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 8191 - 8220 of 30034

Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Iso 9001:2015 Risk-Based Thinking: A Framework Using Fuzzy-Support Vector Machine, Ralph Sherwin A. Corpuz Dec 2020

Iso 9001:2015 Risk-Based Thinking: A Framework Using Fuzzy-Support Vector Machine, Ralph Sherwin A. Corpuz

Makara Journal of Technology

Risk-based thinking (RBT) is one of the distinct new features of the International Organization for Standardization 9001:2015. Interestingly, the standard does not prescribe any tools. Hence, organizations are puzzled as to the extent of conformance. Some organizations have adopted formal tools. However, these tools seem insufficient in linking the standard into an evidence-based decision support system. To resolve gaps in RBT implementation, this paper proposes a framework based on fuzzy inference system (FIS) and support vector machine (SVM) to automate risk analysis and evaluation, proposal and verification of action plans, and prediction of the feasibility of risks and opportunities according …


Understanding Of Aerosol Transmission Of Covid 19 In Indoor Environments, Adama Barro, Cathal O'Toole, Jacob S. Lopez, Matthew Quinones, Sherene Moore Dec 2020

Understanding Of Aerosol Transmission Of Covid 19 In Indoor Environments, Adama Barro, Cathal O'Toole, Jacob S. Lopez, Matthew Quinones, Sherene Moore

Publications and Research

Our reason for discussing severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or 2019 novel corona virus (Covid-19), is to understand its aerosol transmission characteristics in indoor spaces and to mitigate further spread of this disease by designing a new HVAC system. The problem that we are tackling is the spread of covid-19 droplets through aerosol transmission by looking at potential engineering solutions to the existing HVAC systems. The purpose is to eradicate the spread of the COVID-19 by testing indoor spaces in an effort to understand the effectiveness of ventilation controls. We believe that scientists and engineers have not …


An Investigation Into The Response Of The Us And Eu5 To The Covid-19 Disease (Convergence Of Two Pandemics: Covid-19 And Ncds), Omar Hassan Dec 2020

An Investigation Into The Response Of The Us And Eu5 To The Covid-19 Disease (Convergence Of Two Pandemics: Covid-19 And Ncds), Omar Hassan

Publications and Research

In late December 2019, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan China. COVID-19 was a result of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARA-CoV-2), which has resulted in a worldwide sudden and substantial increase in hospitalizations for pneumonia with multiorgan disease. As of October 6, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has affected more than 200 countries, resulting in more than 35 million identified cases with more than 1 million confirmed deaths.

This is a cross-sectional, non-interventional, observational study in patients infected with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) or Covid-19, using John Hopkins University database JHU Coronavirus map. The data collected from …


Subsystem Identification Of Feedback And Feedforward Systems With Time Delay, S. Alireza Seyyed Mousavi, Xingye Zhang, Thomas M. Seigler, Jesse B. Hoagg Dec 2020

Subsystem Identification Of Feedback And Feedforward Systems With Time Delay, S. Alireza Seyyed Mousavi, Xingye Zhang, Thomas M. Seigler, Jesse B. Hoagg

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

We present an algorithm for identifying discrete-time feedback-and-feedforward subsystems with time delay that are interconnected in closed loop with a known subsystem. This frequency-domain algorithm uses only measured input and output data from a closed-loop discrete-time system, which is single input and single output. No internal signals are assumed to be measured. The orders of the unknown feedback and feedforward transfer functions are assumed to be known. We use a two-candidate-pool multi-convex-optimization approach to identify not only the feedback and feedforward transfer functions but also the feedback and feedforward time delay. The algorithm guarantees asymptotic stability of the identified closed-loop …


Practical Adhesion Measurements In Organic Coatings; Advancing Understanding And Mechanical Methods Development, Diana Gottschalk Dec 2020

Practical Adhesion Measurements In Organic Coatings; Advancing Understanding And Mechanical Methods Development, Diana Gottschalk

Dissertations

“Adhesion” can be considered either a mechanical or chemical phenomenon. The mechanical interpretation describes the difficulty of separating surfaces and is useful for quantifying performance within applications that depend on bulk and interfacial properties. Chemical adhesion describes interfacial resistance to chemical attack and does not depend on bulk properties. Predicting chemical failure through mechanical measurement is confounded by the influence of bulk properties. However, the prospect is attractive because of the robust tolerance for sample geometries, allowing experiments to resemble an end-use system. The present work's primary goal was to elevate mechanical methods to provide a detailed interfacial characterization of …


A Distance Based Multisample Test For High-Dimensional Compositional Data With Applications To The Human Microbiome, Qingyang Zhang, Thy Dao Dec 2020

A Distance Based Multisample Test For High-Dimensional Compositional Data With Applications To The Human Microbiome, Qingyang Zhang, Thy Dao

Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Compositional data refer to the data that lie on a simplex, which are common in many scientific domains such as genomics, geology and economics. As the components in a composition must sum to one, traditional tests based on unconstrained data become inappropriate, and new statistical methods are needed to analyze this special type of data.

Results

In this paper, we consider a general problem of testing for the compositional difference between K populations. Motivated by microbiome and metagenomics studies, where the data are often over-dispersed and high-dimensional, we formulate a well-posed hypothesis from a Bayesian point of view and …


Nondestructive Evaluation (Nde) Of Additively Manufactured Metal (Amm) Parts Using Ultrasonic Testing (Ut), Austin M. Thomas Dec 2020

Nondestructive Evaluation (Nde) Of Additively Manufactured Metal (Amm) Parts Using Ultrasonic Testing (Ut), Austin M. Thomas

Master's Theses

Additive manufacturing is a category of emerging manufacturing processes that have applications in creating metal components with high value and complexity. The adoption of these parts is limited by the lack of fully developed nondestructive techniques for identifying internal defects. The use of ultrasonic testing for detecting and measuring internal features in additively manufactured metal parts is investigated. A low-cost ultrasonic immersion testing system was designed, constructed, and validated for the inspection of an additively manufactured titanium specimen with artificial defects as well as other metal artifacts. An ultrasound calibration block was additively manufactured from stainless steel type 316L and …


The Varied Thermal Response Of Magnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles During Induction Heating In Liquid And Solid-Liquid Phase Change Mediums, Joshua Tompkins Dec 2020

The Varied Thermal Response Of Magnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles During Induction Heating In Liquid And Solid-Liquid Phase Change Mediums, Joshua Tompkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the induction heating response of uncapped iron oxide nanoparticles sonically dispersed as a nanofluid and mechanically distributed in solid phase change materials. The nanoparticles examined have a mean diameter of 14.42 nm and are magnetically heated in an alternating magnetic field at an amplitude of 72.6 kA/m at frequencies of 217, 303, and 397 kHz. Nanoparticle characterization was undertaken through transition electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and dynamic light scattering when in suspension. Carrier fluids were characterized through viscosity, heat capacity, and density measurements which were used in the calorimetric calculation of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of …


Adhesion And Deformation Mechanisms Of Polydopamine And Polytetrafluoroethylene: A Multiscale Computational Study, Matthew Brownell Dec 2020

Adhesion And Deformation Mechanisms Of Polydopamine And Polytetrafluoroethylene: A Multiscale Computational Study, Matthew Brownell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polydopamine (PDA) has been shown to bond via covalent bonding, van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonding and is known to adhere strongly to almost any material. The application of PDA between a substrate and a PTFE surface coating has resulted in low friction and a greatly reduced wear rate. Previous research probing the capabilities and limitations of PDA/PTFE films have studied the wear and mechanical properties of the film, but the overall adhesive and deformation mechanisms remain unclear.

In this research, we investigate the tribological properties of PDA and PTFE molecules and composites from the atomic to the microscale …


Design, Fabrication, And Reliability Effects Of Additively Manufactured First Level Compliant Interconnects For Microelectronics Application, Tumininu David Olatunji Dec 2020

Design, Fabrication, And Reliability Effects Of Additively Manufactured First Level Compliant Interconnects For Microelectronics Application, Tumininu David Olatunji

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductor packaging and development is greatly dependent on the magnitude of interconnect and on-chip stress that ultimately limits the reliability of electronic components. Thermomechanical related strains occur because of the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch from different conjoined materials being assembled to manufacture a device. To curb the effect of thermal expansion mismatch between conjoined parts, studies have been done in integrating compliant structures between dies, solder balls, and substrates. Initial studies have enabled the design and manufacturing of these structures using a photolithography approach which involves a high number of fabrication steps depending on the complexity of the structures …


Mechanical And Frictional Behavior Of Textured And Non-Textured Surfaces, Raghuram R. Santhapuram Dec 2020

Mechanical And Frictional Behavior Of Textured And Non-Textured Surfaces, Raghuram R. Santhapuram

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tribology is the study of surfaces where two objects are sliding against another. Significant energy is lost due to friction between the sliding surfaces. Therefore, developing or designing surfaces to minimize friction is critical for the durability and reliability of the mechanical components. Several researchers have identified that surface texturing at the nanoscale (nanotexture) would reduce the friction between the contacting surfaces. The nanotextured surfaces have several applications in microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical systems. This dissertation employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the frictional and mechanical response of nanotextured aluminum (Al) and Al/amorphous silicon (a-Si) composite surfaces.

This study determines …


Numerical Simulations Of Directed Self-Assembly Methods In Di-Block Copolymer Films For Efficient Manufacturing Of Nanoscale Patterns With Long-Range Order, Joseph Hill Dec 2020

Numerical Simulations Of Directed Self-Assembly Methods In Di-Block Copolymer Films For Efficient Manufacturing Of Nanoscale Patterns With Long-Range Order, Joseph Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) has been shown as a viable method to achieve bulk fabrication of surface patterns with feature sizes smaller than those available through traditional photolithography. Under appropriate thermodynamic conditions, BCPs will self-assemble into ordered micro-domain morphologies, a desirable feature for many applications. One of the primary interests in this field of research is the application of thin-film BCPs to existing photolithography techniques. This “bottom-up” approach utilizes the self-assembled BCP nanostructures as a sacrificial templating layer in the lithographic process.

While self-assembly occurs spontaneously, extending orientational uniformity over centimeter-length scales remains a critical challenge. A …


Nanoscale Mechanics Of Disordered Biomolecules In Brain, Md Ishak Khan Dec 2020

Nanoscale Mechanics Of Disordered Biomolecules In Brain, Md Ishak Khan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The long-term objective of this dissertation is to link blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) with multiscale, multiphysics damage evolution in the brain using experimentally verifiable computations and simulations. The short-term goal is to conduct modeling and simulation to correlate dynamic mechanical loading to damage in sub-axonal components. It is known that the interior of the brain at the macroscale (10^-1 m) is composed of two distinct components, the grey matter, and the white matter. Within the cortex, the grey matter primarily takes the form of cortical columns (mesoscale: 10^-3 m), which are six layered structures, each composed of 8-10 thousand …


Analytical And Experimental Studies On Mixing In Supersonic Flows, Vijay Gopal Dec 2020

Analytical And Experimental Studies On Mixing In Supersonic Flows, Vijay Gopal

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Mixing enhancement in supersonic flow is an important domain of research for enabling the realization of efficient and scalable high speed air-breathing engines (scramjet). Introducing streamwise vorticies in supersonic flow and tailoring their interactions for mixing enhancement is the primary motivation for the present research study. Leveraging the research performed in the group at the Aerodynamics Research Center (ARC), systematic experimental studies on mixing enhancement is carried out in supersonic flows by tailoring the selected modes of streamwise vortex interactions with the aid of in-house developed reduced order method VorTX. This method utilizes the lifting line-vortex theory in supersonic flow …


Automating Aerospace Synthesis Code Generation A Tool For Generic Vehicle Design And Technology Forecasting, Thomas Peter Mccall Dec 2020

Automating Aerospace Synthesis Code Generation A Tool For Generic Vehicle Design And Technology Forecasting, Thomas Peter Mccall

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The principal development and deliverable of this research is a generic synthesis assembling decision support environment for early conceptual design that automates the assembly of synthesis architectures for enhanced product exploration and technology forecasting. The objective of this research is to develop a baseline environment to assess complex vehicle automated synthesis architecture synthetization procedures for adaptation into a greater cognitive system. This tool has been developed as a precursory and developmental task in an initiative towards an artificial intelligence design and research assistant peer. The artificial intelligence peer is a perceived course for future design system evolution in the continued …


Using Numerical Modeling To Determine Viscous Losses Within Helium Turbomachinery, Benjamin Uhlig Dec 2020

Using Numerical Modeling To Determine Viscous Losses Within Helium Turbomachinery, Benjamin Uhlig

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

As the consumption of energy has increased relentlessly over the last few decades, the need for reliable clean energy generation has increased as well. Currently, nuclear power is the only method capable of providing a stable supply of clean energy, although the nuclear energy generation process still requires improvement. Specifically, there is a need to increase efficiencies while reducing the risks of radioactive contamination. It is possible that both these issues may be mitigated using helium as the working fluid. However, the performance of turbomachinery using helium must be evaluated before its use can be implemented. To do this, Balaji …


Determination Of Landing Zones Of Quadrotors Experiencing In-Flight Failures, Ahmet Tolcu Dec 2020

Determination Of Landing Zones Of Quadrotors Experiencing In-Flight Failures, Ahmet Tolcu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have attained considerable prominence in a wide range of areas ranging from military operations, including surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance, to nonmilitary sectors such as delivery, entertainment, and agriculture. The low cost, small size, and ease of use of quadrotors provide significant advantages for such missions. At the same time however, the occurrence of physical failures in such vehicles, particularly if these failures occur while flying over highly populated areas, can pose considerable risk to people and premises on the ground. This thesis investigates scenarios of power loss due to …


Experimental Assessment Of Rack-Level Dynamic Direct To Chip Liquid Cooling For Data Center And It Equipment Reliability, Amith Mathew Dec 2020

Experimental Assessment Of Rack-Level Dynamic Direct To Chip Liquid Cooling For Data Center And It Equipment Reliability, Amith Mathew

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Data centers are used by organizations for storing, processing and distribution of data. These data centers are run through-out the year due to which their thermal management is a growing concern. A popular way of eliminating such thermal cooling issues is Liquid cooling. Conventionally Liquid cooling involves the supply of constant liquid flow (water or refrigerant) through the IT rack irrespective of the IT load, which in a Multi-chip module causes hotspots and temperature gradients across the module due to non-uniform heating. A dynamic cold-plate and a regulatory flow control device (FCD) is incorporated in this experimental set-up to assist …


Heat Transfer Modeling And Optimization Of A Carbonized Microvascular Solar Receiver, Taylor Brown Dec 2020

Heat Transfer Modeling And Optimization Of A Carbonized Microvascular Solar Receiver, Taylor Brown

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Concentrating solar power is an emerging renewable energy source. The technology can collect and store thermal energy from the sun over long durations, generating electricity as needed at a later time. Current CSP systems are limited to a maximum operational temperature due to constraints of the working fluid, which limits the maximum possible efficiency of the system. One proposed pathway forward is to utilize a gas phase for the working fluid in the system such as supercritical carbon dioxide.

A composite gas phase modular receiver is being developed by researchers at Boise State University and the University of Tulsa. The …


In-Plane Anisotropic Third-Harmonic Generation From Germanium Arsenide Thin Flakes, Huseyin Sar, Jie Gao, Xiaodong Yang Dec 2020

In-Plane Anisotropic Third-Harmonic Generation From Germanium Arsenide Thin Flakes, Huseyin Sar, Jie Gao, Xiaodong Yang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A newly introduced two-dimensional (2D) layered germanium arsenide (GeAs) has attracted growing interest due to its promising highly in-plane anisotropic crystal structure and electronic properties for photonic and optoelectronic applications. The potential of 2D layered GeAs for many applications such as anisotropic photodetection, electronics, superconductivity and thermoelectricity is being investigated in recent studies. However, the intrinsic nonlinear optical properties of 2D layered GeAs have not been explored yet. Here, thickness- and incident polarization-dependent in-plane anisotropic third-harmonic generation (THG) from the mechanically exfoliated thin GeAs flakes is reported. Furthermore, the effect of the flake thickness on the THG conversion efficiency is …


Modular Framework For Implementation And Analysis Of Recursive Filters With Considered And Neglected Parameters, Kyle J. Demars, Kari C. Ward Dec 2020

Modular Framework For Implementation And Analysis Of Recursive Filters With Considered And Neglected Parameters, Kyle J. Demars, Kari C. Ward

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper develops novel covariance and square-root factor formulations of a consider-neglect Kalman filter for navigation applications. The proposed filter partitions system parameters into three distinct categories: those to be estimated by the filter, those whose contribution to the system are considered without being explicitly estimated, and those with sufficiently low effect on the system such that their contribution can be neglected altogether. Discussion on appropriate selection of parameters to be considered and neglected is provided with specific attention given to descent-to-landing navigation. Monte Carlo simulations and analysis are performed to assess the performance of the developed square-root consider-neglect filter …


Field Testing The Effects Of Low Reynolds Number On The Power Performance Of The Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center Small Wind Turbine, John B. Cunningham Dec 2020

Field Testing The Effects Of Low Reynolds Number On The Power Performance Of The Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center Small Wind Turbine, John B. Cunningham

Master's Theses

This thesis report investigates the effects of low Reynolds number on the power performance of a 3.74 m diameter horizontal axis wind turbine. The small wind turbine was field tested at the Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center to acquire its coefficient of performance, C­p, vs. tip speed ratio, λ, characteristics. A description of both the wind turbine and test setup are provided. Data filtration and processing techniques were developed to ensure a valid method to analyze and characterize wind power measurements taken in a highly variable environment. The test results demonstrated a significant drop in the …


Investigating The Presence Of Culture In Engineering Design: A Case Study On Culture In Design Methods, Perception, And Outcomes, Malena Ataa Durowaah Agyemang Dec 2020

Investigating The Presence Of Culture In Engineering Design: A Case Study On Culture In Design Methods, Perception, And Outcomes, Malena Ataa Durowaah Agyemang

All Dissertations

Overwhelming global statistics on economic, social, and health disparities has driven engineers and designers to develop solutions to minimize these disparities [1,2,11,12,3–10]. For the scope of this study, these efforts are referred to as design for humanitarian engineering and global development (HEGD). HEGD solutions are designed to improve access to medical technologies, energy, clean water, and even spark economic development [1–10]. However, many HEGD solutions go unadopted, halting their intended benefits [9,13,22,23,14–21]. Efforts to improve HEGD adoption have focused on ways to incorporate culture in the design solution’s aesthetics or in approaches post-deployment [24,25,34,35,26–33]. However, a review of failed HEGD …


Fluid Modeling And Analysis Of A Mash Tl-6 Vehicle Model, Elisa Vasquez Dec 2020

Fluid Modeling And Analysis Of A Mash Tl-6 Vehicle Model, Elisa Vasquez

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this research project was to replicate the dynamic behavior of a truck-tank trailer combination vehicle using representative dimensions, properties, and inertias of the trailer/fluid ballast combination. A literature review was completed describing techniques for modeling fluids and fluid-container interactions using finite element analysis. Various fluid modeling techniques were identified, and parameters associated with those models were archived. Next, researchers utilized the tank geometry of the elliptical straight-frame 5949 trailer produced by LBT Inc. to generate a finite element mesh using finite element analysis preprocessors HyperMesh and LS PrePost. Material properties were taken from reference guides, research papers, …


Low-Intensity Vibration Restores Nuclear Yap Levels And Acute Yap Nuclear Shuttling In Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected To Simulated Microgravity, Matthew Thompson, Kali Woods, Joshua Newberg, Julia Thom Oxford, Gunes Uzer Dec 2020

Low-Intensity Vibration Restores Nuclear Yap Levels And Acute Yap Nuclear Shuttling In Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected To Simulated Microgravity, Matthew Thompson, Kali Woods, Joshua Newberg, Julia Thom Oxford, Gunes Uzer

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reducing the musculoskeletal deterioration that astronauts experience in microgravity requires countermeasures that can improve the effectiveness of otherwise rigorous and time-expensive exercise regimens in space. The ability of low-intensity vibrations (LIV) to activate force-responsive signaling pathways in cells suggests LIV as a potential countermeasure to improve cell responsiveness to subsequent mechanical challenge. Mechanoresponse of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which maintain bone-making osteoblasts, is in part controlled by the “mechanotransducer” protein YAP (Yes-associated protein), which is shuttled into the nucleus in response to cyto-mechanical forces. Here, using YAP nuclear shuttling as a measurement outcome, we tested the effect of 72 h …


Numerical Analysis Of A Roadway Piezoelectric Harvesting System, Abdul Rahman Badawi Dec 2020

Numerical Analysis Of A Roadway Piezoelectric Harvesting System, Abdul Rahman Badawi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Highways, streets, bridges, and sidewalks with heavy traffic dissipate a considerable amount of waste mechanical energy every day. Piezoelectric energy harvesting devices are a very promising technology that can convert the waste mechanical energy to clean and renewable energy to enhance the sustainability of infrastructures. Research efforts in large-scale energy harvesting have led to the advancement of piezoelectric devices to the point that large-scale implementation is starting to become more feasible. The energy harvested by these devices can be used in many ways such as providing heating or cooling, melting ice, monitoring structural conditions in bridges and tunnels, and powering …


The Effect Of Compaction Temperature And Pressure On Mechanical Properties Of 3d Printed Short Glass Fiber Composites, Pushpashree Jain Ajith Kumar Jain Dec 2020

The Effect Of Compaction Temperature And Pressure On Mechanical Properties Of 3d Printed Short Glass Fiber Composites, Pushpashree Jain Ajith Kumar Jain

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Among many thermoplastics that are used in engineering, polyamide 6 (nylon 6) is an extremely versatile engineering thermoplastic. Nylon filled with glass fibers has higher mechanical strength and high wear resistance than general purpose nylon. 3D printed composites, based on fused filament modeling, typically suffer from poor bead-to-bead bonding and relatively high void content, limiting their mechanical properties

This thesis explores the effect of compaction pressure and temperature on improving the mechanical properties of 3D printed composites. Engineering moduli in the printing and transverse to printing direction, as well as ultimate strength were measured using the tensile testing with Digital …


Detailed Modeling Of The Flash Hydrolysis Of Algae For Biofuel-Production In Comsol Multiphysics, Noah Joseph Legrand Dec 2020

Detailed Modeling Of The Flash Hydrolysis Of Algae For Biofuel-Production In Comsol Multiphysics, Noah Joseph Legrand

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Algae-derived biofuels are being commercialized as an important renewable energy source. Like any new technology, conversion improvements are desired, including reductions in process complexity and better utilization of the entire microalgae feedstock. The Old Dominion Biomass Laboratory has focused on flash hydrolysis for algae biofuel production. That process involves rapidly heating algae and water mixed as a slurry to a subcritical state. Results from small-scale bench tests are promising, but process scale up is a challenge. Currently there exists a pilot laboratory scale system utilizing induction heating in order to reach controlled reaction temperatures with a reaction duration of 10 …


Hardware Development For The Generation Of Large-Volume High Pressure Plasma By Spatiotemporal Control Of Space Charge, Nikhil Boothpur Dec 2020

Hardware Development For The Generation Of Large-Volume High Pressure Plasma By Spatiotemporal Control Of Space Charge, Nikhil Boothpur

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

While generating a plasma under laboratory conditions, any attempt to scale the pressure and volume leads to instabilities due to the build-up of localized space-charge. This poses a challenge in the design of the discharge chamber, type of excitation field, and the type of gas that is used in the discharge. This work investigates a spatially and temporally varying electric field to control the formation of space-charge in large-volume (greater than 5 mm in the smallest dimension) near atmospheric pressure. The simulations show that in a space-charge dominated transport, the charged species disperse both in azimuthal and radial directions in …


A Parametric Analysis Of A Turbofan Engine With An Auxiliary Bypass Combustion Chamber – The Turboaux Engine, Kaleab Fetahi Dec 2020

A Parametric Analysis Of A Turbofan Engine With An Auxiliary Bypass Combustion Chamber – The Turboaux Engine, Kaleab Fetahi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A parametric study of a novel turbofan engine with an auxiliary combustion chamber, nicknamed the TurboAux engine is presented. The TurboAux engine is conceived as an extension of a low-bypass turbofan engine with an auxiliary bypass annular combustion chamber around the core stream. The study presented in this thesis is motivated by the need to facilitate clean secondary burning of fuel at temperatures higher than conventionally realized, from air exiting the low-pressure compressor. The parametric study starts by analyzing the turbojet engine and its performance with and without an afterburner segment attached. Following that, the conventional turbofan and its mixing …