Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Design And Development Of Soft Earthworm Robot Driven By Fibrous Artificial Muscles, Beau Ragland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Earthworm robots have proven their viability in the fields of medicine, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. These robots are traditionally typically hard-shelled and must be tethered to whatever drives their locomotion. For this reason, truly autonomous capabilities are not yet feasible. The goal of this thesis is to introduce a robot that not only sets the groundwork for autonomous locomotion, but also is safe for human-robot interaction. This was done by ensuring that the actuation principle utilized by the robot is safe around humans and can work in an untethered design. Artificial muscle actuation allowed for these prerequisites …

Design Of Compact Signal Distribution Device For Hoffman Reflex Methodologic Applications In Sports Medicine, Abayomi E. Folaranmi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A study is presented on the design of compact sized signal distribution device for Hoffman reflex methodological applications in sports medicine. Established conventional method for measuring and recording human or animal nervous system response to external electrical stimulus was considered in this study. Challenges with measuring and recording techniques which introduces inaccuracies and unreliability of reflex response data obtained was analyzed, this work is aimed at improving the reliability of H-reflex d measuring and recording technique for the purpose of reducing inaccuracies introduced to data obtained because of conventional methodologic approach. Inaccuracies due to changes in subject muscle geometry and …

หุ่นยนต์ 3 มิติชนิดจับที่ปลายแบบรับรู้แรงเพื่อการฟื้นฟูรยางค์ส่วนบน, เกวลี อัศวะไพฑูรย์เสริฐ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อออกแบบต้นแบบหุ่นยนต์ 3 มิติชนิดจับที่ปลายแบบรับรู้แรงที่มีระบบควบคุมทางพลศาสตร์และโปรแกรมควบคุมการทำงาน เพื่อการประยุกต์ใช้ในการฟื้นฟูรยางค์ส่วนบน โดยงานวิจัยนี้ได้ออกแบบและพัฒนาต้นแบบหุ่นยนต์ที่มีชื่อว่าหุ่นยนต์ 3DEE (3D End-effector Manipulator Arm) ซึ่งเป็นหุ่นยนต์กายภาพบำบัดชนิดจับที่ปลายที่มีจุดสัมผัสอยู่ที่บริเวณข้อมือ มีลักษณะโครงสร้างเป็น 3-dimensional five-bar linkage manipulator ซึ่งสามารถเคลื่อนไหวใน 3 มิติได้และมีโครงสร้างที่ไม่ซับซ้อน อีกทั้งหุ่นยนต์ยังถูกออกแบบให้เหมาะสำหรับหุ่นยนต์กายภาพบำบัดและคำนึงถึงความปลอดภัยของผู้ใช้เป็นหลัก ระบบควบคุมที่ใช้ในงานวิจัยนี้เป็นระบบควบคุมกำแพงเสมือนแบบสปริงและตัวหน่วงสำหรับโปรแกรมอุโมงค์เสมือนที่เหมาะสำหรับให้ผู้ป่วยได้ออกแรงเคลื่อนไหวเองโดยมีหุ่นยนต์ประคองให้อยู่ในเส้นทางเท่านั้น โปรแกรมถูกออกแบบให้สามารถปรับค่าพารามิเตอร์ต่างๆ บันทึกข้อมูลและแสดงผลข้อมูลได้ การทดสอบหุ่นยนต์เริ่มจากการทดสอบความแม่นยำของส่วนชดเชยน้ำหนักของแขนหุ่นยนต์ก่อนซึ่งเป็นส่วนสำคัญส่วนหนึ่งของระบบควบคุม ซึ่งผลที่ได้นำมาสรุปได้ว่าส่วนชดเชยน้ำหนักของแขนหุ่นยนต์มีความแม่นยำที่มาก ตามด้วยการทดสอบประสิทธิภาพของระบบควบคุม ซึ่งผลที่ได้แสดงให้เห็นว่าระบบควบคุมนี้สามารถช่วยให้เคลื่อนไหวในเส้นทางที่กำหนดได้อย่างสะดวก อีกทั้งยังออกนอกเส้นทางได้ยาก

Material Handling System For An Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Environment, Con Cronin

Theses

A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is a method of production that is designed to easily adapt to changes in the type and quantity of the product being manufactured. Machines and computerised systems can be configured to manufacture a variety of parts and to handle the changing levels of production that is required. The aim of this project was to investigate the current manufacturing processes of Kostal Ireland GmbH with the aim of developing a bespoke prototype material handling system to achieve flexible manufacturing. Kostal Ireland GmbH currently do not have the ability to change their manufacturing operations easily when a …

Material Analysis Of 3d Welded 5356 Aluminum Alloy, Ryan Fouts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal 3D printing has been reserved for aerospace and high-end automotive industries because of its cost. A gas metal arc welder (GMAW) on a rugged 3D printer frame could make metal additive manufacturing an option for more industries and consumers. 3D welded aluminum has not been examined in depth as an option for additive manufacturing (AM). Extensive tests are necessary to determine the correct settings to use a metal inert gas (MIG) welder for AM. Porosity within the welded material must be evaluated to better understand the additive process. The material properties of 3D welded aluminum will be tested and …

Effect Of Surface Roughness And External Loading On Embedment In Steel And Aluminum Bolted Joints, Nathan Stang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Embedment in bolted joints is defined as the local deformation of surfaces into one another due to uneven contact. Embedment that occurs after the tightening of a bolted joint can cause loss of preload in the joint potentially leading to failure. VDI 2230, a German standard for bolted joint design, is currently the main source for engineers regarding embedment. It related expected embedment to the surface roughness in steel bolted joints. This research expands on the VDI standard by performing tests on a commonly used aluminum alloy and a steel alloy. Both cold rolled 1045 steel and 6061- T6511 aluminum …

Enthesis Strength, Toughness And Stiffness: An Image-Based Model Comparing Tendon Insertions With Varying Bony Attachment Geometries, Mikhail Golman, Victor Birman, Stavros Thomopoulos, Guy M. Genin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tendons of the body differ dramatically in their function, mechanics and range of motion, but all connect to bone via an enthesis. Effective force transfer at the enthesis enables joint stability and mobility, with strength and stiffness arising from a fibrous architecture. However, how enthesis toughness arises across tendons with diverse loading orientations remains unclear. To study this, we performed simultaneous imaging of the bone and tendon in entheses that represent the range of tendon-to-bone insertions and extended a mathematical model to account for variations in insertion and bone geometry. We tested the hypothesis that toughness, across a range of …

Modeling Rack Force For Steering Maneuvers In A Stationary Vehicle, Nilay Kant, Raunav Chitkara, Prerit Pramod

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A steering system converts circular motion of the steering wheel into yaw motion of the road-wheels. In absence of a steering assist mechanism, the driver torque overcomes the tire-road friction forces, which is transmitted to the steering rack through tie rods attached to the road-wheels. The net force acting on the rack is then transmitted to the steering wheel through mechanical linkages which results in natural haptic feedback, commonly referred to as the steering feel. In an electric/hydraulic power steering, an electro-mechanical actuator applies assist force, which reduces the torque required by the driver. In order to maintain stability of …

Rational Design Of Advanced Functional Materials For Electrochemical Devices, Shun Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a fast-growing trend in developing urea (CO(NH2)2) as a substitute H2 carrier in energy conversion due to its high energy density, nontoxicity, stability, and nonflammability. Urea, a byproduct in the metabolism of proteins and a frequent contaminant in wastewater, is an abundant compound that has demonstrated favorable characteristics as a hydrogen-rich fuel source with 6.7 wt % gravimetric hydrogen content. Also, there is 2-2.5 wt % urea from mammal urine; therefore, 0.5 million ton of additional fuels will be produced per year just from human urine (240 million ton each year). Electrochemical oxidation has …

Biomechanical Investigation Of Plant Vascular Tissue For Bio-Inspired Design And Flexible Composites, Mukesh Roy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of evolution, nature has continuously optimized all the natural materials. These optimizations are so efficient that scientists and engineers have started taking inspiration from nature. Such inspiration-based solutions provide sustainable development of new materials with enhanced structural properties and functionalities (such as stiffness, stability, toughness, self-healing etc.). This variety of properties and functionalities is mainly due to the hierarchical organization of such components. Abstraction of the hidden cues of the hierarchical organization, principles and underlying structure-function relations are some of the critical approaches of bioinspired materials design. Inspiration from animals and plants has helped develop the design …

Development Of A High Strength Composite Material Using Large Scale 3d Printing Applications Using Waste Plastic And Steel, Naga Sri Madhavareddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on developing a high strength composite material for largescale 3D printing applications using recycled materials like High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Steel 430. This material has applications for in-space manufacturing (the Moon or Mars) as well as large-scale manufacturing on earth. In addition to creating a strong useful material, materials that are easily recycled, but are often not recycled, are used. Recycling plastic and metal reduces pollution, saves resources, reduces waste going to landfills, and prevents the destruction of habitats from the polymerization of new plastic and similarly mining new ore. The percentage of HDPE generated from recycled …

Effect Of Composition And Print Orientation On Thermal Conductivity Of 3d Printed Composites, Cory Jacques

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have become widely used for rapid prototyping and are beginning to be used for end-use applications. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a type of 3D printing where molten thermoplastic is extruded layer by layer to create parts. There is an increasing need for improvement and diversification of material properties to further extend the use of AM parts. AM parts have not been commonly used in heat transfer applications due to the limited availability of information on thermal conductivity of materials and the effects of printing orientation. A special apparatus was designed and built to experimentally test …

Rheology Of Particulate Suspensions With Non-Newtonian Fluids In Capillaries, Bin Xia, Paul Krueger

Mechanical Engineering Research

This resource contains the processed experimental measurements of the flow consistency index and flow behavior index, along with their trendlines, for the particulate suspensions investigated in "Rheology of Particulate Suspensions with Non-Newtonian Fluids in Capillaries" by Bin Xia and Paul S. Krueger.

The Mechanics And Multiphysics Of Biomimetic Discrete Exoskeleton Substrates, Hessein Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Biological structures have inspired synthetic materials with unparalleled performances such as ultra-lightweight design, tunable elasticity, camouflaging, and antifouling. Among biological structures, exoskeletal scales that cover the exterior surfaces of fishes, fur, and many reptiles. These exoskeletal scales had appeared in the earliest stages of evolution of complex multicellular life and continued their existence in spite of millions of years of evolutionary pressures. This makes them an attractive candidate for biomimicry to produce high performance multifunctional materials with applications to soft robotics, wearables, energy efficient smart skins, antifouling surfaces and on-demand tunable materials. Canonically speaking, biomimetic samples can be fabricated by …

On The Interaction Of Creep And High-Cycle Fatigue In Cm 247 Lc, Thomas Bouchenot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Industrial gas turbines constitute a considerable portion of global power generation, from large engines for centralized grids, to smaller frames for decentralized demand. Power output, efficiency, and reliability are chief criteria regarding the development of next-generation turbines, whose components are expected to operate in ever harsher environments. Turbine blades are subjected to high temperatures, an array of mechanical loads, and dynamic fluid fields, all contained within a non-isothermal profile, making creep and high-cycle fatigue critical aspects of turbine blade design. Current analysis tools and methods have resulted in the development of many successful components; however, improved life prediction models with …

Generic Design Methodology For Smart Manufacturing Systems From A Practical Perspective, Part I—Digital Triad Concept And Its Application As A System Reference Model, Zhuming Bi, Wen-Jun Zhang, Chong Wu, Chaomin Luo, Lida Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Rapidly developed information technologies (IT) have continuously empowered manufacturing systems and accelerated the evolution of manufacturing system paradigms, and smart manufacturing (SM) has become one of the most promising paradigms. The study of SM has attracted a great deal of attention for researchers in academia and practitioners in industry. However, an obvious fact is that people with different backgrounds have different expectations for SM, and this has led to high diversity, ambiguity, and inconsistency in terms of definitions, reference models, performance matrices, and system design methodologies. It has been found that the state of the art SM research is limited …

Laser-Microdrop Interactions In Nanoparticle Deposition On Solid Substrates, Tianyi Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Nanoparticle suspensions are utilized for depositing thin films on solid substrates by a process called nano electrospray laser deposition. In this research, three deposition methods, contact liquid line laser printing, nano-electrospray laser sintering and evaporative optical Marangoni convection are investigated experimentally and analytically. Thin silver lines are printed on indium tin oxide-coated silicon substrates by dispensing silver nanoparticle suspension with a micropipe of inner diameter 51µm and subsequently sintering the nanoparticles with a CO2 laser beam of Bessel intensity profile. The deposited silver lines of 65µm width and 1µm height have good resistivity which can be used to manufacture silver …

Mechanical Properties Of Nanomodified Hybrid Gfrp Composite Materials, Micah Rop Kimutai

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The mechanical behavior of the nanomodified hybrid epoxy matrix was investigated in glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). In this study, five nanocomposites enriched with as received halloysite, nanomer I.28E, HNT-APTES, and the hybrid combinations of the two HNTs with the nanomer I.28E were successfully fabricated. To evaluate the effects and morphological characteristics of the individual fillers and the hybrid configurations on the epoxy resin matrix, TGA, DSC, and DMA were analyzed. To understand the effect of the five configurations on the neat GFRP laminate, mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, tensile, and vibration properties were investigated. Electron microscopy testing techniques were …

Test-Retest Reliability And Minimal Detectable Change Of The Computerized Dynamic Posturography Proprio For Adults With Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury, Guilherme Manna Cesar, Thad W. Buster, Judith M. Burnfield

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Balance deficits after brain injury, including reactive recovery from unexpected perturbations, can persist well after rehabilitation is concluded. While traditional clinical assessments are practical, the anticipatory nature of the tasks may mask perceptible balance control. Computerized dynamic posturography can directly quantify capacity to respond to unexpected, external perturbations. This study examined the reliability of the computerized dynamic posturography assessment with the device PROPRIO® 4000 in adults with traumatic brain injury and created the minimal detectable change for its standardized test.

Methods: Ten adults (ages 21–55 years) with chronic (average 10 ± 6 years post-injury) severe (loss of consciousness 2–75 …

Perceived Importance Of Aac Messages To Support Communication In Rehabilitation Settings, Susan Koch Fager, Judith M. Burnfield, Chase M Pfeifer, Tabatha Sorenson

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Permanent or temporary speech loss can occur due to a variety of medical conditions and often requires individuals to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies and technologies to support communication. The use of AAC in medical and rehabilitation settings is critical to ensure the health, safety and psychological well-being of communicatively vulnerable individuals.

Method: This study surveyed the perceived importance of communication messages within five categories (Basic Needs, Patient-Provider Specific Communication, Social, Feelings, and Messages for Young Children) by individuals with disability who have undergone recent medical care as well as by rehabilitation care providers.

Results: Results indicated …

Feasibility Of Motor-Assisted Elliptical To Improve Walking, Fitness And Balance Following Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury: A Case Series, Judith M. Burnfield, Guilherme Manna Cesar, Thad W. Buster

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Walking, fitness, and balance deficits are common following acquired brain injury (ABI). This study assessed feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness of a modified motor-assisted elliptical (ICARE) in addressing walking, fitness, and balance deficits in children with chronic ABIs.

Methods: Three children (> 5 years post-ABI) completed 24 ICARE exercise sessions (exercise time, speed, and time overriding motor-assistance gradually increased) to promote mass repetition of gait-like movements and challenge cardiorespiratory fitness. Parents’ and children’s perceptions of ICARE’s safety, comfort, workout, and usability were assessed. Cardiovascular response, gait and balance outcomes were assessed.

Results: No adverse events occurred. Parent’s …

A Novel Large Animal Model Of Smoke Inhalation-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Premila D. Leiphrakpam, Hannah R. Weber, Andrea Mccain, Roser Romaguera Matas, Ernesto Martinez Duarte, Keely L. Buesing

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is multifactorial and can result from sepsis, trauma, or pneumonia, amongst other primary pathologies. It is one of the major causes of death in critically ill patients with a reported mortality rate up to 45%. The present study focuses on the development of a large animal model of smoke inhalation-induced ARDS in an effort to provide the scientific community with a reliable, reproducible large animal model of isolated toxic inhalation injury-induced ARDS. Methods: Animals (n=21) were exposed to smoke under general anesthesia for 1 to 2 h (median smoke exposure=0.5 to 1 L of …

Ultrasound-Activated Ciliary Bands For Microrobotic Systems Inspired By Starfish, Cornel Dillinger, Nitesh Nama, Daniel Ahmed

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Cilia are short, hair-like appendages ubiquitous in various biological systems, which have evolved to manipulate and gather food in liquids at regimes where viscosity dominates inertia. Inspired by these natural systems, synthetic cilia have been developed and utilized in microfluidics and microrobotics to achieve functionalities such as propulsion, liquid pumping and mixing, and particle manipulation. Here, we demonstrate ultrasound-activated synthetic ciliary bands that mimic the natural arrangements of ciliary bands on the surface of starfish larva. Our system leverages nonlinear acoustics at microscales to drive bulk fluid motion via acoustically actuated small-amplitude oscillations of synthetic cilia. By arranging the planar …

A Machine Vision Based Automated Quality Control System For Product Dimensional Analysis, Aditya Akundi, Mark Reyna

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Quality control (QC) in manufacturing processes is critical to ensuring consumers receive products with proper functionality and reliability. Faulty products can lead to additional costs for the manufacturer and damage trust in a brand. A growing trend in QC is the use of machine vision (MV) systems because of their noncontact inspection, high repeatability, and relatively low cost. This paper presents a robust MV system developed to perform comparative dimensional inspection on diversely shaped samples, including additive manufacturing products. The algorithm used performs dimensional inspection on a base product considered to have acceptable dimensions. The perimeter, area, rectangularity, and circularity …

A Review On Application Of Model Based Systems Engineering To Manufacturing And Production Engineering Systems, Aditya Akundi, Viviana Lopez

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Increasing complexity in today’s manufacturing and production industry due to the need for higher flexibility and competitiveness is leading to inconsistencies in the iterative exchange loops of the system design process. To address these complexities and inconsistencies, an ongoing industry trend for organizations to make a transition from document-centric principles and applications to being model-centric is observed. In this paper, a literature review is presented highlighting the current need for an industry-wide transition from document-centric systems engineering to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). Further, investigating the tools and languages used by the researchers for facilitating the transition to and the integration …

Potential Production Of Theranostic Boron Nitride Nanotubes (64cu-Bnnts) Radiolabeled By Neutron Capture, Wellington Marcos Silva, Helio Ribeiro, Jaime Taha-Tijerina

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

In this work, the radioisotope 64Cu was obtained from copper (II) chloride dihydrate in a nuclear research reactor by neutron capture, (63Cu(n, )64Cu), and incorporated into boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) using a solvothermal process. The produced 64Cu-BNNTs were analyzed by TEM, MEV, FTIR, XDR, XPS and gamma spectrometry, with which it was possible to observe the formation of64Cu nanoparticles, with sizes of up to 16 nm, distributed through nanotubes. The synthesized of 64Cu nanostructures showed a pure photoemission peak of 511 keV, which is characteristic of gamma radiation. This type of emission is desirable for Photon Emission Tomography (PET scan) …

Modeling And Optimization Of Process Parameters In Face Milling Of Ti6al4v Alloy Using Taguchi And Grey Relational Analysis, Al Mazedur Rahman, S M Abdur Rob, Anil K. Srivastava

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Titanium alloys are extensively used in aerospace, missiles, rockets, naval ships, automotive, medical devices, and even the consumer electronics industry where a high strength to density ratio, lightweight, high corrosion resistance, and resistance to high temperatures are important. The machining of these alloys has always been challenging for manufacturers. This article investigates the combined effect of radial depth, cutting speed and feed rate on cutting forces, tool life, and surface roughness during face milling of Ti6Al4V alloy. This study focuses on the significance of radial depth of cut on cutting force, tool life and surface roughness compared to that of …

El Español En Estados Unidos Como Recurso Para La Educación De Hispanos En Ingeniería, Hiram Moya

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Los Hispanos representan la más grande minoría en Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, el número de estudiantes hispanos en las carreras de ciencias y en particular en ingeniería ha estado subrepresentada por muchos años. Esta falta de representación ha hecho que se estudie de muchas formas los métodos de reclutar y retener y graduar estudiantes hispanos en ingeniería. Sin embargo, la urgencia continúa. Existen muchos retos para mejorar la participación de hispanos en ingeniería, incluyendo la falta costumbre en preguntar o solicitar ayuda, los retos económicos, y la falta de ejemplos a seguir en la facultad. Dado los retos, este artículo …

Direct Selective Laser Synthesis Of Cucrfenitial High Entropy Alloy From Elemental Powders Through Selective Laser Melting, Joni Dhar, Lazaro Lopez, Shanshan Zhang, Ben Xu, Mohammed Jasim Uddin, Jianzhi Li

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

This study investigated the synthesis of CuCrFeNiTiAl high entropy alloy (HEA) from pure elements using selective laser melting (SLM). The objectives are to validate the feasibility of the HEA fabrication from elemental powder materials, and to examine the effect of various process conditions in SLM, such as laser power, point distance and laser exposure time, on the microstructures formed. The as-built samples under high, medium and low energy densities were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the microstructures were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results showed that five major crystal structure phases (hexagonal, monoclinic, orthorhombic, body-centered cubic …

Machine Learning Model Optimization With Hyper Parameter Tuning Approach, Md. Riyad Hossain, Douglas Timmer

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Hyper-parameters tuning is a key step to find the optimal machine learning parameters. Determining the best hyper-parameters takes a good deal of time, especially when the objective functions are costly to determine, or a large number of parameters are required to be tuned. In contrast to the conventional machine learning algorithms, Neural Network requires tuning hyperparameters more because it has to process a lot of parameters together, and depending on the fine tuning, the accuracy of the model can be varied in between 25%-90%. A few of the most effective techniques for tuning hyper-parameters in the Deep learning methods are: …