Over the last few decades, the methods and tools through which humans collaborate, share knowledge and generally communicate have been advancing at a rapid pace. Thanks mostly to advances in broadband internet, cheap data storage and fast microprocessors, humans now have the ability to work together in ways that even...
Photovoltaic (PV) cells have long been an attractive alternative for the consumption of fossil fuels but current manufacturing practices suffer from poor energy efficiency, large carbon footprints, low material utilization, high processing temperatures and high solvent usage. A critical step in PV production is the deposition of CdS as a...
The substantial wave energy resource of the US Pacific Northwest (i.e. off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and N. California) is assessed and characterized. Archived spectral records from ten wave measurement buoys, operated and maintained by the National Data Buoy Center and the Coastal Data Information Program, form the basis...
This research studied the role of shared ownership on virtual team effectiveness, using student teams enrolled in engineering management coursework at Oregon State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. After a thorough review of the literature, the concept of shared ownership was developed. This concept was operationalized as the extent to...
Silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminum nitride (AlN) exhibit a combination of thermal and mechanical properties that are relevant to applications in electronics, aerospace, defense and automotive industries. However, the successful translation of these properties into final applications lies in the net-shaping of these ceramics into fully dense microstructures. Increasing the...
Continuous Improvement (CI) is an integral part of hospital administration. This study examined the relationship between five CI variables against six hospital criterion measures of, wait times to prepare a room, patient costs per day, waiting time for lab results, reportable errors, patient satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. The research was...
Biological organisms, phenomena and strategies, herein referred to as biological systems, provide a rich set of analogies that can be used to inspire engineering innovation. Biologically-inspired, or biomimetic, designs are publicly viewed as creative and novel solutions to human problems. Moreover, some biomimetic designs have become so commonplace that it...
Novel fluidic devices that utilize an array of microchannels to achieve their designed purpose are discussed. Examples of devices include: fuel reforming using Microreactors, chip cooling using microchannel heat sinks, and microchannel devices used for biological applications. The devices that have directly contributed to this research include: a microchannel water...
Ocean Wave Energy Converters (WECs) operating on the water surface are subject to storms and other extreme events. In particular, high and steep waves, especially breaking waves, are likely the most dangerous to WECs. A method for quantifying the breaking severity of waves is presented and applied to wave data...
Fractal-like branching microchannel flow networks have been found to improve wall temperature uniformity and decrease both pressure drop and flow power compared to arrays of straight microchannels. The present study seeks to maximize the benefits of fractal-like branching channels by means of a gradient-based optimization algorithm. The algorithm identifies the...
Numerical modeling of methane-steam reforming is performed in a micro/mini-channel with heat input through catalytic channel walls. The low-Mach number, variable density Navier-Stokes equations together with multicomponent reactions are solved using a parallel numerical framework. Methane-steam reforming is modeled by three reduced-order reactions occurring on the reactor walls. The surface...
Transient liquid-phase diffusion brazing is used in precision, hermetic joining applications as a replacement for diffusion bonding to reduce cycle times, reduce bonding pressure and improve yields. Studies showed that the interlayer used in diffusion brazing can be detrimental due to the use of melting point depressants (MPDs). The goal...
The performance of a combined Stirling-ORC power cycle is evaluated, and an integrated microchannel heat exchanger is designed as an annular cold-side heat rejector for a free piston Stirling engine. Reasonable designs for a combined cycle can increased power output efficiency by 3 - 9% compared to that of a...
Steam-methane reforming is a well understood industrial process used for generating hydrogen and synthesis gas. The reaction is generally carried out with residence times on the order of one second. By performing this reaction at microscales it is possible to take advantage of increased heat transfer rates and low diffusion...
Customer requirements and engineering specifications will influence the direction of the design in any product, so it is crucial to make the requirements as stable as possible so quality designs can be produced on time within a budget. It would be optimal for requirements and specifications to remain constant but...
Uninhabited aerial vehicles, also called UAVs are currently controller by a combination of a human pilot at a remote location, and autopilot systems similar to those found on commercial aircraft. As UAVs transition from remote piloting to fully autonomous operation, control laws must be developed for the tasks to be...
Particle-laden turbulent flows are of great importance in many industrial
applications and are sufficiently complex to require multiple methods of study to
provide a better understanding of the dominant physical mechanisms present in
these processes. This work on large-eddy simulation of particle-laden flows seeks
to help provide the building blocks...
Hot engine exhaust and industrial process exhaust represents a resource that is often rejected to the environment without further utilization. This resource is prevalent in the transportation and industrial process sectors, but stationary engine-generator systems also typically do not utilize this resource. Engine exhaust is considered high grade heat and...
Data from a state department of transportation fleet shows that the usage of a typical asset decreases as it ages. One possible explanation for decreasing asset usage with age is operator preference for using the newest available asset. In this research the long-term cost and replacement implications of such a...
Spray impingement cooling has been shown to be a leading candidate for future high heat flux cooling applications. In general, spray cooling curves consist of three heat flux regimes; single-phase, two-phase and critical heat flux (CHF). CHF is considered the design limit for almost all two-phase cooling applications, as a...