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Description
This report presents the effects and analysis of the effects of Pulsed-Gas Metal Arc Welding's (P-GMAW) on Lean Duplex stainless steel. Although the welding of Duplex and Super Duplex Stainless steels have been well documented in both the laboratory and construction industry, the use of Lean Duplex has not. The purpose for conducting this research is to ensure that the correct Ferrite-Austenite phase balance along with the correct welding procedures are used in the creation of reactor cores for new construction nuclear power generation stations. In this project the effects of Lincoln Electrics ER-2209 GMAW wire are studied. Suggestions and improvements to the welding process are then proposed in order to increase the weldability, strength, gas selection, and ferrite count. The weldability will be measured using X-Ray photography in order to determine if any inclusions, lack of fusion, or voids are found post welding, along with welder feedback. The ferritic point count method in accordance with ASTM A562-08, is employed so that the amount of ferrite and austenite can be calculated in the same manor that is currently being used in industry. These will then be correlated to the tensile strength and impact toughness in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the weld based on the ASTM A923 testing method.
ContributorsCarter, Roger (Author) / Rogers, Bradley (Thesis advisor) / Gintz, Jerry (Committee member) / Georgeou, Trian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system that affects a host of daily activities and involves a variety of symptoms; these include tremors, slurred speech, and rigid muscles. It is the second most common movement disorder globally. In Stage 3 of Parkinson's, afflicted individuals begin to develop an abnormal gait pattern known as freezing of gait (FoG), which is characterized by decreased step length, shuffling, and eventually complete loss of movement; they are unable to move, and often results in a fall. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a diagnostic tool to measure electrical activity in the muscles to assess overall muscle function. Most conventional EMG systems, however, are bulky, tethered to a single location, expensive, and primarily used in a lab or clinical setting. This project explores an affordable, open-source, and portable platform called Open Brain-Computer Interface (OpenBCI). The purpose of the proposed device is to detect gait patterns by leveraging the surface electromyography (EMG) signals from the OpenBCI and to help a patient overcome an episode using haptic feedback mechanisms. Previously designed devices with similar intended purposes utilize accelerometry as a method of detection as well as audio and visual feedback mechanisms in their design.
ContributorsAnantuni, Lekha (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis director) / Tadayon, Arash (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Ophthalmoscopes are integral to diagnosing various eye conditions; however, they often come at a hefty cost and are not generally portable, limiting access. With the increase in the prevalence of smart devices and improvements to their imaging capabilities, these devices have the potential to benefit areas where specialized imaging infrastructure is not well established. Smart device cameras alone cannot replace an ophthalmoscope. However, with the addition of lens and optics, it becomes possible to take diagnostic quality images. The goal is to design a modular system that acts as an adapter to a smart device enabling any user to take retinal images and corneal images with little to no previous experience. The device should be cost-effective, reliable, and easy to use. The device is not meant to replace conventional funduscopes but acts in areas where current units fail. Applications in non-optimal settings, low resource areas, or areas that currently receive suboptimal care due to geographic or socioeconomic barriers are examples where this device could be used. The introduction of screening programs run by nonspecialized medical personnel with devices that can capture and transmit quality eye images minimizes the long-term complications of degenerative eye conditions.
ContributorsSpyres, Dean (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis advisor) / Patel, Dave (Committee member) / Gintz, Jerry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The reality of smart cities is here and now. The issues of data privacy in tech applications are apparent in smart cities. Privacy as an issue raised by many and addressed by few remains critical for smart cities’ success. It is the common responsibility of smart cities, tech application makers, and users to embark on the journey to solutions. Privacy is an individual problem that smart cities need to provide a collective solution for. The research focuses on understanding users’ data privacy preferences, what information they consider private, and what they need to protect. The research identifies the data security loopholes, data privacy roadblocks, and common opportunities for change to implement a proactive privacy-driven tech solution necessary to address and resolve tech-induced data privacy concerns among citizens. This dissertation aims at addressing the issue of data privacy in tech applications based on known methodologies to address the concerns they allow. Through this research, a data privacy survey on tech applications was conducted, and the results reveal users’ desires to become a part of the solution by becoming aware and taking control of their data privacy while using tech applications.
So, this dissertation gives an overview of the data privacy issues in tech, discusses available data privacy basis, elaborates on the different steps needed to create a robust remedy to data privacy concerns in enabling users’ awareness and control, and proposes two privacy applications one as a data privacy awareness solution and the other as a representation of the privacy control framework to address data privacy concerns in smart cities.
ContributorsMusafiri Mimo, Edgard (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis advisor) / Michael, Katina (Committee member) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Over the years, American manufacturing has been offshored due to the competitive labor conditions in other countries. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of the international supply chain, highlighting the importance of reshoring manufacturing and industry. However, reshoring alone cannot solve the underlying issues that caused offshoring in the first place, such as shortages of skilled labor and extensive regulation. To address these issues, the implementation and scaling of automation and Industry 4.0 technologies are necessary. The aerospace industry is a prime example of the need for skilled labor. Abiding by rigorous specifications and achieving the tight tolerances required by aerospace specifications is a highly specialized skill that requires experience and training. The shortage of skilled labor puts those working in aerospace at a disadvantage, often leading to long strenuous work hours to meet demand. To address this, a collaboration with two ASU manufacturing student research teams aided the development of two co-bot solutions that can work alongside technicians and operators to reduce downtime, increase efficiency, and free up human operators to focus on more complex tasks. While many automated solutions are available on the market, co-bots are not often used to their full capability. The proposed solutions demonstrate the possibilities of implementing co-bots in the aerospace industry by using them in machine tending and blending processes for aerospace parts. In traditional manufacturing processes, human operators are still responsible for performing repetitive and often mundane tasks, such as loading and removing workpieces from a CNC workstation and starting a CNC machine for repetitive parts. The current blending process requires a technician to manually sand damaged areas for Depot, Repair, and Overhaul (DRO), which is time-consuming and strenuous. By using a co-bot for this process, the technician's workload is significantly reduced, decreasing lead times and increasing quality control. Inspiration for this thesis came from observing the demands of companies like SpaceX, which require mass manufacturing of rocket engines to meet testing and launch schedules. The SpaceX Raptor engine is a complex, precise system that is aimed at being produced in high volume, which is a prime target for co-bot integration to help meet production targets. Implementing more co-bots into manufacturing has been shown to increase efficiency, reduce cost, and relieve stress on human operators. The integration of co-bots into the manufacturing process for the Raptor engine has the potential to improve efficiency and productivity, making high-volume manufacturing a possibility. Overall, the implementation of co-bots in the aerospace industry can offer a competitive advantage by increasing productivity and efficiency while reducing costs and relieving stress on human operators. This thesis provides proof of the possibilities of implementing co-bots in a versatile industry like aerospace and demonstrates the potential benefits of integrating co-bots into the manufacturing process for rocket engines like the Raptor. By doing so, the aerospace industry can move towards a more automated and efficient future, helping to address the challenges faced by American manufacturing today.
ContributorsMorse, Connor (Author) / Gintz, Jerry (Thesis director) / Hillary, Scott (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
The People’s Republic of China over the course of 40 years has developed from one of the world’s poorest countries, to one of the world’s richest. The early years of the PRC was marked with significant poverty caused by government policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. However, in the late 1970s with Deng Xiaoping’s Open Door policy, China began its rapid transformation and economic growth. China’s economic development was greatly enhanced with the establishment of Special Economic Zones and industrial clusters. These zones coupled with China’s low-cost wages, made it ideal for international companies to invest and set up low-cost manufacturing production in China driven by global market competition and communication technologies.
The results of China’s transformation made China into the world’s second largest economic power in terms of gross domestic product, and the world’s largest when adjusted to purchasing power parity. China also earned the moniker as the “World’s Factory” with China now accounting for the largest share of global manufacturing output. However, as China’s population urbanizes and wages become more expensive, several international companies have looked elsewhere for low-wage manufacturing threatening China’s manufacturing sector which employs over 128 million people.
With the prospect of a potential slowdown in economic growth, the Chinese Communist Party initiated the Made-In-China 2025 program modernizing and advancing China’s manufacturing base with technologies in Industry 4.0. The MIC25 initiative is accelerated with China’s state-owned enterprises which often make their decisions based on government policy. The goal of MIC25 is for China to transition from a process innovating country into a product innovating one, becoming a leader in global technologies. The investment into human capital through education and especially foreign expertise is the primary driver of China’s prospects to lead the world in technological innovations related to Industry 4.0. MIC25 also has the prospect of legitimizing the CCP trough economic growth and development.
Based on historical trends related to countries dominating the globe economically, industrially, and technologically seen in past industrial revolutions, China’s attempts to dominate the world in the fourth industrial revolution poses a great threat to the United States. China’s growing economic and technological advancements, and its dominant share of global manufacturing threaten the US’ position as the world’s foremost superpower. The US in turn should take accelerated steps to reshore American manufacturing to secure and maintain the US’ economic and technological lead and rebuild the American manufacturing base.
ContributorsNguyen, Richard (Author) / Gintz, Jerry (Thesis director) / Lewis, Sharon (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Recruitment of students in engineering programs is a critical endeavor for universities striving to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. This master’s thesis investigates the effectiveness of utilizing an ASU-inspired Mandalorian armor set as a recruitment prop at engineering recruitment events. The research questions posed in this study delve into the behavioral response of event attendees and evaluate the prop's effectiveness in generating interest and initiating interactions with ASU recruiting staff. Drawing on a combination of observational data, thematic analysis, and insights from the literature review, this study evaluates the prop's impact on booth traffic, attendee engagement, and overall recruitment efforts. The observational data collected from two recruitment events on March 22, 2024, and March 24, 2024, revealed fluctuations in attendee engagement with the prop, with substantial visitor traffic observed on March 22, 2024, compared to March 24, 2024. The thematic analysis provided deeper insights into the prop's role as a conversation starter and attraction for both adults and children, highlighting its ability to spark curiosity and inquiries about its significance and association with ASU and engineering programs. The literature review supported these findings, offering insights into the dynamics of college choice processes and the strategic deployment of marketing practices in higher education recruitment. Concepts from studies by Han (2014), Rogers et al. (2010), Muller et al. (2010), and Brignull & Rogers (2003) informed the design attribution, booth interaction strategies, and logistical considerations associated with the prop's deployment.
ContributorsReynolds, Zane (Author) / Jordan, Shawn (Thesis advisor) / McDaniel, Troy (Committee member) / Nichols, Kevin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
One type of assistive device for the blind has attempted to convert visual information into information that can be perceived through another sense, such as touch or hearing. A vibrotactile haptic display assistive device consists of an array of vibrating elements placed against the skin, allowing the blind individual to receive visual information through touch. However, these approaches have two significant technical challenges: large vibration element size and the number of microcontroller pins required for vibration control, both causing excessively low resolution of the device. Here, I propose and investigate a type of high-resolution vibrotactile haptic display which overcomes these challenges by utilizing a ‘microbeam’ as the vibrating element. These microbeams can then be actuated using only one microcontroller pin connected to a speaker or surface transducer. This approach could solve the low-resolution problem currently present in all haptic displays. In this paper, the results of an investigation into the manufacturability of such a device, simulation of the vibrational characteristics, and prototyping and experimental validation of the device concept are presented. The possible reasons of the frequency shift between the result of the forced or free response of beams and the frequency calculated based on a lumped mass approximation are investigated. It is found that one of the important reasons for the frequency shift is the size effect, the dependency of the elastic modulus on the size and kind of material. This size effect on A2 tool steel for Micro-Meso scale cantilever beams for the proposed system is investigated.
ContributorsWi, Daehan (Author) / SODEMANN, ANGELA A (Thesis advisor) / Redkar, Sangram (Committee member) / McDaniel, Troy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Access to real-time situational information including the relative position and motion of surrounding objects is critical for safe and independent travel. Object or obstacle (OO) detection at a distance is primarily a task of the visual system due to the high resolution information the eyes are able to receive from afar. As a sensory organ in particular, the eyes have an unparalleled ability to adjust to varying degrees of light, color, and distance. Therefore, in the case of a non-visual traveler, someone who is blind or low vision, access to visual information is unattainable if it is positioned beyond the reach of the preferred mobility device or outside the path of travel. Although, the area of assistive technology in terms of electronic travel aids (ETA’s) has received considerable attention over the last two decades; surprisingly, the field has seen little work in the area focused on augmenting rather than replacing current non-visual travel techniques, methods, and tools. Consequently, this work describes the design of an intuitive tactile language and series of wearable tactile interfaces (the Haptic Chair, HaptWrap, and HapBack) to deliver real-time spatiotemporal data. The overall intuitiveness of the haptic mappings conveyed through the tactile interfaces are evaluated using a combination of absolute identification accuracy of a series of patterns and subjective feedback through post-experiment surveys. Two types of spatiotemporal representations are considered: static patterns representing object location at a single time instance, and dynamic patterns, added in the HaptWrap, which represent object movement over a time interval. Results support the viability of multi-dimensional haptics applied to the body to yield an intuitive understanding of dynamic interactions occurring around the navigator during travel. Lastly, it is important to point out that the guiding principle of this work centered on providing the navigator with spatial knowledge otherwise unattainable through current mobility techniques, methods, and tools, thus, providing the \emph{navigator} with the information necessary to make informed navigation decisions independently, at a distance.
ContributorsDuarte, Bryan Joiner (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis advisor) / Davulcu, Hasan (Committee member) / Li, Baoxin (Committee member) / Venkateswara, Hemanth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020