Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Thermolysis And Kinetics Of Scrap Tyre And Bagasse For Energy Utilization, Petro Ndalila

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The increase of energy demand has brought concern to find alternative fuel that will at least sustain the requirement. Bagasse and scrap tyre are waste generated in our industrial activities, which can be used in energy production to subsidize the demand. This paper, aim to study the decomposition behaviour and kinetics of biomass (bagasse) and scrap tyre as preliminary stage of fuel sample analysis to be considered for energy production in gasification/combustion or pyrolysis facilities. The behaviour demonstrated with thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), shows that all samples have high volatile amount release, 84.21% for bagasse and 85.08% for scrap tyre, which …

Numerical Modeling Of Infrared Thermography Techniques Via Ansys, Hayder Abdulnabi Thajeel

Masters Theses

"Several inspection techniques have been developed over years. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) technology has become a widely accepted as a nondestructive inspection (NDI) technique for different fields and various applications as well. Infrared thermography stands as one of the most an attractive and a successful NDI technique that has ability to detect the object's surface/subsurface defects remotely based on observing and measuring the surface's emitted infrared heat radiation by using an infrared camera. The finite element modeling FEM ANSYS was successfully used for the modelling of several IRT techniques; such as Pulsed Thermography (PT) and Lock-in Thermography (LT) that can …

Analysis Of Power Efficiency Of A Direct-Driven Locally Fabricated Permanent Magnet Ac Generator For Small-Scale Wind Power Applications In Tanzania, Mussa Iddi Mgwatu Dr.

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The use of direct-driven permanent magnet alternating current (AC) generators offers the opportunity to reduced costs and increased system efficiency. This type of generator could be the best alternative for rural population whom are not connected to the national grid. To improve the design and efficiency of locally fabricated generators, it is imperative to characterize both their mechanical and electrical parameters. This paper presents the analysis of power efficiency of the synchronous permanent AC generator locally fabricated in Tanzania. In this case, load resistance and rotational speed are characterized using designed experiment. The output current and voltage of the generator …

Mems Cantilever Sensor For Thz Photoacoustic Chemical Sensing And Spectroscopy, Nathan E. Glauvitz

Theses and Dissertations

Sensitive Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) cantilever designs were modeled, fabricated, and tested to measure the photoacoustic (PA) response of gasses to terahertz (THz) radiation. Surface and bulk micromachining technologies were employed to create the extremely sensitive devices that could detect very small changes in pressure. Fabricated devices were then tested in a custom made THz PA vacuum test chamber where the cantilever deflections caused by the photoacoustic effect were measured with a laser interferometer and iris beam clipped methods. The sensitive cantilever designs achieved a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 2.83x10^-10 cm^-1 W Hz^-1/2 using a 25 …

Promoting Electrocatalytic Activity Of A Composite Sofc Cathode La0.8Sr0.2Mno3+Δ/Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-Δ With Molten Carbonates, Yunhui Gong, Xue Li, Lingling Zhang, Whitney Tharp, Changyong Qin, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

The effect of molten carbonates (MCs) on polarization resistance (R_P), a direct measure of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, of a composite La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO_3+δ/Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_2-δ (LSM/GDC) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode has been systematically investigated in this study over a temperature range of 550–650°C and partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) span of 10⁻³ ∼ 1 atm. It is shown that the LSM/GDC cathode, either in the pristine or MC-modified states, can be generally modeled by two consecutive parallel circuits consisting of a resistance and a …

Experimental Investigation Of Mist Film Cooling And Feasibility Study Of Mist Transport In Gas Turbines, Reda M. Ragab

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the modern advanced gas turbines, the turbine inlet temperature may exceed 1500°C as a requirement to increase power output and thermal efficiency. Therefore, it is imperative that the blades and vanes are cooled so they can withstand these extreme temperatures. Film cooling is a cooling technique widely used in high-performance gas turbines. However, the film cooling effectiveness has almost reached plateau, resulting in a bottleneck for continuous improvement of gas turbines' efficiency.

In this study, an innovative cooling scheme, mist film cooling is investigated through experiments. A small amount of tiny water droplets with an average diameter about 10-15 …

A Study On The Integration Of A Novel Absorption Chiller Into A Microscale Combined Cooling, Heating, And Power (Micro-Cchp) System, Scott J. Richard

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the application of micro-CCHP systems that utilize a 30 kW gas microturbine and an absorption chiller. Engineering Equation Solver (EES) is used to model a novel single-effect and double-effect water-lithium bromide absorption chiller that integrates the heat recovery unit and cooling tower of a conventional CCHP system into the chiller’s design, reducing the cost and footprint of the system. The results of the EES model are used to perform heat and material balances for the micro-CCHP systems employing the novel integrated chillers, and energy budgets for these systems are developed. While the thermal performance of existing CCHP …

A Numerical Study Of High Temperature And High Velocity Gaseous Hydrogen Flow In A Cooling Channel Of A Ntr Core, Sajan B. Singh

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Two mathematical models (a one and a three-dimensional) were adopted to study, numerically, the thermal hydrodynamic behavior of flow inside a single cooling channel of a Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) engine. The first model assumes the flow in the cooling channel to be one-dimensional, unsteady, compressible, turbulent, and subsonic. The working fluid (GH₂) is assumed to be compressible. The governing equations of the 1-D model are discretized using a second order accurate finite difference scheme. Also, a commercial CFD code is used to study the same problem. Numerical experiments, using both codes, simulated the flow and heat transfer …

Buckling, Postbuckling And Imperfection Sensitivity Analysis Of Different Type Of Cylindrical Shells By Hui's Postbuckling Method, Hailan Xu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hui and Chen (1986) were the first to show that the well-known Koiter’s General Theory of Elastic Stability of 1945 can be significantly improved by evaluating the postbuckling b coefficient at the actual applied load, rather than at the classical buckling load. Such improvement method was demonstrated to be (1) very simple to apply with no tedious algebra, (2) significant reduction in imperfection sensitivity and (3) although it is still asymptotically valid, there exists a significant extension of the range of validity involving larger imperfection amplitudes. Strictly speaking, Koiter’s theory of 1945 is valid only for vanishingly small imperfection amplitudes. …

A Wedge Impact Theory Used To Predict Bow Slamming Forces, Ashok Benjamin Basil Attumaly

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The pressures and impact forces acting on a hull while experiencing bow wave slamming is analyzed using Vorus' Impact Theory. The theory extends the hydrodynamic analysis of planing hulls from simple wedges to irregular shapes using a Boundary Element Method. A Fortran-based code developed by the Author is used to analyze hullforms. Linear strip theory is used to extend the analysis over a three dimensional hull. Post-processing of output data gives hull pressure distributions at different time steps and is visually presentable.

Impact pressure, Impact force, Planing, Wave slamming, Bow impact, Vorus' theory, Boundary Element Method, Linear strip theory

Rocket Motor Diagnostics Using Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy For Chemically Non-Reacting Air/Water Vapor Mixture In Internal Flow, Wesley Carleton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research is for the implementation of non-intrusive measurement techniques in the study of high temperature pipe flow. A low pressure, laboratory scale hybrid rocket motor simulator was built to achieve high temperatures with various gases. A quartz test section was designed, built, and implemented into the existing test setup to accommodate the laser beam of the existing Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer (TDLAS) system which was designed to observe water vapor. A super-heated water vapor injector was designed to obtain the desired water vapor concentrations. Flow characteristics were simultaneously recorded using the existing TDLAS system and the DAQ system …

Fundamental Experimental Studies In Scaling, Blast Mitigation And Material Processing, Xing Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, two separate research efforts are discussed. They include experimental studies in (1) Scaling and Blast Mitigation and (2) Scaling in Friction Stir Extrusion. In both studies, the primary experimental measurement method is three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC), a non-contacting full-field measurement method that is applicable for both high-rate loading and quasi-static loading conditions.

Scaling and Blast Mitigation Studies:

A series of properly scaled structures was subjected to buried blast loading conditions via detonation of a small explosive buried in saturated sand. Using high speed stereo-vision systems to record the deformations of selected regions on the upper surface …

Applying Best Practices To Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual …

Effect Of Full-Annular Pressure Pulses On Axial Turbine Performance, Mark H. Fernelius

Theses and Dissertations

Pulse detonation engines show potential to increase the efficiency of conventional gas turbine engines if used in place of the steady combustor. However, since the interaction of pressure pulses with the turbine is not yet well understood, a rig was built to compare steady flow with pulsing flow. Compressed air is used in place of combustion gases and pressure pulses are created by rotating a ball valve with a motor. This work accomplishes two main objectives that are different from previous research in this area. First, steady flow through an axial turbine is compared with full annular pulsed flow closely …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Weighted Sum Of Spatial Gradients Minimization Quantity In Active Structural Acoustic Control Of Vibrating Plates, Daniel R. Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

Active Structural Acoustic Control (ASAC) is a subcategory of the more widely known field of Active Noise control (ANC). ASAC is different from traditional ANC methods because it seeks to attenuate noise by altering the noise producing structure instead of altering the acoustic waves traveling through the air. The greatest challenge currently facing ASAC researchers is that a suitable parameter has not yet been discovered which can be easily implemented as the minimization quantity in the control algorithms. Many parameters have been tried but none effectively attenuate the sound radiation in a way that can be easily implemented. A new …

Computational And Experimental Study Of Degeneration, Damage And Failure In Biological Soft Tissues, Gregory Allen Von Forell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work was to analyze the biomechanics of degeneration, damage, and failure in biological soft tissues both experimentally and computationally to provide insight into tendon or ligament tearing, tendo-achilles lengthening and lumbar spine dysfunction. For soft tissue tearing, experimental studies for calculating fracture toughness were performed and determined that tendons and ligaments are able to completely resist tear propagation. For tendo-achilles lengthening, a damage model was developed to mimic the behavior of the lengthening that occurs as a result of the percutaneous triple hemisection technique. The model provided insight for predicting the amount of lengthening that occurs …

Active Structural Acoustic Control Of Clamped And Ribbed Plates, William Richard Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A control metric, the weighted sum of spatial gradients (WSSG), has been developed for use in active structural acoustic control (ASAC). Previous development of WSSG [1] showed that it was an effective control metric on simply supported plates, while being simpler to measure than other control metrics, such as volume velocity. The purpose of the current work is to demonstrate that the previous research can be generalized to plates with a wider variety of boundary conditions and on less ideal plates. Two classes of plates have been considered: clamped flat plates, and ribbed plates. On clamped flat plates an analytical …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2013, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

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

Nd–Fe–B Nanoparticles Through Surfactant Assisted Mechanical Milling And Alloy Design, Jordann M. Bornhoft

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Surfactant-assisted mechanical milling has been used to produce discrete nanoparticles of both Nd-Fe-B and Sm-Co amenable for bottom-up production of nanostructured or nanocomposite permanent magnets. However, in Nd-Fe-B the comminution of the material proceeds by transgranular fracture, which influences both the morphology of the nanoparticles and the magnetic properties. This paper utilizes alloy design to alter the fracture behavior from transgranular fracture to intergranular fracture. Nd-rich Nd₂Fe₁₄B alloys were produced by melt spinning in an overquenched state. The melt spun ribbons were annealed at 700°C and 800°C to ensure complete crystallization and to form different grain …

Microgrid Development Using A Grid Tie Inverter, Hartono Budi Santoso, Budiyanto Budiyanto

Makara Journal of Technology

The use of renewable energy sources (RES), especially photovoltaic (PV), to meet the demand of electrical energy has been getting a great deal of attention as an alternative solution to electrical energy deficit problems. RES are being applied in power systems in a variety of configurations including microgrid systems. One of the characteristics of a microgrid is capability to supplying power to grid when there is an excess power to supply local load. This research examines the chances of saving power consumption from grid using power converters grid tie inverter (GTI) in a microgrid configuration. The test is done by …

Surface Treatment Of Fly Ash For Improving The Tensile Strength Of Fly Ash/Unsaturated Polyester Composites, Sugiman Sugiman, Paryanto Dwi Setyawan

Makara Journal of Technology

The paper presents the surface treatment of fly ashes using acid and alkali solution on the tensile strength of the fly ash/unsaturated polyester (UP) composites. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4), hydrofluoric acid (HF) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution with concentration of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% (by weight) were used for surface treatment of fly ashes. Generally, the tensile strength of the treated fly-ash/UP composites shows a significant increase compared to the untreated fly ash. Of all surface treatments studied, the optimum tensile strength was obtained at a concentration of 10%. At this concentration, at a fly ash content of 30% …

Recycling Roof Tile Waste Material For Wall Cover Tiles, Ambar Mulyono, Silfia Mona Aryani, Joko Lulut

Makara Journal of Technology

Prior research on roof tile waste treatment has attempted to find the appropriate technology to reuse old roof tile waste by create wall cladding materials from it. Through exploration and experimentation, a treatment method has been discovered to transform the tile fragments into artificial stone that resembles the shape of coral. This baked clay artificial stone material is then processed as a decorative element for vertical surfaces that are not load-bearing, such as on the interior and exterior walls of a building. Before applying the fragments as wall tiles, several steps must be taken: 1) Blunting, which changes the look …

Synthesis Of Tungsten Oxide Nanowires Onto Ito Glass Using T-Cvd, Tomy Abuzairi, Bohr-Ran Huang, Tzu-Ching Lin

Makara Journal of Technology

Tungsten oxide is an n-type semiconductor with interesting physical and chemical properties that make it suitable for various technological applications. Tungsten oxide nanowires were synthesized not only at low temperature but also without the use of any catalysts. The tungsten oxide nanowires were synthesized at 550 °C with tungsten layers onto the ITO glass using thermal chemical vapor deposition (T-CVD). The SEM image shows that the tungsten oxide nanowires are effectively grown with the 200 nm tungsten film. The Raman spectra shoulder at ~690 cm-1 proves the synthesized of tungsten oxide nanowires.

Semiconductor Thermal Neutron Detector, Toru Aoki, Aki Miyake, Takayuki Nakano, Akifumi Koike, Hisashi Morii, Hidenori Mimura

Makara Journal of Technology

The CdTe and GaN detector with a Gd converter have been developed and investigated as a neutron detector for neutron imaging. The fabricated Gd/CdTe detector with the 25 mm thick Gd was designed on the basis of simulation results of thermal neutron detection efficiency and spatial resolution. The Gd/CdTe detector shows the detection of neutron capture gamma ray emission in the 155Gd(n, g)156Gd, 157Gd(n, g)158Gd and 113Cd(n, g)114Cd reactions and characteristic X-ray emissions due to conversion-electrons generated inside the Gd film. The observed efficient thermal neutron detection with the Gd/CdTe detector shows its promise in neutron radiography application. Moreover, a …

Radiation Characteristics Of A Planar Strip Dipole Antenna And A Slot Dipole Antenna For Thz Applications, Catur Apriono, Eko Tjipto Rahardjo

Makara Journal of Technology

The development of a THz system often requires a device that is used to radiate or detect THz waves. One way to fulfill this requirement is to use an antenna. Therefore, we need to consider the radiation characteristics of an antenna working in the THz region. In this paper, we present simulation study of two dipole antennas, i.e. a planar strip dipole antenna and a slot dipole antenna. The simulation results show that a planar strip dipole antenna has a better radiation efficiency (more than 95%) compared to the slot dipole. It also shows that an efficiency of more than …

The Effect Of Pressing Temperature And Time On The Quality Of Particle Board Made From Jatropha Fruit Hulls Treated In Acidic Condition, Apri Heri Iswanto, Fauzi Febrianto, Yusuf Sudo Hadi, Surdiding Ruhendi, Dede Hermawan

Makara Journal of Technology

The high of pH of jatropha fruit hulls causes the negative properties of particleboard made from this material. Adjusting the particle acidity and pressing conditions (temperature and time) is among the technical modifications available to improve this particleboard’s properties. Particle acidity has been adjusted in a previous research project, and immersing the particles in acetic acid was found to be the best treatment in this preliminary research. In order to improve the particleboard’s properties, an experiment was conducted to determine the best pressing temperature and time. The objective of the research was to evaluate the influence of pressing temperature and …

Fabrication And In Vivo Thrombogenecity Testing Of Nitric Oxide Generating Artificial Lungs, Kagya Amoako, Patrick Montoya, Terry C. Major, Ahmed B. Suhaib, Hitesh Handa, David O. Brant, Mark E. Meyerhoff, Robert H. Bartlett, Keith E. Cook

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Hollow fiber artificial lungs are increasingly being used for long-term applications. However, clot formation limits their use to 1–2 weeks. This study investigated the effect of nitric oxide generating (NOgen) hollow fibers on artificial lung thrombogenicity. Silicone hollow fibers were fabricated to incorporate 50 nm copper particles as a catalyst for NO generation from the blood. Fibers with and without (control) these particles were incorporated into artificial lungs with a 0.1 m2 surface area and inserted in circuits coated tip-to-tip with the NOgen material. Circuits (N = 5/each) were attached to rabbits in a pumpless, arterio-venous configuration and run for …

S1nn Gmbh & Co. Kg (Automobile Connectivity Module 1.1), Tyler Alexander Ball

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The results of this report show how when diagnostics were run on the Connectivity Module 1.1, the problems discovered such as potential short-circuiting, 90-degree copper tracing angles, and components overheating/tombstoning were addressed. By using the method of “DMAIC,” which stands for Design, Measure, Analyze, Implement, Control, successful corrections were made. In the first design of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), 1454 critical issues were found. With the newly designed PCB’s modifications being implemented, only 12 critical issues remained, which were later addressed and corrected. The results from this report are a functional Automobile Connectivity Module 1.1.

Project Management Of High School Shadow And Building An Engineer Day, Andrea M. Carroll

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Building an Engineer Day and High School Shadow are semi-annual outreach events hosted by Cal Poly’s Society of Women Engineers section during fall and spring quarters. The events focus on encouraging women and minorities to take an interest in engineering. These events are the two largest outreach events hosted by The Society of Women Engineers and need to run smoothly in order to provide student attendees with a meaningful experience.

Building an Engineer Day and High School Shadow are currently un-organized and un-planned, which leads to problems with officer retention, increase in expediting process and a low attendance rate at …

Equipment Maintenance And Replacement Decision Making Processes, Michael W. Gage

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project contains recommendations for the decision making processes for support and production equipment maintenance and replacement for a large defense contractor. Recent literature has been reviewed to provide perspective on current trends in the field. A complete evaluation of their current processes and systems is included with recommendations on areas for improvement. A decision support system is also proposed to supplement their existing decision making.