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Filtering by: Dspace Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Remove constraint Dspace Collection: Electronic Theses and Dissertations Committee Member Batten, Belinda Remove constraint Committee Member: Batten, Belinda Degree Field Mechanical Engineering Remove constraint Degree Field: Mechanical Engineering

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  • Shocks and Awe : Damping Selection in Racecars to Maximize Grip

    Creator:
    Takaro, Trevor M. F.
    Abstract:
    This thesis covers the use of a quarter car model to select damping rates for aFormula Student (FS) car, focusing on minimizing vertical tire force variation to improvegrip. A 2 degree of freedom (DOF) quarter car model is cycled over the road frequenciesof interest and the results compared with the...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    cyclic road profile. These examples show linear springs with coefficient k and dampers c. Inerters

  • Offshore renewable energy : an exploration of techno-economic feasibility and reliability through a computational optimization perspective

    Creator:
    Clark, Caitlyn E.
    Abstract:
    Offshore renewable energy (ORE) has the potential to be a significant source of future global electricity production, reduce carbon emissions, decrease dependence on energy importation, and stimulate economic growth in coastal and remote areas. The availability and abundance of ORE, paired with growing coastal population centers, position offshore wind, wave,...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    , romantic, and very human that we indulge in these passionate pyrotechnics…it is possible that we may be

  • Multi Objective Aerodynamic Design in Formula SAE

    Creator:
    Arscott, Phillip J.
    Abstract:
    This thesis examines the effect of aerodynamics on Formula SAE cars. Due to the different objectives of the Formula SAE events, an understanding of the car's complete aerodynamic design is necessary. Using a half car computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, a series of sensitivity studies are conducted to determine trends...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    2014 cars. The results of 6 these studies will show trends and tradeoffs between downforce

  • Predicting Aerodynamic Loads on Highly Flexible Membrane Wings

    Creator:
    Carpenter, Trenton James
    Abstract:
    Through passive adaptation to incidental flow, flexible aerodynamic surfaces exploit effects of increased lift, delayed stall and disturbance rejection. Wings of birds, bats, and insects exhibit these passive effects, and at the same time through the use of structural state feedback sensed from the loads on the wing, active control...
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation
    Full Text:
    lift, delayed stall and disturbance rejection. Wings of birds, bats, and insects exhibit these passive

  • Theoretical and implementation improvements for difference evaluation functions

    Creator:
    Colby, Mitchell Kataichi
    Abstract:
    Multiagent learning with cooperative coevolutionary algorithms is a critical area of research, and is relevant to many real-world applications including air traffic control, distributed sensor network control, and game-theoretic applications such as border patrol. A key difficulty in multiagent learning is the credit assignment problem, where the impact of each...
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation
    Full Text:
    . The third and final contribution of this dissertation is to demonstrate that difference evaluations

  • Aerodynamic undertray design for formula SAE

    Creator:
    Jensen, Karl
    Abstract:
    Aerodynamic improvements in automotive racing can have a significant effect on vehicle performance. Recent developments in Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) have included the design and implementation of aerodynamic devices such as inverted wings and undertrays to improve performance. In this work the literature of undertray technology is presented...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    , giving the tires more grip and allowing the car higher acceleration [7]. These elements come in many

  • A hierarchical neuro-evolutionary approach to small quadrotor control

    Creator:
    Shepherd, Jack F., III
    Abstract:
    Quadrotors are unique among Micro Aerial Vehicles in providing excellent maneuverability (as opposed to winged flight),while maintaing a simple mechanical construction (as opposed to helicopters). This mechanical simplicity comes at a cost of increased controller complexity. Quadrotors are inherently unstable, in the sense that they are essentially unflyable by a...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    . Although these pictures present more accurate and immediate information than relying on local guides, they

  • Learning based methods applied to the MAV control problem

    Creator:
    Salichon, Max
    Abstract:
    This thesis addresses Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) control by leveraging learning based techniques to improve robustness of the control system. Applying classical control methods to MAVs is a difficult process due to the complexity of the control laws with fast and highly non-linear dynamics. These methods are mostly based on...
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation
    Full Text:
    of the control laws with fast and highly non-linear dynamics. These methods are mostly based on

  • Navigation and coordination of autonomous mobile robots with limited resources

    Creator:
    Knudson, Matthew D.
    Abstract:
    The use of autonomous robots in complex exploration tasks is rapidly increasing. Indeed, robots can provide speed and cost effectiveness in many tasks, as well as allow operation in environments that are hostile to humans. In this dissertation we: 1) provide two adaptive navigation algorithms; 2) develop a coordination mechanism;...
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation
    Full Text:
    navigation, and for high level tasks such as destination selection. Challenges in addressing these

  • Applying hierarchical and adaptive control to coordinating simple robots

    Creator:
    Knudson, Matthew D.
    Abstract:
    Coordinating multiple robots to achieve a complex task requires solving two distinct control problems: the high-level control problem of ensuring that each robot aims to perform a useful task (e.g., coordination) and the low-level control problem of ensuring that each robot actually performs the correct actions to achieve its task...
    Resource Type:
    Masters Thesis
    Full Text:
    coordination behavior, and effective reward structures for training the team have also been established. These