In this thesis, a method proposed by Han et al. [40] for detecting and locating damage in a structural member was adapted. The method was based on the energies that were calculated from the CWT coefficients of vibrational response of a cantilever beam. A transverse cut at varying depths was introduced. The presence and location of crack was investigated by processing experimentally acquired acceleration signals. Results of modal analysis and wavelet analysis of the beam with different cut depths were compared. In addition, effect of using different mother wavelets in CWT analysis for damage detection capability was investigated. Acceleration data were analyzed through CWT at different scales and CWT coefficients were calculated. Those CWT coefficients obtained from different scales were evaluated from the standpoint of damage detection. Effectiveness of energy indices associated with CWT coefficients in damage detection was demonstrated as independent of the type of mother wavelet.

Haptic devices and haptic rendering is an important topic in the burgeoning field of virtual reality applications. In this thesis, I describe the design and implementation of a cutting force model integrating a haptic device, the PHANToM, with a high &ndash / powered computer. My goal was to build a six degree &ndash / of &ndash / freedom force model to allow user to interact with three &ndash / dimensional deformable objects. Methods for haptic rendering including graphical rendering, collision detection and force feedback are illustrated, implementation of haptic rendering system is introduced, and application is evaluated to explore the effectiveness of the system.

Silicon is commonly used in infrared (IR) imaging systems. The surface quality is an important issue in optics manufacturing since surface roughness affects optical performance of imaging systems. Surface quality of an optical component is determined by number of factor, including cutting parameters / cutting speed, depth of cut and feed in radial direction. In this thesis, an experimental study has been performed to investigate the relation between cutting parameters and average roughness of the surface of silicon. In the experiments, silicon specimens, which have a diameter of 50 mm, were face turned by using a 2-axis CNC single point diamond turning machine. The specimens were machined by using either constant spindle speed or constant cutting speed. Two different tools with rake angles of -15 degrees and -25 degrees were used. The attained surfaces were measured by using a white light interferometer, which has a resolution of 0.1nm. The experiments were designed according to the factorial design method, considering cutting parameters. The effects of cutting parameters and tool rake angles on surface quality of silicon were observed. The best average surface roughness obtained was about 1 nm which is quite better than the acceptable average surface roughness level of 25 nm.

In this study, the thermal management system of a notebook computer is investigated by using a commercial finite volume Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. After taking the computer apart, all dimensions are measured and all major components are modeled as accurately as possible. Heat dissipation values and necessary characteristics of the components are obtained from the manufacturer&#039 / s specifications. The different heat dissipation paths that are utilized in the design are investigated. Two active fans and aluminum heat dissipation plates as well as the heat pipe system are modeled according to their specifications. The first and second order discretization schemes as well as two different mesh densities are investigated as modeling choices. Under different operating powers, adequacy of the existing thermal management system is observed. Average and maximum temperatures of the internal components are reported in the form of tables. Thermal resistance networks for five different operating conditions are obtained from the analysis of the CFD simulation results. Temperature distributions on the top surface of the chassis where the keyboard and touchpad are located are investigated considering the user comfort.

Experimental measurements and numerical simulations have been performed on copper and aluminum microchannel heatsinks of 300, 420, 500, and 900 &amp / #956 / m channel widths. The heatsinks have been designed specifically for use with T/R (transmit/receive) module cooling applications of military phased array radars. An analytical calculation was also performed to aid in the design methodology. Distilled water was used as the coolant with flow rates ranging from 0.50 lpm (liters per minute) to 1.00 lpm. Local heat fluxes as high as 100 W/cm2 were tested. Upon completion of the experiments, the thermally best performing specimen, the 300 &amp / #956 / m copper specimen, yielded a maximum temperature rise of 26.1 &deg / C between the heat load and coolant inlet, at a coolant flow rate of 1.00 lpm and local heat flux of 100 W/cm2, leading to a thermal resistance of 0.63 &deg / C/W. The pressure drop measured across the heatsink under these conditions was 0.030 bar. Numerical simulations were carried out using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software FLUENT&reg / . Effects of thermal interface layers and heat spreading due to the localized heat load were investigated. Simulation results for temperature were seen to agree fairly well with experimental data as long as thermal interface layers were accounted for. The study showed that the T/R modules of military phased array radars, dissipating as high as 100 W/cm2 locally, could be cooled within the limits of the harsh environmental conditions required of military applications with moderate pressure drops.

The aim of this study is to develop a set-up that can be used by patients performing posterior pelvic tilt exercises to assess and improve the effectiveness of the exercise by visual feedbacks. Lifetime of low back pain prevalence is between %60 and %90. In other words almost everyone encounters the problem of low back pain sometime during their life. Therapeutic and protective exercises are the most important components of treatment for the low back pain. People who have mechanical based low back pain due to postural disorders, have weakness of abdominal and back muscles. Posterior pelvic tilt exercises are one of the effective types of exercises to solve this problem. These can be done standing against a wall or lying on a surface. These exercises are advised to patients generally as home exercise programs. However most patients cannot do their exercises effectively due to lack of training and control. In posterior pelvic tilt exercise, the patient is asked to straighten his/her lumbar lordosis and exert as much pressure as possible to the surface he/she is lying on. It is believed that the efficiency of the exercise is correlated with the amount of this pressure. Entertaining visual feedback may increase patient&amp / #8217 / s motivation and consequently quality of the exercise. In this experimental set-up, pressure variations were determined by three receivers which were placed under the back of the patient to provide feedback for proper posterior pelvic tilt exercises. By means of this experimental set-up training for these exercises was achieved easily and the quality of exercises was improved.

In order to understand the effects of structurally induced line of sight (SILOS) jitter (vibration) and to predict its effects on optical system performance, a simple and practical vibratory model and software are developed by using discrete and finite element modeling techniques. For an existing simple optical system, discrete and FE dynamic models are constructed and they are validated by modal tests for the frequency range of interest. In order to find material properties of adhesive, which is used in optical system, a simple test is constructed and these properties are found by using a single degree of freedom model. The effects of vibration on the system performance are investigated under random vibration load conditions by using the software developed. It is concluded that the analytical model suggested can successfully be used in preliminary design stage of a simple optical system when the optical housing and lens behave rigidly in the frequency range of interest. The optical performance prediction software combines the optical element tolerances and displacements in order to determine the optical performance.

The aim of this study is to perform the shape optimization of the lower chassis of the wheeled excavator. A computer program is designed to generate parametric Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the structure by using the commercial program, MSC. Marc-Mentat. The model parameters are generated in the Microsoft Excel platform and the analysis data is collected by the Python based computer codes. The previously developed software Smart Designer [5], which performs the shape optimization of an excavator boom by using genetic algorithm, is modified and embedded in the designed program.

In this work, a new method is suggested for the modal identification of nonlinear structures and for the use of the modal data in calculating response of the nonlinear system to harmonic excitation. Nonlinearity in mechanical structures is usually encountered in connection regions. In this study, the nonlinear part of such a structure is modeled as a single nonlinear element and modal parameters of the structure are obtained as a function of displacement amplitude. Identification and modeling of nonlinear elements can be done through modal tests conducted at different response levels. Response level dependent modal parameters are used in calculating the response of the system to harmonic excitation at any forcing level. Furthermore, the modal model of a nonlinear substructure can be used in structural coupling of the nonlinear system with a linear one, and in structural modification problems where a nonlinear structure is modified with linear elements. Validation of the modal model proposed, and the use of this model in harmonic response computation, structural coupling and structural modification problems are demonstrated with several case studies.

In this study finite element modeling of three dimensional elliptic and semielliptic cracks in a hollow cylinder is considered. Three dimensional crack and cylinder are modeled by using finite element analysis program ANSYS. The main objectives of this study are as follows. First, Ansys Parametric Design Language (APDL) codes are developed to facilitate modeling of different types of cracks in cylinders. Second, by using these codes the effect of some parameters of the problem like crack location, cylinder&rsquo / s radius to thickness ratio (R/t), the crack geometry ratio (a/c) and crack minor axis to cylinder thickness ratio (a/t) on stress intensity factors for surface and internal cracks are examined. Mechanical and thermal loading cases are considered. Displacement Correlation Technique (DCT) is used to obtain Stress Intensity Factors.