Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Design And Implementation Of Portable Power And Desalination Units Powered By Renewable Energy, Mo'ath A. Massad

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Freshwater scarcity is a critical global issue, especially in remote areas or areas impacted by natural disasters. Water desalination is one of the most effective methods to provide fresh water where it is needed. However, large-scale desalination plants cannot provide fresh water in the case of a natural disaster far from the plant's location. To address this, portable desalination units powered by renewable energy sources can be developed to supply potable water and power as a by-product for emergency situations. This work explored the application of different desalination methods, including reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodialysis (ED), in conjunction with renewable …

Warm Unit Stand Assembly And Testing For Proton Improvement Project Ii, Christopher Allen English

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Proton Improvement Project II (PIP II), situated at Fermilab, signifies a critical advancement in the realm of high-energy physics. PIP II, a linear accelerator renovation endeavor, aspires to double the output of the existing proton beam, reinforcing Fermilab’ s position as a vanguard in this field. The proton beam's creation involves a series of high-frequency cryomodules, necessitating environmental temperature arrays of magnets and vacuum pumps henceforth described as ‘Warm Units.’ The Warm Units include design features of : 1. insertion between the cryomodules, 2. multi-stage adjustments in six degrees of freedom to ensure precise beam alignment; 3. Natural frequency …

On The Area-Averaged Effective Sound Absorption Coefficient Of Porous Materials Excited By A Monopole, Franck Sgard, Noureddine Atalla, Olivier Robin, Alain Berry

Études primaires

The area-averaged effective sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of a rigid-backed homogeneous porous material subjected to a monopole excitation is calculated as the absorbed-to-incident sound power ratio. Using Allard's model to describe the sound propagation above the porous material, an analytical model for this power-based SAC is proposed and proves to give a good approximation of the sound absorption performance under monopole excitation of sufficiently large areas of material. The impact of factors on the power-based SAC, such as monopole height, material radial dimension used to calculate the sound powers, and material properties is discussed. The power-based SAC frequency-dependent behavior is …

Machine Learning Applications In Spine Biomechanics, Farshid Ghezelbash, Amir Hossein Eskandari, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Shufan Cao, Mehran Pesteie, Zhuohua Qiao, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Spine biomechanics is at a transformation with the advent and integration of machine learning and computer vision technologies. These novel techniques facilitate the estimation of 3D body shapes, anthropometrics, and kinematics from as simple as a single-camera image, making them more accessible and practical for a diverse range of applications. This study introduces a framework that merges these methodologies with traditional musculoskeletal modeling, enabling comprehensive analysis of spinal biomechanics during complex activities from a single camera. The real-world applications explored in this study include assessment in workplace lifting, evaluation of whiplash injuries in car accidents, and biomechanical analysis in professional …

Hybrid Triboelectric-Piezoelectric Nanogenerator For Long-Term Load Monitoring In Total Knee Replacements, Mahmood Chahari, Emre Salman, Ryan Willing, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

A self-powered and durable pressure sensor for large-scale pressure detection on the knee implant would be highly advantageous for designing long- lasting and reliable knee implants as well as obtaining information about knee function after the operation. The purpose of this study is to develop a robust energy harvester that can convert wide ranges of pressure to electricity to power a load sensor inside the knee implant. To efficiently convert loads to electricity, we design a cuboid-array-structured tribo-pizoelectric nanogenerator (TPENG) in vertical contact mode inside a knee implant package. The proposed TPENG is fabricated with aluminum and cuboid-patterned silicone rubber …

Thermomechanical Process Simulation And Quantification Of Nanoscale Precipitation Influencing Ductility And Strength During Alloy Processing, Alyssa Stubbers

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Experimental process simulation and quantification of microstructure development during processing are challenging due to limitations with machinery temperature capability, inadequate resolution and sampling volume of currently available characterization techniques, and difficulty characterizing material microstructures as close to processing-relevant conditions as possible. This dissertation addresses how process simulation can be performed using Gleeble thermomechanical technologies and how microstructure development during these processing simulations can be quantified both in-situ and ex-situ.

The first portion of this dissertation demonstrates how Gleeble technologies can be applied to simulate complex material processing conditions in order to produce process-property profiles that can be used to inform …

Simultaneous Evaluation Of Tibiofemoral And Patellofemoral Mechanics In Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Combined Experimental And Computational Approach, Yashar A. Behnam, Ahilan Anantha Krishnan, Hayden Wilson, Chadd W. Clary

Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics: Faculty Scholarship

Contemporary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not fully restored natural patellofemoral (P-F) mechanics across the patient population. Previous experimental simulations have been limited in their ability to create dynamic, unconstrained, muscle-driven P-F articulation while simultaneously controlling tibiofemoral (T-F) contact mechanics. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel experimental simulation and validate a corresponding finite element model to evaluate T-F and P-F mechanics. A commercially available wear simulator was retrofitted with custom fixturing to evaluate whole-knee TKA mechanics with varying patella heights during a simulated deep knee bend. A corresponding dynamic finite element model was developed to validate …

Design, Testing And Neural Network Modeling Of A Low-Friction Wave Energy Converter Testbed, Vasu Bhardwaj

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Point absorber wave energy converters (WECs) transform water wave kinetic energy into other useful forms, typically electrical. While it’s possible to extract energy from passive WECs, more energy can be captured using active control where its power take-off (PTO) acts as both a generator and an actuator. Control strategies usually require accurate models often obtained during model-scale testing. Unfortunately, friction can dominate the dynamic response in small WEC models. A frictionless point absorber WEC testbed is described in this report which allows the researcher to focus on fundamental hydrodynamic behavior instead of friction. It uses air bearings for vertical motion …

Comprehensive Review And Development Of A High-Pressure Hydraulic Impedance Tube For Vibroacoustic Attenuator Characterization, Matthew D. Beals

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research establishes a versatile test bench for characterizing hydraulic vibroacoustic attenuators. The primary evaluation metric is the transfer matrix, determined experimentally, with an emphasis on key properties such as transmission loss. To ensure accuracy and broad applicability, the methodology is based on industry-standard techniques for determining the transfer matrix. A comprehensive literature review consolidates existing approaches for hydraulic attenuator characterization. The test bench features a hydraulic impedance tube equipped with eight dynamic pressure transducer (DPT) taps strategically positioned before and after the sample interface. This setup accommodates arbitrary samples terminated with standard hydraulic fittings. Using ASTM E2611, the transfer …

Fatigue Resistant Cast Steel Railcar Couplers Produced By Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (Waam), Samuel Vellequette

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Every year, approximately 90,000 cast steel railcar coupler knuckles are replaced preemptively to avoid fatigue failure. The coupler geometry has been in service since the early 1930s, so geometry changes are restricted to maintain compatibility with the existing fleet. Defects from the casting process, decarburization during heat treatment, and in-service exposure to corrosive environments combine to promote fatigue crack nucleation in high-stress regions of the knuckle. Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), which uses traditional welding techniques to build material to near-net shapes, was employed to deposit higher-strength materials in critical regions. By replacing the cast steel in the high-stress region of …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, December 2023, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Mixing Measurement On Hydrogen Jet By Libs Under Various Injection Strategies, Youngmin Ki, Jungho Justin Kim, Seong Young Lee, Joonsik Hwang, Choongsik Bae

Michigan Tech Publications

Favorable fuel properties of hydrogen for combustion system opens a new avenue to achieve deep decarbonization in transportation sector. Meanwhile, various technical challenges including low volumetric energy density, nitrogen oxide emissions, and backfire impede successful implementation of hydrogen in combustion engines. To overcome those issues, stratified charge combustion (SCC) is considered to optimize engine performance and emissions. As direct injection approach is utilized in SCC mode, ensuring quality of air-fuel mixing in combustion chamber is crucial. This study aims to understand hydrogen mixing behavior by quantitative measurement on equivalence ratio using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). This measurement has been conducted …

Design And Analysis Of Coupler Installation Tooling With Computer Vision For Fermilab’S Single Spoke Resonator 2 Srf Cavity, Caleb T. Denton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab) and the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), forerunners in the exploration of the subatomic world, are both in the process of improving their particle accelerators with the Proton Improvement Plan II at Fermilab and the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider Accelerator Upgrade Plan (HL-LHC AUP) at CERN. Both particle accelerators have cavities that serve to either accelerate the particle beam or guide it into an optimal position and have the need for radio frequency (RF) power couplers to generate the field that controls the particle beams. When installing the coupler onto the cavity, a reliable vacuum …

Modeling And Performance Evaluation Of Traditional And Ai-Based Mppt Techniques For Photovoltaic Systems., Md Badruddaza

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The efficiency levels to convert from sunlight to electricity are in the range up to 22% commercially, based on the technology used. Due to comparatively low efficiency of photovoltaic systems, it is imperative to extract maximum power from the PV module array. Thus, in solar PV system, tracking the module’s MPP (maximum power point) is crucial and at the same time challenging as well due to varying climatic conditions. This research focuses on the modeling and performance evaluation of traditional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques and AI-Based MPPT algorithms in photovoltaic systems. It addresses the issue of dynamic adjustment …

A One-Wheeled Robot For Exploring Rolling Disk Locomotion, David H. J. Schmidt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The work proposed in this thesis is motivated by observations of one-wheel vehicles called monocycles. Whereas the unicycle has the rider sitting on a seat above the wheel, the monocycle’s rider sits inside a large circular hoop that serves as the wheel. Due to the position of the rider inside the wheel, it lowers the overall center of mass of the vehicle below the center of the wheel. For this reason, the uncontrolled longitudinal (forward/backward, or drive axis) dynamics are stable. For modest speeds above a certain threshold, the lateral (side-to-side, or lean axis) dynamics of the monocycle are also …

Bidirectional In-Situ Analysis And Visualization Of Fluid Structure Interactions With Applications In Blood Flow, Nazariy Tishchenko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Interactive blood flow simulation has applications in the understanding of complex fluids,training medical professionals, diagnostics, and surgical procedure planning. Bidirectional in situ visualization and analysis are much needed to streamline the analysis of large-scale patient-specific blood flow simulations. The in situ component ensures the live visualization of the simulation results while the simulation is running, and the bidirectional component allows for real-time control and configuration of the simulation parameters (i.e., setting and retrieving the simulation parameters and data based on need). In this project, a highly accurate multiphysics simulation was instrumented to work with an existing bidirectional in situ framework. …

Feasibility Study Of Managing Peak Cooling Loads To Achieve Energy Cost Reduction In A Northern Climate Campus, Mark Rizkalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

South Dakota State University Facilities and Services Office is facing the challenge of paying high electricity bills every year, the potential of campus growth will add more burden on the energy needed to cover this demand, especially in summer months when high cooling loads are added to the electrical loads which lead to the peak loads that costs SDSU a large amount of money. The purpose of this research is to study the feasibility of managing the peak loads to reduce energy costs by applying a suitable system that fits SDSU campus nature. The methodology used is studying the capability …

Simulation Of Reacting Supersonic Flow In A Cavity Flameholder, Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scramjet engines, or Supersonic Combustion Ramjets, are pivotal for achieving and maintaining hypersonic flight speeds. These engines leverage the high-speed airflow to compress and mix air and fuel for combustion. A significant challenge in Scramjet engine design is ensuring stable and efficient combustion within this high-speed environment. Cavity flameholders are crucial components that stabilize the combustion process by creating a subsonic region where the fuel-air mixture can ignite and sustain combustion. This research simulates this supersonic flow within the combustion chamber to accurately model and analyze the combustion dynamics. Various turbulence models, including RANS, and DES, are evaluated for their …

Computational Characterization Of Extracellular Electro-Osmotic Flow During Tissue Repair, Ashley Jorgensen-Blocker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation (ES) therapy promotes the healing of chronic epidermal wounds and suppresses the degeneration of articular cartilage. Despite the success of ES therapy, the underlying mechanisms by which ES promotes tissue repair are largely unknown, preventing the standardization and optimization of treatments. One proposed mechanism involves electro-osmotic flow (EOF), electrically driven water flow generated within close proximity to the cell surface. EOF induces the transport of macromolecules and removes metabolic wastes and inflammatory molecules from these dense tissues through interstitial flow. This dissertation investigates the application of weak electric fields (EFs) to non-excitable cells and the generation of EOF …

Co-Firing Of Lpg And Diesel Fuels Through An Innovative Double Swirl Burner: Combustion Characteristics And Exhaust Emissions, Eslam O. Mater, Karim M. Soliman, A. Abdulnaim, Ahmed Abdelrazik Emara, Ahmed Salah Elsahy, Hany A. Moneib

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

The current stringent environmental regulations, the depletion of fossil fuels and the emergence of oil biofuels and synthetic gases had motivated combustion scientists to search for alternative technologies that meet efficient burning, flexible use of multiple fuels and conform to a clean environment. In that respect, several developments had emerged including, low swirl combustion for partially premixed mixtures, “Mild” combustion for diffusion flames. The present experimental study introduces a new concept that combines separate admissions of fuel and air with a central recirculation zone following the diffusion combustion mode, partial premixing within a premix chamber resulting in the creation of …

Air Jet Assisted Combustion Of Oil Diffusion Flames: Effects Of Injection Location And Excess Air Factor, Moustafa Ahmed Gamaleldin, Neama Youssef Ramadan, Ahmed Mohamed Abdulnaim, Ahmed Abdelnasser Adam, Ahmed Abdulrazik Emara, Hany Ahmed Moneib

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

This study investigates a novel methodology for a coaxial disc stabilized burner with a central jet oil spray. It introduces multiple air injection jets within the burner gun's exit section, promoting earlier fuel vaporization and rapid fuel-air mixture formation in the premixing zone. This directly contributes to improved overall combustion efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions. The focus lies on identifying the optimal location for the air injection jets (fixed load, constant jet momentum, and angle) within the exiting premixing zone of the burner gun. In-flame measurements are conducted inside a cylindrical combustor at different air injection locations and varying excess …

Dynamic Analysis And Experimental Verification Of Flexible Unbalance Rotor Supported By Two Identical Journal Bearings, Omar Ahmed, Hussein Sayed, T.A. El-Sayed

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

Abstract BACKGROUND: Analyzing the vibrations for rotor-bearing systems is a critical issue in the field of rotor dynamics. It is crucial to identify rotary machine vibrations, behaviors, and stability conditions. The main causes of vibration in rotating machinery are unbalanced masses, misalignment, mechanical looseness, shaft cracks, and other defects. METHODS: This paper investigates the experimental verification of a theoretical model, using a steel shaft with a disc set at the midpoint, supported by two symmetric fluid film bearings. The study examines the effect of unbalance on the dynamic behavior of the rotor and its vibration characteristics. The experimental investigation involved …

Fretting Corrosion Wear Of Titanium-Based Alloy (Ti-6al-4v) In 0.9 Wt.% Nacl Solution, Chen-En Lu, Wen-Ken Li, Hung-Hua Sheu, Jeou-Long Lee, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, a high precision fretting tribo-corrosion tester used to analyze the wear and corrosion behavior of Ti alloys in a fretting motion condition. The tester, operated in a ball-on-plate mode, was employed in the fretting corrosion study of metallic bio-materials (Ti and Ti-6Al-4V) under different loads (0 and 10 N), electrolytes (0.9 wt% NaCl and SBF) and fixed displacement frequency (1 Hz). Using profilometer, optical microscope in the experimental analysis and three-body mechanism in the theoretical analysis, the fretting corrosion performances of these bio-medical metals, such as velocity accommodation characteristics, friction, wear, and scratch profile were examined in …

A New-Type Deep Learning Model Based On Shapley Regulation For Containerized Freight Index Prediction, Yen-Chang Shih, Ming-Shue Lin, Taih-Cherng Lirn, Jih-Gau Juang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, we have crafted an innovative methodology that represents a groundbreaking synthesis of deep learning techniques with cooperative game theory. In this study, we use the accuracy of data prediction by different LSTM models as a measurement index and assign different LSTM models corresponding weights through the Shapley value calculation method to construct a more accurate predictive analysis model. We use this improved Shapley regulation model to calibrate a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network by using historical freight data to predict the China Container Freight Index (CCFI), the leading export container freight index commonly used in China. …

Applicability Of Reducing Valve Timing Overlap For Diesel Engines Under High Exhaust Back Pressure, Chien-Cheng Chen, Yuan-Liang Jeng, Shun-Chang Yen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The exhaust back pressure of diesel engines becomes increasing higher nowadays. As an example, the De-NOx system and DE-SOx system necessitated by the increasingly stringent emission standards, would result in increased exhaust back pressure for those diesel engines adopting such systems. Some ships adopt underwater exhaust system to save space on the working deck and to reduce noise and air pollution, while the hydrostatic pressure under water level has made the exhaust back pressure of diesel engines getting much higher. Under high exhaust back pressure, to keep discharging exhaust unhindered and operating smoothly for diesel engine, it often results in …

Elimination Of Noise In A Ship Cabin Using Multi-Layered Acoustic Boards: An Apso And Sa Approach, Min-Chie Chiu, Ho-Chih Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A high level of noise, combined with pure tones, is often encountered in ship's cabins, leading to severe psychological and physiological issues for the crew. To address this problem, an indoor noise abatement solution becomes necessary that utilizes efficient acoustic boards integrated with resonators, positioned along the inner walls of the cabin. However, the thickness of the acoustic boards must be strictly limited due to maintenance and operational considerations. This limitation results in insufficient sound absorption capabilities and a restricted range of tuned frequencies, as the resonating frequency of a standard Helmholtz resonator is closely tied to its cavity. A …

Numerical Study On The Aerodynamic Performance Of Four Flettner Rotors By Varying Distance And Spin Ratio, Janghoon Seo, Dong-Woo Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The Flettner rotor is a wind-assisted propulsion system applied in eco-friendly ship to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As the requirements of international regulations on greenhouse gas emissions become increasingly strict, multiple Flettner rotors are being applied, necessitating the evaluation of their performance with varying design parameters. The present study focuses on the aerodynamic performances of four Flettner rotors with variable design parameters of distance and spin ratio. Distances and spin ratios, including relative spin ratios, are considered. The drag and lift coefficients and lift-to-drag ratio of Flettner rotors are determined using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and the associated flow fields …

Underwater Image Enhancement Algorithm For Dual Color Spaces, Xingsheng Shen, Yalin Song, Shichang Li, Xiaoshu Hu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Targeting issues related to low contrast, blurring, and loss of detail prevalent in underwater image enhancement algorithms, we propose a dual-color space multiscale residual network (DMR-SCNet) based on SCNet. First, we introduce the HSV color space feature extraction module, which aims to optimize the color representation and saturation of underwater images. Subsequently, we propose the RGB color space denoising module, which focuses on repairing the content and structure of underwater images to enhance their clarity and visual quality. Finally, by designing the residual attention (RAB) module, we aim to further refine the detailed representation and feature extraction of underwater images. …

A Novel Identity Authentication Mechanism For Unmanned Maritime Vessels Communication Based On Mitre Att&Ck Framework, Junxian He, Shih-Hao Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

With the development of the smart shipping industry, unmanned vessel technology is rapidly evolving, accompanied by a demand for robust Internet of Things (IoT) communication security practices. Key communication technologies for the operation of unmanned vessels include external vessel communication. One crucial aspect is the verification of the identities of the parties involved in these communication systems, as this ensures secure and trusted interactions between unmanned vessels and port management authorities. Identity authentication plays a vital role in ensuring the secure communication of unmanned vessels.This paper aims to analyze potential risks related to identity authentication technology in unmanned vessel communication …

Corrigendum To “Applicability Of Reducing Valve Timing Overlap For Diesel Engines Under High Exhaust Back Pressure”

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.