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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Advances In Nanofiber Technology For Biomedical Application: A Review, Dipasree Bhowmick, Islam Uddin Shipu May 2024

Advances In Nanofiber Technology For Biomedical Application: A Review, Dipasree Bhowmick, Islam Uddin Shipu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of nanofiber technology in the biomedical field has garnered significant interest due to its potential to revolutionize areas such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and antimicrobial treatments. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in nanofiber technology, particularly focusing on electrospinning and 3D printing methods that enable the fabrication of scaffolds mimicking the native extracellular matrix. These technologies have facilitated the development of nanofibers with high surface-to-volume ratios, adjustable porosity, and enhanced mechanical properties, tailored to meet specific biomedical needs. Despite their promising features, challenges such as the optimization of pore size for effective cell …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Titanium Nitride–Carbon Composites And Their Use In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Helia M. Morales Ramirez, Horacio Vieyra, David A. Sanchez, Elizabeth M. Fletes, Michael Odlyzko, Timothy P. Lodge, Victoria Padilla-Gainza, Mataz Alcoutlabi, Jason Parsons Apr 2024

Synthesis And Characterization Of Titanium Nitride–Carbon Composites And Their Use In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Helia M. Morales Ramirez, Horacio Vieyra, David A. Sanchez, Elizabeth M. Fletes, Michael Odlyzko, Timothy P. Lodge, Victoria Padilla-Gainza, Mataz Alcoutlabi, Jason Parsons

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This work focuses on the synthesis of titanium nitride–carbon (TiN–carbon) composites by the thermal decomposition of a titanyl phthalocyanine (TiN(TD)) precursor into TiN. The synthesis of TiN was also performed using the sol-gel method (TiN(SG)) of an alkoxide/urea. The structure and morphology of the TiN–carbon and its precursors were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, EDS, and XPS. The FTIR results confirmed the presence of the titanium phthalocyanine (TiOPC) complex, while the XRD data corroborated the decomposition of TiOPC into TiN. The resultant TiN exhibited a cubic structure with the FM3-M lattice, aligning with the crystal system of the synthesized …


Cosolvent Incorporation Modulates The Thermal And Structural Response Of Pnipam/Silyl Methacrylate Copolymers, Jason D. Linn, Fabian A. Rodriguez, Michelle A. Calabrese Apr 2024

Cosolvent Incorporation Modulates The Thermal And Structural Response Of Pnipam/Silyl Methacrylate Copolymers, Jason D. Linn, Fabian A. Rodriguez, Michelle A. Calabrese

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Polymers functionalized with inorganic silane groups have been used in wide-ranging applications due to the silane reactivity, which enables formation of covalently-crosslinked polymeric structures. Utilizing stimuli-responsive polymers in these hybrid systems can lead to smart and tunable behavior for sensing, drug delivery, and optical coatings. Previously, the thermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) functionalized with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMA) has demonstrated unique aqueous self-assembly and optical responses following temperature elevation. Here, we investigate how cosolvent addition, particularly ethanol and N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), impacts these transition temperatures, optical clouding, and structure formation in NIPAM/TMA copolymers. Versus purely aqueous …


Lamina Cribrosa Insertions Into The Sclera Are Sparser, Narrower, And More Slanted In The Anterior Lamina, Fengting Ji, Mohammad R. Islam, Bingrui Wang, Yi Hua, Ian A. Sigal Apr 2024

Lamina Cribrosa Insertions Into The Sclera Are Sparser, Narrower, And More Slanted In The Anterior Lamina, Fengting Ji, Mohammad R. Islam, Bingrui Wang, Yi Hua, Ian A. Sigal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Purpose: The lamina cribrosa (LC) depends on the sclera for support. The support must be provided through the LC insertions. Although a continuous insertion over the whole LC periphery is often assumed, LC insertions are actually discrete locations where LC collagenous beams meet the sclera. We hypothesized that LC insertions vary in number, size, and shape by quadrant and depth.

Methods: Coronal cryosections through the full LCs from six healthy monkey eyes were imaged using instant polarized light microscopy. The images were registered into a stack, on which we manually marked LC insertion outlines, nothing their position in-depth and quadrant …


Advanced Spatio-Temporal Froth Analysis Using Smart Soft Sensors In Mineral Processing, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Oumkeltoum Amar, Mohamed Chekroun, Oussama Hasidi, Oussama Lachihab Mar 2024

Advanced Spatio-Temporal Froth Analysis Using Smart Soft Sensors In Mineral Processing, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Oumkeltoum Amar, Mohamed Chekroun, Oussama Hasidi, Oussama Lachihab

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

In the transformative field of mineral processing, the need for innovative technologies to overcome inherent difficulties and a critical shortage of high-quality data is an acute challenge. This study addresses these pressing issues by leveraging advanced spatio-temporal deep learning techniques, specifically Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM). Focused on the Zinc flotation circuit at CMG Managem Group in Morocco, our comprehensive approach encompasses meticulous data collection from a real-world industrial setting, rigorous spatial and temporal analyses, practical and accurate data augmentation, and the development of a ConvLSTM model for precise prediction of mineral grades. By capturing the temporal intricacies of froth …


Existence Of A Nonzero Worst-Case Ach For Short-Term Exposure In Ventilated Indoor Spaces, K. A. Krishnaprasad, ‪Nadim Zgheib, K. Choudhary, M. Y. Ha, C. Y. Choi, K. S. Bang, S. Jang, S. Balachandar Mar 2024

Existence Of A Nonzero Worst-Case Ach For Short-Term Exposure In Ventilated Indoor Spaces, K. A. Krishnaprasad, ‪Nadim Zgheib, K. Choudhary, M. Y. Ha, C. Y. Choi, K. S. Bang, S. Jang, S. Balachandar

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A well-ventilated room is essential to reduce the risk of airborne transmission. As such, the scientific community sets minimum limits on ventilation with the idea that increased ventilation reduces pathogen concentration and thus reduces the risk of transmission. In contrast, the upper limit on ventilation is usually determined by human comfort and the need to reduce energy consumption. While average pathogen concentration decreases with increased ventilation, local concentration depends on multiple factors and may not follow the same trend, especially within short exposure times over large separation distances. Here, we show through experiments and high-fidelity simulations the existence of a …


Mechanical Properties Of A Structural Component Processed In High-Pressure Die Casting (Hpdc) With A Non-Heat-Treated Aluminum Alloy, David Servando Cantú-Fernández, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Alejandro González, Pablo Guajardo Hernández, Brian Quinn Mar 2024

Mechanical Properties Of A Structural Component Processed In High-Pressure Die Casting (Hpdc) With A Non-Heat-Treated Aluminum Alloy, David Servando Cantú-Fernández, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Alejandro González, Pablo Guajardo Hernández, Brian Quinn

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

This industrial research focuses on the implementation and development of a productive process for an automotive structural component (Shock tower) manufactured by a high-pressure die casting (HPDC) process made of aluminum alloy AuralTM-5. This aluminum alloy has been considered in diverse automotive and aerospace components that do not require heat treatment due to its mechanical properties as cast material (F temper). On the other hand, AuralTM-5 has been designed for processing as HPDC because it is an alloy with good fluidity, making it ideal for large castings with thin-wall thicknesses, like safety structural components such as rails, supports, rocker panels, …


Impact Of Welding Parameters In The Porosity Of A Dissimilar Welded Lap Joint Of Cp800-Xpf1000 Steel Weldment By Gmaw-P, Julio Cesar Garcia-Guerrero, Francisco Fernando Curiel-López, Víctor Hugo López-Morelos, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Teresita Jesus Sánchez-Cruz, Maria Del Carmen Ramirez-Lopez, Eduardo Cortes-Carillo, Miguel Angel Quinones-Salinas Mar 2024

Impact Of Welding Parameters In The Porosity Of A Dissimilar Welded Lap Joint Of Cp800-Xpf1000 Steel Weldment By Gmaw-P, Julio Cesar Garcia-Guerrero, Francisco Fernando Curiel-López, Víctor Hugo López-Morelos, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Teresita Jesus Sánchez-Cruz, Maria Del Carmen Ramirez-Lopez, Eduardo Cortes-Carillo, Miguel Angel Quinones-Salinas

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

The use of the orthogonal array L4 allows a determination of the effect between the welding parameters peak current (Ip), background current (Ib) and frequency (f) on the porosities in a dissimilar welded lap joint of CP800 and XPF1000 steel weldment by the gas metal arc welding process with the transfer pulsed mode. According to the results, modifications in the welding parameters affect the heat input during welding. A heat input higher than 0.30 KJ/mm generates up to 0.32% porosity in the weld metal, while a heat input lower than 0.25 KJ/mm generates up to 28% porosity in the weld …


Hybrid Features Extraction For The Online Mineral Grades Determination In The Flotation Froth Using Deep Learning, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Abderrahmane Benhayoun, Oumkeltoum Amar, François Bourzeix, Karim Baïna, Mouhamed Cherkaoui, Oussama Hasidi Mar 2024

Hybrid Features Extraction For The Online Mineral Grades Determination In The Flotation Froth Using Deep Learning, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Abderrahmane Benhayoun, Oumkeltoum Amar, François Bourzeix, Karim Baïna, Mouhamed Cherkaoui, Oussama Hasidi

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The control of the froth flotation process in the mineral industry is a challenging task due to its multiple impacting parameters. Accurate and convenient examination of the concentrate grade is a crucial step in realizing effective and real-time control of the flotation process. The goal of this study is to employ image processing techniques and CNN-based features extraction combined with machine learning and deep learning to predict the elemental composition of minerals in the flotation froth. A real world dataset has been collected and preprocessed from a differential flotation circuit at the industrial flotation site based in Guemassa, Morocco. …


Characterization Of Microstructural And Mechanical Properties Of 17-4 Ph Stainless Steel By Cold Rolled And Machining Vs. Dmls Additive Manufacturing, Pablo Moreno-Garibaldi, Melvyn Alvarez-Vera, Juan Alfonso Beltrán-Fernández, Rafael Carrera-Espinoza, Héctor Manuel Hdz-García, J. C. Díaz-Guillen, Rita Muñoz-Arroyo, Javier A. Ortega, Paul Molenda Mar 2024

Characterization Of Microstructural And Mechanical Properties Of 17-4 Ph Stainless Steel By Cold Rolled And Machining Vs. Dmls Additive Manufacturing, Pablo Moreno-Garibaldi, Melvyn Alvarez-Vera, Juan Alfonso Beltrán-Fernández, Rafael Carrera-Espinoza, Héctor Manuel Hdz-García, J. C. Díaz-Guillen, Rita Muñoz-Arroyo, Javier A. Ortega, Paul Molenda

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The 17-4 PH stainless steel is widely used in the aerospace, petrochemical, chemical, food, and general metallurgical industries. The present study was conducted to analyze the mechanical properties of two types of 17-4 PH stainless steel—commercial cold-rolled and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) manufactured. This study employed linear and nonlinear tensile FEM simulations, combined with various materials characterization techniques such as tensile testing and nanoindentation. Moreover, microstructural analysis was performed using metallographic techniques, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results on the microstructure for 17-4 PH DMLS stainless steel reveal …


Multilayer Pva/Gelatin Nanofibrous Scaffolds Incorporated With Tanacetum Polycephalum Essential Oil And Amoxicillin For Skin Tissue Engineering Application, Ebrahim Soleiman-Dehkordi, Vahid Reisi-Vanani, Samanesadat Hosseini, Zahra Lorigooini, Vajihe Azimian Zvareh, Mahour Farzan, Elham Moghtadaie Khorasgani, Karen Lozano, Zohreh Abolhassanzadeh Mar 2024

Multilayer Pva/Gelatin Nanofibrous Scaffolds Incorporated With Tanacetum Polycephalum Essential Oil And Amoxicillin For Skin Tissue Engineering Application, Ebrahim Soleiman-Dehkordi, Vahid Reisi-Vanani, Samanesadat Hosseini, Zahra Lorigooini, Vajihe Azimian Zvareh, Mahour Farzan, Elham Moghtadaie Khorasgani, Karen Lozano, Zohreh Abolhassanzadeh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Wound infection is still an important challenge in healing of different types of skin injuries. This highlights the need for new and improved antibacterial agents with novel and different mechanisms of action. In this study, by electrospinning process Tanacetum polycephalum essential oil (EO), as a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, along with Amoxicillin (AMX) as an antibiotic are incorporated into PVA/gelatin-based nanofiber mats individually and in combination to fabricate a novel wound dressing. Briefly, we fabricated PVA/gelatin loaded by Amoxicillin as first layer for direct contact with wound surface to protects the wound from exogenous bacteria, and then built a …


Wire Texture C-Axis Distribution Of Strontium Ferrite/Pa-12 Extruded Filament, Gabriela Espinosa-Rodriguez, Oluwasola Arigbabowo, Jonathan Alvarado, Jitendra Tate, Wilhelmus J. Geerts Feb 2024

Wire Texture C-Axis Distribution Of Strontium Ferrite/Pa-12 Extruded Filament, Gabriela Espinosa-Rodriguez, Oluwasola Arigbabowo, Jonathan Alvarado, Jitendra Tate, Wilhelmus J. Geerts

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The magnetic anisotropy of strontium ferrite (SF)/PA12 filament, a popular hard magnetic ferrimagnetic composites that is used for 3D-printing of permanent magnets, is studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. The studied filaments have a composition of SF/PA-12 thermoplastic composite with a 40% wt.  ratio of SF. SF particles are non-spherical platelets with an average diameter of 1.3 um and a diameter to thickness ratio of 3. Filaments are produced by a twin-screw extruder and have a diameter of 1.5 mm. SEM images show that the SF particles are homogeneously distributed through the filament. VSM measurements on different parts of the filaments …


Tribological Properties Of H-Bn, Ag And Mgo Nanostructures As Lubricant Additives In Vegetable Oils, Victoria Granja, Kollol Sarker Jogesh, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, C. Fred Higgs Iii Feb 2024

Tribological Properties Of H-Bn, Ag And Mgo Nanostructures As Lubricant Additives In Vegetable Oils, Victoria Granja, Kollol Sarker Jogesh, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, C. Fred Higgs Iii

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

There exists an ever-growing need for sustainable engineering solutions to improve emission control and the energy efficiency of tribosystems. This study examines the tribological properties of two environmentally friendly vegetable fluids, soybean and sunflower oil, with the addition of three non-toxic nanostructures (h-BN, silver and MgO) at different concentrations. It was found that nanostructures added to vegetable oils at specific concentrations can exhibit good friction reduction and wear preventive properties. The addition of h-BN nanosheets in sunflower oil decreased the coefficient of friction and the wear damage, as measured by the wear scar diameter. Silver and magnesium oxide nanoparticles further …


A Review On Additive Manufacturing For Aerospace Application, Radhika C, Ragavanantham Shanmugam, Monsuru Ramoni, Gnanavel Bk Feb 2024

A Review On Additive Manufacturing For Aerospace Application, Radhika C, Ragavanantham Shanmugam, Monsuru Ramoni, Gnanavel Bk

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Additive manufacturing, a cutting-edge technology often colloquially known as 3D printing, is a transformative process used to meticulously fabricate complex components by adding material layer upon layer. This revolutionary manufacturing method allows for precise control and customization, making it a go-to choice in various industries, from aerospace to healthcare. The adroitness of additive manufacturing in creating a complex geometry as a whole is very much harnessed by the aerospace Industry. Generating a component using additive manufacturing involves optimal design, methods, and processes. This review gives a broad knowledge in developing a part or product by choosing the appropriate design, method, …


Reduced Order Model Of Parametric Resonance Of Electrostatically Actuated Cantilever Resonators: Comparison Uniform Versus Non-Uniform Resonators, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Rigoberto Flores Feb 2024

Reduced Order Model Of Parametric Resonance Of Electrostatically Actuated Cantilever Resonators: Comparison Uniform Versus Non-Uniform Resonators, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Rigoberto Flores

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A comparison of the frequency-amplitude and voltage-amplitude responses of parametric resonance between electrostatically actuated uniform and non-uniform cantilever resonator is conducted. The non-uniform cantilever resonator has constant width and linearly varying thickness. Both microstructures uniform and non-uniform are under soft AC electrostatic actuation. Two Reduced Order Models for predicting the responses of the MEMS cantilever are used in this paper, namely one using one mode of vibration, and another one using two modes of vibration. The Method of Multiple Scales is used to solve the Reduced Order Model with one mode of vibration. A second method is a direct numerical …


Assessing The Lubrication Performance Of Sunflower Oil Modified With Montmorillonite Clay (Mmt) Nanoparticles For Industrial Applications, Md Mashfiqur Rahman, Md Abu Sayeed Biswas, Laura Peña-Pará, Demófilo Maldonado- Cortés, Javier A. Ortega Feb 2024

Assessing The Lubrication Performance Of Sunflower Oil Modified With Montmorillonite Clay (Mmt) Nanoparticles For Industrial Applications, Md Mashfiqur Rahman, Md Abu Sayeed Biswas, Laura Peña-Pará, Demófilo Maldonado- Cortés, Javier A. Ortega

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Because of the environmental impact and price volatility, there has been a growing concern about using petroleum-based lubricants. This issue has encouraged research into the development of biodegradable lubricants like vegetable oils. This study assessed the tribological behavior of sunflower oil modified with Montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT) as lubricant additives. A block-on-ring tribometer was used to assess the wear and friction characteristics of the nano-lubricants. A custom-made tapping torque tester was used to evaluate the nano-lubricants in a real-world application. It was found that the volumetric wear, Coefficient of Friction, and torque of the system decreased when MMT nanoparticles were added. …


Predicting Oscillatory Patterns Of Mud Circulating Along The Well-Bore In Drilling Procedures: A Finite Element Model, Eleazar Marquez Feb 2024

Predicting Oscillatory Patterns Of Mud Circulating Along The Well-Bore In Drilling Procedures: A Finite Element Model, Eleazar Marquez

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to further understand the dynamic effects [drilling] mud exerts on the drill-string assembly. The proposed model consists of a rotor subjected to various revolutions per minute (RPM’s), an axial force which accounts for the weight-on bit requirements, and a harmonic excitation simulating fluid mud circulating along the well-bore. In this regard, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is incorporated to establish a multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) mathematical expression of a specific section of the BHA. In this regard, a finite element methodology was implemented to determine the corresponding parameters of the equation of motion and elucidate the …


Modelling Of A Drone To Analyze Dynamic Instabilities With Its Delivery System, Eleazar Marquez, Ivan Luna Feb 2024

Modelling Of A Drone To Analyze Dynamic Instabilities With Its Delivery System, Eleazar Marquez, Ivan Luna

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In the study herein, an alternative mathematical model was developed with the intention of understanding the dynamics associated with the instabilities generated by an UAV and its delivery system, particularly the coupled nonlinearities of the system, and thus provide feedback to optimize drone design. In this regard, a Newton-Euler methodology was adopted to establish the parameters of the equations of motion of the target UAV system, which consisted of a combination of a platform and delivery system operating simultaneously. Specifically, the UAV platform was modelled as a rigid body which accounted for a total of six-degrees-of-freedom, three corresponding to the …


Graphene Reinforced Pvdf Nanofibers Fabricated With The Forcespinning® Method For Water Desalination Applications, Elmmer A. Vera Alvarado, Md. Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam, Ali Ashraf, Karen Lozano Feb 2024

Graphene Reinforced Pvdf Nanofibers Fabricated With The Forcespinning® Method For Water Desalination Applications, Elmmer A. Vera Alvarado, Md. Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam, Ali Ashraf, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is a thermally driven energy and cost-efficient desalination technique where low-grade energy from solar or waste heat from plants can be used to recover fresh water from high saline water. The DCMD technique allows both the feed and permeate solutions to be in contact with the membrane, where vapor from the feed gets condensed in the permeate side once it collides with low- temperature water. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber membranes were prepared by the ForceSpinning® method, these were later dip coated in graphene solutions prepared with different solvents. The ForceSpinning® method, unlike electrospinning, operates in …


In-Situ Shear Exfoliation Of Graphene From Graphite Polymer Nanocomposites For Lung And Heart Motion, Md Ashiqur Rahman, Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam, Ali Ashraf Feb 2024

In-Situ Shear Exfoliation Of Graphene From Graphite Polymer Nanocomposites For Lung And Heart Motion, Md Ashiqur Rahman, Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam, Ali Ashraf

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Graphene-based nanocomposites have become attractive for different applications such as energy storage, sensors, biomolecule detection, biomedical, healthcare, and wearable devices due to their unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. However, using commercial graphene for making nanocomposite devices can be expensive, and fabricating nanocomposites can be challenging due to impurities while transferring graphene to elastomer composites. In this study, we used a simple, inexpensive in-situ shear exfoliation method to produce graphene from graphite directly within the elastomer. As the graphene in the elastomer reached beyond its percolation or threshold, electrons hop or tunnel around from one graphene flake to another. So, …


Identifying Sick Cells From High-Resolution Solid-State Micropore Data, Abdul Hafeez, Azhar Ilyas, Ali R. Butt, Samir M. Iqbal Feb 2024

Identifying Sick Cells From High-Resolution Solid-State Micropore Data, Abdul Hafeez, Azhar Ilyas, Ali R. Butt, Samir M. Iqbal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Early detection of diseases such as cancer can drastically improve prognosis and treatment. To this end, solid-state micropores can measure distinct mechanical properties of diseased cells from their translocation behavior — detected as pulses in the temporal data stream of ionic current — and help diagnose diseases at early stages. However, the obstacle in such approaches is that the accuracy of the sensor is affected by noise, making the pulse detection task too subjective. This is inefficient especially when the disease-relevant data is only a fraction of the total acquired data. Thus, it is important to intelligently automate the detection …


Effect Of Foot Additional Mass On The Clinical Angles Of Knee Extension Exercise, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Alfirio Trejo, Eric Rodriguez, Camila T. Alvarez B Feb 2024

Effect Of Foot Additional Mass On The Clinical Angles Of Knee Extension Exercise, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Alfirio Trejo, Eric Rodriguez, Camila T. Alvarez B

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study investigates the effect of foot additional mass on the abduction and internal rotation knee angles during knee extension exercise. Three subjects (two male and one female) performed four sets of ten repetitions of the knee extension exercise for the right leg. For the first set, the subject performed the exercise with no additional weight. For each set after, weight was added around the subject’s right foot and the subject was allowed a rest period before beginning the next set. The weights for sets 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0.00kg (no additional weight) ,0.82kg, 1.64kg, and 2.27kg respectively. …


Fibrous Finite Element Modeling Of The Optic Nerve Head Region, Mohammad R. Islam, Fengting Ji, Manik Bansal, Yi Hua, Ian A. Sigal Feb 2024

Fibrous Finite Element Modeling Of The Optic Nerve Head Region, Mohammad R. Islam, Fengting Ji, Manik Bansal, Yi Hua, Ian A. Sigal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The optic nerve head (ONH) region at the posterior pole of the eye is supported by a fibrous structure of collagen fiber bundles. Discerning how the fibrous structure determines the region biomechanics is crucial to understand normal physiology, and the roles of biomechanics on vision loss. The fiber bundles within the ONH structure exhibit complex three-dimensional (3D) organization and continuity across the various tissue components. Computational models of the ONH, however, usually represent collagen fibers in a homogenized fashion without accounting for their continuity across tissues, fibers interacting with each other and other fiber-specific effects in a fibrous structure. We …


Computational Modelling Of A Triaxial Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, Leo Rodriguez, Arjun Sapkota, Jonathan Alvarado, Jitendra S. Tate, Wilhelmus J. Geerts Feb 2024

Computational Modelling Of A Triaxial Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, Leo Rodriguez, Arjun Sapkota, Jonathan Alvarado, Jitendra S. Tate, Wilhelmus J. Geerts

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic Field Assisted Additive Manufacturing (MFAAM) enables 3D printing of magnetic materials of various shapes which exhibit a complex anisotropy energy surface containing contributions generated from different origins such as sample, particle, and agglomerate shape anisotropy, flow and field induced anisotropy, and particle crystal anisotropy. These novel magnet shapes require the need to measure the x, y, and z components of the magnetic dipole moment simultaneously to fully understand the magnetic reversal mechanism and unravel the complex magnetic anisotropy energy surface of 3D printed magnetic composites. This work aims to develop a triaxial vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) by adding a …


A Simulation Model Analysis In The Us-Mexico Border, Carlo A. Zorola, Hiram Moya, Aditya Akundi Jan 2024

A Simulation Model Analysis In The Us-Mexico Border, Carlo A. Zorola, Hiram Moya, Aditya Akundi

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Supply Chain (SC) is the flow of goods or services between supply and demand points. New or innovative strategies in SC have been researched and developed to deal with disruptive events, such as COVID-19, hurricanes, geopolitical, and even climate change. These challenges create supply imbalances, logistical challenges, and policy restrictions for transborder commerce. The DHS has implemented the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program in both the US-Mexico and US-Canada border. These lanes are dedicated queues for commercial vehicles. In 2022, the government of Nuevo León, México, opened a dedicated lane just for Tesla´s northbound commercial traffic. There has been …


Artificial Intelligence For Enhanced Flotation Monitoring In The Mining Industry: A Convlstm-Based Approach, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Oumkeltoum Amar, Oussama Hasidi Jan 2024

Artificial Intelligence For Enhanced Flotation Monitoring In The Mining Industry: A Convlstm-Based Approach, Ahmed Bendaouia, El Hassan Abdelwahed, Sara Qassimi, Abdelmalek Boussetta, Intissar Benzakour, Oumkeltoum Amar, Oussama Hasidi

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

In the mining industry, accurate monitoring of the elemental composition in the flotation froth is crucial for efficient minerals separation. The hybrid deep learning algorithms offer powerful computational intelligence for real-time monitoring of froth quality in flotation processes. This soft sensor tool can provide valuable information for process control, including predictions of the elemental chemical composition. In this study, we propose a novel approach based on a Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) neural network for real-time monitoring of chemical composition grades in flotation froth. The proposed model effectively extracts spatial and temporal patterns from video data, providing a better …


Near-Optimal Trajectory Tracking In Quadcopters Using Reinforcement Learning, Randal Engelhardt, Alberto Velazquez, Tohid Sardarmehni Jan 2024

Near-Optimal Trajectory Tracking In Quadcopters Using Reinforcement Learning, Randal Engelhardt, Alberto Velazquez, Tohid Sardarmehni

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The control of quadcopters poses significant challenges due to their complex dynamics characterized by highly nonlinear couplings, high system order, and under-actuation. This paper presents a novel control solution aimed at achieving near-optimal trajectory tracking for quadcopters. A near-optimal solution based on approximate dynamic programming is proposed to address the curse of dimensionality inherent in traditional dynamic programming, employing a single network adaptive critic. Extensive simulations validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed solution.


Functionalized Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanofibers: An Innovative Triboelectric Energy Generator, Julia I. Salas, Diego De Leon, Sk Shamim Hasan Abir, Mohammed Jasim Uddin, Karen Lozano Dec 2023

Functionalized Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanofibers: An Innovative Triboelectric Energy Generator, Julia I. Salas, Diego De Leon, Sk Shamim Hasan Abir, Mohammed Jasim Uddin, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is one of the most significantly innovative microdevices for built-in energy harvesting with wearable and portable electronics. In this study, the forcespinning technology was used to synthesize a nanofiber (NF) mat-based TENG. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane was used as the negative triboelectric electrode/pole, and chemically designed and functionalized thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was used as the positive electrode/pole for the TENG. The electronic interference, sensitivity, and gate voltage of the synthesized microdevices were investigated using chemically modified bridging of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with a TPU polymer repeating unit and bare TPU-based positive electrodes. The chemical functionality …


Process-Structure-Property Relationships Of Nanofibers For Biomedical Applications, Dipasree Bhowmick Dec 2023

Process-Structure-Property Relationships Of Nanofibers For Biomedical Applications, Dipasree Bhowmick

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the fabrication, characterization, and applications of nanofiber membranes utilizing Forcespinning® technology. Two distinct nanofiber systems were developed and evaluated, one focusing on pH-responsive Eudragit-baicalin loaded nanofibrous membranes for wound healing and the second one on thermo-responsive nanofiber-hydrogel (PNIPAAm) systems for biosensing applications, specifically dopamine detection. In the first project, nanofiber membranes loaded with Eudragit and baicalin demonstrated superior antibacterial properties against both gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (B. meg) bacteria. Additionally, these membranes exhibited antioxidant properties and enhanced cell proliferation of 3TT cells, making them promising candidates for wound healing dressings. In the second project, a …


Laser Assisted Direct Writing Of Liquid Metal For Microprinting Applications, Olga Vargas Cruz Dec 2023

Laser Assisted Direct Writing Of Liquid Metal For Microprinting Applications, Olga Vargas Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a research study for potential printing of a Liquid Metal (LM) Eutectic Gallium Indium alloy (EGaIn) through the applications of the innovative additive manufacturing technology LIFT (Laser Induced Forward Transfer). LIFT is a precise printing technology that allows to create small, detailed printing. The liquid metal in study, EGaIn, has demonstrated great potential for microelectronics applications due to its minimum toxicity and high conductivity. Throughout this research different printing parameters are studied to comprehend the behavior of EGaIn printing with LIFT technique, these include laser energy, laser pulse, receiver material substrate, donor layer thickness, and …