Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Development Of An Online Wind Tunnel Support And Physocal Controls, David Tutunzhiu

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Vehicle Challenge, Jacob Steiner, David Kotovets, Evan Blitz, Luke Fetherston, Alex Colucy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The target goal of this project is for a team of students to design a vehicle which is based on human power as the primary mover of the system and achieves vehicle propulsion through the required use of hydraulics and pneumatics. In summary, the rider will power a pump that will generate pressure in order to move the fluid that drives the motor. This will result in the powered rotation of the wheels. As there are many possible designs, naturally, this means that the final design for the vehicle will have specific limitations such as weight and the required use …

Entertainment 721, Mark Hendricks, Noah John, Jadon Vanyo, Chelsea Payne

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project was to design a luxury, aesthetically pleasing entertainment system with a TV lift mechanism that could be remote controlled. The design would also include a cooling cabinet for gaming systems, a remote locking system, and additional storage. Using a morphological chart and weighted decision matrix for each subsystem key features were determined to be included in the design. Several performance benchmarks were determined to accomplish the team’s design. Almost every benchmark was successful in the build of the first prototype. Several heat calculations and FEA analyses were performed on the system to ensure the success …

Formula Sae Design Validation Through Lap Time Simulation, Noah Gresser, Akos Jasper, Michael Metropoulos, Paul Buczynski, James Volcansek

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Lap time simulation is capable of advancing Zips Racing into a new, modern era for future vehicle designs. Through the use of VI-grade simulation software, Zips Racing was able to validate its current combustion and electric vehicle designs in spite of the challenges brought on to the team as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this project, the design team gained an enhanced understanding of suspension designs and optimizations through the usage of computer simulations. As a result, the teams have a better understanding of the fundamental changes that need to occur to enhance the race team’s final race …

4040c Universal Tester Backup, Devan Keeling, John Bowen, Cameron Bosner, Jacob Lenart

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The 40 Series valve is one of Swagelok's highest volume part families of which 60,000 parts per year shipped are multi-ported. The multiport configuration requires a unique tester to ensure proper assembly and quality of upstream processes.

Due to the multiport configuration of these valves no alternate testing option exists, resulting in a high rate of customer disappointments per day should the equipment fail.

In addition to the tester's criticality, it has also been ranked as one of Swagelok's most unhealthy assets and is probable to experience extended downtime in the future.

This project proposes to design and build a …

Studying The Effects Of Initial Crack Angle On The Crack Propagation In Graphene Nano-Ribbon Through Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Vijay Kumar Pathak

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this research, we have worked on the brittle fracture of graphene nano-ribbon to explore the behavior of crack propagation at different crack angles. We have performed classical Molecular Dynamics simulations using LAMMPS at ten different crack angles between 0 degrees and 45 degrees, in an increment of 5 degrees to observe the parameters that dominate the crack path. The graphene nanoribbon is loaded in the zigzag direction by pulling it in the armchair direction with a pre-existing crack in the center. We have used OVITO for the visualization of the simulation. AIREBO potential is employed in this work because …

Thermomechanical Mechanisms That Cause Adhesion Of Aluminum High Pressure Die Castings To The Die, Alex Monroe

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In high pressure die casting (HPDC) of aluminum, cast material adhering to die is a significant defect. Adhesion occurs in two primary ways. The casting may stick preventing its removal from the die. Aluminum can also adhere to the die and buildup in local areas on the die surface with additional casting cycles. This second form of adhesion is called soldering. Lubricant is the best technology to control all forms of adhesion, but it comes at the cost of casting porosity, blisters, reduced die life, and increased die casting machine wear. New strategies to prevent adhesion are desired to eliminate …

Effect Of Feedrate, Depth Of Cut, Tool Material, And Toolpath On Dimensional Accuracy And Surface Roughness Of Milled Cfrp, Assem Hesham Almadani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigates the effect of different factors on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) milling, like feedrate, tool material, and cutting speed. CFRP offers excellent material properties, which led to the increase of the material in today's manufacturing industry. CFRP offers up to 2.25 times steel's modulus of elasticity at about a fifth of the weight and excellent thermal properties, which allow the use of this material in applications with high heat like automobiles. Many industries have implemented the use of CFRP in their applications, like airplanes and automobiles, which lead to a decrease in weight and increase in strength. …

Improving Real-Time Methane Monitoring In Longwall Coal Mines Through System Response Characterization Of A Multi-Nodal Methane Detection Network, Brian Philip Cappellini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Machine automation and atmospheric monitoring are used by many industries to improve safety and productivity in the workplace. The underground Methane Watchdog System (MWS) is a multi-nodal network of sensors currently under development. The MWS aims to improve safety and productivity by introducing 10 compact sampling units designed to be easily integrated within the current roof support equipment of the mine. Each unit contains an array of sensors used to continuously monitor the environmental conditions which include methane concentration, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. All MWS units report information back to a remote central processing hub (CPH) which collects nodal …

Phase-Field Fracture Modeling For Interlocking Micro-Architectured Materials, Shubham Sinha

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

It is fascinating to see how natural materials like teeth enamel, bone and nacre possess a very high stiffness and strength in spite of the fact that they are composed of minerals mostly. Studies have shown the reason for this aberration as the presence of weaker interfaces with intricate interlocking architectures at microscopic levels in these materials. Inspired by the architecture of these materials, micro-architectured sutures with jig-saw like geometry is being studied in this research study. The main focus of this study is to examine the effects of friction co-efficient and interlocking angles of the jig-saw tabs on pullout …

Nebulizer-Based Systems To Improve Pharmaceutical Aerosol Delivery To The Lungs, Benjamin M. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

Combining vibrating mesh nebulizers with additional new technologies leads to substantial improvements in pharmaceutical aerosol delivery to the lungs across therapeutic administration methods. In this dissertation, streamlined components, aerosol administration synchronization, and/or Excipient Enhanced Growth (EEG) technologies were utilized to develop and test several novel devices and aerosol delivery systems. The first focus of this work was to improve the poor delivery efficiency, e.g., 3.6% of nominal dose (Dugernier et al. 2017), of aerosolized medication administration to adult human subjects concurrent with high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, a form of continuous-flow non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The developed Low-Volume Mixer-Heater (LVMH) …

Cycloidal-Drive Joint Design For Wearable Exoskeletons, Abhi J. Rawal

Theses

This thesis's scope was to construct a highly back drivable and compact joint design that can be used for wearable exoskeletons specifically designed to assist with rehabilitation. A compact cycloidal gear transmission was designed to satisfy the compactness requirement while ensuring the minimum torque is required for backdriving the mechanism. The joint was designed based on the compact cycloidal drive specifications, and the backdrivability test was performed to measure the minimum torque required (1.20 Nm) to backdrive. The joint design incorporates various important features such as rotation lock feature to prevent hyperextension, a housing design that offers the benefit of …

User-Centred Scalable Big Data Visualizer For Power Consumption Data In The Electrical Secondary Distribution Network, Ellen Kalinga

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Establishment of Smart Grids for electrical power has been practised worldwide for the purpose of bringing reliability, security, and efficient management of electrical power networks for enhancing quality service to the society. Apart from the potential aim, smart grid has been a challenge to developing countries, including Tanzania from cost and technology point of view. Due to the use of many smart equipment involved in smart grids like Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) equipped with smart meters and sensors, handling and managing big data has been a challenge. Among the challenges is the issue of visualizing the Big Data due to …

Design And Control Techniques Of The Open-Circuit Subsonic Wind Tunnel With Closed Testing Section, Jamshid Yakhshilikov, Jamshid Inoyatkhodjaev

Acta of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent

This paper will describe the design and control techniques of the open-circuit subsonic wind tunnel with closed testing section (WT) for study purpose. The goal is to design a WT that can be tested at a wind speed of 30 m/s, where the desired cross-sectional area of the test chamber is 0.5x0.5 m. The pressure drop inside the WT has been calculated in order to select one of the available axial fans from the manufacturer’s catalog, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was performed to check the result. In order to obtain a smooth airflow in the test section, a proportional …

Thermo-Fluid Characterizations Of The Powder-Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Processes Using Laser And Electron Beam, M Shafiqur Rahman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The powder-bed fusion (PBF) process is a subdivision of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology where a heat source at a controlled speed selectively fuses regions of a powder-bed material to form three-dimensional (3-D) parts. Two of the most effective PBF processes are selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM), which can fabricate full-density metallic parts in a layer-by-layer fashion. In this study, thermal behavior and melt-pool dynamics in the PBF process are investigated by developing 3-D multiphysics-based thermo-fluid models for both SLM and EBAM, containing Ti-6Al-4V alloy as a powder-bed material. The laser and electron beams are modeled …

Numerical Simulations Of Directed Self-Assembly Methods In Di-Block Copolymer Films For Efficient Manufacturing Of Nanoscale Patterns With Long-Range Order, Joseph Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) has been shown as a viable method to achieve bulk fabrication of surface patterns with feature sizes smaller than those available through traditional photolithography. Under appropriate thermodynamic conditions, BCPs will self-assemble into ordered micro-domain morphologies, a desirable feature for many applications. One of the primary interests in this field of research is the application of thin-film BCPs to existing photolithography techniques. This “bottom-up” approach utilizes the self-assembled BCP nanostructures as a sacrificial templating layer in the lithographic process.

While self-assembly occurs spontaneously, extending orientational uniformity over centimeter-length scales remains a critical challenge. A …

Development Of A Pediatric Cardiac Assist Maglev Pump For Use With A Universal Driver System., Landon Heath Tompkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) remains the leading cause of death, affecting 26 million adults worldwide and 6.5 million adults in the United States. Pediatric HF patients have been a historically underserved population with few options for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy, a leading treatment as an alternative to heart transplantation. To address this clinical need, the Inspired Universal MagLev System is being developed; a low cost, universal magnetically levitated extracorporeal MCS system with interchangeable single-use pumps that will ultimately provide adult and pediatric patients ventricular and respiratory assist therapies. The Inspired Pediatric VAD is the first single-use pump application for this …

Molecular Mechanisms And Design Of Hydrogen-Bonded Materials For Thermal Applications, Jinlong He

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heat transfer at the nanoscale plays an important role in determining the reliability and performance of many innovative advanced materials technologies such as nanoelectronics, semiconductor, biomedical devices, polymers, and composites. Extensive efforts have been made to design materials with extraordinary thermal properties. However, fundamental understanding of heat transfer in many of these materials is still not lacking, because the thermal transport processes are governed by several factors including molecular morphology and chemical bonding. Among these factors, the atomic bonding between two dissimilar materials or within single materials is of particular interest due to its ubiquity and importance in physical processes. …

Understanding The Effects Of Long-Duration Spaceflight On Fracture Risk In The Human Femur Using Finite Element Analysis, Keyanna Brielle Henderson

Master's Theses

Long-duration spaceflight has been shown to have significant, lasting effects on the bone strength of astronauts and to contribute to age-related complications later in life. The microgravity environment of space causes a decrease in daily mechanical loading, which signals a state of disuse to bone cells. This affects the bone remodeling process, which is responsible for maintaining bone mass, causing an increase in damage and a decrease in density. This leads to bone fragility and decreases overall strength, posing a risk for fracture. However, there is little information pertaining to the timeline of bone loss and subsequent fracture risk.

This …

Data Analysis To Evaluate The Performance Of Breathing Masks Used For Filtering Nano-Level Particles At Manufacturing Sites, Gracia M. Dardano

Honors College Theses

The work performed in this research aims to evaluate the performance of commercially available breathing masks in filtering airborne nanoparticles at manufacturing sites. Nanoparticles are found virtually anywhere, from dust in a worksite to a simple sneeze. Therefore, they pose a substantial threat to human health as their velocity and volatility are high. This research analyzes if current efforts of breathing masks to hinder nanoparticles are effective, especially at manufacturing sites. Data has been collected in order to analyze the behavior of nanoparticles and to measure nanoparticle levels at manufacturing sites and its working environment. Data is statistical in nature …

Final Design Review Report: The Underdogs, Parker Johnson, Jack Montgomery, Katherine Thomas

Mechanical Engineering

Aspen is a three-legged dog with mobility issues from Berkeley, California. She was hit by a car and her rear left leg was amputated at the hip. Robin Swanson, Aspen's owner, and her friend, Audrey Beil, are the sponsors for this project. Jack Montgomery, Katherine Thomas, and Parker Johnson, “The Underdogs”, are tasked with helping Aspen regain some of her mobility and the ability to go on walks. Research was done into the problem by talking with the sponsors and looking into existing products, designs, and patents. This document, the Final Design Review Report, outlines the background information, problem specification, …

Portable Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion Test, Joe Blakewell, Tim Holt, Kevin Vartan

Mechanical Engineering

Turbine Technology Partners, LLC (TTP) is a company located in Santa Barbara, California that provides expert independent engineering (IE) consulting services to the wind energy industry - supporting its goal of generating cost effective and reliable carbon-free renewal energy for the world. TTP customers include some of the largest wind turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), wind turbine power plant developers, and wind turbine owner/operators. One of the biggest problems challenging the wind energy industry currently is the power loss that results from the leading edge (LE) erosion of wind turbine blades. The purpose of our senior design project is to …

2 Degree Of Freedom Robotic Leg, Oded Tzori, Henry Terrell, Adan Martinez

Mechanical Engineering

Professor Xing, an assistant professor at Cal Poly, proposed the 2 DOF Robotic Leg project for this quarter’s senior project class. The project is to build a robotic leg attached at the hip to a stand, which will be used as a teaching tool and eventually help develop Cal Poly’s very own robotic quadruped. Since this project has multiple uses after its completion, there are multiple customers that it must perform well for: the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department, the ME Lab instructors, and the students. The Scope of Work (Sections 2 & 3) is composed of 2 main …

Adaptable Classroom And Workspace Table, Emily Richter, Aaron Mccallister, Jett Bolusan

Mechanical Engineering

Mr. Michael Brennan, entrepreneur and founder of Co-Act Furniture, presented the problem of a classroom and workspace table that can be quickly, easily, and safely reconfigured to accommodate different types of collaboration and learning within a limited space. Current classroom and workspace furniture lacks modularity, which limits the usability of the space. Different groups use the same room to learn in different ways; adjustable furniture would benefit their learning and productivity. Mr. Brennan has developed several prototype tables with varying features, including adjustable angle, height, and tabletop surface area. Our team, composed of three mechanical engineering students, has a project …

Deep-Sea Water Collector, Chandler Jones, Jenny Verheul, Michael Di Giorgio

Mechanical Engineering

Properties such as nutrients, DNA, pH levels, and primary productivity are difficult to measure onboard an Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (UROV) as mobile submarine sensors are highly expensive and conventional water capture devices are too large to be equipped. However, these properties provide an integral view into our oceans, the species that inhabit them, and our influence on the environment. Collected samples of seawater taken back to labs allow researchers to see a clearer picture of ecosystems’ inhabitants and lifecycle with the analysis of Environmental DNA (eDNA) among many other properties. The scope of this project is to design a …

Modular Attachment System For Tactical Robot, Michelle K. Chandler, Jacob A. Nelson, Adam V. Ivelia, Quang Truong

Mechanical Engineering

The goals of this report are to clearly define the problem and the scope of this project, present information regarding background design research, explain the process taken to reach the final design, go over the part procurement and manufacturing process, outline the assembly steps, and verify the design against the criteria through testing. The problem and scope of the project were defined using the constraints provided by the project sponsor, Blueline robotics. Blueline needs a modular attachment system for their tactical robot. The completed background research contains existing robot solutions that deal with similar tasks. Many of these existing robots …

Resistive Switching In Fto/Cuo-Cu2o/Au Memory Devices, Amir Shariffar, Haider Salman, Tanveer A. Siddique, Wafaa Gebril, M. Omar Manasreh

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Memristors are considered to be next-generation non-volatile memory devices owing to their fast switching and low power consumption. Metal oxide memristors have been extensively investigated and reported to be promising devices, although they still suffer from poor stability and laborious fabrication process. Herein, we report a stable and power-efficient memristor with novel heterogenous electrodes structure and facile fabrication based on CuO-Cu2O complex thin films. The proposed structure of the memristor contains an active complex layer of cupric oxide (CuO) and cuprous oxide (Cu2O) sandwiched between fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and gold (Au) electrodes. The fabricated memristors demonstrate bipolar resistive switching …

Agent-Based Modelling Of Values: The Case Of Value Sensitive Design For Refugee Logistics, Christine Boshuijzen-Van Burken, Ross J. Gore, Frank Dignum, Lamber Royakkers, Phillip Wozny, F. Leron Shults

VMASC Publications

We have used value sensitive design as a method to develop an agent-based model of values in humanitarian logistics for refugees. Schwartz’s theory of universal values is implemented in the model in such a way that agents can make value trade-offs, which are operationalized into a measure of refugee wellbeing and a measure of public opinion about how the refugee logistics is being handled. By trying out different ‘value scenarios’, stakeholders who are responsible for, or involved in refugee logistics can have insights into the effects of various value choices. The model is visualized and made usable as a platform …

Development Of An Augmented Reality Based Facility Layout Planning And Optimization, Tan Chee Hau

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study presents an augmented reality (AR) based facility layout planning (FLP) system with an optimization algorithm to assist facility layout designers in decision making. AR is a technology that blends virtual data such as 3 Dimensional (3D) model into the actual world. FLP is about the allocation of facilities to achieve smooth, efficient and effective processes. FLP’s research can be divided into the procedural approach, algorithmic approach, Virtual Reality (VR) and AR-based approaches. AR-based FLP effectively addressed the traditional FLP issues such as facilitating the addition of a new machine in an existing production floor, rearrangement of machines’ sequence, …

An Affordable And Portable Palpable System For Sensing Breast Tissue Abnormalities, Cody J. Clarke

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

Due to the high cost of equipment and lack of trained personnel, manual palpation is a preferred alternative breast examination technique over mammography. The process involves a thorough search pattern using trained fingers and applying adequate pressure, with the objective of identifying solid masses from the surrounding breast tissue. However, palpation requires skills that must be obtained through adequate training in order to ensure proper diagnosis. Consequently, palpation performance and reporting techniques have been inconsistent. Automating the palpation technique would optimize the performance of self-breast examination, optimize clinical breast examinations (CBE), and enable the visualization of breast abnormalities as well …