In the second chapter, a foam-core meniscus coating process was developed for retrofitting 100 nm-scale sol-gel anti-reflective coatings onto in-field solar panels through the deposition, evaporation, and curing of wet films.Advantages of this technique include the means to control fluid flow relative to substrate motion and the ability to conform...
A miniature reciprocating expander is being developed as part of a larger program to develop a heat actuated heat pump for portable applications. By utilizing the higher energy density of liquid hydrocarbon fuels relative to batteries, a heat actuated heat pump would be able to provide cooling for much longer...
Large amounts of energy are wasted when conditioned air in buildings is exhausted to meet ventilation requirements. There are several technologies to recover some of this energy, including the recent development of membrane based energy recovery ventilators (ERVs). ERVs exchange sensible heat and moisture between incoming fresh and outgoing exhaust...
To improve the performance of solid oxide fuel cells, a secondary power cycle can be driven by the recuperation of exhaust gas heat. Microchannel recuperators are attractive for waste heat recuperation due to compact form factors which also minimize the mass of the expensive superalloys required. This paper introduces a...
Research in the miniaturization of thermomechanical systems in recent years has proven to be both rewarding and challenging. Micro-scale devices have tremendous technological potential but come with a new set of design problems. One such problem is energy storage. Heat actuated systems, driven primarily by thermal energy, take advantage of...
With the rapid advancement of educational technology and the need for personalized, engaging content to accommodate diverse learning needs, Virtual Reality (VR) holds promises for the present and future. However, VR applications suffer from challenges, including usability concerns, lack of pedagogical value, and evaluation standards. This thesis focuses on two...
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems represent nearly half of building energy usage in the United States. Recent building regulations requiring increased air turnover within buildings will result in even greater air conditioning usage. To alleviate these concerns, membrane-based heat-and-moisture exchangers known as energy recovery ventilators have been developed to...