Computer-Aided Engineering and Design Commons^™

Autonomous Bottling And Packaging System - Mechanical Bottling Portion, Kathryn Gray

Honors College Theses

This report details the complete mechanical design of an autonomous bottling automation system. This system is fully integrated with a bottling and packaging system. The scope of the full project is to successfully bottle and cap twelve small bottles (approximately 68 cm3) in under three minutes and thirty seconds. The bottles shall be filled with an “electrolyte” and water mixture, and the mixture should be fully mixed. To complete this task, two tanks will dispense liquid (one electrolyte, and one water) into the bottles. Each tank shall have a measuring chamber, that will fill with the correct amount of volume …

The Analysis Of Mechanical Exfoliation Of Graphene For Various Fabrication And Automation Techniques, Lance Yarbrough

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mechanical Exfoliation

Blade Design And Validation Of Hydrokinetic Turbine To Harvest Water Current Energy, Setare Sadeqi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The innovative aspect of this research lies in the careful integration of cutting-edge technologies throughout the entire process of designing, fabricating, and testing the carbon fiber propeller for the 3-bladed horizontal axis ocean current turbine (OCT). SolidWorks software played a pivotal role in the initial design phase, enabling a meticulous and precise modeling of the propeller's geometry. The utilization of SolidWorks allowed for a detailed exploration of various design parameters, ensuring that the propeller's structure and form were optimized for performance in ocean current conditions. Moving beyond the realm of virtual design, the choice of carbon fiber as the fabrication …

Towing Tank Trials Of Hydrokinetic Turbine Scale Model To Support Marine Energy System Verification, Shahab Rouhi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In response to the escalating demand for sustainable energy solutions and the critical reevaluation of conventional fossil fuels due to environmental concerns, this dissertation embarks on a comprehensive exploration of hydrokinetic energy as a promising alternative. The study delves into the underexplored domain of hydrokinetic energy, leveraging innovative methodologies for effective utilization and harnessing, particularly through the development and investigation of hydrokinetic turbines.

In the realm of hydrokinetic energy conversion, our research has exclusively concentrated on horizontal-axis turbines, distinct from other turbine configurations. Noteworthy is the adaptation of a conventional horizontal-axis wind turbine for water currents, revealing enhanced performance through …

Cam And Design For Manufacturing: Developing A Project-Based Learning Course, Stephen Pierson

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

To effectively serve student career success, mechanical engineering programs must teach students how to account for manufacturing considerations in design. Despite this, manufacturing education is a glaring area of need in current engineering curricula. In fact, basic manufacturing knowledge is one of the only hard skills consistently ranked as one of the greatest weaknesses of mechanical engineering hires in surveys of industrial employers over the last few decades. Without radically changing departmental curriculum to include more emphasis on design-build projects, one solution to combat this is to incubate a lab course in mechanical engineering programs in which undergraduates would practice …

Design And Fabrication Of A Carbon Fiber Wheel For The Husker Motorsports Club, Benjamin Bashtovoi, Jordan Chapin, Michael Pineda, Caden Lind, Thomas Crum

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Every year, the Husker Motorsports team participates in a Formula SAE competition that challenges students to design and manufacture a Formula-style vehicle to compete against colleges from around the world. The Husker Motorsports club has sponsored this senior capstone project to improve the vehicle’s performance by reducing unsprung mass. Unsprung mass reduction has numerous benefits on vehicle dynamics, including improved acceleration, handling, and braking. To achieve these performance improvements, the team developed carbon-fiber composite wheels that weigh less than the current wheel solution and provide better rigidity. The team designed and modeled the wheel according to the 2023-2024 competition car …

The Analysis Of Mechanical Exfoliation Of Graphene For Various Fabrication And Automation Techniques, Lance Yarbrough

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mechanical Exfoliation of Graphene is an often-overlooked portion of the fabrication of quantum devices, and to create more devices quickly, optimizing this process to generate better flakes is critical. In addition, it would be valuable to simulate test pulls quickly, to gain insight on flake quality of various materials and exfoliation conditions. Physical pulls of graphene at various temperatures, pull forces, and pull repetitions were analyzed and compared to the results of ANSYS simulations, solved for similar results. Using ANSYS’ ability to predict trends in exfoliations, flake thickness and coverage using stress and deflection analyses were investigated. Generally, both strongly …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Air-Cooled Heat Sinks, Ethan Weems

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lightweight and affordable cooling capabilities are critical as the physical scale of electronics continues to decrease. Air-cooled heat sinks that dissipate heat from electronic components to the surrounding air are excellent candidates to fill this role. While plate-fin and pin-fin heat sinks have been implemented extensively for electronic cooling, recent advances in additive manufacturing enable the fabrication of more complex structures. In this undergraduate Honors thesis, a means by which to generate novel heat sink geometries is presented. To that end, an experimental characterization facility is developed to evaluate existing traditional heat sinks. The heat transfer performance of the heat …

Digital Twin In Military Ground Vehicles: Design And Predictive Maintenance, Conner W. Eddy

All Theses

Digital twin technology builds upon virtual engineering models, computer simulation, and real-time field data streaming to enable next-generation designs and predictive maintenance. A digital twin is a computer-based high-fidelity collection of models that predicts the performance of dynamic systems per operating cycles, input feature parameters, and data communication from a physical plant. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is growing in importance and is central to virtual design processes where the digital twin toolset fits into this emerging architecture. The product design process can be advanced using digital twin resources by eliminating the need for, and cost from, continual physical prototyping, reliability …

A Manufacturing-To-Response Pathway For Manufacturing Optimization Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Structures, Madhura Limaye

All Dissertations

Over the past decade, there has been an increased adoption of thermoplastic and thermoset based continuous carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites for structural applications in several industries. Among the different manufacturing methods, thermoforming process for thermoplastic based continuous CFRP’s offer a major advantage in reducing cycle times for large scale productions. Similarly, out-of-autoclave curing process for thermoset based continuous CFRP’s using heated tooling enables production of large composite structures. However, these manufacturing processes can have a significant impact on the structural performance of parts by inducing undesirable effects. These effects include inhomogeneous fiber orientations, thickness variations, and residual stresses …

Experimental And Numerical Analysis Of Laminar And Transitional Flow Through Annular Corrugated Pipes, Joseph Russell Sargent

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents studies on pressure loss through annular corrugated pipes to determine a friction factor coefficient using nitrogen. Ten different corrugated pipes’ geometries were evaluated via testing and experimentation. The ratio of corrugation height to inner diameter varied from 0.233 to 0.333 and the ratio of corrugation pitch to inner diameter varied from 0.181 to 0.446. Nitrogen flow rates between 0.25 to 94.4 standard liters per minute were used, resulting in Reynolds numbers, based on the corrugated pipe inner diameter, from 100 to 23,000. The experimental set-up was validated using smooth-pipe pressure loss measurements and the derived friction factor …

Comparison Of Meteorological Drought Indices In Tanzania Using The Meteorological Drought Monitoring Software Package, Paul Ts Limbu

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Low precipitation, substantial evaporation, and an unequal distribution of precipitation throughout the area are the characteristics of drought, a climatic abnormality. This study used the Meteorological Drought Monitoring (MDM) software and monthly rainfall data from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) to examine and compare the Deciles Index (DI), Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI), Percent of Normal Index (PNI), Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI), Z-Score Index (ZSI), China-Z Index (CZI), and Modified China-Z Index (MCZI) for drought monitoring in Tanzania from 1988 to 2017. It was found that ZSI represented the dry years better than other indices, followed by DI, RAI, PNI, SPI, …

Aerodynamic Design And Analysis Of A Modified 2006 Mazda Miata, William N. Recher

Honors College Theses

Aerodynamic forces developed by automobiles have destabilizing effects at high speed. These forces tend to skew toward a vehicle’s rear which can present safety concerns, especially for rear-wheel-drive automobiles like the Mazda Miata. To address oversteer and high-speed instability, a vehicle’s design can be tailored to bring about aerodynamic balance and improve traction. LiDAR was used to bring the physical automobile into the digital space. Then, a splitter and diffuser were added to reduce the magnitude of the destabilizing forces. Next, the size and shape of the rear-wing required to balance the vehicle was calculated using a combination of parameters …

Strength And Stiffness Optimization Of Coated Structures With Lattice Infill, Ali Tamijani, Zhichao Wang

Publications

A machine-implemented method for establishing optimized parameters defining a model of a coated structure with a lattice infill can include receiving constraints for the model of the coated structure. The machine-implemented method can also include initializing a lattice infill defined by respective lattice cells according to the constraints for the model of the coated structure. The machine-implemented method can also include optimizingthe lattice infill and a shape of the coated structure by iteratively modifyingthe lattice infill and the shape of the coated structure and evaluating a strength-based criterion. The machine-implemented method can also include generating, usingthe optimized lattice infill and …

Dynamic Angle Of Repose Of Ss316l Powders Fabricated By Gas Atomization For Additive Manufacturing Applications, S. M. Mahid

Student Research Symposium

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, unlike conventional manufacturing methods like turning and milling, construct objects by incrementally adding layers of material. Various processes can be used to 3D print including laser or electron beams to melt or sinter metallic powder particles.

Surgical Navigation In Image-Guided Transoral Robotic Surgery, Yuan Shi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a minimally invasive approach in treating head and neck cancers and has demonstrated improved surgical outcomes with reduced morbidity when compared to traditional open surgery. However, the lack of haptic feedback makes it more difficult to assess the tumor extent and locate critical structures (e.g., artery and nerves). In standard-of-care TORS, preoperative imaging is used as guidance; however, it becomes inaccurate intraoperatively: the patient’s neck is hyper-extended, surgical instruments are introduced, and soft tissues deform significantly. As a result, the surgeon is required to mentally predict intraoperative deformation, which can lead to bleeding complications and …

Removable Equipment Climate Canopy, Jessica Perez, Sabine Heid, Zil Panchal, Anali Salazar

Mechanical Engineering

The Climate Canopy Project has developed an improved solution for creating an adjustable shade mechanism tailored specifically for users of pull walkers. Through extensive research, goal setting, and a comprehensive framework our project has examined the challenges faced by individuals who rely on walkers for mobility. Our stakeholder requires a product that is lightweight, removable, and compact. This study dissected the designs of previous products on the market and aimed to build a product that aligns with our sponsor’s desires.

This report presents the main goals for the design and manufacturing process, along with key design features utilized to produce …

Finite Element Analysis Of The Bearing Component Of Total Ankle Replacement Implants During The Stance Phase Of Gait, Timothy S. Jain

Master's Theses

Total ankle replacement (TAR) implants are an effective option to restore the range of motion of the ankle joint for arthritic patients. An effective tool for analyzing these implants’ mechanical performance and longevity in-silico is finite element analysis (FEA). ABAQUS FEA was used to statically analyze the von Mises stress and contact pressure on the articulating surface of the bearing component in two newly installed fixed-bearing total ankle replacement implants (the Wright Medical INBONE II and the Exactech Vantage). This bearing component rotates on the talar component to induce primary ankle joint motion of plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. The stress response …

A Study On High-Frequency Bending Fatigue, Microhardness, Tensile Strength, And Microstructure Of Parts Made Using Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (Adam) And Additive Friction Stir Deposition (Afsd), Hamed Ghadimi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reports the findings of several studies on the mechanical and microstructural properties of parts made using atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM) and additive friction stir deposition (AFSD). The design of a small-sized bending-fatigue test specimen for an ultrasonic fatigue testing system is reported in Chapter 1. The design was optimized based on the finite element analysis and analytical solution. The stress–life (S–N) curve is obtained for Inconel alloy 718. Chapter 2 presents the findings of ultrasonic bending-fatigue and tensile tests carried out on the ADAM test specimens. The S-N curves were created in the very high-cycle fatigue regime. …

Optimum Design Of Metallic And Plastic Cylindrical Gears Using Naturally-Inspired Algorithms: A Review, Marah Elsiedy, Hesham Hegazi, Ahmed Elkassas, Abdelhameed Zayed

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract- Nowadays, several machinery and vehicles utilize mechanical elements which transmit power ranges from low, middle, and high levels depending on the type of equipment needed. Gears are the most influential design elements on any process during the running of a specific application, moreover engineers tried to obtain the optimality of a gear design which is a more compact, reliable- long service with simply operating features by following a systematic calculation of the mathematical model from standards and handbooks, however this process doesn't give the optimal design of the gears. Optimization techniques have been added to the design process for …

Sustainable Phone Housing, Jonah Milnor

All Undergraduate Projects

Most commercially available smartphones posed a challenge to consumers due to the use of adhesives, which not only served to seal out dust and water but also hindered repairability and hardware replacement. Drawing inspiration from successful smartwatch designs employing gaskets for water resistance, this project aimed to adapt such design principles to the smartphone form factor.

Utilizing SolidWorks for design and subsequent 3D printing and CNC machining for prototyping, 3D models of a smartphone housing were crafted. The objective was to attain a level of water and dust resistance equivalent to that of model smartphones, utilizing sealing methods equivalent to …

Generalizable Fugitive Carrier Method For 3d Printing Of Hydrogels, Hakan Arslan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hydrogels, with physical characteristics resembling biological soft tissues, hold great potential for bioinspired and biomedical applications. However, using them in additive manufacturing systems has challenges because of their poor mechanical and rheological properties. In response to these challenges, we introduce a fugitive carrier method, a novel and generalizable approach for materials incompatible with pneumatic-based extrusion three-dimensional (3D) printers. Our developed fugitive carrier method allows the 3D printing of a broad spectrum of hydrogel precursors with low viscosity while retaining their inherent properties. This technique has been successfully demonstrated by creating biomimetic structures with anisotropic and programmable systems utilizing temperature-sensitive hydrogel …

Multiscale Fiber Remodeling In The Heart Using A Finite Element Framework, Mohammad Mehri

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The organization of myofibers and extra cellular matrix within the myocardium plays a significant role in defining cardiac function. When pathological events occur, such as myocardial infarction (MI) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), this organization can become disrupted, leading to alteration in pumping performance. The current study proposes a multiscale finite element (FE) framework to determine realistic fiber distributions in the left ventricle (LV). This is achieved by implementing a stress-based fiber reorientation law, which seeks to align the fibers with local traction vectors, such that contractile force and load bearing capabilities are maximized. By utilizing the total stress (passive and …

Pulse-Width Modulation Spray System Performance And Development Of A Novel System To Optimize Spray Use Efficacy, Prashanta Pokharel

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching objective of this research was to enhance our understanding of pulse width modulation (PWM) based nozzle control system and develop an intelligent nozzle control system for agricultural spray applications. This dissertation focused on measuring and analyzing the transient nozzle pressure characteristics and performance under PWM control. Additionally, it explored the development of an innovative multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) nozzle control system for precise chemical applications in specialty crop systems.

The pressure dynamics of a PWM system were studied by developing an instrumentation system capable of operating a solenoid valve and recording pressure signals. A nozzle body and two manifolds of …

An Application Of Cfd To Support The Development Of Treatment Strategies And Technology For The Management Of Cystic Fibrosis In Pediatric Patients, Morgan L. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Inhaled medications are a key treatment modality in multiple lung-related diseases and disorders. Considering children with cystic fibrosis (CF), improvements in the delivery of aerosol antibiotics have the potential to better eradicate bacterial lung infections, preserve lung function and thereby further extend lifespans and quality of life. The overall objective of this dissertation was to expand and validate CFD models for predicting the deposition of pharmaceutical aerosols throughout the airways and apply these models to understand the targeted delivery of inhaled antibiotics to children with CF. To accomplish this goal, three contributions were made. First, CFD methodologies for modeling aerosol …

Effect Of Post-Cured Through Thickness Reinforcement On Disbonding Behavior In Skin-Stringer Configuration, Jimesh D. Bhagatji, Christopher Morris, Yogaraja Sridhar, Bodhisatwa Bhattacharjee, Krishnanand N. Kaipa, Oleksandr G. Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

An experimental investigation of interlaminar toughness for post-cured through-thickness reinforcement (PTTR) skin-stringer sub-element is presented. The improvement in the crack resistance capability of skin-stringer samples was shown through experimental testing and finite element analysis (FEA) modeling. The performance of PTTR was evaluated on a pristine and initial-disbond of the skin-stringer specimen. A macro-scale pin-spring modeling approach was employed in FEA using a non-linear spring to capture the pin failure under the mixed-mode load. The experimental results showed a 15.5% and 20.9% increase in strength for the pristine-PTTR and initial-disbond PTTR specimens, respectively. The modeling approach accurately represents the overall structural …

Stanley Black And Decker Slag Removal Design Project, Colt Hemphill, Kyle Stober, Andrew Raymond, Robert Artrip

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My group given the task of designing a system to remove the slag of large metal plates. Removing this slag is an important step in creating the final assembly of a model. Currently we the operators are flipping the plates using a large magnet and crane. The issue that we see with the current method is the risk of injury while having the plate suspended in the air. These plates can reach upwards of 600lbs and poses a serious threat to the operators if the magnet is not secured correctly. Our new system for removing the slag is designed to …

Development Of A Solidworks Api, Andrew Magyar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the current advancements in CAD software, and precision of modern motors, we believe that a new way to communicate from hardware to software is possible. This report details the steps we have taken to attempt just that. The essential idea behind this is that modern controls for robotics are not as user friendly as they can be. The general action taken is to create an API for SolidWorks that connects it to the other necessary controller software and makes it so that a robot, and its exact current position, can be changed simply and intuitively from SolidWorks. Furthermore, the …

Battery Dunnage, Paul Hirsch, Alex Cox, Ben Strubbe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Schaeffler is launching a new assembly line for a battery in 2025. As part of the project, it is necessary to design and fabricate a reusable dunnage (packaging) specialized for the battery, meant for safe domestic transportation in the United States. Through an iterative process, the team developed a final dunnage design out of steel components that had a maximum footprint of 62 in X 43.5 in X 29.25 in and a weight of 821.682 lbs. The dunnage is stackable on itself up to two high, weighing a total of 4,918.724 lbs. when loaded with four batteries. The design was …

3d Printed Drone (Body And Controls), Michael Dick, Hayden Pinkelman, Tanner Henderson, Logan Prince

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective is to build a scaled down model of a 3D printed drone capable of carrying a payload scalable to 50 lbs. for a wide array of applications. Some applications of the drone could include delivering support materials during natural disasters, such as foam to put out fire or medical aid packs to provide aid to injured people, food or package delivery, or military applications. The project has been split up into two groups. One group will be focusing on the propulsion aspect of the project, such as the electric motors and airfoil. Simultaneously, this group will design the …