Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Experimental Study On Plugging Behavior Of Degradable Fibers And Particulates Within Acid-Etched Fracture, Lufeng Zhang, Fujian Zhou, Wei Feng, Maysam Pournik, Zhun Li, Xiuhui Li

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

As proven from field practices in North America and Northwest China, temporary plugging and diverting acid fracturing is an indispensable technology to enhance stimulation effect and hydrocarbon production of complex carbonate reservoirs. It's well-known that the key to the success of this technology lies in creating a temporary plugging within the previously created fractures. Consequently, many scholars have conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the plugging behavior of fibers and particulates. However, the current devices nearly have certain limitations in simulating temporary plugging experiments. Aiming at this problem, this paper introduced the fracture temporary plugging evaluation system with large fracture size, …

Cycle-To-Cycle Flow Variations In A Square Duct With A Symmetrically Oscillating Constriction, Erica Sherman, Lori M. Lambert, Bethany White, Michael H. Krane, Timothy Wei

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Spatially and temporally resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) measurements are presented of flow complexities in a nominally two-dimensional, symmetric, duct with an oscillating constriction. The motivation for this research lies in advancing the state-of-the-art in applying integral control volume analysis to modeling unsteady internal flows. The specific target is acoustic modeling of human phonation. The integral mass and momentum equations are directly coupled to the acoustic equations and provide quantitative insight into acoustic source strengths in addition to the dynamics of the fluid-structure interactions in the glottis. In this study, a square cross-section duct was constructed with symmetric, computer …

Electromechanics Modelling Of The Effects Of Myocardial Infarction On Left Ventricular Remodelling, Chin Neng Leong

Student Works (2020-2029)

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the diseases with the highest mortality rate. Following MI, myocardium experiences abrupt changes in its loading condition due to the presence of infarct. In response to such changes, myocytes undergo adaptations to maintain homeostasis. However, maladaptation can happen and lead to remodelling, in which the left ventricle (LV) gradually loses its function and eventually turns into heart failure. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying LV remodelling are still poorly understood. In this study, a generic LV model was developed, incorporating realistic fibre orientation and excitable contracting myocardium. It was demonstrated that the developed model is capable …

Kinematic Analysis Of Forehand Drop Shot And Long Shot Services In Table Tennis, Ibrahim Norzuria

Student Works (2020-2029)

Table tennis is one of the most widely played sports in the world. A frequent hand movement is compulsory to execute stroke than other limbs, especially the projection of racket and ball speeds,which can help to improve players’ performance. Until now, research on table tennis serving is limited. Service was assumed important in table tennis because the effective serve may allow the serving player to have advantage and control over the game. The 3D dynamic analysis is the appropriate method to analyze a sport activity such as table tennis. Therefore, the aim of research was to determine the kinematic involved …

Side-By-Side Testing Of Solaire Solar Ac, Florida Solar Energy Center, John Sherwin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The FSEC Energy Research Center performed a series of side-by-side tests to compare a heat pump system with a SolAire thermal collector against one without. The tests were performed in three phases: 1) baseline operation, 2) heat pump system operating with SolAire collector using collector manufacturer's wiring specifications, and 3) heat pump system operating with SolAire collector using Daiken/OEM wiring specifications. Each phase represented 5 full days of continuous operation during August of 2018 in Cocoa, Florida. Phase 1 baseline testing demonstrated that the two Daiken heat pump systems and test houses performed similarly and there were no differences between …

Reverse Osmosis; Addressing Freshwater Shortage With Sustainable Desalination, Jessica Savage

Sustainability Conference

Water security is an imperative part of high-functioning societies. Currently, large populations of the globe live in water-impoverished or water-stressed areas. With climate change and growing global populations, projections show more people being impacted by issues of water shortage.

One solution to water security is the implementation of desalination, specifically with reverse osmosis systems. This presentation walks through the history, capabilities, future work, and explanations on how reverse osmosis systems work. With continued research on improving desalination, communities in both developed and developing nations around the world can work towards total water security.

Adaptable Clean Energy Laboratory, Joao Marcelo Rocha Belmonte, Marc D. Compere

Sustainability Conference

The Adaptable Clean Energy (ACE) Lab is a real-world, long term, test platform that will guide the courses of the Energy Systems track. The lab will provide realistic electrical and HVAC loads that mimic a solar powered office. The lab is a 20’ high cube shipping container modified with a door, windows, lights computers, air conditioner and appliances. The lab is Net-Zero and powered entirely from the sun. Two insulation test sections expose the exterior walls for research access to real external heat loads in a real building

Residential Thermal Storage And Cooling, Joao Marcelo Rocha Belmonte, Jacob Anderson, Andrew Clarke, Daphne Forester, Bianca Hardtke, Josh Hartman, Marc D. Compere

Sustainability Conference

No abstract provided.

Solar Powered Parking Lot Lights, Jordyn Taylor

Sustainability Conference

Solar energy is a renewable resource growing exponentially around the country over the past few decades. Solar energy works through the use of photo-voltaic cells, which work to convert energy from sunlight into electricity. This is done within solar panels, which are then connected to batteries for energy storage to use as needed. As production has increased over past decades, the cost for solar panel hardware and installment has thus fallen to meet consumer need. While most common implementations include solar panels attached to one’s home or solar panel ‘fields’ for charging entire towns, there has been a steady rise …

Solar District Cup Competition, Qi Jiang, Kristen A. Holman, Benjamin F. Aulenbab, Adi Alharbi, Chenge Liu

Sustainability Conference

The Solar District Cup is a two-semester design competition sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy in which teams from across the nation compete to design the most efficient and cost effective solar plus storage system for a unique district case. The Embry Riddle team was tasked with designing such a system for New Mexico State University in Las Cruses, NM.

Maintenance Strategy Selection As A Multiple Criteria Decision Making Problem, Mohamed Farag Mostafa

Capstone and Graduation Projects

Maintenance strategy selection (MSS) is one of the most critical decisions for safe and continuous operations. It is a key factor not only for reducing the maintenance cost, but also for achieving stable production rates without unplanned interruptions. There are different maintenance strategies implemented in the field and mentioned in the literature, each has both benefits and drawbacks for the production. Maintenance management have to make a decision of which strategy to follow. Such a decision need to be evaluated based on multiple criteria such as reliability, production loss, process safety, cost, environmental damage and others. The adoption of one …

Characterizing Meteorological Forecast Impact On Microgrid Optimization Performance And Design, Robert Jane, Gordon G. Parker, Gail Vaucher, Morris Berman

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

A microgrid consists of electrical generation sources, energy storage assets, loads, and the ability to function independently, or connect and share power with other electrical grids. Thefocus of this work is on the behavior of a microgrid, with both diesel generator and photovoltaic resources, whose heating or cooling loads are influenced by local meteorological conditions. Themicrogrid's fuel consumption and energy storage requirement were then examined as a function of the atmospheric conditions used by its energy management strategy (EMS). A fuel-optimal EMS, able to exploit meteorological forecasts, was developed and evaluated using a hybrid microgrid simulation. Weather forecast update periods …

Development And Experimental Investigation Of Modular Crates For Industrial Packaging Applications, Marshal Louie, Kumar B

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

For the increased product varieties, engineered plywood crate production technique could not facilitate box size optimization. This paper investigates the implementation of modularity function onto the plywood crate to resize the pack cube volume on customer requirement and to reduce space wastage inside the box. This is achieved by using a new joint technique called “Flat- Post Tongue Joint”. The full-sized experimental work is carried out comprising Flexural test analysis on Flat-Post Tongue joint, Tensile test analysis on tongue joint and Box Compression Test analysis on the two developed models of modular crates namely Modifiable Reinforced Plywood Crate (MRPC) and …

Tra-1-60-Positive/Cd45low Cells Found In The Peripheral Blood Of Prostate Cancer Patients With Metastatic Disease – A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Claudia Schäfer, Yawen Ju, Youngbin Tak, Cesar Vazquez, Sangyoon J. Han, Edwin Tan, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Purpose

Over 90% of all cancer related deaths are due to metastasis. However, current diagnostic tools can't reliably discriminate between invasive and localized cancers.

Patients and methods

In this proof-of-concept study, we employed the embryonic stem cell marker TRA-1-60 (TRA+) to identify TRA + cells within the blood of prostate cancer patients and searched for TRA + cells in men with metastatic and localized cancers. We isolated whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 26 metastatic prostate cancer patients, from 13 patients with localized prostate cancer and from 17 healthy controls. Cells were stained for DAPI, CD45 and TRA + by …

Frequency-Selective Metasurface Integrated Uncooled Microbolometers, Mahmoud Almasri, Edward C. Kinzel

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A metasurface integrated microbolometer having a sensing layer (e.g., SixGeyO1-x-y). The presence of the metasurface provides selectivity with respect to wavelength, polarization and angle-of-incidence. The presence of the metasurface into the microbolometer affects conversion of electromagnetic to thermal energy, thermal response, electrical integration of the microbolometer, and the tradeoff between resistivity and temperature coefficient of resistance, thereby allowing the ability to obtain a sensing with high temperature coefficient of resistance with lower resistivity values than that of films without the metasurface. The presence of the metasurface removes the need for a Fabry-Perot cavity.

The Desorption Kinetics Of Methane From Nonaqueous Fluids For Enhanced Well Control, James Lee Nielsen Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

The mass transfer of a dissolved gas evolving to return to the gaseous phase from a liquid is governed by many parameters. This process affects the development of an oil and gas well due to the possibility of gas contamination occurring from either an influx entering the wellbore, or drilling through gas-bearing formations. Once this dissolved hydrocarbon gas circulates up the wellbore, it will begin to evolve from solution and poses a potential risk to drilling equipment, the environment, and personnel at a drilling rig. Being able to predict the behavior of gas desorption based on a known set of …

Aluminum Parts Fabricated By Laser-Foil-Printing Additive Manufacturing: Processing, Microstructure, And Mechanical Properties, Chia Hung Hung, Yingqi Li, Austin Sutton, Wei Ting Chen, Xiangtao Gong, Heng Pan, Hai Lung Tsai, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fabrication of dense aluminum (Al-1100) parts (>99.3% of relative density) by our recently developed laser-foil-printing (LFP) additive manufacturing method was investigated as described in this paper. This was achieved by using a laser energy density of 7.0 MW/cm2 to stabilize the melt pool formation and create sufficient penetration depth with 300 μm thickness foil. The highest yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) in the LFP-fabricated samples reached 111 ± 8 MPa and 128 ± 3 MPa, respectively, along the laser scanning direction. These samples exhibited greater tensile strength but less ductility compared to annealed Al-1100 samples. Fractographic …

The Performance Of Sio2 And Tio2 Nanoparticles As Lubricant Additives In Sunflower Oil, Vicente Cortes, Karen Sanchez, Mataz Alcoutlabi, Javier A. Ortega

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding the use of petroleum-based lubricants. This concern has generated interest in readily biodegradable fluids such as vegetable oils. The present work evaluated the rheological and tribological characteristics of sunflower oil modified with silicon dioxide (SiO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as lubricant additives at different concentrations. A parallel plate rheometer was used to evaluate the effects of concentration and shear rate on the shear viscosity, and the experimental data was compared with conventional models. The wear protection and friction characteristics of the oil-formulations were evaluated by conducting block-on-ring sliding tests. Surface …

Metal Additive Manufacturing Parts Inspection Using Convolutional Neural Network, Wenyuan Cui, Yunlu Zhang, Xinchang Zhang, Lan Li, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is gaining increasing attention from academia and industry due to its unique advantages compared to the traditional manufacturing process. Parts quality inspection is playing a crucial role in theAMindustry, which can be adopted for product improvement. However, the traditional inspection process has relied on manual recognition, which could suffer from low efficiency and potential bias. This study presented a convolutional neural network (CNN) approach toward robust AM quality inspection, such as good quality, crack, gas porosity, and lack of fusion. To obtain the appropriate model, experiments were performed on a series of architectures. Moreover, data augmentation …

Characterization Of Inertial Particles In The Turbulent Wake Of A Porous Disk, Kristin Nichole Travis

Dissertations and Theses

This study presents the findings of a wind tunnel experiment investigating the behaviour of micrometric inertial particles in the turbulent wake of a stationary porous disk. Various concentrations [Φ_v ∈ (2.95 x 10^-6 - 1.22 x 10^-5)] of polydisperse water droplets (diameter 13-41 µm) are compared to sub-inertial tracer particles. Hot-wire anemometry, phase Doppler interferometry and particle image velocimetry were implemented in the near and far wake regions to study the complex dynamics of the particles. Turbulence statistics and particle size distributions are presented and used to explore the particle wake interaction.

Clinical Evaluation Of Stretchable And Wearable Inkjet-Printed Strain Gauge Sensor For Respiratory Rate Monitoring At Different Body Postures, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Saleem El Bouri, Fuad Habash, Haipeng Liu, Dingchang Zheng

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Respiratory rate (RR) is a vital sign with continuous, convenient, and accurate measurement which is difficult and still under investigation. The present study investigates and evaluates a stretchable and wearable inkjet-printed strain gauge sensor (IJP) to estimate the RR continuously by detecting the respiratory volume change in the chest area. As the volume change could cause different strain changes at different body postures, this study aims to investigate the accuracy of the IJP RR sensor at selected postures. The evaluation was performed twice on 15 healthy male subjects (mean ± SD of age: 24 ± 1.22 years). The RR was …

The Optimization Of Machining Parameters For Milling Operations By Using The Nelder Mead Simplex Method, Yubin Lee

Dissertations and Theses

Machining operations need to be optimized to maximize profit for computer numerical control (CNC) machines. Although minimum production time could mean high productivity, it can not guarantee maximum profit rate in CNC milling operations. The possible range of machining parameters is limited by several constraints, such as maximum machine power, surface finish requirements, and maximum cutting force for the stability of milling operations. Among CNC machining parameters, cutting speed and feed have the greatest effect on machining operations. Therefore, cutting speed and feed are considered as main process variables to maximize the profit rate of CNC milling operations.

A variety …

Multi-Mode Guided Wave Detection Of Various Composite Damage Types, Hanfei Mei, Robin James, Victor Giurgiutiu

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a new methodology for detecting various types of composite damage, such as delamination and impact damage, through the application of multimode guided waves. The basic idea is that various wave modes have different interactions with various types of composite damage. Using this method, selective excitations of pure-mode guided waves were achieved using adjustable angle beam transducers (ABTs). The tuning angles of various wave modes were calculated using Snell’s law applied to the theoretical dispersion curves of composite plates. Pitch–catch experiments were conducted on a 2-mm quasi-isotropic carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite plate to validate the excitations of …

Spectroscopic Investigations On Pvdf-Fe2o3 Nanocomposites, Dorina M. Chipara, Victor Kuncser, Karen Lozano, Mataz Alcoutlabi, Elamin Ibrahim, Mircea Chipara

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Polyvinylidene fluoride-iron oxide (PVDF-Fe2O3) nanocomposites have been obtained my melt mixing of PVDF with Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The interactions between the polymeric matrix and the nanofiller have been investigated by wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy, using both red and green excitations (lasers). WAXS, FTIR, and Raman spectra confirm that all samples contain α PVDF as the major crystalline form of the polymeric matrix. Experimental data revealed small changes in the positions of X-ray lines as well as modifications of the width of X-ray lines upon loading by Fe2O3 nanoparticles. FTIR and Raman spectra …

Near-Field Pressure Signature Splicing For Low-Fidelity Design Space Exploration Of Supersonic Aircraft, Christian R. Bolander, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

As interest in supersonic overland flight intensifies, new ways to meet government restrictions on sonic boom loudness must be implemented. Low-fidelity aerodynamic tools, such as PANAIR, can estimate the near-field pressure signature that ultimately determines the loudness of the sonic boom at the ground. These tools can greatly benefit the exploration of large design spaces due to their computational efficiency. One of the limitations of low-fidelity tools is the accuracy of the solution produced, which is dependent on the fundamental physical assumptions made in the development of the governing equations. If flow patterns are produced that severely violate these fundamental …

Identifying Optimal Equivalent Area Changes To Reduce Sonic Boom Loudness, Troy Abraham, Douglas F. Hunsaker, Jonathan M. Weaver-Rosen, Richard J. Malak Jr.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

This work explores the design space created from modeling the effect of localized geometric changes on a supersonic aircraft’s near-field pressure signature. These geometric changes are used to alter the aircraft’s near-field pressure signature in a way that reduces its sonic boom loudness at the ground. The aircraft used in this work is the NASA 25D concept and its near-field pressure signature is modeled using two separate methods. The first method uses the PANAIR panel code to obtain a near-field pressure signature for an axisymmetric representation of the 25D. This near-field signature is propagated to the ground using the NASA …

Minimum Induced Drag For Tapered Wings Including Structural Constraints, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Doug F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

For a wing in steady level flight, the lift distribution that minimizes induced drag depends on a tradeoff between wingspan and wing-structure weight. In 1933, Prandtl suggested that tapered wings have an advantage over rectangular wings due to this tradeoff. However, Prandtl’s solutions were obtained using assumptions that correspond to rectangular wings. Therefore, his claim was not analytically proven by his 1933 publication. Here, an approach similar to Prandtl’s is taken with more general approximations that apply to wings of arbitrary planform. This more general development is used to study Prandtl’s claim about tapered wings. Closed-form solutions for the optimum …

The Effect Of Cutting Edge Geometry, Nose Radius And Feed On Surface Integrity In Finish Turning Of Ti-6al4v, Ian S. Brown, Julius M. Schoop

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

While the respective effects of nose radius, feed and cutting edge geometry on surface integrity have each been studied at depth, coupling between these effects is not yet sufficiently understood. Recent studies have clearly established that cutting edge micro-geometries may not only have positive effects on tool-life, but can also be used to tailor surface integrity characteristics, such as surface roughness and near-surface severe plastic deformation. To further a more fundamental understanding of the effects of cutting edge micro-geometries on surface integrity, experimental turning data was generated for a varied range of cutting tool geometries and feeds. Scanning laser interferometry …

Electrathon Vehicle: Steering, Lathan Halaapiapi

All Undergraduate Projects

The Electrathon Vehicle project is an ongoing project that dates back to 2012. The Electrathon Vehicle began as a frame and three wheels when given to the EV club. In past projects the vehicle has had frame and suspension work. The current design is only partially assembled and does not allow for any steering in the vehicle. A steering system needed to be developed in order for the vehicle to be controlled while a person is sitting in the seat. A steering system was designed that could withstand the force of maneuvering the vehicle in excess of 30 mph. This …

Discrete Concealed Device Table, Shyne Mckay

All Undergraduate Projects

How can people hide devices in their homes without being obvious with its location? People use safes to hide devices but intruders will know immediately that’s where things are held. It’s a common issue that people are having their safes stolen or broken into. To answer this question, a device was created to conceal devices in plain sight without being noticed. It’s common to have a coffee table in ones living room. Combining the problem with this knowledge, a discrete concealed device table was created. The table looks normal to the naked eye, meaning one cannot tell that the table …