Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Computer Vision In A Robotic Arm, Jack Maxwell

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We used a machine learning-based object detection algorithm to give a robotic arm the ability to "see" with its camera.

Investigating The Fatigue Life Of Asymmetric And Novel Helical Gear Drives, Rajesh S

Theses and Dissertations

The present research work investigates the contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear and novel helical gear based on the finite element analysis. In the first phase, the contact and bending fatigue life of the asymmetric helical gear drives is estimated based on the strain life approach.

Further, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of important helical gear parameters such as module, pressure angle, helix angle, gear ratio, teeth number and face width on contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear drives. It is noted that the asymmetric helical gear shows a …

Design And Implementation Of A Vision-Based Deep-Learning Protocol For Kinematic Feature Extraction With Application To Stroke Rehabilitation, Juan Diego Luna Inga

Master's Theses

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, affecting thousands of individuals annually and significantly impairing their mobility, independence, and quality of life. Traditional methods for assessing motor impairments are often costly and invasive, creating substantial barriers to effective rehabilitation. This thesis explores the use of DeepLabCut (DLC), a deep-learning-based pose estimation tool, to extract clinically meaningful kinematic features from video data of stroke survivors with upper-extremity (UE) impairments.

To conduct this investigation, a specialized protocol was developed to tailor DLC for analyzing movements characteristic of UE impairments in stroke survivors. This protocol was validated through comparative analysis using peak …

Rc Baja Drivetrain And Chassis, Beni Ntanda

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC vehicle comprises 4 crucial subsystems: the chassis, drivetrain, suspension, and steering. This paper will cover the chassis and drivetrain, and my partner Noah Stevens will cover the suspension and steering. The chassis serves as a robust framework housing all vehicle components, while the drivetrain transmits power from the motor to the wheels, propelling the vehicle. An efficient drivetrain typically sacrifices speed for enhanced torque, aiming to minimize energy losses. Meanwhile, an ideal chassis features minimal deflection and user-friendly mounting points. This RC vehicle participated in the CWU RC Baja competition, aiming to rank among the top contenders.

The …

Rc Baja Car Drivetrain & Chassis, Boe Hartman

All Undergraduate Projects

The object of this report is to design, manufacturer, and build an RC Baja Car to compete in the annual ASME RC Baja Competition.

In order to design, manufacture, and build the RC Baja Car, various methods and approaches are utilized throughout to meet the specified criteria of the competition along with the teams’ personal requirements. Initially, after an overall design was acquired, analysis is done to ensure a working device. Analysis such as power requirements to verify the motor will meet ROAR requirements and suffice for the 4wd system utilized in the device. Statics and dynamics analysis are utilized …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain And Chassis, Sam Wang

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja project aims to develop a high-performance RC vehicle for Baja-style racing through a comprehensive design, manufacturing/prototyping, and testing. The objective is to address engineering challenges related to ensuring durability, efficiency, and performance while navigating rugged terrains and obstacles.

To achieve this objective, the engineers conduct extensive research to guide the design process, with a specific emphasis on the drivetrain and chassis components. Detailed CAD modeling is utilized to refine the design of the drivetrain, incorporating elements such as gear ratios, differential systems, and torque distribution to enhance power delivery and traction. Similarly, the chassis design prioritizes factors …

Investigating The Impact Of Stress And Irradiation Flux On Latent Track Formation In Tio2 Under Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation: A Phase Field Study, Ebrahim Ebrahimi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Swift Heavy Ions (SHI) irradiation, characterized by high kinetic energy ions, induces significant material/structural modification, e.g., latent track. However, the intricate interaction among various physics, i.e., mechanical stress, phase transition, and heat transfer, has been ignored in the continuum-based approaches in favor of simplicity. Here, we developed a two-dimensional coupled phase-field inelastic-thermal spike (PF-iTS) model to investigate the effect of thermal crosstalk, elastic energy, and irradiation flux on latent track formation. A particular focus is placed on investigating the influence of internal mechanical stress on latent track formation. Simulation results reveal a shift in critical stopping energy and a reduction …

Architectural Optimization Of Emulator Embedded Neural Networks For Aerospace Vehicle Design, James L. Schmitz Ii

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

An approach for the architecture optimization of emulator embedded neural networks is proposed. While the emulator embedded neural network has been shown to provide accurate predictions with suitable emulators, there is still a challenge regarding how to select the optimal hyperparameters of network architectures, such as, the number of neurons, layers, types of activation functions, etc. The selection of hyperparameters greatly affects the performance of the neural network model training both in terms of accuracy and efficiency. To address this challenge, this study proposes an algorithm that tests a range of hyperparameters and selects the best performing set. The algorithm …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain And Chassis, Caden Harris

All Undergraduate Projects

The engineers in the CWU Mechanical Engineering Technology program were asked to design and manufacture a remote-controlled Baja car to compete in several different events. The car was required to compete in a drag race, slalom event, and Baja event against other cars created by engineering students. To compete at the highest level, the cars needed to finely balance ruggedness, weight, torque, and top speed.

This report is dedicated to the designing, manufacturing, and testing of the drivetrain and chassis that supported the RC car as it competed in the school-sanctioned competition; a partner was responsible for the steering and …

Rc Baja: Suspension And Steering, Daniel Davis

All Undergraduate Projects

Engineers enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Central Washington University were tasked with developing a vehicle to compete in the ASME Baja competition. The engineers were in teams of two, one focused on suspension and steering and the other focused on drive train and chassis.

To begin the design of the vehicle, engineering analyses were completed on each of the components to comply with the requirements set by the team. After completion of multiple analyses for the components of the vehicle, the dimensions were validated and have been created in a CAD program to allow for virtual assembly …

A Pade-Eno Flux Reconstruction For High-Speed Flows, Blake Martin

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The development of high order numerical schemes has been instrumental in advancing computational fluid dynamics (CFD), particularly for applications requiring high resolution of discontinuities and complex flow phenomena prevalent in high-speed flows. This thesis introduces the Pade-ENO scheme, a high-order method that integrates Essentially Non-Oscillatory (ENO) techniques with compact Pade stencils to achieve superior accuracy, up to 7th order, while maintaining stability in harsh environments. The scheme’s performance is evaluated through benchmark tests, including the advection equation, Burgers’ equation, and the Euler equations. For high Mach number flows, such as the sod shock tube the Pade-ENO method demonstrates its ability …

Restoration Of Strength In Polyamide Woven Glass Fiber Organosheets By Hot Pressing, Mohammad Nazmus Saquib, Edwing Chaparro-Chavez, Christopher Morris, Kuthan Çelebi, Diego Pedrazzoli, Mingfu Zhang, Sergii G. Kravchenko, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite organosheets (OSs) are increasingly recognized as a viable solution for automotive and aerospace structures, offering a range of benefits including cost-effectiveness through high-rate production, lightweight design, impact resistance, formability, and recyclability. This study examines the impact response, post-impact strength evaluation, and hot-pressing repair effectiveness of woven glass fiber nylon composite OSs across varying impact energy levels. Experimental investigations involved subjecting composite specimens to impact at varying energy levels using a drop-tower test rig, followed by compression-after-impact (CAI) tests. The results underscore the exceptional damage tolerance and improved residual compressive strength of the OSs compared to traditional thermoset composites. …

Void Fraction And Quality Correlation Analysis Using The Separated Flow Model For Pulsed-Power Heat Loads, Zachary Joseph Carner

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Aircraft platforms are continually upgraded with increasingly high quantities of high-powered electronics. As such, efficient thermal management systems are crucially important to overcome system instabilities and support pulsed power profiles. To create effective thermal control systems, it is imperative to thoroughly examine and account for a variety of potential system behaviors caused by transient changes in the flow regime. If left unconstrained, these changes will create thermal instabilities, which can severely damage electronics and hurt the overall reliability of the aircraft. These instabilities can be described by both void fraction and quality. Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) allows for the collection …

Mechanical Reliability Of Aerosol Jet Printed Sensors And Interconnects, Lemuel A. Duncan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Heterogeneous integration (HI) is currently being investigated to maintain the pace of technological progress in the electronics industry. With the recent acceleration witnessed in additive manufacturing (AM) technology, interest has been expressed in introducing aerosol jet (AJ) printing to the fabrication process for sensors and electronic packages. Integrating AM technology in these areas promises design flexibility and minimal material waste. Three AJ printed applications investigated in this work include strain sensors, electrical interconnects, and metal embedded chip assemblies. Before moving forward with the use of AJ printing in these applications, it is necessary to evaluate their performance under standard mechanical …

Investigation Of Spalart-Allmaras Turbulence Model For Vortex Flows, Abigail Rayna Kerestes

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Conventional turbulence models often predict behaviors opposite as to what is observed in flows subject to rotation. In this type of flow scenario, rotation typically induces turbulence suppression. To address this limitation, a modification to the Spalart Allmaras Model with Rotation Correction (SA-R) was proposed to enhance the original Spalart Allmaras Model’s sensitivity to rotation and curvature. To test the validity and accuracy of this modification, two cases were investigated. The first case involved an axisymmetric rotating pipe. A Reynolds Number of 37,000 was implemented and the initial and boundary conditions established by Zaets et. al. were utilized. Initially non-rotating, …

Experimental Validation Of Two Highly Loaded Low Pressure Turbine Blades At High Speed Low Reynolds Number Conditions, Ryan Sauder

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In the constant search for more efficient engines, one approach to gain performance is to reduce the weight of the low pressure turbine (LPT) module. This module can account for up to 30% of the total engine weight [1], and a reduction in LPT weight results in clear gains to engine performance and a reduction in engine cost. High lift airfoils accomplish this weight reduction by each blade extracting a larger amount of work from the flow and thus requiring fewer blades to drive the compressor when compared to conventional blades. However, high lift LPT blades, quantified by a high …

Laser Assisted Direct Writing Of Liquid Metal For Microprinting Applications, Olga Vargas Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a research study for potential printing of a Liquid Metal (LM) Eutectic Gallium Indium alloy (EGaIn) through the applications of the innovative additive manufacturing technology LIFT (Laser Induced Forward Transfer). LIFT is a precise printing technology that allows to create small, detailed printing. The liquid metal in study, EGaIn, has demonstrated great potential for microelectronics applications due to its minimum toxicity and high conductivity. Throughout this research different printing parameters are studied to comprehend the behavior of EGaIn printing with LIFT technique, these include laser energy, laser pulse, receiver material substrate, donor layer thickness, and …

A Globalized Optimization Schema For Automated Fiber Placement Processing Parameters, Matthew John Godbold

Theses and Dissertations

Automated Fiber Placement is an advanced manufacturing technique for industrial-scale composite structures. Advanced robotics coupled with composite manufacturing results in faster and more consistent results than previously obtained through hand layup. The complexity and interconnectedness of the automated fiber placement process provides a difficult challenge for traditional modeling techniques. Modeling within automated fiber placement currently utilizes physics-based modeling to inform the translation of a design to a manufacturing plan. The intricacy of the automated fiber placement process dictates that attempts at modeling or optimizing these processes are often limited in their scope. Physics-based modeling for manufacturing typically involves numerous interacting …

Thermoacoustic Refrigerator, Rees Phillip Verleur, Colleen Farrell Mccandless, Anders Matthew Bjork, Yashraj Ashwinkumar Solanki

Mechanical Engineering

In the Thermoacoustic Refrigerator Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering senior project, we designed, built, and tested a thermoacoustic refrigeration system which achieved an average temperature difference of 11.0°C. Our system consists of a resonator tube with an instrumented stack, mounted onto a base with a speaker and amplifier. An external power supply and function generator provide the power and signal to the system, and a thermocouple reader displays the temperature of the top and bottom of the stack. The system consistently achieved a significant temperature difference between the two ends of the stack in various ambient conditions, and it was quick …

A Screening Tool For The Implementation Of Electric And Thermal Energy Storage Systems At Commercial And Industrial Facilities, Mckenna P. Amerson

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of on-site renewable systems with energy storage devices is an important topic in improving energy management for commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Energy storage technologies have the ability to impact the end user’s power reliability while creating measurable energy and cost savings. However, the potential yet remains to increase the application of these systems. To determine the feasibility of renewables and energy storage in commercial and industrial applications, a pre-screening software tool is developed using data-driven algorithms to complete an energy, cost, and carbon savings analysis of storage implementation. A case study of a standalone retail building is …

An Electric Commerce Platform For Material Testing Laboratories, John Ferris Mitchener

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of the Internet has allowed businesses to create new sales and marketing channels to provide value for their customers in the marketplace. Engineering manufacturers and suppliers have taken advantage of the internet to automate the customer service aspects of their businesses as well as to market their services in a cost-effective but widespread manner. This work aims to apply the practices and benefits of electronic commerce (e-commerce) to a material testing laboratory through the creation of a functioning website with e-commerce features. The effects of Search Engine Optimization, website accessibility issues, marketing considerations, security concerns, and common business …

The Engineering Challenges Of Designing And Manufacturing A Tensegrity Cup Stand, Yaniv Goulet, Daniel Ferro

Honors Theses

Progressing from a simple idea into a fully developed product is one of the main goals of any engineer. Through Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence’s capstone program, the team was tasked with realizing a tensegrity cup stand. The tensegrity structure consists of a top and a bottom of some form only supporting itself by tension. The team had to research the concept, create an initial design, create a prototype of the product, improve the design after the prototype’s mistakes, apply lean principles to improve the manufacturing efficiency, and analyze all the economic impacts of the engineering decisions. In the …

A Proof Of Concept For Detection Of Palato-Lingual Contact Without Intraoral Electrodes In A Human Participant, Amitava Biswas

Master's Theses

The author of this thesis conceived and investigated an unexpected electrical signal that may not be noticed during regular electroglottography (EGG) when electrodes are conventionally placed on the anterior surface of the throat. It appears that there is a measurable electrical signal from the EGG equipment when electrodes are placed over the frontal cheek (belly of zygomatic muscle), and the tongue is elevated to contact the hard palate, or the tongue is lowered to break the contact. Therefore, this phenomenon is designated as unconventional electroglottography (UEGG, Dr. Steven Cloud, private communication, July 17, 2022).

Two distinctive patterns of waveforms were …

Structure And Movement Design To Build A Functional Prosthetic Hand, John Campbell

Honors College Theses

This project aims to create a functional prosthetic hand that will improve upon the previous design for this project. The previous design included four fingers which were moved using a four-bar linkage and slider crank mechanism in combination with a linear actuator to move all four fingers in unison. Two servo motors were used to create an opposable thumb that could be used to grasp objects. Movement of the prosthetic hand was activated using a signal received from a myoelectric sensor. The goal of this project is to study this design and attempt to upgrade the prosthetic hand utilizing a …

Bridge Building, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn about different bridge styles and designs in this activity that challenges them to build their own successful bridge.

Rubber Band Car Activity, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Student learn about forces and engineering by designing a car powered by rubber bands

Dash And Dot Robots, Admin Stem For Success, Natalie Wilson

STEM for Success Showcase

Activity plan using robots to teach students engineering and technology

Bubble Wand Activity, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students use this activity to practice their engineering skills by building a bubble wand.

Activity Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=wx0-NrAnE6c&feature=emb_logo

An Alternate Dimensionless Form Of The Linearized Rigid-Body Aircraft Equations Of Motion With Emphasis On Dynamic Parameters, Douglas F. Hunsaker, Benjamin C. Moulton

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

The equations of motion for an aircraft can be linearized about a reference condition within the assumptions of small disturbances and linear aerodynamics. The resulting system of equations is typically solved to obtain the eigenvalues and eigenvectors that describe the small disturbance motion of the aircraft. Results from such an analysis are often used to predict the rigid-body dynamic modes of the aircraft and associated handling qualities. This process is typically carried out in dimensional form in most text books, or in nondimensional form using dimensionless parameters rooted in aerodynamic theory. Here we apply Buckingham’s Pi theorem to obtain nondimensional …

Jack And Alex Rc-Baja, Alex Vornbrock

All Undergraduate Projects

Teams of two mechanical engineering students were tasked with the construction of an RC Baja car qualified by the rules and regulations of the Baja competition as well as specifications set by the individual team member for their portion of the vehicle. This proposal focuses on the Chassis and Drivetrain of the vehicle while team member Jack Stutz oversaw the steering and suspension. Teams will compete against each other in various modes to determine the best vehicles of the competitors. The chassis was made of standard aluminum, the remaining parts made by the students were made with PLA; both materials …