + gamma) and single beta-phase NiAl with the selected alloys is measured. The diffusion couples were examined with an emphasis on the composition-dependence of Al interdiffusion. Microstructural …

Solar Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting For Hydrogen Generation Using Multiple Bandgap Tandem Of Cigs2 Pv Cells And Thin Film Photocatalyst, Anant Jahagirdar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research was to develop efficient CuIn1-xGaxS2 (CIGS2)/CdS thin film solar cells for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to produce very pure hydrogen and oxygen. Efficiencies obtained using CIGS2 have been lower than those achieved using CuInSe2 and CuIn1-xGaxSe2. The basic limitation in the efficiencies is attributed to lower open circuit voltages with respect to the bandgap of the material. Presently, the main mechanism used to increase the open circuit voltage of these copper chalcopyrites (CuInSe2 and CuInS2) is the addition of gallium. However, addition of gallium has its own challenges. This research was intended to (i) …

Instrumented Nanoindentation Studies Of Deformation In Shape Memory Alloys, Sudhir Rajagopalan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Near equi-atomic nickel titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a class of materials characterized by their unique deformation behavior. In these alloys, deformation mechanisms such as mechanical twinning and stress induced phase transformation between a high symmetry phase (austenite) and a low symmetry phase (martensite) additionally occur and influence mechanical behavior and thus their functionality. Consequently, applications of SMAs usually call for precise phase transformation temperatures, which depend on the thermomechanical history and the composition of the alloy. Instrumented indentation, inherently a mechanical characterization technique for small sampling volumes, offers a cost effective means of empirically testing SMAs in …

Modeling And Simulation To Investigate Effects Of Static Mixer, Carrier Gas, Temperature And Pressure On The Mixing Ratio Of Carbon Nanotubes Growth Reactors, David Addie Noye

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this study was to investigate the effects of static mixer, carrier gas, carrier gas inlet pressures, and reactor operating temperatures on the mixing ratio of carbon nanotube synthesizing reactor. The methodology included design of static mixers, mathematical modeling, and computer modeling and simulation experiments.

The simulation experiment was performed based on single phase carrier gas modeling due to difficulty and time for three phase fluid modeling. First only nitrogen carrier gas in addition to the other three factors under constant inlet flow velocity and inlet temperature was simulated. Secondly, the same procedure was applied to argon carrier …

Melting And Solidification Study Of Indium And Bismuth Nanocrystals Using Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction, Mohamed K. Zayed

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As technology begins to utilize nanocrystals for many chemical, biological, medical, electrical, and optoelectrical applications, there is a growing need for an understanding of their fundamental properties. The study of melting and solidification of nanocrystals is of interest to fundamental understanding of the effect of reduced size and crystal shape on the solid-liquid phase transition. Melting and solidification of as-deposited and recrystallized indium and bismuth nanocrystals were studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The nanocrystals were thermally deposited on highly oriented 002-graphite substrate at different deposition temperatures. The growth dynamics of the nanocrystals was studied using in situ RHEED …

Dissolution, Reactor, And Environmental Behavior Of Zro2-Mgo Inert Fuel Matrix, Kenneth Czerwinski

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

This project examines inert fuels containing ZrO₂ and MgO as the inert matrix, with the relative amount of MgO varied from 30% to 70% in ZrO₂. Reactor physics calculations are used to examine suitable quantities of burnable poisons from the candidate elements Gd, Er, or Hf with reactor grade Pu providing the fissile component, with up to 10% of ²³⁹Pu. Ceramics are synthesized and characterized based on the reactor physics results. The solubility of the fuel ceramics, in reactor conditions, reprocessing conditions, and repository conditions, are investigated in a manner to provide thermodynamic data necessary for …

The Effect Of Cu-Doping On The Magnetic And Transport Properties Of La₀.₇Sr₀.₃Mno₃, M. S. Kim, Jinbo Yang, Qingsheng Cai, X.-D. Zhou, William B. Yelon, Paul Ernest Parris, William Joseph James

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effects of Cu-doping on the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of La0.7Sr0.3Mn1xCuxO3 (0<=x<=0.20) have been studied using neutron diffraction, magnetization, and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. All samples show the rhombohedral structure with the R[overline 3]c space-group from 10 K to room temperature (RT). Neutron diffraction data suggest that some of the Cu ions have a Cu3+ state in these compounds. The substitution of Mn by Cu affects the MnO bond length and Mn-O-Mn bond angle resulting from the minimization of the distortion of the MnO6 octahedron. Resistivity measurements show that a metal to insulator transition occurs for the x>=0.15 samples. The x=0.15 sample shows the highest MR([approximate]80%), which might result from the co-existence of Cu3-Cu2+ and the dilution effect of Cu-doping on the double exchange interaction

Tunable Multiferroic Properties In Nanocomposite Pbtio3-Cofe2O4 Epitaxial Thin Films, M. Murakami, K.-S. Chang, M. A. Aronova, C.-L. Lin, Ming H. Yu, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers, M. Wuttig, I. Takeuchi, C. Gao, B. Hu, S. E. Lofland, L. A. Knauss, L. A. Bendersky

Faculty Publications

We report on the synthesis of PbTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄ multiferroic nanocomposites and continuous tuning of their ferroelectric and magnetic properties as a function of the average composition on thin-film composition spreads. The highest dielectric constant and nonlinear dielectric signal was observed at (PbTiO₃)₈₅–(CoFe₂O₄)₁₅, where robust magnetism was also observed. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a pancake-shaped epitaxial nanostructure of PbTiO₃ on the order of 30 nm embedded in the matrix of CoFe₂O₄ at this composition. Composition dependent ferroics properties observed here indicate that there …

Mechanics Of Composite Materials In Fuel Cell Systems, Kenneth Reifsnider, Xinyu Huang, G. Ju, Matthew Feshler, K. An

Faculty Publications

The science and technology that are fundamental to the concept of composite materials are also the foundation for the construction and function of fuel cells and fuel cell systems. The present paper outlines this relationship in the context of the physics and chemistry that are enabled by the specific selection and arrangement of constituents of the “functional composite” fuel cell. General principles of operation are described, and fundamental issues are defined that must be addressed by the composites community if the fuel cell science and engineering is to advance. Examples of several types of functional composite fuel cells are presented, …

Evolution Of Lamellar Structures In Al-Ag Alloys, Sephalika Senapati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the present study, the formation and the evolution of lamellar structures in different Al-Ag alloys were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Plates of the hexagonal [gamma] phase form semi-coherently on the {111} planes of the face centered cubic lattice of the alloy after the formation of Guinier-Preston zones. Guinier-Preston zones are metastable coherent preprecipitates which are silver rich in the aluminum-rich Al-Ag alloys. The decomposition of aluminum rich Al-Ag alloys, particularly the sequence of the later stages of precipitate formation was studied. With scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy the development of the [gamma] phase was …

Diffraction Studies Of Deformation In Shape Memory Alloys And Selected Engineering Components, Chandrasen Rathod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deformation phenomena in shape memory alloys involve stress-, temperature-induced phase transformations and crystallographic variant conversion or reorientation, equivalent to a twinning operation. In near equiatomic NiTi, Ti rich compositions can exist near room temperature as a monoclinic B19' martensitic phase, which when deformed undergoes twinning resulting in strains as large as 8%. Upon heating, the martensite transforms to a cubic B2 austenitic phase, thereby recovering the strain and exhibiting the shape memory effect. Ni rich compositions on the other hand can exist near room temperature in the austenitic phase and undergo a reversible martensitic transformation on application of stress. Associated …

The Effect Of Colloidal Stability On The Heat Transfer Characteristics Of Nanosilica Dispersed Fluids, Manoj Venkataraman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addition of nano particles to cooling fluids has shown marked improvement in the heat transfer capabilities. Nanofluids, liquids that contain dispersed nanoparticles, are an emerging class of fluids that have great potential in many applications. There is a need to understand the fundamental behavior of nano dispersed particles with respect to their agglomeration characteristics and how it relates to the heat transfer capability. Such an understanding is important for the development and commercialization of nanofluids. In this work, the stability of nano particles was studied by measuring the zeta potential of colloidal particles, particle concentration and size. Two different sizes …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite Powder; And The Effects Of Oxide-Based Sintering Additives On Tricalcium Phosphate, Himesh A. Bhatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Calcium phosphate (CP) materials have been used extensively for bone replacement and augmentation due to their similarity to the mineral component of bone. In addition to being non-toxic, they are biocompatible, not recognized as foreign materials in vivo, and most importantly, exhibit osteoconductive behavior, being able to help in bone formation during healing. CPs form an intimate physicochemical bond with the host tissue, termed osseointegration. However the main limitation of calcium phosphates is their inherent brittle nature and poor mechanical performance under complex stress states. As a result, these materials have been used clinically only in non-load-bearing applications, primarily as …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Niobium Cavities, Robert A. Schill Jr., Mohamed Trabia, William Culbreth

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

One of the key technologies for the deployment of accelerator driven transmutation systems is the accelerator itself. Elliptical superconducting niobium cavities are used to increase the efficiency of the high-power accelerators needed to support the transmutation mission.

One of the major sources of energy loss from a superconducting accelerator cavity is a process known as multiple impacting (or “multipacting”) of electrons. This phenomenon limits the maximum amount of energy and power that the niobium cavity can store. As a result, the maximum power available for accelerating the desired charge, as well as the overall performance of the accelerator is reduced. …

Corrosion Of Steel By Lead Bismuth Eutectic, John Farley, Allen L. Johnson, Dale L. Perry

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

There is an active international interest in lead-bismuth eutectic and similar liquid lead systems because of the relevance to the transmutation of nuclear waste, fast reactors, and spallation neutron sources.

Materials in these systems must be able to tolerate high neutron fluxes, high temperatures, and chemical corrosion. For lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems, there is an additional challenge because the corrosive behaviors of materials in LBE are not well understood. Most of the available information on LBE systems has come from the Russians, who have over 80 reactor-years experience with LBE coolant in their Alpha-class submarine reactors. The Russians found …

Environment-Induced Degradation And Crack-Growth Studies Of Candidate Target Materials, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The primary objective of this task was to evaluate the effects of environmental and mechanical parameters on environment induced degradations of candidate target structural materials for applications in spallation-neutron-target systems. The materials selected for evaluation and characterization were martensitic stainless steels including Alloys HT-9, EP-823, and 422.

Accelerator-driven transmutation systems involve bombarding a target material such as molten lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE) by a proton beam, thereby producing neutrons. The molten LBE target will be contained in a subsystem structural container made of a suitable material such as Alloys HT-9, EP-823, and 422. During the transmutation process, the target structural material may …

Modeling Corrosion In Oxygen Controlled Lbe Systems With Coupling Of Chemical Kinetics And Hydrodynamics, Samir Moujaes, Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The corrosion of structural materials is a major concern for the use of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems for nuclear applications such as in transmuter targets or fast reactors. Corrosion in liquid metal systems can occur through various processes, including, for example, dissolution, formation of inter-metallic compounds at the interface, and penetration of liquid metal along grain boundaries. Predicting the rate of these processes depends on numerous system operational factors: temperature, system geometry, thermal gradients, solid and liquid compositions, and velocity of the liquid metal, to name a few. Corrosion, along with mechanical and/or hydraulic factors, often contributes to component failure. …

Development Of A Mechanistic Understanding Of High-Temperature Deformation Of Alloy Ep-823, Ajit K. Roy, Brendan O'Toole

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

During the transmutation process, a significant amount of heat can be generated in a molten lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE) target, which will be contained in a subsystem structural container made of a suitable martensitic iron-chromium-molbdenum (Fe-Cr-Mo) stainless steel such as Alloys EP-823, HT-9 and 422. These materials will be subjected to high tensile stresses while they are in contact with the molten LBE at temperatures ranging between 400 and 600^oC. Therefore, a research program was conducted to evaluate the deformation characteristics of all three alloys in properly heat-treated conditions at temperatures relevant to the operating conditions.

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Engineering metals and alloys, when subjected to tensile loading beyond a limiting value, undergo plastic deformation resulting in lattice defects such as voids and dislocations. These imperfections interact with the crystal lattice, producing a higher state of internal stress, also known as residual stress, which can be associated with reduced ductility. Residual stresses are also generated in welded structures due to rapid solidification and resultant dissimilar metallurgical microstructures between the weld and the base metals. Development of these internal stresses is often influenced by incompatible permanent strain resulting from thermal and mechanical operations associated with welding and plastic deformation. These …