Category: mechanical engineering

3D printing based on tomographic projection of target structures

December 25, 2019

Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) typically relies on layer-by-layer deposition of fine powder or polymer ink that are subsequently fused or cured together through heat treatment. However, the approach is slow and require additional processing steps to achieve a final finished product. Using the concept of tomographic projection similar to 3D computed tomography commonly used in … More 3D printing based on tomographic projection of target structures

Utility of ion propulsion in overcoming limits posed by conventional chemical fuels for propelling spacecrafts?

April 21, 2019

Chemical fuels provide thrust to rockets and spacecrafts, but chemical fuels also constitute weight that must be propelled into space. In general, the greater the amount of chemical fuels, the greater the launch weight, which require more fuels to propel the rocket to exceed the escape velocity of Earth. Hence, efforts have been directed to … More Utility of ion propulsion in overcoming limits posed by conventional chemical fuels for propelling spacecrafts?

High technology paints for enabling autonomous driving

July 19, 2018

Radio waves and light sensors are commonly fitted to autonomous vehicles for detecting the speeds and distances of objects around the vehicle. However, dark paints on vehicles tend to absorb the radio waves and infrared signals used by such sensors. Hence, much research has been invested in the creation of multi-layer structured high technology paints … More High technology paints for enabling autonomous driving

Electrification of commercial airliner

May 17, 2018

Solar powered airplanes have been demonstrated where solar power generated by the onboard solar panels are used to power the electric motors propelling the aircraft forward. In the night, batteries storing the excess energy generated by the solar panels are used to power the electric motor. Thus, what is the barrier to the full electrification … More Electrification of commercial airliner

Conformal outsole of New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v2

May 10, 2018

Outsole of running shoes typically do not flex in response to the feet landing on the ground. However, New Balance has designed conformal outsole that flexes in response to each stride landing on the ground. Specifically, New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v2’s outsole flexes in response to the feet landing on the ground, which delivers … More Conformal outsole of New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v2

Reusing the first stage of a commercial rocket: Economic cost of retrofitting a used rocket

October 12, 2017

Rockets for satellite launches remain the most important cost item of the launch process of any commercial satellite project, given the single use nature of the rocket. Thus, commercial space launch companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have endeavoured to develop reusable rocket systems for reducing the cost of commercial satellite launches, and helping … More Reusing the first stage of a commercial rocket: Economic cost of retrofitting a used rocket

Challenges of recycling lithium-ion batteries

September 21, 2017

With increasing use of lithium ion batteries for personal mobile devices and computers, there is a concomitant need to plan the end of life treatment of these batteries that contain precious metals as well as toxic and flammable substances. Specifically, while lithium ion is thought to be the most important element for recover in the … More Challenges of recycling lithium-ion batteries

Aggressive frontal aerodynamic features on 2017 Formula One cars

August 19, 2017

Changes in technical regulations afford 2017 Formula 1 cars with a larger wheel base as well as a faster overall speed for enhancing overtaking opportunities, which has been a bugbear of the sport. However, current Formula 1 cars may be unbalanced in distribution of aerodynamic downforce between the front and rear of the car, given … More Aggressive frontal aerodynamic features on 2017 Formula One cars

How does the outsole design affect the performance of the midsole in shock absorption?

August 13, 2017

Focus on running shoes have always been on the midsole foam technology as well as the upper mesh design and colors. But, what is less well known is the strong influence of the outsole on the performance of the midsole foam in absorbing shock and stress. Specifically, the thread pattern of the outsole affects the … More How does the outsole design affect the performance of the midsole in shock absorption?