This paper presents the pedagogy of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering senior capstone de... more This paper presents the pedagogy of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering senior capstone design classes at the University of California Los Angeles during 2011–2016. Students entering the class with little hands-on experience in mechatronics are given lectures and hands-on laboratory tutorials and practice to conceptualize, design, and realize mechatronic systems. Students are then provided with mechatronics kits to design and realize their projects that culminate in final competitions. The pedagogy attempts to provide fine balances between scalable top-down systems approach and practical bottom-up hands-on skills. As such, real-time system topics and software tools, including State Charts, data and signal flow block diagrams, prioritized real-time loops and event triggers, and CPU timing diagrams, are introduced to mechanical engineering students.
2009 23rd IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering
ABSTRACT As part of the US ITER Test Blanket Module development effort several FCI concepts using... more ABSTRACT As part of the US ITER Test Blanket Module development effort several FCI concepts using a variety of porous SiC and SiC/SiC composites are being developed. In this work we report on the thermo-mechanical analysis of a SiC foam-based FCI. Prototypes of FCI segments as large as 0.12 m times 0.75 m times 0.015 m were recently fabricated and heat tested with a maximum DeltaT of ~150degC across the FCI walls. No visible damage was observed after testing. A detailed thermo-mechanical analysis of the test was conducted and results of the simulations are discussed in context of actual FCI operating conditions.
A novel concept for drastically improving the surface heat load capability of helium-cooled tungs... more A novel concept for drastically improving the surface heat load capability of helium-cooled tungsten-alloy tubes is being developed for plasma facing components. The concept utilizes ultra-low density (90% porosity) W-foam, which is chemical-vapor-deposited inside a W-tube. The W-foam enhances the effective heat transfer coefficient inside the tube by significantly increasing the conduction path from the wall to the coolant fluid. A mockup of the W-tube/W-foam system has been constructed for testing at the helium loop and electron beam facility at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. A finite element model (FEM) was constructed based on a 3-D solid model of the test section. The enhanced heat transfer coefficient was determined based on fundamental heat transfer principles through porous media. The porous tungsten heat exchanger tube exhibits a 3 fold improved surface heat load capability relative to a plain W-tube at temperatures above 1200°C.
This paper presents the pedagogy of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering senior capstone de... more This paper presents the pedagogy of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering senior capstone design classes at the University of California Los Angeles during 2011–2016. Students entering the class with little hands-on experience in mechatronics are given lectures and hands-on laboratory tutorials and practice to conceptualize, design, and realize mechatronic systems. Students are then provided with mechatronics kits to design and realize their projects that culminate in final competitions. The pedagogy attempts to provide fine balances between scalable top-down systems approach and practical bottom-up hands-on skills. As such, real-time system topics and software tools, including State Charts, data and signal flow block diagrams, prioritized real-time loops and event triggers, and CPU timing diagrams, are introduced to mechanical engineering students.
2009 23rd IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering
ABSTRACT As part of the US ITER Test Blanket Module development effort several FCI concepts using... more ABSTRACT As part of the US ITER Test Blanket Module development effort several FCI concepts using a variety of porous SiC and SiC/SiC composites are being developed. In this work we report on the thermo-mechanical analysis of a SiC foam-based FCI. Prototypes of FCI segments as large as 0.12 m times 0.75 m times 0.015 m were recently fabricated and heat tested with a maximum DeltaT of ~150degC across the FCI walls. No visible damage was observed after testing. A detailed thermo-mechanical analysis of the test was conducted and results of the simulations are discussed in context of actual FCI operating conditions.
A novel concept for drastically improving the surface heat load capability of helium-cooled tungs... more A novel concept for drastically improving the surface heat load capability of helium-cooled tungsten-alloy tubes is being developed for plasma facing components. The concept utilizes ultra-low density (90% porosity) W-foam, which is chemical-vapor-deposited inside a W-tube. The W-foam enhances the effective heat transfer coefficient inside the tube by significantly increasing the conduction path from the wall to the coolant fluid. A mockup of the W-tube/W-foam system has been constructed for testing at the helium loop and electron beam facility at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. A finite element model (FEM) was constructed based on a 3-D solid model of the test section. The enhanced heat transfer coefficient was determined based on fundamental heat transfer principles through porous media. The porous tungsten heat exchanger tube exhibits a 3 fold improved surface heat load capability relative to a plain W-tube at temperatures above 1200°C.
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Papers by Robert Shaefer