Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Slab Tipper, Thomas C. Durand

All Undergraduate Projects

Stone countertops are very heavy and fragile. When installing a finished countertop, up to six workers are required to lift the stone onto the countertop, risking their safety and possibly breaking the stone. The safety of both the workers and the stone are very important, so there needs to be a better way. NSI Solutions came up with an idea for a mechanism to aid in the insulation process while limiting the number of workers required, and keeping the workers safer while adequately supporting the stone to prevent it from breaking. Designing methods and calculations were done to ensure the …

Solar Tracker, Haoyu Liu

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to find how to maximize the amount of time that the solar panels receive direct sunlight or the nearest possible sunlight angles. The solar tracker is a device that can change the position of solar panels in both vertical and horizontal direction to increase solar energy absorption. The device uses a gear motor to drive the shaft that is fixed to the solar panel, so the solar panel can rotate in vertical direction. Based on the vertical sun position in Ellensburg, 85o E in the morning, 180o S in the noon, and 276o W …

Optimal Operation Of Integrated Microgrids, Abdullah Albaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microgrids' deployments are increasing and projected to increase even more in future due to the significant advantages that are provided by this technology for end-use customers. However, microgrids can be connected to each other to create integrated microgrids system, which can further promote the anticipated and desired benefits. An integrated operation of microgrids can potentially improve the local power system reliability and resilience, increase the individual microgrids' economic benefits, and promote further utilization of renewable energy resources. Integrating microgrids, to achieve a microgrid network or cluster, is expected be an essential application towards smarter power grids and a key operational …

Shearing Energy, Jason Wittig

All Undergraduate Projects

Title by Author: Shear Energy by Jason Wittig

Abstract/Artists Statement: Efficiency, function, and weight of fruit-tree pruning devices are scrutinized very closely by the purchasing end user. Efficiency, being the most valuable quality to focus on; an efficient cutting device can lead to smaller batteries and lighter materials on the tree pruner. The objective of this project was to produce a cutting head that surpassed the benchmark device by 10% in four categories: Axial cutting “green-wood,” Axial cutting “dry-wood,” Axial opening force, and Handle twisting torque. The benchmark’s use of the “scissor-type” design was changed to a double bypass anvil …

Asme Rc Baja Car Drive-Train And Differential, Maverick Reddaway

All Undergraduate Projects

Every year, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers holds a RC Baja Car Competition. Students from the region are required to design, build, and compete in the annual competition. The purpose of this project and the focus of this report was to build a drivetrain for an RC car, following the guidelines outlined by ASME, to compete in their annual competition. The drivetrain must convert power from a brushed electric motor to the wheels of the car. Gear analysis was used to calculate the power reduction required by the gears in the drive train. The drive train must reduce the …

Measurement Of Unsteady Characteristics Of Endwall Vortices Using Surface-Mounted Hot-Film Sensors, Emma Michelle Veley

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

High-lift low-pressure turbine blades produce significant losses at the junction with the endwall. The losses are caused by several complex three-dimensional vortical flow structures, which interact with the blade suction surface boundary layer. This study investigates the unsteady characteristics of these endwall flow structures on a highly loaded research profile and the adjacent endwall using surface-mounted hot-film sensors. Experiments were conducted in a low-speed linear cascade wind tunnel. The front-loaded blade profile was subjected to three different inlet conditions, consisting of two turbulence levels, and three incoming boundary layer thicknesses. Multiple surface-mounted hot-film sensors were installed throughout the passage. This …

Influence Of Fdm Build Parameters On Tensile And Compression Behaviors Of 3d Printed Polymer Lattice Structures, Sai Avinash Yadlapati

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the compression and tensile behavior of three-dimensional printed polymer lattice structures with different printing parameters such as build orientation, infill density, and layer thickness. The body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice unit cell, which has been extensively investigated for energy absorption applications, is considered here to create compression and tensile specimens. Special test fixture was designed and developed to perform the tensile tests. The specimens were printed using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) polymer material on a Stratasys uPrint 3D printer. The printing parameters considered in this case are: (a) Three different build orientations (0, 45 and 90 degrees); …

Inherent Operational Characteristics Aided Fuzzy Logic Controller For A Variable Speed Direct Expansion Air Conditioning System For Simultaneous Indoor Air Temperature And Humidity Control., Huaxia Yan, Yudong Xia, Xiangguo Xu, Shiming Deng

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

Direct expansion air conditioning systems are widely installed in small-to medium- scale buildings due to their advantages of simple configuration, high energy efficiency and low cost to own and maintain. The two main targets of air conditioning operation include improving the system operational efficiency and energy efficiency. Stable system operational efficiency is directly related with the operation of electronic expansion valves and degree of superheat at the outlet of evaporator. In this paper, an adaptive DS controller is developed to improve the system operational efficiency based the experimental performance of a DX A/C system and reported. The adaptive DS controller …

Energy-Efficient And -Economic Technologies For Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems: A Comprehensive Review., Xiaohui She, Lin Cong, Binjian Nie, Guanghui Leng, Hao Peng, Yi Chen, Xiaosong Zhang, Tao Wen, Hongxing Yang, Yimo Luo

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems (VCRS) are widely used to provide cooling or freezing for domestic/office buildings, supermarkets, data centres, etc., which expend 15% of globally electricity and contribute to ∼10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. It is reported that cooling demand is expected to grow tenfold by 2050. Therefore, it is critical to improve the efficiency of the VCRS. In this paper, a comprehensive review of advanced and hot technologies is conducted for the VCRS. These technologies include radiative cooling, cold energy storage, defrosting and frost-free, temperature and humidity independent control (THIC), ground source heat pump (GSHP), refrigerant subcooling, and …

Investigation On The Regeneration And Corrosion Characteristics Of An Anodized Aluminum Plate Regenerator., Tao Wen, Lin Lu, Hongxing Yang, Yimo Luo

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The traditional vapor compression cooling system (VCS) has been criticized for its heavy reliance on electricity consumption and limited control ability of humidity. Compared with the VCS, the liquid desiccant cooling system (LDCS) is more efficient by handling the sensible and latent load separately. The present study investigated the regeneration and corrosion characteristics of an anodized aluminum plate regenerator for the first time. Comparative tests were conducted to present the regeneration and corrosion characteristics of the normal and anodized regenerator. The influence of internal heating on the regeneration performance was also identified. The results showed that the corrosion rate was …

Investigation On The Regeneration Performance Of Liquid Desiccant By Adding Surfactant Pvp-K30., Tao Wen, Lin Lu, Chuanshuai Dong, Yimo Luo

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The liquid desiccant cooling system (LDCS) is a promising alternative for the conventional vapor compression system due to its high energy efficiency. To enhance the mass transfer between the regeneration air and liquid desiccant in the regenerator, the paper firstly introduced a kind of surfactant called polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP-K30) which was added into the LiCl solution for better desiccant regeneration performance. The falling film characteristics and regeneration performance were investigated and compared with and without surfactant. The results indicated that the contact angle of desiccant solution on plate decreased from 58.5° to 28.0° by adding surfactant with 0.4% of concentration. …

Decoupling Of Second-Order Linear Systems By Isospectral Transformation, Daniel Kawano, Rubens Salsa, Fai Ma

Faculty Publications - Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, 2017-2018, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

• Letter from the Chair
• Introducing Dr. Jinseok Kim
• Use of 3D Printing at WMU Helps Borgess Cardiologist Plug Holes in the Heart
• Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Develops Semi-Virtual Reality Powered Wheelchair Simulator
• The Western Aerospace Launch Initiative (WALI)
• 2017 NSF I-Corps Experience of MAE team
• Matthew Baird's Internship Experiences at JPL and GRC
• More Department News
• Faculty Sabbaticals

Comparative Study Of The Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Mechanically Alloyed And Spark Plasma Sintered Alxcocrfeni (0≤X≤2)High Entropy Alloys, David Mikhail

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

High entropy alloys are a new class of material systems that have promising potential in high temperature structural applications. Mechanical alloying (MA) has gained special attention as a powerful non-equilibrium process for fabricating amorphous and nanocrystalline materials, whereas spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a unique technique for processing dense and near net shape bulk alloys with homogenous microstructure. This research paper discusses novel mechanically alloyed followed by spark plasma sintering approach for assessing composition-microstructure-microhardness relationship in AlxCoCrFeNi (0≤x≤2) high entropy alloy as a candidate system. With increasing Al content, there was a gradual change from a fcc-based microstructure to a …

Decoupling Of Second-Order Linear Systems By Isospectral Transformation, Daniel Kawano, Rubens Salsa, Fai Ma

Faculty Publications - Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Numerical Modeling And Control Of Solids Separation Using Continuously Moving Fine Mesh Filters, Anthony Sherratt, Christopher T. Degroot, Anthony G. Straatman, Domenico Santoro

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

The Development And Numerical Modelling Of A Representative Elemental Volume For Packed Sand, Ashraf Thabet, Anthony G. Straatman

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

A Porous Media Model Of Alveolar Duct Flow In The Human Lung, Anthony G. Straatman, Christopher T. Degroot

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Human Activity Tracking And Recognition Using Kinect Sensor, Roanna Lun

ETD Archive

The objective of this dissertation research is to use Kinect sensor, a motion sensing input device, to develop an integrated software system that can be used for tracking non-compliant activity postures of consented health-care workers for assisting the workers' compliance to best practices, allowing individualized gestures for privacy-aware user registration, movement recognition using rule-based algorithm, real-time feedback, and exercises data collection. The research work also includes developing a graphical user interface and data visualization program for illustrating statistical information for administrator, as well as utilizing cloud based database system used for data resource.

Non-Intrusive Optical Measurement Of Electron Temperature In Near Field Plume Of Hall Thruster, Peter J. Urban

ETD Archive

Currently there is a large interest in the use of more efficient means of propulsion in long term missions due to the costs and difficulties associated with placing and maintaining the needed fuel for conventional chemical systems in orbit. Mass reduction of upper stages will return large returns due to the great reduction in required lower stage fuel. Due to these factors, alternatives are undergoing active research, though this paper is concerned with the area of electrical propulsion. Electric propulsion is broadly defined as propulsion where the energization of the exhaust occurs via application of electromagnetic fields as opposed to …

Neuromuscular Reflex Control For Prostheses And Exoskeletons, Sandra K. Hnat

ETD Archive

Recent powered lower-limb prosthetic and orthotic (P/O) devices aim to restore legged mobility for persons with an amputation or spinal cord injury. Though various control strategies have been proposed for these devices, specifically finite-state impedance controllers, natural gait mechanics are not usually achieved. The goal of this project was to invent a biologically-inspired controller for powered P/O devices. We hypothesize that a more muscle-like actuation system, including spinal reflexes and vestibular feedback, can achieve able-bodied walking and also respond to outside perturbations. The outputs of the Virtual Muscle Reflex (VMR) controller are joint torque commands, sent to the electric motors …

Predictive Simulations Of Gait And Their Application In Prosthesis Design, Anne D. Koelewijin

ETD Archive

Predictive simulations predict human gait by solving a trajectory optimization problem by minimizing energy expenditure. These simulations could predict the effect of a prosthesis on gait before its use. This dissertation has four aims, to show the application of predictive simulations in prosthesis design and to improve the quality of predictive simulations. Aim 1 was to explain joint moment asymmetry in the knee and hip in gait of persons with a transtibial amputation (TTA gait). Predictive simulations showed that an asymmetric gait required less effort. However, a small effort increase yielded a gait with increased joint moment symmetry and reduced …

An Anisotropic Constitutive Model For Nuclear Grade Graphite, James Christopher

ETD Archive

Graphite material is used extensively in nuclear reactors however the material has a limited strain range for elastic behavior. This provides the motivation to derive a constitutive model that captures the inelastic deformations exhibited by this material. This dissertation first presents details of an isotropic constitutive model derived using continuum principles of engineering mechanics that accounts for different inelastic behavior in tension and compression. An inelastic dissipation function was developed using an integrity basis proposed by Green and Mkrtichian (1977) for the isotropic version of the model. This isotropic model was then extended to capture anisotropic stress-strain behavior using directional …

An Integrated Microstructural-Nanomechanical-Chemical Approach To Examine Material-Specific Characteristics Of Cementitious Interphase Regions, Mahdieh Khedmati, Yong-Rak Kim, Joseph A. Turner, Hani Alanazi, Charles Nguyen

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Effective properties and structural performance of cementitious mixtures are substantially governed by the quality of the interphase region because it acts as a bridge transferring forces between aggregates and a binding matrix and is generally susceptible to damage. As alternative binding agents like alkali-activated precursors have obtained substantial attention in recent years, there is a growing need for fundamental knowledge to uncover interphase formation mechanisms. In this paper, two different types of binding materials, i.e., fly ash-based geopolymer and ordinary portland cement, were mixed with limestone aggregate to examine and compare the microstructures and nanomechanical properties of interphase region. To …

Methods, Systems, And Devices For Surgical Access And Procedures, Shane M. Farritor, Mark Rentschler, Amy Lehman, Stephen R. Platt, Jeff Hawks

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components, including components that can be incorporated into robotic and/or in vivo medical devices. Certain embodiments include various actuation system embodiments, including fluid actuation systems, drive train actuation systems, and motorless actuation systems. Additional embodiments include a reversibly lockable tube that can provide access for a medical device to a patient's cavity and further provides a reversible rigidity or stability during operation of the device. Further embodiments include various operational components for medical devices, including medical device arm mechanisms that have both axial and rotational movement while maintaining a relatively compact …

Excess Charge-Carrier Induced Instability Of Hybrid Perovskites, Yuze Lin, Bo Chen, Yanjun Fang, Jingjing Zhao, Chunxiong Bao, Zhenhua Yu, Yehao Deng, Peter N. Rudd, Yanfa Yan, Yongbo Yuan, Jinsong Huang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Identifying the origin of intrinsic instability for organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs) is crucial for their application in electronic devices, including solar cells, photodetectors, radiation detectors, and light-emitting diodes, as their efficiencies or sensitivities have already been demonstrated to be competitive with commercial available devices. Here we show that free charges in OIHPs, whether generated by incident light or by current-injection from electrodes, can reduce their stability, while efficient charge extraction effectively stabilizes the perovskite materials. The excess of both holes and electrons reduce the activation energy for ion migration within OIHPs, accelerating the degradation of OIHPs, while the excess holes …

Hierarchical Hybrid Architectures For Robust And Reusable Nano-Devices, Sharmila M. Mukhopadhyay

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Test 2190: Case Ih Farmall 50a, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

A New Capacity Controller For A Direct Expansion Air Conditioning System For Operational Safety And Efficiency., Yudong Xia, Huaxia Yan, Shiming Deng, Ming-Yin Chan

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

For achieving a balance between the operational safety and efficiency of a variable speed direct expansion air conditioning system, a new capacity controller that can not only simultaneously control indoor air temperature and humidity, but also select an optimized degree of superheat setting to properly balance the operational safety and efficiency has been developed, by adding a control module to a previously developed capacity controller. The core of the control module was an artificial neural network based model representing the known relationship between the inherent operational characteristics and operational stability of a variable speed direct expansion air conditioning system. Using …

Investigation On Solar Assisted Liquid Desiccant Dehumidifier And Evaporative Cooling System For Fresh Air Treatment., Yi Chen, Hongxing Yang, Yimo Luo

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The widely used semi-centralized air conditioning (A/C) system consisting of independent fresh air system and fan coil system suffers from huge energy consumption, especially for fresh air treatment. Therefore, a liquid desiccant dehumidifier and regenerative indirect evaporative cooling (LDD-RIEC) system is proposed for fresh air treatment. The fresh air is handled by the LDD-RIEC system in which no electricity-intensive compressor involves. The hot and humid fresh air is firstly dehumidified by LDD and then sensibly cooled by RIEC. The thermal energy captured by solar collectors is used for desiccant solution regeneration. Indoor return air is cooled by fan coils of …