Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

On The Development Of A Human Thumb Tracking Device For Telemanipulation, Abdul Hafiz Abdul Rahaman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The human thumb is the first digit of the hand and influences the grasping capability of the human hand. Based on literature, most sensor gloves available capture the motion of the fingers, however, they lack the ability to capture the motion of the thumb. This research focuses on developing a methodology and associated hardware to capture the complex joint motion of the thumb and map it to an in-house developed multi-degree of freedom robotic thumb. A sensor device was developed to measure four joint angles of the human thumb, namely three flexion/extension (flex/ext) joint angles of carpometacarpal (CMC), metacarpophalangeal (MCP), …

Aquaponic System Design And Modeling Ammonia Production: An Overview Of Aquaponics, Spencer Davis Wright

Graduate Theses - Mechanical Engineering

The study of aquaponics in academia has been slowly gaining momentum, but the majority of the research and testing performed is done in an informal, backyard setting. This publication seeks to collate the widespread information into a singular location, as well as to outline various methods by which the necessary tasks can be accomplished. The ammonia production rate of the aquatic life in the system, whether living or deceased, was also explored in order that a more accurate model of the ammonia and nitrate levels of the system may be created. It was found that 20 tilapia produced approximately 3,300 …

Second-Order Sensitivity Analysis Of Uncollided Particle Contributions To Radiation Detector Responses, Dan Gabriel Cacuci, Jeffrey A. Favorite

Faculty Publications

This work presents an application of Cacuci's Second-Order Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology (2nd-ASAM) to the simplified Boltzmann equation that models the transport of uncollided particles through a medium to compute efficiently and exactly all of the first- and second-order derivatives (sensitivities) of a detector's response with respect to the system's isotopic number densities, microscopic cross sections, source emission rates, and detector response function. The off-the-shelf PARTISN multigroup discrete ordinates code is employed to solve the equations underlying the 2nd-ASAM. The accuracy of the results produced using PARTISN is verified by using the results of three test configurations: (1) a homogeneous …

Fea Of Carbon Composite As A Substitute For Steel (A992) In Case Of Square Or Rectangular Hollow Cross-Sections As Beams And Columns, Pradeep Ganesh Pai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Improvement to an existing design is an ongoing and never-ending process in every field. The improvement can be in a myriad of areas like an increase in strength, reduction in weight, stiffness to a loading condition and so on. The way it is achieved can range from changing the properties of the material used by incorporating various manufacturing processes or by using an alternative material which can sustain the same loading conditions or for that matter, work better than the existing material. Composite materials like Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber or Kevlar Fiber reinforced plastics, to name few, are being used …

Experimental And Numerical Comparison Of Wort Cooling Methods During The Homebrewing Process, Zachary Hammond

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Homebrewing, the process of making beer for personal consumption, has been legal in the United States since 1978 and allowed beer enthusiasts to experiment with new beer styles at a low cost. Although the procedure is relatively straightforward, it can be very timeconsuming without expensive equipment. The longest step in brewing is wort cooling, where the non-alcoholic beer, or wort, is cooled from boiling temperatures to near room temperature for fermentation. Improper or slow cooling can not only be monotonous but result in contamination or haze in the final product. Wort chillers, which generally cost anywhere from $50 to $500, …

Characterization Of Carbon Nanostructured Composite Film Using Photothermal Measurement Technique, Kurt E. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Graphene is a form of carbon with unique thermal and structural properties, giving it high potential in many applications, from electronics to driveway heating. Advanced fabrication techniques putting small, graphene-like structures in a polymer matrix could allow for incorporation of some of the benefits of graphene into very lightweight materials, and allow for broader commercialization. Measuring the thermal properties of these thin-film samples is a technical capability in need of development for use with the specific specimens used in this study. Relating those thermal properties to the microstructural composition was the focus of this work.

Several conclusions could be drawn …

Superhydrophobic, Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotubes On Si And 316l Stainless Steel With Tunable Geometry, Kimberly A. Stevens, Christian D. Esplin, Taylor M. Davis, D. Jacob Butterfield, Philip S. Ng, Anton E. Bowden, Brian D. Jensen, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Use of carbon nanotubes to create superhydrophobic coatings has been considered due to their ability to offer a relatively uniform nanostructure. However, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may be considered delicate with a typical diameter of tens of nanometers for a multi‐walled CNT; as‐grown carbon nanotubes often require the addition of a thin‐film hydrophobic coating to render them superhydrophobic. Furthermore, fine control over the diameter of the as‐grown CNTs, or overall nanostructure is difficult. This work demonstrates the utility of using carbon infiltration to layer amorphous carbon on multi‐walled nanotubes to improve structural integrity and achieve superhydrophobic behavior with tunable geometry. These …

Research Of A Non-Linearity Control Algorithm For Uav Target Tracking Based On Fuzzy Logic Systems, Chaoying Pei, Jingjuan Zhang, Xueyun Wang, Qian Zhang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Target tracking is one of the most widely used applications of UAVs and visual based tracking is the main method for non-cooperative tracking. In non-cooperative tracking missions, the UAV circles around the target and the gimbal rotates to keep the optic axis of the onboard camera pointing to the target. Compared with the biaxial gimbal, the single-axis gimbal system consists of only one torque motor, forming a great lightweight sensor suite, which also increases the requirement of the control accuracy. In the process of tracking moving target using a UAV with single-axis gimbal, there are still several challenges: (1) The …

Development Of Microdialysis Probes In Series Approach Toward Eliminating Microdialysis Sampling Calibration: Miniaturization Into A Pdms Microfluidic Device, Randy Espinal Cabrera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A new microdialysis sampling method and microfluidic device were developed in vitro. The method consisted of using up to four microdialysis sampling probes connected in series to evaluate the relative recovery (RR) of different model solutes methyl orange, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran average mol. wt. 4,000 (FITC-4), FITC-10, FITC-20, and FITC-40. Different flow rates (0.8, 1.0, and 1.5 µL/min) were used to compare experimentally observed relative recoveries with theoretical estimations. With increasing the number of probes in series, the relative recovery increases and ~100% (99.7% ± 0.9%) relative recovery for methyl orange was obtained. For larger molecules such as fluorescein isothiocyanate …

A Study Of 3d Printed Silver-Polymer Composite Structures, Cynthiya Shrestha

Senior Honors Theses

This research project primarily focuses on three major aspects: synthesis and inclusion of silver microparticles and nanowires within a polymer matrix, extrusion of composite filaments and, three-dimensional (3D) printing of multifunctional polymer composites. Since very few studies have explored the inclusion of silver nanoparticles in 3D printing materials, the findings from this study can be significant for additive manufacturing technology. Over the past few decades, the applications of additive manufacturing has been expanding considerably in several industries like automobile, biomechanics, aerospace, hardware engineering, to name a few. We are particularly interested in silver particles and nanowires because of their enhanced …

Stochastic Finite Element Thermal Analysis Of A Ball Grid Array Package, Rahul Upreti

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

This study provides an insight into the factors which have a major impact on the probability of failure of a Ball Grid Array package. A stochastic finite element analysis was done on the package using First-order reliability method (FORM). The effects of uncertainty in material thermal conductivities, heat source, heat transfer coefficient and ambient temperature were studied. The average temperature at the die-junction interface was selected as failure criterion because the excess temperature at the junction is often a cause of failure. The performance of Finite Difference Method(FDM) and Semi-Analytic Complex Variable Method(SACVM) in computing sensitivities are compared. Results show …

Air Flow Pattern And Path Flow Simulation Of Airborne Particulate Contaminants In A Cold-Aisle Containment High-Density Data Center Utilizing Airside Economization, Gautham Thirunavakkarasu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The energy used by Information Technology Equipment (ITE) and the supporting data center equipment keeps rising as data center expansion continues worldwide. To contain the rising operation costs, data center administrators are resorting to cost cutting measures by not adhering to the ambient data center environment standards. In many cases, free cooling techniques are adopted to partially or completely relieve the usage of refrigeration units, which adds to huge cost savings but also allows for the increased risk of particulate and gaseous contaminations. The ASHRAE TC9.9 subcommittee, on Mission Critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology Spaces, and Electronic Equipment, has provided …

The Performance Of Quadrilateral Element With Rotational Degrees Of Freedom In Statics And Dynamics Analysis And Optimization, Xingzhi Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Finite Element Method (FEM) is widely used in structural analysis, and the standard approach to increase the accuracy of analysis is increasing the total degrees of freedom (DOFs), namely, refine the mesh. By introducing the rotational DOFs, better accuracy can be achieved without change the mesh. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of elements with rotational DOFs in statics and dynamics analysis and applying these elements to optimization. The implementation of three representative elements with rotational DOFs for statics analysis is reproduced. Also, this work implements these elements to dynamics analysis and optimization. The results show …

Computational Study Of Form Factor Of 3rd Generation Open Compute Servers Using Different Dielectric Fluids For Single-Phase Immersion Cooling, Pranavi Rachamreddy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Computer system dependency has been increased in the modern world and that has encouraged the rapid growth of data centers in leading business units like banking, education, transportation, social media and many more. Data center is a facility that incorporates an organisation’s IT operations and equipment, as well as where it stores, processes, and manages the data. To fulfil the demands of data storage and data processing, corresponding increase in power density of servers are needed. The data center energy efficiency largely depends on the thermal management of servers. Currently, air cooling is the most widely used thermal management technique …

A New Adaptive Multiscale Approach For The Dynamic Modeling And Simulation Of Biomolecular Systems, Ashley Chase Guy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation presents three developments in the simulation of sub-micron dynamical systems. First, a new thermostat formulation is shown to strictly enforce the constant temperature constraint necessary in many thermodynamic ensembles. This formulation also allows the system to quickly evolve to a low-potential state. Next, this new thermostat formulation is leveraged to extend a continuum-regime multiscale formulation to the atomistic regime allowing for equivalent time histories to be generated in significantly less computation time. Finally, an adaptive multiscale formulation allows for potential forces with time varying magnitudes to contribute to the overall dynamics similarly resulting in equivalent time histories in …

Robust Predictive Analytics For Determining Acclimation Parameter Of It Equipment, Premsanth Sadasivam

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Acclimation is the process in which an IT equipment adjusts to a change in its environment such as a change in temperature and humidity, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions. In commissioning of a new cold shipped IT equipment in data centers, environmental acclimation is an important step. Proper acclimation also minimizes the risk of powering on a machine that may still be wet due to moisture condensation. An experimental study is carried out to find how the acclimation occurs and the factors influencing it. These experiments are designed with various temperature ranges and using …

Reduced Order Modeling For Virtual Building Commissioning, Sean Rosin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Model order reduction can help reduce the time and monetary constraints associated with building commissioning and significantly decrease overall building energy consumption through virtual commissioning. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of using reduced order models to simulate the overall building energy consumption, and to estimate the energy savings from control-based commissioning recommendations.

A case study building was modeled using a ‘Lumped RC’ thermal model with three thermal resistances and capacitances (3R3C) for the building interior and a 2R1C model describing the building foundation. Due to energy consumption being dependent on building systems, this model was coupled with a …

Energy Sustainability Analysis Of A Baja Test Facility, Seth Bishop

Honors Theses

The objective of this paper is to study the viability of building a Baja SAE competition site so that UTC could host events in the future. Part of this includes defining a building size in square feet and estimating the construction cost. Once that is accomplished it is necessary to determine what equipment may be used at the site, how much power each piece of equipment would use, and how many hours each would be used for within the year. With this information it is then possible to estimate the annual power consumption for a competition year and a regular …

Design Of A Pneumatic Conveying Test Loop For Laboratory Testing, Natalie Burdine

Honors Theses

Pneumatic conveying is the transportation of material through a closed conveying line in a gas medium via a pressure differential. In industry, pneumatic conveying is used extensively to handle materials: specifically, bulk solids and powders. 80% of all transported materials are bulk solids and pneumatic conveying is currently experiencing industry growth at a rate of 6.4% annually. Industrial pneumatic conveyor suppliers use specialized testing systems to make design decisions regarding specific applications, taking into account the conveyed material, the structure of the plant in which the system will be installed, and desired system characteristics such as necessary filtering or safety …

Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation Of Metal Additive Manufacturing., Venkata Karthik Nadimpalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is increasingly being used to make functional components. One of the barriers for AM components to become mainstream is the difficulty to certify them. AM components can have widely different properties based on process parameters. Improving an AM processes requires an understanding of process-structure-property correlations, which can be gathered in-situ and post-process through nondestructive and destructive methods. In this study, two metal AM processes were studied, the first is Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) and the second is Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF). The typical problems with UAM components are inter-layer and inter-track defects. To improve the …

Development Of A Model To Predict The Likelihood Of Complaints Due To Assorted Tone-In-Noise Combinations, Joonhee Lee, Lily M. Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper develops a model to predict if listeners would be likely to complain due to annoyance when exposed to a certain noise signal with a prominent tone, such as those commonly produced by heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Twenty participants completed digit span tasks while exposed in a controlled lab to noise signals with differing levels of tones, ranging from 125 to 1000 Hz, and overall loudness. After completing the digit span tasks under each noise signal, from which task accuracy and speed of completion were captured, subjects were asked to rate level of annoyance and indicate the likelihood …

Non-Covalent Functionalization Of Graphene Films For Uniform Nanoparticle Deposition Via Atoic Layer Deposition, Ty Seiwert

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Graphene functionalized with platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) has proven to be highly effective as a hydrogen sensor. Deposition methods such as Atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be further enhanced by pretreating the graphene with a non-covalent surfactant prior to nanoparticle deposition. In this study, graphene-based sensing devices will be fabricated by ALD deposition. The graphene will be non-covalently functionalized using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) anionic surfactant prior to ALD deposition. The aim of this study is to test the deposition pattern achieved by varying the amount of time that graphene is treated with the SDS surfactant. Initially, ALD deposition …

Baseline Data From Servo Motors In A Robotic Arm For Autonomous Machine Fault Diagnosis, Jacob Brown

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fault diagnosis can prolong the life of machines if potential sources of failure are discovered and corrected before they occur. Supervised machine learning, or the use of training data to enable machines to discover these faults on their own, makes failure prevention much easier. The focus of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of creating datasets of various faults at both the component and system level for a servomotor and a compatible robotic arm, such that this data can be used in machine learning algorithms for fault diagnosis. The faults induced at the component level in different servomotors include: …

Design And Optimization Of A Passive Magnetic Thrust Bearing, Thomas Matthew Lasko

Theses and Dissertations

High-speed turbomachines present a number of unique challenges and problems. Large centrifugal forces create high stresses in rotating components, friction leads to elevated temperatures and component failure, and rotordynamic instability makes control difficult. The weak link in these high-speed systems is often the bearings because they provide the interface between the rotating and stationary components. Traditional bearings often fail in these conditions, especially when relatively large force capacities are required. In miniature gas turbines for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications, traditional bearings exhibit a typical lifetime of only 25 hours due to excessive axial loading. This research presents a passive …

Development Of Recyclability Index: A Design For Assembly And Disassembly Approach, Darshan Yadav

Theses and Dissertations

Designing products for recyclability is driven by environmental and economic goals. Several Design for Assembly(DFA) rules and parameters can be used to gauge the recyclability index of product designs. These indices can be used for comparative analysis of the recyclability of different products. This assists the designer in making design choices related to the product’s end of life. However, many of the existing recyclability indices are only available after design and manufacturing decisions are made. If such design decisions could be made earlier in the design process, when the design space is less bound, recyclability could be considered earlier. A …

An Underwater Vehicle Navigation System Using Acoustic And Inertial Sensors, Khalid M. Alzahrani

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) have become an essential tool for different underwater tasks. Compared with other unmanned systems, the navigation and localization for UUVs are particularly challenging due to the unavailability of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals underwater and the complexity of the unstable environment. Alternative methods such as acoustic positioning systems, Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), and the geophysical navigation approach are used for UUV navigation. Acoustic positioning systems utilize the characteristics of acoustic signals that have a lower absorption rate and a more extended propagation distance than electromagnetic signals underwater. The significant disadvantage of the INS is the “drift,” …

Superharmonic Resonance Of Second Order For Electrostatically Actuated Mems Cantilevers, Martin Amador Botello

Theses and Dissertations

The nonlinear dynamics of electrostatically actuated micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) cantilever resonators are investigated. The applied Alternating Current (AC) voltage is in the realm of superharmonic resonance of the second order (near one-fourth of the natural frequency of the resonator) and hard excitations. Method of Multiple Scales (MMS) and Reduced Order Models (ROMs) are used to solve the dimensionless partial differential equation (PDE) of motion along with boundary and initial conditions. MMS transforms the PDE of motion into zero-order and first-order problems. ROMs uses mode shapes of vibration for undamped cantilever resonator as a basis of functions. ROM is …

Multifunctional Carbon Systems (Interlaminated Carbon Nanofiber Mats/ Carbon Nanotubes Polymer Composites), Homero Gonzalez Guardiola

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanomaterials have been an attractive topic within diverse industrial sectors given their outstanding properties for decades. One of the properties that has been calling attention is it’s shielding effectiveness (SE) for electromagnetic interference (EMI), because of the constant race of improving portable electronic and wireless communication devices among other applications. The present study, analyzes the properties of interlaminated Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) mats/Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) polymer composites, emphasizing in its capability to shield EMI. The CNF mats were developed with Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a precursor and by means of the Forcespinning® technology which uses centrifugal force to create fibers …

Lead Doped Carbon Nanofibers In Li-Ion Batteries, Omar Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Lead acid batteries have been a very reliable rechargeable battery since its inception in the mid-1800s. Lithium-Ion batteries have been sought out for their light-weight and capacity of holding large amounts of energy in a small amount of space. Few studies have been conducted in the use of lead in lithium-ion batteries.

In this thesis, lead-doped carbon nanofibers were produced by using the Forcespinning® method and used as an anode on a lithium-ion battery. The morphology, material characterization and thermal properties of the anode material were analyzed using the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Thermogravimetric Analysis …

Fibers For Skin Regeneration, Astrid Michelle Rodriguez Negron

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the successful development of biocompatible Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB), PVB/Polylysine and PVB/Tannic Acid (TA)/Polylysine fibers from an ethanol solution, Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), PHB/Polylysine, PHB/TA/Polylysine fibers from a chloroform solution and Chitosan (CH)/Pullulan (PL)/TA and CH/PL/TA/Polylysine fibers from an aqueous solution. The fibers were mass produced utilizing the Forcespinning® (FS) technology. The morphology of the fibers was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the fibers average diameter was calculated. The thermal properties of the fibers were characterized using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The antibacterial activity of the fibers was assessed using against …