Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Study Of Plasma Modification Effects On Cell Proliferation Of 3-D Printed Poly Lactic Acid (Pla) Structures, Temiloluwa Nathan

Masters Theses

3-d printing of structures has recently been adopted for a large number of applications including in-vitro lab-on-chip, organ-on-chip and other bioengineering applications. This thesis presents the results of our investigations on the use of a Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) structures for cell proliferation and their potential application for targeted drug delivery and Organ-on-a-Chip applications. As the previous investigations by the group indicated the requirement of surface modification of these printed structures, this study mainly focusses on the plasma surface modification of 3-D printed PLA structures and its impact on cell growth in different conditions. The first component focused on improving …

Understanding The Effect Of Scaling On Aerodynamic Force Analysis Of The Nrel Phase Vi Wind Turbine, Patrick R. West

Masters Theses

It is challenging for small models and prototypes to accurately reflect the aerodynamic performance of a full-scale wind turbine, especially for offshore turbines. It is also not economical to build full-scale models for prototype testing. Scaling makes it possible to modify the dimensions for computational simulations, simplify the prototype construction and testing process, and make aerodynamic load analysis applicable to larger blade diameters. In this work, a model is presented that considers the effects of geometric scaling by modifying the incoming windspeeds and rotational speed of the turbine rotor in capturing aerodynamic load through Computational Fluid Dynamics. The National Renewable …

Finite Element Analysis And Computational Fluid Dynamics To Design And Analyze A Liquid Cooling System For An Integrated Charger Inverter System, Pihillawala Wijethunga

Masters Theses

This work presents a computational and experimental investigation into the thermal management of power electronic modules for an electric vehicle (EV) integrated charger-inverter (ICI) system, with a focus on the Inverter module, Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter with a High- Frequency Transformer (HFT) with an external leakage inductor. Analytical loss models are used to calculate conduction and switching losses for the DAB and inverter SiC MOSFET modules, and the Improved Generalised Steinmetz Equation is applied to determine HFT core and winding losses. The adequacy of passive natural convection as a thermal management strategy is first assessed, and its limitations at …

Extremum Seeking Compensation And Quantification Of Position Sensor Offset Error In Speed-Controlled Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors, Tessa Biondo

Masters Theses

Position sensor offset errors present a persistent challenge in speed-controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor drives operating under field-oriented control. Even small, constant offsets in the measured rotor position can reduce torque effectiveness, requiring increased current and voltage demand to maintain the commanded speed and resulting in degraded speed regulation performance across a range of operating conditions. These effects are particularly problematic in speed-controlled systems, where speed loop dynamics cause increased electrical effort and limit overall performance. Many existing detection and compensation approaches are either dependent on the system model, require offline calibration, or are primarily designed for torque-controlled operation. This …

Variable Volume Refrigerator, Ryder Dietz

Honors Theses

This project presents the design and development of a Variable Volume Mini-Fridge Shelf, a solution to address the limitations of fixed compartment sizes in standard mini-fridge/freezer units. The proposed design enables users to dynamically adjust the internal ratio of fridge to freezer space using a repositionable shelf integrated with an airflow-regulating vent. The project involved multiple stages, including concept development, thermal and flow simulations, and physical prototyping.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation was employed to validate natural convection-driven airflow between compartments and guide initial design decisions. While attempts were made to integrate a dynamic control loop using MATLAB Simulink and the SolidWorks …

Solar Module Material And Support Testing, Darbi Dorr

Honors Theses

Sunseeker Solar Car Project manufactures and uses solar modules with a specific material composition to power their car. The current composition consists of many expired materials that are also too expensive to repurchase. In order to find new materials, they need to meet the material requirements while also being affordable for the team. A material analysis was done, and new materials were chosen based on specific properties like transmissibility, UV wavelength range, volume resistivity, adhesion strength, and the thickness. Power losses were then measured using an IV tracer at a set irradiance. This was done before and after encapsulating solar …

Energy-Absorbing Helmet For Safer Football, Aidan Laudeman

Honors Theses

Football-related injuries are a common occurrence and are often detrimental to the player’s health. Force impacts frequently occur at the front, back, and sides of a player’s helmet, resulting in head injuries like concussions. The goal of this project is to reduce recurrent head injuries by designing a solution involving the use of energy-absorbing metallic materials that are inserted into a football helmet. These energy-absorbing materials are configured in target zones inside the helmet to reduce the acceleration of the head based on impact locations. The chosen materials are nitinol and spring steel, which display energy-absorbing properties. Various energy-absorbing material …

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Catalyst Test Stand For Single Cell Evaluation, Tyler Johnson

Honors Theses

The main objective of this project was to develop at test stand and relevant testing procedures to aid in ongoing research being conducted by Dr. Ghantasala’s team on platinum-alternative catalyst materials used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To do this, various software (Microsoft Excel, Python, and Simscape) were used to create fuel cell simulations of increasing complexity. These simulations served as baselines for PEMFC evaluation in experimental testing, and they were used to create polarization curves, a standard method for evaluating steady state fuel cell performance. A test stand was also created in order to effectively and efficiently …

Development Of A Discrete Element Model For Artificial Turf, Justin Rittenhouse

Dissertations

NFL data exhibits a distinct correlation between an elevated lower extremity injury rate and synthetic surfaces. These ubiquitous injuries frequently relate to excessive foot traction (i.e., failure to release causing fracture or soft tissue damage). Consequently, a discrete element model was developed using open-source software to analyze stud traction. First, laboratory data was collected via bench level experiments covering seventeen different testing scenarios. A minimum of twenty-five samples were collected per scenario. Total work, average torque, and maximum torque were used as indicators of stud grip. And the latter two were statistically analyzed for outliers and significant differences. Next, an …

Segregation And Heat Treatment Response Of Cast Quench And Partition Steels, Mujeeb Hussain Shaik

Masters Theses

Quench and partition (Q&P) steels have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional quenching and tempering methods, offering a superior balance of strength and ductility due to their unique microstructure of martensite, and retained austenite. This literature review examines the development and optimization of Q&P steels, focusing on their mechanical properties, heat treatment processes, and applications in various industries. This study explores the application and effectiveness of the Quench and Partition (Q&P) heat treatment process on cast steels and examines segregation phenomena in cast medium Mn steels. Medium Mn steels were employed for various Q&P cycles on cast specimens to investigate …

Engineering Requirements That Address Real World Hazards From Using High-Definition Maps, Gnss, And Weather Sensors In Autonomous Vehicles, Alexandra Marie Masterson, Pritesh Yashaswi Patil, Nicholas E. Brown, Johan Rojas, Amanda Anderson, Curtis Walker, Aaron Rabinowitz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Evaluating real-world hazards associated with perception subsystems is critical in enhancing the performance of autonomous vehicles. The reliability of autonomous vehicles perception subsystems are paramount for safe and efficient operation. While current studies employ different metrics to evaluate perception subsystem failures in autonomous vehicles, there still exists a gap in the development and emphasis on engineering requirements. To address this gap, this study proposes the establishment of engineering requirements that specifically target real-world hazards and resilience factors important to AV operation, using High-Definition Maps, Global Navigation Satellite System, and weather sensors. The findings include the need for engineering requirements to …

Assessing Resilience In Lane Detection Methods: Infrastructure-Based Sensors And Traditional Approaches For Autonomous Vehicles, Pritesh Yashaswi Patil, Nicholas Brown, Parth Kadav, Zachary Asher, Sachin Sharma, Alexandra Marie Masterson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems that use onboard sensors have the drawbacks of high computational load and data duplication. Infrastructure-based sensors, which can provide high quality information without the computational burden and data duplication, are an alternative to traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems. However, these technologies are still in the early stages of development and have not been extensively evaluated for lane detection system performance. Therefore, there is a lack of quantitative data on their performance relative to traditional perception methods, especially during hazardous scenarios, such as lane line occlusion, sensor failure, and environmental obstructions. We address this need by …

Obliquely Impinging Jet Heat Transfer Fields: Effects Of Mach Number On Nozzle-To-Plate Distance, Thinnesh Ragupathy

Masters Theses

This study investigates the consistent features of heat flux patterns on surfaces impacted by jets at various Mach numbers, ranging from 0.1 to 1.0. It utilizes temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) analysis to examine how these patterns change. The research also explores the presence of self-similarity in both the fluctuation of heat flux and skin friction patterns, which are derived from temperature and heat flux data. A semi-empirical model is proposed to explain this self-similarity, suggesting that Mach number primarily affects heat flux patterns through the recovery temperature at the impact site.

Understanding the self-similarity of heat flux patterns across different Mach …

Design And Simulation Of Flow Channel Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (Pemfc), Rishya Shringhan Ravichandran

Masters Theses

In Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), flow channel plays an important role on the performance of the cell. This study mainly focuses on the simulation of flow channel under various conditions. A three-dimensional mode of PEMFC with 25cm² of active area was employed to simulate the flow channel of PEMFC which has various designs. The flow channel designs such as single serpentine, bi-serpentine and tri-serpentine channels were investigated using ANSYS FLUENT software. Initially, the flow channel width of 2mm was examined. The obtained results were compared to the experimental data to validate the model. Then, the dimension of …

Nonlinear Finite Element Model For Functionally Graded Porous Circular/Annular Micro-Plates Under Thermal And Mechanical Load, Enrique Nava Munoz

Masters Theses

A nonlinear finite element model for micro circular/annular plates under thermal and mechanical loading is developed using a third order shear deformation theory. In the kinematic assumptions, the change of plate thickness is allowed and no transverse shear strains are considered on the top and bottom surfaces. A power-law distribution is utilized to account for variations of two constituents through the thickness of the plate. Three different types of porosity distributions are considered. The strain gradient effect in micro scale structures is considered using the modified couple stress theory. The dynamic version of the principle of virtual displacements is used …

Improving Autonomous Vehicles Operational Performance Using Resilience Engineering, Johan Fanas Rojas

Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles are expected to revolutionize the transportation industry by providing a safer and more efficient means of transportation. However, as autonomous vehicles are deployed on public roads, they are exposed to significant risks, both in terms of safety and system performance. Recent studies have highlighted a range of errors and accidents associated with autonomous vehicles, underscoring the need for a systematic approach to improve their operational resilience. Resilience engineering, a discipline focused on designing and analyzing complex systems to better cope with unexpected events and disruptions, offers a promising framework for addressing these challenges. Despite the potential benefits of …

Enabling Energy Efficiency In Connected And Automated Vehicles Through Predictive Control Techniques, Farhang Motallebiaraghi

Dissertations

The transportation sector is a significant contributor to global energy consumption and emissions, necessitating the development of sustainable transportation systems. In this regard, connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have emerged as a potential solution to transform the transportation industry. By harnessing advanced mapping and location technologies, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication, CAVs offer the promise of improving efficiency, reducing traffic congestion, and enhancing safety and comfort. However, the adoption of CAVs also brings about various challenges, including energy efficiency concerns that need to be addressed to fully realize their potential benefits. This dissertation investigates energy-efficient control techniques for transportation …

3d Printed Poly Lactic Acid Structures For Cell Growth And Nanoparticle Transport-Simulation And Experimental Validation, Shrikrushna Vinayak Sonawane

Masters Theses

In today's world, 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is being widely used in various fields due to its benefits such as rapid prototyping, reduced material waste and energy usage, lower cost, and more. Even the tissue engineering field is utilizing this technology. This study focused on examining the compatibility of 3D printed Lab-on-a-Chip structures made of Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) for in-vitro applications. In this research, the Lab-on-a-Chip structures were designed and created using 3D printing. To achieve the required bio-functionality scaffold surface was customized by post-printing processes such as mechanical polishing, hydrolysis (Wet Chemical Etching), and ultraviolet light …

Design And Implementation Of Test Stand Upgrades For Investigating Gearset Churning Losses With Baffles, Matthew Martin

Honors Theses

The automotive industry is continually researching ways to decrease energy losses in drivetrain applications. Rotating gear sets in an oil bath suffer frictional losses due to oil churning. The Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation (CAViDS) consortium has proposed studies to understand and reduce these churning losses. The primary means to reduce these churning losses are to redirect the oil flow using baffles and/or alter the oil viscosity. To perform churning loss optimization under controlled conditions, an existing test stand was upgraded to improve safety, introduce oil temperature control, and allow for the interchange of baffle designs. For safety, …

Vehicle Lateral Offset Estimation Using Infrastructure Information For Reduced Compute Load, Sachin Sharma, Ali Riza Ekti, Johan Fanas Rojas, Chieh (Ross) Wang, Zachary Asher, Rick Meyer

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate perception of the driving environment and a highly accurate position of the vehicle are paramount to safe Autonomous Vehicle (AV) operation. AVs gather data about the environment using various sensors. For a robust perception and localization system, incoming data from multiple sensors is usually fused together using advanced computational algorithms, which historically requires a high-compute load. To reduce AV compute load and its negative effects on vehicle energy efficiency, we propose a new infrastructure information source (IIS) to provide environmental data to the AV. The new energy–efficient IIS, chip–enabled raised pavement markers are mounted along road lane lines and …

Improving Future Vehicle Fuel Economy And Operational Design Domain Through Novel Data Pipelines, Kyle James Carow

Masters Theses

Modern automobiles have greatly advanced in recent years, with technological developments that enhance performance, safety, and comfort. However, there is still much room for improvement. Today’s vehicles are heavily reliant on the combustion of fossil fuels, proven to be harmful for the environment on both a local and global scale. In addition, the safety benefits of autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems are not yet fully realized due to the limited operational design domain of these technologies. In this research, these needs are addressed through the development of two novel data pipelines. In the first study, a novel methodology …

The Musical Water Fountain, Amy Nielsen

Honors Theses

An affordable musical water fountain was designed over the course of one year. The target consumers for this fountain are middle to upper class homeowners. Based on the design parameters and research found on the topic, the fountain presents an aesthetically pleasing light and water show for residential neighborhoods. The design was sought to be competitive on the market with preexisting fountains. Since it must play music and perform a water and light show all in synchronous, there was confidence in the unique features to sell with today’s consumers. SolidWorks was used extensively to design and model the fountain and …

Measurement Of Low-Speed Impinging Jet Structure Using Temperature Sensitive Paint, Arthur Dean Woodworth

Masters Theses

Temperature sensitive paint (TSP) is used to analyze surface flow structures driven by a jet impinging on a heated steel sheet. Temperature and Nusselt number images are calculated from CCD images of the TSP surface. TSP calibration is discussed. Skin friction data is obtained from the temperature images.

Data is collected for metal and 3D-printed plastic nozzles of varying shape and size at one or two jet airspeeds depending on the nozzle. For the circular nozzles, data is collected for four Reynolds numbers at impinging angles of 90, 70, and 50 degrees. For the elliptical nozzles and the star-shaped nozzle, …

Peridynamic Modeling Of Crack Propagation In Brittle Materials With Electromechanical Coupling, Semsi Coskun

Dissertations

The bond-based peridynamics (BB-PD) is a widely used peridynamic model in the literature. Despite Poisson's ratio restriction, it still serves as a powerful tool to solve challenging engineering problems with a relatively cheap computational cost. Consider the Poisson ratio of the material does not deviate from the ones that BB-PD can model. In that case, it becomes advantageous to use the BB-PD compared to other PD models in terms of computational cost and simplicity. However, the BB-PD suffers from the so-called surface or skin effect where the material response at boundaries becomes softer than the bulk material points. As a …

Additive Metal Deposition Feedback Optimization For The 3d Hybrid Metal Printer, Andrew James Wyman

Dissertations

In the additive manufacturing realm, explicitly the direct energy deposition method, there continues to be numerous advancements along with advantages to control print quality of the component and the ability to apply the successful repetition of metallic layers consecutively. Metal additive printed components have the capacity to directly use the component for the desired application or intended purpose from which the three-dimensional model was created. In contrast, plastic printers that produce components that would not hold to the physical conditions required such as a metallic component could withstand.

Research exertions were focused on improving the present Western Michigan University patented …

Design, Manufacture, And Characterization Of A Novel Miniature Coaxial Ion Trap Mass Analyzer, Kyle Davis Lyman

Masters Theses

In the ever-evolving field of mass spectrometry, a void exists in the availability of field-portable devices that can provide in situ analysis with suitable performance characteristics. In this work, a miniaturized coaxial ion trap mass analyzer is developed, simulated, and characterized. This work, funded by the National Science Foundation, is carried out in conjunction with Brigham Young University. The device in discussion is novel in that it utilizes a rectilinear ion guide (RIG), a simplified toroidal ion trap (STorIT), and a cylindrical ion trap (CIT) in the device’s center. The inclusion of the STorIT provides a high trapping capacity, and …

Model Predictive Controller Design For Internal Combustion Engines Based On The Second Law Of Thermodynamics, Muataz Abotabik

Dissertations

Energy resources depletion and worldwide strict emissions policies pose challenges that automotive manufacturers try to overcome through researching advanced powertrain technologies such as lean-burn gasoline, direct injection, homogeneous charge compression ignition engines, powertrain electrification, etc. Most of these developments have been focused on conventional internal combustion engines (ICE) emissions and performance enhancements. Most ICE control strategies are built based on the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT) i.e., to deliver a specific load requirement, enhancing thermal efficiency, etc. The FLT doesn’t account for in-cylinder high temperature thermodynamics process irreversibilities that cause losses in the work potential; up to 25% of the …

Fsae Vehicle Instrumentation And Validation, Alexander Anthony

Honors Theses

Formula SAE is a student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Each year SAE hosts a collegiate competition for teams of university students to design, build, and compete with a formula-style vehicle. Students from all around the world collaborate to engineer and manufacture a competition worthy racecar. Each component of the vehicle is designed from scratch, using calculated load cases to optimize weight and strength. Once the car is built, students will test and validate their vehicle. Not every team has the opportunity to validate the critical load cases the vehicle is designed around. This senior design project …

Thermal & Efficiency Analysis For A High-Speed Gearbox, Austin Owen

Honors Theses

The aim of this project was to design and build a test stand to validate a thermal model of a high-speed gearbox developed by Western Michigan University’s (WMU) Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation (CAViDS) consortium. At the completion of this project, the experimental results measured from tests will be compared to those from a Siemens Amesim model of the same gearbox. For these tests, an electric inverter/motor/gearbox package was connected to an intermediate transmission for the purpose of output speed matching to an electric dynamometer. This dynamometer applied a load to the motor/gearbox to replicate its designed running …

Electromagnetically Propelled Garage Door, Connor Seifert

Honors Theses

Garage door systems are loud and energy inefficient given their many contact points and need for continual maintenance. Most garage door systems use a loud, bulky electric motor to pull the garage door up and down using a chain. To reduce noise and energy loss due to friction from the electric motor and chain, electromagnetic forces used in Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) trains were researched and adapted to a garage door system. The electromagnetically propelled garage door (EPGD) system was designed and validated using SOLIDWORKS and ANSYS simulation with significantly less contact points due to non-contact electromagnetic propulsion (EMP). The design …