Mechanical Engineering
Senior Design Presentation Day 2013 Friday May 3, 2013 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Gampel Pavilion University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269
Campus Map showing location of Gampel Pavilion Gampel Pavilion
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Gampel Pavilion (photo shown below) is next to the UConn Coop, on the corner of Hillside Road and Stadium Road. It has a large grey domed roof.
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Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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The Senior Design Project Program A Note from Professor Tom Barber, Coordinator The UConn Senior Design Project Program is a hallmark of success for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In this twosemester course, senior students are mentored by department faculty engineers from industry as they work to solve real-life engineering problems for company sponsors. Students learn about the principles of design, how ethics affect engineering decisions, how professionals communicate ideas and the dayto-day implications of intellectual property. In the course of a year, the student teams synthesize design know-how, judgment, technical skills, analysis, creativity and innovation to design, optimize and manufacture a prototype model, or to perform product simulations. Senior Design Demonstration Day on May 3rd gives parents, friends and sponsors the chance to see projects at work, ask questions of students, and learn more about mechanical engineering at the University of Connecticut. Gampel Pavilion will be filled with students explaining their projects to visitors, including a team of judges chosen from local engineering industries. The judges will review the projects and award first to third place cash prizes for excellence. After 13 years at UConn and many years in industry, I will be retiring from the senior design program. I would like to thank the faculty and all the sponsors that have provided me their support over the years.
Professor Thomas Barber
For additional information or future participation contact: Professor Thomas Barber or Prof. Vito Moreno Dept. of Mechanical Engineering University of Connecticut 191 Auditorium Road, Unit 3139 Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3139 Tel: (860) 486-5342 / Fax: (860) 486-5088 E-mail: barbertj@engr.uconn.edu / moreno@engr.uconn.edu
Professor Vito Moreno
Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Message from the Department Head
We thank
We are very pleased to present you with this brochure summarizing the projects our seniors worked on all year long. Fourteen years ago we started a small industrially-sponsored senior design projects course with 9 projects sponsored by 8 companies. The course has now grown to include 46 projects sponsored by 30 different companies and organizations. Every year our students are engaged in these diverse projects giving them the experience of working in teams with fellow students and interacting with industrial organizations. This program enables our students to learn about different industries and connect with companies for employment opportunities. At the same time, companies have a chance to identify potential employees by interacting with our students during their senior year.
Alstom ASML Bausch Belcan Capewell Components Covidien CT Corsair DRS Eemax GE Henkel Loctite Nufern Otis Elevator Parker Pfizer Pratt&Whitney RBC Bearings Sensor Switch ShelterLogic Sikorsky Stanley Access Technologies Trumpf UTC Aerospace Systems Westinghouse Electric Windham Dental Wiremold Legrand Zachry
We are extremely proud of our students’ achievements and grateful for the support and engagement of many industries in Connecticut and across the nation. We firmly believe that the experience gained by our students and the teamwork in pursuit of their senior design projects enriches their UConn education and prepares them well for their careers in the future. We invite you to inquire and learn about our students’ projects, and welcome your suggestions and feedback. We thank all those who support and contribute to this program.
our sponsors
National Science Foundation Department of Energy Dept. of Homeland Security
With my best wishes,
Baki M. Cetegen United Technologies Chair Professor and Department Head Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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A tribute to Prof. Thomas Barber Tom Barber joined us thirteen years ago to try something different after an illustrious career in research and development at Pratt&Whitney and United Technologies Research Center. Equipped with many years of experience, Tom took over our then small senior design program and made it to be what it is today; the envy of many academic institutions across our nation. The modest initial size of the program, 13 industry-sponsored projects, has grown to 46 projects in this academic year. One of the reasons that Tom has been so successful is his innate ability to work with diverse people, from students to faculty to professionals from small and big companies, learning about engineering problems and bringing teams together to solve them. In the process he has provided students with advice and career counseling that help them successfully transition from the University to engineering careers. Many post-graduate employment opportunities have come to our students through our senior design program. It is truly a win-win situation for our students and senior design sponsoring companies. Well, Tom has decided to taste retirement despite our encouragement to keep working. But he is not totally retiring. Although he will no longer be leading our senior design activities he will still be with us on a part-time basis teaching some courses as he has been doing all these years. We will rely on his wisdom and advice in the years to come. On behalf of our faculty, students and alumni I take this opportunity to publically thank and express our gratitude to him for all he has done for our program. We wish Tom and his wife Lorraine the very best in partial (!) retirement and look forward to Tom’s future involvement with our activities.
Baki M. Cetegen United Technologies Chair Professor and Department Head
Photo courtesy of the ASME Hartford Section
Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 1: Alternate boiler tilt configurations Sponsored by Alstom Sponsor Advisor: Doug Hart Pete Bailey [Alstom], Tom Maloney, Doug Hart [Alstom], and Josh Klimas
Alstom, a French Company, produces high speed trains and energy generation systems. Their combustion power plants are optimized to have low emissions and high efficiency. Their coal fired power plants have the ability to reduce heat in the boiler during low power demand and increase heat in the boiler during peak demand. This is possible by allowing the air and coal injection nozzles to tilt up or down for higher output temperature or lower output temperature respectively. This articulation increases the overall efficiency. Alstom however is having an issue with their coal nozzle articulation system. Currently, the air nozzles can tilt ±30° with no issue and the coal nozzles can tilt ±27° but with a seal plate. The seal plate has a delayed movement compared to the nozzle tip. This is not a problem when moving to maximum articulation, but is a problem when moving the nozzle tip back to 0°. A second seal plate issue is that it tends to warp when exposed to high temperature gradients for extended periods of time. This is often the case in the fire box of the boiler. When it warps, the nozzle articulation seizes and prevents all other connected nozzles from tilting. Without the seal plate, the coal nozzle can only tilt ±15° while the air nozzles can still be able to tilt their full ±30°. Since 80% of the mass flow is injected through the air nozzles, the effect of 20% of the mass flow being limited to a 15° tilt was modeled in ANSYS Fluent to see if there is any difference in performance between the coal nozzles tilting 27° and 15°, then the seal plate is not necessary. The Fluent CFD results show noticeable difference in performance between the two cases. This difference would decrease the efficiency of the power plant overall, but to an unknown extent. It may be worth the removing the seal plate if the extent of the inefficiency is found to be minor.
Senior Design Project Program 2011-2012
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Team 2: Nanoscale material properties of hard materials
Sponsored by ASML Sponsor Advisor: Steve Roux
Faculty Advisor Prof. Hanchen Huang, Sean Morrisroe, and Abhinav Namala
ASML specializes in making the lithographic systems that etch computer chips. Lithographic systems focus ultra-high frequency light through a specially designed lens, called a reticle. Air bearings are utilized for many moving parts since they are capable of the speed and precision necessary to place the circuit elements within close proximity in a time efficient manner. Fracture defects of only a few micrometers can be a significant amount of damage on the surface of an air-bearing with a fly height of five micrometers. The published “bulk” material properties of the surfaces used for air bearings cannot be used in Finite Element Modeling with enough accuracy when trying to predict failure of just the very top surface (the top five micrometers of the surface), i.e. the modulus of elasticity and yield criteria do not match small indentation tests. The design team concentrated on the nanoscale behavior of SiC and 13-8 Stainless Steel (SS), materials used for the top and bottom surfaces of ASML’s air bearings. The properties were determined by an experimental nano-indentation procedure followed by Finite Element Modeling with iterative changes to the material properties until a good match was achieved. These nano-mechanical properties have been successfully captured and provided to ASML, along with a comprehensive characterization of the surfaces via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Modifications have also be made to the SiC and 13-8SS surfaces, to achieve the “hardest” and “strongest” surface possible for the air bearing application, i.e. a surface treatment (TiN via sputtering) which significantly strengthens the bottom SS surface of the air bearing. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 3: Combined air bearing and differentially pumped vacuum seal design study Sponsored by ASML Sponsor Advisor: Steve Roux Faculty Advisor Prof. Michael Renfro, Nicholas Gondek, Oluwasubomi Mosuro, and Elliott Neiwirth
ASML, a maker of photolithography machines, has an air bearing that becomes unstable as the fluid flow approaches steady state. The source of this instability could stem from near vacuum operating conditions, recoil from preloading against the bearing, as well as the high aspect ratio. This bearing is designed to operate under vacuum conditions because the mechanism operates within a larger machine that needs to be almost completely particle free which is maintained by creating an enclosed vacuum. The zero contact rotating disk is essential to the design because any contact between moving surfaces will create loose particles that could potentially interfere with the other processes within the larger machine. The air bearing is essentially two disks separated by a gap, microns thick. The top disk is the base for the rotating arm to be fastened. The lower disk houses the components that allow the bearing to function. The main features within the bearing include; pairs of inlet oriented radially around the disk, two out-gassing regions and the vacuum outlet. The inlets provide gas to the system and also generate lift on the bearing. The out-gassing regions are meant to evacuate the gas out of the system. One of the out-gassing regions is what is described as a differential seal, which is located radially outward from the inlet region. This feature controls the amount of gas that will leak into the clean vacuum of the machine, and affects the stability of the bearing. Rarified gas dynamics simulations using COMSOL have been generated to understand the behavior of the flow through the bearing, and dimensional analyses are being used to understand how geometric components affect bearing stability. The data acquired from the simulations have provided insight on what changes can be made to increase stiffness. Any predictions on design optimization will not be able to be physically tested. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 4: Redesign of a compact size peristaltic pump Sponsored by Bausch Advanced Technologies Inc. Sponsor Advisor: Laurent Veuillet Faculty Advisor Prof. Baki Cetegen, Deidre Herdman, and Christopher Fitzpatrick
Bausch Advanced Technologies is based in Clinton CT with branches in Europe and South America focuses on pharmaceutical packaging equipment. One device is their filling station that utilizes peristaltic pumps to accurately dispense pharmaceutical fluids into vials, cartridges or ampoules. Peristaltic pumps are ideal for pharmaceutical use because the fluid is transferred through a disposable fluid path eliminating the need for costly sterilization procedures. Also, there is no contact with the outer housing, eliminating contamination, and theoretically dispensing the same amount of fluid during every fill. Presently, the existing peristaltic pump fills up to 30 ml of fluid. The goal of this project is to redesign the existing peristaltic pump to accommodate larger fill volumes while maintaining accuracy within 1% of the target fill and meeting the Clean Room aseptic guidelines. The new design incorporates a central rotor of increased diameter and a larger hinged housing designed to access the tubing conveniently between batches. A new cam lock design ensures the pump housing consistently occludes the tubing throughout use. This design allows the tubing to be more easily accessed with thick gloves than the previous pinlocking system. The rotor, rollers and housing are made with stainless steel, which is proven to withstand corrosion from repeated cleanings with harsh chemicals and contact with strong pharmaceutical products. Platinum-cured silicone tubing has been selected based on the available options from reliable companies where Bausch typically makes tubing purchases. The accuracy of the pump was tested by taking sample of increasing fill volumes for each tubing size.
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Team 5: The effects of surface vibration on heat transfer Sponsored by Belcan Corp. Advanced Engineering Division Sponsor Advisor: David Rodney Faculty Advisor Prof. Amir Faghri, Kayla Johnson, Kostyantin Partolla, Timur Kotil, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Tianfeng Lu
Throughout the engine, there are hot areas (which get up to ~1200°F) and characteristically cooler areas (which are ~500°F). With this extreme heating and cooling, cracking does occur, specifically in the flange bolts. To resolve this problem, Pratt and Whitney installed heat shields throughout the engine. In 1988, a previous study investigated whether the frequency of the vibration of the heat shield effectively changes the heat transfer coefficient and is a factor of unanticipated heat loss through the shield. This problem, which is currently something that Belcan Corporation wants to revisit, is a remake of this study with emphasis on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a numerical calculation approach. The team is using CFD software (ANSYS Fluent) in order to model simple contained systems and more complex geometries representative of engine parts. The results of the computations for the simple contained systems are validated using a specially designed rig. This method of solution provides a clear, definitive, and validated answer to the problem at hand. The rig, which is heated on one side and vibrated structurally is made of AISI 1045 Steel. Mineral wool insulation is applied on all sides other than the heat shield surface to ensure minimal heat loss. The electrical thick film conduction heater is heated to 600F while the heat shield is cooled at room temperature. The air gap thickness is varied by interchanging three different thickness mid-section layers: 0.4”, 0.5” and 0.6”. Thermocouples are used to obtain temperatures of the components of the enclosure. This enclosure is vibrated using an electrical linear actuator at frequencies of 60Hz, 110Hz, 160Hz and amplitudes ranging from 0.0025” to 0.0250”. Based on this work, it was discovered that the heat transfer coefficient does change, but not to the extent in which it could severely damage the engine.
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Team 6: Next gen parachute release plastic components Sponsored by Capewell Sponsor Advisor: Stephen Parkinson Faculty Advisor Prof. Ikjin Lee, Matt Zukowski, Dennis McGinley, and Adam Greenman
The objective of this project is to integrate alternative materials into Capewell’s parachute release in order to reduce weight and cost while maintaining performance. To complete this objective, plastic and carbon fiber materials were researched and finite element analysis tools were utilized to evaluate material and design options. Performance and comparison tests yielded that alternative materials are a viable option and the functional requirements of the release dictated that the housing and the stop plate are the only components feasible for replacement. In all cases, the maximum deformation recorded was 0.0026 inches, which is about a thousandth larger than that of the steel (0.0013 in.), confirming the viability of the integration of alternate material components. Replacing only the housing minimizes max stress on the assembly, replacing only the stop plate minimizes max deformation, and replacing both the housing and stop plate maximizes weight reduction. Component redesign options were also evaluated and 3D printing technology was used to create prototypes to test alternate material integration into the manufacturing process.
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Team 7: Robotic actuating arm Sponsored by Covidien Sponsor Advisor: Kelly Valentine Faculty Advisor Prof. Nejat Olgac, Tyler Arpin, Joseph Drouillard and Michael Nault [ECE members not shown]
Covidien is a leading medical supplies manufacturer with a worldwide presence. The North Haven, CT plant has asked this design team to design and manufacture a system that tests the reliability of their iDrive Ultra stapling device. The iDrive Ultra device consists of eight triggers and toggles. The test system operates all the triggers and toggles in order to simulate use during surgery. It has been designed to function under normal room conditions while being subjected to vibration, and in a heated environment. The actuation device is fully automated by a LabVIEW program, eliminating the need for human interaction with the instrument. In order to furnish a solution to Covidien’s challenge to the team, a device was built using pneumatic actuators and lightweight aluminum materials to make up the base, “pillars,” and mounting plates. The team came to these conclusions by comparing different types of actuators and materials. Pneumatic actuators and aluminum were the best choices. The design includes three “pillars” to which the actuators are attached by mounting plates and aligned with their respective toggles/triggers. The LabVIEW program enables the user to customize the sequence in which the toggles/triggers are pressed, how many times each is pressed, and the duration of each press. This design is modular in order to test future product lines. The design also meets the limiting dimensions and weight constraints imposed by the vibration table and thermal chamber.
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Team 8: Restoration and modernization of flight simulator for F4U Corsair Sponsored by Connecticut Corsair Sponsor Advisor: Craig McBurney Daniel Synnott, Stephen Schmidt and Faculty Advisor Mr. Marty Wood, [Prof. Rajeev Bansal, Joseph Jurgiel, Daniel Popoli, Marcin Winczura, Eric Zhang [ECE] not shown]
Connecticut Corsair, founded by Craig McBurney, is a non-profit organization based in Chester, CT, dedicated to the restoration of a Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair aircraft to airworthiness. Through the generosity of sponsors and dedicated individuals who donate time and resources to their cause, Connecticut Corsair is in the process of restoring an F4U-4 Corsair from the ground up. Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC), of Southampton, PA, has donated a flight simulator for use as both a training tool and as a demonstrator to assist Connecticut Corsair in raising awareness for their cause. The ETC Gyro Integrated Physiological Trainer - donated to Connecticut Corsair in 2010 - had been built approximately a decade ago, and had been in storage and used for spare parts, thus rendering it inoperable. Connecticut Corsair wishes to restore the flight simulator to an operational status, as well as modify the simulator aesthetically to recreate the instrumentation and look of an F4U Corsair aircraft, complete with upgraded and refurbished parts, and new control software utilizing the latest available simulation technology. Ultimately, Connecticut Corsair expects to register the refurbished simulator with the FAA as an approved training device, and intends to use it to demonstrate the flight characteristics of the F4U Corsair to raise awareness in both the aircraft and their cause. Restoration of the flight simulator will be completed over multiple years and involve various engineering disciplines. The first task was to reverse engineer the simulator. Once complete, a primary goal of achieving single-axis operation was set. The ME team designed and installed a new shock system for the motion base, thus allowing movement; the ECE team established motor functionality by replacing and redesigning missing and damaged electrical components. Together, the project team installed one of the existing simulator motors and established single-axis control of the simulator, as well as completing significant documentation of both the simulator and various operating regulations for use for future UConn Senior Design teams.
Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 9: Motor / generator thermal characterization tests Sponsored by DRS Power Technology Inc. Sponsor Advisors: Mark Majewski and Matthew Lewis Faculty Advisor Prof. Amir Faghri, Karim Badran, Alexandros Mathioudakis, and Christopher Wahrenburg
DRS Power Technology, an industry leader in the fields of power generation, propulsion machinery, and advanced electrical machinery including permanent magnetic machines (PMM’s), offers a broad range of PMM designs. PMM’s are becoming increasingly important in the field of electromechanical power conversion. Traditional “fieldwound” motors and generators utilize electro-magnets powered by an input current supplied by a brush. PMM’s eliminate this secondary system by replacing electro-magnets with permanent magnets. PMM’s are higher in upfront costs, but provide significant improvements in efficiency and reliability over traditional “field-wound” machines. Thermal management is a critical area PMM design. While PMM’s enjoy higher efficiency than traditional systems, performance and efficiency decrease significantly at high temperatures from demagnetization. There are two major challenges involved with modeling the thermal network of a PMM. First, the thermal properties of a PMM’s windings, which consist of a composite material structure and complex geometry, are difficult to determine. Secondly, PMM designs vary greatly by application, required geometry, and performance requirements. The high degree of variability in PMM design makes it difficult to develop a model to evaluate the thermal performance of a new design. The current method to evaluate the thermal performance of a PMM is to build a full-scale prototype and evaluate thermal performance experimentally. This process is costly and time-intensive. This design team and DRS have worked together to develop a standardized test plan to evaluate the thermal performance of PMM’s, which may be applied to many PMM designs without the need for full-scale prototype development. The team has developed a standardized test to experimentally measure the thermal conductivity of composite windings, and a parameterized finite element model that may be used to quickly perform a thermal analysis of a PMM design based upon geometry and performance requirements. The tools developed by the team will allow DRS to shorten its design process, lower testing costs, and improve time-to-market for new PMM product designs.
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Team 10: Improved electric tankless water heater Sponsored by Eemax Incorporated Sponsor Advisors: Eric Jurczyszak and Jeff Hankins Faculty Advisor Prof. John Bennett, Harrison Fuchs, Tom Andreoli, and Pete Lariviere
Eemax Inc. of Waterbury, CT is the one of the world’s leading manufacturers of Electric Tankless Water Heaters. They offer a variety of water heating solutions for both commercial and residential use. Due to recent demand, Eemax would like to further expand their product line in order to compete in the “Instant Hot” market. Therefore the goal of this project was to design a tankless water heater that could provide near-boiling water instantaneously. Being the second consecutive year they have sponsored the project, Eemax was looking to expand upon the efforts of the 2012 Senior Design Team. Specifically, the company wanted to reduce the unit’s cost and size while minimizing any wastewater. Rather then working with last year’s model, however, Team 10 chose to take an alternate route, revamping the design completely. Utilizing SolidWorks, the team drafted this year’s model of the Instant Hot product, which is much smaller, utilizing only one heating chamber that is in line with the water pipes. The design is intended to be installed directly below the faucet, which eliminates the need for the drain featured in the 2012 model. Additionally, a separate electrical box was designed in order to house the components needed to power the product. These components include, but are not limited to a transformer, contacter, and control board. In order to meet UL specifications, this new heating chamber had to withstand up to 750 psi. To ensure this safety criteria was met, an analysis was performed using the Simulation features in SolidWorks. Once this was complete, the prototype was assembled and tested in order to ensure functionality. In this new design, coiled nichrome wire was strategically suspended inside a heating tube. Upon activation, electric current is applied to the nichrome wire, allowing the water to be superheated to a near boiling temperature. The water can then be dispensed to the user for several applications such as hot beverages or dishwashing.
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Team 11: Electrical current path thermal optimization Sponsored by General Electric Energy Sponsor Advisor: Katherine Coughlin Faculty Advisor Prof. Kevin Murphy, Jacob Mockler, Hussan Muse, and Ibraheem Sulieman [not shown]
The goal of this General Electric sponsored project was to optimize the current path of a higher amperage breaker using finite element analyses. The breaker had to operate in temperatures between 50-65 degrees Celsius at the Lugs and had to pass both UL and IEC standers at steady state. Thermally optimizing the current path requires some type of heat dissipation. One approach is to use fins, which are used to enhance convective heat transfer in wide range of applications. A second approach is to increase the cross-section areas thereby decreasing its electrical resistance, i.e. resistance is inversely proportional to the area; so by increasing the area the resistance will decrease which will decrease the temperature. A third approach is to consider a change in material, balancing the material properties to improve the mechanical performance, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. The FEA results indicate that it is possible to reduce the heat by a significant amount by implementing one of the design considerations or combing two for better results. The materials for the parts in the current path generally stayed the same, as certain materials are needed for certain areas of the breaker, depending on their thermal conductance and electrical resistivity. If we need a material that is extremely conductive but include a material that is not, it would cause potential damage to the breaker. In conducting ANSYS analyses of the thin fin concept, the fins were attached to the load strap. These proved too thin to manufacture and prone to the buildup of dust particles between the fins. It was then decided to increase the surface area to the parts surrounding the contact area and this proved effective in decreasing the temperature to those respective parts which in turn decreased the temperature at the Lugs. Geometric modifications that decreased the amount of material and increased the heat transfer proved to be both costly and thermally effective in designing this new breaker. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 12: Optimization of a suit interface plate for a planetary space suit Sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems Sponsor Advisor: Gregory Quinn, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor Mr. Marty Wood, Christopher Binkowski, Guillermo Hernandez, and Cyril Senu The United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS), formerly known as Hamilton Sundstrand, is currently developing new technologies that could change the way that humans explore space. One of these undergoing technology advances is in the International Space Station’s (ISS) Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) which is commonly known as NASA’s spacesuit. Currently, the EMU is being used in a traditional airlock chamber that permits the transportation of individuals or object between a pressure vessel to the surrounding environment. While the airlock system has been the primary method of getting in and out of the ISS, there have been some alternative propositions to this method. One of these propositions is the suit port. A suit port is a rear-entry spacesuit that is attached and sealed to the outside of a space habitat or spacecraft. Some advantages of using a suit port over an airlock are that it eliminates dust mitigation, minimizes air loss and speeds up the donning and doffing process of getting in and out due to a suit that is already pressurized. The goal of this project was to optimize the suit interface plate that serves as the backpack system that the astronaut wears while entering the suit port. Optimization of the suit interface plate include minimizing assembly weight, maximizing rigidity of the assembly, making adjustability easy for different people and allowing plate to be captured by the HUT (Hard Upper Torso) and PLSS (Portable Life Support System) with minimal overlap. The task was completed through several steps and validation processes. Material for the plate itself were first selected that will satisfy the constraints and requirements for the system. Next, design ideas were generated as to how the suit interface plate will serve as a backpack system, while minimizing its weight with the system. Stress analysis, through analytical and FEA software, was conducted on each design, to validate its feasibility. Construction of prototype plates was completed and tested to failure to validate results of the stress analysis. Lastly, a final plate was constructed and sand casted to fit the final design idea and demonstrate an enhanced and efficient new design.
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Team 13: Piezoelectric ceramic
servo-motors
Sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems Sponsor Advisor: Greg DeFrancesco Faculty Advisor Prof. Ugur Pasaogullari, Emmanuel Jones, Billy Napolean, and Aaditya Vyas
United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems (UTAS) is a premier manufacturer of components for aircrafts and industrial usage. As an industry leader in the construction of devices needed for these vehicles and machines to function properly, UTAS always strives to improve their own products. A division of UTAS, Hamilton Air Management Systems (AMS), specializes in producing environmental control systems used in aircrafts. A valve subassembly is used on this system to regulate bleed air coming from the airplane engine. Within this subassembly, an electromagnetic torque motor is normally used to regulate the flow of air through the butterfly valve. The purpose of this project is to explore an alternative to the torque motor and specifically focus on the possibility of using piezoelectric devices within the scope of the air control system. As a research based project, piezoelectric materials have been researched as potential candidates to be used in a high temperature environment. A material analysis was conducted to determine displacement of the ceramic after being subjected to various temperatures in order to determine how the piezoelectric effect degrades at extreme temperatures. An amplification system was also created for an existing actuator to be used in conjunction with a functioning butterfly valve to demonstrate proof of concept. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 14: Application of micro-fuel valve to aerospace systems Sponsored by UTC Aerospace Systems Sponsor Advisors: William Rhoden Faculty Advisor Prof. John Bennett, Michael Ciurylo, Chase Bastian, and Thomas Emmons
In today’s market, aerospace turbine engines require a very efficient combustion process where a proper mixing of fuel and air must occur. Current fuel delivery systems utilize a single fuel valve system which distributes fuel down multiple fuel lines into the combustor. Unfortunately, these valves are plagued with problems such as poor dynamic response, failure at higher temperatures, and a limited operational range of flow. This project calls for the development of a micro fuel valve, which will be set up in an array around the combustor to ensure an even distribution of flow to each fuel injector with the hope of producing a better dynamic flow control for the system. By researching available valve designs, developing actuation and control methods as well as testing the operation of the valve once constructed, one saw how a micro fuel valve array produces a system which controls flow in a manner superior to its macro equivalents. In addition to validating the effectiveness of a micro fuel valve, further investigation and tests were performed to produce a highly efficient and effective valve. Based on the operating conditions and the geometrical constraints provided in the project statement, a valve geometry was approximated then optimized through theoretical evaluation. The design process of the valve also considered the effects of valve operations on the fuel running through the valve. In order to develop the most effective valve possible the state of the fuel should remain relatively unchanged. This was also verified by flow testing the constructed prototypes.
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Team 15: Evaluation of the surface distortion using structural adhesives Sponsored by Henkel Loctite Sponsor Advisor: William Hally Faculty Advisor Prof. Brice Cassenti, Dennis Hill, Brenda Witherup, and Carlos Velazquez
Bond-line read-through (BLRT) is the deformation of a substrate’s surface after it has been bonded with an adhesive. While it is a common problem in manufacturing, currently subjective methods of testing are mainly used to determine if the bond-line readthrough is ‘acceptable’. Henkel Loctite has developed a testing method that will produce quantitative values for the read-through, and hopefully lead to a standardized method of testing. In order for the method to be standardized, it needs to meet Gage R & R, or be repeatable and reproducible. To do this, Henkel Loctite’s method was used to bond aluminum and steel substrates with three different adhesives of varying strength. After the adhesive cured, a gage was used to scan the surface and measure the deflection. These data were output into a graphical form from which the start, end, and midpoints of the deflection were found. Using these values, the values for BLRT were able to be calculated. After collecting all the data, the information was statistically analyzed and compared. Stronger adhesives seemed to give more consistent results, making it difficult to definitively conclude if the method met Gage R & R. While the method could be considered successful for a stronger adhesive, various alternative methods were also pursued. These may allow for more accuracy and for variations in geometries to be tested. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 16: Design for manufacturability Sponsored by Nufern Sponsor Advisor: Martin Seifert Kevin Dougherty, Nicholas Cook, Faculty Advisor Prof. Robert Jeffers, Nina Chow and Faculty Advisor Prof. Ikjin Lee
Today’s competitive manufacturing environment leaves no room for inefficiencies in production. Products need not only be designed for functionality, but with close attention to manufacturability. Nufern’s already functional marking laser, the NuQ, needs to be re-designed for manufacturability in order to enable an efficient production ramp up. The University of Connecticut’s senior design team and Nufern worked together to reduce the NuQ’s manufacturing cost. This entails the cost of purchasing and manufacturing raw materials, assembly time, as well as the guarantee equal or greater performance to the current model. The design team has developed two re-designs: one for the fan assembly on the backplate of the NuQ and one for the housing holding the NuQ’s isolator. In each case the group evaluated the current model’s assembly time as well as rated its design efficiency in order to identify areas of needed improvement. The fan re-design efforts focused on eliminating soldering, the main process increasing time and decreasing design efficiency of the assembly. The final re-design of the fan uses Molex connectors in place of soldering connections and additionally features small stops added to the backboard allowing the use of Loctite screws to secure the printed circuit board as opposed to the screw, nut, and washer combination previously used. These changes cut the assembly time in half and significantly increase the design efficiency, with no impact on any other part or function of the NuQ. The re-design of the isolator assembly focused on reducing redundancies in the assembly of the isolator housing, including multiple small screws that held the armored coil and isolator in place. The re-design of the housing altered the separated faces of the housing allowing the isolator to be inserted without the removal of the cable flange. Additionally the new housing has self-locating features removing the need for the screws that previously secured the isolator in place. This re-design removed several steps from the assembly of the isolator housing.
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Team 17: Self aligning latch for steel rails Sponsored by Otis Elevator Co. Sponsor Advisor: Jerry Piech Eze Onuma, Art Calef, Matthew Williston, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Horea Ilies
Today elevators are typically propelled by a series of cables, pulleys and a counter weight. Otis would like to have designed an elevator system that moves without the use of a cable, pulley or counterweight. Such a ropeless elevator system would allow several elevator cars to simultaneously travel within a single hoistway, reducing the wait time for passengers in high-rise buildings. Another advantage to such a ropeless system is the capability for elevator cars to transition between different hoistways with the use of a transfer station. Any transfer station has the need for a system capable of providing transfer station alignment. This system must accurately align the transfer station while inhibiting rotational motion until the on-board brakes are applied. Otis desires this system to be non-contact, cost effective, while not obstructing the travel path of the elevator or the transfer station. Concept evaluation identified the Toothed Magnetic Flux Concentrator as the optimal design concept to solve the problem, which uses a magnetic force, concentrated by an array of magnetized teeth, to properly align and momentarily latch the transfer station. ProE software was used to analyze and determine mass and moment of inertia of the transfer station system. MagNet, a magnetic simulation software, analyzed the properties of the alignment device and determined the magnetic flux generated by the electromagnet and alignment teeth. MagNet was used for the optimizing the tooth characteristics and armature configurations. A prototype of the device was constructed based on the analysis and modeling performed. The prototype, mounted to a test rig, serves as a final proof of concept model and allows for the validation of analytical data obtained using simulation software. This prototype of the device allows for the exploration, in terms of real world conditions, of the device’s practicality and feasibility to ultimately solve the proposed problem and meet design requirements. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 18: Use of a magnetically coupled screw for generating motion Sponsored by Otis Elevator Co. Sponsor Advisor: Richard Fargo Amardeep Singh, Morae Christian, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Jackie Sung
Otis is the world’s largest manufacturer of elevators. Otis wanted to address the issue of elevator technology not keeping up with high rise building designs of the 21st century. Today’s traditional elevator becomes inefficient after 600 meters. As the cable length is increased it becomes harder to maintain the necessary safety factors. There is 50 tons of mass in the system, but the system can only handle 3 tons of active loads. That means there is more than 10 times the amount of material in the system than it can hold. More work is being put in to supporting the length of the cable than the weight of the active load. The design task was to create a self-propelled elevator using helically arranged magnets. This coupled magnetic screw design acts as a linear actuator and eliminates the need for cables (i.e. a ropeless elevator). The goal was to test feasability and functionality of such a system and validate the design developed using a finite element analysis. The model consists of a 4 ft. shaftway with 8 guide rails 2 on each wall. The car is 1.5ft by 1ft with 2 magnetically coupled screws mounted to the sides. Each screw is 1 ft. long with a 2 inch outer diameter. The coupling is formed by high energy Ferrite Strontium Iron oxide flexible magnets arranged helically with alternating poles wrapped around the screw and outer cylinder. The screw is double threaded and has a pitch of 0.25 in and a lead of 0.5in. The car also has 16 casters attached to it that act as roller guides. The casters help maintain the .1in air gap. The system is not aided by the counter weight. This means instead of supporting 60% of the systems load the screws supports 100% of the systems load. Finite element analysis was performed using MagNet by Infolytica. Two parallel plates with diagonally arranged magnets were used to simulate the coupling. The results suggested this concept is feasible. This set up generated 2 forces: a normal force(X direction) and a tangential force (Y direction). The force that was important to validating feasibility was the tangential force. The simulation showed that with a 1in. misalignment of the plates (i.e. one full rotation of the screw). The normal force was simulated to be 70lb and the tangential force was shown to be 16 lbs. This force generated is per screw meaning the system provides redundancy. Using a Gauss meter the field of the model was measured and compared to that of the field in the simulations. This feasibility assessment has provided with the first steps need to move forward and further develop rope less elevator technology.
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Team 19: Solenoid valve magnetic optimization Sponsored by Parker Sponsor Advisor: Michael J. Williams Faculty Advisor Prof. Chengyu Cao, Sumukh Atreya, and Karl Music
Parker Hannifin Corporation is a global leader in motion and control technologies including the production of quality solenoid valves. A solenoid valve consists of two basic components: the solenoid and valve. The solenoid, through induction of a magnetic flux, converts electrical energy into mechanical energy which is used to open and close the valve. The primary purpose of this project was to analyze the magnetic properties of an existing valve and redesign the valve to optimize performance in order to achieve a low power requirement and potentially an increased pressure rating and reduced cost of manufacturing. The existing valve utilizes 0.6 Watts of power input when coupled with a 24 Volt DC coil for actuation. The current valve’s magnetic flux concentration was analyzed using MagNet finite element software. A pull-force test was performed on the existing valve in order to validate results from the software. The discrepancy of these results helped to identify an issue occurring with the manufacturing of the valve coil. Once the existing valve was benchmarked using this analysis, changes in design and complete new design features were added and removed to observe the impact on magnetic strength. These optimizations included identifying key geometrical parameters in the valve design such as wall heights and thicknesses, plunger diameters, and stop geometries. Additional components were also identified which could improve performance of the valve. From this analysis an optimized valve and coil design has been proposed to achieve a reduced power consumption of 0.5 Watts and an improved pressure rating.
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Team 20: Fluid dynamics in a vial during reconstitution of injectible medications Sponsored by Pfizer Sponsor Advisor: Robin Bogner Faculty Advisor Prof. Robin Bogner [Pharm], Caraline Bruzinski, Frank Natale, Dezhuang Ye, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Tai-Hsi Fan [ME]
Pfizer is a large research-based pharmaceutical company. Certain highly-concentrated proteins are freeze-dried for storage and must be reconstituted immediately before application to a patient. The reconstitution method which Pfizer has requested be investigated involves swirling the vial in an orbital motion, where the vial faces the same direction as it moves. Pfizer has requested our team to research the fluid dynamics behind this reconstitution process in order to optimize the swirling method. The team has divided the project into experimental, analytical, and CFD analysis components. The experiment involved manually swirling vials and using a high-speed CCD camera to capture fluid motion at varying swirling radii and swirling velocities. In order to more clearly understand and relate these influential variables in fluid motion we created dimensionless pi groups. The pi- group analysis allows our team to validate the analytical model and simulation results which have been developed for our problem. The experiment was run utilizing Titanium Oxide powder as a solute in water in order to visualize fluid surface displacement. The established analytical work includes case models in two-dimensional [2D] space where the particle trajectory as well as surface deformation functions generates a sketch of the analytical work to be done in cylindrical coordinates. Further development of the 2D model provides a three-dimensional result. The analytical model, along with the experiment, was then used to validate the CFD simulations using OpenFOAM computational fluid mechanics software in order to help optimize the fluid dynamics involved in the orbital motion. OpenFoam was chosen as the primary validation tool because it is an open-source software which includes many highly-customizable fluid models. OpenFOAM was modified to simulate fluid motion during orbital motion of swirling. Fluent CFD software was used as a secondary method of validation for the problem. The swirling problem was created in Fluent to visualize free-surface displacement. This was done by adding a user defined function to simulate the orbital motion. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the reconstitution process and a guide for further research into the fluid dynamics behind reconstitution, which will ultimately aid in optimal swirling techniques for pharmacists to use for reconstituting the protein before patient injection. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 21: Design of a gas turbine multipass prediffuser using advanced collaboration methods
Sponsored by Pratt&Whitney Sponsor Advisor: William Sowa and Albert Cheing Peter Glaras, Ethan Levine, Shelby Thompson, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Thomas Barber
Pratt&Whitney specializes in designing, manufacturing, and servicing engines and propulsion systems and are known for their highly functional turbine engines. Turbine engines are used throughout the world, ranging from military applications to commercial and academic applications. An integral part of turbine engines is the pre-diffuser, which slows down incoming airflow. Current designs feature a single pass diffuser that lets out air from the compressor to the area right before the combustion chamber. An inefficient air dump can lead to flow blockages and separation problems that negatively impact the performance of the engine. To combat this, a multi-pass diffuser design attempts to proactively direct the flow into the appropriate channels. The University of Connecticut and Brigham Young University jointly collaborated in developing an optimized multipass prediffuser duct. One goal of this project was to determine how to conduct a design study using two non-collocated design teams. The other goal was to develop an optimization program [coded in Isight] to find the optimal geometry of a multipass prediffuser. The optimization loop took the diffuser’s geometry from NX, a CAD software, and updated it each iteration to gain better diffuser performance. The loop then ran the geometry through ANSYS Fluent to determine a variety of performance characteristics. Lastly, the loop calculates all necessary post-processing. Once the optimization loop finished, an optimal diffuser based on the input geometry was determined. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 22: Sync ring actuation load verification for canted pin design Sponsored by Pratt&Whitney Sponsor Advisor: Chad Buhler and Logan Do Faculty Advisor Prof. Kazem Kazerounian, Andrew Sobottka, William Pratt, Colin Jenkins and Andrew Perrone
Pratt & Whitney is considering a design change to one of its engine components. The component in question, a vane arm which connects a synchronous ring to the stator vanes in the high pressure compressor, experiences a significant amount of deformation during regular usage. Pratt & Whitney has asked this design team to verify experimentally an alternative design along with the current design to determine what, if any, benefit may derived from implementing this change. Working with a kinematic part family, structural engineers, and finite element specialists, all from Pratt & Whitney, this design team has successfully developed a process for testing the vane arm designs. Throughout the year the four-man team has designed a method for testing these vane arms, ran complex finite element analyses, manufactured the testing rig as well as testable versions of the vane arms, and performed the necessary experimentation to compile the data needed to adequately compare the two designs. The work done by the senior design team will help determined what changes, if any, will be made to the existing designs of vane arms in some new Pratt & Whitney commercial engines. If substantial reason to suspect improvement exists, further testing may be done on an actual engine at a testing site in Florida. From these combined experiments, Pratt & Whitney may find a way to increase fuel efficiency and significantly reduce manufacturing costs. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 23: Improved tube supports to increase system damping Sponsored by Pratt&Whitney Sponsor Advisor: Jeanne Caplet and Joe Cerino Dr. Vito Moreno, Cara Redding, William Czaja and Mohammed Sharif
Pratt&Whitney wants an improved clamp system to increase damping of tube supports, while maintaining or improving the current temperature and structural support capability of the baseline design. Increased damping allows for reduction of bracket/clamp supports required, improving the overall externals architecture packaging, cost, and weight. The task is to conduct an industry search and recommend an improved clamp system, utilizing the current engine design as a baseline. The team researched materials that seemed promising, contacted vendors to request samples, and performed room temperature vibration testing in order to compare the current material in use to potential new materials. After narrowing down the materials based on room temperature testing, the team tested the materials at elevated temperature to better simulate the environment in the externals of a jet engine to make the best material recommendation to Pratt and Whitney. The team analyzed and performed vibration test using an electrodynamic shaker for nine different materials. The team’s rig for vibration test consists of an electrodynamic shaker with an aluminum beam, a signal amplifier, a frequency generator to control the frequency of the shaker, and a LabView computer program in order to interpret the data from accelerometers. The team placed one accelerometer on the free end of a cantilevered aluminum beam and another on the shaker head. The accelerometers are very sensitive to voltage supply and require a range of 1.8V-3.6V voltage input. The team’s primary goal was to compare the damping capabilities of each material and select the material that has the highest damping characteristics. After performing the initial vibration testing, the team’s next task was to perform vibration testing at an elevated temperature to see if the material’s characteristics are affected by the heat. Therefore, team came up with another rig design for the heat testing. A heat gun applied convective heat to the material inside of the rig, which was insulated to protect bystanders and the electrodynamic shaker.
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Team 24: CFD applied to cavity geometries Sponsored by Pratt&Whitney Sponsor Advisor: Andrew Millikan Faculty Advisor Prof. Thomas Barber, Christopher Cadden, Kyle Gerner, and John Leese
Pratt & Whitney is concerned with how well computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes can predict thermal effects on part life. A discrepancy of only 50 degrees from the design specification in a turbine blade or turbine disk can reduce the life of the part by around 50%. In order to ensure the highest quality product and preserve the good name of the company, there must be complete faith in the CFD analysis of the parts. Pratt & Whitney was curious about how well a CFD solution for a disk cavity would compare with accepted empirical correlations for turbine disks. Two correlations: Cobb & Saunders and Owens deal with heated, turbulent, rotating disks. Calibration CFD runs were first performed by running test cases with known analytical solutions, i.e. flow over a flat plate, an infinite uncovered rotating disk (von Karman’s pump), flow in a pipe (both laminar and turbulent), and flow between co-rotating disks. The culmination of these cases allowed for analysis of the final rotorstator geometry. Parametric studies were performed to understand the impact of various designs and boundary conditions on the final CFD solution. These parametric studies included: effects of mesh sizing on quality of solution, effects of conjugate heat transfer through the rotor, effects of rotations per minute (RPM) variations, effects of gap spacing between rotor and stator, effects of temperature gradients across the flow field, and effects of caps near the exit of the gap. All these studies were compared against the known correlations to determine what inherent temperature discrepancies were present in the analysis. Using these comparisons, the team was able to report to Pratt & Whitney approximately what temperature differences to expect from the code to the actual operating conditions in the engine.
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Team 25: Fixture to assemble single fractured outer race spherical plain bearings Sponsored by RBC Bearings Incorporated Sponsor Advisor: John Cowles Faculty Advisor Prof. Bi Zhang, Andrew Walton, Bryan Sneider, and Curtis Powers
The Roller Bearing Company of America (RBC) designs and manufactures precision bearings for industrial applications. Spherical Plain Bearings (SPB) are used for pivot joints under high load because the SPB prevents edge loading which is typical of cylindrical bushings and also allows for structure deflections due to excessive loads. RBC developed the Single Fractured Outer Race Spherical Plain Bearing (SPB) during the 1950’s which revolutionized the bearing industry. The Single Fractured Outer Race enables the two races to be manufactured separately and then assembled. The assembly process requires the inner race to be inserted into the outer race. Traditionally, the bearing has been assembled by pressing the inner race into the outer race. This occasionally leads to abrasions on the surface of the bearings and sudden snap back when the bearing closes. This assembly process has worked in the past; however RBC has chosen to pursue a new assembly method. RBC and UCONN have developed a prototype Bearing Assembly Fixture to open the single fractured outer race SPB and allow the inner race to be inserted smoothly. The fixture operates manually by the operator using the actuated hydraulic cylinders and the assembly time took one minute per bearing. RBC has sponsored the continuation of the project to improve the assembly time and bring the fixture to a production ready piece of equipment. This year the team improved the Single Fractured Outer Race Bearing Fixture by automating it to assemble the two inch SPB. The automated design uses a Rotary Turntable powered by an electric motor. The hydraulic applications for clamping and opening of the outer race are implemented through the cylinders using a Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) controlled though multiple input and output devices wired to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The modifications to the fixture were designed using CAD software and tested to withstand the forces using FEA. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 26: Class II Div 2 occupancy sensor Sponsored by Sensor Switch Sponsor Advisor: David Behnke
Faculty Advisor Prof. Lykotrafitis, James Fisher, Michael Gazda [ME], Gledi Progonati, Christopher Zannoni, Russell Gee, JoAnne Hitchcock, and Faculty Advisor Prof. Sung-Yeul Park [ECE]
This project objective was to modify a Sensor Switch occupancy sensor to control the lighting in a Class II, Division 2 location. Class II locations are defined as areas where combustible dust exists (grain elevators, flour mills, etc.). Division 2 locations are those where the hazard is not normally present, but may accidentally exist (a leak in a storage container, for example). The sensor was designed to be easy to install and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The cost to purchase and install the sensor had to be less than the savings a customer would realize due to the energy savings of the occupancy sensor being installed for three years or less. There were two major challenges incorporated with this project. The first challenge was that the relay in the power pack of the sensor creates a spark when it opens and closes. This spark can potentially create an explosion of the hazardous dust in the Class II, Division 2 location. To prevent this from happening, a dust tight enclosure surrounding the relay was designed. This design was created to be certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) which required various mechanical tests along with a dust exclusion test to be performed on the enclosure. ANSYS was used to simulate these mechanical tests while a dust circulation chamber was created to perform the dust exclusion test. These were used to make sure the enclosure would be able to pass certification. The second challenge was the circuitry in the sensor, when in the presence of explosive and/or conductive dust, it has the potential to cause a hazard due to overheating and/or sparking of components. This heat and/or spark could cause a fire or an explosion. Therefore the circuitry was modified by first finding and interpreting the correct specifications pertaining to the hazardous environment, with much help from FM Approvals (a NRTL). The circuit was then simulated in pSPICE to find all potential hazards per the specifications. With this information some components in the existing circuitry were modified and protection circuitry was added to the power and control lines of the sensor. Finally the circuit was tested for correct operation and components were tested under fault conditions to ensure accurate results and that no sparks or excessive heat was generated. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 27: Consumer portable shade Sponsored by ShelterLogic Sponsor Advisors: Abbi Nelson and George LeMoine Faculty Advisor Prof. Zbigniew Bzymek, David Goldberg, Craig Ferris, and Trevor Morrissey
ShelterLogic, located in Watertown CT, makes affordable canopies, shelters, and temporary storage. They are interested in creating a new design for the portable shade market. The project goal was to create a consumer portable shade product that is affordable, user-friendly, and appealing to the average consumer. This shelter is intended to be used at outdoor sports events, tailgating, picnicking, the beach, at home, and anywhere else shade is desired. The shelter is easy to erect and fold; it is portable, lightweight, durable, and is estimated to retail for less than $100. To accomplish this goal several conceptual ideas were created and a design factor chart was used to determine which concept best met the criteria outlined by ShelterLogic. This process led to the final design that incorporates tent poles into the canopy structure to significantly reduce complexity and weight. SolidWorks drafting program was used to draw the design and for preliminary finite element analysis on the joints and beam members of the structure. Hand calculations were then used to determine the magnitude and direction of the forces on the joints, with worst case scenarios used in all calculations. These forces along with an additional factor of safety were then entered into an ANSYS Mechanical FEA model in order to verify that the joints would not fail under the anticipated loading conditions. After the analysis was done, a prototype was constructed and tested to ensure the weight, durability, and ease of assembly were as predicted, and it met ShelterLogic’s requirements from both consumer and manufacturing standpoints.
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Team 28: Shelter frame with lockable folding joints Sponsored by ShelterLogic Sponsor Advisor: Abbi Nelson and George LeMoine Faculty Advisor Prof. Zbigniew Bzymek, Nirav Patel, Matthew DiNino, and Andrew Largier
There are many companies around the world that sell wellstructured shelters, however what differs from the one to the other is the price, set up time, and overall strength. In order to compete with other companies, a study was performed Shelter Logic to design a steel tube shelter frame, while utilizing foldable steel joints for ease of assembly. In order to determine the number of ribs to use in the actual shelter, different ribbed shelters (4, 5, 6) were evaluated by examining their weight and total cost. From this, the 5 ribbed structure was chosen while using the already available steel from the company for the material. After this was completed, many different joints were designed using SolidWorks. In order to figure out which joints would fail, the forces at each side of the joint needed to be determined. The constraints that were provided by the Shelter Logic Company were utilized in a program known as STAAD (Static Analysis and Design). The STAAD output provided the forces and moments of each member of the structure, not the joints. The forces and moments at the end of each member are the forces on a certain part of the joint. From examining all the forces and moments around the joint, ANSYS (Analysis System) was used to determine which joints would fail. Some joints were eliminated while others passed. From there, the least complex joint was chosen due to ease of manufacturability. Since the shelter and joints are complete, the set up time of the structure has been reduced while the cost and strength of the structure has remained the same. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 29: Wireless test instrumentation system for rotating parts Sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Sponsor Advisor: Paul Inguanti Faculty Advisor Prof. Robert Gao [ME], Lawrence Bogan, Jeremy Neaton, Adam Bienkowski, Michael Golob [ECE], Sean Handahl, Caleb Browning, Kenneth Thompson [ME], and Faculty Advisor Prof. Rajeev Bansal [ECE]
Sikorsky, a United Technologies aircraft manufacturer, would like to solve a problem of monitoring pitch change bearings in the tail rotor of their helicopters. These bearings are located inside a shaft that rotates at up to 1200 rpm, and are crucial for keeping control of the aircraft during flight. However, their location makes it expensive and inconvenient to access for regular maintenance. Pilots have relied on manufacturer data to predict when these bearings fail. This multidisciplinary team’s goal was to develop a proof of concept for a wireless solution that would allow for the monitoring of these bearings over a minimum timespan of a year, without the need for additional maintenance. The selected solution is a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that can monitor variables such as vibration of the bearing to indicate when the helicopter needs to be repaired. This WSN consists of a micro-controller, transceiver, and accelerometer that can record data to be transmitted to a stationary system, once a day, in the helicopter cabin up to 40 feet away. It is capable of recording and storing data to memory, until the data are requested for evaluation. It is powered by a battery, which will suffice to power the network for the one year minimum, and allow the system to power on after 30 days of inactivity. Energy harvesting was researched, and proof of concept is provided, but could not be implemented due to time constraints. Sikorsky provided requirements on temperature, packaging, and size in order for the system to work inside the 1.5” by 5.1” lubricated electronics cavity of the shaft. The design meets these requirements apart from for temperature, as commercially available components do not meet the high end of the -20 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit range. However, there are military grade components that can be used, and the company can further improve the design since they have access to these parts. The team has designed a test rig using a variable speed motor, an imitation shaft, and cartridge bearings to simulate the actual rotating conditions in the helicopter. Testing of the battery’s lifespan and power capabilities was done in order to ensure the longevity of the system meets the specified requirements. If implemented into Sikorsky helicopters the WSN will provide a more accurate readout on the condition of this bearing, improving the safety of all pilots and crew, and allowing for savings in maintenance for the company.
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Team 30: Aluminum brazing Sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Sponsor Advisor: Michael Urban
Faculty Advisor Prof. Eric Jordan, Jillian Falcetti [MSE], Ashley LaPlane, Haruka Kanesaka and Eric Parsons. Brian Becerra and Prof. Theo Kattamis not shown
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is interested in aluminum brazing as a new repair method for high-strength machined aluminum structure sheets using commercially available filler alloys. Brazing has not been used in aerospace due to many control and metallurgical concerns such as altering vital heat treatments. The feasibility of aluminum brazing relies on the preservation of the heat-treated alloys’ microstructure during the brazing process. Reactive brazing and resistance brazing are the most feasible options for the brazing operation. The base metal is aluminum 7075 T6 and HTS2000 and Durafix are the braze materials. To create the lap joints, dog-bone shaped test specimens have been machined from the sheets of aluminum. Rivets are the current field repair method; therefore, riveted lap joints were constructed for comparison against a brazed lap joint. Then, the brazed lap joints were examined under a scanning electron microscope to determine if the microstructure has been altered by the brazing process. A series of testing, data acquisition and analyses of the riveted lap joints and the brazed lap joints through resistance and reactive brazing have been undertaken. Lastly, recommendations have been made to Sikorsky based on which repair method demonstrated the best strength properties.
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Team 31: Bonded joint design Sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Sponsor Advisor: Michael Urban Faculty Advisor Prof. Eric Jordan, ME Michael Minopoli, Wade Moore, Ryan McGuire [ME], Nikolay Kolev [MEM], Ryan Adams, Scott Sperl, and Blake Knox [MSE]
The goal of the Sikorsky Bonded Joint project was to explore the feasibility of a new method to perform patch repairs on damaged helicopters in the field. The current method employed by Sikorsky involves cutting out the damaged area, applying a circular aluminum patch to the aluminum skin of the helicopter, drilling holes, and riveting the patch in place. The team’s goal was to determine whether or not adhesives can be used to secure the patch to the helicopter rather than rivets. Adhesives are prevailing in the aerospace industry already and serve as a cutting edge alternative to the traditional mechanical fastener. In general, adhesively bonded joints are lighter, easier to apply, in many cases stronger, and do not require drilling or cutting of the surfaces to be bonded. There is however a few challenges present when working with adhesively bonded joints, especially those being made in the field. The main issue with bonded joints is reproducibility. The majority of a set of adhesively bonded samples prepared under very strict conditions may perform to specifications and there will likely be a couple samples that inexplicably fail at a significantly lower load. Because these repairs will be performed in the field, this phenomenon is magnified. The other major issue with using adhesively bonded joints is the “kissing bond�. A kissing bond occurs when there is intimate contact between the adhesive and the adherends; however, there is no bond formed. Herein lies a major aspect of this project. A nondestructive inspection (NDI) method was to be sought after to quantify the integrity of the bonds being made. Another objective of project was to devise a fixture to hold the patch in place on the helicopter during the curing phase. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 32: Alternative load wheel design Sponsored by Stanley Access Technologies Sponsor Advisors: Michael Zabbo and Vinay Patel Faculty Advisor Prof. Thomas Barber, Jordon Ford, Raye Mokarry, and Gavin Macdonald
Stanley Access Technologies, a division of Stanley Black & Decker, specializes in the design and production of manual and automatic sliding doors. Their automatic sliding, swinging, revolving and folding doors can be seen in a variety of applications ranging from the commercial setting to transit. Stanley Access Technologies utilizes load wheels in every sliding door they produce and are an integral part of the current door’s functionality. The wheels support the door’s weight and enable the door to slide smoothly across the length of the header. Although this design is widely used and provides a robust, cost effective solution with a high lifetime of 3 million cycles, the current wheel design is prone to problems, such as flat spotting in cold weather environments which ultimately leads to excessive noise upon rolling. The primary goal of this senior capstone project was to develop a creative, innovative, economical solution to replace the current load wheel system used by Stanley Access Technologies’ automatic sliding doors. The two designs introduced to Stanley were both proof-of-concept systems that fulfilled Stanley’s requirements for safety, speed, adjustability, and low maintenance. The first utilizes linear bearings as a means of transporting the door while the second system uses permanent magnets to lift the door above the magnet track nearly 1/10 of an inch. Offering a simple installation procedure due to the integrated hook feature, the linear bearing system as well as the permanent magnet includes many of Stanley’s components such as the eccentric screw of the load wheel for door height adjustability.
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Team 33: Conceptualize and design fixtures for large parts machining center Sponsored by TRUMPF Inc. Sponsor Advisors: Steffen Wilhelm and Walter Kampitsch Faculty Advisor Prof. Bi Zhang, Joshua Klein, Calleigh Esposito, and Paul Corona
TRUMPF Group is the world leader in sheet metal fabrication machinery and industrial lasers. TRUMPF is a “high-tech company that focuses on manufacturing technology, laser technology and medical technology” (Trumpf.com). The Sheet Metal Department is responsible for machining large parts that function as the base of the product that TRUMPF designs, makes, sells, and services. When demands on these products go up, output of these machining centers need to increase as well. One way of achieving this is to reduce times between setup changes. The goal of this project was to conceptualize and design fixtures for TRUMPF’s large parts machining center. Current setup consumes a lot of productive time and prove to be ergonomically challenging. It currently takes approximately three hours for every setup and breakdown exchange. The team has designed new quick release hydraulic fixtures and a positioning system that will allow for an increase in efficiency of the set-up system. The new setup will reduce setup time, clean up time, and ergonomics.
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Team 34: Mitigation of baffle plate heat transfer effects for the AP1000 and HSP1000 Sponsored by Westinghouse Electric Co. Sponsor Advisors: Jeff Dederer and Charles Kling Faculty Advisor Prof. Wilson Chiu, Carl Lozon, Bryan Connors, and James Sharretto
Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC is a world leader in nuclear technology. Nearly 50% of the nuclear power plants worldwide are based on Westinghouse technology. Westinghouse’s AP1000™ nuclear power plant is the only US Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified Generation III+ plant. Four of the AP1000 plants are currently being constructed in China. The AP1000 nuclear power plant has an emergency cooling system that activates during a station blackout. This passive system does not rely on secondary power sources to cool the plant. Instead, natural convective airflow occurs as a result of the large temperature differences between the air flowing across the containment vessel (CV) and the outside air temperature. The incoming air enters the shield building, travelling along the down coming channel until reversing direction, travelling along the CV until leaving the system via the air exhaust. The down coming and riser channels are separated by a baffle plate. With time the heat generated from the CV is transferred to the baffle plate. This heat passes through the baffle plate and pre-heats the incoming air. This can negatively affect the air flow by reducing the temperature gradient between the channels and thus the density difference. The goal of this project was to construct a baffle plate design that would better resist heat transfer than the current design. To measure the change in the system, numeric models of the baffle plate resistance and air flow through the channels were created and implemented into MatLab. These models were validated using values obtained from Westinghouse’s calculations of the current baffle. Using these models, different designs were tested to find the corresponding changes in heat transfer from the CV and mass transfer in the channels. Recommendations to improve the baffle plate design were then submitted to Westinghouse. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 35: Study of fracture of dental implant socket connections Sponsored by Windham Dental Labs Sponsor Advisor: Dr. Dennis Flanagan, DDS Faculty Advisor Prof. Kevin Murphy, Gregory Bonomo, Kathryn Gage, and Preston Tischer
Dr. Dennis Flanagan of Windham Dental located in Willimantic, Connecticut, would like to understand the effects of off axial loading on dental implants. Dental implants are used as a permanent replacement for broken or damaged teeth and are made up of three components; an implant which is surgically inserted into a patients jaw and gums, an abutment which sits in the implant and finally a crown, or artificial tooth molded to look like the patients real tooth. Every time a person bites down, a load is applied to the entire implant system. Depending on the location of the tooth and implant in the mouth, the load applied when biting can be either almost completely vertical or can be off axis. The constant cyclic loading placed on implants located near the front of a person’s mouth and the fatigue that results was the focus of this study. To begin the study, a computer simulation of a representative dental implant and abutment was created. The implant model was based on two geometries, the first with a 0.25 millimeter minimum wall thickness and the second with a 0.50 millimeter minimum wall thickness. Both geometries had an outer diameter of 3/16 inches and the abutment dimensions were sized with relation to the implant geometry. A test rig was used in combination with analytical models to determine which load ranges alter the fatigue life of dental implants.
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Team 36: Optimization of poke-thru fitting fire resistance Sponsored by Wiremold Legrand Sponsor Advisors: Steven Thibault and Mark Makwinski Faculty Advisor Prof. Brice Cassenti, Nicholas Williams, Stuart Greenbaum, and Sean Vincent
Wiremold Legrand is a leading producer of cable management products. The products considered in this project are Poke-Thru Devices. To go into production, a Poke-Thru Device concept must first pass a specific Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) fire test. Right now, Wiremold Legrand sends its Poke-Thru concepts to this certification test without any quantitative evidence that the product will pass the test. This creates a potential for waste in time and money that could be avoided. The purpose of this project is to provide quantitative evidence and ultimately increase the certainty in predicting whether a Poke-Thru concept will pass or fail the UL fire safety test. This will allow Wiremold engineers to know confidently whether a Poke-Thru design is ready to be sent off to test or whether the design needs to go back to the drawing board. The two fundamental objectives of this project are computer simulations of the fire test and a physical lab-scale version of the fire test. The computer simulations are three-dimensional transient models in ANSYS finite element software. The lab-scale fire test rig is a modified kiln topped with a concrete slab located at the Wiremold Legrand facilities in West Hartford, CT. Both the computer models and the test rig have been provided to Wiremold and will be used to optimize the design of future Poke-Thru Device concepts.
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Team 37: Air void transport characterization in typical piping systems Sponsored by Zachry Nuclear Engineering Sponsor Advisor: Jeff Lundy Faculty Advisor Prof. Wilson Chiu, Michael Donlon, Hyung Nun Kim, and Dong Li
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Generic Letter 2008-01 was written to direct attention to all commercial nuclear power plants regarding evaluation of gas accumulation in their respective piping systems. Gas accumulation can cause malfunctioning in a nuclear power plant, but also can also lead to dangerous outcomes to neighboring civilians and employees. Possible malfunctions include, but are not limited to, unexpected pressure surges in the pipe, and damaging effects to piping system components such as the pump. Effective testing is required to obtain sufficient experimental and numerical data to ensure the safety of a nuclear facility. The introduction of air volumes into the pipe can be a result of poor piping system design, and any facilities that do not meet the satisfactory requirements concerning air voids in their piping systems may be required to shut down immediately. The goal of this study is to find relationships between different pipe configurations and air dissipation into the pipe flow. This will yield an understanding of how and which types of piping sections cause more gas accumulation than others. The goal is to provide guidelines for avoiding faulty piping system design and help future nuclear facilities to avoid functional problems due to gas accumulation. An experiment using a cylindrical pipe with an air box cavity attached on top of the pipe at the midpoint was performed. The pipe is initially filled with water, and the cavity filled with air. It is expected to see intermixing behavior between air and water due to interface and shear force on the geometry. The pipe test section was configured in a loop so that the experiment can be run continuously, while monitoring the rate of air dissipation into the pipe flow. Different test sections each with different volumes of the air cavity were provided and interchanged to obtain the correlation between respective geometry (Trapped Volume Aspect Ratio) and air dissipation rate. The aspect ratio is defined as the longitudinal length of the test section divided by the width of the orifice connected perpendicularly to the pipe. Results showed that there was increased air dissipation for an increased value for the air aspect ratio, whereas an increase in velocity (hence, increased value for Reynolds Number) yielded a decrease in air dissipation. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 38: Modernize a tensile testing machine Sponsored by UConn
Faculty Advisor Mr. Tom Mealy, Dane Mattran, Kevin Dowling, and Brennan Walsh
Tensile testing can be an invaluable tool for collecting and understanding material properties in a controlled environment. In the past the Department of Mechanical Engineering was forced to outsource material testing because their machine was outdated. The ME department has a real need for the modernization and calibration of the tensile testing machine for graduate and undergraduate applications. The department tester was updated improving the machine’s electronics and designing an effective test specimen gripping system. The grip system was required to hold specimens of various materials securely under load. A more modern interface was developed to control the machine while allowing real time display of stress/strain data plots. Previously the Mechanical Engineering department’s tensile testing machine required specialized knowledge to operate and had limited capabilities. Now, with its easy to use interface and detailed operator’s manual, any user can work with the machine. The manual provides graphical step by step guidance on how to use the interface as well as piping and instrument diagrams of the system, a troubleshooting guide and maintenance solutions. A new user interface was created in LabVIEW. The user is able to input known information about test specimen geometry and test parameters, run the test, and receive the desired data. The software is hardwired to the machine, allowing accessible real-time control. The Program includes advanced features allowing tension, compression, fatigue testing to be performed. An updated grip system was designed and machined. Finite element analyses were used to analyze the grip designs and predict stress concentration and deformation. The grips are made of 1018 cold drawn steel and were machined using a CNC milling machine. A variety of materials were then machined into test specimens for validating the accuracy of the system. These materials include stainless steel, cold drawn steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium. Extra specimens were made to allow additional testing by future students. The final design includes a working user interface, grip system, user manual, and a clean, accessible setup. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 39: Scene segmentation with kinect and point cloud library Sponsored by National Science Foundation
Faculty Advisor Prof Horea Ilies, Todd Koplin, Prof. Horea Ilies, and William Snider
Three dimensional scanning, along with the interaction of the virtual information collected, has real world applications spanning across many scientific and engineering disciplines. The Kinect sensor can be used as a 3D scanner/camera for use in this field of study. In terms of a mechanical engineering application specifically, the idea of 3D scanning can be very useful in directly creating computer aided design (CAD) representations of existing mechanical components. Other useful engineering applications could include robotic applications such as driverless vehicles or actual humanoid robots. The Kinect sensor uses structured light in order to view a scene and outputs surface and depth information of the scene it observes. The returned information can be in the form of a point cloud, which can be thought of literally as a cloud of points with 3D coordinates using the scanner as the origin. The aim of this project is to be able to incorporate these point clouds with a recently launched open source algorithm project, called the Point Cloud Library, in order to perform identification and extraction of cylinders from an observed scene. This process is known as segmentation and the library used is specifically for the processing and analysis of these point clouds. The main shapes being segmented will be cylinders due to their relaxed level of complexity while still providing useful segmentation information. Geometries with sharp edges provide a real challenge while completely flat surfaces are relatively trivial. By testing different parameters of the algorithms in use, one can find an optimum method for the segmentation process as a whole. By varying factors such as tolerances and estimation formula variables, the fastest and most accurate method of scanning and segmenting can be tested and verified for a range of different situations and applications. Once these methods are established, the research into three dimensional scanning can be further developed and expanded upon. The ongoing exploration of this topic can lead to great advances in scientific and engineering technologies in the future. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 40: X-ray imaging and characterization of energy materials Sponsored by the Department of Energy Accelerated Master’s Degree Matthew Degostin and Faculty Advisor Prof. Wilson Chiu
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) performance has been shown to be significantly impacted by various system and structural parameters that govern the physical configurations of constituent materials at the micro and nano-scales. One major drawback to using detailed analytical tools such as Finite Element Analysis in order to study these parameters is the severe computational costs that are often required to analyze real three dimensional electrode microstructures. For this purpose, an electrochemical fin theory has been developed for the rapid assessment of SOFC performance at the microstructural level, by analytically computing ionic conduction and surface reactions in SOFC electrode material modeled as charge conducting fins. Software enabling the application of this theoretical model to real three dimensional microstructures has also been developed and implemented in MATLAB. In order to properly validate the modeling approach presented, artificial randomly generated packed spherical volumes were created and analyzed. The modeling approach was shown to predict trends in the performance of these structures with respect to packing density that have also been shown to occur in the widely accepted percolation theory. Additional benefits of using this tool include the capturing of local microstructural effects on performance that are normally able to be captured by more computationally demanding analytical methods such as finite element and lattice Boltzmann methods. However due to the lower memory requirements of using this tool, it is able to predict performance of much larger volumes than a corresponding finite element analysis.
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Team 41: Intelligent inference in structural dynamics using Gaussian process Sponsored by the Dept. of Homeland Security Accelerated Master’s Degree Arun Hegde and Faculty Advisor Prof. Jiong Tang
Structural dynamics, the study of the vibratory behavior of structures, has traditionally utilized mechanistic modeling approaches. These approaches involve the formulation of mathematical models strictly from physical laws. Only recently, however, has structural dynamics been influenced by data-based modeling advancements. The advent of new sensors and sensor networks has led to a capability to acquire response data from structural systems. Theoretically, based on such data, one could identify the normal variations in structural systems and elucidate the underlying cause. To date there has been no well-established procedure to do this. This project is aimed at application of data-based techniques to problems of parameter inference and uncertainty characterization in structural dynamics. Parameter inference deals with the ability to deduce parameters associated with a mathematical model from data. Uncertainty characterization is a necessarily probabilistic task that relates to the ability to distinguish uncertainty associated with a mathematical model from data. Examples of this uncertainty include manufacturing tolerances and noise. This project’s goal is to develop a formulation that can enable the parameter inference and uncertainty characterization of a fundamental single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) vibratory system consisting of a mass, spring and damper. Frequency response measurement data are used as the input. Second, we wish to construct and validate a model that can perform such a task. The effort began by investigating the application of the Gaussian process (GP), a state-of-the-art regression technique made popular by the machine learning community, to construct a model with the aforementioned capabilities. An original modeling approach is developed based on the inversion of the SDOF system’s frequency response. It is found, however, that the GP’s application to this specific problem is severely hampered by numerical stability issues. Instead, an alternate model, developed concurrently with the GP analysis and based on the very same frequency response principles, is proposed. Successful validation of this model is conducted through numerical simulation and a simple physical experiment. This original approach yields the new capability of identifying both the means and variances of the mass, stiffness, and damping elements from groups of measurement data. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 42: Piezoelectric-based autonomous sensing for structural damage detection
Sponsored by UConn Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security Accelerated Master’s Degree Matthew Cremins and Faculty Advisor Prof. Jiong Tang
The United States Department of Homeland Security [DHS] has recognized a need to advance safety measures regarding railroad technology and secure railroad infrastructure. The vision of the DHS is to create a technology that monitors, in real-time, the rail tracks and detects their defects due to structural degradation and terrorist attacks. Professor Tang’s research group is developing a piezoelectric wireless autonomous sensor with unparalleled damage detection sensitivity that will be able to recognize slight changes in the railroad structural integrity and transmit real-time data to the operator. The goal of this project is focused on enhancing sensing accuracy by identifying the range that the sensor can detect damage along the track and amplifying the circuit’s admittance, or current flow sensitivity. By applying a voltage and exciting the beam, a piezoelectric sensor detects different masses we place along the beam with varying accuracy through a change in the beam’s natural frequency. An approach to improve sensing accuracy was to integrate inductive circuitry and a negative capacitance circuit into the original RC sensor circuit. A comprehensive MatLab program was written that models the railway track with the piezoelectric sensor attached. The program simulates the inductive circuitry, negative capacitance, beam order, changes in mass, damping, and stiffness, and the effects of damage on the beam and displays the corresponding admittance graphs. The MatLab simulation was then compared to experimental results on the rail track using an impulse hammer and a signal analyzer. From both the MatLab simulation and the experimental results, the integration of inductive circuitry has resulted in a significant increase in admittance magnitude, and the negative capacitance circuit has improved the admittance magnitude at off resonant frequencies. In addition, the operation of the sensor under a higher beam order increased sensing accuracy, but decreased both the effects of inductive circuitry and negative capacitance. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Team 43: Dislocation dynamics in Ni/Ni3Al superalloys Sponsored by UConn Accelerated Master’s Degree Nikolay Kolev and Faculty Advisor Prof. Hanchen Huang
Molecular Dynamics simulations of interfaces Nickel and Nickel Prime (Ni3Al) phases have been done for quite some time. All of those simulations have shown dislocation networks that orient along the <110> directions. Physically such interfaces have been found to be oriented along the <100> directions. Researching these interfaces has become incredibly important for the turbine industry since the orientation of dislocation networks on the interface is a very important strengthening mechanism that is used in modern Nickel-Based single crystal superalloys. These alloys are some of the highest performing with regards to cost, fatigue life, and maximum operational temperature and are found in most modern fixed wing civilian aircraft turbines, power plant turbines and some military use turbines. During the course of this project basic principles of the Molecular Dynamics Simulation Method (MD) were learned and applied. After much research and preliminary simulations it was decided that the selfdiffusion coefficients of the interface are most likely preventing the simulated material to behave the way the physical material does. Self-diffusion coefficient for different cases were found and compared to physical values found from experiments. Simulations done by previous researchers were attempted by changing a temperature and lattice mismatch.
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Team 44: Burner design for studies of turbulent local extinction Sponsored by UConn Accelerated Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree Marc Schneider and Faculty Advisor Prof. Michael Renfro
In the design of aerospace combustors, it is desirable to rapidly mix fuel and air to reduce emissions and increase engine efficiency by reducing flame length and increasing heat release rate. Complicated flow fields with locally high strain rates are used to promote mixing. In the areas of high strain, the flame can be extinguished locally. This is usually undesirable, especially in thrust augmenters for military aircraft. Models used to predict global flame extinction in combustors rely on models of local flame extinction. In order to refine these models, an understanding of the edges of the flame is important since the edge is the region of extinction. In the study of local extinction, the negative flame edge is of interest, as this represents the cessation of the chemical reaction before all reactants are consumed. Study of these edges can be difficult, as they are usually transient phenomena and provide challenges when optical diagnostic methods are applied to these flames. In order to understand the flame edges present in thrust augmentors, it is desirable to stabilize a negative edge flame under turbulent conditions and with undiluted fuels. The project goals are to create a burner capable of stabilizing a negative flame edge in both laminar and turbulent conditions while minimizing operating costs by minimizing mass flow rate. Two types of burner geometries were analyzed in order to meet the design goals. A convergent nozzle design and a straight slot burner with impinging side jets were studied. In the optimization of the burner geometry, scalar dissipation rate is used as an optimization parameter for predicting local extinction. This quantity has been used in previous work to predict formation of a negative flame edge. Non-reacting, 2D CFD simulations were performed in Fluent to analyze the relative merits of the two burner types and geometry scales. Once the burner met the non-reacting scalar dissipation goal, 2D reacting simulations with a 1 step methaneair chemistry mechanism were used to predict flame edge location. A straight burner geometry has been finalized and the burner has been constructed. A stable negative edge flame has been observed in the burner under laminar conditions. This validates the modeling used in the development of the burner. This burner will be used to perform optical diagnostics, including planar imaging velocimetry, planar laser induced fluorescence, and Raman scattering, on this flame edge.
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Team 45: Tooling Wave Cancellation Based on Smart Materials Sponsored by UConn Accelerated Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree Matthew Roberts and Faculty Advisor Prof. Robert Gao
A drilling technique, known as logging while drilling (LWD), provides real-time data about the formation of a borehole. This information is important as it allows the drilling process to be more efficient and less damaging to the environment. One method of operation is to transmit an acoustic signal from the drilling end of the LWD tool while receivers along the tool pick up the coupled vibrations from the borehole. Unfortunately, the acoustic transmission causes a vibration to propagate along the drilling tool, which acts as interference to the measured borehole data. This tool wave must be eliminated so that the measured data can be proven useful. A scaled and simplified LWD tool and testing rig were designed and used to simulate this tool vibration. For an actual LWD tool, the frequencies of the tool wave are between 1 kHz and 20 kHz. A three-foot long rectangular cross-sectional beam was designed and used to emulate the LWD tool. Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) transducers were adhered to the surface to actuate and sense the beamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrations. To test the effectiveness of control within a borehole like structure, the beam was suspended vertically and submerged into a cylindrical tank filled with water. A signal was transmitted at the bottom of the beam and a controller programmed using LabVIEW software, used sensors and actuators from two control sets along the beam to cancel the tool wave. Both adaptive coupled feed forward and coupled feedback control schemes were evaluated. The effect of the fluid-tool interaction on the controlling the tool wave was studied.
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Team 46: Intelligent HVAC Control for Energy Efficient Smart Buildings Sponsored by UConn Accelerated Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree Faculty Advisor Prof. Robert Gao and Joseph Boruch
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) operation can account for up to 49% of a buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy expenditure, especially in climates where below-freezing weather is seen during winter months. A good portion of this expenditure has been shown to be lost to waste due to improper operation of HVAC. To reduce improper operation of HVAC, an innovative control system has been developed that detects additional thermal sources in a room/space such as occupants, lights (including sunlight), and machine operation. Using the First Law of Thermodynamics, the thermal energy that these sources contribute to a room/space is then accounted for in terms of determining how much thermal energy the HVAC system must actually contribute to achieve desired conditions. The analysis and control software developed utilizes algorithms as simple as binary reasoning to the complex algorithms used in the development of speech recognition and the development artificial intelligence. The resulting control system can save a building up to 30% in energy savings, depending on the configuration and use of a room/space.
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2011-2012 Demonstration Day Awards Cash prizes ($1,500, $1,000, $500) were awarded to outstanding ME senior design teams, as judged by a
panel of engineers from industry. Faculty also awarded a Professorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice prize ($1,000) to the team that most successfully applied the fundamental principles of Mechanical Engineering to their solution. Performance is determined by the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding of the project, approach to solving the problem, management of the effort, and achievements. First place, Team 39: Load Wheel Optimization Sponsored by Stanley Access Technologies Team Members: Callan Gruber, Chad Chmura, Waleed Zawawi The Stanley Access Tech. team devised a method to optimize the load wheels in an automatic sliding door. Load wheels are typically made of polyurethane rubber which is sensitive to temperature change. A testing facility was developed to analyze wheel performance, independent of the sliding door assembly. The test setup accurately measured the rolling resistance of various types of load wheels under a number of conditions and achieved repeatable results. These varying conditions included different loads, temperatures, speeds, directions, and track surface materials.
Second place, Team 33: An Assembly Fixture to Assemble Single Fractured Outer Race Spherical Plain Bearings Sponsored by RBC Bearings Team Members: Brian Paakkonen, James Rosenberger, Robert Steller III RBC Bearing produces single fractured outer race spherical plane bearings (SPB). RBC uses a brute force assembly method wherein the inner race is pressed into the outer race. The design goal was to design a fixture to improve the assembly process by opening the outer race to allow the inner to be inserted. FEA software was used to study the current assembly process and its effect on the inner and outer races of the bearing. These data were then used to design an improved fixture. The design used a set of hydraulically powered clamps. The clamp contact surfaces were designed to maximize contact between the clamp and bearing. Further, the location about which the clamps pivot was determined to minimize the stress in the bearing due to opening. The fixture was also adjustable, accommodating bearings of different diameters.
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Third place (tie), Team 48: Evaluation of Hoop Stress in Dental Implants Sponsored by Windham Dental Labs Team Members: Matthew Connor, Timothy Dyer, Justin Phillips Windham Dental needs to understand the effects of vertical loading on dental implants. Dental implants are used as permanent tooth replacement and consist of the implant that threads into the patient’s bone, the abutment that sits in the implant, and the crown, or fake tooth that is molded to look like the patient’s teeth. These implants undergo load every time a person chews or bites down. This constant cyclic loading causes fatigue on the titanium implant. Analytical models were created and run through a FEA program to understand what was happening to an implant upon vertical loading. The stresses on the implant were computed and used to predict when a fatigue failure would occur. A test rig was then built measure the fatigue life of implants. Because a normal biting force yielded infinite life, for testing, the vertical load on the implant was increased to create a failure in an accelerated period of time. Third place (tie), Team 7: Intensive Mixing Reactor Vessel For Use In Microwave Polymerization Technology Sponsored by Covidien Team Members: Michael Blair, Andrew Crouch and Stephen James Rogers Covidien produces sutures from various polymers to be used in medical procedures. The sutures are currently polymerized using a conventional direct heating method. To eliminate inefficiencies, Covidien is considering using microwave technology to heat the polymers. Microwave technology provides faster rate of heating, reduces temperature gradients, and eliminates unwanted side reactions in the polymer mixture. The design team designed a mixing system for highly viscous polymers that will operate inside of the MARS microwave at the Covidien lab. The mixing device needs to ensure a homogenous temperature throughout the whole mixture. A two-part system utilized an auger to create motion within the fluid and a static baffle system to disrupt the flow. The baffles and auger were manufactured to withstand the 250 °C operating temperature, yet strong enough to resist the fluid shearing forces. Professor’s Award, Team 49: Characterizing Multiphase Thermalhydraulic System and Component Response Sponsored by Zachry Team Member: Daniel Mitchell, Mark Plourde, Shane Williams The team performed a validation of the NRC’s TRACE Code. TRACE combines the capabilities of previous NRC codes in order to model new reactor designs. TRACE has a wide range of applications including the analysis of loss-of-coolant accidents and the modeling of operational transients within pressurized and boiling water reactors. The team modeled experimental facilities in order to validate the ability of TRACE properly characterize multiphase thermal-hydraulic system and component response. The satisfactory validation of the computer code was necessary for Zachry to be able to perform safety related analyses in accordance with U.S. Code Quality Assurance requirements. Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
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Profile: Tom Mealy, Senior Machine Shop Engineer Thomas J. Mealy has been working for the UConn Mechanical Engineering department since 2001. He started as a Mechanical Design Technician, supporting all its shop and fabrication needs. He was promoted to Senior Machine Shop Engineer in 2007. Almost immediately, Tom started taking ME courses part time while supporting the department, especially the senior design program. During the 2005-2006 academic year, he completed his senior design project, working on a Sea Water Pressurized Bearing Test Stand for Electric Boat. This project was so successful that upon completion, the test stand was put to use in the General Dynamics Electric Boat lab. In 2008, he completed his B.S.M.E degree. As a Senior Machine Shop Engineer, Tom is responsible for many aspects of the department’s activities. Tom has been a valuable contributor to our Senior Design program at every level. Beyond simply helping our students in the machine shop or the lab, he regularly provides a practical perspective and technical advice - to our teams. Moreover, as a 2008 graduate of our program, Tom has an insider’s perspective on our curriculum. He provides consulting to faculty and students on equipment design, maintains and repairs equipment and instruments and oversees the department’s shop facilities. He actively supports student clubs such the annual Society of Automotive Engineers car competition. Tom has continually assumed greater roles with the students and faculty. Tom is the department’s point of contact for lab safety and all facilities and renovations projects. Tom has recently begun assisting with instruction in some of our courses including machining laboratories. We greatly value his contributions. Tom Mealy (front) with student working on a lab Senior Design Project Program 2012-2013
Thank you! Faculty Mentors Thomas J. Barber Zbigniew M. Bzymek Chengyu Cao Brice Cassenti Baki M. Cetegen Wilson K. S. Chiu Amir Faghri Tai-Hsi Fan Robert Gao Hanchen Huang Horea Ilies Robert G. Jeffers Eric H. Jordan Kazem Kazerounian Ikjin Lee Tianfeng Lu George Lykotrafitis Kevin Murphy Nejat Olgac Ugur Pasaogullari Zhuyin Ren Michael W. Renfro Chih-Jen (Jackie) Sung Jiong Tang Marty Wood Bi Zhang
Assisting Staff Serge Doyon Peter Glaude Laurie Hockla Emily Jerome Tom Mealy Igor Parsadanov Kelly Tyler Jacqueline Veronese
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Guest Lecturers Mr. Brian Montanari, Habco Inc. ‘Lean Management’ Mr. Thomas Meyer, Pratt&Whitney, retired ‘Fatigue in the Real World’ Mr. Frederic T. Tenney, Pratt&Whitney ‘Patent Law and Intellectual Property’ Mr. Mark Austin, CT Society of Professional Engineers ‘Professionalism and Licensure’ Mr. Stephen Heath, Pratt & Whitney, retired ‘Project Management’ Mr. Chris D’Angelo, Zachry Nuclear Engineering ‘Zachry Power Market Overview’ Mr. William Hally, Henkel-Loctite ‘Coefficient of Variance’ Dr. Greg Quinn, Hamilton-Sundstrand ‘Tolerance in Testing’ David Ware, Pratt&Whitney, retired “Product Liability”
Senior Design
2013