Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Wall Shear Stress In Simplified And Scanned Avian Respiratory Airways, Michael Sterling Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Birds uniquely produce sound through a vocal organ known as a syrinx. The presence of wall shear stress acting on the airway cells of any organism will affect how airway cells develop and multiply. Unique features of avian airway geometry and breathing pattern might have contributed to the development of the syrinx. This thesis examines wall shear stress in the trachea and first bronchi of avian geometries using computational fluid dynamics. The computational fluid dynamic simulations underwent grid- and time-independence studies and were validated using particle image velocimetry. Parameters such as bird size, bronchial branching angle, and breathing waveform were …

Gaf: Mechanical Paint Line Test Stand, Sidney Wong, Taylor Best, Aaron Fisher

Mechanical Engineering

The roofing manufacturer GAF located in Shafter, CA is in pursuit of a mechanism with the ability to improve the quality of paint lining applied on a dynamic roll of roofing shingles. The mechanism must consist of an alignment system along which a paint line applicator can be adjusted in the vertical direction and operate at a certain range of speeds. Other requirements for the mechanism demand that it is feasibly portable, reasonably durable, capable of accurate alignment, mountable to the ground, and within a budget of $15,000. With the customer's design requirements established and understood, a one-year project has …

Portable Thermoelectric Refrigerator, Cassandra Danielle Beck, Ryan Theodore Gelinas, Joshua Michael Dimaggio, Zachary David Wilson

Mechanical Engineering

This project created a versatile thermoelectric refrigerator that can be used via a wall outlet. The product is durable and effective. The refrigerator is functional in any ambient temperature, and uses thermoelectric cooling, and work from a standard 120V power outlet. By understanding existing products’ limitations and strengths, this project produced a product that outperforms what’s currently on the market. Many of the existing products’ operating temperature is dependent on the ambient temperature of the surroundings, which is a large drawback. Additionally, most of them take a long time to reach their lowest temperature, around 3 hours. One team member, …

Ultraviolet Imager Application For A Cube Satellite, Jason Grillo, Troy Hajjar, Brady Hill

Mechanical Engineering

This document serves as the final design review (FDR) report for the 2018 Cal Poly CubeSat Ultraviolet Imager senior project, sponsored by UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratories (SSL). SSL wants to monitor the ionosphere above Earth to gain a better understanding of its properties and particle interactions. Far Ultraviolet (FUV) imaging is a good way to obtain high quality images of the ionosphere and the Earth's auroras, and advancement in optic technologies have made cube satellites (CubeSats) an ideal vessel for a FUV imager, as they are relatively low-cost, lightweight, and can be repeatedly deployed. These CubeSat FUV imagers could …

Optimization Of Analytical Inverse Heat Transfer Recovery Solution, Nathan Schick

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the different methods used when trying to solve inverse heat transfer problems, particularly those involving recovering heat flux. There are currently several techniques to measure the temperature history in an object subjected to heat transfer using various temperature sensors, however these types of sensors are gradually being replaced by Temperature Sensitive Paints (TSP), a technique that is more accurate and provides a better spatial resolution. TSP is a polymer that is applied on a base object. Changes in temperature in the polymer result in variations of the luminescence intensity in the paint. These variations can be captured …

Fluid Agitation Studies For Drug Product Containers Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Matthew Hiroki Ichinose

Master's Theses

At Amgen, the Automated Vision Inspection (AVI) systems capture the movement of unwanted particles in Amgen's drug product containers. For quality inspection, the AVI system must detect these undesired particles using a high speed spin-stop agitation process. To better understand the fluid movements to swirl the particles away from the walls, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to analyze the nature of the two phase flow of air and a liquid solution.

Several 2-D and 3-D models were developed using Fluent to create simulations of Amgen's drug product containers for a 1 mL syringe, 2.25 mL syringe, and a 5 …

Effect Of Aerogel On The Thermal Performance Of Corrugated Composite Sandwich Structures, Jacob Dillon Chess

Master's Theses

Current insulation solutions across multiple industries, especially the commercial sector, can be bulky and ineffective when considering their volume. Aerogels are excellent insulators, exhibiting low thermal conductivities and low densities with a porosity of around 95%. Such characteristics make aerogels effective in decreasing conductive heat transfer within a solid. These requirements are crucial for aerospace and spaceflight applications, where sensitive components exist among extreme temperature environments. When implemented into insulation applications, aerogel can perform better than existing technology while using less material, which limits the amount of volume allocated for insulation. The application of these materials into composites can result …

Opensim Versus Human Body Model: A Comparison Study For The Lower Limbs During Gait, Antoine Falisse, Sam Van Rossom, Johannes Gijsbers, Frans Steenbrink, Ben J. Van Basten, Ilse Jonkers, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Friedl De Groote

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Musculoskeletal modeling and simulations have become popular tools for analyzing human movements. However, end users are often not aware of underlying modeling and computational assumptions. This study investigates how these assumptions affect biomechanical gait analysis outcomes performed with Human Body Model and the OpenSim gait2392 model. The authors compared joint kinematics, kinetics, and muscle forces resulting from processing data from 7 healthy adults with both models. Although outcome variables had similar patterns, there were statistically significant differences in joint kinematics (maximal difference: 9.8 degrees {[}1.5 degrees] in sagittal plane hip rotation), kinetics (maximal difference: 0.36 {[}0.10] N.m/kg in sagittal plane …

Accelerated Freezing Due To Droplet Pinning On A Nanopillared Surface, Rachel Bohm, Mohammad Rejaul Haque, Chuang Qu, Edward C. Kinzel, Amy Rachel Betz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The freezing process is significantly influenced by environmental factors and surface morphologies. At atmospheric pressure, a surface below the dew and freezing point temperature for a given relative humidity nucleates water droplets heterogeneously on the surface and then freezes. This paper examines the effect of nanostructured surfaces on the nucleation, growth, and subsequent freezing processes. Microsphere Photolithography (MPL) is used to pattern arrays of silica nanopillars. This technique uses a self-assembled lattice of microspheres to focus UV radiation to an array of photonic jets in photoresist. Silica is deposited using e-beam evaporation and lift-off. The samples were placed on a …

Use Of Pv/T Panels To Meet The Building Loads Of Light Commercialized Buildings, Sadhvi Arora

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis deals with the analysis of a Photo Voltaic Thermal (PV/T) panel that is capable of producing simultaneously electric power and low-grade heat energy by absorbing the solar energy striking on its surface. A simple mathematical model is developed to estimate the electric power and heat energy gained by the PV/T panel. A water-to-water heat pump is employed that operates by absorbing the low-grade heat energy obtained from PV/T panel, in its evaporator, in order to produce high temperature hot water in its condenser. The high temperature hot water thus produced can be employed to meet the winter heating …

Energy Harvesting Device Using Ferrofluids Slugs In Microchannels, Omkar Amar Pawar

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

This research proposes a new concept of energy harvesting with the help of oscillating slugs of ferrofluid in microchannels. Ferrofluids are colloidal suspension of paramagnetic nanoparticles which get magnetized in the presence of magnetic field. They can conform to any shape and can be injected easily in intricate spaces. A change in the magnetic flux through the solenoid area produces electromotive force per Faraday’s law. To prove the concept of harvesting energy by having a change in magnetic flux with the help of ferrofluids, several ferrofluid slugs were made to pass through a multi turn solenoid wound around a glass …

Evaluation Of Deformable Posts In The Zoi And Rigid Posts In Stiff Soil, Thomas Ammon

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Debris fences are commonly used by states, in conjunction with a concrete parapet, to protect railway tracks. Their use limits the intrusion of debris that could damage tracks or clutter rail lines. Due to a lack of previously crash-tested systems, the safety performance of such designs are largely unknown. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) desired that researchers at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) design a crashworthy debris fence mounted on top of a concrete parapet to meet the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-3 crash test conditions. Part 1 of this thesis details the literature review and …

Variable Reluctance Virtual Torque Sensor For Automotive Applications, Vivek Iddum

Masters Theses

Torque sensing has been realized as one of the critical aspects in improving the dynamic vehicle performance in automotive systems. This thesis mainly presents the work on the development of a novel torque measurement method based on the estimation of nth-order flywheel angular acceleration from the variable reluctance flywheel speed sensor pulses. The number of firings in the engine determine the order of the harmonic to be used for torque estimation. The nth-order flywheel angular acceleration is computed using a micro-controller with built in timer counter and an associated signal conditioning circuit. The pulses obtained from the flywheel speed sensor …

Design Of A Portable Biogas Purification And Storage System, Anilkumar Kosna

Masters Theses

Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic materials like manure, sewage sludge or crop fodders in anaerobic digesters. It consists mainly of 40 – 75 % of methane (CH₄), 15 – 60 % of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and trace amounts of other components. The principle constituents of biogas are similar to natural gas. Natural gas has 87 – 97 % of methane (CH₄) and 0.1 – 1 % of carbon dioxide. Natural gas is known to be an alternative fuel with a wide range of applications. The commercial purification technologies exist for large-scale …

Synergic Titanium Nitride Coating And Titanium Doping By Atomic Layer Deposition For Stable- And High-Performance Lifepo₄, Yan Gao, Jonghyun Park, Xinhua Liang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) method has emerged as a promising technique to address the dissolution and poor conductivity of electrode materials of lithium ion batteries. In this work, surface modification of LiFePO₄ (LFP) was carried out by titanium nitride (TiN) ALD, during which a Ti doping into LFP occurred simultaneously. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical tests were performed to prove the Ti doping, and the composition of TiN layer on the surface of LFP particles was interpreted as a combination of TiN and titanium oxynitride (TiO_xN_y). Owing to the synergy of TiN coating and …

Spin-Controlled Wavefront Shaping With Plasmonic Chiral Geometric Metasurfaces, Yang Chen, Xiaodong Yang, Jie Gao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metasurfaces, as a two-dimensional (2D) version of metamaterials, have drawn considerable attention for their revolutionary capability in manipulating the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light. As one of the most important types of metasurfaces, geometric metasurfaces provide a versatile platform for controlling optical phase distributions due to the geometric nature of the generated phase profile. However, it remains a great challenge to design geometric metasurfaces for realizing spin-switchable functionalities because the generated phase profile with the converted spin is reversed once the handedness of the incident beam is switched. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate chiral geometric metasurfaces based on …

Process Calibration For Elastically Scaled 3d Printed Models Using Fused Deposition Modeling, Edgar Bernardo Mares

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

With the increase in additive manufacturing capabilities the use of 3D printed models characterize a critical point for evaluating aerodynamic and aeroelastic properties on aircraft configuration. An experimental and computational approach beginning with elastically scaled 3D printed models enables for a case to be defined, developed, and extracted to match aeroelastic test behavior. The basis of this work is supported by aeroelastic tailoring and scaling methods in the application of 3D printed models. To accomplish this, stiffened 3D printed plates are scaled from elastically scaled 3D printed models for stiffness through geometric configurations, different build orientations, and bead thickness as …

Nanosatellite Launch Data-Logger (Sync), Christopher Martin Gerdom

Master's Theses

CubeSat designers are increasingly looking to incorporate delicate structures and optics into their payloads. These delicate payloads, however, may not survive the required absolute-worst-case launch vibration testing needed for flight certification. To help address this problem, and to better match testing conditions to real-world launch environments, this thesis introduces Sync, a compact 1/4U CubeSat payload designed to collect data on the vibrations and thermal environments CubeSats experience inside a deployer on the way to orbit. This data can be used to better understand the launch environment for different vehicles, and help develop new, more realistic testing guidelines that could enable …

Liquid-To-Liquid Low Grade Waste Heat Recovery Using A Two-Channel Loop, Waleed Farwana

Masters Theses

The use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for producing electric energy from low grade “waste heat” has been theorized to provide a sustainable and low-cost energy source for electric power plants. The purpose of this study is to model and experimentally validate a TEG device that takes advantage of low grade waste heat (approximately 100-150 degrees Celsius) in liquid form in order to generate power that can be used for various applications in the surrounding environment. This research aims to demonstrate that optimized TEG designs bear the potential to compete with other methods of low grade waste heat energy harvesting in …

Shape-Stabilization Of Pcm/Hdpe Composites With 3d-Printing Applications For Battery Thermal Management, Thomas Benjamin Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are a useful alternative to more traditional methods of thermal management of Li-ion batteries in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles. PCMs are materials which absorb large amounts of latent heat and undergo solid-to-liquid phase change at near-constant temperature. The goal of this thesis is to experimentally investigate the thermal properties of a novel shape-stabilized PCM/HDPE composite extruded filament. The extruded filament can then be used in a 3D printer for custom PCM/HDPE shapes. These custom PCM/HDPE shapes can be used to help reduce weight, energy consumption, and complexity of the thermal management of the ESS. The PCM used …

Furnace System Improvements, Kenji K. Anzai, Ethan Fedor, Patrick Zailaa

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) documents the work done by the group to manufacture the system to deliver improvements to the furnace in the Cal Poly microfabrication laboratory (better known as the cleanroom). The document describes the material covered in the Scope of Work (SOW), including background research, customer needfinding, and the problem statement, material associated with concept development and selection for Preliminary Design Review (PDR), material detailing the design and manufacturing plan of the system for Critical Design Review (CDR), and new material detailing the manufacture of the system for FDR.

Research done for the SOW resulted in a …

Water Fun At Exploration Station Final Design Report, Brandon Dean Puccini, Sarah Rose Means, Natasha Tamlin O'Connell-Mackay

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Reinventing The Wheel, Esther K. Unti, Ahmed Z. Shorab, Patrick B. Kragen, Adam M. Menashe

Mechanical Engineering

Reinventing the Wheel selected tires and designed wheels for the 2018 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Formula SAE combustion vehicle. Available tire options were evaluated for steady-state and transient performance as well as vehicle integration. A single-piece composite wheel with hollow spokes was designed to meet stiffness, strength, and tolerance requirements. A detailed study of wheel loading and geometric structural efficiency was performed. Finite element analysis was used to iterate the geometry and laminate. A two-piece male mold was designed and machined to manufacture the wheel. Removable silicone inserts were used to create the hollow spokes.

All-Terrain Storage Surfboard Carts, Ben M. Kennedy, Danny Riedeman, Roberto Gonzalez

Mechanical Engineering

All Terrain Storage consists of three mechanical engineering students: Roberto Gonzalez, Ben Kennedy, and Danny Riedeman. The goal of All Terrain Storage is to design and create two portable storage devices for the non-profit organization AmpSurf. AmpSurf helps veterans, people with disabilities, and anyone else who could be helped through adaptive surfing and other outdoor activities. Their current method of storing and transporting equipment for events is carrying it from the trailer in the parking lot through the sand onto the beach. This document will provide: a more thorough introduction to AmpSurf and the project, the objectives, background information, the …

Daimscale — 1:14th Tractor-Trailer For Testing Driver Assistance Technology, Christopher Marrale, Jase Sasaki, Devin Bodmer

Mechanical Engineering

Active driver assistance systems are becoming increasingly wide-spread throughout the automotive industry due to their potential for safer roads and decreased costs of transportation, but testing these systems on real trucks can be time consuming, dangerous, and costly. Testing these systems on a small-scale tractor-trailer combination will lead to faster and more efficient development of driver assistance systems and can be used by both engineers and students, leading to a larger field of experienced developers to improve these systems.

Our goal will be to design, manufacture, and build a scale 6x2 model of the tractor portion of a Daimler semi-truck …

End Effector For Robotic Strawberry Picker Final Design Review, Marshall Cuffe, Cory Frederickson, Jimmy Jeffery

Mechanical Engineering

In this report, we have outlined the background of the problem and need for a solution to an automated form of strawberry harvesting. The report includes our research findings, defines the scope and objectives for this project, and documents our complete design process. Also included is our final, completed prototype, and a description of the manufacturing, design verification and testing process. Also included is our conclusions and recommendations for further improvement on future iterations.

Optimization Of The Practice Of Slow Cooling Steel Bars: A Redesign And Modernization Of Materials, Eryn Johnston

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout the process of steel making, certain grades of steel are a higher risk for defects caused by the inability to quickly diffuse hydrogen through the steel when cooled to room temperature at a normal rate based on the ambient air temperature. To reduce the hydrogen flaking defects that are caused due to hydrogen entrapment in the steel, the process of slow cooling is utilized. This process reduces the cooling rate of steel bars by keeping them at a higher temperature for extended periods and in turn gives the hydrogen a chance to fully dissipate from the steel. In many …

Process-Property-Microstructure Relationships In Laser-Powder Bed Fusion Of 420 Stainless Steel., Subrata Deb Nath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing technique for fabricating metal components with complex design and customized features. However, only a limited number of materials have been widely studied using L-PBF. AISI 420 stainless steel, an alloy with a useful combination of high strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance, is an example of one such material where few L-PBF investigations have emerged to date. In this dissertation, L-PBF experiments were conducted using 420 stainless steel powders to understand the effects of chemical composition, particle size distribution and processing parameters on ensuing physical, mechanical and corrosion properties and microstructure in comparison …

Inter-Laminar Fracture Of 3d-Printed Plastics - Development Of Methods, Christopher Stolinski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Due to the increased use of 3D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic parts, a way to quantify the failure energy (energy needed to initiate cracking) is needed. Impact tests at high rates of loading are performed to determine failure energy. Throughout testing, specimens are monitored with high speed cameras to perform camera-based deformation measurements. Data acquisition and processing methods to calculate failure energy using crack opening displacement, and loading rates are developed to enable further use by Dr. Ryan Berke’s lab at Utah State University.

A Systematic Approach To High Blood Pressure Risk Analysis And Healthcare Cost Reduction In Young Adults [Metodología Sistemática Para El Análisis De Riesgo Y Reducción De Costos De Servicios Médicos De Hipertensión En Adultos Jóvenes], Francisco Rafael Torres Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to utilize publicly available data to estimate the current rate of occurrence of undiagnosed High Blood Pressure (HBP) in young adults (18 to 24 years old) and the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses associated with complications of HBP, to provide feasible alternatives to mitigate the effects on a region's economy. This has been done by building a Risk Factor Simulation Model that utilizes known HBP risk factors’ correlation to HBP, insurance coverage data, and rate of diagnosis to formulate the average Risk Factor Value for a region, which through an Annual Expected Cost Function estimates the …