Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Direct Numerical Simulation Of Turbulent Katabatic Slope Flows With An Immersed-Boundary Method, Clancy Umphrey, Ray Deleon, Inanc Senocak

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigate a Cartesian-mesh immersed-boundary formulation within an incompressible flow solver to simulate laminar and turbulent katabatic slope flows. As a proof-of-concept study, we consider four different immersed-boundary reconstruction schemes for imposing a Neumann-type boundary condition on the buoyancy field. Prandtl’s laminar solution is used to demonstrate the second-order accuracy of the numerical solutions globally. Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent katabatic flow is then performed to investigate the applicability of the proposed schemes in the turbulent regime by analyzing both first- and second-order statistics of turbulence. First-order statistics show that turbulent katabatic flow simulations are noticeably sensitive to the …

High Resolution Imaging Of The Mitral Valve In The Natural State With 7 Tesla Mri, Sam E. Stephens, Serguei Liachenko, Neil B. Ingels, Jonathan F. Wenk, Morten O. Jensen

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Imaging techniques of the mitral valve have improved tremendously during the last decade, but challenges persist. The delicate changes in annulus shape and papillary muscle position throughout the cardiac cycle have significant impact on the stress distribution in the leaflets and chords, thus preservation of anatomically accurate positioning is critical. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro method and apparatus for obtaining high-resolution 3D MRI images of porcine mitral valves in both the diastolic and systolic configurations with physiologically appropriate annular shape, papillary muscle positions and orientations, specific to the heart from which the valve was …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Fall 2017, Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Composition-Dependent Mechanisms Of Multiscale Tendon Mechanics, Fei Fang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Tendons serve as an integral part of the musculoskeletal system by transferring loads from muscle to bone and providing joint mobility and stability. From the physiologically-loading perspective, while progress has been made in evaluating mechanical behavior of different types of tendons in tension, further work is needed to relate tendon mechanics to compositional and microstructural properties, particularly under non-tensile loading modalities (i.e., shear, compression). This information is vital to explore mechanisms of how mechanical signals lead to changes in tendon structure and composition to enable these tissues to function properly, including in in vivo multiaxial loading conditions. From the structural …

Smartphone-Based Microscope For Pathogen Detection, Meghan E. Henderson, Katherine N. Clayton, Ryan M. Preston, Jacqueline Linnes, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Vibrio cholerae is a water and food borne bacteria that causes cholera, a severe acute diarrheal disease, when ingested and when left untreated, can cause patient death within hours. Currently there is a lack of both sensitive and rapid portable detection technologies of V. cholerae for testing water and food samples. Combining nucleic acid amplification and particle diffusometry present an alternative detection method for V. cholerae in under 30 minutes, but the process requires an expensive laboratory microscope. In this work, we develop a smartphone-based microscope to detect V. cholerae DNA in environmental water samples using particle diffusometry. A modular …

Development Of Portable Hyperspectral Imaging Device, Chenxi Li, Youngkee Jung, Iyll-Joon Doh, Euiwon Bae

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Most of the conventional hyperspectral imaging devices require sophisticated optical components, occupy a large footprint, and requires an initial capital investment for laboratories which mostly suits for laboratories benchtop system. The requirement of shipping the sample and waiting an extended period of time to get the results are the main downsides of this traditional approach. Capitalize in many specific field applications and diagnosis, portable devices provide both convenience and on-site results which are desirable for government agencies and food safety inspectors. This project was aimed to develop a low-cost, portable hyperspectral device for food safety applications. A smartphone was used …

Intrinsic Regulators Of Actomyosin Contractility Engendering Pulsatile Behaviors, Qilin Yu, Jing Li, Taeyoon Kim

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Actomyosin contractility regulates various biological processes including cell migration, muscle contraction, and tissue morphogenesis. Cell cortex underlying a membrane, which is a representative actomyosin network in eukaryote cells, exhibits dynamic contractile behaviors. Interestingly, the cell cortex shows reversible aggregation of actin and myosin called pulsatile contraction in diverse cellular phenomena, such as embryogenesis and tissue morphogenesis. While contractile behaviors have been studied in several in vitro experiments and computational studies, none of them demonstrated the pulsatile contraction of actomyosin networks observed in vivo. Here, we used an agent-based computational model based on Brownian dynamics to identify factors facilitating the pulsatile …

A Parametric Study Of The Mechanics Of Different Skin Flap Techniques, Steven J. Meza, Adrián Tepole Buganza

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In modern day plastic and reconstructive surgeries numerous skin flap designs have been developed and are used to close open wounds. Skin flaps are developed with the intention of imposing minimal tension in skin closure. Excessive tension can lead to poor blood flow that result in post-surgery complications such as necrosis. Currently there is no standard in choosing a skin flap design and a surgeon's choice is based personal experience. A comparison of the mechanical loading in these various designs has not yet been done. We have developed a parametric study, using finite element analysis, of two advancement skin flaps …

Bacterial Motility And Its Role In Biofilm Formation, Clayton J. Culp, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Adib Ahmadzadegan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Bacterial biofilms are known to cause millions of dollars in damage in the medical industry per year via infection of central venous catheters, urinary catheters, and mechanical heart valves. Unfortunately, there are some characteristics of biofilm formation that are yet to be fully understood. Recently much work has been done to investigate the motility characteristics of bacteria with hopes of better understanding the phenomena of biofilm formation. Still, one of the least understood stages is bacterial attachment or adhesion, a process designed to anchor bacteria in an advantageous environment. Providing a better understanding of bacterial motility near solid interfaces will …

Dynamic Rating Of Overhead Transmission Lines Over Complex Terrain Using A Large-Eddy Simulation Paradigm, Tyler Phillips, Ray Deleon, Inanc Senocak

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) enables rating of power line conductors using real-time weather conditions. Conductors are typically operated based on a conservative static rating that assumes worst case weather conditions to avoid line sagging to unsafe levels. Static ratings can cause unnecessary congestion on transmission lines. To address this potential issue, a simulation-based dynamic line rating approach is applied to an area with moderately complex terrain. A micro-scale wind solver — accelerated on multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) — is deployed to compute wind speed and direction in the vicinity of powerlines. The wind solver adopts the large-eddy simulation technique …

The Influence Of The Electrode Dimension On The Detection Sensitivity Of Electric Cell–Substrate Impedance Sensing (Ecis) And Its Mathematical Modeling, Xudong Zhang, William Wang, Anis Nurashikin Nordin, Fang Li, Sunghoon Jang, Ioana Voiculescu

Publications and Research

Detection sensitivity is a crucial criterion in the design and application of ECIS sensors. The influence of sensing electrode dimension on detection sensitivity is investigated in this paper. Eight types of ECIS sensors were fabricated, and their experimental results reveal that smaller-radius working electrodes generate more sensitive impedance shift to cell density change. Also, the smaller radius of working electrodes yield higher impedance values, which improves signal-to-noise ratio. In a range from 1.0 mm to 3.5 mm, the distance between the working and counter electrodes does not affect impedance measurements. However, the distance should be large enough to prevent the …

Biomechanical Testing Of An Exercise For Strengthening The Proximal Femur., Alyssa Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the principles of cutting edge bone remodeling research, a unique therapeutic exercise device was designed specifically to improve bone quality at the most critical location of the proximal femur prone to fracture: the superior-lateral femoral neck where the fracture first initiates during a fall. The exercise/device is intended to work by inducing enough strain in the bone to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling mechanisms to increase bone density in the proximal femur and consequently prevent a fracture from arising if a fall to the side does occur.

In order to test the proposed exercise, experiments simulating the …

Optimization Of Prosthetic Hands: Utilizing Modularity To Improve Grip Force, Grasp, And Versatility, Jordan William Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been demonstrated that although many varieties of upper limb prosthetics exist, commercially available prosthetics are outdated and unsatisfactory. Ineffectiveness and limitations have led to some prosthesis wearers having to own multiple devices, whereas others have given up on them entirely. Even though ample research has been conducted to design and test new hand designs, the industry appears to rest in an overall stagnated state.

It was proposed here, that one problem with prosthetic research is an excess of variables involved in testing, and therefore the improper application of the scientific method. It seems that each time a research …

A Wood-Powered Lawn Mower: Separating The Rules Of Thumb From Engineering Design, William White

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Biomass gasification, the thermal process of exracting combustible gasses from organic matter, is an established procedure that has been used for many years to provide fuel in various applications. It is a potential source of renewable fuel and has proven useful as a crisis energy source. This thesis investigates the primary engineering science principles involved in gasifier-engine system design. It arises from and supplements a WKU mechanical engineering senior project. The senior project has developed a wood gasification system designed to power a riding lawn mower. The thesis reiews theory-based design and separates it from informal hit and miss approaches—rule …

Detection Of Structural Bolt Detorquing Using Direct Stethoscope Measurement, Joe Guarino, Robert Hamilton

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A method for detecting loosened bolts in a structural joint based upon open-loop acoustic measurement is presented. The acoustic measurement is taken directly on the bolt head. The response of the bolt to a proximal hammer impact is evaluated and characterized using wavelet decomposition of the signal measured from the bolt head. Data were also taken from an accelerometer mounted longitudinally and transversely on the bolt head. Results from the stethoscope and the accelerometer are presented from a set of structural bolts in several conditions of preload and looseness. A stethoscope applied to the loose bolt and a proximal bolt …

Force Compensation And Recreation Accuracy In Humans, Benjamin Rigsby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As industry becomes increasingly reliant on robotic assistance and human-computer interfaces, the demand to understand the human sensorimotor system’s characteristics intensifies. Although this field of research has been going on for over a century, new technologies push the limits of the human motor system and our knowledge of it. With new technologies come new abilities, and, in the area of medical care and rehabilitation, the need to expand our knowledge of the sensorimotor system comes from both the patient and physician.

Two studies relating to human force interaction are presented in this thesis. The first study

focuses on humans’ ability …

Effects Of Passive And Active Training Paradigms On Bone And Muscle Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury, Brittany Lynn King

Theses and Dissertations

The effects spinal cord injury (SCI) has have been studied in both human and animal models. Specifically in incomplete SCI, the bone degradation and muscle atrophy seen in the lower limbs has been documented, along with the effects of different training paradigms on bone and muscle loss. This study implemented a clinically relevant animal model of a moderate spinal contusion injury at the T9--T10 level, along with active body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) and passive bike training, to compare the effects such training methods have on the bone microstructure properties and muscle masses in the lower limbs of rats. …

Blood-Brain Barrier-On-A-Chip Systems Based On 3d Printing, Cade I. Harding

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research focused on the design and testing of a blood-brain barrier (BBB)-on-a-chip microfluidic device produced using 3D printing. First, COMSOL simulations were used to define dimensions of the microchannel that would most accurately replicate the flow environment imposed on the blood-brain barrier, the wall shear stress being the most important characteristic. In using COMSOL, water was used as the simulated fluid and also the testing fluid in the fabricated devices. Therefore, the microsystem is designed to produce the BBB environment using water instead of blood. The numerical simulation parameters were based on theoretical calculations performed to scale up the …

Development And Evaluation Of A Biocompatible Electroactive Sensor For Continuous Blood Pressure Measurement., Scott D. Cambron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Piezo-active composites have been implemented for sensing and transduction for decades. The 0-3 ceramic/polymer composite is one of the most common composite types used for sensing applications, owing to their tailorable properties of the two-phase composition, consisting of a three-dimensionally connected polymer/rubber matrix (inactive phase) with a dispersion of isolated piezo-ceramic particles (active phase). This thesis describes a method to develop novel biocompatible perivascular band comprised of a two-phase piezo-active composite to be fabricated using simple manufacturing processes. Biomaterials such as tissue scaffolds comprised of silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CS), and biocompatible soft rubbers will be implemented as the …

Development Of Peritoneal Microbubble Oxygenation As An Extrapulmonary Treatment For Hypoxia, Nathan Legband

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Patients affected by a respiratory disease or injury experience a substantially impaired respiratory system and as a consequence are unable to obtain a sufficient amount of oxygen. Hypoxia can quickly result in developing permanent tissue damage or death. Currently, the medical methods of treating hypoxia are mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. However, these treatments are ineffective in certain cases and possess significant additional risks including barotrauma, infection, hemorrhage, and thrombosis.

The extrapulmonary method of peritoneal oxygenation has been investigated by other research groups as a potential alternative to providing supplemental oxygen in hypoxic animals. In peritoneal oxygenation, the peritoneum, …

Design And Validation Of An In Vivo Long-Term Attachment Capsule Robot, Wanchuan Xie

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The invention of capsule endoscopy (CE) made the non-invasive monitoring of the entire small bowel possible and became the primary means for diagnosing small bowel pathology. In the last decade, capsule robots have been transformed from diagnostic devices into a widely studied biomedical platform with the potential for active locomotion, drug delivery and therapeutic capabilities. To perform accurate on-site drug release and therapy, it is necessary for a capsule robot to be able to attach to the intestinal tissue and maintain its position long-term. Design challenges derive from the task of long-term mucosal adhesion which requires firm, quick-response attachment without …

Method And Shear-Driven Micro-Fluidic Pump, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

United States Patent Application, Publication Number US 2017/0096990 A1, Publication Date April 6, 2017.

An example includes an apparatus to pump a fluid. The apparatus includes a housing extending along a length defining an elongate interior, an actuator in the housing, conforming to the elongate interior, the actuator including a plurality of lumens, each having a length extending substantially parallel to the elongate interior, each from around 10 to 200 micrometers across and an actuator configured to oscillate the actuator in the actuator housing along the length of the elongate interior with a rate differential between movement in a first …

Redesign Of Computer Keyboards For Hospital And Consumer Use, Kent Williams, Brian Jensen, Anton Bowden

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Application of carbon nanotube coatings to computer keyboards in order to reduce the spread of bacteria in hospitals and homes.

Keywords: carbon nanotube, bacteria, antimicrobial, keyboard, design, MRSA, biofilm

Soft-Tissue Artifact Compensation For Electromagnetic Motion Capture, George T. Dickinson, Steven K. Charles

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

This purpose of this study is to develop a soft-tissue artifact compensation algorithm for the upper arm using electromagnetic motion capture systems that can be implemented in a wide range of applications. This study focuses on compensation of humeral axial rotation and forearm axial rotation.

A Nanocomposite Sensor Neck Sleeve For Tracking In Vivo Spine Kinematics In The Alpaca, Colton Porter Graham, Anton Bowden

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Chronic low back pain in the US is often attributed to intervertebral disc degeneration. Camelids, particularly alpacas, pose a potential model for spinal treatment due to similarity of the spinal structure and vertical loading. Alpacas also exhibit a high rate of natural disc degeneration. To gain more understanding about how disc degeneration is caused in alpacas it is necessary to understand the loading and motion of the alpaca cervical spine. The goal of the present work was to incorporate nanocomposite sensors into a custom-designed neck sleeve to track the daily in-vivo neck motion of an alpaca in its natural environment.

Portable, Powerless Automation Of Valve Actuation For Microfluidic Large-Scale Integration Technology, Andrew Schmidt Mr., Matt Fitzgerald Mr., Emre Araci Mr., Connor Mcloughlin Mr.

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Portable, powerless automation of valve actuation for microfluidic large-scale integration technology

Biophysical Tools To Study Cellular Mechanotransduction, Ismeel Muhamed, Farhan Chowdhury, Venkat Maruthamuthu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The cell membrane is the interface that volumetrically isolates cellular components from the cell's environment. Proteins embedded within and on the membrane have varied biological functions: reception of external biochemical signals, as membrane channels, amplification and regulation of chemical signals through secondary messenger molecules, controlled exocytosis, endocytosis, phagocytosis, organized recruitment and sequestration of cytosolic complex proteins, cell division processes, organization of the cytoskeleton and more. The membrane's bioelectrical role is enabled by the physiologically controlled release and accumulation of electrochemical potential modulating molecules across the membrane through specialized ion channels (e.g., Na^⁺, Ca²⁺, K^⁺ channels). …

Development And Verification Of A Mechanical Loading Device For Microfluidics, Stefan Habean, Erin Tesny

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Establishing the role that mechanics play in nerve cell (e.g. neurons) function requires experimental testing. Microfluidic based experiments are commonly used to study neuron growth and function, and studies have found mechanics to play an important role in neuron health. External loads can be applied to a microfluidic device using a motor, which presumably influences the mechanical environment of the cells. While a motor can easily apply known displacements, a “load cell” is necessary to measure corresponding forces. In an existing prototype microfluidic loading device, a load cell was integrated and verified. The manufacturer's calibration of the load cell was …

Design And Control Of A Powered Rowing Machine With Programmable Impedance, Jose Humberto De La Casas Zolezzi

ETD Archive

Due to the rise of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, research in human performance and physical activity has received increased attention. Rowing machines are used for performance improvements through concentric exercises, however a combination of concentric and eccentric actions is known to improve the effectiveness of training. In this work, a conventional rowing machine was modified to include an electric motor and a robust impedance control system, enabling programmable impedance with concentric and eccentric capabilities. Eccentric exercises are known to contribute significantly to the efficacy of training and to diminish the detrimental effects of humans operating in microgravity for long …

Biomechanics Of Concussion: The Importance Of Neck Tension, Ron Jadischke

Wayne State University Dissertations

Linear and angular velocity and acceleration of the head are typically correlated to concussion. Despite improvements in helmet performance to reduce accelerations, a corresponding reduction in the incidence of concussion has not occurred (National Football League [NFL] 1996 – present).

There is compelling research that forces on and deformation to the brain stem are related to concussion. The brain stem is the center of control for respiration, blood pressure and heart rate and is the root of most cranial nerves. Injury to the brain stem is consistent with most symptoms of concussion reported in the National Football League and the …