ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 86
Description
Recently, the use of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires as an interphase in composite materials has been demonstrated to increase the interfacial shear strength between carbon fiber and an epoxy matrix. In this research work, the strong adhesion between ZnO and carbon fiber is investigated to elucidate the interactions at the interface that result in high interfacial strength. First, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to calculate the adhesive energy between bare carbon and ZnO. Since the carbon fiber surface has oxygen functional groups, these were modeled and MD simulations showed the preference of ketones to strongly interact with ZnO, however, this was not observed in the case of hydroxyls and carboxylic acid. It was also found that the ketone molecules ability to change orientation facilitated the interactions with the ZnO surface. Experimentally, the atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to measure the adhesive energy between ZnO and carbon through a liftoff test by employing highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate and a ZnO covered AFM tip. Oxygen functionalization of the HOPG surface shows the increase of adhesive energy. Additionally, the surface of ZnO was modified to hold a negative charge, which demonstrated an increase in the adhesive energy. This increase in adhesion resulted from increased induction forces given the relatively high polarizability of HOPG and the preservation of the charge on ZnO surface. It was found that the additional negative charge can be preserved on the ZnO surface because there is an energy barrier since carbon and ZnO form a Schottky contact. Other materials with the same ionic properties of ZnO but with higher polarizability also demonstrated good adhesion to carbon. This result substantiates that their induced interaction can be facilitated not only by the polarizability of carbon but by any of the materials at the interface. The versatility to modify the magnitude of the induced interaction between carbon and an ionic material provides a new route to create interfaces with controlled interfacial strength.
ContributorsGalan Vera, Magdian Ulises (Author) / Sodano, Henry A (Thesis advisor) / Jiang, Hanqing (Committee member) / Solanki, Kiran (Committee member) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Speyer, Gil (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Shock loading is a complex phenomenon that can lead to failure mechanisms such as strain localization, void nucleation and growth, and eventually spall fracture. Studying incipient stages of spall damage is of paramount importance to accurately determine initiation sites in the material microstructure where damage will nucleate and grow and to formulate continuum models that account for the variability of the damage process due to microstructural heterogeneity. The length scale of damage with respect to that of the surrounding microstructure has proven to be a key aspect in determining sites of failure initiation. Correlations have been found between the damage sites and the surrounding microstructure to determine the preferred sites of spall damage, since it tends to localize at and around the regions of intrinsic defects such as grain boundaries and triple points. However, considerable amount of work still has to be done in this regard to determine the physics driving the damage at these intrinsic weak sites in the microstructure. The main focus of this research work is to understand the physical mechanisms behind the damage localization at these preferred sites. A crystal plasticity constitutive model is implemented with different damage criteria to study the effects of stress concentration and strain localization at the grain boundaries. A cohesive zone modeling technique is used to include the intrinsic strength of the grain boundaries in the simulations. The constitutive model is verified using single elements tests, calibrated using single crystal impact experiments and validated using bicrystal and multicrystal impact experiments. The results indicate that strain localization is the predominant driving force for damage initiation and evolution. The microstructural effects on theses damage sites are studied to attribute the extent of damage to microstructural features such as grain orientation, misorientation, Taylor factor and the grain boundary planes. The finite element simulations show good correlation with the experimental results and can be used as the preliminary step in developing accurate probabilistic models for damage nucleation.
ContributorsKrishnan, Kapil (Author) / Peralta, Pedro (Thesis advisor) / Mignolet, Marc (Committee member) / Sieradzki, Karl (Committee member) / Jiang, Hanqing (Committee member) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
To uncover the neural correlates to go-directed behavior, single unit action potentials are considered fundamental computing units and have been examined by different analytical methodologies under a broad set of hypotheses. Using a behaving rat performing a directional choice learning task, we aim to study changes in rat's cortical neural patterns while he improved his task performance accuracy from chance to 80% or higher. Specifically, simultaneous multi-channel single unit neural recordings from the rat's agranular medial (AGm) and Agranular lateral (AGl) cortices were analyzed using joint peristimulus time histogram (JPSTHs), which effectively unveils firing coincidences in neural action potentials. My results based on data from six rats revealed that coincidences of pair-wise neural action potentials are higher when rats were performing the task than they were not at the learning stage, and this trend abated after the rats learned the task. Another finding is that the coincidences at the learning stage are stronger than that when the rats learned the task especially when they were performing the task. Therefore, this coincidence measure is the highest when the rats were performing the task at the learning stage. This may suggest that neural coincidences play a role in the coordination and communication among populations of neurons engaged in a purposeful act. Additionally, attention and working memory may have contributed to the modulation of neural coincidences during the designed task.
ContributorsCheng, Bing (Author) / Si, Jennie (Thesis advisor) / Chae, Junseok (Committee member) / Seo, Jae-Sun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Photovoltaic (PV) systems are affected by converter losses, partial shading and other mismatches in the panels. This dissertation introduces a sub-panel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) architecture together with an integrated CMOS current sensor circuit on a chip to reduce the mismatch effects, losses and increase the efficiency of the PV system. The sub-panel MPPT increases the efficiency of the PV during the shading and replaces the bypass diodes in the panels with an integrated MPPT and DC-DC regulator. For the integrated MPPT and regulator, the research developed an integrated standard CMOS low power and high common mode range Current-to-Digital Converter (IDC) circuit and its application for DC-DC regulator and MPPT. The proposed charge based CMOS switched-capacitor circuit directly digitizes the output current of the DC-DC regulator without an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the need for high-voltage process technology. Compared to the resistor based current-sensing methods that requires current-to-voltage circuit, gain block and ADC, the proposed CMOS IDC is a low-power efficient integrated circuit that achieves high resolution, lower complexity, and lower power consumption. The IDC circuit is fabricated on a 0.7 um CMOS process, occupies 2mm x 2mm and consumes less than 27mW. The IDC circuit has been tested and used for boost DC-DC regulator and MPPT for photo-voltaic system. The DC-DC converter has an efficiency of 95%. The sub-module level power optimization improves the output power of a shaded panel by up to 20%, compared to panel MPPT with bypass diodes.
ContributorsMarti-Arbona, Edgar (Author) / Kiaei, Sayfe (Thesis advisor) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Kitchen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Seo, Jae-Sun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This work describes the development of automated flows to generate pad rings, mixed signal power grids, and mega cells in a multi-project test chip. There were three major design flows that were created to create the test chip. The first was the pad ring which was used as the staring block for creating the test chip. This flow put all of the signals for the chip in the order that was wanted along the outside of the die along with creation of the power ring that is used to supply the chip with a robust power source.
The second flow that was created was used to put together a flash block that is based off of a XILIX XCFXXP. This flow was somewhat similar to how the pad ring flow worked except that optimizations and a clock tree was added into the flow. There was a couple of design redoes due to timing and orientation constraints.
Finally, the last flow that was created was the top level flow which is where all of the components are combined together to create a finished test chip ready for fabrication. The main components that were used were the finished flash block, HERMES, test structures, and a clock instance along with the pad ring flow for the creation of the pad ring and power ring.
Also discussed is some work that was done on a previous multi-project test chip. The work that was done was the creation of power gaters that were used like switches to turn the power on and off for some flash modules. To control the power gaters the functionality change of some pad drivers was done so that they output a higher voltage than what is seen in the core of the chip.
The second flow that was created was used to put together a flash block that is based off of a XILIX XCFXXP. This flow was somewhat similar to how the pad ring flow worked except that optimizations and a clock tree was added into the flow. There was a couple of design redoes due to timing and orientation constraints.
Finally, the last flow that was created was the top level flow which is where all of the components are combined together to create a finished test chip ready for fabrication. The main components that were used were the finished flash block, HERMES, test structures, and a clock instance along with the pad ring flow for the creation of the pad ring and power ring.
Also discussed is some work that was done on a previous multi-project test chip. The work that was done was the creation of power gaters that were used like switches to turn the power on and off for some flash modules. To control the power gaters the functionality change of some pad drivers was done so that they output a higher voltage than what is seen in the core of the chip.
ContributorsLieb, Christopher (Author) / Clark, Lawrence (Thesis advisor) / Holbert, Keith E. (Committee member) / Seo, Jae-Sun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Recent studies of the occurrence of post-flutter limit cycle oscillations (LCO) of the F-16 have provided good support to the long-standing hypothesis that this phenomenon involves a nonlinear structural damping. A potential mechanism for the appearance of nonlinearity in the damping are the nonlinear geometric effects that arise when the deformations become large enough to exceed the linear regime. In this light, the focus of this investigation is first on extending nonlinear reduced order modeling (ROM) methods to include viscoelasticity which is introduced here through a linear Kelvin-Voigt model in the undeformed configuration. Proceeding with a Galerkin approach, the ROM governing equations of motion are obtained and are found to be of a generalized van der Pol-Duffing form with parameters depending on the structure and the chosen basis functions. An identification approach of the nonlinear damping parameters is next proposed which is applicable to structures modeled within commercial finite element software.
The effects of this nonlinear damping mechanism on the post-flutter response is next analyzed on the Goland wing through time-marching of the aeroelastic equations comprising a rational fraction approximation of the linear aerodynamic forces. It is indeed found that the nonlinearity in the damping can stabilize the unstable aerodynamics and lead to finite amplitude limit cycle oscillations even when the stiffness related nonlinear geometric effects are neglected. The incorporation of these latter effects in the model is found to further decrease the amplitude of LCO even though the dominant bending motions do not seem to stiffen as the level of displacements is increased in static analyses.
The effects of this nonlinear damping mechanism on the post-flutter response is next analyzed on the Goland wing through time-marching of the aeroelastic equations comprising a rational fraction approximation of the linear aerodynamic forces. It is indeed found that the nonlinearity in the damping can stabilize the unstable aerodynamics and lead to finite amplitude limit cycle oscillations even when the stiffness related nonlinear geometric effects are neglected. The incorporation of these latter effects in the model is found to further decrease the amplitude of LCO even though the dominant bending motions do not seem to stiffen as the level of displacements is increased in static analyses.
ContributorsSong, Pengchao (Author) / Mignolet, Marc P (Thesis advisor) / Chattopadhyay, Aditi (Committee member) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The football helmet is a device used to help mitigate the occurrence of impact-related traumatic (TBI) and minor traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) in the game of American football. The current design methodology of using a hard shell with an energy absorbing liner may be adequate for minimizing TBI, however it has had less effect in minimizing mTBI. The latest research in brain injury mechanisms has established that the current design methodology has produced a helmet to reduce linear acceleration of the head. However, angular accelerations also have an adverse effect on the brain response, and must be investigated as a contributor of brain injury.
To help better understand how the football helmet design features effect the brain response during impact, this research develops a validated football helmet model and couples it with a full LS-DYNA human body model developed by the Global Human Body Modeling Consortium (v4.1.1). The human body model is a conglomeration of several validated models of different sections of the body. Of particular interest for this research is the Wayne State University Head Injury Model for modeling the brain. These human body models were validated using a combination of cadaveric and animal studies. In this study, the football helmet was validated by laboratory testing using drop tests on the crown of the helmet. By coupling the two models into one finite element model, the brain response to impact loads caused by helmet design features can be investigated. In the present research, LS-DYNA is used to study a helmet crown impact with a rigid steel plate so as to obtain the strain-rate, strain, and stress experienced in the corpus callosum, midbrain, and brain stem as these anatomical regions are areas of concern with respect to mTBI.
To help better understand how the football helmet design features effect the brain response during impact, this research develops a validated football helmet model and couples it with a full LS-DYNA human body model developed by the Global Human Body Modeling Consortium (v4.1.1). The human body model is a conglomeration of several validated models of different sections of the body. Of particular interest for this research is the Wayne State University Head Injury Model for modeling the brain. These human body models were validated using a combination of cadaveric and animal studies. In this study, the football helmet was validated by laboratory testing using drop tests on the crown of the helmet. By coupling the two models into one finite element model, the brain response to impact loads caused by helmet design features can be investigated. In the present research, LS-DYNA is used to study a helmet crown impact with a rigid steel plate so as to obtain the strain-rate, strain, and stress experienced in the corpus callosum, midbrain, and brain stem as these anatomical regions are areas of concern with respect to mTBI.
ContributorsDarling, Timothy (Author) / Rajan, Subramaniam D. (Thesis advisor) / Muthuswamy, Jitendran (Thesis advisor) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Mignolet, Marc (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Monte Carlo simulations are traditionally carried out for the determination of the amplification of forced vibration response of turbomachine/jet engine blades to mistuning. However, this effort can be computationally time consuming even when using the various reduced order modeling techniques. Accordingly, some investigations in the past have focused on obtaining simple approximate estimates for this amplification. In particular, two of these have proposed the use of harmonic patterns of the blade properties around the disk as an approximate alternative to the many random patterns of Monte Carlo analyses. These investigations, while quite encouraging, have relied solely on single degree of freedom per sector models of the rotor.
In this light, the overall focus of the present effort is a revisit of harmonic
mistuning of rotors focusing first the confirmation of the previously obtained findings with a more detailed model of the blisk in both conditions of an isolated blade-dominated resonance and of a veering between blade and disk dominated modes. The latter condition cannot be simulated by a single degree of freedom per sector model. Further, the analysis will consider the distinct cases of mistuning due to variations of material properties (Young's modulus) and geometric properties (geometric mistuning). In the single degree of freedom model, both mistuning types are equivalent but they are not, as demonstrated here, in more realistic models. The difference arises because changes in geometry induce not only changes in natural frequencies of the blades alone but of their modes and the importance of these two sources of variability is discussed with both Monte Carlo simulation and harmonic mistuning results.
The present investigation focuses also on the possible extension of the harmonic mistuning concept and of its quantitative information that can be derived from such analyses. From it, a novel measure of blade-disk coupling is introduced and assessed in comparison with the coupling index introduced in the past. In conclusions, the low cost of harmonic mistuning computations in comparison with full Monte Carlo simulations is
demonstrated to be worthwhile to elucidate the basic behavior of the mistuned rotor in a random setting.
In this light, the overall focus of the present effort is a revisit of harmonic
mistuning of rotors focusing first the confirmation of the previously obtained findings with a more detailed model of the blisk in both conditions of an isolated blade-dominated resonance and of a veering between blade and disk dominated modes. The latter condition cannot be simulated by a single degree of freedom per sector model. Further, the analysis will consider the distinct cases of mistuning due to variations of material properties (Young's modulus) and geometric properties (geometric mistuning). In the single degree of freedom model, both mistuning types are equivalent but they are not, as demonstrated here, in more realistic models. The difference arises because changes in geometry induce not only changes in natural frequencies of the blades alone but of their modes and the importance of these two sources of variability is discussed with both Monte Carlo simulation and harmonic mistuning results.
The present investigation focuses also on the possible extension of the harmonic mistuning concept and of its quantitative information that can be derived from such analyses. From it, a novel measure of blade-disk coupling is introduced and assessed in comparison with the coupling index introduced in the past. In conclusions, the low cost of harmonic mistuning computations in comparison with full Monte Carlo simulations is
demonstrated to be worthwhile to elucidate the basic behavior of the mistuned rotor in a random setting.
ContributorsSahoo, Saurav (Author) / Mignolet, Marc Paul (Thesis advisor) / Chattopadhyay, Aditi (Committee member) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
In this dissertation, the results of our comprehensive computational studies of disordered jammed (i.e., mechanically stable) packings of hard particles are presented, including the family of superdisks in 2D and ellipsoids in 3D Euclidean space. Following a very brief introduction to the hard-particle systems, the event driven molecular dynamics (EDMD) employed to generate the packing ensembles will be discussed. A large number of 2D packing configurations of superdisks are subsequently analyzed, through which a relatively accurate theoretical scheme for packing-fraction prediction based on local particle contact configurations is proposed and validated via additional numerical simulations. Moreover, the studies on binary ellipsoid packing in 3D are briefly discussed and the effects of different geometrical parameters on the final packing fraction are analyzed.
ContributorsXu, Yaopengxiao (Author) / Jiao, Yang (Thesis advisor) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Switching Converters (SC) are an excellent choice for hand held devices due to their high power conversion efficiency. However, they suffer from two major drawbacks. The first drawback is that their dynamic response is sensitive to variations in inductor (L) and capacitor (C) values. A cost effective solution is implemented by designing a programmable digital controller. Despite variations in L and C values, the target dynamic response can be achieved by computing and programming the filter coefficients for a particular L and C. Besides, digital controllers have higher immunity to environmental changes such as temperature and aging of components. The second drawback of SCs is their poor efficiency during low load conditions if operated in Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mode. However, if operated in Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) mode, better efficiency numbers can be achieved. A mostly-digital way of detecting PFM mode is implemented. Besides, a slow serial interface to program the chip, and a high speed serial interface to characterize mixed signal blocks as well as to ship data in or out for debug purposes are designed. The chip is taped out in 0.18µm IBM's radiation hardened CMOS process technology. A test board is built with the chip, external power FETs and driver IC. At the time of this writing, PWM operation, PFM detection, transitions between PWM and PFM, and both serial interfaces are validated on the test board.
ContributorsMumma Reddy, Abhiram (Author) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Thesis advisor) / Ogras, Umit Y. (Committee member) / Seo, Jae-Sun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014