Computation of offset curves is an operation critical to many computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) applications. Though simple on the surface, differences between the straightforward mathematical definition and the demands of CAD/CAM environment in the formulation and expression of an offset curve create a problem for which only complicated, approximate...
This thesis is the summation of two publications with the motivation to move reliability analysis earlier in the design process. Current analyses aim to improve reliability after components have been selected. Moving specific analyses earlier in the design process reduces the cost to the designer. These early design analyses provide...
Thermoelectric materials are playing an increasingly significant role in the global effort to develop sustainable energy technologies. Consequently, the demand for materials with greater thermoelectric efficiency has stimulated the development of state-of-the-art interstitially doped skutterudite-based materials. However, since intermetallics are often embrittled by interstitial substitution, optimal skutterudite-based device design, manufacture,...
Rising energy demands and the continual push to find more energy efficient technologies have been the impetus for the investigation of waste heat recovery techniques. Diesel engine exhaust heat utilization has the potential to significantly reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and reduce the release of greenhouse gases, because diesel...
A microchannel heat exchanger was designed for diesel waste heat recovery and its performance was evaluated. The 21x15x8 cm unit was constructed from diffusion brazed stainless steel lamina and weighed 11 kg. Operating from a 13.4 kW generator with an exhaust temperature of 500 °C the unit delivered 11.1 kW...
We present a novel control strategy for running which is robust to disturbances, and makes excellent use of passive dynamics for energy economy. The motivation for our control strategy is based on observations of animals, which are able to economically walk and run over varying terrain and ground dynamics. It...
As drop-on-demand (DOD) applications continue to gain ground in desktop inkjet-printing, 3D printing, fluid mixing, and other areas the demand for higher frequency operations are beginning to push against the current physical boundaries in DOD technology. The current research is exploring the possibility of controlling drop volume and velocity at...
While the locomotion performance of legged robots over flat terrain or known obstacles has improved over the past few decades, they have yet to equal the performance of their animal counterparts over variable terrain. This work analyzes a multi-legged reduced order model of cockroach locomotion on variable slopes which will...
Advances in electronics fabrication, coupled with the demand for increased computing power, have driven the demand for innovative cooling solutions to dissipate waste heat generated by these devices. To meet future demands, research and development has focused on robust and stable two-phase heat transfer devices. A confined impinging jet is...
Coordination is essential to achieving good performance in cooperative multiagent systems. To date, most work has focused on either implicit or explicit coordination mechanisms, while relatively little work has focused on the benefits of combining these two approaches. In this work we demonstrate that combining explicit and implicit mechanisms can...