Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Project Chimaera: Development Of A Tessellated Tetrahedral Truss Structure For Adaptive Multi-Regime Morphing Wing Technology, Evan Meyer, Eric Rodarte, Maximo Failla, Joshua Shuster, Jackson G. Schuler

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Project Chimaera: Physical Assembly of tessellated tetrahedral wing for Multi-Regime Flight. Modern Aircrafts lose aerodynamic efficiency because they are primarily made utilizing fixed wings which are designed for a single optimal flight condition. This forces an aircraft’s performance to become compromised across various speed maneuvers and flight regimes. Project Chimaera addresses this limitation through the development of a morphing wing capable of dynamically changing its geometry extensively during flight to allow an aircraft to travel between subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speeds. Whereas traditional wings rely on wing flaps and other flight controls; Project Chimaera addresses the limitation of flight controls …

Turbine Aerodynamics And Performance Characterization, Anuranan Bharadwaj, Kalkamanali Satvaldy, Vincent Shi

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This research presents an integrated study combining computational modeling and experimental validation to enhance the design and performance characterization of small-scale turbine systems. The theoretical component focuses on developing an object-oriented Python code for the preliminary design and performance prediction of radial turbines, capable of generating velocity triangles, thermodynamic properties, and geometric parameters from user-defined inputs. The tool employs Whitfield-based correlations and fundamental gas-dynamic relations to estimate exit flow parameters, work ratio, and efficiency, offering flexibility for expansion into geometry export and CAD integration.   Complementing the computational model, the experimental component aims to improve the aerodynamic testing capabilities of the …

Terramechanics-Based Comparison Of Dem And Crm For Lunar Surface Applications, Nicolas Bonasoro

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding how lunar regolith interacts with robotic systems is important for safe surface operations because uncertain terrain conditions can affect rover traversability and lunar lander stability. This work applies terramechanics to two space robotics applications: in-situ cone penetration testing (CPT) for terrain assessment and lunar lander touchdown analysis for evaluating sinkage, force response, and stability. The study compares the Discrete Element Method (DEM), which resolves particle-scale interactions and captures detailed regolith behavior, with the Continuum Representation Method (CRM), which models soil response more efficiently and supports rigid CAD components such as lander footpads, legs, and body geometries. Current CPT results …

Experimental Manufacturing Optimization Of 3d-Printed Ducted Fans, Stanlie Cerda-Cruz

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study aims to assess the efficiency gains, feasibility, and practicality of 3D printing fan and ducts with pre and post processing techniques. With the rapid expansion of MAV use; labs, students, hobbyists, can benefit from manufacturing Electric Ducted Fans (EDFs), both fans and ducts, in-house rather than purchasing traditional propellers. There are several advantages of utilizing EDFs, as they can minimize wing tip vortices, reduce wake contraction, and induce a duct lip Coanda effect which all lead to an increased system efficiency. However, EDF implementation in MAV's remain largely unexplored due to the difficulty of development and the production …

Additive Manufacturing Of Metals: Mechanical Properties And Their Implications, Sean Chih

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Additive manufacturing of metals is a relatively new and groundbreaking approach to manufacturing high-performance components. However, variability in mechanical properties from the process creates a barrier before this manufacturing technique can be widely applied. Understanding when and where to use this manufacturing is also important to create components with efficiency and without harmful defects. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of build orientation, printing parameters, internal defects, thermal history, and residual stresses, post-processing heat treatments, and fatigue behavior on additively manufactured components. Literature-based research is conducted on commonly used metals for additive manufacturing, such as stainless …

Reimagining Wind Based Sea Travel With Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, Julian Goins

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

In the realm of Nautical vehicles, aside from the occasional outliers like rarely used coal steamboats, experimental solar powered ships, or the military grade nuclear vessels, the vast majority of ships run off diesel-powered engines. The unsustainability of such methods will need to be addressed for the security of our planet’s future due to the limited and destructive nature of fossil fuels, much like it already is in many other fields. To that end, this project gains inspiration from the past and looks toward harnessing the power of the wind. In recent times, most sail boats are equipped with some …

Greenwall Use For Air Repair And Depollution (G.U.A.R.D.), Sophia Elwood, Sophia Piro, Maura Barrada, Kathrine Lopez, Wendi Goffer

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Creating habitable indoor environments for long-duration space missions and extraterrestrial habitats requires reliable, sustainable air quality improvement. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s ACE Lab provides a unique opportunity to investigate plant-based purification in a controlled environment while addressing campus air quality concerns linked to a high-traffic airport and exposure to jet fuel particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This collaborative project between Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering researchers and the Botanical Society evaluates whether a green wall can improve indoor air quality as a scalable model for future closed-loop habitats. In the study's first phase, student researchers documented ACE Lab dimensions to …

A Feedback Loop Control To Automate Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Based Additive Manufacturing, Arineh Shahbazi

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Currently, nanoparticle annealing based additive manufacturing process requires high temperatures, making them unsuitable for a broad range of applications. By lowering the temperature and developing a process to use Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) for annealing, many more doors are opened to a wide range of materials, films, and environments for space, communication, and microelectronics. CAPP-based additive manufacturing technology is continually evolving, making projects like nanoparticle annealing more feasible. In this work, we designed a CAPP jet printer assembly consisting of a 0.25-inch outer diameter glass tube connected to a 3D printing nozzle. The flow of Argon gas in the …

Automation And Robotics In Timber Construction Prefabrication, Jason Grabowski, Anish Mandyam, Samuel Mcaraw, Jacob Jander

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Robotics and automation have varying degrees of utilization across the construction prefabrication industry. The timber prefabrication industry is uniquely positioned for the implementation of robotics and automation due to the environment being more controlled than most of the construction industry. Current developments are influenced by the evolution of "Construction 4.0/5.0," where the integration of digital technologies and robotics is transforming timber prefabrication from traditional subtractive CNC machining into a highly precise, additive, and collaborative process. The purpose of this project is to conduct a systematic literature review of the state of-the-art and near-future developments of automation and robotics in timber …

Influence Of Infill Geometry On The Vibrational Behavior Of 3d-Printed Cantilever Beams, Owen Maute

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Vibration and damping are important considerations in many engineering structures, especially as additive manufacturing becomes more widely used in functional mechanical components. This project investigates how the internal structure of 3D-printed parts affects their vibrational behavior. A series of cantilever beams with identical outer dimensions will be designed and manufactured using a 3D printer with PLA filament, since PLA is one of the most commonly used materials in consumer and prototyping-level additive manufacturing. The study will examine five different infill patterns at three different infill densities, producing multiple beam configurations that vary only in their internal geometry. In addition to …

Modeling Seiche Oscillations Using Damped Vibration Differential Equations, Sharjeel Malik, Justin Della

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Combustion instability in liquid rocket engines is driven by coupling acoustic pressure oscillations and unsteady heat release. To achieve specific desired outcomes, small perturbations can be made to either decay or grow, depending on system dynamics and artificial parameters. Using a linearized eigenvalue framework, where eigenvalues determine growth/decay rates and frequencies, and eigenvectors describe spatial mode shapes and couplings between pressure, velocity, and heat release, a mathematical model can be derived to describe said behavior for a cross-section of the rocket engine. The Rayleigh criterion is used to identify conditions under which energy is added to oscillations, while flame transfer …

Cavitation In Pumps And Propellers: Causes, Effects, Prevention, And Future Trends, Gillian Negron Burgos, Olivia Wilson

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

In this research, we will explore cavitation in pumps and propellers, including its causes, effects on system performance, prevention methods, and future engineering solutions. Cavitation occurs when the local pressure of a flowing liquid drops below its vapor pressure, forming vapor-filled bubbles that collapse and damage mechanical components. Disciplines such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials science contribute to understanding and mitigating cavitation in fluid machinery.   When vapor bubbles collapse near metal surfaces, they generate localized shock waves that cause pitting, erosion, vibration, and noise. These effects reduce efficiency, increase maintenance requirements, and shorten the lifespan of rotating machinery used …

Mechanical Vibrations And Damping, Axon Deadrick, Will Standish, Tanay Agarwal

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Mechanical vibrations occur in many engineering systems and can be described using second-order differential equations. In this project, the motion of vibrating systems is studied using the mass–spring model. The focus is on three types of oscillations: free vibrations, dampened vibrations, and forced oscillations. Free vibration describes how a system moves when it is displaced and then released without any external force. Damped vibration includes effects such as friction or resistance that cause the motion to gradually decrease over time. Forced oscillations occur when an external force acts on the system and continuously drives the motion. This project also examines …

A Differential Equation Approach To Heat Flow In A Thin Rod, Alexandria Krol, David Cardona, Collin Petrie

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A Differential Equation Approach to Heat Flow in a Thin Rod examines how differential equations can be used to model and understand heat conduction in a fundamental physical system. Heat transfer in solids is a key concept in physics and engineering, particularly in systems where temperature changes over time. A thin rod provides a useful one-dimensional model for studying how heat moves through a material and how temperature varies along the rod as time passes. The primary objective is to develop a mathematical description of this process using differential equations. The analysis begins with physical principles such as conservation of …

Measurement Of Pollution Emissions From Natural Gas Stoves: Preparation For An Induction Cooktop Intervention Study, Jessica Zanella Lorensi

Dissertations and Theses

Humans spend ∼90% of their time enclosed in buildings. Indoors environments can be a source of pollutant which can affect health and productivity. Appliances that combust fossil fuels indoors, like stoves, are a critical source of a range of pollutants, like carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). In the US, the usual cooking fuel is natural gas (NG), presented in more than 30% of households in the country. Some studies in the literature linked cooking pollutants, including those specific to gas combustion, to various health conditions, including heart and respiratory diseases. Nitrogen dioxide, for example, can be …

Experimental Material Analysis And Load Monitoring Of Polyurethane–Steel Belts Subjected To Static And Cyclic Dynamic Loading: Implications For Continuous Mooring Line Systems In Wave Energy Converters, Youssef Mohamed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study experimentally investigates the mechanical and viscoelastic behavior of a steel-cord-reinforced polyurethane synchronous belt capable of withstanding continuous cyclic loading as a potential compliant mooring element for WEC applications. Quasi-static and cyclic tensile tests were conducted to characterize the belt's mechanical response. The quasi-static determined that the belt behaved as a stiff, low-strain tensile member. Under approximately 100 kgf, the belt extended by about 0.107mm over a 250mm gauge length, apparent tensile modulus of 5.41GPa, an axial rigidity of 2.44MN, and an equivalent line stiffness of 9.75MN/m. Cyclic tensile testing showed high dynamic stiffness with stiffness-transfer ratio of 0.924. …

Automated Battery Management Systems For Electric Vehicles, Woonki Na, Yuanyuan Xie

Mineta Transportation Institute

Electric vehicle (EV) safety, efficiency, and lifetime are strongly influenced by how well battery cells are managed, and as EV adoption accelerates, improving battery performance has become critical to vehicle reliability, cost, and public trust. This report conducts a field study on the core technologies and challenges in Battery Management Systems (BMS), focusing on the classification of BMS circuit topologies (design/structures) and systematically reviewing different topologies of active cell balancing circuits (systems that move energy from stronger battery cells to weaker ones). The study provides a detailed analysis of the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of various active balancing circuit …

Development And Testing Of A Computer Vision Pose Estimation System For Planar Mobile Robots, Andrew Jones

Master's Theses

This thesis details the development and testing of a computer vision-based real-time pose estimation system for differential drive robots. A single camera with a fisheye lens is used to locate ArUco markers placed at fixed locations and attached to robots. Using the OpenCV library, the Perspective-n-Point (PnP) problem is solved to facilitate the transformation of 2-D robot positions in an image to world-frame coordinates. An analytical solution is presented to estimate robot poses based on a single PnP solution, rather than solving the PnP problem for each pose estimate. Pose information is relayed to individual robots using a multi-microcontroller architecture …

Automated Guided Wave Characterization Of Marcelling: In-Plane Fiber Waviness In Thermoplastic Composites, Sourav Banerjee, Ana Tudor, Corey Leydig, Thomas Ferguson, Tally Bovender, Darun Barazanchy, Josh Widosky, Paul Ziehl

Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials often develop in-plane fiber waviness during manufacturing, a defect known as marcelling. Marcelling negatively impacts the strength and overall performance of the composite and are hard to control. While it may appear as a surface imperfection, it can also extend partially through the thickness of the material. Currently, there is no established nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to reliably detect and quantify marcelling in composites after manufacturing. As marcelling is not a local defect but spans across the surface in in-plane dimensions of the structure, traditional pulse-echo and phased-array ultrasonic NDE are ineffective. Automated multi-directional guided …

Thermal Conversion Of Cotton Gin Byproducts Into Liquid Fuels And High-Value Chemicals, Emmanuel Asare

Mechanical Engineering Theses

In this study, we performed fast pyrolysis, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP), and catalytic hydropyrolysis (CHP) of cotton gin byproducts (CGB) to investigate their conversion into hydrocarbon-rich liquid fuels and high-value aromatic chemicals. Five CGB fractions (CC1, CC2, SM, TM, and FCGB) were collected from different stages of cotton ginning operation and characterized by proximate, ultimate, and higher heating value (HHV) analysis. The feedstocks contained 41.5 44.8 wt.% carbon, 54.2–58.5 wt.% volatile matter, 6.0–15 wt.% ash, and higher heating values of 15.2–16.8 MJ kg⁻¹. All pyrolysis experiments were performed using a Pyroprobe 5200 coupled with GC-MS/FID, while catalyst loading, hydrogen pressure, …

A Thickness-Invariant Origami Robot With Integrated Actuation And Multimodel Locomotion, Larry L. Howell, Davis Wing, Nathan Usevitch, Sam Bridge, William Bowler

Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT Origami robots possess the potential for advanced reconfigurability in various contexts and environments. This paper describes and demonstrates the function of an origami robot following a thickness-invariant version of the Yoshimura tessellation. This thickness-invariance allows for the simple folding pattern to be expanded vertically, allowing all robotics components to be housed within the panels of the robot without impacting the functional relationships between folds of the pattern, or requiring other, more complex forms of thickness accommodation. The mathematics and engineering to create such a robot are presented to enable the use of these techniques in creating other origami-based robots. …

Multi-Dimensional Framework For Industry 5.0: Integrating Human-Centric, Sustainability, And Operational Resilience, Tamer Adel Mohamed, Mohamed Boumalkha, Ahmed S.I. Amar

Mechanical Engineering

Industry 5.0 reframes digital transformation as a socio-technical endeavor in which automation serves human capabilities, environmental limits, and operational continuity. Yet, much of the current discourse remains either conceptual—lacking implementable metrics—or technologycentric— treating humans and sustainability as constraints instead of design objectives. This paper develops a multi-dimensional implementation framework that operationalizes the three pillars of Industry 5.0: human-centricity, sustainability, and operational resilience. We synthesize recent advances in collaborative robotics and safety-aware human–robot collaboration, digital twins (including human and supply-chain twins), and AI-driven decision support—augmented by emerging 6G ultra-reliable low-latency networking capabilities such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, terahertz communications, multi-access edge …

A Cfd-Dem Framework For Characterizing Nanoparticle Adhesion Effects On Creeping-Flow Permeability In Composite Manufacturing, Gavin Stoker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Modern aircraft, spacecraft, and high-performance vehicles are increasingly built from composite materials, engineered combinations of plastics and fibers that are lighter and stronger than traditional metals. Researchers are now pushing these materials further by mixing in microscopic particles thousands of times smaller than a human hair, called nanoparticles, to make them even tougher and more resistant to damage. The challenge is getting those nanoparticles distributed evenly. During manufacturing, liquid plastic resin is pumped through a network of tightly packed fibers, carrying the nanoparticles along with it. But nanoparticles tend to clump together and stick to surfaces as they travel, clogging …

Review: Mechanics Of Mycelium Materials, Md Anwar Sadat Anik, Ehsanul Azim, Gerardo I. Zapata, Mohammad R. Islam

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The biological growth of fungal root structure, called mycelium, can be engineered to develop innovative fibrous and biocomposite materials. Mycelium materials have potential as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived materials for load-bearing applications. To realize this potential, there is an increasing effort dedicated to understanding the mechanics of mycelium materials. This work presents a systematic review of our current understanding of the mechanics of mycelium materials with a specific focus on structure–property relationships. The review first explores how the mycelium’s fiber network structure varies depending on whether it is grown as a two-dimensional (2D) membrane, a cellular foam, or as a …

Residual Stress Informed Reconstruction And Failure Analysis Of Manufacturing Induced Composite Meso-Structure, Mohammad Nazmus Saquib

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A physics informed, AI-augmented framework is developed to enable digital twins of molded composite materials by linking manufacturing induced residual stresses to a local meso-structure. By reconstructing and explicitly modeling these architectures, the framework reveals how processing driven meso-structural variability governs stiffness, damage evolution, and failure. The work focuses on two technologically important systems: prepreg platelet molded composites (PPMC), characterized by inherently stochastic platelet architectures, and 2/2 twill glass fiber/PA6 organosheets, whose periodic but locally variable weave geometry influences mechanical response. For PPMC, the Residual Stress Informed Microstructure Reconstruction (ResIMiR) framework is introduced, combining thermoelastic strain fields with deep learning …

High-Throughput Characterization Of Creep In Additively Manufactured 316l Stainless Steel, Raushan Kumar Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Advanced materials are widely used in industries such as nuclear energy, aerospace, and automotive engineering, where components are exposed to extreme temperatures and stresses over long periods of time. As new materials continue to emerge, researchers need efficient ways to evaluate their mechanical performance so they can be used safely and effectively. Among several mechanical challenges, creep is a major concern in these conditions. Creep is a type of mechanical failure in which materials gradually deform when exposed to high temperatures and constant load. Conventional methods for evaluating creep typically involve testing a single specimen at a time, which can …

Sensitivity Analysis Of A Low-Power Wireless Capacitive Charging System To Inform Thermal Limitations And Battery Size Reduction Potential For Electric Passenger Vehicles, Karmen Teuscher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of using electric vehicles instead of internal combustion engine vehicles that burn gas is to reduce pollutants in the air and potential environmental impacts such as climate change. EVs produce much less air pollutants than ICEVs but manufacturing the EV batteries and the repeated recharging still contributes to the overall air pollution.

Capacitive power transfer systems can wirelessly charge vehicles through the road as they drive along highways or stop at traffic lights. If vehicles charge as they drive, an opportunity opens to reduce the size of the battery while maintaining the same driving range. Reducing the size …

Time-Frequency Analysis Of Arterial Pulse Signals Of Cardiovascular Disease Patients Measured By A Microfluidic-Based Tactile Sensor, Md Mahfuzur Rahman

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) based time–frequency analysis framework that can simultaneously extract a comprehensive set of cardiovascular autonomic indices from arterial pulse wave recordings obtained at rest and post-exercise, supporting non-invasive monitoring of autonomic recovery during cardiac rehabilitation. The framework rests on three technical contributions.

First, an SDOF analytical model of motion artefacts quantifies two physically distinct distortion mechanisms: additive baseline drift and Time-Varying System Parameter (TVSP) generated distortion of the Tissue-Contact-Sensor (TCS) stack. Baseline drift is slowly varying and removable by filtering; TVSP distortion rides on all harmonics of the true pulse signal and cannot be removed …

Prompt-Driven Tabletop Robotic Manipulation With A Structured Llm Interface And Visual Verification, Tomas Franco

Master's Theses

Creating a tabletop robotic manipulation system that connects language goals to robot actions is a challenging problem. Large language models can interpret mission objectives and reason through actions, but when placed directly in control of hardware they can produce hallucinated commands that result in unsafe behavior without the proper safeguards.

This thesis presents a constrained LLM-guided manipulation system built around the Quanser Qarm, a four degree of freedom manipulator with a mounted Realsense RGB-D camera and a gripper with readable current. Every decision made by the LLM planner is routed through a gated command interface that restricts the model to …

Extended Adaptive Oscillator Framework For Gait Phase Estimation With Adaptive Coupling And Transition Detection Across Locomotion Tasks, Nikhila Radha Krishnan

All Theses

Gait phase is a human-inspired physical variable that describes the instantaneous position of a person within a gait cycle. Adaptive oscillators have been widely used for gait phase estimation due to their ability to synchronize with periodic and pseudo-periodic biomechanical signals and generate monotonically increasing cyclic phase values. Typically, the performance of adaptive oscillators is strongly influenced by coupling strength, a parameter that bridges a trade-off between convergence speed and steady-state variability of the estimated stride frequency. In gait assistive applications, stride frequency estimation must be sufficiently fast to enable phase-based assistance while achieving a stable stride frequency estimate. The …