Category: Mechanical Engineering
- Project Title Professor
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Design of Mechanisms for Simultaneous Motion Generation Pierre Larochelle
Design of Mechanisms for Simultaneous Motion Generation
Pierre Larochelle, P.E., assistant dean for the Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering and Ron Zimmerman product engineering specialist for Magna Seating of America are working to develop synthesis algorithms for the design of novel mechanisms for car and truck passenger seats. The mechanisms will allow simultaneous positioning of both seat cushions bottoms and seat backs in multiple coordinated positions.
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Flexible Body Control Demonstration using Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays Daniel Kirk, Hector Gutierrez
Flexible Body Control Demonstration using Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays
The use of fiber optic sensor arrays with high data throughput provide a breakthrough technology for enhancing flight performance and flight envelope of light aerospace structures, by providing the ability to stably operate a launch vehicle or aircraft with structural resonances within the actuator's bandwidth. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using fiber optic sensor arrays to control in real-time the structural dynamics of a flexible body, representative of a slender launch vehicle or advanced autonomous aircraft.
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Low-Gravity Fluid Dynamics Research on the International Space Station Daniel Kirk, Hector Gutierrez
Low-Gravity Fluid Dynamics Research on the International Space Station
As new space exploration missions are planned, more data is needed to validate the performance of the next generation of rockets. This project studies the behavior of liquid rocket propellants that move around (slosh) inside of the propellant tank as the spacecraft completes its mission. Data will be collected onboard the International Space Station using a special experiment designed to collect synchronized high-definition video and 6-DOF inertial measurements of low-gravity slosh events acquired over a range of conditions relevant to rockets, spacecraft and satellites.
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Multi-Scale Coupling Strategies for Multi-physics Simulation Tools Ju Zhang
Multi-Scale Coupling Strategies for Multi-physics Simulation Tools
Under a contract with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Dr. Zhang will support the DTRA grant submitted by Dr. Thomas Jackson at UIUC. The basic research is on multiscale coupling strategies of computational tools used in the numerical simulation of energetic materials.The support will be for the mesoscale and macroscale modeling, and the coupling strategies between the mesoscale and the macroscale.
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Oxygen - Enriched Combustion of JP-8 Daniel Kirk
Oxygen - Enriched Combustion of JP-8
Oxygen-enriched combustion (OEC) has shown the ability to improve the fuel efficiency and power density of burner-based power systems and diesel engines. By minimizing problems with flame quenching, OEC is also expected to greatly improve the performance of MEMS-based micro-combustors needed for micro-power generation. Oxygen-enriched micro-combustors have the potential for compatibility with logistics fuels and of eliminating the need for expensive catalysts. If successful, these devices would represent a significant improvement over existing micro-combustors.
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Self-Assembly in Biology and the Origin of Life (SABOL) Daniel Kirk, Hector Gutierrez, Samuel Durrance
Self-Assembly in Biology and the Origin of Life (SABOL)
The SABOL International Space Station experiment has several important scientific elements dedicated specifically to (i) developing an improved understanding of the origin of life on our planet, (ii) increasing our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, and (iii) providing an opportunity to apply this new understanding for the betterment of h
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Solar Powered Hybrid Lighting System Kunal Mitra
Solar Powered Hybrid Lighting System
The goal of this project is to develop a working Solar Powered Hybrid Lighting system. This unique system solves the issue of energy usage because all the energy used is derived directly from the Sun, making the system energy-neutral. This system will be cost-effective and retail for the same as traditional lighting systems. It utilizes natural daylight without the additional thermal load of windows and skylights, allowing businesses to save both lighting and heating/cooling costs.
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US - Taiwan Planning Meeting: Innovations in Advanced Manufacturing Pierre Larochelle
US - Taiwan Planning Meeting: Innovations in Advanced Manufacturing
This award supports a planning visit to the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, by Prof. Pierre Larochelle.