Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Acoustic And Ultrasonic Beam Focusing Through Aberrative And Attenuative Layers, Hossain Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is a well-established technique to assess material properties and material state in noninvasive way. However, conventional NDE technologies are limited by the thick top coatings over the structure and, therefore, require time consuming removal and replacement of the coatings to perform the inspection. In biological application, although ultrasonic NDE is a safer method in compared to other radioactive non-invasive techniques, aberration of acoustic beams is more common as it encounters multiple tissue layers of complex geometry with nonhomogeneous properties. These limit the use of ultrasonic NDE in engineering and biological applications. To alleviate this problem, recently …

Development Of A Cfd Model For The Drying Of Aluminum-Clad Spent Nuclear Fuel, Nathaniel Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) currently manages approxi- mately 2500 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), pri- marily from naval sources and domestic research reactors, and has agreements in place to accept 10,000 MTHM of aluminum-clad SNF from foreign reactors by 2029. However, due to the closure and the Yucca Mountain site and difficulties in the vitrification process, the majority of this fuel is expected to be placed in intermediate dry storage.

Before being placed in interim storage, all assemblies must be subjected to a drying process, either by forced gas recirculation (FGR) …

Processing Of Slags Of Copper Manufacturing With The Use Of Ideal Mixing Equipment, S.T. Matkarimov, B.T. Berdiyarov, S.K. Nosirkhujayev, K.T. Ochildiyev, B.L. Marjorie

Technical science and innovation

The article discusses the issues of processing slag of copper production using devices that model ideal mixing. It has been shown that the use of this type of apparatus increases the efficiency of physical and chemical processes and significantly reduces the copper content in dump slags. It has been found that the process of reduction of ferric iron oxide by the clinker in the initial period takes place in the kinetic mode. After reducing the concentration of magnetite (3-5%) in the slag, the process of reducing it passes into the diffusion region, that is, restoring the excess content of ferric …

3d Interdigitated Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrodes For Electrochemical Impedimetric Biosensing, Benjamin J. Brownlee, Jonathan C. Claussen, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Advances in nanomaterials, combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), have allowed electrochemical biosensors to have high sensitivity while remaining labe-lfree, enabling the potential for portable diagnosis at the point-of-care. We report porous, 3D vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) electrodes with underlying chromium electrical leads for impedance-based biosensing. The electrodes are characterized by electrode height (5, 25, and 80 μm), gap width (15 and 25 μm), and geometry (interdigitated and serpentine) using scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and EIS. The protein streptavidin is functionalized onto VACNT electrodes for detection of biotin, as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. EIS is used to measure …

Indoor Air Quality Impacts Of A Woodstove Exchange Program In Washington County, Oregon, Matthew Forrest Survilo

Dissertations and Theses

More than six million people in the United States use wood stoves as their primary heat source. Wood stoves emit air pollutants that may impact health, e.g., wood combustion products are associated with premature death and aggravation of pulmonary and cardiovascular conditions. There are few studies investigating the efficacy of wood stove exchange programs (WSEPs) as a method to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). In partnership with Washington County Department of Health and Human Services we conducted an air quality study to measure the impact of a WSEP on indoor and neighborhood levels of wood combustion products. Twenty households engaged …

Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Sensor For Remote Gamma And Neutron Monitoring, Alexander Barzilov, Monia Kazemeini

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Tools for remote radiation sensing are essential for environmental safety and nuclear power applications. The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) equipped with sensors allows for substantially reducing the radiation exposure of personnel. An ambient temperature Cs2LiYCl6:Ce3+ (CLYC) elpasolite scintillation sensor for simultaneous gamma and neutron measurements was designed as a user-friendly “plug and fly” module integrated into an octocopter robotic platform. Robot Operating System (ROS) was used to analyze the sensor’s data. The measured CLYC’s energy resolution was < 5% at 662 keV gamma rays; neutron flux was measured using6Li(n,α)t reaction. Time and GPS data were combined with radiation data in the ROS, supporting real time monitoring and assessment tasks, as well as radiation source search missions. Because UASs can be irradiated, radiation damage of the sensor and robot’s electronics was estimated using FLUKA code.

Preparation Characterization And Tribological Behavior Of Lube Oil With Nanoparticles Additives, Waleed Alghani

Student Works (2020-2029)

There are many companies worldwide that would like to improve and upgrade the lube oil and enhance its performance. There is a big concern for the enhancement of lube oil by using nanotechnology and more precisely with using nanomaterial additives. Much work has made to explore and develop new sorts of lubricating oil nano-additives to diminish wear and friction in tribological configurations and to enhance surface morphology. It has noted that the use of dual nano-additives should examine the lubricating capacity and durability of lubricant. (TiO2 Anatase + Graphene) and (ZnO + Graphene) nanoparticles have selected to formulate nano-additives that …

100% Renewable Energy Grid For Rural Electrification Of Remote Areas: A Case Study In Jordan, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Mohammad Abujubbeh, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Onur Taylan, Murat Fahrioglu, Nelson K. Akafuah

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

Many developing countries suffer from high energy-import dependency and inadequate electrification of rural areas, which aggravates the poverty problem. In this work, Al-Tafilah in Jordan was considered as a case study, where the technical, economic, and environmental benefits of a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system that can match 100% of the city demand were investigated. A tri-hybrid system of wind, solar, and hydropower was integrated with an energy storage system and optimized to maximize the match between the energy demand and production profiles. The optimization aimed at maximizing the renewable energy system (RES) fraction while keeping the levelized cost of …

Surface Modification Of Biomaterials To Reduce Polyethylene Wear In Metal-Polymer Contact / Tan Mean Yee, Tan Mean Yee

Student Works (2020-2029)

This research focus on studying different surface modification (Texturing and DLC coating) on the metal part of TKR (Total knee replacement) in improving UHMWPE (Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) wear. TKR was widely being used to relieve knee pain due to osteoarthritis and further restore knee function of patients. Generally, TKR consists of metal femoral component, metal tibial component, and UHMWPE tibial insert. TKR will fail due to various factors over time, however, this study will be focusing on failure cause by loosening. Loosening failure of TKR was mainly caused by wear debris generated during articulation motion, where UHMWPE wear was …

Design Of A Methanol Reformer For On-Board Production Of Hydrogen As Fuel For A 3kw High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power System, Vladimir Gurau, Adedayo Ogunleke, F. Strickland

Manufacturing Engineering: Faculty Publications (2015-2023)

The method of Computational Fluid Dynamics is used to predict the process parameters and select the optimum operating regime of a methanol reformer for on-board production of hydrogen as fuel for a 3 kW High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell power system. The analysis uses a three reactions kinetics model for methanol steam reforming, water gas shift and methanol decomposition reactions on Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. Numerical simulations are performed at single channel level for a range of reformer operating temperatures and values of the molar flow rate of methanol per weight of catalyst at the reformer inlet. Two operating regimes of …

Design And Validation Of A Portable Handheld Device To Produce Fine Fibers Using Centrifugal Forces, Gregory Potter, Raul Barbosa, Alexa Villarreal, Alexandra Salinas, Hector Guzman, Heriberto De Leon, Javier A. Ortega, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In the present research project, a novel portable battery-powered handheld device able to produce micron and submicron fibers using centrifugal forces is proposed. The design includes spinnerets with a clamshell configuration with multiple chambers or reservoirs (2, 4, and 8) and different exit orifice diameters (400, 500, 600, and 800 µm). The rotational speed is controlled via an Arduino microcontroller. To validate the design, a series of experiments were conducted and the effect of the orifice diameter, number of chambers, and velocity on the resulting fibers’ diameter and yield was studied. For the experiments, a polymeric solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol …

First-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Method For Computing Operator-Valued Response Sensitivities To Imprecisely Known Parameters, Internal Interfaces And Boundaries Of Coupled Nonlinear Systems: Ii. Application To A Nuclear Reactor Heat Removal Benchmark, Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Faculty Publications

This work illustrates the application of a comprehensive first-order adjoint sensitivity analysis methodology (1st-CASAM) to a heat conduction and convection analytical benchmark problem which simulates heat removal from a nuclear reactor fuel rod. This analytical benchmark problem can be used to verify the accuracy of numerical solutions provided by software modeling heat transport and fluid flow systems. This illustrative heat transport benchmark shows that collocation methods require one adjoint computation for every collocation point while spectral expansion methods require one adjoint computation for each cardinal function appearing in the respective expansion when recursion relations cannot be developed between the corresponding …

Development Of An Augmented Reality Based Facility Layout Planning And Optimization, Tan Chee Hau

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study presents an augmented reality (AR) based facility layout planning (FLP) system with an optimization algorithm to assist facility layout designers in decision making. AR is a technology that blends virtual data such as 3 Dimensional (3D) model into the actual world. FLP is about the allocation of facilities to achieve smooth, efficient and effective processes. FLP’s research can be divided into the procedural approach, algorithmic approach, Virtual Reality (VR) and AR-based approaches. AR-based FLP effectively addressed the traditional FLP issues such as facilitating the addition of a new machine in an existing production floor, rearrangement of machines’ sequence, …

Fsec Energy Research Center Highlights 2020, Brochure, Florida Solar Energy Center, Sherri Shields

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This 5-page "brochure" provides an overview of capabilities at the FSEC Energy Research Center. As Florida's statewide energy research center, FSEC has a 45-year history of basic and applied research excellence, which has grown in scope to include all aspects of renewable energy, energy storage, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency technologies. FSEC's education and outreach programs have trained thousands of energy practitioners and informed energy consumers. This document was originally created to inform City of Cocoa Council members about FSEC during their external visit to the Center in June 2020, during COVID-19. FSEC Art#: PIO-104

First-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Method For Computing Operator-Valued Response Sensitivities To Imprecisely Known Parameters, Internal Interfaces And Boundaries Of Coupled Nonlinear Systems: I. Mathematical Framework, Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Faculty Publications

This work presents the first-order comprehensive adjoint sensitivity analysis methodology (1st-CASAM) for computing efficiently the first-order sensitivities (i.e., functional derivatives) of operator-valued responses (i.e., model results) of general models of coupled nonlinear physical systems characterized by imprecisely known or and/or uncertain parameters, external boundaries, and internal interfaces between the coupled systems. The explicit mathematical formalism developed within the 1st-CASAM for computing the first-order sensitivities of operator-valued response to uncertain internal interfaces and external boundaries in the models’ phase–space enables this methodology to generalize all of the previously published methodologies for computing first-order response sensitivities. The computational resources needed for using …

A Control System For A Constrained Two-Body Wave Energy Converter, Shangyan Zou, Ossama Abdelkhalik

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Wave energy can be used to power oceano-graphic buoys. A new switching control strategy is developed in this paper for a two-body heaving wave energy converter that is composed of a floating cylinder and two rigidly connected submerged hemispheres. This control strategy is designed to prevent excessive displacement of the floating buoy that may occur due to the actuator force. This control strategy switches the control between a multi-resonant controller and a nonlinear damping controller, depending on the state of the system, to account for displacement constraints. This control strategy is developed using a one-degree-of-freedom dynamic model for the relative …

An Affordable And Portable Palpable System For Sensing Breast Tissue Abnormalities, Cody J. Clarke

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

Due to the high cost of equipment and lack of trained personnel, manual palpation is a preferred alternative breast examination technique over mammography. The process involves a thorough search pattern using trained fingers and applying adequate pressure, with the objective of identifying solid masses from the surrounding breast tissue. However, palpation requires skills that must be obtained through adequate training in order to ensure proper diagnosis. Consequently, palpation performance and reporting techniques have been inconsistent. Automating the palpation technique would optimize the performance of self-breast examination, optimize clinical breast examinations (CBE), and enable the visualization of breast abnormalities as well …

Cost Effective And Non-Intrusive Occupancy Detection In Residential Building Through Machine Learning Algorithm, Chenli Wang

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

Residential and commercial buildings consume more than 40% of energy and 76% of electricity in the U.S. Buildings also emit more than one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which is the largest sector. A significant portion of the energy is wasted by unnecessary operations on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, such as overheating/overcooling or operation without occupants. Wasteful behaviors consume twice the amount of energy compared to energy-conscious behaviors. Many commercial buildings utilize a building management system (BMS) and occupancy sensors to better control and monitor the HVAC and lighting system based on occupancy information. However, the complicated …

Me-Em 2019-20 Annual Report, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• Element 1
• Element 2
• Element 3
• Element 4
• Enrollment & Degrees
• Graduates
• Department
• Alumni
• Donors

Solving Concurrent And Nonconcurrent Coplanar Force Systems: Balancing Theory And Practice In The Technology And Engineering Education Classroom, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The basic concepts inherent to statics, including unbalanced and balanced forces and instability and stability of physical systems, have traditionally been covered in middle and high school physical science courses (Physical Science as indicated in Next Generation Science Standards). Yet, these concepts are covered using a physical science approach that has minor but significant differences in terminology, structure, and focus when compared with an engineering approach. Since a robust understanding of statics is considered an essential component for most engineering disciplines, Technology and Engineering Education’s (T&EE) implementation of statics with an engineering approach could promote students’ ability to transfer learning …

Photovoltaics- And Battery-Based Power Network As Sustainable Source Of Electric Power, Prahaladh Paniyil, Vishwas Powar, Rajendra Singh, Benjamin Hennigan, Pamela Lule, Matthew Allison, John Kimsey, Anthony Carambia, Dhruval Patel, Daniel Carrillo, Zachary Shriber, Truman Bazer, James Farnum, Kushal Jadhav, Dalton Pumputis

Publications

With the rise in the utilization of free fuel energy sources, namely solar and wind, across the globe, it has become necessary to study and implement models of a sustainable power network. This paper focuses on the design of a conceptual power network based on photovoltaics (PV) for power generation and lithium-ion batteries for storage. The power system showcases the various metrics that are involved in a grid-tied PV- and battery-based power network. It also encompasses the various design parameters and sizing considerations to design and conceptualize such a power network. The model focuses on the importance of the conservation …

Emerging Gene-Editing Modalities For Osteoarthritis, Alekya S. Tanikella, Makenna J. Hardy, Stephanie M. Frahs, Aidan G. Cormier, Kalin D. Gibbons, Clare K. Fitzpatrick, Julia Thom Oxford

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a pathological degenerative condition of the joints that is widely prevalent worldwide, resulting in significant pain, disability, and impaired quality of life. The diverse etiology and pathogenesis of OA can explain the paucity of viable preventive and disease-modifying strategies to counter it. Advances in genome-editing techniques may improve disease-modifying solutions by addressing inherited predisposing risk factors and the activity of inflammatory modulators. Recent progress on technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 and cell-based genome-editing therapies targeting the genetic and epigenetic alternations in OA offer promising avenues for early diagnosis and the development of personalized therapies. The purpose of this …

Open-Source Grinding Machine For Compression Screw Manufacturing, Jacob Franz, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Some of the most promising distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM) technical systems use fused particle fabrication (FPF) or fused granular fabrication (FGF), where compression screws force post-consumer waste plastic through a heated nozzle for direct 3D printing. To assist the technical evolution of these systems, this study provided the details of an invention for a low-cost, easily replicable open-source grinding machine for compression screw manufacturing. The system itself can be largely fabricated using FPF/FGF following the self-replicating rapid prototyper (RepRap) methodology. This grinding machine can be made from a cordless cut-off grinder and < $155 in parts. The new invention is demonstrated to be able to cut custom screws with variable (i) channel depths, (ii) screw diameters, (iii) screw lengths, (iv) pitches, (v) abrasive disk thicknesses, (vi) handedness of the screws, (vii) and materials (three types of steel tested: 1045 steel, 1144 steel, and 416 stainless steel). The results show that the device is more than capable of replicating commercial screws as well as providing makers with a much greater flexibility to make custom screws. This invention enables the DRAM toolchain to become even more self-sufficient, which assists the goals of the circular economy.

Experimental Demonstration Of Heat Loss And Turn-Down Ratio For A Multi-Panel, Actively Deployed Radiator, Rydge B. Mulford, Samuel D. Salt, Lance P. Hyatt, Kyle S. Meaker, Vivek H. Dwivedi, Matthew R. Jones, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Origami-inspired, dynamic spacecraft radiators have been proposed which utilize an expandable/collapsible surface capable of large variations in emitting surface area. In this work, an experimental prototype of this concept is realized and its performance is analyzed. In particular, we demonstrate the capability of maintaining a spacecraft component at a desired operating temperature through the expansion and contraction of a collapsible radiator to control radiative heat loss. Four aluminum panels are connected via a flexible hinge constructed from interwoven copper wires and suspended from an actuating framework. The radiator panels are connected to a heated aluminum block. The radiator is placed …

Asymmetric Semiconductor Nanostructures For Particle Manipulation, Jaykob Maser, Joshua Rovey

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We explore how material selection affects the electromagnetic response of closely positioned asymmetric nanostructures. COMSOL Multiphysics is used to model the system, and the materials studied include gold (Au), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium tin oxide (ITO), and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO). All materials produce average electric field magnitudes on the order of 10 MV/m. We conclude that the ITO and AZO nanostructures produce the most uniform electric field response over the entire domain of incident wavelengths and that GaAs is least thermally stable in a vacuum environment due to its low heat conductivity.

Self-Learning Algorithm To Predict Indoor Temperature And Cooling Demand From Smart Wifi Thermostat In A Residential Building, Kefan Huang, Kevin Hallinan, Robert Lou, Abdulrahman Alanezi, Salahaldin Alshatshati, Qiancheng Sun

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Smart WiFi thermostats have moved well beyond the function they were originally designed for; namely, controlling heating and cooling comfort in buildings. They are now also learning from occupant behaviors and permit occupants to control their comfort remotely. This research seeks to go beyond this state of the art by utilizing smart WiFi thermostat data in residences to develop dynamic predictive models for room temperature and cooling/heating demand. These models can then be used to estimate the energy savings from new thermostat temperature schedules and estimate peak load reduction achievable from maintaining a residence in a minimum thermal comfort condition. …

Effect Of Motor-Assisted Elliptical Training Speed And Body Weight Support On Center Of Pressure Movement Variability, Farahnaz Fallahtafti, Chase M. Pfeifer, Thad W. Buster, Judith M. Burnfield

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: A motor-assisted elliptical trainer is being used clinically to help individuals with physical disabilities regain and/or retain walking ability and cardiorespiratory fitness. Unknown is how the device’s training parameters can be used to optimize movement variability and regularity. This study examined the effect of motor-assisted elliptical training speed as well as body weight support (BWS) on center of pressure (CoP) movement variability and regularity during training. Methods: CoP was recorded using in-shoe pressure insoles as participants motor-assisted elliptical trained at three speeds (20, 40, and 60 cycles per minute) each performed at four BWS levels (0%, 20%, 40%, and …

Analysis Of Space-Charge-Limited Conduction Mechanisms In Zron/Sic System, Hasnurashid Nur Hasdyanna

Student Works (2020-2029)

In this study, current conduction mechanism by space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) and Poole-Frenkel (PF) emission on ZrON/SiC system that was oxidized and nitrided in N2O at various temperatures (400-900˚C) were analysed. The current-voltage (I-V) measurements were performed in Al-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor by sputtering of Al film on top of the film and at the back of the substrate. Then, characterization of electrical properties was done according to two types of bulk-limited conduction, which are space-charge-limited conduction and Poole-Frenkel emission conduction. Space-charge-limited conduction and Poole-Frenkel emission have been systematically evaluated through data analysis method by the fitting of linear regression according …

Gradient-Based Optimization Of Solar-Regenerative High-Altitude Long-Endurance Aircraft, Taylor Mcdonnell, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

This paper uses gradient-based optimization to minimize the mass of a solar-regenerative high-altitude long-endurance (SR-HALE) flying-wing aircraft while accounting for nonlinear aeroelastic effects. The aircraft is designed to fly year round at 35° latitude at 18 km above sea level and subjected to energy capture, energy storage, material failure, local buckling, stall, longitudinal stability, and coupled flight and aeroelastic stability constraints. The optimized aircraft has an aspect ratio of 54.52, a surface area of 73.56 m2 , a mass of 349.5 kg, exhibits little aeroelastic deflection at the design airspeed, and is primarily stability constrained. Several parameter sweeps are performed …

Large-Stroke Capacitive Mems Accelerometer Without Pull-In, Meysam Daeichin, Ronald Miles, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In this study, the feasibility of obtaining electrical read-out data from a capacitive MEMS accelerometer that employs repulsive electrode configuration is demonstrated. This configuration allows for large-stroke vibrations of microstructures without suffering from pull-in failure that exists in conventional accelerometers based on the parallelplate configuration. With initial fabrication gap of 2:75um, the accelerometer can reach a 4:2um dynamical displacement amplitude. The accelerometer is tested up to 95(V) without exhibiting pull-in failure. For comparison, the pull-in voltage of an accelerometer with same dimensions but with conventional parallel-plate electrode configuration is 0:8(V). The MEMS device is fabricated using the POLYMUMPs fabrication standard. …