Keying Process

The current process for setting guide keys into aluminum extrusions is performed manually. It is a tedious and unergonomic process. The team needs to evaluate the process for improvement or replacement

University Rover Challenge

Our team has designed, created, and tested a base rover for the University Rover Challenge (URC), conducted by the Mars Society. The rover\u27s design focuses on modularity and robustness, incorporating a chassis constructed from aluminum extrusions, a robust rocker-bogie suspension system, a six-wheel drive train, and basic controls. The choice of aluminum extrusions ensures modularity for future enhancements, while the rocker-bogie suspension system, commonly used in other competitive and actual Mars rovers, provides improved stability and maneuverability. Rover operations are governed by a server-client architecture, with an Xbox controller input providing an intuitive user interface for movement control. Comprehensive testing confirmed the rover\u27s capability for remote operations and maneuverability, and it meets URC design specifications with a weight of 35 kg and dimensions of 1.168 x 0.991 x 0.457 m. Future teams will need to incorporate a robotic arm, in-situ testing capability, and autonomous navigation, enabling full competition readiness for the URC

Overview of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT)

A survey is presented of the practices which were applied for designing VAWT blades. An attempt is made to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the existing procedures. Discussion is provided on planned or suggested future work in developing improved design tools

High cycle fatigue of AA6082 and AA6063 aluminum extrusions

The high cycle fatigue behavior of hollow extruded AA6082 and AA6063 aluminum extrusions has been studied. Hollow extruded aluminum profiles can be processed into intricate shapes, and may be suitable replacements for fatigue critical automotive applications requiring reduced weight. There are several features inherent in hollow aluminum extrusions, such as seam welds, charge welds, microstructural variations and die lines. The effects of such extrusion variables on high cycle fatigue properties were studied by taking specimens from an actual car bumper extrusion. It appears that extrusion die lines create large anisotropy differences in fatigue properties, while welds themselves have little effect on fatigue lives. Removal of die lines greatly increased fatigue properties of AA6082 specimens taken transverse to the extrusion direction. Without die lines, anisotropy in fatigue properties between AA6082 specimens taken longitudinal and transverse to the extrusion direction, was significantly reduced, and properties associated with the orientation of the microstructure appears to be isotropic. A fibrous microstructure for AA6082 specimens showed great improvements in fatigue behavior. The effects of elevated temperatures and exposure of specimens to NaCl solutions was also studied. Exposure to the salt solution greatly reduced the fatigue lives of specimens, while elevated temperatures showed more moderate reductions in fatigue lives

Thin film module development

The design of ARCO Solar, Inc.'s Genesis G100 photovoltaic module was driven by several criteria, including environmental stability (both electrical and mechanical), consumer aesthetics, low materials costs, and manufacturing ease. The module circuitry is designed as a 12 volt battery charger, using monolithic patterning techniques on a glass superstrate. This patterning and interconnect method proves amenable to high volume, low cost production throughput, and the use of glass serves the dual role of handling ease and availability. The mechanical design of the module centers on environmental stability. Packaging of the glass superstrate circuit must provide good resistance to thermal and humidity exposure along with hi-pot insulation and hailstone impact resistance. The options considered are given. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is chosen as the pottant material for its excellent weatherability

An Inside Scoop on Scopes: An Overview of the Laws and Policies Governing the Scopes of Trade Remedy Orders

The globalization of supply and processing chains has led to an increase in the complexity of international trade laws and the necessity for the United States Department of Commerce to provide clarity in the enforcement of trade remedy orders and procedures. It is therefore no surprise that over the past few years, Commerce has experienced a surge in requests for rulings on whether or not certain imported products are covered by the scope of antidumping and countervailing duty orders. Furthermore, Commerce has conducted several inquiries to determine if imported products which are outside the scope of an antidumping or countervailing duty order are, in fact, circumventing those orders through such means as third country processing or minor alterations. These proceedings have brought to light how important it is for domestic producers, injured by dumped or subsidized merchandise and filing a petition for a trade remedy investigation, to propose definitions of the scopes of their suggested orders that are clear, administrable, and prevent the possibility of evasion. This paper on the “Inside Scoop on Scopes” is a timely overview of the various laws and policies covering Commerce’s definition of the scopes of its trade remedy orders, its subsequent interpretation of those scopes, and its expansion of those scopes through circumvention determinations, when necessary. Furthermore, it addresses key holdings by the Court of International Trade and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit with respect to these types of proceedings

Crashworthiness assessment considering the dynamic damage and failure of a dual phase automotive steel

Analyzing crash worthiness of the automotive parts has been posing a great challenge in the sheet metal and automotive industry since several decades. The present contribution will focus on one of the most urging challenges of the crash worthiness simulations, namely, an enhanced constitutive formulation to predict the failure and cracking of structural parts made from high strength steel sheets under impact. A hybrid extended Modified Bai Wierzbicki damage plasticity model is devised to this end. The material model calibrated using the experimental data covering high strain rate deformation, damage and failure successfully predicted the instability and subsequent response of the crash box under impact. Simulation results provide the deformation shape and deformation energy in order to predict and evaluate the vehicle crashworthiness. The simulations further helped in discovering the irrefutable impact of strain rate and stress state on the impact response of the auto-body structure. The strain rate is found to adequately affect the energy absorption capacity of the crash box structure both in terms of impact load and fold formation whereas the complex stress state has a direct association to the development of instability within the structure and early damage appearance within the folds

A new thermal vacuum facility at the Martin Marietta Waterton plant

A new thermal-vacuum facility has been recently completed at the Martin Marietta Waterton plant near Denver, Colorado. The facility was designed, fabricated, installed, and tested as a turn-key project by Pitt-Des Moines Inc. and CVI Inc. The chamber has a 5.49 M by 6.10 M (18 ft by 20 ft) flat floor and a half-cylindrical roof with a diameter of 5.49 M (18 ft). Both ends of the chamber have full cross section doors, with one equipped with translating motors for horizontal motion. The chamber is provided with four 0.91 M (36 inches) cryopumps to obtain an ultimate pressure of 9 x 10(exp -8) Torr (Clean-Dry-Empty). The thermal shroud is designed to operate at a maximum of -179 C (-290 F) with an internal heat input of 316 MJ/Hr (300,000 BTU/Hr) using liquid nitrogen. The shroud is also designed to operate at any temperature between -156 C (-250 F) and 121 C (+250 F) using gaseous nitrogen, and heat or cool at a rate of 1.1 C (2 F) per minute