Applied Mechanics Commons^™

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Computational Modeling Using A Novel Continuum Approach Coupled With Pathway-Informed Neural Networks To Optimize Dynein-Mediated Centrosome Positioning In Polarized Cells, Arkaprovo Ghosal, Padmanabhan Seshaiyar Dr., Adriana Dawes Dr., General Genomics Inc.

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Space-Angle Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method For Radiative Transfer Equation, Hang Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Radiative transfer theory describes the interaction of radiation with scattering and absorbing media. It has applications in neutron transport, atmospheric physics, heat transfer, molecular imaging, and others. In steady state, the radiative transfer equation is an integro-differential equation of five independent variables, which are 3 dimensions in space and 2 dimensions in the angular direction. This high dimensionality and the presence of the integral term present serious challenges when solving the equation numerically. Over the past 50 years, several techniques for solving the radiative transfer equation (RTE) have been introduced. These include, but are certainly not limited to, Monte Carlo …

Model Based Force Estimation And Stiffness Control For Continuum Robots, Vincent A. Aloi

Doctoral Dissertations

Continuum Robots are bio-inspired structures that mimic the motion of snakes, elephant trunks, octopus tentacles, etc. With good design, these robots can be naturally compliant and miniaturizable, which makes Continuum Robots ideal for traversing narrow complex environments. Their flexible design, however, prevents us from using traditional methods for controlling and estimating loading on rigid link robots.

In the first thrust of this research, we provided a novel stiffness control law that alters the behavior of an end effector during contact. This controller is applicable to any continuum robot where a method for sensing or estimating tip forces and pose exists. …

Computational Design Of Nonlinear Stress-Strain Of Isotropic Materials, Askhad M.Polatov, Akhmat M. Ikramov, Daniyarbek Razmukhamedov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article deals with the problems of numerical modeling of nonlinear physical processes of the stress-strain state of structural elements. An elastoplastic medium of a homogeneous solid material is investigated. The results of computational experiments on the study of the process of physically nonlinear deformation of isotropic elements of three-dimensional structures with a system of one- and double-periodic spherical cavities under uniaxial compression are presented. The influence and mutual influence of stress concentrators in the form of spherical cavities, vertically located two cavities and a horizontally located system of two cavities on the deformation of the structure are investigated. Numerical …

Stair Climbing Hand Truck, James Mcpherson

All Undergraduate Projects

Abstract

Getting a heavy object up a flight of stairs usually requires a team of two or more people. Even with a team of people, the task is often still difficult, dangerous, and possibly insurmountable by one person. This problem is especially prevalent in for those who are moving into apartment complexes. Most apartment complexes have many buildings with two or more floors of living quarters, and elevators are often missing. This project sought to offer a solution to this problem. The solution in question; a motorized hand-truck with 2, trigonal planar pinwheels in place of the stock wheels. The …

Rotordynamic Analysis Of Theoretical Models And Experimental Systems, Cameron R. Naugle

Master's Theses

This thesis is intended to provide fundamental information for the construction and

analysis of rotordynamic theoretical models, and their comparison the experimental

systems. Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to construct models using Timoshenko

beam elements with viscous and hysteretic internal damping. Eigenvalues

and eigenvectors of state space equations are used to perform stability analysis, produce

critical speed maps, and visualize mode shapes. Frequency domain analysis

of theoretical models is used to provide Bode diagrams and in experimental data

full spectrum cascade plots. Experimental and theoretical model analyses are used

to optimize the control algorithm for an Active Magnetic Bearing …

On The Ramberg-Osgood Stress-Strain Model And Large Deformations Of Cantilever Beams, Ronald J. Giardina Jr

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis the Ramberg-Osgood nonlinear model for describing the behavior of many different materials is investigated. A brief overview of the model as it is currently used in the literature is undertaken and several misunderstandings and possible pitfalls in its application is pointed out, especially as it pertains to more recent approaches to finding solutions involving the model. There is an investigation of the displacement of a cantilever beam under a combined loading consisting of a distributed load across the entire length of the beam and a point load at its end and new solutions to this problem are …

Microstructural Analysis Of Thermoelastic Response, Nonlinear Creep, And Pervasive Cracking In Heterogeneous Materials, Alden C. Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the development of robust numerical solution procedures for the generalized micromechanical analysis of linear and nonlinear constitutive behavior in heterogeneous materials. Although the methods developed are applicable in many engineering, geological, and materials science fields, three main areas are explored in this work. First, a numerical methodology is presented for the thermomechanical analysis of heterogeneous materials with a special focus on real polycrystalline microstructures obtained using electron backscatter diffraction techniques. Asymptotic expansion homogenization and finite element analysis are employed for micromechanical analysis of polycrystalline materials. Effective thermoelastic properties of polycrystalline materials are determined and compared …

Development Of A Two-Fluid Drag Law For Clustered Particles Using Direct Numerical Simulation And Validation Through Experiments, Ahmadreza Abbasi Baharanchi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on development and utilization of numerical and experimental approaches to improve the CFD modeling of fluidization flow of cohesive micron size particles. The specific objectives of this research were: (1) Developing a cluster prediction mechanism applicable to Two-Fluid Modeling (TFM) of gas-solid systems (2) Developing more accurate drag models for Two-Fluid Modeling (TFM) of gas-solid fluidization flow with the presence of cohesive interparticle forces (3) using the developed model to explore the improvement of accuracy of TFM in simulation of fluidization flow of cohesive powders (4) Understanding the causes and influential factor which led to improvements and …

Numerical Solutions Of Generalized Burgers' Equations For Some Incompressible Non-Newtonian Fluids, Yupeng Shu

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The author presents some generalized Burgers' equations for incompressible and isothermal flow of viscous non-Newtonian fluids based on the Cross model, the Carreau model, and the Power-Law model and some simple assumptions on the flows. The author numerically solves the traveling wave equations for the Cross model, the Carreau model, the Power-Law model by using industrial data. The author proves existence and uniqueness of solutions to the traveling wave equations of each of the three models. The author also provides numerical estimates of the shock thickness as well as maximum strain $\varepsilon_{11}$ for each of the fluids.

On The Selection Of A Good Shape Parameter For Rbf Approximation And Its Application For Solving Pdes, Lei-Hsin Kuo

Dissertations

Meshless methods utilizing Radial Basis Functions~(RBFs) are a numerical method that require no mesh connections within the computational domain. They are useful for solving numerous real-world engineering problems. Over the past decades, after the 1970s, several RBFs have been developed and successfully applied to recover unknown functions and to solve Partial Differential Equations (PDEs).
However, some RBFs, such as Multiquadratic (MQ), Gaussian (GA), and Matern functions, contain a free variable, the shape parameter, c. Because c exerts a strong influence on the accuracy of numerical solutions, much effort has been devoted to developing methods for determining shape parameters which provide …

A Contribution Toward Better Understanding Of Overbanking Tendency In Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Nihad E. Daidzic

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The phenomenon of overbanking tendency for a rigid-body, fixed-wing aircraft is investigated. Overbanking tendency is defined as a spontaneous, unbalanced rolling moment that keeps increasing an airplane’s bank angle in steep turns and must be arrested by opposite aileron action. As stated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the overbanking tendency may lead to a loss of control, especially in instrument meteorological conditions. It was found in this study that the speed differential over wing halves in horizontal turns indeed creates a rolling moment that achieves maximum values for bank angles between 45 and 55 degrees. However, this induced rolling moment …

Controlling Nanoparticles Formation In Molten Metallic Bilayers By Pulsed-Laser Interference Heating, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The impacts of the two-beam interference heating on the number of core-shell and embedded nanoparticles and on nanostructure coarsening are studied numerically based on the non-linear dynamical model for dewetting of the pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm) metallic bilayers. The model incorporates thermocapillary forces and disjoining pressures, and assumes dewetting from the optically transparent substrate atop of the reflective support layer, which results in the complicated dependence of light reflectivity and absorption on the thicknesses of the layers. Stabilizing thermocapillary effect is due to the local thickness-dependent, steady- state temperature profile in the liquid, which is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Linear stability analysis of the model equations set for Ag/Co bilayer predicts the dewetting length scales in the qualitative agreement with experiment.

Controlling Nanoparticles Formation In Molten Metallic Bilayers By Pulsed-Laser Interference Heating, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mikhail Khenner

The impacts of the two-beam interference heating on the number of core-shell and embedded nanoparticles and on nanostructure coarsening are studied numerically based on the non-linear dynamical model for dewetting of the pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm) metallic bilayers. The model incorporates thermocapillary forces and disjoining pressures, and assumes dewetting from the optically transparent substrate atop of the reflective support layer, which results in the complicated dependence of light reflectivity and absorption on the thicknesses of the layers. Stabilizing thermocapillary effect is due to the local thickness-dependent, steady- state temperature profile in the liquid, which is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Linear stability analysis of the model equations set for Ag/Co bilayer predicts the dewetting length scales in the qualitative agreement with experiment.

Formation Of Organized Nanostructures From Unstable Bilayers Of Thin Metallic Liquids, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.

Formation Of Organized Nanostructures From Unstable Bilayers Of Thin Metallic Liquids, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mikhail Khenner

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.

Stability Of A Strongly Anisotropic Thin Epitaxial Film In A Wetting Interaction With Elastic Substrate, Mikhail Khenner, Wondimu T. Tekalign, Margo S. Levine

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The linear dispersion relation for longwave surface perturbations, as derived by Levine et al. Phys. Rev. B 75, 205312 (2007) is extended to include a smooth surface energy anisotropy function with a variable anisotropy strength (from weak to strong, such that sharp corners and slightly curved facets occur on the corresponding Wulff shape). Through detailed parametric studies it is shown that a combination of a wetting interaction and strong anisotropy, and even a wetting interaction alone results in complicated linear stability characteristics of strained and unstrained films.

Stability Of A Strongly Anisotropic Thin Epitaxial Film In A Wetting Interaction With Elastic Substrate, Mikhail Khenner, Wondimu Tekalign, Margo Levine

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The linear dispersion relation for longwave surface perturbations, as derived by Levine et al. Phys. Rev. B 75, 205312 (2007) is extended to include a smooth surface energy anisotropy function with a variable anisotropy strength (from weak to strong, such that sharp corners and slightly curved facets occur on the corresponding Wulff shape). Through detailed parametric studies it is shown that a combination of a wetting interaction and strong anisotropy, and even a wetting interaction alone results in complicated linear stability characteristics of strained and unstrained films.

Modeling Diverse Physics Of Nanoparticle Self-Assembly In Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Presents physics behind dewetting of thin liquid films and mathematical/computational modeling tools (Educational/Research presentation for senior physics majors).

Stability Of A Strongly Anisotropic Thin Epitaxial Film In A Wetting Interaction With Elastic Substrate, Mikhail Khenner, Wondimu T. Tekalign, Margo S. Levine

Mikhail Khenner

The linear dispersion relation for longwave surface perturbations, as derived by Levine et al. Phys. Rev. B 75, 205312 (2007) is extended to include a smooth surface energy anisotropy function with a variable anisotropy strength (from weak to strong, such that sharp corners and slightly curved facets occur on the corresponding Wulff shape). Through detailed parametric studies it is shown that a combination of a wetting interaction and strong anisotropy, and even a wetting interaction alone results in complicated linear stability characteristics of strained and unstrained films.

Modeling Diverse Physics Of Nanoparticle Self-Assembly In Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mikhail Khenner

Presents physics behind dewetting of thin liquid films and mathematical/computational modeling tools (Educational/Research presentation for senior physics majors).

The Homotopy Perturbation Method For Free Vibration Analysis Of Beam On Elastic Foundation, Baki Ozturk, Safa Bozkurt Coskun

Safa Bozkurt Coskun

In this study, the homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is applied to free vibration analysis of beam on elastic foundation. This numerical method is applied on three different axially loaded cases, namely: 1) one end fixed, the other end simply supported; 2) both ends fixed and 3) both ends simply supported cases. Analytical solutions and frequency factors are evaluated for different ratios of axial load N acting on the beam to Euler buckling load, Nr. The application of HPM for the particular problem in this study gives results which are in excellent agreement with both analytical solutions and the variational iteration …

Morphological Evolution Of Single-Crystal Ultrathin Solid Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

An introduction to mathematical modeling of ultrathin solid films and the role of such modeling in nanotechnologies: Educational presentation for senior physics majors

Morphological Evolution Of Single-Crystal Ultrathin Solid Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

An introduction to mathematical modeling of ultrathin solid films and the role of such modeling in nanotechnologies: Educational/Research presentation for senior physics majors

Morphological Evolution Of Single-Crystal Ultrathin Solid Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mikhail Khenner

An introduction to mathematical modeling of ultrathin solid films and the role of such modeling in nanotechnologies: Educational/Research presentation for senior physics majors

Oscillatory And Monotonic Modes Of Long-Wave Marangoni Convection In A Thin Film, Sergey Shklyaev, Mikhail Khenner, Alexei Alabuzhev

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We study long-wave Marangoni convection in a layer heated from below. Using the scaling k=O Bi, where k is the wave number and Bi is the Biot number, we derive a set of amplitude equations. Analysis of this set shows presence of monotonic and oscillatory modes of instability. Oscillatory mode has not been previously found for such direction of heating. Studies of weakly nonlinear dynamics demonstrate that stable steady and oscillatory patterns can be found near the stability threshold.

Oscillatory And Monotonic Modes Of Long-Wave Marangoni Convection In A Thin Film, Sergey Shklyaev, Mikhail Khenner, Alexei Alabuzhev

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We study long-wave Marangoni convection in a layer heated from below. Using the scaling k=O Bi, where k is the wave number and Bi is the Biot number, we derive a set of amplitude equations. Analysis of this set shows presence of monotonic and oscillatory modes of instability. Oscillatory mode has not been previously found for such direction of heating. Studies of weakly nonlinear dynamics demonstrate that stable steady and oscillatory patterns can be found near the stability threshold.

Oscillatory And Monotonic Modes Of Long-Wave Marangoni Convection In A Thin Film, Sergey Shklyaev, Mikhail Khenner, Alexei Alabuzhev

Mikhail Khenner

We study long-wave Marangoni convection in a layer heated from below. Using the scaling k=OBi, where k is the wave number and Bi is the Biot number, we derive a set of amplitude equations. Analysis of this set shows presence of monotonic and oscillatory modes of instability. Oscillatory mode has not been previously found for such direction of heating. Studies of weakly nonlinear dynamics demonstrate that stable steady and oscillatory patterns can be found near the stability threshold.

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …