This paper presents a sandwich composite architecture suitable for embedding MEMS-based accelerometers for long-term vibration monitoring or to act as sensors in adaptive structures. The presented architecture is designed around multi-axis accelerometers and temperature sensors that are commercially available. These devices also integrate sophisticated sensor compensation and data acquisition hardware into a single integrated circuit chip package. The paper presents the stiffness modeling of a sandwich composite with embedded accelerometers based on classical lamination theory. The first order shear deformation theory is used to compute the free vibration response of the sandwich composite. Solutions are presented for the free-vibration response of the sandwich beam under fixed-free boundary conditions. Results presented also include the response obtained from the MEMS-accelerometer when coupled to a thick cross-ply laminate under fixed-free boundary conditions.

This study investigates carpal kinematics during a wrist Radial/Ulnar deviation motion using high speed video data acquisition. A cadaver forearm was stabilized allowing unconstrained excursion of the wrist for passive range of motion. Capitate/radius and 3 rd metacarpal/radius angles were calculated to determine which measurement would be best for determining global wrist angle. The average difference in angle between the capitate and third metacarpal was 1.3 ± 1.3 degrees with a maximum difference of 5.0 degrees. Hence, the capitate-third metacarpal joint can be considered ridged. The proximal wrist joint (R/L angle) contributed 15.1 degrees to global wrist radial ulnar deviation and the midcarpal joint (C/L angle) contributed 20.6 degrees to global wrist radial ulnar deviation (43.0% and 55.8%, respectively, of the 36.4° total wrist ROM). Radio-scaphoid angles averaged 16.8 degrees (46.5% of the 36.4° total wrist ROM). The radio-lunate joint and the capito-lunate joint contribute equally to global wrist radial ulnar deviation. This new combination of motion analysis and 3D reconstructions of CT images affords a high speed, dynamic analysis of kinematics. It shows that normal carpal kinematics, during wrist radial/ulnar deviation, does not have an instantaneous screw axis (ISA) fixed in or limited to the capitate. In addition, the ISA data provides evidence that translational motion is a real and measurable component of normal carpal motion. This would change the understanding of carpal kinematics from previous studies, which suggested that the center of rotation was fixed in the capitate.

This paper presents a method of selecting and positioning groups of sensors in a coordinated manner for the surveillance of a maneuvering object The object trajectory is discretized into a number of demand instants (data acquisition times) to which groups of sensors are assigned, respectively. Heuristic rules are used to evaluate the suitability of each sensor for servicing (observing) a demand instant, determine the composition of the sensor group, and, in the case of dynamic sensors, specify the position of each sensor with respect to the object This approach aims to improve the quality of the surveillance data in three ways: (1) the assigned sensors are maneuvered into “optimal” sensing positions, (2) the uncertainty of the measured data is mitigated through sensor fusion, and (3) the poses of the unassigned sensors are adjusted to ensure that sensing-system can react to object maneuvers. Simulations with proximity sensors demonstrate the advantages of dispatching dynamic sensors over similar static-sensor systems.

Experiments of nucleate pool boiling of R11/R113 mixtures were performed. The heat flux was measured with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution to show characteristics of the nucleate boiling with constant wall temperatures controlled by a novel microscale heater array. Instantaneous images of single bubbles were captured using a high-speed CCD camera, synchronized with the data acquisition from the microscale heater array. The heater was 0.27 × 0.27mm 2 , which is similar to the size of a typical bubble in nucleate boiling. The heating power was designed to automatically maintain a constant wall temperature. The experiments were performed with wall superheat using pure substances and mixtures with different mass ratios of R11 and R113. For pure substances, the bubble growth rate was much lower with the constant wall temperature than that with the constant wall heat flux. A high rate of bubble growth initially was observed for pure substances. The volume growth rate decreased for large bubbles when the wall temperature was constant, but increased continuously for a constant wall heat flux. The rate of bubble growth in mixtures is highly dependent on the mass fraction of their components. The peak value of the heat flux for mixtures is reduced because of concentration gradients at the bubble interface. A numerical simulation was also performed; qualitative agreement was noted between the numerical and experimental results.

This paper describes a newly built experimental facility at the Florida State University to develop innovative technologies for the noise suppression and mixing control of high-speed jets. This facility is capable of generating jet flows up to a maximum jet exit Mach number of about 2.5 at stagnation temperatures reaching up to 1500K. The facility can accommodate nozzles having an exit diameter of about 80 mm. At the maximum operating conditions, the jet can be run continuously for about 15 minutes. The jet exhausts into an anechoic room that measures 5.2 m (width) × 5.8 m (length) × 4 m (height). A sudden expansion (SUE) burner using Ethylene as its fuel is used to heat the high-pressure air. The instrumentation includes: High Resolution Infrared camera, stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Speckle Displacement method for flow field measurements, high temperature unsteady pressure probes for the measurement of pressure fluctuations in the hydrodynamic field, and microphones with high speed data acquisition for far-field narrow band sound measurements.

Acoustic time reversal is a process in which acoustic energy received at an array is recorded, time-reversed, and then rebroadcast through the same or a collocated array. The result is that the original signal is “retrofocused” in time and space to the original source location without regard to the propagation paths or characteristics of the complex media between source and receiver. The array used for receive and rebroadcast, together with the data acquisition and processing system, is referred to as a time reversal mirror (TRM). Adaptation of time reversal mirrors to the problem of water tunnel acoustic measurements is examined. A concept demonstration test is planned for the Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel (GTWT) at the Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory, with the objective of demonstrating improved acoustic measurement capabilities compared to other conventional measurement techniques. An outline of the planned test is presented, as well as results from preliminary water tank testing of the arrays and instrumentation to be used in the GTWT experiment. A mathematical description of the time reversal mirror is developed, and preliminary conclusions regarding expected TRM performance in the water tunnel environment and limitations of the proposed measurement scheme are discussed.

Tracking control of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators is essential in many applications such as vibration controls. Due to the hysteresis, an inherent nonlinear phenomenon associated with SMAs, open-loop control design has proven inadequate for tracking control of these actuators. Aimed at to eliminate the position sensor to reduce cost of an SMA actuator system, in this paper, a neural network open loop controller is proposed for tracking control of an SMA actuator. A test stand, including a titanium-nickel (TiNi, or Nitinol) SMA wire actuator, a position sensor, bias springs, and a programmable current amplifier, is used to generate training data and to verify the neural networks open loop controller. A digital data acquisition and real-time control system was used to record experimental data and to implement the control strategy. Based on the training data obtained from the test stand, two neural networks are used to respectively model the forward and inverse hysteresis relations between the applied voltage and the displacement of the SMA wire actuator. To control the SMA actuator without using a position sensor, the neural network inverse model is used as a feedforward controller. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the neural network open loop controller for tracking control of the SMA wire actuator.

A comprehensive analysis of lorry drivers performing freight handling bay reverse entry manoeuvres has been conducted for the purpose of proposing a driving aid system or undertaking action aimed at generating greater safety in such work situations. This analysis has been made possible through the use of a data acquisition unit and associated processing of video sequences, physical measures and observations (CAPTIV). Description of driver manoeuvring procedures in relation with other task parameters made it possible to break up the handling bay entry into several phases and to understand at which moment perceptive difficulties requiring assistance do in fact occur. A procedure specifically designed to compensate certain weaknesses in driving practice has been developed thanks to a participative approach. This new manoeuvring procedure encourages drivers to direct their gaze towards risk areas, which they did not spontaneously do before due to searching for spatial reference marks in other zones of the environment.

Small scale Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) powered Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants are economically convenient when availability and efficiencies are above specified limits. Nevertheless these plants are often run without a monitoring device capable of data storing and trending and of performance evaluation. This paper describes the setting up of a powerful low-cost monitoring system for the CHP plant that powers the School of Engineering of the University of Perugia. Data acquisition is performed by interfacing a Personal Computer (PC) to existing control panels via, serial port, and to a data acquisition board for those variables that are not measured by existing devices. Performance indexes are then calculated via software. Alarms and controls are stored as well to set up a database for diagnostic purposes. The monitoring itself has already shown its troubleshooting capability in interface to maintenance personnel: history trending of variables speeds up the phase of failure identification because it eliminates those possibilities that are negated by cross referencing values of different variables.

This paper presents the use of private industry based projects to augment the teaching of a senior level thermal design Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) technical elective. The projects describe herein are used to augment the laboratory portion of the course, and act a synthesizing agents allowing students to experience real-world problem solving first hand. The industry based projects are solicited form local industry representatives, whereby mentors from the engineering company are assigned to direct a team of students to complete a given set of action items during the duration of a semester concluding in an end of semester customer design review. The key to this type of learn-by-doing is the active engagement and willingness on behalf of the industry mentors to take time to guide the students via biweekly face to face or web based tag up meetings. This type of experience is invaluable for the students, since it demonstrates the importance of establishing a network of mentors in order to foster life-long learning in the students chosen field of study.

The cooling system of an electric vehicle adopts an electric water pump. Since the lifespan of the battery is very sensitive to a very narrow temperature band, the cooling system provides key solutions. The electric water pump is a core component of the cooling system which satisfies performance and durability criteria. Since, a local hot spot of motor casing results in the degradation of motor lifespan, it is necessary to design the motor casing for effective heat rejection. In this study, two different motor casing designs are applied to reject the joule heating of the motor efficiently. The temperature distribution of each casing is investigated with an IR camera. The IR camera was used to identify the local hot spot where the heat was most generated in the pump. Since the joule heating is proportional to pump power, it is necessary to understand the operating characteristics of the electric water pump. The experimental apparatus includes a water reservoir, a bypass valve, pressure and temperature sensors, DAQ, and IR camera. The operating temperature is ranged from atmospheric temperature to 50°C. When the pump is operated with 25°C coolant, each experiment takes 1 hour for the steady-state conditions and maximum temperature up to 55 °C. Three different pump performance are investigated with two different pump casing. The coolant temperature is also changed from 25 °C to 50 °C. As a result, the local hot spot is strongly dependent to pump load and it is mainly observed near the cable connector. Since temperature distribution on the casing surface is also affected by local hot spots, it is necessary to optimize heat rejection by extended surface.

A 6.67 scale model of the Advanced Recirculation Total Impingement Cooling (ARTIC) gas turbine vane insert’s leading edge was designed, built using stereolithography (SLA) fabrication methods, and tested using Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry (MRV), a non-invasive data acquisition technique that captures three-dimensional, three-component velocity fields of a copper sulfate solution over the course of several hours. The experimental apparatus supplied constant flow rates through a test section placed within a 3.0 Tesla MRI magnet. Tests were run at two fully turbulent flow rates corresponding to Reynolds numbers based on hydraulic diameter of 10,000 and 20,000 with the higher flow rate case achieving dynamic similarity with the full-scale ARTIC device. The experimental results elucidated key details and intricacies of the complex flow within the insert. Analysis of flow distribution between each of the three independent impingement zones revealed a degree of measurable jet to jet variability. Stagnation and recirculation zones were detected, informing design modifications and enabling assessment of inlet effects on impingement. Measurement uncertainty was assessed and estimated to be approximately 7.5% of the peak velocity at the inlet to the central feed cavity.

This paper presents the results of using laboratory facilities in conjunction with computer aided data acquisition in order to enhance the teaching and learning experiences of the air conditioning and measurements/instrumentation courses in an engineering program. The paper discusses the use of educational technology in the form of a laboratory experiment developed for support of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education in an engineering curriculum. The experimental apparatus discussed in the paper is a heat pump demonstration unit with LabView data collection and visualization software. The use of modern technology in the classroom is illustrated in this paper by using a heat pump demonstration unit to illustrate the physical principles of air conditioning and heating. Data collection and acquisition/instrumentation, data reduction curriculum is addressed by using an automated data collection system to gather data for the heating and cooling processes. The main objectives of the study were to i) expose STEM students to LabView based data collection, ii) enhance the curriculum of air conditioning and measurements science by using hands-on facilities, iii) develop technical report writing and data reduction skill sets. The experiment is conducted in small teams of 3 to 4 students in order to make the experiential learning a more intimate process. The heat pump hardware is used to illustrate real world working system. The experiment is composed of a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser and throttling valve. The unit allows for operation as both a heat pump and a refrigeration unit. Thus illustrating the concept of Coefficient of Performance (COP) and Energy Efficiency Ratio (ERR) for both the heat pump and the refrigeration mode are enabled. The unit works on R134A and water as the working fluids. The unit is instrumented with a control thermostat allowing the set-point of the device to be changed. Thermocouples, pressure transducers and flow rate meters are used to collect live data which is fed to the LabView based data-acquisition platform. By using such equipment in the teaching of the Air Conditioning curriculum, it allows the students

Mechanical properties of biomaterials are difficult to characterize experimentally because many relevant biomaterials such as hydrogels are very pliable and viscoelastic. Furthermore, test specimens such as blood clots retrieved from patients tend to be small in size, requiring fine positioning and sensitive force measurement. Mechanobiological studies require fast data recording, preferably under simultaneous microscope imaging, in order to monitor events such as structural remodeling or localized rupture while strain is being applied. A low-profile tensile tester that applies prescribed displacement up to several millimeters and measures forces with resolution on the order of micronewtons has been designed and tested, using alginate as a representative soft biomaterial. 1.5% alginate (cross-linked with 0.1 M and 0.2 M calcium chloride) has been chosen as a reference material because of its extensive use in tissue engineering and other biomedical applications. Prescribed displacement control with rates between 20 μm/s and 60 μm/s were applied using a commercial low-noise nanopositioner. Force data were recorded using data acquisition and signal conditioning hardware with sampling rates as high as 1 kHz. Elongation up to approximately 10 mm and force in the range of 250 mN were measured. The data were used to extract elastic and viscoelastic parameters for alginate specimens. Another biomaterial, 2% agarose, was also tested to show versatility of the apparatus for slightly stiffer materials. The apparatus is modular such that different load cells ranging in capacity from hundreds of millinewtons to tens of newtons can be used. The apparatus furthermore is compatible with real-time microscope imaging, particle tracing, and programmable positioning sequences.

To study the fluid flow and heat transfer in a Stirling Engine Heater Head (HH), two benchtop test rigs were designed and manufactured. One is to evaluate flow loss in oscillating flow conditions and another is to evaluate heat transfer in unidirectional flow conditions. The main test section-heater head, is additively manufactured; the test section also consists of an additively manufactured regenerator and a heat rejecter. For fluid flow test rig, a linear actuator from Parker generates and maintains the oscillating flow by driving a piston in sinusoidal motion. The piston is sealed against the charged fluid using Trelleborg seals. At room temperature, by varying the charge pressure, frequency, and stroke length, multiple test conditions can be achieved. For heat transfer test rig, a Gast’s high-flow, low-pressure compressed air blower is used to deliver the flow. The data acquisition (DAQ) is comprised of National Instruments’ cDAQ and modules to measure the piston’s motion in real time, pressure with Kistler’s pressure transducers, and the temperatures with OMEGA’s thermocouples, located at both the inlet and outlet of the heater head. Presented also are the testing procedures, some expected results, and the Sage outputs that will be used to check against the measured data from the test rigs, including some preliminary results. Based on the preliminary results, pressure and position curves were sinusoidal, which is expected of oscillating motions, meaning the test rig is operating well.

Design processes and analytical modeling are presented showing creation of a low-cost concentrating photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV/TE) hybrid power system for research and laboratory teaching built using a small upcycled satellite dish. Today, concentrated solar hybrid PV/TE systems are drawing significant research attention and funding investment. However, the literature lacks examples of how this cutting-edge energy technology can be made accessible at low cost for STEAEM education at universities, vocational institutions, and high schools. By applying Energy Engineering Laboratory Module ( EELM™ ) design principles and pedagogy, a process is presented to make this technology easily accessible at low cost. The concentrating solar hybrid PV/TE system presented here is divided into four subsystems: 1) a concentrator, 2) a PV/TE generator, 3) data acquisition, and 4) a cooling system. The key engineering decisions governing the design for each sub-system are described. In addition, a thermodynamic analysis is presented to predict the on-sun steady-state temperature profile of the PV/TE generator at the focus of the concentrator and to determine how much electrical power it will produce. The concentrator used is a salvaged miniature satellite dish, which is coated with mirrored tape to reflect sunlight upon a focal point. Scavenged at no cost, the satellite dish is a sectioned paraboloid of rotation offset from the vertex and the axis of symmetry. However, which paraboloid section the dish represents is unknown. A technique is presented to find the focal point and to use this information to correctly position a shadow-casting gnomon to ensure proper on-sun alignment. A method to experimentally confirm the focal location and size the PV is also provided. A key research question for solar concentrating hybrid PV/TE power systems at this size scale is whether it is better to actively cool the TE cold side via forced convection or simply allow cooling via natural convection. The thermodynamic heat balance analysis presented to address this question finds that while forced convection does better cool the PV module, increasing its efficiency and power output, the parasitic energy expenditure of the cooling fan far exceeds the additional power produced. It is therefore more beneficial to rely on natural convection on the TE cold side to maximize power production of the overall PV/TE module. Two experimental apparatuses were built consisting of a PV module backed by TE generators and instrumented with thermocouples to determine the internal temperature gradient while multi-meters read steady-state PV and TE power output. A halogen lamp placed at various distances from this array approximates concentrated sunlight, which is measured via pyranometer. These experiments validate conclusions drawn from the theoretical model.

Microsystems comprising microfluidic networks and miniaturized actuators, transducers, and sensors provide a convenient, revealing, and low-cost means for studying chemical reactions, separation processes such as filtration and extraction, phase changes, mixing, heat and mass transfer, and fluid flow phenomena. For instance, palm-sized plastic cartridges or cassettes (‘chips’) with channels, chambers, manifolds and other components for flow control and fluid actuation can be instrumented with embedded thermocouples and pressure sensors, and operated with small Peltier coolers/heaters and programmable syringe pumps or microrotary pumps. With proper design, the on-chip microfluidic processes can also be imaged with CCD cameras (especially using fluorescent dyes and particles), and infrared thermal cameras for temperature profiling. Such image (including video) capture and processing affords much more data compared to point sensors such as thermocouples and pressure transducers, and can be directly compared with finite element modeling. These systems are effective vehicles for project-based learning in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, chemical reaction engineering, separation processes and other unit operations, process control, and various biotechnical operations such as enzymatic digestion, nucleic acid amplification, and sample fractionation. The chips are made as bonded laminates from patterned acrylic, polycarbonate, thin metal sheet, and many other material types. Students can quickly design (using CAD software such as SolidWorks™), simulate (using FEM programs such as Comsol) microfluidic platforms, that can be rapid prototyped with laser machining, 3D printing, CNC machining, soft lithography, engraving and printed circuit board fabrication methods with a turn-around time of 1 day. The chip is instrumented using LabView™ or an Arduino™ microcontroller for data acquisition and process control. These benchtop or desktop systems make only modest demands on the resources of educational institutions, due to their low cost and safety, and minimal waste generation and reagent consumption. Also, their multidisciplinary nature affords an excellent opportunity for students to integrate their knowledge of CAD, simulation, prototyping, instrumentation and microcontrollers, statistical data analysis, and image processing and analysis. Further, these experiments give students a high level of hands on interaction and visualization of important unit operation processes. We discuss in detail some representative systems for heat exchangers, mixers, chemical reactors, and crystal growth, and their use as educational, project-based modules in the undergraduate engineering curriculum.

Thermal modeling and temperature prediction in 3D ICs are important for improving performance and reliability. A number of numerical and analytical models have been developed for thermal analysis of 3D ICs. However, there is a relative lack of experimental work to determine key physical parameters in 3D IC thermal design. One such important key parameter is the inter-die thermal resistance between adjacent die bonded together. This paper describes a novel experimental method to measure the value of inter-die thermal resistance between two die in a 3D IC. The effect of heating one die on the temperature of the other die in a two-die stack is measured over a short time period using high speed data acquisition to negate the effect of boundary conditions. Numerical simulation is performed and based on a comparison between experimental data and the numerical model, the inter-die thermal resistance between two die is determined. There is good agreement between experimental measurement and theoretically estimated value of the inter-die thermal resistance. Results from this paper are expected to assist in thermal design and management of 3D ICs.

The authors have developed test beds heated green roofs in New York City and geothermal heated gardens in Iceland using waste heat. A thermoelectric generator developed by the authors for these gardens currently provides more than 6 watts of steady state power. This sustainable power source is independent from the grid and is used for web cameras. The test beds need a mobile, web-accessible robot platform for additional monitoring that is battery-charged by the thermoelectric generator. This robot’s power consumption must match the constraints of the thermoelectric generator’s output. This paper presents the design and construction of a low-power walking quadruped robotic platform with a specifically designed walking algorithm. The robot will eventually provide the needed web accessible remote monitoring and maintenance capabilities for the test beds. Remote supervision and control of multiple heated green roofs and heated gardens will be possible from a central location.

Gait training is a rehabilitation process which helps patients improve their ability to walk or stand. Current gait training methods require patients to be in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities to acquire data on their recovery progress; there is no method of monitoring patient’s walking pattern continuously. Patients can fall into bad habits when they are not with their physician. Assisted Mobility Gait Training System is a redesigned walker that wirelessly provides data to patients and healthcare professionals throughout the rehab process. With continuous monitoring of data, patients can obtain live feedback about their walking pattern when they are outside a hospital setting. Assisted Mobility Gait Trainer combines tele-medicine and out-patient monitoring to improve the gait rehabilitation process. Portability and ease of use allows the device to be used as an outpatient monitoring tool decreasing recovery time and healthcare visitations. Data acquisition and progress monitoring are achieved through load cells and a Microsoft Kinect 2 that collects data regarding the patient’s gait. Imaging arrays within the Microsoft Kinect 2, including an RGB camera, infrared emitter, and depth sensor, monitor limb trajectories. Angle of rotation of each joint is obtained through the use of blob detection and trigonometry, specifically a variation of the dot product. Use of the camera, load cells, and wheel encoder ensures there is minimal set up time, other than turning on the system. Four load cells in each leg measure the force applied to the gait trainer, which allows physicians to identify if the patient is utilizing one leg more than the other, as well as determining if the patient becomes less reliant on the walker over time. Gait speed and distance traveled during use is measured by a wheel encoder. Data collected is sent into cloud storage where it is processed and saved. Saved data is then electronically communicated to the healthcare professional and the patient in two separate user interfaces. Healthcare professionals are able to help patients gage their rehabilitation progress more efficiently. Patients benefit by receiving feedback regarding their gait while they are not at a rehab facility, which assists against patients falling into of bad habits during the rehabilitation process.