Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Natural Convection Of Cuo-Water Nanofluid Flow Along A Vertical Plate With Variable Thermophysical Properties And Discrete Heat Sources, Nepal Roy, Ioan Pop, Rama Subba Reddy Gorla

Faculty Publications

Effects of discrete heat sources along a vertical plate are of practical importance due their occurrence in electronic devices. For growing demand of electronic appliances and their advancement, cooling processes of them must be improved. As usual fluids have limited heat transfer, nanofluids made by dispersing nanoparticles into them are utilized to enhance thermal performance. However, flow characteristics and heat transfer of a nanofluid for discrete heat sources along a vertical plate need to be explored. For this reason, this study analyzes the natural convective heat transfer and flow behaviors of CuO-water nanofluid induced by discrete heat sources along a …

Virtual Process Modeling Of Metal Additive Manufacturing Basedon Direct Energy Deposition In-Situ Failure, Jachin J. Ramirez

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This study builds a mesoscale finite element simulation to examine how internal stresses form during additive metal manufacturing using directed energy deposition. The goal is to track how heat and stress develop layer by layer and determine where a failure criterion could appear during the print. The model uses temperature-dependent material properties for Inconel 718 and a moving heat source defined with custom G-code.

Thermal results are mapped into a mechanical simulation to watch stress accumulate as new layers are added. Different scan paths were tested to determine whether varying heat exposure could reduce the extent of a region exceeding …

Stability Analysis Of Thermohaline Convection With A Time-Varying Shear Flow Using The Lyapunov Method, Kalin Kochnev

Honors Scholar Theses

This work applies the Lyapunov method to identify instabilities and compute the growth rate of a linear time-varying system. The linear system studied describes cold fresh water on top of hot salty water with a periodically time-varying background shear flow. A time-dependent weighting matrix is employed to construct a Lyapunov function candidate. The resulting linear matrix inequalities are discretized in time using the forward Euler method. As the number of temporal discretization points increases, the growth rate predicted by the Lyapunov method or Floquet theory, used for comparison, will converge to the same value obtained from numerical simulations. Furthermore, the …

Design Of Ballistic Armor Using Multi-Composite Sandwich Structures With Nanomaterial Additives, Carmen Alaichamy

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This study explores the bulletproof capabilities of Kevlar composites fabricated using advanced additive manufacturing techniques. Continuous fiber reinforced 3D printing (CFRP) is employed to produce Kevlar-reinforced polymer matrix composites (PMCs) with optimized structural configurations for ballistic protection. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact resistance of these composites against 9mm projectiles through systematic experimental testing. A series of ballistics tests are conducted using a high-velocity gas-gun system to fire 9mm projectiles at varying speeds angles. The tests will be conducted at the San Luis Obispo Range, with projectiles fired at various angles. The effects of fiber volume fraction, reinforcement …

Leveraging Smartphones For Balance Assessment, Kelly Graham

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Assessment of human balance provides valuable metrics to track the health, development, and fall risk of individuals. The prominent method for objective balance assessments has used force plates to track the center of pressure (COP) position as a participant attempts to balance during varying tasks. However, the use of force plates is limited by the cost of equipment and expertise required, leading to recent interest in using embedded inertial measurement units (IMUs) in mobile devices instead. Many researchers have explored placing mobile devices close to the subject’s center of mass (COM) to approximate the subject’s COM acceleration and using the …

Synergistic Enhancement Of Tribological Behavior And Colloidal Stability In Cuo Nanolubricants Via Ligand Tuning, Sherif Elsoudy, Sayed Akl Akl Dr, Sayed Akl A. Akl Dr, Esm Lane, Abas Hadawey, Philip D. Howes

Mechanical Engineering

Nanoparticle-based lubricants, or nanolubricants, can exhibit superior tribological properties compared to unmodified base oils. However, these performance gains are highly dependent on the nanoparticle surface chemistry, particularly in maintaining stable colloidal dispersions. This study explores the influence of oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OAm) functionalization on the tribological and colloidal properties of CuO nanoparticles dispersed in an SAE 20W50 base oil. We present a hybrid optimization framework combining Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Bayesian Optimization (BO) to identify the optimal OA to OAm ratio (OA–OAm) for CuO nanolubricants. Unlike prior studies that employed either RSM alone or trial-and-error approaches, this …

Computational Modeling Of Torque Arm And Load Cell Interactions In Uta Racing Brake Dynamometer, Anthony A. Aiyedun

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The UTA Racing Team is developing a brake dynamometer to measure the coefficients of friction of various brake pads and calipers under controlled conditions. The dynamometer simulates on-track braking scenarios, testing brake pads at temperatures up to 1300ºF and pressures similar to racing environments. Its primary goal is to generate accurate friction vs. temperature graphs for various brake pad and rotor combinations, addressing the need for dedicated testing equipment. This project creates an ANSYS simulation of the torque arm and load cell interaction. The computational model accurately represents the relationship between applied torque and measured load cell force, incorporating precise …

The Trials And Tribulations Of Building An Ebike From Recycled Parts, Olivia Conrady

Senior Honors Projects

The United States is far from being “walkable” in most suburban areas. Though public transportation has grown in its infrastructure in some large cities, it is far from sufficient. As a result of this, millions of people drive their cars every single day -- a practice that is unsustainable and becoming an increasingly evident issue. One possible solution that has become popular is the use of electric bicycles, since they are less physically taxing than a normal bike and allow for quicker transport. Though electric bicycles have been on the rise, they are still well outside of many people’s budget, …

Signal Modeling Of High Purity Germanium Detectors, Brooke Parker Thibodeau

Honors Scholar Theses

Pulse shape analysis can be used to analyze radiation incident on a semiconductor diode detector. Finite element analysis (FEA) can be used to simulate high purity germanium detectors with user-specified geometry, impurity concentration, and bias voltage. Subsequent streamline calculation can be used to conduct pulse shape analysis for single and multiple site gamma-ray interactions within the detector volume. Cross sections of the detector can be visualized by contour plots of the electric field, drift velocity magnitude, and collection time, as well as t30 and t90 rise-time values.

Finding Groundwater With Electricity: Research And Testing Of An Electro-Resistive Ground-Surveying Device For Use In Well-Drilling Applications, Samuel L. Heath

Senior Honors Theses

A custom-built electro-resistive water detection device is tested under various conditions to evaluate its overall performance and sensitivity to changing variables. The tests, designed to assess accuracy and precision, revealed that the prototype exhibits high reliability (~ 99%) for both Schlumberger and Wenner arrays across different electrode spacings and soil conditions. Moreover, the measured resistivity values from the soil tests aligned with established literature ranges for each soil type. The device also showed the ability to consistently detect changes in soil water content by producing measurable variations in resistivity. At a total cost of $181, this prototype can serve as …

Improving The Viability Of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials In Extreme Temperature Applications And Additive Manufacturing, Ryan A. Warren

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Nebraska Summary #1293: Fendt 618 Vario, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Summary #1292: Fendt 616 Vario, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2301: Claas Xerion 12.650, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2298: John Deere 9rx 830, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2297: John Deere 9rx 770, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2296: John Deere 9rx 710, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test# 2299: Claas Xerion 12.590, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2269: Case Ih Steiger 645, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Summary #1298: Fendt 726 Vario Gen 7.1, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Summary #1294: Fendt 620 Vario, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Summary #1291: Fendt 614 Vario, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Ioto: Never Open A Stiff Lid Again, Gabriel Portugal

Libraries Award for Undergraduate Scholarship

Background: From baby food to pickles, food jars are a common find in American homes. Unfortunately,  the task of opening a stiff jar lid can be very difficult for consumers with lower grip strength, parkinsons,  or arthritis. While there are a variety of products on the market to help make this easier, there exist few jar  openers that can be used by these consumers. Objective: This project aimed to research and develop  (R&D) an improved hands-free jar opener that is accessible for consumers with the most advanced  cases of limited arm strength. Methods: R&D followed a Design Thinking approach with …

Nebraska Test #2302: Claas Xerion 12.650 Terra Trac, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2300: Claas Xerion 12.590 Terra Trac, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nebraska Test #2268: Case Ih Steiger 595, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Multi-Objective Monitoring Of Cvd Diamond Micro-Grinding Tools Using Acoustic Emission And Force Signals With Neural Network Optimization, Ahmed Elkaseer, Jianfei Jia, Bianbian Meng, Bing Guo, Jun Qin, Guicheng Wu, Huan Zhao, Zhenfei Guo, Qingyu Meng, Qingliang Zhao, Honghui Yao, Amr Monier

Mechanical Engineering

Micro-grinding has been widely used in aerospace and other industry, and its application was mainly the asymmetric microstructure. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond has drawn attention for its good wear resistance. However, the small diameter and high spindle speed may cause difficulties on the monitoring of the micro-grinding processes. In order to solve the mentioned problem, a novel multi-objective monitoring method of structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tool based on acoustic emission (AE) and force signals is presented in this study to achieve the high efficiency of the tool condition and grinding quality. The relationship between the grinding quality, tool condition, …

Cryogenic Fuel Applications To Sustainable Commercial Aircraft, Jack R. Kisling, Lillian Panning

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Finding a source of clean and renewable energy is one of the greatest challenges humanity will face in the 21st century. With populations expanding, developing countries increasing their use of resources, and the rapid and alarming effects of climate change, a shift to a sustainable future is an existential prospect.

The goal of our project is to take the first steps toward getting safety procedures and lab space established, so mechanical engineering senior projects can quickly begin to experiment with cryogenic fuels. They will explore the application of cryogenic fuels to commercial aviation.

A Multi-Material Platform For Imaging Of Single Cell-Cell Junctions Under Tensile Load Fabricated With Two-Photon Polymerization, Jordan Rosenbohm, Grayson Minnick, Bahareh Tajvidi Safa, Amir M. Esfahani, Xiaowei Jin, Haiwei Zhai, Nickolay V. Lavrik, Ruiguo Yang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We previously reported a single-cell adhesion micro tensile tester (SCAμTT) fabricated from IP-S photoresin with two-photon polymerization (TPP) for investigating the mechanics of a single cell-cell junction under defined tensile loading. A major limitation of the platform is the autofluorescence of IP-S, the photoresin for TPP fabrication, which significantly increases background signal and makes fluorescent imaging of stretched cells difficult. In this study, we report the design and fabrication of a new SCAμTT platform that mitigates autofluorescence and demonstrate its capability in imaging a single cell pair as its mutual junction is stretched. By employing a two-material design using IP-S …

Guidelines For Data Collection On Energy Performance Of Higher-Education Buildings In Egypt: A Case Study, Hesham Safwat, Ahmed A. Abdel-Rehim, Iman El-Mahallawi, Abdelwahab Hussein, Engy Elshazly, Ahmad Elshamy

Mechanical Engineering

Reliable energy analysis of buildings relies heavily on high-quality data leading to proper indicators. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of data quality in analyzing energy usage in residential and non-residential buildings in order to transform declarations to actions, optimise energy efficiency policies and monitor progress and failures in countries. Collected data must adhere to national and international standards for energy performance in buildings. This study aims to provide practical guidelines for effectively collecting and preparing data suitable for evaluating energy performance in Egyptian higher-education (HE) buildings. The guidelines are developed based on a comprehensive case study, considering data availability …