Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

The Acoustic Camera As A Tool To Identify Belt Conveyor Noises, Piotr Bortnowski, Anna Nowak-Szpak, Maksymilian Ozdoba, Robert Król

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper explores the possibilities of using an acoustic camera as a tool that allows the verification of the correct construction and operation of individual elements of a belt conveyor. Based on the simultaneously recorded components - a video camera and measuring microphones, the sound pressure level map of the belt conveyor was created. The tests were carried out in laboratory conditions and covered the location and identification of individual noise sources. The verification consists not only of searching for dominant sound sources, but above all, of searching for frequencies in the analysed spectrum that should not occur during their …

Energy Consumption And Lifecycle Assessment Comparison Of Cutting Fluids For Drilling Titanium Alloy, Navneet Khanna, Prassan Shah, Jwalant Wadhwa, Anjali Pitroda, Julius M. Schoop, Franci Pusavec

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

This study analyzes four cutting conditions (dry, flood, Liquid CO 2 (LCO2), and Liquid N2 (LN 2)) based on energy consumption and ecological impacts for drilling VT-20, a Titanium alloy. The lower cutting and total energy have been consumed for LCO2 as compared to others. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis has been performed using ReCiPe 2016 midpoint (H) to identify the impact of cutting conditions on ecosystem, human health, and natural resources. Cryogenic environment with LN 2 has been found as the most ecological cutting condition next to dry machining, while flood coolant has 94-99% of total impact considering …

On The Improvements Of Boundary-Layer Representation For High Resolution Weather Forecasting In Costal-Urban Environments, David Melecio-Vazquez

Dissertations and Theses

As large urban centers around the world become more densely populated, the global conversion from natural to man-made land surfaces will only increase. These land-use changes affect the urban surface energy budget which in turn changes the structure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) above. With current high-performance computing systems, meteorological and built environment information can be better utilized to quantify the anthropogenic effects of these modifications. Although these systems have improved forecasting near-surface weather conditions, a comprehensive approach to represent urban impacts on the PBL is still limited. Improved PBL representation can lead to better weather and climate forecasts, …

Sustainability Assessment Of Direct Energy Deposition (Ded) Based Hybrid Manufacturing Using Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Method, Faujia Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As sustainability has emerged as a highlight for almost every field over the last few decades, the manufacturing field is no exception. Generally, additive manufacturing performs better than traditional manufacturing in terms of sustainability because of its lean energy- and material usage. Previous studies have compared the sustainability performance between traditional and additive manufacturing, but hybrid manufacturing was not focused upon much. In this paper, the life cycle assessment method is used to analyze and compare the energy consumption and environmental impact of direct energy deposition (DED) based hybrid manufacturing and traditional manufacturing “CNC milling” process for a turbine blade. …

Investigation Of A Machine-Plant Interface For Extracting Rooted Invasive Aquatic Plants, Brad Baas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The current solutions for managing rooted aquatic invasive plants are time consuming, have negative environmental impacts, or are cost-limiting for management organizations. The most effective treatment method is hand pulling, but hand pulling is not a feasible solution for a whole lake. A new device, the invasive aquatic plant extractor, aims to replace human divers who hand pull plants with a mechanical system. The device implements a machine-plant interface that resembles the tines of a fork. These tines will be pushed linearly through the substrate, and then raised from the substrate with the plant caught in the tines. The primary …

Indoor Air Quality Impacts Of A Woodstove Exchange Program In Washington County, Oregon, Matthew Forrest Survilo

Dissertations and Theses

More than six million people in the United States use wood stoves as their primary heat source. Wood stoves emit air pollutants that may impact health, e.g., wood combustion products are associated with premature death and aggravation of pulmonary and cardiovascular conditions. There are few studies investigating the efficacy of wood stove exchange programs (WSEPs) as a method to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). In partnership with Washington County Department of Health and Human Services we conducted an air quality study to measure the impact of a WSEP on indoor and neighborhood levels of wood combustion products. Twenty households engaged …

Feasibility Study On Environmental Protection Reform Of Ship Stern Tube System Based On Water Lubrication, Yang Cui

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Potential Energy Generation From Agricultural Residue In Indonesia, Adrian Rizqi Irhamna

International Programs

Indonesia has great potential of biomass sources from their agricultural residue, which can potentially be used for alternative energy generation. This preliminary research explores the most suitable technology for energy generation from agricultural residue and its challenge for application in Indonesia. The study showed that biomass utilization via the direct combustion process is recommended for energy generation. It is also reported that the pretreatment process of drying and washing, are required to increase the fuel quality and plant efficiency.

Applying Renewable Energies Against Climate Change: Solar Photovoltaic (Pv) Energy, Juan Jose Estribi

International Programs

In recent years, more efforts towards fighting climate change have been done. As a direct response, research and technology have offered several insights regarding the specific causes, effects, and even possible solutions for resolving this global issue. Among these solutions, renewable energies and their potential contributions as clean energy sources can be assessed as feasible options for the energy transformation through the decarbonization process of the energy industry. This poster is mainly focused on solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and its great potential as a renewable energy by making a brief assessment of some important aspects such as resource availability, its …

Feasibility Study On Concentrated Solar Power Plants In Malaysia, De Jen Choy

Student Works (2020-2029)

The rapidly growing economy and population in Southeast Asia has elevated the need for affordable, secured, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. One such energy source is solar energy which is a suitable energy source for most Southeast Asian countries which are within the Sun Belt region. This study performs a performance and financial analysis on concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies, specifically the solar power tower (SPT) in the Malaysian environment through the use of simulation software. The significance of the study lies in the fact that limited research has been done on CSP technologies in Malaysia and the study …

Mental Workload Investigation Among Employees In A Selected Oil And Gas Company, C. Moosom Christyne Surindai

Student Works (2020-2029)

In recent years, there has been a substantial amount of studies being conducted in mental workload and mental health but there is little research conducted in the Malaysian context especially in the oil and gas field. This gives rise to the need for researching the level of mental workload and mental health problems that will help the stakeholders to protect the wellbeing of their employees. This study aims to investigate the mental workload and level of depression, anxiety and stress scale of employees in a selected oil and gas company by using CarMen-Q and DASS-21 mental health assessment tools, finds …

Optimization Of Bioethanol Production, Engine Performance And Exhaust Emissions From Manihot Glaziovii And Sweet Sorghum In A Spark Ignition Engine, Sebayang Abdi Hanra

Student Works (2020-2029)

The ever-increasing fossil fuel consumption over the years is attributable to economic and population growth, which in turn, increases greenhouse gas emissions. Bioethanol is one of the promising solutions to address the depletion of fossil fuels as well as environmental problems. Manihot glaziovii tubers and sweet sorghum grains are inedible feedstocks that can be used for bioethanol production. The carbohydrate content (70%) of these biomasses makes them suitable as feedstocks for bioethanol production. In this study, enzymatic hydrolysis (liquefaction and saccharification) was used to obtain the reduction of sugars. The enzymes α-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis Type XII-A and amyloglucosidase from …

Quantifying The Environmental Impacts Of Cookstove Transitions A Societal Exergy Analysis Based Model Of Energy Consumption And Forest Stocks In Honduras, Noah Ver Beek, Elvin Vindel, Matthew K. Heun, Paul E. Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Unsustainable consumption of biofuels contributes to deforestation and climate change, while household air pollution from burning solid biofuels in homes results in millions of premature deaths globally every year. Honduras, like many low and medium Human Development Index countries, depends on primary solid biofuels for more than 30% of its primary energy supply (as of 2013). We conducted a societal exergy analysis and developed a forest stock model for Honduras for 1971–2013 and used the results to model an energy transition from traditional wood stoves to either improved efficiency wood cookstoves or modern fuel cookstoves (using Electricity or Liquefied petroleum …

Compound Flooding In Coastal Areas Emanating From Inland And Offshore Events, Hamed Behzad Koochaksaraii

Dissertations

The vulnerability of urban populations to natural hazards and climate change is a major theme in many reports on coastal cities with flooding ranking highly among the climate change concerns. Flooding could occur as a result of runoff for inland rainfall that accumulates at the mouth of the estuary to the sea or it could occur due to a storm surge emanating from the ocean. The techniques for modeling the flooding from these events are very different, as they were developed in different scientific fields: hydrology and hydraulic engineering for inland rainfall versus coastal oceanography and coastal engineering for offshore …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2020, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Utilization Of Recycled Filament For 3d Printing For Consumer Goods, Alexa Peterson

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The 3D printing market has been used in a wide variety of manufacturing industries including textile and apparel. Many consumers can now own a personal 3D printer at home for recreational printing. There are even websites dedicated to 3D printing patterns made by consumers. However, the materials used in the 3D printing process pose a problem for the environment due to their plastic-based nature. 3D printing is a layered process with each layer being printed depending on the layer below it for strength and stability. During the 3D printing process, great amounts of waste are produced as a result of …

An Assessment Of Renewable Energy Technology Implementation In Storrs, Connecticut: Emissions Reduction And Feasibility Of A Microgrid System At Uconn, Sophie Macdonald

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this project is to design a clean energy-sourced microgrid for UConn’s main campus that would reduce the university’s energy emissions while remaining within the geographic boundaries of viable UConn-owned land. Economic cost was not considered in this analysis; instead, emissions and space constraints were the optimized measures of value and feasibility. Sources of energy that were considered include photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, hydrokinetic systems, and fuel cells. Energy storage capacity was included in the analysis as well. The overall system was optimized first by ignoring space constraints and for a minimum of 10% reduction from the current …

Efficiency Analysis Of Harvesting Solar Energy To Perform Mechanical Work, Haden S. Bragg

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The majority of the world’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels; in fact, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) states that the U.S. used fossil fuels to generate 62.7 % of its electricity in 2019 [1]. The goal of this research was to create a system that could perform mechanical work using only renewable resources. We built a solar charging station that uses two solar panels to generate electricity and an electric bicycle whose battery can be charged using the charging station. The efficiency for the type of solar cell used in this project is well established. Therefore, in …

Reverse Osmosis; Addressing Freshwater Shortage With Sustainable Desalination, Jessica Savage

Sustainability Conference

Water security is an imperative part of high-functioning societies. Currently, large populations of the globe live in water-impoverished or water-stressed areas. With climate change and growing global populations, projections show more people being impacted by issues of water shortage.

One solution to water security is the implementation of desalination, specifically with reverse osmosis systems. This presentation walks through the history, capabilities, future work, and explanations on how reverse osmosis systems work. With continued research on improving desalination, communities in both developed and developing nations around the world can work towards total water security.

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker, Bryan Kennedy

All Undergraduate Projects

Renewable energies, and fuels that are not fossil fuel-based, are one of the prolific topics of debate in modern society. With climate change now becoming a primary focus for scientists and innovators of today, one of the areas for the largest amount of potential and growth is that of the capturing and utilization of Solar Energy. This method involves using a mechanical system to track the progression of the sun as it traverses the sky throughout the day. A dual-axis solar tracker such as the one designed and built for this project, can follow the sun both azimuthally and in …

Characterization, Modeling, And Thermal Management Of High-Performance Lithium Batteries, Minjun Bae

Wayne State University Theses

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, as one of the most advanced commercial rechargeable batteries, play a crucial role in modern society as they are extensively used in portable electronic devices. Nevertheless, the limited electrochemical performance and poor thermal management systems of Li-ion batteries have hindered the expansion of their future applications. In search of alternative electrode materials to develop a battery with higher electrochemical performance, lithium (Li) metal has attracted much attention as an ideal alternative anode material due to its high specific capacity and lowest redox potential. However, needle-like Li dendritic growth causes severe safety concerns and thus prohibits practical applications …

Arising: Hurricane (Superstorm) Sandy’S Impact On Design/Planning Professionals, Maxinne R. Leighton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Standing by my bedroom window, looking out at the ocean, a huge wave comes and swallows up my building. Everything around me is gone, including me. I wake up. I am 13 years old and living in the Coney Island Houses on Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. With ongoing anthropogenic changes to the natural environment such as sea level rise and intensifying storms, coastal communities, especially ones segregated by class and culture, are particularly vulnerable in this context that challenges a way of life, and in some instances, threatens that life's survival. This dissertation focuses specifically on what one massive …

The Effect Of K2co3 Concentration In Kerosene Emulsions On Spray Droplet Sizes For A Magnetohydrodynamic Power Generator, Alejandra Castellano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Potassium carbonate (K2CO3) is an effective seeding material to introduce potassium vapor in oxy-fuel combustion to create a conductive plasma. Injecting potassium carbonate before combustion promotes particle volatilization and improves the generation of potassium vapor. This can be achieved by emulsifying a potassium carbonate solution with kerosene. Several studies have investigated creating stable emulsions with kerosene with water by using differing surfactants. However, the effects of using varying concentrations of K2CO3 dissolved in deionized water have not been fully explored. Based on methods of creating successful emulsions, the development of a successful mixture comprised of kerosene and K2CO3 solution is …

Adapting To Extreme Heat: Social, Atmospheric, And Infrastructure Impacts Of Air Conditioning In Megacities - The Case Of New York City, Harold Gamarro

Dissertations and Theses

Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense in most large cities. Built-up surfaces also limit cooling mechanisms, leading to warmer conditions in cities, a phenomenon called the Urban Heat Island (UHI). This presents major challenges to reduce adverse health effects of hot weather, particularly in vulnerable populations like the elderly and low-income communities. Here we explore the overall impacts of increasing air conditioning (AC) system adoption in residences as an adaptive measure to reduce human health risks under heat waves, with New York City (NYC) as a case study. This study uses AC adoption data from the 2017 …

Toward Closing The Urban Surface Energy Balance Using Satellite Remote Sensing, Joshua Hrisko

Dissertations and Theses

The energy exchanges at the Earth’s surface are responsible for many of the processes that govern weather, climate, human health, and energy use. This exchange, commonly known as the surface energy balance (SEB), determines the near-surface thermodynamic state by partitioning the available energy into surface fluxes. The net all-wave radiation is often the primary energy source, while the heat storage and sensible and latent heat fluxes account for the majority of energy distributed elsewhere. While the SEB of various natural environments(trees, crops, soils) has been well-observed and modeled, the urban surface energy balance remains elusive. This is due to the …

Synthesis And Connection Of Iridium Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst To Chlorella Vulgaris Photosystem I For Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution, Anna Ramirez

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Hydrogen gas has been shown to be a promising energy source as options other than fossil fuels are being looked at in the face of anthropogenic climate change. It is known that anthropogenic climate change is caused by the production of greenhouse gases being let into the atmosphere, specifically a common reason for this is the burning of fossil fuels for energy. The overall goal of this project is to design a biochemical hybrid system that will be used to make H 2 gas and does not require the use of fossil fuels. Burning hydrogen as fuel produces only water …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2019, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Thermodynamic Model Of Co2 Deposition In Cold Climates, Sandra K. S. Boetcher, Ted Von Hippel, Matthew J. Traum

Publications

A thermodynamic model, borrowing ideas from psychrometric principles, of a cryogenic direct-air CO2-capture system utilizing a precooler is used to estimate the optimal CO2 removal fraction to minimize energy input per tonne of CO2. Energy costs to operate the system scale almost linearly with the temperature drop between the ingested air and the cryogenic desublimation temperature of CO2, driving siting to the coldest accessible locations. System performance in three Arctic/Antarctic regions where the proposed system can potentially be located is analyzed. Colder ambient temperatures provide colder system input air temperature yielding lower CO2 removal energy requirements. A case is also …

Energy And Exergy Analysis Of A Novel Multiple-Effect Vapor Chamber Distillation System For High-Salinity Wastewater Treatment, Hamidreza Shabgard, Ramkumar Parthasarathy, Ben Xu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A novel modular thermally-driven multiple-effect vapor chamber distillation (MVCD) system is presented for compact and portable desalination applications. The MVCD system consists of several vapor chambers connected in series with the condenser section of the upstream vapor chambers serving as the evaporator section of the following effect. A heat transfer model accounting for the major thermal resistances was developed to predict the heat transfer and distilled water production rates. A mass transfer analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the accumulation of the non-condensable gasses within the chambers. An exergy analysis was also conducted to quantify the efficiency of …

Modeling Of Buildings With Electrochromic Windows And Thermochromic Roofs, Hua-Ting Kao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Air conditioning and heating have increased substantially during the past two decades. According to a survey, buildings consume about 73% of the total electricity in the United States, accounting for 41% of all other energy in the world. At the same time, building skin technologies are constantly improving. Electrochromic and thermochromic are two exciting new technologies that can help reduce the energy consumption of a building. The purpose of this work is to increase our understanding of how much the use of electrochromic (EC) and thermochromic (TC) technologies can reduce the energy consumption of residential and commercial buildings in two …