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Dr. Brittany Newell
Polytechnic Institute School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant St. West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA

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0 Actuators
0 Additive Manufacturing
0 Sensors
0 Electroactive Polymers
0 Flexible circuits

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Additive Manufacturing
Electroactive Polymers
Sensors
Flexible circuits

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Original article
Published: 01 December 2020 in Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education
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With growing developments in the technology of cloud storage and the Internet of Things, smart systems have become the latest trend in major agricultural regions of the world. The Arequipa and Caylloma provinces of Peru are highly productive agricultural areas that could benefit from these technologies. This region has low precipitation, generally less than 100 mm per year. Electricity is not available in most of the agricultural fields, limiting the types of irrigation methods and technologies that can be supported. Currently, 20 ponds supplied by water runoff from the Andean glaciers are used for irrigating approximately 545 hectares of land in the Majes district (Caylloma province). In order to develop optimal techniques for water irrigation in Arequipa and improve the infrastructure, there is a need for development of a smart water irrigation system applicable to the existing conditions in the region. The current study proposes a pilot smart water irrigation framework comprised of a drip irrigation module, wireless communication module, and a sensor network for intelligently regulating water flow from the cloud. In this study, a TEROS 12 soil moisture sensor is connected to a Digi XBee wireless module for collecting measurements of volumetric water content, temperature, and electrical conductivity, which are sent through a secure IP gateway to the cloud. A user‐friendly web interface is available for end‐users to access and analyze real‐time data. The proposed framework is easily implementable, low‐cost, and is predicted to conserve water through optimization of irrigation cycles based on a set moisture threshold.

ACS Style

Santiago Guevara; Yogang Singh; Austin Shores; Juan Mercado; Mauricio Postigo; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. Development of a Pilot Smart Irrigation System for Peruvian Highlands. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 2020, 171, 49 -62.

AMA Style

Santiago Guevara, Yogang Singh, Austin Shores, Juan Mercado, Mauricio Postigo, Jose Garcia, Brittany Newell. Development of a Pilot Smart Irrigation System for Peruvian Highlands. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education. 2020; 171 (1):49-62.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Santiago Guevara; Yogang Singh; Austin Shores; Juan Mercado; Mauricio Postigo; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. 2020. "Development of a Pilot Smart Irrigation System for Peruvian Highlands." Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 171, no. 1: 49-62.

Conference paper
Published: 10 September 2020 in 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings
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This work presents the introduction of an of activity designed to help students enrolled in a basic fluid power course for the second year of the Mechanical Engineering Technology at our University. The students reflect on their own learning experience of energy in the context of a fluid power class (hydraulics and pneumatics). This educational research project started with the initial goal of highlighting students’ energy literacy, and the relevance of this topic with respect to the course materials. Initially, one course learning objective was selected, and the specific course topics related to that objective were identified. A specific in-class assignment was developed for the purpose of highlighting the connections between the class material and general energy concepts. The activity during class required the students to use the Bernoulli equation in a guided step by step process to estimate at the energy requirements in a hydraulic system. After this activity, the students were given a survey to provide their own perspective about their perceived knowledge about energy and how these activities were of importance to them in their career. A total of 86 students responded to the survey. Approximately 45% agreed this activity will be useful in their future career and 30% responded that this activity helped them increase their interest in the topic. This project is investigating how creating active learning tasks in fluid power classes allowed students to direct their learning and apply energy concept and theory based on actual experience working on focused problems. This work in progress article documents preliminary results from the first implementation of the activity and survey in a class.

ACS Style

Jose M. Garcia; Brittany Newell; Erika Dawn Bonnett; Jorge Andres Leon-Quiroga. Making Connections Between Applications and Theory Through Energy in Fluid Power. 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Jose M. Garcia, Brittany Newell, Erika Dawn Bonnett, Jorge Andres Leon-Quiroga. Making Connections Between Applications and Theory Through Energy in Fluid Power. 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings. 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jose M. Garcia; Brittany Newell; Erika Dawn Bonnett; Jorge Andres Leon-Quiroga. 2020. "Making Connections Between Applications and Theory Through Energy in Fluid Power." 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 21 July 2020 in Fluids
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The dynamics of hydrocyclones is complex, because it is a multiphase flow problem that involves interaction between a discrete phase and multiple continuum phases. The performance of hydrocyclones is evaluated by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and it is characterized by the pressure drop, split water ratio, and particle collection efficiency. In this paper, a computational model to improve and evaluate hydrocyclone performance is proposed. Four known computational turbulence models (renormalization group (RNG) k- ε , Reynolds stress model (RSM), and large-eddy simulation (LES)) are implemented, and the accuracy of each for predicting the hydrocyclone behavior is assessed. Four hydrocyclone configurations were analyzed using the RSM model. By analyzing the streamlines resulting from those simulations, it was found that the formation of some vortices and saddle points affect the separation efficiency. Furthermore, the effects of inlet width, cone length, and vortex finder diameter were found to be significant. The cut-size diameter was decreased by 33% compared to the Hsieh experimental hydrocyclone. An increase in the pressure drop leads to high values of cut-size and classification sharpness. If the pressure drop increases to twice its original value, the cut-size and the sharpness of classification are reduced to less than 63% and 55% of their initial values, respectively.

ACS Style

Marvin Durango-Cogollo; Jose Garcia-Bravo; Brittany Newell; Andres Gonzalez-Mancera. CFD Modeling of Hydrocyclones—A Study of Efficiency of Hydrodynamic Reservoirs. Fluids 2020, 5, 118 .

AMA Style

Marvin Durango-Cogollo, Jose Garcia-Bravo, Brittany Newell, Andres Gonzalez-Mancera. CFD Modeling of Hydrocyclones—A Study of Efficiency of Hydrodynamic Reservoirs. Fluids. 2020; 5 (3):118.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marvin Durango-Cogollo; Jose Garcia-Bravo; Brittany Newell; Andres Gonzalez-Mancera. 2020. "CFD Modeling of Hydrocyclones—A Study of Efficiency of Hydrodynamic Reservoirs." Fluids 5, no. 3: 118.

Journal article
Published: 02 April 2020 in Energies
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Energy regeneration systems are a key factor for improving energy efficiency in electrohydraulic machinery. This paper is focused on the study of electric energy storage systems (EESS) and hydraulic energy storage systems (HESS) for energy regeneration applications. Two test benches were designed and implemented to compare the performance of the systems under similar operating conditions. The electrical system was configured with a set of ultracapacitors, and the hydraulic system used a hydraulic accumulator. Both systems were designed to have the same energy storage capacity. Charge and discharge cycle experiments were performed for the two systems in order to compare their power density, energy density, cost, and efficiency. According to the experimentally obtained results, the power density in the hydraulic accumulator was 21.7% higher when compared with the ultracapacitors. Moreover, the cost/power ($/Watt) ratio in the hydraulic accumulator was 2.9 times smaller than a set of ultracapacitors of the same energy storage capacity. On the other hand, the energy density in the set of ultracapacitors was 9.4 times higher, and the cost/energy ($/kWh) ratio was 2.9 times smaller when compared with the hydraulic accumulator. Under the tested conditions, the estimated overall energy efficiency for the hydraulic accumulator was 87.7%, and the overall energy efficiency for the ultracapacitor was 78.7%.

ACS Style

Jorge Leon-Quiroga; Brittany Newell; Mahesh Krishnamurthy; Andres Gonzalez-Mancera; Jose Garcia-Bravo. Energy Efficiency Comparison of Hydraulic Accumulators and Ultracapacitors. Energies 2020, 13, 1632 .

AMA Style

Jorge Leon-Quiroga, Brittany Newell, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Andres Gonzalez-Mancera, Jose Garcia-Bravo. Energy Efficiency Comparison of Hydraulic Accumulators and Ultracapacitors. Energies. 2020; 13 (7):1632.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jorge Leon-Quiroga; Brittany Newell; Mahesh Krishnamurthy; Andres Gonzalez-Mancera; Jose Garcia-Bravo. 2020. "Energy Efficiency Comparison of Hydraulic Accumulators and Ultracapacitors." Energies 13, no. 7: 1632.

Conference paper
Published: 09 September 2019 in ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems
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Additive manufacturing is an enabling technology that is rapidly advancing with the development of new printers, materials, and processes. The purpose of this research was to design a part that could function similar to a pneumatic piston-cylinder producing small force outputs between 5 and 10 N. The research presented in this paper looks at various types of 3D printing methods to produce flexible linear bellows actuators to achieve this functionality. In particular, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, digital light processing, and Polyjet printing were examined to produce a variety of test actuators. A successful flexible part was designed and produced using Polyjet printing, the steady state and dynamic responses of constructed actuators were measured and characterized at various loading conditions. The displacement trends at different load conditions followed a non-linear path, exhibiting highly elastic deformation typical of the flexible resins used in this project.

ACS Style

Alfonso Costas; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia. Production and Characterization of a Fully 3D Printed Flexible Bellows Actuator. ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Alfonso Costas, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia. Production and Characterization of a Fully 3D Printed Flexible Bellows Actuator. ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alfonso Costas; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia. 2019. "Production and Characterization of a Fully 3D Printed Flexible Bellows Actuator." ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems , no. : 1.

Conference paper
Published: 09 September 2019 in ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems
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Soft actuators have been studied and analyzed as a new solution for soft robotic technologies. These types of actuators have many advantages due to their predictable deformations and their ease of control, enabling them to hold and move delicate objects performing complex movements in confined spaces. Soft actuators can be made using different manufacturing processes, but the most common is mold casting. However, this manufacturing process involves several steps, increasing the manufacturing time and hindering changes in the design. This paper presents a novel design of a 3D printed soft pneumatic actuator based on additive manufacturing, achieving design versatility and performance. The produced actuator has seven that can be individually controlled. The actuators were made using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology in one continuous process and without support material. The mechanical performance of the soft actuators was demonstrated, analyzing the deformation in the z-axis based on input pressure.

ACS Style

David Gonzalez; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. 3D Printed Segmented Flexible Pneumatic Actuator. ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

David Gonzalez, Jose Garcia, Brittany Newell. 3D Printed Segmented Flexible Pneumatic Actuator. ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Gonzalez; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. 2019. "3D Printed Segmented Flexible Pneumatic Actuator." ASME 2019 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems , no. : 1.

Earlycite article
Published: 06 September 2019 in Rapid Prototyping Journal
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Purpose An Autodesk Ember three-dimensional (3D) printer was used to print optical components from Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The cured PR48 was characterized by the per cent of light transmitted and the index of refraction, which was measured with a prism spectrometer. Lenses and diffraction gratings were also printed and characterized. The focal length of the printed lenses agreed with predictions based on the thin lens equation. The periodicity and effective slit width of the printed gratings were determined from both optical micrographs and fits to the Fraunhofer diffraction equation. This study aims to demonstrate the advantages offered by a layer-by-layer DLP printing process for the manufacture of optical components for use in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Design/methodology/approach A 3D printer was used to print both lenses and diffraction gratings from Standard Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The manufacturing process of the lenses and the diffraction gratings differ mainly in the printing angle with respect to the printer x-y-axes. The transmission diffraction gratings studied here were manufactured with nominal periodicities of 10, 25 and 50 µm. The aim of this study was to optically determine the effective values for the distance between slits, d, and the effective width of the slits, w, and to compare these values with the printed layer thickness. Findings The normalized diffraction patterns measured in this experiment for the printed gratings with layer thickness of 10, 25 and 50 µm are shown by the solid dots in Figures 8(a)-(c). Also shown as a red solid line are the fits to the experimental diffraction data. The effective values of d and w obtained from fitting the data are compared to the nominal layer thickness of the printed gratings. The effective distance between slits required to fit the diffraction patterns are well approximated by the printed layer thickness to within 14, 4 and 16 per cent for gratings with a nominal 10, 25 and 50 µm layer thickness, respectively. Research limitations/implications Chromatic aberration is present in all polymer lenses, and the authors have not attempted to characterize it in this study. These materials could be used for achromatic lenses if paired with a crown-type material in an achromatic doublet configuration, because this would correct the chromatic aberration issues. It is worthwhile to compare the per cent transmission in cured PR48 resin (approximately 80 per cent) to the percent transmission found in common optical materials like BK7 (approximately 92 per cent) over the visible region. The authors attribute the lower transmission in PR48 to a combination of surface scattering and increased absorption. At the present time, the authors do not know what fraction of the lower transmission is related to the surface quality resulting from sample polishing. Practical implications There are inherent limitations to the 3D manufacturing process that affect...

ACS Style

Laura D. Vallejo-Melgarejo; Ronald G. Reifenberger; Brittany Newell; Carlos A. Narváez-Tovar; José M. Garcia-Bravo. Characterization of 3D-printed lenses and diffraction gratings made by DLP additive manufacturing. Rapid Prototyping Journal 2019, 25, 1684 -1694.

AMA Style

Laura D. Vallejo-Melgarejo, Ronald G. Reifenberger, Brittany Newell, Carlos A. Narváez-Tovar, José M. Garcia-Bravo. Characterization of 3D-printed lenses and diffraction gratings made by DLP additive manufacturing. Rapid Prototyping Journal. 2019; 25 (10):1684-1694.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura D. Vallejo-Melgarejo; Ronald G. Reifenberger; Brittany Newell; Carlos A. Narváez-Tovar; José M. Garcia-Bravo. 2019. "Characterization of 3D-printed lenses and diffraction gratings made by DLP additive manufacturing." Rapid Prototyping Journal 25, no. 10: 1684-1694.

Journal article
Published: 05 September 2019 in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
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Ferroelectric materials are utilized in many applications ranging from capacitors to data storage. The hysteresis frequency dependence of ferroelectric materials has been well studied. However, the long term dynamic behaviour including aging has not been as well documented due to the long time frame required to gather experimental data, but is critical for understanding the lifespan of these materials in application. Previous work has shown that the hysteresis frequency dependence of the dielectric properties can be accurately modelled in the time domain using fractional derivative operators applied on a large frequency bandwidth. Currently, the lowest frequencies tested have been restrained to the hysteresis cycle quasi-static threshold. Below this threshold, the hysteresis shape remains unchanged. This research expands the current knowledge by validating the use of fractional derivative operators in long term aging models. The model data is experimentally validated using aged piezoelectric samples with over up to 107 seconds. These results confirm that the low and high dynamic dielectric material behaviours are linked and can be consequently modelled using fractional derivative operators.

ACS Style

Benjamin Ducharne; Brittany Newell; Gael Sebald. A Unique Fractional Derivative Operator to Simulate All Dynamic Piezoceramic Dielectric Manifestations: From Aging to Frequency-Dependent Hysteresis. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control 2019, 67, 197 -206.

AMA Style

Benjamin Ducharne, Brittany Newell, Gael Sebald. A Unique Fractional Derivative Operator to Simulate All Dynamic Piezoceramic Dielectric Manifestations: From Aging to Frequency-Dependent Hysteresis. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control. 2019; 67 (1):197-206.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin Ducharne; Brittany Newell; Gael Sebald. 2019. "A Unique Fractional Derivative Operator to Simulate All Dynamic Piezoceramic Dielectric Manifestations: From Aging to Frequency-Dependent Hysteresis." IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control 67, no. 1: 197-206.

Journal article
Published: 21 August 2019 in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical
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Dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAPs) represent a subclass of smart materials that are capable of converting between electrical and mechanical energy. These materials can be used as energy harvesters, sensors, and actuators. However, current production and testing of these devices is limited and requires multiple step processes for fabrication. This paper presents an alternate production method via 3D printing using Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) as a dielectric elastomer. This study provides electromechanical characterization of flexible dielectric films produced by additive manufacturing and demonstrates their use as DEAP actuators. The dielectric material characterization of TPU includes: measurement of the dielectric constant, percentage radial elongation, tensile properties, pre-strain effects on actuation, surface topography, and measured actuation under high voltage. The results demonstrated a high dielectric constant and ideal elongation performance for this material, making the material suitable for use as a DEAP actuator. In addition, it was experimentally determined that the tensile properties of the material depend on the printing angle and thickness of the samples thereby making these properties controllable using 3D printing. Using surface topography, it was possible to analyze how the printing path affects the roughness of the films and consequently affects the voltage breakdown of the structure and creates preferential deformation directions. Actuators produced with concentric circle paths produced an area expansion of 4.73% uniformly in all directions. Actuators produced with line paths produced an area expansion of 5.71% in the direction where the printed lines are parallel to the deformation direction, and 4.91% in the direction where the printed lines are perpendicular to the deformation direction.

ACS Style

David Gonzalez; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. Electromechanical characterization of a 3D printed dielectric material for dielectric electroactive polymer actuators. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 2019, 297, 111565 .

AMA Style

David Gonzalez, Jose Garcia, Brittany Newell. Electromechanical characterization of a 3D printed dielectric material for dielectric electroactive polymer actuators. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. 2019; 297 ():111565.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Gonzalez; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. 2019. "Electromechanical characterization of a 3D printed dielectric material for dielectric electroactive polymer actuators." Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 297, no. : 111565.

Journal article
Published: 23 April 2019 in Procedia Manufacturing
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In this work we present the development of a Smart Learning Factory (SLF) at Purdue University for preparing students with the skills, capabilities, and technological experiences necessary to excel in an Industry 4.0 environment. Functionally, the SLF is a replica of an actual cyber-physical production factory designed to intentionally foster collaboration between courses from multiple disciplinary areas, particularly mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, and robotics. Our objective is to reduce course silos by deliberately fusing the interconnection between courses by using SLF as the common unifying platform. Activities in design, manufacturing processes, production, production management, automation, energy, information, and communications, teamwork and collaboration are integrated using a vertical and horizontal integration framework. Unifying project activities were designed and introduced into these courses using this framework. As a result, 22 courses were integrated and a total of 26 vertical and horizontal integrated projects developed. This integration also facilitated the development of an energy credential using the SLF. Students progressing from freshman through senior year in college will better understand the interconnection of content between different courses, apply their learning to a manufacturing environment, gain a holistic perspective of the interdependent structures of the cyber-physical system, the connected enterprise, and the manufacturing ecosystem.

ACS Style

Ragu Athinarayanan; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Jason Ostanek; Xiumin Diao; Raji Sundararajan; Henry Zhang; Grant Richards. Learning in Context with Horizontally & Vertically Integrated Curriculum in a Smart Learning Factory. Procedia Manufacturing 2019, 31, 91 -96.

AMA Style

Ragu Athinarayanan, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia, Jason Ostanek, Xiumin Diao, Raji Sundararajan, Henry Zhang, Grant Richards. Learning in Context with Horizontally & Vertically Integrated Curriculum in a Smart Learning Factory. Procedia Manufacturing. 2019; 31 ():91-96.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ragu Athinarayanan; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Jason Ostanek; Xiumin Diao; Raji Sundararajan; Henry Zhang; Grant Richards. 2019. "Learning in Context with Horizontally & Vertically Integrated Curriculum in a Smart Learning Factory." Procedia Manufacturing 31, no. : 91-96.

Journal article
Published: 07 March 2019 in Energies
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This article contains the results and analysis of the dynamic behavior of a poppet valve through CFD simulation. A computational model based on the finite volume method was developed to characterize the flow at the interior of the valve while it is moving. The model was validated using published data from the valve manufacturer. This data was in accordance with the experimental model. The model was used to predict the behavior of the device as it is operated at high frequencies. Non-dimensional parameters for generalizing and analyzing the effects of the properties of the fluid were used. It was found that it is possible to enhance the dynamic behavior of the valve by altering the viscosity of the working fluid. Finally, using the generated model, the influence of the angle of the poppet was analyzed. It was found that angle has a minimal effect on pressure. However, flow forces increase as angle decreases. Therefore, reducing poppet angle is undesirable because it increases power requirements for valve actuation.

ACS Style

Ivan Gomez; Andrés Gonzalez-Mancera; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia-Bravo. Analysis of the Design of a Poppet Valve by Transitory Simulation. Energies 2019, 12, 889 .

AMA Style

Ivan Gomez, Andrés Gonzalez-Mancera, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia-Bravo. Analysis of the Design of a Poppet Valve by Transitory Simulation. Energies. 2019; 12 (5):889.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivan Gomez; Andrés Gonzalez-Mancera; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia-Bravo. 2019. "Analysis of the Design of a Poppet Valve by Transitory Simulation." Energies 12, no. 5: 889.

Conference paper
Published: 01 October 2018 in 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)
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This Innovative Practice Category Full Paper presents synergy between energy-based curses, and the optimization of student involvement within a project-based learning environment; concepts that have only recently gained traction within today's educational system. A continuous curriculum along with teaching theoretical concepts using hands-on applications transforms the learning experience from dry lecture type courses to those that enhance student learning potential. Students provided feedback through survey responses, indicating their learning experiences and topic competency before and after implementing new course materials.Engineering technology students thrive within enhanced learning environments utilizing hands-on methods to teach theoretical concepts. Such environments significantly increase motivation and conceptual retention for students within technical fields. A large body of knowledge exists focusing on changes regarding course delivery to the engineering student population. However, little is known about similar effects on engineering technology students. In this work, research-based learning theory applied to project-based and team-based learning, allowed course developers to further understand how changes affect the learning environment for engineering technology students.Early indications show a transformed class effectively motivates engineering technology students, enhancing both classroom culture and student learning potential. Experiential learning improved the students' understanding of concepts taught through project-based learning methods.

ACS Style

Cole Maynard; Brittany Newell; Anne Lucietto; William Hutzel; Jose Garcia-Bravo. Applied Learning within Thermodynamics: A Perspective on Energy Concepts. 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) 2018, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Cole Maynard, Brittany Newell, Anne Lucietto, William Hutzel, Jose Garcia-Bravo. Applied Learning within Thermodynamics: A Perspective on Energy Concepts. 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). 2018; ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cole Maynard; Brittany Newell; Anne Lucietto; William Hutzel; Jose Garcia-Bravo. 2018. "Applied Learning within Thermodynamics: A Perspective on Energy Concepts." 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) , no. : 1-8.

Proceedings article
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies
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This document condenses the results obtained when 3D printing lenses and their potential use as diffraction gratings using Digital Light Processing (DLP), as an additive manufacturing technique. This project investigated the feasibility of using DLP additive manufacturing for producing custom designed lenses and gratings. DLP was identified as the preferred manufacturing technology for gratings fabrication. Diffraction gratings take advantage of the anisotropy, inherent in additive manufacturing processes, to produce a collated pattern of multiple fringes on a substrate with completely smooth surfaces. The gratings are transmissive and were manufactured with slit separations of 10, 25 and 50 μm. More than 50 samples were printed at various build angles and mechanically treated for maximum optical transparency. The variables of the irradiance equation were obtained from photographs taken with an optical microscope. These values were used to estimate theoretical irradiance patterns of a diffraction grating and compared against the experimental 3-D printed grating. The resulting patterns were found to be remarkably similar in amplitude and distance between peaks when compared to theoretical values.

ACS Style

Laura Daniela Vallejo Melgarejo; Jose García; Ronald G. Reifenberger; Brittany Newell. Manufacture of Lenses and Diffraction Gratings Using DLP As an Additive Manufacturing Technology. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Laura Daniela Vallejo Melgarejo, Jose García, Ronald G. Reifenberger, Brittany Newell. Manufacture of Lenses and Diffraction Gratings Using DLP As an Additive Manufacturing Technology. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Daniela Vallejo Melgarejo; Jose García; Ronald G. Reifenberger; Brittany Newell. 2018. "Manufacture of Lenses and Diffraction Gratings Using DLP As an Additive Manufacturing Technology." Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies , no. : 1.

Proceedings article
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies
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Electroactive polymers are a class of materials capable of reallocating their shape in response to an electric field while also having the ability to harvest electrical energy when the materials are mechanically deformed. Electroactive polymers can therefore be used as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. The parameters for manufacturing flexible electroactive polymers are complex and rate limiting due to number of steps, their necessity, and time intensity of each step. Successful 3D printing manufacturing processes for electroactive polymers will allow for scalability and flexibility beyond current limitations, improving the field, opening additional manufacturing possibilities, and increasing output. The goal for this research is to use additive manufacturing techniques to print conductive and dielectric substrates for building flexible circuits and sensors. Printing flexible conductive layers and substrates together allows for added creativity in design and application. In this work we have successfully demonstrated additive production of a simple flexible circuit using exclusively additive manufacturing.

ACS Style

Trevor Mamer; David Gonzales; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Daniel Leon-Salas; Angello Vindrola; Taylor Zigon. Flexible 3-D Printed Circuits and Sensors. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Trevor Mamer, David Gonzales, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia, Daniel Leon-Salas, Angello Vindrola, Taylor Zigon. Flexible 3-D Printed Circuits and Sensors. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trevor Mamer; David Gonzales; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Daniel Leon-Salas; Angello Vindrola; Taylor Zigon. 2018. "Flexible 3-D Printed Circuits and Sensors." Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies , no. : 1.

Conference paper
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 1: Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials; Modeling, Simulation, and Control of Adaptive Systems; Integrated System Design and Implementation
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Additive manufacturing has emerged as an alternative to traditional manufacturing technologies. In particular, industries like fluid power, aviation and robotics have the potential to benefit greatly from this technology, due to the design flexibility, weight reduction and compact size that can be achieved. In this work, the design process and advantages of using 3D printing to make soft linear actuators were studied and highlighted. This work explored the limitations of current additive manufacturing tolerances to fabricate a typical piston-cylinder assembly, and how enclosed bellow actuators could be used to overcome high leakage and friction issues experienced with a piston-cylinder type actuator. To do that, different 3D printing technologies were studied and evaluated (stereolithorgraphy and fused deposition modeling) in the pursuit of high-fidelity, cost-effective 3D printing. The initial attempt consisted of printing the soft actuators directly using flexible materials in a stereolithography-type 3D printer. However, these actuators showed low durability and poor performance. The lack of a reliable resin resulted in the replacement of this material by EcoFlex® 00-30 silicone and the use of a 3D printed mold to cast the actuators. These molds included a 3-D printed dissolvable core inside the cast actuator in order to finish the manufacturing process in one single step. An experimental setup to evaluate the capabilities of these actuators was developed. Results are shown to assess the steady-state and the dynamic characteristics of these actuators. These tests resulted into the stroke-pressure and stroke-time responses for a specific load given different proportional valve inputs.

ACS Style

Alfonso Costas; Daniel E. Davis; Yixian Niu; Sadegh Dabiri; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. Design, Development and Characterization of Linear, Soft Actuators via Additive Manufacturing. Volume 1: Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials; Modeling, Simulation, and Control of Adaptive Systems; Integrated System Design and Implementation 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Alfonso Costas, Daniel E. Davis, Yixian Niu, Sadegh Dabiri, Jose Garcia, Brittany Newell. Design, Development and Characterization of Linear, Soft Actuators via Additive Manufacturing. Volume 1: Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials; Modeling, Simulation, and Control of Adaptive Systems; Integrated System Design and Implementation. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alfonso Costas; Daniel E. Davis; Yixian Niu; Sadegh Dabiri; Jose Garcia; Brittany Newell. 2018. "Design, Development and Characterization of Linear, Soft Actuators via Additive Manufacturing." Volume 1: Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials; Modeling, Simulation, and Control of Adaptive Systems; Integrated System Design and Implementation , no. : 1.

Proceedings article
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies
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An electroactive polymer is a material capable of changing its size and shape when an electric field is present. It is composed of a thin film of dielectric elastomer and two electrodes placed on the top and bottom of the dielectric material. Since the rediscovery of their capabilities, electroactive polymers have been proposed as novel materials for use in numerous fields such as in bioengineering, electronics, hydraulics, and aerospace. It has been demonstrated that the actuation potential of electroactive polymer dielastomers can be significantly enhanced by mechanically pre-straining the material prior to application of an electric field. Application of uniform pre-strain is critical for uniform actuation and is challenging to achieve. This research details methods for constructing an automated uniform stretcher that resulted in the production of a LabView controlled iris stretcher for flexible materials. The high torque stretcher was capable of pre-straining materials with a minimum diameter of 1 inch mm) to a maximum diameter of 16 inches. The stretcher calculates the percent strain and has adjustable speed control through a high torque micro-stepper motor and controller. The stretcher’s capabilities were demonstrated on materials within varying tensile strengths up to 725 psi.

ACS Style

Jose A. Romo-Estrada; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia. Mechanical Iris Stretcher for Electroactive Polymers. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Jose A. Romo-Estrada, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia. Mechanical Iris Stretcher for Electroactive Polymers. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jose A. Romo-Estrada; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia. 2018. "Mechanical Iris Stretcher for Electroactive Polymers." Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies , no. : 1.

Proceedings article
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies
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Dielectric electroactive actuators (DEAs) are polymer materials capable of reallocating their shapes mechanically due to an electric stimulus [1]. They can also be used as sensors by producing an electrical change from an induced mechanical deformation [2]. However, production of these materials using traditional manufacturing methods is a challenging process. The use of additive manufacturing promises to be an improved method to overcome those challenges. In addition, selection of dielectric materials that can function as DEAs and are capable of being produced through additive manufacturing is challenging. The actuation capabilities of the DEA depend heavily on the electrical and mechanical material properties of the dielectric material used to build it, and not all dielectric materials have the capacity to function as DEAs. The likelihood of a material functioning as a DEA is difficult to predict due to the large number of variables. Therefore, this paper introduces a simple method for comparing materials, particularly 3-D printed materials for their viability to be used as DEAs. The study proposes a method to compare 3-D printable materials by using coefficients calculated from the materials’ electromechanical properties. This value is then compared to an ideal DEA material. The higher the value, the better the 3-D printable material will be in comparison to a selected optimal DEA material. The coefficient is based on a linear elastic model that describes the strain of the material in relation to the electromechanical pressure applied as a result of supplied voltage. This study tested three materials using a quantitative method along with experimental verification. The study demonstrates the relationship between the predictive coefficients and the physical actuation responses with disc-type actuators providing a simple method for predicting actuation potential of 3-D printable DEA material candidates.

ACS Style

Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Angello Vindrola. Prediction of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Material Functionality. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia, Angello Vindrola. Prediction of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Material Functionality. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Angello Vindrola. 2018. "Prediction of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Material Functionality." Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies , no. : 1.

Proceedings article
Published: 10 September 2018 in Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies
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Dielectric electroactive polymers are materials capable of mechanically adjusting their volume in response to an electrical stimulus. However, currently these materials require multi-step manufacturing processes which are not additive. This paper presents a novel 3D printed flexible dielectric material and characterizes its use as a dielectric electroactive polymer (DEAP) actuator. The 3D printed material was characterized electrically and mechanically and its functionality as a dielectric electroactive polymer actuator was demonstrated. The flexible 3-D printed material demonstrated a high dielectric constant and ideal stress-strain performance in tensile testing making the 3-D printed material ideal for use as a DEAP actuator. The tensile stress-strain properties were measured on samples printed under three different conditions (three printing angles 0°, 45° and 90°). The results demonstrated the flexible material presents different responses depending on the printing angle. Based on these results, it was possible to determine that the active structure needs low pre-strain to perform a visible contractive displacement when voltage is applied to the electrodes. The actuator produced an area expansion of 5.48% in response to a 4.3 kV applied voltage, with an initial pre-strain of 63.21% applied to the dielectric material.

ACS Style

David Gonzalez; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Lucas Noble; Trevor Mamer. 3-D Printing of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Characterization of Dielectric Flexible Materials. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

David Gonzalez, Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia, Lucas Noble, Trevor Mamer. 3-D Printing of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Characterization of Dielectric Flexible Materials. Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Gonzalez; Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Lucas Noble; Trevor Mamer. 2018. "3-D Printing of Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Characterization of Dielectric Flexible Materials." Volume 2: Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials; Structural Health Monitoring; Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting; Emerging Technologies , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 22 August 2018 in Actuators
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Dielectric electroactive polymer materials represent a distinct group of smart materials that are capable of converting between electrical and mechanical energy. This research focuses on the modeling and testing of an industrial grade fluoropolymer material for its feasibility as a dielectric elastomer electroactive polymer. Through this process, a novel chemical pre-strain method was tested, along with a one-step process for application of pre-strain and addition of an elastomer conductive layer. Modeled and experimental actuators produced approximately 1 mm displacements with 0.625 W of electrical power. The displacement of the actuators was characterized, and the effects of multiple parameters were modeled and analyzed.

ACS Style

Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Gary Krutz. Dielectric Electroactive Polymers with Chemical Pre-Strain: An Experimentally Validated Model. Actuators 2018, 7, 50 .

AMA Style

Brittany Newell, Jose Garcia, Gary Krutz. Dielectric Electroactive Polymers with Chemical Pre-Strain: An Experimentally Validated Model. Actuators. 2018; 7 (3):50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brittany Newell; Jose Garcia; Gary Krutz. 2018. "Dielectric Electroactive Polymers with Chemical Pre-Strain: An Experimentally Validated Model." Actuators 7, no. 3: 50.

Journal article
Published: 10 July 2018 in IEEE Internet of Things Journal
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The Internet of Things is a new trend in technology that is already changing the world in which we live by interconnecting physical objects that can collect or transmit information to us and to each other. In this work, an application of the use of the IoT is presented by the development of a semi-autonomous utility vehicle using off-the-shelf home automation (smart) components. The system is composed of hardware and software elements that are integrated into a self-propelled scaled down version of an off-road vehicle, a lawn mower. A web application was built and enabled for Android devices to command and control the vehicle, various applets in the application were enabled to be triggered using the Alexa Voice Service and an Amazon Tap speaker. The vehicle can be controlled through voice commands and is capable of moving in four directions at five different speeds. It is able to move at an average velocity of 35.7 m/min among its five speeds on vinyl floor, and at an average velocity of 20.8 m/min and 16.3 m/min on concrete and grass respectively. The ultrasonic sensors installed on the vehicle proved their reliability by stopping the vehicle at an average distance of 7.3 cm away from different obstacles. This work contributes to existing knowledge on the Internet of Things by providing a demonstration of a semi-autonomous vehicle capable of cloud-based control both with voice commands and through a web app.

ACS Style

Jose A. Solorio; Jose Garcia Bravo; Brittany A. Newell. Voice Activated Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Using Off the Shelf Home Automation Hardware. IEEE Internet of Things Journal 2018, 5, 5046 -5054.

AMA Style

Jose A. Solorio, Jose Garcia Bravo, Brittany A. Newell. Voice Activated Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Using Off the Shelf Home Automation Hardware. IEEE Internet of Things Journal. 2018; 5 (6):5046-5054.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jose A. Solorio; Jose Garcia Bravo; Brittany A. Newell. 2018. "Voice Activated Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Using Off the Shelf Home Automation Hardware." IEEE Internet of Things Journal 5, no. 6: 5046-5054.