High School Bridge Program: A Multidisciplinary STEM Research Program

A Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) summer Bridge Program was developed for high school students. The program was designed to encourage students to consider choosing an engineering major in college and to explore STEM as a future career. This was accomplished through a 10-week program involving multidisciplinary research activities. The participants in the program included 33 high school students. Among former participants in position to make a choice in terms of attending college, 100% had chosen to continue on in college, and 86% had chosen to major in a STEM area. The results indicated that that the program had enhanced their confidence in STEM and motivated them in choosing careers in STEM areas. Overall, the participants were very positive about the program and expressed appreciation for the opportunity

Active disassembly applied to end of life vehicles

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Active Disassembly is technology that has been developed to allow assemblies to readily separate for recycling when they are exposed to certain triggering conditions. It is based around fasteners that use `Smart' Materials, typically Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) or Shape Memory Polymers (SMP). This has led to research in the field to be known as Active Disassembly Using Smart Materials (ADSM). Particularly within the context of the EU End of Life Vehicle (ELV) legislation, ADSM has the potential to enable the achievement of the recycling levels required. In this thesis, active disassembly solutions have been developed which have focused on the disassembly of the Instrument Panel, and the glazing within a vehicle. To achieve this, a number of novel Smart fastening devices have been developed, two of which are triggered by integral heating elements. This investigation also led to the creation of a new releasable hook and loop fastening system, known as `Shape Memory Hook and Loop Fasteners' (SM-HALF). SM-HALF is a repositionable fastening system that can be released remotely under a thermal stimulus. Research into the residual energy content of ELV batteries has been a significant part of the investigation. It has been found that it is possible to use the energy from `dead' car batteries to power at least 16 shape-memory alloy devices constructed from 25-micron diameter wire, at End of Life. No external energy input is required for disassembly. This research is timely as it provides a means of reclaiming 10% of a vehicle that would otherwise be lost to the shredder. The technology can: increase the number of parts available for recycling and reuse, separate waste streams, decrease shredder residue otherwise destined for landfill and increase economic returns for either the vehicle dismantling yards or shredder operator

Multifunctional Orthogonally-Frequency-Coded Saw Strain Sensor

A multifunctional strain sensor based on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Orthogonal Frequency Coding (OFC) technology on a Langasite substrate has been investigated. Second order transmission matrix models have been developed and verified. A new parameterizable library of SAW components was created to automate the layout process. Using these new tools, a SAW strain sensor with OFC reflectors was designed, fabricated and tested. The Langasite coefficients of velocity for strain (γS = 1.699) and Temperature (γT = 2.562) were experimentally determined. The strain and temperature characterization of this strain sensor, along with the coefficients of velocity, have been used to demonstrate both the ability to sense strain and the capability for temperature compensation. The temperature-compensated SAW OFC strain sensor has been used to detect anomalous strain conditions that are indicators of fastener failures during structural health monitoring of aircraft panels with and without noise on a NASA fastener failure test stand. The changes in strain that are associated with single fastener failures were measured up to a distance of 80 cm between the sensor and the removed fastener. The SAW OFC strain sensor was demonstrated to act as an impact sensor with and without noise on the fastener failure test stand. The average measured signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 50, is comparable to the 29.1 SNR of an acoustic emission sensor. The simultaneous use of a high pass filter for impact detection, while a low pass filter is used for strain or fastener failure, demonstrates the multifunctional capabilities of the SAW OFC sensor to act as both as a fastener failure detector and as an impact detector

Health monitoring of joint conditions in steel truss bridges with relative displacement sensors

This paper investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of using a recently developed relative displacement sensor for the structural health monitoring of joint conditions in steel truss bridges. The developed relative displacement sensor is an innovative design offering some advantages and unique features, and is a much easier and economical method for structural health monitoring due to the simplicity of its direct measurement of relative displacement without the requirement for a stable reference point. To investigate the performance of applying the developed relative displacement sensors for structural joint condition monitoring, a steel truss bridge model is fabricated in the laboratory and installed with the relative displacement sensors to detect the health conditions of joint connections. The dynamic relative displacement measurements are analyzed with a time-frequency analysis method, i.e. continuous wavelet transform, which is a well-practiced signal processing technique to identify the structural condition change, namely the loosen bolt damage in the joint connection of steel truss bridges under ambient vibrations. The sensitivity range of the developed sensor is also investigated to see how sensitive the sensor is to identify the local bolt damage. Relative displacement measurements of the steel truss bridge models under free vibration tests from both undamaged and damaged states are also analyzed, and a damage index based on the change in the percentages of a specific wavelet packet component to the total wavelet packet energy between the undamaged and damaged states is used to detect the existence of the loosen bolt damage in steel truss bridges. Experimental studies demonstrate that the developed relative displacement sensor has a sensitive performance to identify and assess the joint conditions in steel truss bridges

The Second Joint NASA/FAA/DOD Conference on Aging Aircraft

The purpose of the Conference was to bring together world leaders in aviation safety research, aircraft design and manufacturing, fleet operation and aviation maintenance to disseminate information on current practices and advanced technologies that will assure the continued airworthiness of the aging aircraft in the military and commercial fleets. The Conference included reviews of current industry practices, assessments of future technology requirements, and status of aviation safety research. The Conference provided an opportunity for interactions among the key personnel in the research and technology development community, the original equipment manufacturers, commercial airline operators, military fleet operators, aviation maintenance, and aircraft certification and regulatory authorities. Conference participation was unrestricted and open to the international aviation community

Modification and approval of mine rescue support machine: Final Report Contract Number 200-2017-94151

Final report of a contract with ROHMAC Inc. on a prototype mine rescue machine developed under a previous contract. This report details the machine design changes and the applications for MSHA approvals, as well as the progress of the approval processes for these applications

Concussion Indication Device

In this document we summarize our intent to design and manufacture a device that will be used in conjunction with a football helmet, will detect impact forces to the head, and notify the user to seek out further medical attention when subjected to forces large enough to cause concussions. We describe the large market including all levels of football players and the need for improved technology that will not only be effective in elucidating risks but encouraging players to use the device over the alternatives. To design the device, we have researched the problem of concussions in football and have evidence that there is sufficient technology available to us. In our report we provide all of our documentation available at this stage of development

NASA Tech Briefs, June 1994

Topics covered include: Microelectronics; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences; Books and Report

TORQUE COEFFICIENTS IN AUTOMOTIVE BOLTED JOINT ASSEMBLY

The thesis investigated the effects of four factors and their combinations on the torque coefficients of the first and second tightening of bolted joints by conducting a general full-factorial design with randomized blocks on 20 replications. The experiment involved three levels of tightening tool types, two levels of bolt dimensions, two levels of nut types, and two levels of plate type. The torque coefficients were calculated indirectly through the measuring the torque applied and bolt preload. The response variables studied were the mean and the variance between runs of the torque coefficients of the first tightening, as well as the ratio between the torque coefficients of the first and second tightening. The effects of the four factors and their combinations on the response variables were analyzed and reported. All main effects, three of the two-way interactions, one three-way interaction, and the four-way interaction were found to have statistically significant effects on the torque coefficients of the first tightening. The 24 combinations of the factors were found to have significant effects on the variance between runs of the torque coefficients of the first tightening

Automated Drone Calibration System

The final design review of the Inspired Flight Calibration Team senior project will detail the process used to complete a verification prototype of a drone calibration device and discuss lessons learned and suggestions for improving this device. Going from brainstorming and conceptual prototyping all the way through verification prototyping and testing, we were able to design a gyroscopic device that met Inspired Flight’s needs for the flight sensor calibration of their drones. The mechanical design involved comprehensive CAD models and hands-on manufacturing. The mechatronics side of the project worked heavily with electrical wiring and writing custom software to communicate and run the calibration sequences. While we were not able to complete as much of this project as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we delivered a working verification prototype along with our documented work to Inspired Flight so that it can be integrated into their calibration process