Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Multiscale Modeling: Thermal Conductivity Of Graphene/Cycloaliphatic Epoxy Composites, Sorayot Chinkanjanarot

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The thermal property of epoxy as the binder in the Carbon Fiber (CF) composites, especially thermal conductivity is important to achieve the advance technology and to improve the performance of materials. Multiscale modeling including molecular dynamic (MD) modeling and micromechanical modeling is used to study the properties of neat Cycloaliphatic Epoxies (CE) and Graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)/CE with and without covalent functionalization.

The thermal properties (glass-transition temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermal conductivity) and mechanical properties of CE system are investigated by MD modeling using OPLS-All Atom force field. A unique crosslinking technique is developed to achieve the cured CE models …

The Impact Of Water Injection On Spark Ignition Engine Performance Under High Load Operation, Jeremy Worm

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

An experimental effort has been completed in which water injection was investigated as a means of enabling increases in engine output and high load efficiency. Water was injected into the intake port of a direct fuel injected, 4-cylinder, boosted engine with dual independent variable valve timing. The water was shown to increase volumetric efficiency and decrease the onset of knock which in turn enable more optimal combustion phasing. Both of these affects resulted increases in load of up to 5.5% at the same manifold pressure as the baseline case. The advancement of combustion phasing, combined with elimination of fuel enrichment …

Influence Of Magnetic Nanoparticles And Magnetic Stress On An Ionic Liquid Electrospray Source, Kurt Joseph Terhune

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Two electrospray sources were developed to operate on an ionic liquid ferrofluid; one source was a pressure‑fed capillary electrospray source and the other was a novel electrospray source which used a magnetically‑induced instability to produce a peak from which an electric field could extract electrospray. Multiple characteristics of electrospray operation were examined for both sources using faraday plates/cups, a quartz crystal microbalance, a retarding potential analyzer, and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The ILFF electrosprays for a capillary source were shown to operate in a mixed ion/droplet regime. The mass flow of the electrospray beam was primarily transported by larger particles …

Human Centered Design Of An Open-Drum, Treadle Thresher For Quinoa Farmers In The Andes Of Northern Peru, Robert A. Hayes

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Growing international demand for quinoa in recent years has led to increased production throughout its South American range, including the Peruvian Andes. Small-scale farmers, who are among the poorest Peruvians, are increasingly growing quinoa for both food security and economic benefit; however, manual harvesting activities, such as threshing, are labor-intensive and time-consuming. This report documents the design, construction and operation of prototype quinoa thresher in a rural village in Northern Peru. In addition, an overview of the history and evolutionary approach to design for the developing world is presented. From this overview, a series of criteria is considered for the …

The Emission And Particulate Matter Oxidation Performance Of A Scr Catalyst On A Diesel Particulate Filter With A Downstream Scr, Sagar Sharma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems along with a NH₃ slip control catalyst (ASC) offers NOₓ conversion efficiency >90 % with NH₃ slip < 20 ppm. However, future heavy duty diesel (HDD) engines are designed for higher engine-out NOₓ to improve fuel consumption. Consequently, there is a strong desire to further improve the NOₓ reduction performance of SCR systems, to meet the 2015 California Optional Low NOₓ Standard. SCR catalysts on a diesel particulate filter provide an effective solution to reduce NOₓ and PM using a single aftertreatment device. It also provides an opportunity to increase the SCR volume to achieve NOₓ conversion efficiency >95 %. A downstream SCR catalyst substrate can be used to get additional NO_x conversion by using the SCRF^® outlet NH₃ to increase the cumulative NOₓ conversion of the system.

In this study, NOₓ reduction, NH₃ slip and PM oxidation performance of a Cu-zeolite SCRF^® with a downstream Cu-zeolite SCR were investigated based on engine experimental data at steady state conditions. The experimental data were collected at varying SCRF^® inlet temperatures, space velocities, inlet …

Simulation Of Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration Using Lattice Boltzmann Method, Kshitiz Kumar Jain

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lattice Boltzmann Method is a novel approach, which has shown promise in solving a wide variety of fluid flow problems including single and multi-phase flows in complex geometries. Volume elements of the fluid domain are considered to be composed of particles and these particles fall under a velocity distribution function at each grid point. Particles collide with each other under the influence of external forces and the rules of collision are defined so as to be compatible with the Navier-Stokes Equation. In the current work, LBM has been applied to Diesel Particulate filters which is a device used for reducing …

Restraint System Design And Evaluation For Military Specific Applications, Sebastian Karwaczynski

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research focuses on designing an optimal restraint system for usage in a military vehicle applications. The designed restraint system must accommodate a wide range of DHM’s and ATD’s with and without PPE such as: helmet, boots, and body armor. The evaluation of the restraint systems were conducted in a simulated vehicle environment, which was utilized to downselect the ideal restraint system for this program.

In December of 2011 the OCP TECD program was formulated to increase occupant protection. To do this, 3D computer models were created to accommodate the entire Soldier population in the Army. These models included the …

An Experimental Investigation Of Low Temperature Combustion Regimes In A Light Duty Engine, Kaushik Kannan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A continuous investigation on the improvement of internal combustion engines is necessary due to the stringent emission and fuel economy regulations. Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) is a promising field of research since it can simultaneously reduce NOx and soot while attaining high thermal efficiencies in automotive engines. A thorough study of several LTC regimes is necessary to understand the quantitative comparison and the extent of feasibility of these regimes functioning on an automotive engine. This thesis concentrates on an experimental investigation of three different LTC modes namely Homogeneously Charged Compression Ignition (HCCI), Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (PPCI) and Reactivity Controlled …

Comparative Analysis Of Locally Available Materials For Treadle Pump Seals In Senegal, West Africa, Brennan Tymrak

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For rural farmers in Senegal, West Africa, pulling water for irrigation can be a laborious but necessary task during the dry season to earn income from vegetable gardening. Traditional water pulling methods are inexpensive but require great physical effort, while modern machines decrease the labor burden but at a high financial cost. This study looked at an intermediate water pulling technology, the treadle pump, and how it could be improved to become more desirable for use in agricultural irrigation. A treadle pump was built and tested during field work in a rural Senegalese village. Observations from field testing prompted a …