In this thesis, a portable PEMFC stack, which can directly power or charge 3C products, will be developed. The stack is developed for portable applications, so the structure of the stack is simplified as possible as we can. The PEMFC stack is made with 32 carbon fiber bunches for current collectors and two 8-cell banded-type MEAs which are made with 8 sets of electrodes on a piece of membrane. The stack can develop a high voltage by serially connecting 8 cell or 16 cell outside of the reaction chamber. The resistance of each carbon bunch assembling with carbon cloth is measured before they are assembled into the stack. Under assembly pressure 3 bar, the total resistance is about 8.7m£[ or 11m£[¡Ecm2. The resistance is about one half of that graphite plate assembling with carbon cloth. Without being compressed greatly in diffusion layer, the fluid can easily flow through the gaps between carbon fiber and within diffusion layers, and then the reactive region will react more uniformly. In addition, the connecting wires are assembled to a wire collecting board, so that the stack is look more neat, and it easier assemble or dissemble. In this thesis, the volume of the developed 16-cell hydrogen fuel cell stack is about 9.6 cm*6.3 cm*2.2 cm. The total electrode area is 50 cm2 (16-cell¡Ñ3.15 cm2 per cell). When the stack is operating at room temperature and air-breathing, an 8-cell stack in series connection can generate 3.7V voltage. Its power at voltage 3.7V is about 3.6W. It can directly power PDAs, mobile phones or digital cameras. A 16-cell stack in series connection can generate 7.2V voltage. Its power at this voltage can offer 7W. The 16-cell stack can directly power digital single-lens reflex cameras. If two or more of this stack are connected in series, it will be able to power a notebook or other more power products.

We investigate the EM properties of four different type composites which are nylon and liquid-crystal polymer with carbon fiber filler composites, woven continuous carbon fiber epoxy composites(balanced twill structure, plain weave structure, uni-direction weave structure), and liquid-crystal polymer with carbon nanotubes filler composites. By comparison of fabrication methods, cost and weight of the optical transceiver module housings, and shielding effectiveness under plane wave and near-field conditions, the woven continuous carbon fiber epoxy composites(balanced twill structure and plain weave structure) show lower cost, lighter weight, and higher EM shielding effectiveness than the other types of composites. Furthermore, they also perform good radiation susceptibility in our measurements. For these reasons, the proposed woven continuous carbon fiber epoxy composite package for an optical transceiver is suitable for use in a low-cost light wave transmission system.

In this paper, a 16-cell direct methanol fuel cell (called DMFC) stack was developed to power or charge a mobile phone without any voltage transformer. The various types of the performance decay of DMFCs are studied before a 16-cell DMFC stack is made. The decays due to improper storage are found and avoided. The influences of the MEA treatments on the performance are also studied. Eventually, we try to find the best storage and treatment methods to keep stacks in a good condition all the way. In order to solve the problem of methanol crossover lead to the cathode poisoned, it is necessary to operate under the proper methanol concentration and to discharge before finishing the whole experiment. It is also necessary to maintain MEAs in proper wetness so that the performance will not decline during storage. Additionally, the catalyst in the cathode will use Pt/Ru to replace Pt. This 16-cell DMFC stack is composed of two 8-banded MEAs and 16 carbon fiber bunches. Each MEA is made with 8 sets of electrodes on a piece of membrane. The stack with 16 cells will be connected in series outside of the reaction chamber. The weight and volume of this 16-cell DMFC stack are 55 g (not including 20 c.c. methanol solution) and 99 cm3. The total electrode is 50 cm2 (16-cell¡Ñ3.15 cm2 per cell). The power at voltage 4V is 1680mW when it is operating at room temperature and air breathing. The maximum power density can reach 33 mW/cm2. The specific power density is 22 mW/g and the volumetric power density is 16.9 mW/cm3. This stack can power or charge a mobile phone directly.

No description available.

The degree of cure and temperature are consistent variables used in models to describe the state of material behaviour development for a thermoset during cure. Therefore, the validity of a cure kinetics model is an underlying concern when combining several material models to describe a part forming process, as is the case for process modeling. The goals of this work are to identify sources of uncertainty in the decision-making process from cure measurement by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) to cure kinetics modeling, and to recommend practices for reducing uncertainty. Variability of cure kinetics model predictions based on DSC measurements are investigated in this work by a study on the carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) T800H/3900-2, an interlaboratory Round Robin comparison of cure studies on T800H/3900-2, and a literature review of cure models for Hexcel 8552. It is shown that variability between model predictions can be as large as 50% for some process conditions when uncertainty goes unchecked for decisions of instrument quality, material consistency, measurement quality, data reduction and modeling practices. The variability decreases to 10% when all of the above decisions are identical except for the data reduction and modeling practices. In this work, recommendations are offered for the following practices: baseline selection, balancing heats of reaction, comparing data over an extensive temperature range (300 K), choosing appropriate models to describe a wide range of behaviour, testing model reliability, and visualization techniques for cure cycle selection. Specific insight is offered to the data reduction and analysis of thermoplastic-toughened systems which undergo phase separation during cure, as is the case for T800H/3900-2. The evidence of phase separation is a history-dependent Tg-α relationship. In the absence of a concise outline of best practices for cure measurement by DSC and modeling of complex materials, a list of guidelines based on the literature and the studies herein is proposed.

The degree of cure and temperature are consistent variables used in models to describe the state of material behaviour development for a thermoset during cure. Therefore, the validity of a cure kinetics model is an underlying concern when combining several material models to describe a part forming process, as is the case for process modeling. The goals of this work are to identify sources of uncertainty in the decision-making process from cure measurement by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) to cure kinetics modeling, and to recommend practices for reducing uncertainty. Variability of cure kinetics model predictions based on DSC measurements are investigated in this work by a study on the carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) T800H/3900-2, an interlaboratory Round Robin comparison of cure studies on T800H/3900-2, and a literature review of cure models for Hexcel 8552. It is shown that variability between model predictions can be as large as 50% for some process conditions when uncertainty goes unchecked for decisions of instrument quality, material consistency, measurement quality, data reduction and modeling practices. The variability decreases to 10% when all of the above decisions are identical except for the data reduction and modeling practices. In this work, recommendations are offered for the following practices: baseline selection, balancing heats of reaction, comparing data over an extensive temperature range (300 K), choosing appropriate models to describe a wide range of behaviour, testing model reliability, and visualization techniques for cure cycle selection. Specific insight is offered to the data reduction and analysis of thermoplastic-toughened systems which undergo phase separation during cure, as is the case for T800H/3900-2. The evidence of phase separation is a history-dependent Tg-α relationship. In the absence of a concise outline of best practices for cure measurement by DSC and modeling of complex materials, a list of guidelines based on the literature and the studies herein is proposed.

Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering / Donald J. Phillippi / For this thesis, research was performed on CFRP bonded composite lap-joints with one and two continuous laminas through the lap. Composite wraps used to retrofit existing structures use lap joints to maintain their integrity. The use of composites for retrofitting structures has many advantages over traditional methods, such as steel jacketing, and is becoming more widely accepted in the structural engineering industry. While much literature exists documenting the performance of composite wraps as a whole when applied to concrete columns, less information is available on the behavior of the lap-joint of the wrap. Developing a better understanding of how the lap-joint behaves will help researchers further understand composite column wraps. This research sought to determine what affect continuous middle laminas may have on the stiffness of lap joints and whether or not stress concentrations exist in the lap-joint due to a change in stiffness.

The degree of cure and temperature are consistent variables used in models to describe the state of material behaviour development for a thermoset during cure. Therefore, the validity of a cure kinetics model is an underlying concern when combining several material models to describe a part forming process, as is the case for process modeling. The goals of this work are to identify sources of uncertainty in the decision-making process from cure measurement by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) to cure kinetics modeling, and to recommend practices for reducing uncertainty. Variability of cure kinetics model predictions based on DSC measurements are investigated in this work by a study on the carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) T800H/3900-2, an interlaboratory Round Robin comparison of cure studies on T800H/3900-2, and a literature review of cure models for Hexcel 8552. It is shown that variability between model predictions can be as large as 50% for some process conditions when uncertainty goes unchecked for decisions of instrument quality, material consistency, measurement quality, data reduction and modeling practices. The variability decreases to 10% when all of the above decisions are identical except for the data reduction and modeling practices. In this work, recommendations are offered for the following practices: baseline selection, balancing heats of reaction, comparing data over an extensive temperature range (300 K), choosing appropriate models to describe a wide range of behaviour, testing model reliability, and visualization techniques for cure cycle selection. Specific insight is offered to the data reduction and analysis of thermoplastic-toughened systems which undergo phase separation during cure, as is the case for T800H/3900-2. The evidence of phase separation is a history-dependent Tg-α relationship. In the absence of a concise outline of best practices for cure measurement by DSC and modeling of complex materials, a list of guidelines based on the literature and the studies herein is proposed. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

This research program investigates the performance of a steel truss bridge when subjected to both localized web damage and a subsequent post-tensioned strengthening approach. The investigation utilizes a combined approach involving an experimental scale model bridge and a numerical computer model generated using the commercial finite element software RISA 3-D. The numerical model is validated using test data and further extended to parametric studies in order to investigate the theoretical load rating, strain energy, load redistribution, mode shapes and frequency of the bridge for control, damaged and strengthened states. The presence and severity of damage are found to significantly influence the global safety and reliability of the bridge. Also, higher order modes are more susceptible to changes in shape and frequency in the presence of damage. A recovery of truss deflection and a reduction of member forces are achieved by the proposed strengthening method.

The purpose of this research was to quantify the strength of novel composite repair methods for thin-walled composite structures. Carbon/epoxy plates were manufactured and repairs were made at Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories. At BYU, specimens were damaged in a controlled and repeatable process. Three damage modes were implemented: impact, groove, and abrasive damage. Tensile strength tests were performed on control, damaged, and repaired specimens. Four 24 x 24 in (60 x 60 cm) carbon/epoxy plates were received. Each plate was made up of seven plies cured together with epoxy resin for a nominal total thickness of 0.04 in (1.02 mm). The thickness, however, was not uniform: each plate had a smooth side and a wavy side. This resulted in inconsistent damage depth. The plates were cut at BYU using a water-jet cutter into 1 in. (25.4 mm) wide by 8 in. (203.2 mm) long test specimens. Test specimens were grouped into four categories: control specimens, specimens inflicted with damage by machining a shallow groove ranging from 0.012 — 0.018 in. (0.30 — 0.46 mm) deep, specimens inflicted with an abrasive-type damage ranging from 0.006 — 0.012 in. (0.15 — 0.30 mm) deep, and specimens subjected to impact damage ranging from 1.47 — 3.23 J. Five specimens were placed in the control group. Ten specimens were placed in each of the remaining damage groups. All ten specimens were damaged, but only five of each were sent to be repaired. The randomization of the thickness variable was prevented by the desire to repair damaged specimens as a group with a single repair rather than performing repairs on every individual specimen. The stress-strain behavior confirm the control specimens generally exhibited the best overall behavior, as expected. Most damaged specimens, including the repaired specimens, exhibited lower ultimate stress than the undamaged control specimens. The repaired specimens exhibited a higher initial stiffness than either the control or damaged specimens, due to the stiffness of the composite patch. Although repaired specimens should exhibit higher strength than damaged specimens, but this however, was not always the case. In particular, repairs did not improve the ultimate strength of the specimens damaged by abrasion. Correlations between the different damage types were developed, relating damage intensity and strength was approximately. This suggests further investigation is needed.