Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Turbine Cooling System With Energy Separation, James L. Rutledge, Matthew N. Fuqua, Carol M. Bryant

AFIT Patents

A method and system for cooling an engine and/or vehicle using energy separation is disclosed herein. An energy separation device is operable for separating a compressed gaseous coolant stream into a first relatively cooler coolant flow stream and a second relatively hotter coolant flow stream. The relative cooler coolant flow stream is directed to a first region requiring increased cooling and the relative hotter coolant flow stream is directed to a second region requiring lower cooling than the first region in the engine or vehicle.

Spectral Behavior Of Fiber Bragg Gratings During Embedding In 3d-Printed Metal Tensile Coupons And Cyclic Loading, Farid Ahmed, Md Shahriar Forhad, Mahmudul Hasan Porag

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the spatially configurable 3D integration of sensors in metal components to realize smart materials and structures. Outstanding sensing capabilities and size compatibility have made fiber optic sensors excellent candidates for integration in AM components. In this study, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors were embedded in Inconel 718 tensile coupons printed using laser powder bed fusion AM. On-axis (fiber runs through the coupon’s center of axis) and off-axis (fiber is at 5° and 10° to the coupon’s center of axis) sensors were buried in epoxy resin inside narrow channels that run through the coupons. FBGs’ spectral evolutions …

Design And Characterization Of 3d-Printed Hydrogel Lattices With Consistent Structural And Mechanical Anisotropy, Daniel Yoon

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the use of 3D printing to fabricate soft hydrogel lattice structures with consistent properties, including varying levels of mechanical anisotropy. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a non-invasive imaging tool to estimate and characterize the mechanical properties of tissue. MRE “phantoms” (physical surrogate models) have been used to assess how well MRE can measure and estimate mechanical properties. While gel phantoms generally simulate brain tissue, almost all have been isotropic. Prior studies have shown that white matter brain tissue is structurally and mechanically anisotropic. To validate anisotropic MRE, phantoms with controllable, reproducible anisotropic material properties are needed. This …

A Country-Level Primary-Final-Useful (Cl-Pfu) Energy And Exergy Database: Overview Of Its Construction And 1971–2020 World-Level Efficiency Results, Paul E. Brockway, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Zeke Marshall, Emmanuel Aramendia, Paul Steenwyk, Thomas Relph, Michelle Widjanarko, Jeonghoo (James) Kim, Anjana Sainju, Julian Irtube

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Societal exergy analysis examines the flows of energy and exergy through societies, from primary (e.g. oil) to final (e.g. gasoline) to useful (e.g. propulsion) energy stages. By extending the study of energy to the useful stage, new insights into the under-represented role of energy in economic growth have been made. However, currently (a) country coverage is patchy and incomplete, (b) available data are based on varying methods and assumptions including efficiencies based on economic rather than engineering data, and (c) datasets are constructed using piecemeal computational approaches. To address these gaps, we construct a country-level primary-final-useful (CL-PFU) energy and exergy …

Direct Evaporative Cooling For Sustainability And Environmental Conservation, Iman El-Mahallawi, Hesham Safwat, Mahmoud Elsayed, Mahmoud Alghrieb

Mechanical Engineering

This work presents the results of experimental work on cellulose cooling pads with honeycomb structure to study their evaporative cooling effect which is one of the partial solutions for achieving the SDG goals 2030. The paper outlines various types of evaporative cooling materials, highlighting their distinctions and potential applications. Furthermore, it offers a comparative analysis of the cooling effects between wide hole and narrow hole cellulose cooling pads, both individually and in combination. The experimental setup results are thoroughly examined to provide insights into the performance of the cooling pads. Results showed up that direct evaporative cooling have a significant …

Capstone Review: Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine, Gal Cohen

University Honors Theses

The Filament Unit Multiplexing Engine (FUME) is a Mechanical Engineering capstone project sponsored by Portland State University's Electronic Prototyping Lab (EPL). The project addresses the need for an automated system to manage 3D printing operations. The current manual process of selecting and routing a spool of filament to one of the available 3D printers is labor-intensive and limits the efficiency of the lab's 3D printing farm. FUME aims to create a custom solution tailored for a multi-user, multi-spool, and multi-printer environment. The designed system includes key components: a spool holder, an engine, a track and shuttle system, and a funnel. …

Design, Prototyping, And Characterization Of A Micro-Force Sensor Intended For Tissue Assessment In Confined Spaces, Shashank S. Kumat, Panos S. Shiakolas

Open Initiatives Grant Funded Publications-Archive

The quantitative characterization of soft tissue viscoelastic properties can aid in disease prognosis and diagnosis. Existing technologies present challenges to measuring localized in vivo tissue relaxation data while meeting load and geometric constraints. This research presents the design, prototype, and characterization of a micro-force sensor that could enable better access to confined spaces of the human body. The novel design of the uniaxial micro-force sensor has an external diameter of less than or equal to 3.5 mm and 1 N load capacity for transurethral palpation of the bladder interior wall. The conceptual design of the micro-force sensor and a finite …

Shape Memory Alloy Capsule Micropump For Drug Delivery Applications, Youssef Mohamed Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

Implantable drug delivery devices have many benefits over traditional drug administration techniques and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. By delivering the medication directly to the tissue, they enable the use of larger localized concentrations, enhancing the efficacy of the treatment. Passive-release drug delivery systems, one of the various ways to provide medication, are great inventions. However, they cannot dispense the medication on demand since they are nonprogrammable. Therefore, active actuators are more advantageous in delivery applications. Smart material actuators, however, have greatly increased in popularity for manufacturing wearable and implantable micropumps due to their high energy …

Patient-Specific Musculoskeletal Modeling Of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, Brendan M. Curran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is often considered a surgery of last resort for patients with debilitating pathologies of the glenohumeral joint such as osteoarthritis, humeral head fracture, and advancing rotator cuff tears. TSA replaces the articulation between the humeral head and the glenoid fossa, with the goals of relieving pain and restoring function. Two types of total shoulder implants are available: Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (aTSA) and Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (rTSA). TSA survivorship is lower than that of the survivorship seen in total knee and hip replacements [1]. Shoulder muscle moment arms and lines of action have been measured …

Statistical Modeling Of Knee Morphology And Material Properties Considering Diverse Populations, Gabrielle Jeannine Kindy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a widely performed surgical procedure aimed at alleviating pain and restoring function in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis. Despite its general success, disparities in postoperative outcomes have been observed across different racial and ethnic groups, with minority populations often experiencing less favorable results. One potential avenue for improving the generalizability of orthopaedic implants is using Statistical Shape and Intensity Models (SSIMs), which can be used to incorporate patient variability directly into the orthopaedic medical device development workflow through population-based finite element analysis.

This work aimed to construct an SSIM from a diverse subject set, incorporating …

Feature Extraction From Vibration Signature Required From Railroad Bearing Onboard Condition Monitoring Sensor Modules, Kevin Quaye, Ping Xu, Dimah Dera, Heinrich D. Foltz, Constantine Tarawneh, Alberto Diaz

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

From 2013 to 2022, 1671 derailments have been reported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 8.2% of which were due to journal bearing defects. The University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) designed an onboard monitoring system that tracks vibration waveforms over time to assess bearing health through three analysis levels. However, the speed of the bearing, a fundamental parameter for these analyses, is often acquired from Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which is typically not available at the sensor location. To solve this issue, this paper proposes to employ Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to extract the speed and other …

Experimental Investigation Of Lateral Load Effects On Railway Tapered Roller Bearing Performance, Abel David Sanchez Trinidad, Constantine Tarawneh, Diego Aguila, Arturo A. Fuentes, Santanna Guiterrez, Curtis Pena, Daniel Reyna

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In the quest to maintain the reliability and safety of railway systems, vibration signatures emerge as a crucial diagnostic tool for identifying and tracking the progression of railway bearing health. It is important to note that, in the case of spall deterioration, temperature variations may only become noticeable once spalling has spread extensively across the raceway. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of lateral loading under various train speeds at empty and full railcar loads is important. Surprisingly, limited research has been carried out or made publicly available on the effects of lateral loading on the performance of railroad …

Ai-Based Hazard Detection For Railway Crossings, Darren Espinoza, Gasser G. Ali, Constantine Tarawneh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Grade crossings are critical elements of the railway infrastructure due to the potential risk of vehicle collisions with trains. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 1,600 vehicle-train, and 500 human-train collisions in 2020. Researchers, transportation organizations, and government bodies are constantly exploring practices and technologies to improve safety at crossings. Examples of safety standards include sensors, motion detectors, depth cameras, and many other innovative technologies. The goal of this paper is to investigate the applications of computer vision using Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep learning models to enhance railway safety. Deep learning models can provide …

Kernel Ridge Regression In Predicting Railway Crossing Accidents, Ethan Villalobos, Constantine Tarawneh, Jia Chen, Evangelos E. Papalexakis, Ping Xu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Expanding on the insights from our initial investigation into railway accident patterns, this paper delves deeper into the predictive capabilities of machine learning to forecast potential accident trends in railway crossings. Focusing on critical factors such as “Highway User Position” and “Equipment Involved,” we integrate Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR) models tailored to distinct clusters, as well as a global model for the entire dataset. These models, trained on historical data, discern patterns and correlations that might elude traditional statistical methods. Our findings are compelling: certain clusters, despite limited data points, showcase remarkably Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) values between predictions …

Spectral Clustering In Railway Crossing Accidents Analysis, Ethan Villalobos, Hector Lugo Iii, Biqian Cheng, Miguel Gutierrez, Constantine Tarawneh, Ping Xu, Jia Chen, Evangelos E. Papalexakis

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study employs graph mining and spectral clustering to analyze patterns in railway crossing accidents, utilizing a comprehensive dataset from the US Department of Transportation. By constructing a graph of implicit relationships between railway companies based on shared accident localities, we apply spectral clustering to identify distinct clusters of companies with similar accident patterns. This offers nuanced insight into the underlying structure of these incidents. Our results indicate that “Highway User Position” and “Equipment Involved” play pivotal roles in accident clustering, while temporal elements like “Date” and “Time” exert a diminished impact. This research not only sheds light on potential …

Development Of Rail Anchor Testing Through Literature Review Of Cwr Buckling Resistance Evaluation, Juan Rodriguez, Siang Zhou, Constantine Tarawneh, Alberto Sanchez, Teresa Salazar-Flores, S. Mustapha Rahmaninezhad, Hameem Gorabi

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Continuously welded rail (CWR) is among the most used railroad systems worldwide with great improvements compared to jointed tracks, including refined ride quality, increased fatigue life of track and rolling stock, and reduced maintenance costs. Rail buckling is one of the key remaining issues for CWRs to further reduce safety hazards and infrastructure deterioration, and save required track retrofit material and efforts. CWR buckling is induced by combined longitudinal, lateral, and torsional forces on the track that are caused by the synergy of rail components, the loading from moving trains, the interaction between track and substructure, and the effect of …

How Ai And Digitalization Can Help To Improve Managing Projects In Lean Manufacturing & Supply Chain Environment, Abhijeet Hange

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This research examines how digitalization and machine learning (ML) revolutionize project management in supply chain and lean manufacturing settings. To improve the efficiency and caliber of their operational procedures, Acuity Brands, Amazon, Walmart, Apple, and other medium-sized businesses—which are at the center of today's competitive markets—are resorting to automation and digitalization. With an emphasis on the fusion of digital and artificial intelligence (AI), the paper explores how successful transformation initiatives are essential to the automation and digitization of manufacturing and distribution hubs. The study uses quantitative methods approach to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of these technology integrations by integrating …

Nucleation Control System And Method Leading To Enhanced Boiling Based On Electric Cooling, Amitabh Narain, Soroush Sepahyar, Divya Kamlesh Pandya, Vibhu Vivek

Michigan Tech Patents

A cooling module for an electric devise includes a body having formed therein a plurality of channels, a micro-structured boiling surface, a piezoelectric transducer, an inlet header, and an outlet header. Each channel of the plurality of channels is defined by a first channel surface and opposing lateral channel surfaces cooperatively defining a rectangular cross section normal to a channel axis The micro-structured boiling surface is positioned adjacent the first channel surface of each channel. The piezoelectric transducer is in acoustic communication with one of the opposing lateral channel surfaces of each channel and configured to direct acoustic waves on …

Comparing Life-Cycle Dynamics Of Li-Ion Batteries (Libs) Clustered By Operating Conditions With Sindy, Kristen L. Hallas, Md Shahriar Forhad, Tamer Oraby, Benjamin Peters, Jianzhi Li

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play a big part in the vision of a net-zero emission economy, yet it is commonly reported that only a small percentage of LIBs are recycled worldwide. An outstanding barrier to making recycling LIBs economical throughout the supply chain pertains to the uncertainty surrounding their remaining useful life (RUL). How do operating conditions impact initial useful life of the battery? We applied sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics method (SINDy) to understand the life-cycle dynamics of LIBs with respect to sensor data observed for current, voltage, internal resistance and temperature. A dataset of 124 commercial lithium iron phosphate/graphite …

3d Printing Filament Producer: A Reverse 3d Printer, Jackson Mar, Adnesh Tondale, Charles Wallace

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

PLA filament stands out as the most widely utilized material in FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D Printing. This additive manufacturing process involves the layer-by-layer construction of 3D objects, employing a variety of materials. Commonly used materials in 3D printing include PLA, ABS, and PETG plastics, each with unique characteristics suited to specific project requirements. For example, PLA is known for its high tensile strength, while PETG, with its higher melting point, is suitable for applications requiring greater thermal resistance.

Despite the versatility of these materials, the inherent challenge arises with the accumulation of filament waste, comprising supports, benchmark prints, and …

Performance Evaluation Of A Novel Dual-Bed Gasification Reactor For The Production Of Green Energy, Ogooluwa Philip Ojo

Theses and Dissertations

The need to maximize current energy sources and create new ones has increased due to the world's growing energy demand and the depletion of major energy sources. Biomass and solid waste, such as wood, sawdust, plant wastes, paper, cardboard, and plastics, present promising carbon-neutral alternatives, collectively accounting for over 10% of global energy generation. The concept of integrating fixed and fluidized bed reactors in industrial applications needs additional research to ascertain the optimal configuration and interplay between these reactor types. Hence this research focuses on the utilization of a unique hybrid modular gasification system that combines fixed and fluidized bed …

Using Sustainable Technique To Recycle Waste Paper In Academic Institutions, Mustafa M. Mansour

Al-Bahir

It has been clearly demonstrated that it would be feasible to consider recycling paper in an academic institution. This can be achieved through combining specific waste paper baskets, a pulping machine and power supplied by a renewable energy source, with an already established local paper making company. The paper making company would be able to gain a subsidy from the government which pays them to actually recycle paper, to counteract the cost of the pulped paper which is 30% more expensive than raw wood pulp. The academic institution would save money on waste disposal and decrease its carbon footprint by …

Effects Of Periodic Sequential Arrangement Of Subscale Miura-Foldcore Under Quasi-Static Compression, Chase Mortensen, Devin Nielsen, S. Z.H. Shah, Juhyeong Lee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on the quasi-static compressive responses of various subscale Miura-foldcore composites. A series of quasi-static compression tests were conducted on standard Miura foldcore specimens fabricated using carbon/epoxy woven fabric prepregs. Representative volume element (RVE) models, incorporating periodic boundary conditions (PBCs), were developed to predict the size-dependent compressive response of subscale Miura foldcores. The effective properties of the carbon/epoxy woven fabric composite used in this study were calculated using the NASA multiscale analysis tool (NASMAT) via two-step homogenization process. The FE model exhibited comparable agreement with experimental results, showcasing variations of less than 7% and …

Assessment Of An Assumed Strain-Based Triangular Membrane Element, Abdelhak Kherfi, Kamel Zouggar, Khelifa Guerraiche, Djemaa Guerraiche, Antar Tahiri

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

This paper presents a novel triangular strain-based element designed to address plane stress and strain, axisymmetric, and dynamic problems. The proposed element has four nodes, three of which are located at the vertices and one of which is located at the midpoint of the diagonal. The corner nodes have three essential external degrees of freedom (u, v, θ), while the central node has two degrees of freedom (u, v) on one of the triangle edges. A static condensation-based treatment of the central node is employed to streamline the model and reduce computational overhead. This triangular element …

Exploring The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Project Management Across The Manufacturing, Technology, And Construction Industries, Susie Diaz Ferrera

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on project management across the manufacturing, technology, and construction industries. The research focuses on understanding the benefits, challenges, and long-term implications of AI utilization in these sectors. Key findings indicate that 46% of participants use AI mainly for task automation and enhancing functions like brainstorming and communication, which significantly boosts efficiency and team productivity. Despite these benefits, the research identifies several obstacles, including high initial costs, inadequate training, technical issues, and unclear regulatory guidelines. The study addresses four main questions, revealing that AI not only enhances project management processes but also …

A Screening Life Cycle Analysis Of One-Way And Reusable Crate Designs – Estimating Environmental Impacts Via Lca Software, Nicolas R. Corona

Master's Theses

A comparison analysis conducted via COMPASS life cycle analysis software has indicated that a one-way crate design, rather than a reusable crate design, is in fact the more environmentally friendly packaging system. These results can be interpreted differently, however, as the manufacturer of said crate designs must confirm what impact indicators they would like to reference as environmental goalposts. The conducted analysis provides insight into what the environmental impacts of each packaging system look like as packaging at all three system levels has been identified as a means of reducing environmental impacts globally. As such, the manufacturer of said crate …

Algae: Advanced Lakebed Guardian And Algae Eradicator, Máté Aranyosi, Julien Buist-Thuillier, Victor Calata-Gentil, Elia Döhler, Brian Yeh

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Advanced Lakebed Guardian and Algae Eradicator (ALGAE) is a benthic rover designed to mitigate algae blooms in Lake Tahoe and similar freshwater environments. The aim is to eliminate the risks of manual algae removal by scuba divers, which is the current solution employed by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC). Serving as a safer and cost-effective robotic solution for algae mitigation, ALGAE will enhance environmental preservation, marine research, and the tourism industry at Lake Tahoe. For the first year of development, differential drive, sensor data streaming, and remote operation were all achieved using a tethered laptop workstation …

Aero Avengers: Aiaa Design, Build, And Fly, Andres Alba Burbano, Chris Berardino, Jill Chandler, Patrick Hudson, Andrew Mahler, Nicholas Smith

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis explores the experience of a Santa Clara University senior design team that created an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intended to compete in the ’Design, Build, Fly!’ competition hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The six students worked together to secure funding for the project, formulate a preliminary design, and then manufacture the aircraft. Every step of this process was iterative, allowing the team to learn from their past attempts as the project’s timeline progressed. Upon obtaining competition rules and mission requirements, the team followed a design flow that brought the plane from a sketched …

Dolphin: Drone-Based Oceanic Landing Platform With High-Tech Integrated Navigation, Keanu Dayton, Ethan Hang, Jack Hartline, Jordan Puetz, Tomas Ronderos, Zara Shariff

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The ocean covers 71% of the earth’s surface. With its vast size, it produces almost half of the world’s oxygen, is a source of food, and controls the climate. As humans, it is vital to our way of life. Thus, institutions and organizations have been built in order to study and conserve it; one such organization is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). A method available to them is the use of drone imaging over the ocean’s surface. However, drones have a limited battery life that restricts the scope of missions they can pursue. A solution that we have …

Autonomous Hydroponic System, Bella Wanebo, Ashley Oh, Jason Slifka

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Hydroponics is a potentially useful farming technique for growing food in climates where it is difficult to naturally farm. However, hydroponic systems in harsh climates are usually very large and unable to be easily moved around. The design of a portable, enclosed hydroponic garden using the soilless Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) with a vertical configuration that can grow spinach in Antarctica will be discussed. It will have a reversible flow to evenly distribute nutrients to stacked rows of plants. A tradeoff analysis shows that 3D printing a custom T splitter is the best option for controlling the flow within the …