Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Nonlinear Frequency Tuning Of Pre-Curved Micro-Scale Beams, Mackenzie Rae Robatin

Theses and Dissertations

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have many common advantages in applications due to their small size and ability to integrate with electronics. For MEMS with vibrating elements, other advantages include their tunable resonant frequencies and the frequency range in which the systems operate. Also, the damping in these devices is often so light that it is nearly negligible, resulting in sharp resonance peaks with good frequency selectivity. Most such devices are designed to operate in their linear range. However, large amplitudes are often desired in order to reduce the relative effects of noise. In such cases, due to mechanical and electrostatic nonlinear …

Material Model Characterization Of A Ti/Sic Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Coating Subjected To Hypervelocity Impact, Pouya Shojaei, Riccardo Scazzosi, Mohamed Trabia, Brendan Otoole, Marco Giglio, Xing Zhang, Yiliang Liao, Andrea Manes

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Titanium alloys have been extensively used in the aerospace industry because of their outstanding properties, such as high strength-to-weight ratios, high corrosion resistances, and high melting points. However, it is hypothesized that the performance of titanium alloys can be further enhanced to be more resistant to hypervelocity impact by coating them. Earlier experimental investigations showed that coating a Ti-6Al-4V substrate by Ti/SiC Metal Matrix Nanocomposite (MMNC) improved hypervelocity impact resistance of the composite. The coating had 7% SiC by volume. These experiments were simulated using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) modeling approach. Johnson-Cook material models were used for the Ti-6Al-4V …

Lead To Can Abrasion (Ltca) Test, Scott Mangin, Karthik Padmanabhan, Craig Icban

Mechanical Engineering

Pacemakers are medical devices which regulate a person’s heartbeat through electric pulses delivered via an endocardial lead attached to the heart. When a pacemaker is implanted in a patient, there is usually excess length left on the lead. Surgeons will typically wrap the excess lead length around the pacemaker device and close the wound. However, wrapping the lead around the pacemaker outer surface can open the lead to abrasion and cause the lead’s vital electrical insulation to be compromised. This is currently tested using an existing abrasion fixture at Abbott. However, the current tester does not yield consistent data results …

A.C. Moyer Eye-Cap Manufacturing, Thais Bertolus, Alexa Steidl, Hana Welsh, Jarod Kinney, Maya Willis

Mechanical Engineering

A.C. Moyer company has been making eye caps as a family business since 1947. Eye caps are a product used during the embalming process. Currently the machines being used to produce the eye caps are outdated and unsafe. We are a team of 5 mechanical engineering students tasked with either designing new machines or updating the existing machines to make the manufacturing process more efficient, automated, and safer. This document describes the design process, provides background, relevant research, establishes project objectives, and defines plans for project implementation.

Coin Recovery Ii, Carly Lofthouse

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Western Metals Recycling (WMR), a subsidiary of NUCOR Steel, is a metals recycling company with a location in Plymouth, Utah. At Plymouth, a 50 NT/hr. non-ferrous recovery plant uses eddy current technology to generate a non-ferrous product called zorba. Zorba is a mix of aluminum, copper, brass, zinc, printed circuit boards, coins, lead, and the like. (Figure 1) The market value of zorba varies but generally ranges from $0.30 to $0.50 per pound. The value of the coins (not including pennies) is much higher than zorba price. The team's objective is to upgrade and optimize the existing trommel equipment to …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, October-December 2020, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Energy Power Consumption Of Freight Railroad Bearings Using Experimental Data, Carlos Eliasar Lopez Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the railway industry, trains use systems that record total energy efficiency of a train but not energy efficiency or consumption by components. Monitoring freight bearing power consumption can support the railroad industry efforts to maintain the railroad economic competitiveness and minimize the environmental impact.

For more than a decade now, the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) has been collecting power consumption data for railroad bearings under various loads, speeds, ambient temperatures, bearing condition, and bearing classes. Specifically, data such as temperatures, voltages, speed, and load were collected to …

Water-Soluble Polymers With Ceramic/Metal Nanoparticles For Use As Anode Materials In Lithium-Ion And Sodium-Ion Batteries, Roberto Orrostieta Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Aqueous solutions of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) with 20, 25, and 28 wt.% concentrations were successfully spun into fibers by centrifugal spinning. The pristine PVP fibers were annealed and carbonized to produce flexible carbon fibers for use as binder-free anodes in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. These flexible carbon fibers were prepared by developing a novel three-step heat treatment to reduce the residual stresses in the pristine PVP precursor fibers and to prevent fiber degradation during carbonization. The average diameters of the pristine, annealed, and carbonized fibers were obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that the average diameter of the carbon …

Finite Element Analysis Of Total Knee Arthroplasty, Sean Yueh

Master's Theses

The total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become one of the most successful procedures in all of medicine, with an average of over 966,000 operations performed a year. Since its introduction in 1968, the TKA’s surgical process and implant designs have continuously been improved to increase survivability. However, the need for a revision TKA – due to aseptic loosening – continues to be a problematic aspect of the procedure. Stress shielding induced by different design parameters of the implant has generated controversy in the determination of an ideal configuration. The purpose of this study is to investigate how implant design parameters …

The Optimization Of Efficiency And Infrastructure For Modern Potable Water Treatment Plants, Brent A. Dekock

Theses and Dissertations

The USDOE Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) is a program that is designed to help small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities reduce their overall costs and improve energy efficiency. This includes improving potable water treatment plants which supply water throughout the country. This thesis covers the process of how IAC branches and water treatment facilities generally operate, as well as several assessment recommendations that have been developed by a branch of the IAC for several water treatment plants based in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The steps of the assessment and water treatment process are described, and several cost saving measures …

Finite Element Method For Assessment Of Air Cushion Skirt Performance, Thomas Arthur Lipscomb

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to create a method of simulating the performance of new materials for use in air cushion vehicle skirts. These systems currently exhibit unacceptable design lifetimes to be considered for widespread adoption, except in specific applications such a military or rapid transport, where high cost is not an obstacle. This project also focuses on using a new high strain to failure resin system that has recently been developed, in combination with high performance reinforcing fibers, to increase the lifespan of the skirt systems. Using industry-standard finite element modelling (FEM) software, a 3d model of the …

Toward Understanding Underlying Mechanisms Of Drag Reduction In Turbulent Flow Control, Alex Rogge

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

The underlying mechanisms of three different flow-control strategies on drag reduction in a turbulent channel flow are investigated by direct numerical simulations. These strategies include the addition of a small concentration of long-chain polymers into a fluid, the incorporation of slip surfaces, and the application of an external body force. While it has been believed that such methods lead to a skin-friction reduction by controlling near-wall flow structures, the underlying mechanisms at play are still not as clear. In this study, a temporal analysis is employed to elucidate underlying drag-reduction mechanisms among these methods. The analysis is based on the …

Understanding The Effects Of Long-Duration Spaceflight On Fracture Risk In The Human Femur Using Finite Element Analysis, Keyanna Brielle Henderson

Master's Theses

Long-duration spaceflight has been shown to have significant, lasting effects on the bone strength of astronauts and to contribute to age-related complications later in life. The microgravity environment of space causes a decrease in daily mechanical loading, which signals a state of disuse to bone cells. This affects the bone remodeling process, which is responsible for maintaining bone mass, causing an increase in damage and a decrease in density. This leads to bone fragility and decreases overall strength, posing a risk for fracture. However, there is little information pertaining to the timeline of bone loss and subsequent fracture risk.

This …

Improvement Of Labyrinth Seal Leakage Rates Using Additive Manufacturing, Austin L. Gasbarra

Master's Theses

The growing popularity of additive manufacturing in commercial applications has al- lowed for new ideas and new ways of thinking when designing components. Further optimization at the component level is possible, though powder metallurgy is in its infancy. This study explores the possibility of using additive manufacturing to develop better labyrinth seals in turbomachinery. Labyrinth seals have a torturous fluid path with high losses, thus limiting the amount of fluid leakage. These types of seals can be non-rotating, allowing them to better take advantage of the additive manufacturing process due to the absence of rotating stresses. Labyrinth seal performance is …

Molecular Mechanisms And Design Of Hydrogen-Bonded Materials For Thermal Applications, Jinlong He

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heat transfer at the nanoscale plays an important role in determining the reliability and performance of many innovative advanced materials technologies such as nanoelectronics, semiconductor, biomedical devices, polymers, and composites. Extensive efforts have been made to design materials with extraordinary thermal properties. However, fundamental understanding of heat transfer in many of these materials is still not lacking, because the thermal transport processes are governed by several factors including molecular morphology and chemical bonding. Among these factors, the atomic bonding between two dissimilar materials or within single materials is of particular interest due to its ubiquity and importance in physical processes. …

Development Of Nirs Based Noninvasive Cerebrovascular Regulation Assessment, Stephanie Marie Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Alterations to cerebral blood flow (CBF) have been implicated in diverse neurological conditions, including mild traumatic brain injury, microgravity induced intracranial pressure (ICP) and intraocular pressure (IOP) increases, and mild cognitive impairment. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-measured regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) provides an estimate of oxygenation of the interrogated cerebral volume that is useful in identifying trends and changes in oxygen supply to cerebral tissue and has been used to monitor cerebrovascular function during surgery and ventilation. In this study, CO2-inhalation-based hypercapnic breathing challenges were used as a tool to simulate CBF dysregulation, and NIRS was used to monitor …

Dynamic Body-Weight Support To Boost Rehabilitation Outcomes In Patients With Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: An Observational Study, Justin P. Huber, Lumy Sawaki

Neurology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Dynamic body-weight support (DBWS) may play an important role in rehabilitation outcomes, but the potential benefit among disease-specific populations is unclear. In this study, we hypothesize that overground therapy with DBWS during inpatient rehabilitation yields greater functional improvement than standard-of-care in adults with non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NT-SCI).

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included individuals diagnosed with NT-SCI and undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. All participants were recruited at a freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Individuals who trained with DBWS for at least three sessions were allocated to the experimental group. Participants in the historical control group received standard-of-care (i.e., no DBWS). …

The Effect Of Guide Vane Opening Variations And Total Blades On Cross Flow Turbine Performance Using Computational Fluid Dynamic, Muhamad Akbar Navis, Heru Suryanto, Putut Murdanto

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Indonesia is an agrarian country that continuously produces water, so it has the potential to develop a hydroelectric power plant. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) application could be used to be an economical, quick, and efficient approach to improve the engineering design and turbine performance. This research aimed to find the effect of guide vane opening variations and total blades on cross-flow turbine performance using CFD simulation. This research used experimental modelling method with ANSYS program for turbine design with 22, 24, and 26 turbine blades and guide vane opening variations of 12°, 16°, 20°, 24°, and 36°. The data were …

Energy And Exergy Efficiency Of Double Slope Passive Solar Still, Jandri Fan Ht Saragi, Wawan Septiawan Damanik

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Solar desalination functions to filter water, both sea water and brackish water, to produce clean water that is fit for consumption with energy from the sun. Solar energy is a renewable energy source that has been widely studied for its use. One of its uses is in a double slope passive solar still where the sun is the main source. Energy and exergy obtained from solar energy are not all used to evaporate water in the desalination system, so it is necessary to calculate efficiency energy and exergy in the system. This study aims to obtain data on the amount …

Characteristics Biolubricant Enriched With Nanoparticle Additives: A Review, Zhahra Hanif Sholiha, Gaguk Jatisukamto

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The engine movement mechanism is a system composed of machine elements that contact or rub against each other between these surfaces. Surfaces that rub against each other will cause a friction force that causes wear on the surface, so it requires energy to fight the friction force. Lubricants are needed to reduce friction and reduce wear rates, where lubricants are generally made of mineral materials. Lubricants made from synthetic materials are non-renewable and cause environmental problems. The development of biolubricants as lubricating materials based on animal fats or vegetable oils is continuously being carried out. This study aims to observe …

Optimization Of Stir Casting Of Aluminum Matrix Composites (Amcs) With Filler Of Recycled Glass Powder (Rgp) For The Mechanical Properties, Yusup Hendronursito, Tumpal Ojahan, Anang Anshori, Asep Yunanto

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

A study of making Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) uses recycled glass powder (RGP) as a filler has been carried out through the stir casting process. The experimental design uses the Taguchi method of 3^3 orthogonal array L9 with the parameters of powder size (20>x> 80, 80>y> 200, 200>z> 325), percentage of filler vs matrix (2%, 7%, 12%), and stirring time (30 Seconds, 3 Minutes, 12 Minutes). The optimum conditions for the hardness of Al-GRp composites were obtained from specimens with Mesh powder size parameters 200> z> 325, the percentage of glass vs aluminum powder was 12% wt, …

Surface Properties And Adsorption Capacities Of Rice Bran-Activated Carbon, Dewa Ngakan Ketut Putra Negara, Tjokorda Gde Tirta Nindhia, Wayan Nata Septiadi

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The growing need for activated carbon requires alternative raw materials to replace non-renewable raw materials whose existence is decreasing. Biomass is a very promising precursor, one of which is from rice bran. This research concerns the development of activated carbon derived from rice bran. Carbonization was carried out at 600 OC and physically activated with nitrogen flow rates of 150 mL/min for 40, 80, and 120 minutes. The activated carbons produced (AC-D40, AC-D80, and AC-D120) were characterized to determine the surface properties, surface morphology, and adsorption capacity for nitrogen and blue methylene adsorptions. The results showed that activated carbon that …

Design Of Savonius Vertical Axis Wind Turbine For Vehicle, Filian Arbiyani, Fernando Pranata Lasut

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The use of cellular phones is increasing in society, but due to the limited battery capacity of cell phones, it is necessary to charge the battery when travelling in the long distances. The Savonius type wind turbine has a potential as an energy source harvesting the wind energy flowing around the car. However, due to the available space on the car, careful design of Savonius vertical axis wind turbine for vehicle is necessary. The research is conducted numerically using MATLAB software. The wind speed, Reynolds number, and electric power output are numerically simulated to obtain the swept area design. Innovative …

New Design Of Aluminum 6061 Welding Joining Using Friction Stir Welding Method, Widia Setiawan, Nugroho Santoso, Surojo Surojo

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Parallel, lap, corner, and T joints are commonly used in fusion welding and solid welding. Other joints made are lap and butt joint. This study aims to evaluate a new design of fitting model single U and double U for friction stirr welding of Aluminum. Aluminum sheet 6061with a thickness of 10 mm, will be cut to a length of 150 mm and a width of 100 mm, then a locking groove will be made with an inner size of 5 mm and a length of 150 mm The flow is used to be paired in the FSW process. This …

Tool Life Prediction Of Ti [C,N] Mixed Alumina Ceramic Cutting Tool Using Gradient Descent Algorithm On Machining Martensitic Stainless Steel, Joseph Daniel S, Senthil Kumar A

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

In automated manufacturing systems, most of the manufacturing processes, including machining, are automated. Automatic tool change is one of the important parameters for reducing manufacturing lead time. Machining studies on Martensitic Stainless Steel was conducted using Ti[C,N] mixed alumina ceramic cutting tool. Tool life was evaluated using flank wear criterion. The tool life obtained from experimental machining process was taken as training dataset and test dataset for machine learning. Tool life model was developed using Gradient Descent Algorithm. The accuracy of the machine learning model was tested using the test data, and 99.83% accuracy was obtained.

Moisture Reduction Of Honey In Dehumidification And Evaporation Processes, Anang Lastriyanto, Sasongko Aji Wibowo, Erwan Erwan, Firman Jaya, Jati Batoro, Dewi Masyithoh, J.S.A Lamerkabel

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The high water content of honey can lead to fermentation and accelerate the deterioration of honey. One way to prevent fermentation in honey is to reduce the water content of honey. There are several ways to reduce the water content of honey, namely through a dehumidifier and evaporation. This study aimed to examine the relationship of reduced water content towards time in between dehumidifier and evaporation processes. The research method uses an exponential equation model to determine the value of the constant (K). The constant value (K) is used to predict the rate of reduction in moisture content between the …

Review Of Γ’ Rafting Behavior In Nickel-Based Superalloys: Crystal Plasticity And Phase-Field Simulation, Zhiyuan Yu, Xinmei Wang, Fuqian Yang, Zhufeng Yue, James C. M. Li

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Rafting is an important phenomenon of the microstructure evolution in nickel-based single crystal superalloys at elevated temperature. Understanding the rafting mechanism and its effect on the microstructure evolution is of great importance in determining the structural stability and applications of the single crystal superalloys. Phase-field method, which is an excellent tool to analyze the microstructure evolution at mesoscale, has been gradually used to investigate the rafting behavior. In this work, we review the crystal plasticity theory and phase-field method and discuss the application of the crystal plasticity theory and phase-field method in the analysis of the creep deformation and microstructure …

The Economics Of Classroom 3-D Printing Of Open-Source Digital Designs Of Learning Aids, Nicole Gallup, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

While schools struggle financially, capital for purchasing physical learning aids is often cut. To determine if costs could be reduced for learning aids, this study analyzed classroom-based distributed digital manufacturing using 3-D printing of open-source learning aid designs. Learning aid designs are analyzed in detail for their economic viability considering printing and assembly costs with purchased components and compared to equivalent or inferior commercial products available on Amazon. The results show current open-source 3-D printers are capable of manufacturing useful learning aids and that doing so provides high economic savings in the classroom. Overall, the average learning aid would save …

Improvement Of Light Intensity And Efficiency Of N-Zno/Nio/P-Gan Heterojunction-Based White Light Emitting Diodes Using Micro-/Nanolens Array, Apurba Adhikary, Md Shamim Ahsan, Md Mahbub Hossain, Md Bipul Hossain, S. H. Shah Newaz, Farid Ahmed, Ik-Bu Sohn

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Our study proposes a technique to enhance light extraction efficiency of light emitting diodes (LEDs) by incorporating various micro-/nanolens arrays (MNLAs) on the substrate layer, which in turn increases the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the LEDs. To simulate the LEDs, we utilized the finite difference time domain method. To achieve a white LED, we inserted a thin layer of NiO at the interface between the n-type ZnO and the p-type GaN. The basic n-ZnO/NiO/p-GaN heterojunction-based LED exhibited an EQE of 10.99% where the effective refractive index of the LED structure was 1.48. The EQE was further increased by engraving …

Sustainable Drug Release From Polycaprolactone Coated Chitin‑Lignin Gel Fibrous Scaffolds, Turdimuhammad Abdullah, Kalamegam Gauthaman, Azadeh Mostafavi, Ahmed Alshahrie, Numan Salah, Pierfrancesco Morganti, Angelo Chianese, Ali Tamayol, Adnan Memic

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Non-healing wounds have placed an enormous stress on both patients and healthcare systems worldwide. Severe complications induced by these wounds can lead to limb amputation or even death and urgently require more effective treatments. Electrospun scaffolds have great potential for improving wound healing treatments by providing controlled drug delivery. Previously, we developed fibrous scaffolds from complex carbohydrate polymers [i.e. chitin-lignin (CL) gels]. However, their application was limited by solubility and undesirable burst drug release. Here, a coaxial electrospinning is applied to encapsulate the CL gels with polycaprolactone (PCL). Presence of a PCL shell layer thus provides longer shelf-life for the …