Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Mechanical Engineering Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 16021 - 16050 of 30247

Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Comparison Of Two Wake Models For Use In Gradient-Based Wind Farm Layout Optimization, Jared Thomas, Eric Tingey, Andrew Ning Jul 2015

Comparison Of Two Wake Models For Use In Gradient-Based Wind Farm Layout Optimization, Jared Thomas, Eric Tingey, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Wind farm layout has a significant impact on the productivity of a wind farm. To ensure that the turbines are placed in the most advantageous arrangement, optimization algorithms are often used during the layout design process. Depending on the wake model used for the optimization, optimizing the layout can be time intensive or potentially inaccurate. In this paper we present a comparison of optimization results using two simple wake models, the FLORIS model and the Jensen model. Results highlight some of the key similarities and differences of layout optimization results when different wake models are used.


Triboelectric Solar Generator Concept And Experimental Research, Elias Yazdanshenas Jul 2015

Triboelectric Solar Generator Concept And Experimental Research, Elias Yazdanshenas

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, a novel concept, a triboelectric solar generator (TSG ), is proposed for generation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity from solar radiation. An experimental investigation was conducted to prove the concepts of charge generation through the triboelectric effect and charge transmission using semiconductors. The triboelectric effect, also known as the contact electrification, is a well-known physical phenomenon that electrostatic charges are generated by rubbing dissimilar materials. However, traditional triboelectric generators had never been commercialized due to their poor power output. Physically, it is due to the difficulty of charge transmission from insulators, which generate charges. The …


Cfd Investigation Of Resistance Of High-Speed Trimaran Hull Forms, Chang Hwan Son Jul 2015

Cfd Investigation Of Resistance Of High-Speed Trimaran Hull Forms, Chang Hwan Son

Theses and Dissertations

Although catamarans continue to increase in size and application with bigger and better designs than the present generation, trimaran and multi-hull forms for high-speed operation are a recent phenomenon due to speed of turnaround time and payload. To fulfill the stringent requirement for commercial and military transportation, various versions of optimum design are being undertaken recently. In particular, the high-speed ferry industry is presently looking at novel hull forms such as the form of trimarans and pentamarans which are considered in one of the most affordable hull forms for high-speed operation around the world. However, few published articles are in …


Characteristics Of Laser-Induced Plasma Flame Kernel Formation And Evolution, Wilmer Flores Jul 2015

Characteristics Of Laser-Induced Plasma Flame Kernel Formation And Evolution, Wilmer Flores

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With increasing interest to engineer more efficient combustion engines, the use of laser induced ignition demonstrates to be a compelling alternative to the conventional electric spark plug. The benefits greatly outweigh those found in a conventional electric spark motor whereas research shows improvements in reduced energy consumption and harmful emissions. In addition, the ability to divert the laser beam and its reliability are advantages. Laser-based ignition is capable of generating a plasma for combustion in versatile surroundings where ignition is desired. Laser induced ignition of methane-air was investigated under diverse flow and mixture conditions. To perform this experiment three air/fuel …


Nano Scale Mechanical Analysis Of Biomaterials Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Diganta Dutta Jul 2015

Nano Scale Mechanical Analysis Of Biomaterials Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Diganta Dutta

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a probe-based microscope that uses nanoscale and structural imaging where high resolution is desired. AFM has also been used in mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering applications. This unique technique provides vital local material properties like the modulus of elasticity, hardness, surface potential, Hamaker constant, and the surface charge density from force versus displacement curve. Therefore, AFM was used to measure both the diameter and mechanical properties of the collagen nanostraws in human costal cartilage. Human costal cartilage forms a bridge between the sternum and bony ribs. The chest wall of some humans is deformed …


Wind Farm Layout Optimization Using Sound Pressure Level Constraints, Eric Tingey, Jared Thomas, Andrew Ning Jul 2015

Wind Farm Layout Optimization Using Sound Pressure Level Constraints, Eric Tingey, Jared Thomas, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

This project explored wind farm layout optimization using turbine acoustic and wake models. For two existing wind farms, the position of each wind turbine was optimized to maximize power output while constraining noise. Semi-empirical calculations were used for both the acoustic and wake models to predict how the turbine noise and wake disturbances propagated downstream. Turbine layout was optimized using a sequential quadratic programming optimizer called SNOPT. The optimization was able to constrain the noise level of the wind farms with a small impact on power output.


Sunsense/Sunsmart Plus-Up Schools Program Final Inspection Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Susan Schleith Jun 2015

Sunsense/Sunsmart Plus-Up Schools Program Final Inspection Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Susan Schleith

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report provides information regarding the photovoltaic systems that are associated with the 2014 Sunsense/Sunsmart School Plus-UP program. Dave Click led the project as Principal Investigator and technical expert. Susan Schleith, participated as Co-Principal Investigator and education/school liaison. Four schools participated in the program. Each of the photovoltaic systems installed at the schools was inspected by the University of Central Florida's Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), as well as the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). This report details the results of the final inspections associated with National Electric Code (NEC) and performance testing as required by the Sunsense/Sunsmart Schools Plus-UP …


Computational Fluid Dynamics Study Of Balloon System Tethered To A Stratosail, Jayakanth Loganathan, Kian-Meng Lim, Heow Pueh Lee, Boo Cheong Khoo Jun 2015

Computational Fluid Dynamics Study Of Balloon System Tethered To A Stratosail, Jayakanth Loganathan, Kian-Meng Lim, Heow Pueh Lee, Boo Cheong Khoo

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

In this paper, we present a numerical study of a stratospheric balloon system tethered to a passive device, known as the Stratosail, for station-keeping operation. For scientific applications, stratospheric balloons that operate at altitudes between 15 and 20 km will need to maintain station over a fixed point above the earth for a prescribed period of time. This is a challenging problem due to the limitation of payloads and lack of an energy source. The present study uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze the drift velocity of such a balloon-Stratosail system under typical wind conditions in the stratosphere. …


Human Knee Joint Finite Element Model Using A Two Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament: Validation And Gait Analysis, Nicholas A. Czapla, Meghan K. Sylvia, Zachary F. Lerner, David J. Tuttle, Otto J. Schueckler, Scott J. Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2015

Human Knee Joint Finite Element Model Using A Two Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament: Validation And Gait Analysis, Nicholas A. Czapla, Meghan K. Sylvia, Zachary F. Lerner, David J. Tuttle, Otto J. Schueckler, Scott J. Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Pseudo-Rigid Body Method For Reducing Soft Tissue Artifact: Validation And Application To Gait, Jake E. Deschamps, Karim C. Dudum, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2015

Pseudo-Rigid Body Method For Reducing Soft Tissue Artifact: Validation And Application To Gait, Jake E. Deschamps, Karim C. Dudum, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Design And Implementation Of An Instrumented Pedal For Cycling Biomechanics Research, Luke I. Kraemer, Juan D. Gutierrez-Franco, Jake E. Deschamps, Karim C. Dudum, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Hemanth V. Porumamilla, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2015

Design And Implementation Of An Instrumented Pedal For Cycling Biomechanics Research, Luke I. Kraemer, Juan D. Gutierrez-Franco, Jake E. Deschamps, Karim C. Dudum, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Hemanth V. Porumamilla, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Development Of A Human Knee Joint Finite Element Model To Investigate Cartilage Stress During Walking In Obese And Normal Weight Adults, Meghan K. Slyvia, Nicholas A. Czapla, Zachary F. Lerner, David J. Tuttle, Otto J. Schueckler, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2015

Development Of A Human Knee Joint Finite Element Model To Investigate Cartilage Stress During Walking In Obese And Normal Weight Adults, Meghan K. Slyvia, Nicholas A. Czapla, Zachary F. Lerner, David J. Tuttle, Otto J. Schueckler, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Using Opensim To Predict Knee Joint Moments During Cycling, Karim C. Dudem, Jake E. Deschamps, Juan D. Gutierrez-Franco, Luke I. Kraemer, Alejandro M. Gonzalez-Smith, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2015

Using Opensim To Predict Knee Joint Moments During Cycling, Karim C. Dudem, Jake E. Deschamps, Juan D. Gutierrez-Franco, Luke I. Kraemer, Alejandro M. Gonzalez-Smith, Eshan M. Dandekar, Scott Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Diffusion Of A Janus Nanoparticle In An Explicit Solvent: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, Ali Kharazmi, Nikolai V. Priezjev Jun 2015

Diffusion Of A Janus Nanoparticle In An Explicit Solvent: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, Ali Kharazmi, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to study the translational and rotational diffusion of a single Janus particle immersed in a dense Lennard-Jones fluid. We consider a spherical particle with two hemispheres of different wettabilities. The analysis of the particle dynamics is based on the time-dependent orientation tensor, particle displacement, as well as the translational and angular velocity autocorrelation functions. It was found that both translational and rotational diffusion coefficients increase with decreasing surface energy at the nonwetting hemisphere, provided that the wettability of the other hemisphere remains unchanged. We also observed that in contrast to homogeneous particles, the nonwetting …


Utilizing An Emporium Course Design To Improve Calculus Readiness Of Engineering Students, Virgil U. Pierce, Javier A. Kypuros Jun 2015

Utilizing An Emporium Course Design To Improve Calculus Readiness Of Engineering Students, Virgil U. Pierce, Javier A. Kypuros

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The intervention has targeted incoming students in Engineering and Computer Sciencedegrees. Participating students were selected who had a record of participation in Pre-Calculus classes in high school, but who had not demonstrated their readiness to take Calcu-lus, as measured by placement tests and existing credit. The course design uses an emporiummethod, specifically the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) software,in a computer lab to deliver to students an intensive program of mathematical practice andexploration. The course design is meant to take advantage of students? existing knowledge,rewarding them for it in fact, and focus them on specific Algebra and Trigonometry …


Use Of Mobile Learning Strategies And Devices For E-Portfolio Content Creation In An Engineering Thermodynamics And Fluid Mechanics Classes: Student Perceptions, Devshikha Bose, Krishna Pakala Jun 2015

Use Of Mobile Learning Strategies And Devices For E-Portfolio Content Creation In An Engineering Thermodynamics And Fluid Mechanics Classes: Student Perceptions, Devshikha Bose, Krishna Pakala

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Use of mobile learning strategies and devices for e-portfolio content creation in an engineering Thermodynamics class: Student perceptions Mobile devices can be useful for creating educational content and to help students to learn better (Benedict & Pence, 2012; Tabor & Minch, 2013; Pereira, Echeazarra, Sanz-Santamaria, & Gutierrez, 2014). The purpose of this study is to determine student perceptions on the efficacy of using mobile learning strategies and devices to create electronic content for inclusion in an engineering individual e-portfolio. Students enrolled in an undergraduate 300-level engineering Thermodynamics class, created multimedia videos and produced content demonstrating course content summaries, problem solving …


Development And Implementation Of A Long-Term Freshmen Service Project: The Design And Deployment Of An Engineering Outreach Experience For Underserved Populations, James M. Widdmann, Brian P. Self, Peter Schuster Jun 2015

Development And Implementation Of A Long-Term Freshmen Service Project: The Design And Deployment Of An Engineering Outreach Experience For Underserved Populations, James M. Widdmann, Brian P. Self, Peter Schuster

Mechanical Engineering

Freshmen year programs in engineering have received recent and growing attention as a method to engage first year students in their profession and start them on a path to success. Service learning is a well-known pedagogical method that has been shown to improve retention, especially of underrepresented groups in engineering, and to promote deeper learning through reflection. This paper describes the implementation of a new long-term (full year) service learning project where 240 freshmen mechanical engineering students worked together in small teams to design and deploy an engineering outreach experience for a designated age-group of 4th-11th grade students. This educational …


Machine Design Experiments Using Gears To Foster Discovery Learning, Jonathon Earl Slightam, Mark L. Nagurka Jun 2015

Machine Design Experiments Using Gears To Foster Discovery Learning, Jonathon Earl Slightam, Mark L. Nagurka

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Machine Design Experiments Using Gears to Foster Discovery Learning For the typical undergraduate engineering student the topic of gears is introduced and discussed in several courses. Early exposure may be in a physics course or in a first dynamics course,where gear pairs are presented as an idealized means to change speed ratios and torque ratios.They are used for mechanical advantage or to achieve desired speed, and the focus is usually on kinematics. Since gears have inertia they store kinetic energy and are part of the dynamic equations of motion of mechanisms and machines. For mechanical engineering students, gears are a …


The Epa P3 Program: An Opportunity For Growing Student Entrepreneurs, Marc Compere, Yan Tang, Yung Wong Jun 2015

The Epa P3 Program: An Opportunity For Growing Student Entrepreneurs, Marc Compere, Yan Tang, Yung Wong

Publications

In this paper we will share our experiences of fostering entrepreneurial spirit through projects funded by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) P3 (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) Program which hosts the P3 collegiate competition for designing solutions for a sustainable future. Since 2012, we have integrated the P3 competition with the capstone design course of Clean Energy Systems track in mechanical engineering as an effective educational vehicle for introducing the concept of sustainable design. Since the competition focuses on designs which have values of real world application, it is also a great opportunity to create entrepreneurial spirit. We have successfully turned …


Curved-Folding-Inspired Deployable Compliant Rolling-Contact Element (D-Core), Todd Nelson, Robert Lang, Spencer P. Magleby, Larry L. Howell Jun 2015

Curved-Folding-Inspired Deployable Compliant Rolling-Contact Element (D-Core), Todd Nelson, Robert Lang, Spencer P. Magleby, Larry L. Howell

Faculty Publications

This work describes a deployable compliant rolling-contact element joint (DCORE joint) that employs curved-folding origami techniques to enable transition from a flat to deployed state. These deployable joints can be manufactured from a single sheet of material. Two fundamental configurations of the D-CORE are presented. The first configuration allows for motion similar to that of a Jacob’s ladder when the joint is in a planar state while achieving the motion of a CORE when in the deployed state. The second configuration constrains all degrees of freedom to create a static structure when the joint is in the planar state and …


Skyport: Payload: Medical Cooler For The Skyport Uav, Madison Gee, Hector Lopez, Victor Magaña Jun 2015

Skyport: Payload: Medical Cooler For The Skyport Uav, Madison Gee, Hector Lopez, Victor Magaña

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Access to basic healthcare is a major persisting problem around the globe, especially in rural parts of the world. One of the many facets of this problem is access to vaccine treatment. The transportation and storage of vaccines at the proper temperature is an issue that is still being solved and improved upon today. One of the common solutions to this problem is the use of passive coolers such as ice packs and other refrigerants. The potential issue with passive cooling is that the temperature cannot be actively controlled. This is evident, as many vaccines are wasted due to incorrect …


Automated In-Row Weed Trimmer, Joshua Baculi, Tyler Castrucci, Joshua Ding, Marit Knapp, Gaston Young Jun 2015

Automated In-Row Weed Trimmer, Joshua Baculi, Tyler Castrucci, Joshua Ding, Marit Knapp, Gaston Young

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Automated In-Row Weed Trimmer, or AIRWT, is a weed removal system designed to be used in vineyards in order to enable safe and e cient removal of weeds while preventing damage to the vines. The goal of the system is to reduce the need for the use of manual labor and herbicides while improving production rates of grapes by automating the weed removal process at vineyards. By implementing an automated system for weed removal, the team aims to resolve ethical issues in food production, primarily those surrounding human labor, environmental friendliness, and social sustainability. The focus of this report …


Learning To Learn: Embedding Peer Support As A Core Learning Skill At Third Level, Gerard Ryder, Philip Russell Jun 2015

Learning To Learn: Embedding Peer Support As A Core Learning Skill At Third Level, Gerard Ryder, Philip Russell

Support services (Former ITT) - Conference Papers

This paper presents an overview of the Peer Learning Support Programme which has been developed by Mechanical Engineering staff and librarians at the Institute of Technology Tallaght in support of the Institute's Learning to Learn at Third Level module.


Fatigue Life Estimation Of Modified Railroad Bearing Adapters For Onboard Monitoring Applications, Alexis Trevino, Arturo A. Fuentes, Constantine Tarawneh, Joseph Montalvo Jun 2015

Fatigue Life Estimation Of Modified Railroad Bearing Adapters For Onboard Monitoring Applications, Alexis Trevino, Arturo A. Fuentes, Constantine Tarawneh, Joseph Montalvo

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a study of the fatigue life (i.e. number of stress cycles before failure) of Class K cast iron conventional and modified railroad bearing adapters for onboard monitoring applications under different operational conditions based on experimentally validated Finite Element Analysis (FEA) stress results. Currently, freight railcars rely heavily on wayside hot-box detectors (HBDs) at strategic intervals to record bearing cup temperatures as the train passes at specified velocities. Hence, most temperature measurements are limited to certain physical railroad locations. This limitation gave way for an optimized sensor that could potentially deliver significant insight on continuous bearing temperature conditions. …


Skyport Airframe: Design And Manufacturing, Thomas Clark, Michael Dewane, Siosiua Faleta, Robert Llanos-Hinson Jun 2015

Skyport Airframe: Design And Manufacturing, Thomas Clark, Michael Dewane, Siosiua Faleta, Robert Llanos-Hinson

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Many rural areas of developing countries lack the necessary transportation infrastructure to have reliable access to basic needs. This is particularly true for medical supplies. To combat the issue of insufficient access to vaccines in developing areas, the SkyPort project has developed the SkyPort UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The SkyPort UAV has the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a quadcopter, as well as the efficient, sustained flight of a fixed-wing aircraft. It provides a cheaper, quicker, and safer delivery method than existing alternatives for vaccines in areas that lack a reliable transportation infrastructure. The role of the SkyPort …


Tracking Of Spall Deterioration On Tapered Roller Bearings, Amy Gonzalez, Constantine Tarawneh, Ping Hu, Joseph A. Turner, Brent Wilson Jun 2015

Tracking Of Spall Deterioration On Tapered Roller Bearings, Amy Gonzalez, Constantine Tarawneh, Ping Hu, Joseph A. Turner, Brent Wilson

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Fatigue spall initiation is one of the major modes of premature bearing failure. The spall initiation is often exacerbated by the presence of impurities in the near-surface region (∼400 μm) of the bearing raceways. Once a spall initiates, it can propagate rapidly, leading to abnormal bearing operation and possible catastrophic failure if not detected early. Testing performed at the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) has focused on ultrasonically scanned tapered roller bearings found to have inclusion content within 400 μm of the surface of the raceways. These bearings undergo accelerated service life tests in which spall initiation is detected and …


Legacy Borehole Project, Piper Connelly, Rhys Marks, Ronald Saavedra Jun 2015

Legacy Borehole Project, Piper Connelly, Rhys Marks, Ronald Saavedra

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

To assist scientists in their pursuit of important research of the subseafloor, the Legacy Borehole Project designed a unique structure that will be lowered to the ocean floor for data collection beneath the ocean floor. This derrick structure will provide support for a sensor package to access pre-existing boreholes, deep and narrow holes drilled into the Earth's crust beneath the sea floor. Our team has completed the second year effort of the three-year plan. In this paper we detail our work on the structure, which will be assembled on a ship's deck and lowered onto the borehole reentry cone with …


Sunplanter, Matthew Diaz, Joseph Gaither, Stephen Hight, J. Brandon Suehiro Jun 2015

Sunplanter, Matthew Diaz, Joseph Gaither, Stephen Hight, J. Brandon Suehiro

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Although the cost of solar technology has been reduced by nearly seventy percent in the last ten years, the cost of implementing solar panels for residential and commercial use has remained stagnant. Due to the lack of affordable, easily installable solar panel systems on residential properties, the goal of our Senior Design Project is to design a stand-alone solar tracking structure. Since the system is stand-alone, it can be easily implemented on a wide range of properties in most areas of California. Our design for the support of the solar tracking system is a two-pole structure, with a wide base …


Rsl Autonomous Rover, Cris Madrigal, Jiachi Zhang, Nicholas Peacock, Brogan O'Hara Jun 2015

Rsl Autonomous Rover, Cris Madrigal, Jiachi Zhang, Nicholas Peacock, Brogan O'Hara

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Autonomous vehicles are useful for a variety of applications such as military, urban, and agricultural environments. This paper discusses adding an autonomous navigation system to an all-terrain vehicle by implementing controllers that interface with its current system, installing sensors on the vehicle for obstacle detection, and developing effective safety mechanisms to prevent injury to others. The result is a vehicle capable of waypoint navigation and obstacle avoidance. Testing the vehicle showed that the LIDAR and the autonomous navigation system were integrated seamlessly, and that the sensor output signals were successfully translated into vehicle commands the existing system uses. This system …


Akabot 2.0: Pet 3d Printing Filament From Waste Plastic, Jay Dubashi, Brian Grau, Alex Mckernan Jun 2015

Akabot 2.0: Pet 3d Printing Filament From Waste Plastic, Jay Dubashi, Brian Grau, Alex Mckernan

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Extrusion is how 3D printing filament is created. Melted plastic is pushed through an extrusion die and is shaped into a long thin strand of plastic. Extrusion machines are usually sized for industrial use, capable of creating hundreds of feet of filament a day. This filament is expensive to purchase, and many end-users would prefer to extrude their own filament, from a virgin plastic input or plastic waste input. There are no homescale filament extruders on the market for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic waste. AkaBot was designed to allow end users to produce their own filament from a PET plastic …