Improving The Reliability Of Parts Produced Via Laser Powder Bed Fusion Through A Data-Driven Geometry Optimization Methodology, Federico Venturi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research aims to qualify the effect of design geometry on quality metrics of additively manufactured (AM) components that define reliability. Through the use of a novel methodology to characterize these quality metrics, AM components are inspected for the presence of defects such as surface roughness notches and porosity. These directly hinder the high-cycle fatigue characteristics demonstrated through the Kitagawa-Takahashi diagram and the El-Haddad model. By demonstrating the effect of geometry through a designed experiment and the adoption of the Murakami square root area parameter and Arola-Ramulu model, the improvement to fatigue life can be quantified. Incorporating this data into …

Stress Analysis Of Anisotropic Inclusion Problems Using Complex Variables, Liming Chen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research presents an analytical framework for determining stress fields in an elastic medium containing a circular anisotropic inclusion embedded in an infinitely extended isotropic matrix subjected to far-field uniform stresses. Stress distributions within both the inclusion and the matrix are described using classical stress functions, widely employed in two-dimensional elasticity theory.

To manage the complexity of the mathematical derivations, symbolic computation software (Mathematica) is used to streamline the analysis and obtain closed-form solutions. This approach overcomes traditional computational barriers that have limited the practical application of complex variable methods (CVM) in elasticity.

The methodology builds upon the foundational work …

Design Strategy For Hybrid Thrust Air Bearings: Comparative Analysis Of Rigid Vs. Foil Bearings Considering Optimum Taper Angle And Orifice Location With Experimental Validation, Ehiremen Ebewele

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) are contactless bearings that offer advantages such as lightweight construction and the ability to accommodate misalignments and geometric irregularities. However, their load capacity is lower than rigid or magnetic bearings. The structure and geometry of the foil significantly influence GFTB performance. The taper-flat design is the most used configuration due to its effectiveness and ease of implementation. Key parameters in designing this geometry include taper ratio, taper height, orifice size, and orifice location. These parameters must be optimized alongside manufacturing constraints to produce an effective GFTB. This study presents a design optimization investigation of various …

Experimental And Numerical Modelling-Based Optimization Of Additive Manufacturing Processes, Vishnu V. Ganesan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT

Experimental and Numerical Modeling-Based Optimization of Additive Manufacturing Processes

Vishnu V Ganesan, Ph.D.

The University of Texas at Arlington, 2025

Supervising Professor: Dr. Ankur Jain

Experimental and numerical modeling play a pivotal role in advancing additive manufacturing technologies by enabling a deeper understanding of complex, multi-physics processes that govern part quality, performance, and reliability. These manufacturing techniques—ranging from Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Material Extrusion (MEX) to Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)—involve tightly coupled thermal, mechanical, and material phenomena that are challenging to capture through empirical observation alone. Experimental methods offer critical validation and insights into real-world behavior, while numerical …

Intelligent Microfluidic Systems For Precision Manipulation And Real-Time Recognition Via Dielectrophoresis And Deep Learning, Negar Danesh

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation introduces intelligent microfluidic platforms by combining advanced DEP-based manipulation with real-time visual feedback. A DEP device featuring circular corral traps and dual-plane electrodes enables precise submicron particle trapping, high-resolution particle separation, and cell-particle co-assembly. Simulations and experiments confirm enhanced electric field control and stable confinement. To enable adaptive operation in EWOD systems, a deep learning model (U-Net) was developed for real-time droplet meniscus segmentation. The model achieved 98% accuracy and remained robust under noisy, low-contrast conditions. A live video pipeline was implemented, enabling consistent frame-by-frame feedback for closed-loop control. Together, these innovations establish a foundation for autonomous, high-performance …

Nonlinear Bump Stiffness Model And Its Effect On Structural Stiffness And Nonlinear Rotordynamic Characteristic Of Foil Bearing, Woongeon Lee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bump foils are the most widely used in foil bearings, but the behaviors of bump foils are complicated, and their characteristics have been a focus of research for decades. Bump foils are usually modeled as stiffness and damping are accounted for through interactions with shaft eccentricity, loading, shaft speed and excitation frequency. These nonlinear characteristics of the bump foil of radial foil bearings can be observed during both manufacturing and operational processes because of their inherent structural properties such as bump geometry, forming process, age-hardening process and complicated contact behavior with bearing housing. These nonlinear characteristics are one of the …

Multi-Objective Design Optimization Of Hypoid Geared Rotor Systems, Xinqi Wei

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hypoid gears represent one of the most generalized and complex forms of gearing, widely used for power transmission of skew shafts in vehicles, aviation, and marine transmission applications. Optimizing their performance remains challenging due to the complex tooth surface and contact behavior. Specifically, the design parameters of the tooth surface are multi-scale, interdependent, and subject to strong constraints, leading to strong nonlinearity and an ill-conditioned Jacobian matrix in the parameter identification model. Moreover, feasible and insensitive contact conditions are difficult to constrain due to the inherent complexity of local conjugate contact between the meshing surfaces. These challenges significantly increase optimization …

Long-Term Simulation Of Stem Cell Mechanobiology, Manoochehr Rabiei

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

An accurate representation of cellular mechanobiology necessitates the inclusion of subcellular elements characterized by minute masses and dimensions. These minute objects yield multiscale dynamic models with disproportionate terms, which require inordinate amounts of computational time to simulate. The computational requirements limit the time span of the simulation to time histories shorter than one second, even when employing supercomputers. This work presents a high-speed approach to simulating the mechanobiology of stem cells. The proposed approach separates the computational time from the size, and distribution, of masses of the subcellular elements, enabling the simulation of weeks-long cellular processes within hours on a …

A Path To Commissioning Of Direct-To-Chip Liquid Cooling For Hyperscale Data Centers Using Experimental And Cfd Techniques, Himanshu Girishchandra Modi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The escalating demand for computing power in hyperscale data centers necessitates innovative cooling solutions to enhance energy efficiency and ensure sustainable operations. Direct-to-chip liquid cooling has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional air-cooling methods, offering improved thermal management and reduced energy consumption. This dissertation explores a comprehensive approach to commissioning direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems in hyperscale data centers by integrating experimental analyses and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. The study begins by examining design modifications for air-cooled servers and later analyzes the impact of different parameters for a hybrid-cooled server. It explores the fundamental principles of direct-to-chip liquid cooling …

Kissing Bond Assessment In Adhesive Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites Using Dielectric Spectroscopy, Minhazur Rahman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The widespread use of fiber-reinforced composites in industries such as space, aviation, automobiles, and construction necessitates the formation of robust composite joints between critical structural components. Although adhesive-bonded joints are superior with improved load distribution and reduced weight, they are often overlooked in favor of bolted joints and mechanical fasteners due to the lack of reliable Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques for adhesive-bonded composites. The anisotropic nature of the substrate and the intricate interfacial interactions between the adherend and adhesive material present significant challenges for conventional NDE methods. Moreover, weak adhesive bonds can result from uncontrolled manufacturing parameters, such as accidental …

Two-Phase Flow Simulations With Plic-Vof Method And Dynamic Mesh Refinement, Vimalan Adaikalanathan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Two-phase flows are critical in a variety of engineering applications that span multiple length scales. These applications encompass macroscopic phenomena, such as dam breakage and wave-structure interactions, as well as microscopic events, including droplet impacts and boiling, and mixed-scale issues like spray dynamics. Accurate representation of evolving interfaces is essential for numerical simulations of these problems, and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method combined with the Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation (PLIC) approach is employed to fulfill this requirement. To tackle the computational challenges associated with high-resolution meshes in deforming two-phase flows, Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) is utilized to enhance mesh …

Experimental Investigations And Optimization Of 3d Printed Cellular Structures For Protection Against Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron R. Jackson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) disrupts brain function due to head impacts, blast exposures, and ballistic penetrations. It is a significant cause of mental health issues and disability, particularly among military personnel. Historically, combat helmets were designed primarily to protect against fragments. However, recent data highlights the need for helmets that also protect against blast and blunt impacts. Effective TBI prevention requires helmets that address various energy threats while remaining lightweight. A critical metric in this effort is head acceleration, which is closely linked to injury across different scales of brain damage.

Four lattice structures were 3D printed using Digital ABS …

Introduce Ultrasound Fabry-Pérot Resonator For Attenuation Characterization And Sensitization Detection Of Aluminum-Magnesium Alloys, Songwei Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The Ultrasound Fabry-Pérot Resonator (UFPR) is introduced as a novel technique for non-destructive evaluation and material characterization. By adapting optical Fabry-Pérot Resonator principles to ultrasonic systems, UFPR inherits advantages such as enhanced sensitivity, reduced uncertainty, and the capabilities of frequency-dependent analysis and fringe spectral analysis. This study focuses on UFPR’s application to ultrasonic attenuation characterization and sensitization detection in aluminum-magnesium alloys, which are critical for understanding microstructural changes and improving material performance.

The research was conducted in three systematic steps. First, time-frequency analysis was utilized to examine frequency-dependent attenuation behavior, establishing a foundation for ultrasonic attenuation characterization. Second, longitudinal UFPR …

Mathematical Modeling Of Heat And Mass Transfer In Multilayer Systems, Girish Krishnan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Multilayer systems are commonly found in a number of engineering devices like Li-ion cells and vertically integrated semiconductor devices. Li-ion cells are widely used for various engineering applications, but they come with a drawback in the form of thermal runaway, and thermal abuse is one of the scenarios that leads to thermal runaway. On the other hand, heterogenous integration in chip and package level architectures is being implemented to keep up with Moore’s law. Modeling of heat and mass transfer in these systems is a topic of interest to improve performance and reliability.

The first segment of this dissertation will …

Dynamics Of Separated Flows In Diffusers With Vortex Generators, Sandeep Eldho James

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Flow through curved diffusers is complicated due to the possibility of flow separation and secondary flows. Vortex generators (VGs) are a class of passive flow separation control devices used to improve the flow quality in curved diffusers by suppressing flow separation. However, the literature review demands an in-depth investigation on the physical mechanisms related to flow separation control. Thus, this study aims to improve the understanding of the underlying flow physics associated with VG-induced flow separation control in confined flows. The chosen geometry for this study is a well-documented asymmetric diffuser which exhibits a mild flow separation.

The theoretical formulation …

Generalizable Fugitive Carrier Method For 3d Printing Of Hydrogels, Hakan Arslan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hydrogels, with physical characteristics resembling biological soft tissues, hold great potential for bioinspired and biomedical applications. However, using them in additive manufacturing systems has challenges because of their poor mechanical and rheological properties. In response to these challenges, we introduce a fugitive carrier method, a novel and generalizable approach for materials incompatible with pneumatic-based extrusion three-dimensional (3D) printers. Our developed fugitive carrier method allows the 3D printing of a broad spectrum of hydrogel precursors with low viscosity while retaining their inherent properties. This technique has been successfully demonstrated by creating biomimetic structures with anisotropic and programmable systems utilizing temperature-sensitive hydrogel …

Machine Learning-Based Methodology For Multi-Objective And Multi-Design Variable Optimization Of Finned Heat Sinks And Evaluation Of Electrochemical Additive Manufactured Heat Sink Designs For Single-Phase Immersion Cooling, Joseph F. Herring Ii

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traditional air-cooling along with corresponding heat sinks are beginning to reach performance limits, requiring lower air-supply temperatures and higher air-supply flowrates, in order to meet the rising thermal management requirements of high power-density electronics. A switch from air-cooling to single-phase immersion cooling provides significant thermal performance improvement and reliability benefits. When hardware which is designed for air cooling is implemented within a single-phase immersion cooling regime, optimization of the heat sinks provides additional thermal performance improvements. This work investigates performance of a machine learning (ML) approach to building a predictive model of the multi objective and multi-design variable optimization of …

Design And Analysis Of Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing Based Cold Plates And Heat Sinks For Enhanced Electronics Cooling And Temperature-Dependent Density Characterization Of Phase Change Materials, Jacob Lamotte-Dawaghreh

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The body of work that comprises this dissertation is divided into two main sections. The first section is regarding novel heat sink and cold plate designs that leverage a metal additive manufacturing process called electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) to drive increased thermal performance. The continuous advancements in electronics computational capabilities have resulted in ever-increasing thermal loads at the component and data center server level. These strides within the field are soon to be compounded by the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Traditionally, high performance electronics components have been able to be cooled by forced-air cooling; however, the …

Advanced Thermal Management Solutions For High-Powered Chips: A Comprehensive Study On Immersion Cooling And Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing-Based Cold Plates, Gautam Gupta

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates advanced thermal management strategies for high-performance computing systems to address the escalating thermal challenges posed by increasing power densities and computational demands. Chapter 1 evaluates the efficacy of forced convection Single-Phase Immersion Cooling (SPIC) with a dielectric fluid (EC-110) compared to traditional air cooling for a 776 W server. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations demonstrate significant reductions in chip junction temperatures, maximum Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) temperatures, and server pressure drop with immersion cooling, highlighting its superior heat dissipation capabilities.

Chapter 2 delves into the comparative analysis of forced and natural convection Single-Phase Immersion Cooling techniques. …

Reliability Assessment Of 2.5d Heterogenous Integrated Circuits, Cu-Cu Hybrid Bonded Interconnects & Thermo-Mechanical Assessment Of Substrates In Two-Phase Immersion Cooling, Akshay Boovanahally Lakshminarayana

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Moore’s law has predicted the growth of semiconductor industry for the last 50 years by providing a template for silicon scaling and homogenous system on chip integration of multiple circuits. Lately, this trend has been declining due to the increased power density and functionality and increasing chip size to accommodate this. Moving forward, heterogeneous integration of chiplets will improve the silicon yield by integrating multiple multi-functional chiplets that are of smaller area onto an interposer or a substrate in 2.5D, 3D or 3.5 D architectures. In this study, computational analysis is done on the impact of design parameters and material …

Towards The Development Of A Unified Synthesis System Framework: Advancement Of Avds Towards A Generic, Multi-Disciplinary, And Multi-Fidelity Aerospace Vehicle Design Environment, Ian Wesley Maynard

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

At the start of any design program for the development of a novel aerospace vehicle, there can be millions of design, mission, and technology trades to be explored. Design software is needed that can modularly adapt itself such that it can be generically applied to a wide variety of aerospace applications. It needs to be automated such that it can ‘stitch’ together and generate synthesis codes using a wide variety of disciplinary methods including geometry, aerodynamics, propulsion, trajectory, weights, stability and control, cost, etc. It should also be able to modularly switch the multi-disciplinary synthesis execution process in the synthesis …

Design And Demonstration Of An Inertial-Stabilized Single-Axis Headlamp For Mobile Systems, Thomas Avery Allsup

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The introduction of adaptive headlamps has added left and right movement of the headlamps to enhance the vision of the driver during a turn at night. Adaptive headlamps also allow up and down motion of headlamps in either two discrete positions with low and high beams based on vehicle speed and oncoming traffic lights or using the vehicle suspension measurement to adjust headlamp beam angles in any angle between low and high. Using the vehicle suspension ignores the roadway influence on where the headlamps should be positioned to illuminate the roadway for the driver. This dissertation develops governing equations and …

On The Development Of A Sensing System Methodology To Evaluate The Viscoelastic Properties Of Soft Tissues As A Means Of Disease Prognosis, Shashank S. Kumat

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Identification of tissue viscoelastic properties could provide valuable information for assessing its healthiness or disease state. Current technologies present challenges to access and perform localized tissue assessment in confined spaces in the human body through contact indentation/palpation. As such, there is a need for a diagnostic system capable of measuring tissue relaxation response at the local site by accessing the tissue through a natural orifice. This dissertation presents a strain gauge-based uniaxial micro-force sensor, part of the aforementioned system, capable of measuring tissue response data in confined human space environments. A sensing system design methodology is developed and presented. The …

Optimizing Energy Efficiency And Performance In High-Performance Computing Through Advanced Direct-To-Chip Liquid Cooling And Labview-Based Monitoring And Analysis, Chandraprakash Ashok Hinge

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research endeavors to significantly enhance energy efficiency and performance in the realm of high-performance computing (HPC). This goal is pursued through a synergistic approach that leverages advanced direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems and integrates LabVIEW for real-time monitoring and analysis within data centers. The primary aims of this study are manifold. First, it seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of different single-phase liquid coolants when employed in direct-to-chip cold plate cooling for HPC systems. Additionally, the research focuses on characterizing row manifolds, crucial elements in the design of efficient data centers. The study also endeavors to devise a strategic control mechanism …

Multiple Dipole Source Position And Orientation Estimation Using Non-Invasive Eeg-Like Signals, Saina Namazifard

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The human brain comprises of neurons that connect with each other via electrical signals. One can record and measure these activities using an electroencephalogram (EEG). An essential use of the EEG is in locating the generating source of these signals, usually approximated by dipoles. This is important because, in some particular circumstances, neurons may not function optimally and could make the equivalent dipole generate abnormal signals. This could be a result of seizures or other brain disorders. In order to isolate such disorders, the challenge is to find a non-invasive way to locate the anomalous source. This research aims to …

Thermo-Mechanical Analysis Of Heterogenous Integrated Packages And Immersion Cooling Of Data Center Servers, Krishna Bhavana Sivaraju

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

III-V materials such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium Phosphide (InP) are used as substrates for opto-electronic devices like vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL), edge emitting lasers and light emitting diodes. System in Package integration of the III-V materials to silicon requires a reliable bonding technique. Though there are several bonding techniques like direct wafer bonding like hetero-epitaxially grown islands on a silicon wafer bonding enable the bonding, flip-chip bonding is used in this study owing to its superior electrical connectivity, mechanical reliability, heat conduction capability and ease of fabrication due to self-alignment. Finite element models of four different …

Analysis Of A Nanoparticle’S Dynamics In An Optical Tweezer, Vatsal Asitkumar Joshi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This work presents a simulation and experimental analysis of a nanoparticle's motion in an optical tweezer. Specifically, different simulation and analysis techniques are developed to investigate a suspected regime change in the dynamics of the micro/nano particles from overdamped to underdamped motion as the particle size reduces to submicron scale. Moreover, the simulation techniques developed here provide accurate prediction of the particle dynamics along with low computation time. Finally, the experimental setup developed here provides new experimental data that help answer the question of the regime change with increased certainty. Micro- and nano- scale systems, such as an optical tweezer, …

High Magnification Surface Topography Based Digital Image Correlation (Dic) For Identifying Damage Accumulation And Crack Growth In Polycrystalline Nickel, Arash Valiollahi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Damage index parameters that have been formulated to identify damage localization in plastically deformed materials typically require all six stress or strain components. Recently, simulations through Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM) have been widely used to extract damage initiation parameters. However, these models are rarely verified due to the challenges in measuring the out-of-plane deformation/strain experimentally. A damage index combining the effective plastic strain and surface roughness change is investigated for identifying damage accumulation sites and predicting crack propagation path in polycrystalline pure Nickel. A novel Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique is developed to measure both in-plane and out-of-plane …

Investigation Of Thermal Performance Enhancement And Thermo-Mechanical Assessment Of Ite Using Single-Phase Immersion Cooling Technology, Pratik Bansode

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The use of air-cooling as a thermal management technique in data centers has consistently maintained its importance, however its efficacy is limited to CPUs with lower power requirements. The expenses and energy use related to the air circulation process for high-power density racks are deemed excessively costly. The limits of air cooling have aroused concerns owing to its low specific heat capacity and poor thermal conductivity, which result in reduced effectiveness. Consequently, a substantial discourse has emerged about alternate and effective cooling methods that provide supplementary advantages, such as the recuperation of waste heat. In light of the limitations associated …

Optimal Aggressive Constrained Trajectory Synthesis And Control For Multi-Copters, Tsung-Liang Liu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Multi-copters have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their availability, mobility, agility, and flexibility. They serve as excellent platforms for control experiments and various applications. Their characteristics also make them an attractive choice for high-speed aerial navigation in complex environments. Numerous studies have been conducted on aggressive trajectory generation and maneuver tracking. However, the level of aggressiveness achievable depends on the optimality of the trajectory plan and the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle. It would be valuable if one can generate a trajectory that fully utilizes the dynamic capabilities of the multi-copter while accommodating specific maneuvers at predetermined …