Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Studies Of The Effect Of Diffusion-Induced Chloride Binding On Chlorination Life Predictions For Existing Reinforced Concrete Bridges, Ming-Te Liang, Jiang-Jhy Chang, Tung-Wei Yu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The chloride ions diffusion is one of important factors of corrosion of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The total chloride concentration penetrated into concrete can be expressed as the sum of bound and free chloride concentrations. The principal purpose of this paper is to study the chlorination life prediction of existing RC bridges due to chloride binding effect. The investigation method is that the no binding, linear binding, Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms are substituted into the analytical solutions of linear (diffusivity D = constant) and non-linear (D ≠ constant) diffusion equations associated with initial and boundary conditions, respectively. The chlorination …

Configuration Space Analysis And Synthesis Of Planar Variable Kinematic Joints, Brian Slaboch, Philip A. Voglewede

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Study On The Seismic Behavior Of Self-Anchored Suspension Bridges, Wen-Liang Qiu, Chang-Huan Kou, Chin-Sheng Kao, Shih-Wei Ma, Jiun Yang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The suspension bridge has a beautiful structural shape and an excellent spanning ability. The self-anchored suspension bridge has its main cables anchored directly on the two ends of the main girders, saving construction costs and time incurred during the anchorage construction of an earth-anchored suspension bridge. However, the feasibility of a self-anchored suspension bridge in a strong earthquake zone and the use of dampers to reduce seismic responses have yet to be fully investigated. Using the Yellow-River Road Bridge in Mainland as an example, this study sets out to analyze and investigate a series of seismic responses of a self-anchored …

A Manifold-Based Exponentially Convergent Algorithm For Solving Non-Linear Partial Differential Equations, Chein-Shan Liu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

For solving a non-linear system of algebraic equations of the type: Fi(xj) = 0, i, j = 1, …, n, a Newton-like algorithm is still the most popular one; however, it had some drawbacks as being locally convergent, sensitive to initial guess, and time consumption in finding the inversion of the Jacobian matrix ∂Fi /∂xj. Based-on a manifold defined in the space of (xi, t) we can derive a system of non-linear Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) in terms of the fictitious time-like variable t, and the residual error is exponentially decreased to zero along the path of x(t) by solving …

Design Of Planning Level Ship Product Model For Ship Initial Design, Sungchul Shin, Soon-Sup Lee, Jong-Kap Lee, Kyung-Ho Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper introduces a design of planning level ship product model (called SPPM hereinafter) based on ISO 10303 Standard for The Exchange of Product Model data (STEP). For the design of this model, the information modeling methodologies such as Integration Definition (IDEF) methods and Unified Modeling Language (UML) were reviewed, and a hybrid method was established. By using this method, ship initial design process was analyzed, and STEP-based information model and class libraries for SPPM were defined. For the data structure of this model, the shipbuilding Application Protocols (AP215, AP216 and Ship Common Model) of STEP were investigated and utilized …

Fluid Scrubber And Spray Booth Including The Fluid Scrubber, Abraham J. Salazar

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

A wet scrubber for scrubbing a fluid. The wet scrubber may include an inlet for receiving the fluid and a vortex chamber, in communication with the inlet, for causing at least a portion of the fluid to circulate. The wet scrubber may also include at least one diffuser for exhausting the fluid from the vortex chamber, the diffuser configured to substantially prevent fluid exhausted from the diffuser from recirculating back into the diffuser. A paint booth and a method of scrubbing a fluid are also provided.

Laboratory Experiments On Colliding Nonresonant Internal Wave Beams, Sean Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Internal waves are prominent fluid phenomena in both the atmosphere and ocean. Because internal waves have the ability to transfer a large amount of energy, they contribute to the global distribution of energy. This causes internal waves to influence global climate patterns and critical ocean mixing. Therefore, studying internal waves provides additional insight in how to model geophysical phenomena that directly impact our lives. There is a myriad of fluid phenomena with which internal waves can interact, including other internal waves. Equipment and processes are developed to perform laboratory experiments analyzing the interaction of two colliding nonresonant internal waves. Nonresonant …

A Dynamic Model Of A Belt Driven Electromechanical Xy Plotter Cutter, Joseph Prisco, Philip A. Voglewede

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Controller Design And Preliminary Testing Of A Powered Below-Knee Prosthetic Device, Philip A. Voglewede, Jinming Sun

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Adding Autonomic Healing Capabilities To Polyethylene Oxide, Dorina M. Chipara, Maritza Flores, Alma Perez, Nancy Puente, Karen Lozano, Mircea Chipara

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The addition of autonomic healing (frequently defined as self-healing) capabilities to a water-soluble polymer (polyethylene oxide, PEO) is for the first time reported. The self-healing system consists of urea-formaldehyde microcapsules filled with dicyclopentadiene and first-generation Grubbs catalyst, dispersed within polyethylene oxide. Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize this autonomic healing system. Self-healing capabilities were confirmed by mechanical testing (load–displacement, engineering stress–engineering strain, and true stress–true strain dependences) recorded at very slow elongation rates (0.01 mm/s). The testing fate was chosen to allow for the complete consumption of the monomer before fracture (the polymerization …

Comparison Of Compression Molding And Selective Laser Sintering Processes In The Development Of Composite Bipolar Plates For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Ehsan Taghipour, Ming-Chuan Leu, Nannan Guo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bipolar plates are key components of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. They carry current away from the cell and withstand the clamping force of the stack assembly. Therefore, PEM fuel cell bipolar plates must have high electrical conductivity and adequate mechanical strength, in addition to being light weight and low cost in terms of both applicable materials and production methods. In order to attain these goals, we have manufactured graphite-carbon- polymer composite plates using Compression Molding (CM), which is suitable for mass production, and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which is suitable for making prototypes. In this paper, the electrical …

The Applications Of Additive Manufacturing Technologies In Cyber-Enabled Manufacturing Systems, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The application of networked sensors and control in various areas, such as smart grids and infrastructures, has become a recent trend, called cyber-physical systems. The Cyber Enabled Manufacturing (CEM) environment is to apply these technologies in manufacturing systems to handle a significantly greater magnitude of manufacturing data. Additive manufacturing techniques print or place material layer by layer to form a part, thus have a great potential to help accelerate CEM process by printing or embedding sensors and actuators in the proper locations. This paper summarizes the roles of additive manufacturing technologies to help establish a CEM environment.

Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication Of Functionally Graded Material Composites Using Zirconium Carbide And Tungsten, Ang Li, Aaron S. Thornton, Bradley K. Deuser, Jeremy Lee Watts, Ming-Chuan Leu, Greg Hilmas, Robert G. Landers

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultra-high-temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as their oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000⁰C. However, their brittleness makes them susceptible to thermal shock failure. As graded composites, components fabricated as functionally-graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGM parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and W were developed …

Modeling, Analysis And Simulation Of Paste Freezing In Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Mingyang Li, Robert G. Landers, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

During the freeze-form extrusion fabrication process for aqueous-based pastes, the sub-zero temperature environment aids the part in maintaining its shape by freezing the water present in the paste. The paste freezes very quickly when deposited on a substrate in a freezing environment. However, as the part’s height increases, the freezing time increases as the heat conduction rate to the substrate decreases. The freezing time can exceed the time required to extrude one layer of paste due to water’s high latent heat, thus leaving the extruded paste in its semi-liquid state and causing the part to deform or even collapse. Therefore, …

Interactions Of An Additive Manufacturing Program With Society, Frank W. Liou, Ming-Chuan Leu, Robert G. Landers

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has shown considerable promise for the future but also proposes some challenges. Many AM barriers tend to be non-technical and instead are human-centric issues such as lack of education of practitioners in AM capabilities, cultural differences, vested interests, and potentially lack of imagination. It is highly desirable for all research and educational institutions to help address these issues. This paper summarizes the additive manufacturing research and education program at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) and its interactions with various constituents, including K-12 students, undergraduate and graduate students, distance students, and industry.

Experimental Study Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Using A Graphite Composite Bipolar Plate Fabricated By Selective Laser Sintering, Nannan Guo, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) can be used to fabricate graphite composite bipolar plates with complex flow fields for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The additive manufacturing process can significantly reduce the time and cost associated with the research and development of bipolar plates as compared to other fabrication methods such as compression molding. In this study, bipolar plates with three different designs, i.e., parallel in series, interdigitated, and bio-inspired, were fabricated using the SLS process. The performance of these SLS-fabricated bipolar plates was studied experimentally within a fuel cell assembly under various operating conditions. The effect of temperature, relative …

The Effect Of Friction Stir Welding Process Parameters On Charpy V-Notch Impact Toughness In Hsla-65, Samuel C. Sanderson

Theses and Dissertations

HSLA-65 steel (6.4 mm thick) was friction stir welded at various welding speeds and spindle speeds. Varying weld parameters provided a range of heat inputs. Impact toughness was evaluated as a function of the different weld parameters and corresponding weld heat inputs. Charpy V-Notch (CVN) tests were conducted in parent material and at both the weld nugget centerline and heat-affected zone (HAZ) locations. The upper shelf CVN impact energy of the weld nugget was above that of the base metal for all weld parameters. The upper shelf impact toughness in the HAZ was largely unaffected by changing weld parameters. The …

Multi-Color Cavity Ringdown Based Detection Method And Apparatus, Scott W. Reeve, Susan Davis Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

A multi-color cavity ringdown based spectrometer system is housed in a light tight enclosure to detect the presence of trace quantities of gas phase molecules emanating from a subject, explosives, drugs, or hazardous materials. A method is also disclosed for simultaneous real time detection of gas phase molecules emanating from explosives, drugs, hazardous materials, a subject's breath skin or bodily fluid.

Efficient Characterization Of Structural Dynamic Responses Under Uncertainties: From Order-Reduced Simulation To Data-Driven Emulation, Zeping Xia

Master's Theses

The efficiency of sampling remains as one of the major challenges for uncertainty analysis in structural dynamics. In the context of numerical experiments, this difficulty primarily lies in the fact that every single run of a numerical model, which usually is of large scale in modern engineering practice, would be expensive in terms of CPU times and memories. Nonetheless, understanding and predicting dynamic characteristics of structural systems with uncertainties is important for structural design, assessment and control. In order to develop fast and economical sampling techniques for characterizing structural dynamics, we explored two categories of methods from two opposite direction: …

The Extraction Of Shock Waves And Separation And Attachment Lines From Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations Using Subjective Logic, Matthew C. Lively

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of computational fluid dynamics to simulate highly complex fluid flow situations have allowed for simulations that require weeks of computation using expensive high performance clusters. These simulations often generate terabytes of data and hinder the design process by greatly increasing the post-processing time. This research discusses a method to extract shock waves and separation and attachment lines as the simulation is calculating and as a post-processing step. Software agents governed by subjective logic were used to make decisions about extracted features in converging and converged data sets. Two different extraction algorithms were incorporated for shock waves and separation …

Study On The Fracture Toughness Of Friction Stir Welded Api X80, Allan M. Tribe

Theses and Dissertations

High strength low alloy (HSLA) steels have been developed to simultaneously have high yield strength and high fracture toughness. However, in practical applications steel must be welded. Traditional arc welding has proven detrimental to the fracture toughness of HSLA steels. Friction stir welding has recently shown mixed results in welding HSLA steels. The range of welding parameters used in these recent studies however has been very limited. With only a few welding parameters tested, the effect of spindle speed, travel speed, and heat input on the fracture toughness of friction stir welded HSLA steel remains unknown. To understand how the …

The Design And Manufacturing Of The Solar Furnace Reactor Table, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility at Valparaiso University will concentrate energy from the sun into a reactor containing unprocessed materials. The concentrated light causes a reaction to occur, turning unprocessed materials into alternative energy products. Accurate placement of the reactor at the focal point of the concentrator is necessary to allow the maximum amount of solar energy to enter the reactor. The Reactor Table was designed and built by Valparaiso University students and faculty. The table controls the placement of the reactor at the focal point of the concentrator quickly and easily by using a computer located …

Designing A Calorimeter To Calibrate An Optical Radiative Flux Measurement System To Find The Power Entering A Solar Reactor, Jesse Fosheim, Melissa Meyer, Jonathan Ogland-Hand

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

A solar furnace has been constructed at Valparaiso University to test the performance of various solar chemical reactors. A primary performance index of a solar chemical reactor is the efficiency, or the fraction of the energy that enters the reactor that is utilized in the chemical reaction. To calculate this efficiency, we must first know how much solar power is entering the reactor. An optical radiative flux measurement system has been developed that gives the solar flux distribution over the aperture of the reactor, but must be calibrated to provide the actual power level. Therefore, a calorimeter was designed and …

Electrical Control And Safety System For Solar Furnace, Parisa Nasserifar, Jason Toberman

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The Valparaiso University College of Engineering has recently received a donor gift and a federal earmark to design and manufacture a solar furnace facility. In the solar facility, a heliostat will reflect sunlight straight into the concentrator at every instant. However, due to manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracy in sun’s position model a sun sensor is added in the heliostat sun tracking system. The sun sensor fine adjusts the heliostat’s position so the reflected sunlight is normal to the concentrator. Our goal is to develop a sun sensor that provides an unbalanced output signal when the sensors receive an unbalanced light …

Vu Solar Furnace: Final Design And Construction Of Louver System, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller, Gretchen Vanheeren

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Solar energy is an environmentally clean and abundant alternative to the use of fossil fuels. One method of harnessing solar energy, solar thermal electrochemistry, uses a solar furnace to concentrate sunlight and heat a reactor to temperatures around 2000 K. At such high temperatures, metallic oxides can be decomposed into metals and oxygen with minimal electrical work. The solar furnace used for this process consists of a heliostat, which tracks the sun; a concentrator, which focuses the light to a single point; and a reactor in which the chemical reaction takes place. To control the amount of sunlight entering the …

Computational Scheme Guided Design Of A Hybrid Mild Gasifier, You Lu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A mild gasification method has been developed to provide an innovative clean coal technology. The objectives of this study are to (a) incorporate a fixed rate devolatilization model into the existing 2D multiphase reaction model, (b) expand the 2D model to 3D and (c) utilize the improved model to investigate the mild-gasification process and guide modification of the mild-gasifier design. The Eulerain-Eulerian method is employed to calculate both the primary phase (air) and secondary phase (coal particles). The improved 3D simulation model, incorporated with a devolatilization model, has been successfully developed and employed to determine the appropriate draft tube dimensions, …

Technology Portal For Energy Efficient Buildings, Larry D. Hermanson, Daniel Studer, Annie Mroz

STAR Program Research Presentations

Project: Technology Portal for Energy Efficient Buildings

Date: August 2, 2012

Author: Larry Hermanson

Mentor: Daniel Studer

Cohort: Annie Mroz

Lab site: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Buildings account for 71% of the electricity demand and 39% of the primary energy consumption in the United States. The Commercial Buildings Group at NREL provides builders, designers and building owners accurate information to significantly improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. The Technology Portal for Energy Efficient Buildings will increase the accessibility of standardized and credible energy performance data for all building systems, thereby allowing building owners to better evaluate …

Selective Laser Sintering; A Design Of Experiments, Philip David Hopkins, Victor Castillo Phd

STAR Program Research Presentations

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as 3D Printing or Rapid Prototyping, is a method of manufacturing that provides for the ability to make intricate internal features and easily customizable parts. The concept is to break a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file into a series of thin layers that are sent to the machine and laid down one layer at a time. Just like any other form of processing, material properties can alter by undergoing this process. Manipulating various parameters of the AM process can allow for different properties to be achieved. For this reason, an in depth study will …

Accuracy Of The Home Energy Saver Energy Calculation Methodology, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Home Energy Saver (HES) suite offers popular online simulation tools that enable U.S. homeowners and energy professionals to rigorously evaluate home energy use and develop recommendations on how energy can be saved across all end uses. The underlying analytical system is also available as a web service to power third-party energy analysis tools. Given the system's diverse uses, it is important that the simulation is robust and intrinsically accurate. While the engineering methods and assumptions are extensively documented and subjected to peer review, it is useful to evaluate how well HES predicts energy use in occupied homes. In this …

Development Of A Novel Statistical Method And Procedure For Material Characterization And A Probabilistic Approach To Assessing The Hygrothermal Performance Of Building Enclosure Assemblies, Jianhua Zhao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - Dissertations

In this research, a systematic approach was introduced to establish a high quality and comprehensive material database. The method was applied to a great number of materials in different material categories. The database provides a solid base for hygrothermal simulation and further research.

A method was developed to derive the generic material from the material cluster comprising specific materials with similar characteristics. A novel approach was developed by using the generic material to extrapolate less incomplete material data set to full data set that is suitable for the hygrothermal simulation. The approach extends the material database, and hence enhances the …