No description available.

No description available.

A model that accurately describes the transient and steady-state response of thermal microactuators is desirable to provide guidance for design and operation. However, modeling the full response of thermal actuators is challenging due to the temperature-dependent material properties and nonlinear deformations that must be included to obtain accurate results. To meet these challenges a three-dimensional multi-physics nonlinear finite-element model was developed using commercial code. The Thermomechanical Inplane Microactuator (TIM) was chosen as a candidate application to validate the model. TIMs were fabricated using the SUMMiT V™ process and their response was measured using a high-speed camera. The TIMs were modeled and the model output was compared to the experimental data. The finite-element model predicts the steady-state response to within 0.74 percent and the transient response, as described by the time constant, to within 42 percent. The usefulness of the model was further demonstrated by its predicting that response time and energy consumption can be reduced by actuating thermal microactuators with short-duration high-voltage pulses. This behavior was verified through testing. Feedback control has proven useful in improving reliability and performance for a variety of systems. However there has been limited success implementing feedback control on surface micromachined MEMS devices. The inherent difficulties in sensing microscale phenomena complicate the development of an economical transducer that can accurately monitor the states of a surface micromachined system. We have demonstrated a simple and effective sensing strategy that uses the piezoresistive property of the polysilicon thin film of which surface micromachined MEMS devices are fabricated. The states of the device are monitored by measuring the change in resistance of flexible members which deflect as the device moves. Measurement of the output displacement of an in-plane thermal actuator is presented as a candidate application. The thermal actuator is constructed of angled pairs of expansion legs that are connected to a center shuttle. As current flows through the legs they heat up and expand. The expansion causes the center shuttle to displace in the direction the legs are angled. The center shuttle is also connected to a pair of sensing legs. Theses legs are identical to the expansion legs except that they are angled in the opposite direction. Three other leg pairs are electrically connected to the sensing legs in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. An excitation voltage is applied to the bridge, and as the sensing legs deflect with the center shuttle displacement, the resistance change across the legs can be determined by measuring the voltage across the bridge. While there still is a noise issue to be dealt with, this setup provides adequate signal strength to implement feedback control using off-chip analog circuitry. Implementation of proportional/integral control on the system is successfully demonstrated.

In most finite element analysis, a uniform mesh is not the optimum way to model the problem. Mesh adaptation is the ability to modify a finite element model to include regions of the mesh with higher and lower node density. Mesh adaptation has received extensive study in both computational mechanics and computer graphics to increase the resolution or accuracy of the solution in specific areas. The algorithm developed in this thesis, the Automated Quadrilateral Coarsening by Ring Collapse (AQCRC) algorithm, provides a unique solution to allow conformal coarsening of both structured and unstructured quadrilateral finite element meshes. The algorithm is based on dual chord operations and dual chord removal. The AQCRC algorithm follows six steps: 1) input of a coarsening region and factor, 2) selection of coarsening rings, 3) improvement of mesh quality, 4) removal of coarsening rings, 5) mesh clean-up and 6) coarsening iterations. Examples are presented that show the application of the algorithm.

Material flow in friction stir welding is largely uncharacterized due to the difficulty in material flow measurement and visualization in metals. This study investigates plasticine for use as an analog for modeling material flow in friction stir welding (FSW) of metals. Qualitative comparisons between welded plasticine and metal sections exhibit many similarities. The transient temperature response of the plasticine also shows the same qualitative behavior as welds conducted in metal. To quantify its similarity to metal, the plasticine is further analyzed through compression tests to characterize its strain, strain-rate, and temperature sensitivities. A detailed analysis is presented which defines the criteria for rigorous mechanical and thermal similarity between metals and analog materials. The mechanical response of the plasticine is quantitatively similar to many aluminum and steel alloys. In addition to the mechanical properties of the plasticine, thermal properties are measured and thermal similarity is investigated. Generally, complete thermal similarity cannot be achieved in FSW. However, given the similarities between other critical parameters, and observed qualitatively similarity, it is possible to satisfy similarity approximately, such that information can be obtained from the physical model and extrapolated to metals. Using plasticine, material flow behavior in FSW is investigated under various operating conditions. The physical model permits visualization and characterization of material flow around a suspended welding tool. Depending on operating conditions, several material flow regimes are observed, including simple extrusion with substantial tool/material slip, defect formation, a region of rotating material adjacent to the tool, and vertical deformation. Material flow and frictional heating in FSW are also investigated using a three-dimensional numerical model. Two mechanical boundary conditions are investigated, including 1) a sticking constant velocity, and 2) a slipping variable shear stress model. The constant velocity model generally over-predicts the extent of material flow in the weld region. The variable shear model predicts simple extrusion of material around the tool, and substantial tool/material slip. Additionally, the variable shear model exhibits a region of diminishing shear stress, velocity, and pressure at the back advancing side of the pin, suggesting formation of an internal void. The limited deformation, low velocities, and indication of void formation agree well with flow visualization studies using plasticine under identical operating parameters.

The disconnect between the way CAD and analysis applications handle model geometry has long been a hindrance to engineering design. Current industry practices often utilize outdated forms of geometry transfer between these different engineering software applications such as neutral file formats and direct translations. Not only to these current practices slow the engineering design process but they also hinder the integration of design and analysis programs.This thesis proposes a new, multi-user, integrated design-analysis architecture which allows auxiliary functions such as analysis and computer-aided manufacturing to be better connected with the computer-aided design. It is hypothesized that this new architecture will reduce the time of design-analysis iterations and create more parallelization between CAD and auxiliary programs. A prototype of the proposed architecture was constructed and then tested to evaluate the hypotheses, from which it was discovered that the proposed architecture does indeed reduce the time of iterations in the design-analysis cycle and allows for the parallelization of some design and analysis tasks.

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With more young adults requiring total hip arthroplasties the need for bone saving implants becomes more important. The Zimmer Fitmore is a new bone saving implant that utilizes an implantation technique that reduces the damage to the muscle tissue allowing for patients to have a short recovery time as well as a new design that allows it to rest on the medial cortex. There has been anecdotal evidence that this device leads to early revision within six months of implantation due to failures occurring in the medial cortex. The main goal of this study was to computationally model the Zimmer Fitmore and compare it to the ML Taper to see if the failures are due to the design of the implant. The models were created using CT scans of the implants and the same implantation process was simulated for each. Two sizes for the cortical bone thickness, 4mm and 10mm, were used and contrasted with each other. The 10mm cortical thickness model showed that v the strains experienced by the Zimmer Fitmore femur were higher than that of the ML Taper. The 4mm model did not fully complete the simulation, but the results that were obtained showed an increased strain in Gruen zone 7. These results show that the design, not implantation method, could be to blame for the need for early revision when using the Zimmer Fitmore.

Saccular aneurysms are the abnormal plastic deformation of veins and arteries that can lead to lethal thrombus genesis or internal hemorrhaging. Medication and surgery greatly reduce the mortality rates, but treatment is limited by predicting who will develop aneurysms. A common location for saccular aneurysm genesis is at the main middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation. The main MCA bifurcation is comprised of the M1 MCA segment, parent artery, and two M2 segments, daughter arteries. Studies have found that the lateral angle (LA) ratio of the MCA bifurcation is correlated with aneurysm formation. The LA ratio is defined as the angle between the M1 and the larger M2 divided by the angle between the M1 and the smaller M2. When the LA ratio is equal to 1, perfectly symmetrical, no aneurysms are found at the MCA bifurcation. When the LA ratio is greater than 1.6, aneurysms are commonly found at the MCA bifurcation. In the research described here, varying MCA bifurcation angles were compared to uncover any changes to fluid flow and wall shear stress that could stimulate aneurysm growth. Eight pre-aneurysm MCA bifurcation models were created in SolidWorks® using 120 degrees, 90 degrees, and 60 degrees as the angle between the M1 and the larger M2. LA ratios of 1, 1.6 and 2.2 were then used to characterize the other branch angle (60 degrees with a LA ratio of 1 was excluded). These models were imported into COMSOL Multiphysics® where the laminar fluid flow module was used to simulate non-Newtonian blood flow. Fluid flow profiles showed little to no change between the models. Shear stress changed when the LA ratio was increased, but the changed varied between the 120, 90 and 60 degree models. 120 degree models had a 3.87% decrease in max shear stress with a LA ratio of 2.2 while the 90 degree models had 7.5% decrease in max shear stress with a LA ratio of 2.2. Each daughter artery had distinct areas of high shear stress when the LA ratio equaled 1. Increasing the LA ratio or decreasing the bifurcation angle caused the areas of shear stress to merge together. Increasing LA ratio caused shear stress to decrease and spread around the MCA bifurcation. The reduction in max wall shear stress for high LA ratios supports current aneurysm genesis hypothesizes, but additional testing is required before bifurcation geometries can be used to predicted aneurysm genesis.

The purpose of this thesis is to effectively model the time history of the temperature distribution during the selective laser sintering process and use this information to investigate the resulting relative density. The temperature is a critical parameter of the process because it directly effects the overall quality of the part. First, an efficient, affordable, and reliable simulation was developed within the finite element software, Abaqus. Next, the results from the simulations were compared to the experimental results performed by Wang et al. (2016). The FEA model consisted of a 3 layer simulation. Multiple simulations at various laser recipes were conducted using W-Ni-Fe as the powder material. The P/v (laser power/scanning speed) was plotted against the resulting total time above the melting temperature for various simulation. It was concluded that a linear relationship exists between the P/v parameters used in the laser recipe and the resulting time above the melting temperature. The average R2 values for the W-Ni-Fe simulations for layer 1, 2, 3 were 0.962, 0.950, and 0.939, respectively. Additionally, the experimental results from the Wang et al. (2016) study confirmed that a linear relationship is present. Thus, it can be concluded that the P/v parameters used within the laser recipe has a direct relation to the resulting relative density of the SLS part.