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...
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...
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...
Behavioral modeling is increasingly an imperative component of system design as the systems under construction become more and more complex. Without behavioral modeling available to the modern designer, design and verification of these systems would be much more laborious. Additionally, with the increasing computational power of today's modeling and simulation...
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...
A swing arm compressor was designed, built, and tested as an undergraduate senior design
project for Dr. Richard Peterson. The system developed, while not functioning entirely as
desired, gave some initial data and a good base of knowledge for a second iteration of the
project. This thesis describes in detail...
Using returnable bottles within a brewery setting can lower costs associated with
purchasing new bottles as well as reduce the energy associated with recycling glass
bottles. A commercial dishwasher was retrofit specifically to wash bottles. The design
and assembly of the piping flow network, testing of water flow through the...
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...
Wire and fiber ropes used in rigorous CBOS (cyclic bend over sheave)
applications were investigated. Small diameter stainless steel, tungsten, and Vectran®
ropes were tested over small sheaves at high loads and cycle speeds. Sheaves were made
with Al6061-T6511 and Al7075-T651 and were coated with 0.002” hard coat anodize;
some...
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...