Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Pneumatic Latched Demultiplexer Circuit For Controlling Multi-Actuator Soft Robots, Arsh Noor Amin

Master’s Theses

This thesis presents a novel method for controlling multi-actuator soft robots using pneumatic latched demultiplexer circuits implemented with monolithic membrane valves. The pneumatic circuits are designed to address the problems of heavy dependence on hard electrical components and lack of feasible multi-actuator soft robotic systems that limit the potential applications of soft robotics. The proposed pneumatic demultiplexers reduce the number of solenoid valves and electrical components required to drive soft robotic systems, making soft robot control mechanisms more compliant, scalable, and versatile. The thesis demonstrates the design, fabrication, and testing of 4-bit and n-bit pneumatic demultiplexer circuits that can control …

Nidec Automated Winder, Michael Pugh, Ben A. Swartz, Andrew Leonard, Garrett Dostal

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nidec Drive Systems is a leading electric motor manufacturing company with several facilities in the US and around the world. However, as of recent, Nidec has started to see some signs of old and outdated production machines affecting their production numbers even though the demand for electric is ever increasing. In an attempt to repair some of these issues, Nidec reached out to the University of Akron to look for senior design groups to help design and standardize better production machines. We were tasked with redesigning a new winder, which is a machine that winds the copper coils to the …

Novel Bayesian Neural Networks And Uncertainty Quantification Of Computational Mechanics Models, Ponkrshnan Thiagarajan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Computational and data-driven models suffer from a wide range of uncertainties that impact the reliability of such models. Given the exponential proliferation of machine learning models in real-world systems, establishing a degree of confidence in their predictions becomes paramount. Reliability in predictions takes on utmost significance in domains such as autonomous driving, medical image analysis, etc., where human lives are involved, and inaccuracies in predictions could lead to disastrous outcomes. For these reasons, comprehending and quantifying uncertainties in computational and data-driven models is of utmost importance. A number of techniques have been developed to quantify uncertainties in machine learning models. …

Development Of Automated Egg Incubator With Backup Power Supply, Allen N. Maroma, Dolly P. Maroma, Bernardo A. Pangilinan

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This study addresses the development of an automated egg incubator with backup power supply that could benefit farmer communities through the developmental research approach. A prototype is developed to respond to the needs for uninterrupted incubation which is affected by the frequent power outages that reduce its efficiency in egg handling. In this project, the automated egg incubator with a backup power supply is designed to hatch a capacity of 150 eggs (75 setters and 75 hatchers) every 21 days, ensuring continuous operation even in the absence of a consistent power supply. An inverter, connected to a battery, ensures a …

Enhancing Traffic Safety In Unpredicted Environments With Integration Of Adas Features With Sensor Fusion In Intelligent Electric Vehicle Platform With Implementation Of Environmental Mapping Technology, David S. Obando Ortegon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A major objective on society is to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the road for drivers, and pedestrians. Therefore, the automotive engineering field is working on this problem through the development and integration of safety technologies such as advanced driving assistance systems. For this reason, this work was intended to develop and evaluate the performance of different ADAS features and IV technologies under unexpected scenarios. This by the development of safety algorithms applied to the intelligent electric vehicle designed and built in this work, through the use of ADAS sensors based on sensor fusion. Evaluation of AEB, …

Evaluating The Impact Of Increased Cycling On Thermal Power Plants Due To Wind Energy Penetration In The Midwest: A Case Study, Joscelyne Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. However, fossil fuels are still necessary to fulfill the world’s energy requirements. Despite efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, these sources can be at times unreliable, causing countries around the world to continue to rely on base load units such as coal and natural gas. This decrease in fossil fuels and increase in renewable energy sources presents many complex issues in terms of power system planning, …

Imitation Learning For Swarm Control Using Variational Inference, Hafeez Olafisayo Jimoh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Swarms are groups of robots that can coordinate, cooperate, and communicate to achieve tasks that may be impossible for a single robot. These systems exhibit complex dynamical behavior, similar to those observed in physics, neuroscience, finance, biology, social and communication networks, etc. For instance, in Biology, schools of fish, swarm of bacteria, colony of termites exhibit flocking behavior to achieve simple and complex tasks. Modeling the dynamics of flocking in animals is challenging as we usually do not have full knowledge of the dynamics of the system and how individual agent interact. The environment of swarms is also very noisy …

Solid-State Electrolytes For Long Duration Molten Sodium Batteries, Ryan C. Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Rechargeable batteries have become a staple of modern society, driving the development and expansion of portable electronics and electric vehicles. The long lifetime and high energy density provided by batteries have made them excellent candidates for use in the emerging field of long duration, grid-scale energy storage. However, traditional battery chemistries, such as Li-ion, are not an ideal solution for grid-scale storage, due to high-cost raw materials that are often sourced from volatile markets. Sodium-based batteries are a promising alternative for long duration storage, owing to the domestic abundance of raw materials and energy densities that nearly rival that of …

System Analysis Of An Internal Combustion Engine (Ice) – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (Sofc) Hybrid Cycle, Jose Javier Colon Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy and the rigid operation of existing coal plants, the need for flexible power generation technology is eminent. Hybrid energy systems have shown potential for flexible, grid following dynamics while maintaining higher efficiencies. The work below focuses on the performance analysis of a proposed 100 kW pressurized Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) hybrid system. The un-utilized fuel from the SOFC stack provided the chemical energy to operate the engine. A turbocharger was used to deliver the necessary air flow for both the stack and engine. An external reformer …

Technical And Economic Feasibility Of A Microgrid For A Fire Station In Humboldt County, California., Nishaant Kumar Sinha

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Microgrids are emerging as a promising solution to unreliable grid energy. Today, California is not only witnessing grid resiliency challenges from natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, floods and heatwaves, but it is also seeking to green the grid and bring more renewables online. For example, Humboldt County, where this project is focused, has recently experienced an earthquake of 6.4M (on December 22nd, 2022), which shut down the regional grid for ~20 hours.

Microgrid adoption enables critical facilities to operate seamlessly. The Humboldt Bay Fire Station (HBFS) No.1 is one such example, where first responders work to protect citizens against …

A Semantic Web Approach To Fault Tolerant Autonomous Manufacturing, Fadi El Kalach, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Ramy Harik, Amit Sheth

Publications

The next phase of manufacturing is centered on making the switch from traditional automated to autonomous systems. Future factories are required to be agile, allowing for more customized production, and resistance to disturbances. Such production lines would be able to reallocate resources as needed and minimize downtime while keeping up with market demands. These systems must be capable of complex decision-making based on parameters such as machine status, sensory/IoT data, and inspection results. Current manufacturing lines lack this complex capability and instead focus on low-level decision-making on the machine level without utilizing the generated data to its full extent. This …

Energy Assessment Of E-Motorcycles As A Clean Transport Mode For Passenger Mobility: A Case Of Ilala District, Dar Es Salaam, John Shirima

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Electric motorcycles or e-motorcycles is a clean mode of road transport that present a prominent solution toward decarbonizing cities. Despite of e-motorcycles being cleaner than gasoline ones, at the moment, there is missing information whether it is feasible to replace gasoline motorcycles with e-motorcycles used for business transport purposes. This paper, therefore, presents the results comparing energy usage when using e-motorcycles and when using the gasoline motorcycles. The energy demand for driving passengers using an e-motorcycle in the precarious routes originated from Gongo la Mboto bus stop to Segerea bus stop, Buguruni Malapa, Gerezani bus stop, Kivukoni bus stop, and …

Review Of The Imaging Performance And The Current Status Of The Cascade Gamma-Rays Coincidence Imagers, Leonid L. Nkuba Dr.

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Various studies that have investigated the detection of gamma coincidence events have revealed that design factors and image reconstruction approaches dictate the spatial resolution, coincidence efficiency, and levels of statistical noise of the detection system. In the case of imaging, cascade gamma-ray coincidence (CGC) imagers coupled with collimated detectors offer promising values for both spatial resolution and coincidence efficiency. However, to date, no CGC imager with single or multiple collimated detectors has reported a performance level beyond 6.7 mm spatial resolution (FWHM) and 6.0 × 10-6 coincidence efficiency. Given the recent developments and the current interests in high resolution and …

Lead Acid Battery Recycling In The Current Tanzania Industrialization Drive: Challenges And Opportunities, Divina D. Kaombe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

ABSTRACT Advancements in automotive technologies, Information and Communications Technology and renewable energy technologies have increased the use of lead acid batteries as a source of portable and rechargeable energy. This has considerably increased the number of spent batteries with adverse effects on the environment and human health; which calls for recycling of spent batteries. This work was conducted to investigate challenges facing the formal business of recycling spent batteries and potential manufacturers of new lead-acid batteries in Tanzania. The work involved collection of information from key stakeholders such as collectors, dealers, Tanzania Revenue Authority and recyclers. It was found out …

Damage Stability Study Of A 500 Dw Ro-Ro Ferry Vessel, Zulfaidah Ariany, Budhi Santoso, Sarwoko Sarwoko, Nauval Abdurrahman Prasetyo

Makara Journal of Technology

The development of the crossing transportation industry is currently increasing in the island areas. The use of Ro-Ro type ferry boats is extremely efficient in moving people, goods, and vehicles. The current research focuses on the damage stability of the 500 DWT Ro-Ro ferry, which aims to meet the needs of the Ro-Ro ferry in the archipelago area. The previously existing initial design of a barge hull with a main size Lpp = 40.15 m, B = 12 m, H = 3.2 m, and T = 2.15 m was used to analyze the damage stability condition further. First, the drawings …

Novel Locomotion Methods In Magnetic Actuation And Pipe Inspection, Adam Cox

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

There is much room for improvement in tube network inspections of jet aircraft. Often, these inspections are incomplete and inconsistent. In this paper, we develop a Modular Robotic Inspection System (MoRIS) for jet aircraft tube networks and a corresponding kinematic model. MoRIS consists of a Base Station for user control and communication, and robotic Vertebrae for accessing and inspecting the network. The presented and tested design of MoRIS can travel up to 9 feet in a tube network. The Vertebrae can navigate in all orientations, including smooth vertical tubes. The design is optimized for nominal 1.5" outside diameter tubes. We …

Cyber-Secure Distributed Control Of Microgrids With Improved Communication And Control Protocols, Jee Won Choi

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation proposes a cyber-secure distributed control of microgrids with improved communication and control protocols. The finite-time event-triggered control protocol for islanded AC and DC secondary control is introduced. For AC microgrids, the proposed strategy can effectively perform frequency restoration and voltage regulations while sharing the active and reactive power among the distributed generators (DGs) based on their power ratings. For DC microgrids, the proposed control protocol can provide accurate current sharing and critical bus voltage regulation. The finite-time control enables a system to reach a consensus in a finite period of time enhanced from asymptotic convergence. The event-triggered communication …

The Rise Of Terrorism In Africa And What It Means For U.S. Policymakers, Bridget Mary Hughes

Master's Theses

This thesis utilizes three case studies to measure the rise of terrorism in Africa. This qualitative data leads the reader to one ultimate question: what does the rise in terrorism in Africa mean for the United States (U.S.) and U.S. policymakers, National Security academia, students in National Security, if anything at all? The answer is: if civilian and military compounds are being targeted by these violent extremists, as these three case studies demonstrate, it is my recommendation that U.S. policymakers cease sending troops to the African theater and, instead, allocate funding to the citizens and nonprofits of the countries whom …

Modeling, Control And Estimation Of Reconfigurable Cable Driven Parallel Robots, Adhiti Raman Thothathri

All Dissertations

The motivation for this thesis was to develop a cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) as part of a two-part robotic device for concrete 3D printing. This research addresses specific research questions in this domain, chiefly, to present advantages offered by the addition of kinematic redundancies to CDPRs. Due to the natural actuation redundancy present in a fully constrained CDPR, the addition of internal mobility offers complex challenges in modeling and control that are not often encountered in literature.

This work presents a systematic analysis of modeling such kinematic redundancies through the application of reciprocal screw theory (RST) and Lie algebra while …

Performance Comparison Of Several Control Algorithms For Tracking Control Of Pantograph Mechanism, Laylaa Mahmoud Eng, Mohamed Shamseldin Dr, Mohamed Sallam Dr, Abdelghany Mohamed Prof

Future Engineering Journal

A sort of parallel manipulator known as a pantograph robot mechanism was created primarily for industrial requests that required high precision and satisfied speed. While tracking a chosen trajectory profile requires a powerful controller. Because it has four active robot links and one robot passive link in place of just two links like the open chain does, it can carry more loads than the open chain robot mechanism while maintaining accuracy and stability. The calculated model for a closed chain pantograph robot mechanism presented in this paper takes into account the boundary conditions. For the purpose of simulating the dynamics …

Relative Rate Observer Self-Tuning Of Fuzzy Pid Virtual Inertia Control For An Islanded Microgrid, Ahmed H. Mohamed, Helmy M. El Zoghby, Mohiy Bahgat, A. M. Abdel Ghany

Future Engineering Journal

Expanding the usage of renewable energy in islanded microgrids leads to a reduction in its total inertia. Low inertia microgrids have difficulties in voltage and frequency control. That affected saving its stability and preventing a blackout. To improve low inertia islanded microgrids' dynamic response and save their stability, this paper presented relative rate observer self-tuning fuzzy PID (RROSTF-PID) based on virtual inertia control (VIC) for an islanded microgrid with a high renewable energy sources (RESs) contribution. RROSTF-PID based on VIC's success in showing remarkable improvement in the microgrid's dynamic response and enhancement of its stability. Moreover, it handles different contingency …

Material Characterization And Comparison Of Sol-Gel Deposited And Rf Magnetron Deposited Lead Zirconate Titanate Thin Films, Katherine Lynne Miles

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been a material of interest for sensor, actuator, and transducer applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This is due to their favorable piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties. While various methods are available to deposit PZT thin films, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was selected to provide high quality PZT films with the added capability of batch processing. These sputter deposited PZT films were characterized to determine their internal film stress, Young’s modulus, composition, and structure. After characterization, the sputtered PZT samples were poled using corona poling and direct poling methods. As a means of comparison, commercially …

Hypoxic Incubation Chamber, Simone Lisette Helfrich, Makenzie Nicole Jones

Biomedical Engineering: Graduate Reports and Projects

This paper describes the design, manufacturing, and testing of a novel controllable hypoxic incubator with fully functional oxygen gas control and temperature control in a humid environment. On the current market, a majority of the few hypoxic incubators use pre-mixed gas that does not offer precise control over gas concentration. The objective for this project was to create a chamber that allows the user to set the O2 concentration to varying set points of % O2 while maintaining the chamber at a constant body temperature, CO2 level, humidity, and sterility. To start the project, multiple concepts were developed for the …

Hypoxic Incubation Chamber, Simone Lisette Helfrich, Makenzie Nicole Jones

Master's Theses

This paper describes the design, manufacturing, and testing of a novel controllable hypoxic incubator with fully functional oxygen gas control and temperature control in a humid environment. On the current market, a majority of the few hypoxic incubators use pre-mixed gas that does not offer precise control over gas concentration. The objective for this project was to create a chamber that allows the user to set the O2 concentration to varying set points of % O2 while maintaining the chamber at a constant body temperature, CO2 level, humidity, and sterility. To start the project, multiple concepts were developed for the …

Multi-Robot Symbolic Task And Motion Planning Leveraging Human Trust Models: Theory And Applications, Huanfei Zheng

All Dissertations

Multi-robot systems (MRS) can accomplish more complex tasks with two or more robots and have produced a broad set of applications. The presence of a human operator in an MRS can guarantee the safety of the task performing, but the human operators can be subject to heavier stress and cognitive workload in collaboration with the MRS than the single robot. It is significant for the MRS to have the provable correct task and motion planning solution for a complex task. That can reduce the human workload during supervising the task and improve the reliability of human-MRS collaboration. This dissertation relies …

Investigation Of Polymer Nanocomposites With Silicon Dioxide Fillers As Helium Cooled High-Temperature Superconducting Cable Dielectrics, Jordan Thomas Cook

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, three polymer nanocomposite configurations are fabricated for investigation as dielectrics in helium-cooled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cables. Polyimide, polyamide, and polymethyl methacrylate are utilized as host polymers. The composite samples are synthesized through an in situ process, dispersing silicon dioxide nanoparticles throughout the polymer hosts. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to validate the synthesis of each composite configuration. Thin film samples of each configuration were also tested for their dielectric strength at both room (300 K) and cryogenic (92 K) temperatures. When going from room to cryogenic temperatures, all materials demonstrated a significant …

Impulse, Fall 2022, University Marketing And Communications, Jerome J. Lohr College Of Engineering

Impulse (Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Publication)

2 | Sanjeev Kumar Takes Helm as College’s 12th Dean
5 | College Develops Partnerships in India, Turkey
6 | Faculty News
8 | Aerofly — Profs, Alum Partner To Build Unique Drone
10 | Researchers Find Way to Extend Produce Shelf Life
12 | SDSU Claims National Title in Quarter-Scale Tractors
14 | Nation’s Top ASCE Chapter Housed at SDSU
16 | National Geo-Video Title Won By State Students
18 | Summer Brings Engineering Camps to Campus
20 | Haleigh Timmer — Money on the Court, In Classroom
22 | Daniel Burkhalter — Day in the Life of Student-Athlete …

Metaversekg: Knowledge Graph For Engineering And Design Application In Industrial Metaverse, Utkarshani Jaimini, Tongtao Zhang, Georgia Olympia Brikis

Publications

While the term Metaverse was first coined by the author Neal Stephenson in 1992 in his science fiction novel “Snow Crash”, today the vision of an integrated virtual world is becoming a reality across different sectors. Applications in gaming and consumer products are gaining traction, industrial metaverse applications are, still in their early stages of development with one of the challenges being interoperability across various metaverse development platforms and existing software tools. In this work we propose the use of a knowledge graph based semantic data exchange layer, the Metaverse Knowledge Graph, to enable seamless transfer of information across platforms. …

Development Of Method To Characterize Adhesion Of Electrically Conductive Adhesive For Flexible Electronics, Joshua Corbin

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

No abstract provided.

Developing A Self-Navigating Robot To Map Disaster Regions, Lily Compher

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

No abstract provided.