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Facilities
Advanced
Design and Manufacturing Laboratory
This
laboratory
provides
research
opportunities
in
design
ethodology,computer-aided design,
analysis
and
manufacturing,
and
materials
processing
and
manufacturing.
Facilities
include
various
computers
and
software,
I-DEAS,
Pro/E,ANSYS,
MasterCAM,
Mechanical
DeskTop,
SurfCAM,
Euclid,
Strim, ABQUS,
and
more.The
machines
include
two
Sanders
Model Maker
rapid
prototyping
machines,
a
BridgePort
CNC Machining
Center,
a
BOY
220 injection
molding
machine,
an
Electra
high-temperature
furnace
for
metal sintering,
infiltration, and
other heat
treatment.
Biofluid
Mechanics
Laboratory
The
biofluid
mechanics
laboratory
conducts
computational and experimental research on the
dynamics of
flow in the cardiovascular and respiratory system, and the effects of flow
on biological processes,
particularly hemostasis and thrombosis. Lab resources
include high-performance engineering workstations, commercial computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) software, and basic experimental facilities including
Laser
Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), pressure and flow
transducers, pumps, and microscopes.
Biomechanics
Laboratory
Emphasis
in this
laboratory
is
placed
on
understanding
the
mechanical
properties
of
human
joints,
characterization
of
the
mechanical
properties
of
biological
materials,
studies
of
human
movements,
and
design
and
development
of
artificial
limbs.
Facilities
include
a
3-D
kinematic
measuring
system,
Instron
testing
machine,
and
microcomputers
for
data
acquisition
and
processing.
Additional
biomechanical
laboratory
facilities are
available
at
Moss Rehab
Hospital.
Combustion and Fuels Chemistry Laboratory
Emphasis
in this
laboratory
is placed
on developing an
understanding
of
both
the
chemical
and
physical
factors
that
control
and,
hence,
can
be
used
to
tailor
combustion
processes
for
engineering
applications.
Facilities
include
continuous
spectroscopic
reaction
monitoring
systems,
static
reactors,
combustion
bombs,
flat
flame
burner
systems,
flow
reactors,
and
complete
analytical
and monitoring instrumentation.
Combustion
and
Thermal-Science
Laboratory
Research is conducted in the areas of (1) low temperature
hydrocarbon oxidation, (2) cool flames,
(3) auto-ignition, (4) flame instabilities, (5) flame
structure, (6) flame ignition, and (7) flame extinction (quenching). Cooperative
research projects in microgravity combustion are ongoing with NASA’s Glenn
Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, to ascertain the effects of natural
convection on the structure and stability of cool and premixed flames.
New ways to improve fuel efficiency in practical combustors and recover
waste energy in the transportation sector are also being explored.
Combustion
Emissions/Engine
Laboratory
In
this
laboratory
the effects
of
engine
operating
variables,
fuel
type,
ambient
conditions,
and
control
devices
on
engine
performance
and
emissions
are
studied.
The
laboratory
contains
both
diesel
and
spark
ignition
engines,
as
well
as
extensive
engine
and
emissions
monitoring
instrumentation,
including
dynamometers
and
continuous
gaseous
emission
analyzers.
The
laboratory
has
a
high-pressure
flow
reactor
for
detailed
kinetic
studies
of hydrocarbon
oxidation processes
in engines.
Composite
Mechanics
Laboratory
Emphasis
in
this
laboratory is
placed
on
the
characterization
of
performance
of
composite
materials.
Current
interest
includes
damage
mechanisms,
failure
processes,
and
time-dependent
behavior
in
resin-,
metal-,
and
ceramic-matrix
composites.
Major
equipment
includes
servo-hydraulic
and
electromechanical
Instron
testing
machines,
strain/displacement
monitoring
systems,
environmental
chambers,
microcomputers
for
data
acquisition
and
processing,
composites
fabrication
facility, interferometric
displacement gauge,
X-radiography, and
acoustic emission
systems.
Drexel Plasma Institute
The Drexel Plasma Institute (DPI) was
formed in 2002 to stimulate and coordinate
research projects related to plasma
and other modern high energy engineering
techniques. Today the DPI
is an active multidisciplinary
organization involving 23 faculty members
from 6 engineering departments working
in close collaboration with School
of Biomedical Engineering, College
of Arts and Sciences and College of
Nursing and Health Professions.
Heat Transfer Laboratory
The heat transfer laboratory is outfitted with an array of instrumentation
and equipment for conducting single- and multiphase heat transfer experiments
in controlled environments. Facilities include computer-controlled data
acquisition (LabVIEW ) systems, a Newport holographic interferometric
system with associated lasers and optics, image enlargers, power amplifiers,
precision voltmeters, slip-ring assemblies, and an IBM RISC/6000 workstation
for large-scale computing and simulation. A draft-free room is available
with independent temperature control for carrying out natural convection
experiments. An experimental test-rig is available for studying heat transfer
from rotating surfaces. A bubble column has been recently built to study
multiphase flow and heat transfer problems. Facilities are also available
for measuring thermal conductivities of thin films using a thermal comparator.
Microcomputer Controls Laboratory
This laboratory provides an environment conducive to appreciating aspects
of systems and control through hands-on experiments. They range from data
acquisition and processing to modeling of dynamical systems and implementing
a variety of controllers to control systems, such as DC motors and the
inverted pendulum. Facilities also include microcontrollers such as Basic
Stamp and the Motorola 68HCI 1. Active research is being conducted on
control reconfiguration in the event of actuator failures in aircrafts.
Microgravity
Combustion and Optical Diagnostic Laboratory
Emphasis in this laboratory is placed on advancing the understanding of
sooting and radiation on droplet combustion, and nonintrusive soot diagnostic
techniques. Facilities include a full-field light extinction apparatus,
fullfield pyrometry apparatus, flat flame and laminar diffusion flame
burners for fundamental burning measurements, gravimetric sampling and
light extinction apparatus, and advanced digital image processing capabilities
for physical and fractal measurements of particulates.This research is
funded by various federal and industrial sponsors.
Non-Newtonian Fluid and Heat Transfer Laboratory
Emphasis in this laboratory is placed on the study of hydrodynamic and
thermal performance of various non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluids in complex
flow geometries. Facilities and equipment include a 20-foot-long recirculating
flow loop with a 500-gallon reservoir tank and a thermal conductivity
measurement cell. A complete data acquisition system provides fully automated
experimental operation and data reduction. A state-of-the-art finite element
code FIDAP running on a CDC 180 computer provides three-dimensional flow
and heat transfer simulations of flows in complex geometrics, with a complete
post-processing graphic capability backed by template.
Precision
Instrumentation and Metrology Laboratory
This laboratory is focused on activities related to precision measurement,
computer-aided inspection, and precision instrument design. Facilities
include 3D Coordinate Measuring Machine (Brown & Sharpe) with Micro
Measurement and Reverse engineering software, Surface Profilometer, and
Laser Displacement Measuring System.
Program
for
Robotics,
Intelligent
Sensing, and
Mechatronics (PRISM)
Laboratory
The
PRISM
Laboratory
is
a
state-of-the-art
laboratory
for
pursuing
research
in
the
areas
of
medical
robotics,
haptic (sense of touch) and vision feedback through a
user interface for augmenting a surgeon’s capability in performing surgery,
and visual servoing.The laboratory is equipped with a robotic arm, haptic
interface devices, head-mounted display for immersion in the surgical
environment, and dedicated hardware and software for the above research
areas.
Rheology
Laboratory
Emphasis in this laboratory is placed on developing tools for rheological
property measurement of various non-Newtonian fluids, including friction-reducing
viscoelastic fluids, molten polymers, coal-water slurries, ceramic slurries,
and bonding cements for biomedical applications. A capillary tube viscometer,
falling ball and needle viscometers, and Brookfield rotating viscometer
are available. In particular, the capillary tube viscometer is designed
to allow fully automated operation, thus avoiding time-consuming data
collection procedures. A high-temperature and high-pressure capillary
tube viscometer is under development, so that viscosities of advanced
polymer materials can be measured at relatively high temperatures and
shear rates.
Spray
Combustion
Laboratory
In this laboratory the atomization, mixing, and combustion processes of
liquid sprays in turbulent swirl air flows are studied. Of particular
interest are advanced gas turbine concepts such as lean direct injection
(LDI). Using an image analysis technique and a Phase-Doppler/Particle
Analyzer (PDPA), both qualitative and quantitative measurements of spray
mixing and dispersion are performed. The emissions measurement and combustion
analysis are also conducted using image analysis technique and gas chromatography
(GC). Under various conditions of swirl flows and liquid spray injection
in a confined geometry, combustion aerodynamics are investigated both
experimentally and by using a computational method. In addition, combustion
characteristics of electrically charged fuel sprays are under consideration
in this laboratory. A particular application of this research is for fuel-injection
internal-combustion engines. The spray pattern, the evaporation, and the
combustion are strongly influenced by the charged electric density on
the liquid droplet surface. Also, various methods of charging liquids
with low electric conductivity are studied.
Spray
Dynamics
Laboratory
Work in this laboratory involves basic scientific research in the areas
of turbulent flows, the combustion of liquid fuel sprays, and the development
of laser diagnostics for these flows and sprays. The facilities include
two monodisperse aerosol generation systems, a two-dimensional turbulent
jet, and a laser Doppler velocimeter. In addition, a Rayleigh scattering
system and a single particle counter have been developed in this laboratory
to provide nonintrusive, in-situ measurements of gas density and droplet
size distribution, respectively.
Rapid
Product Development Center
This center provides fundamental research, educational instruction, and
engineering services in product design and manufacturing, solid freeform
fabrication, and computer-aided tissue engineering.The center is equipped
with state-of-the-art CAD/CAE/CAM, medical imaging processing, and 3D
reconstruction software, and a rapid prototyping system.The center is
partnered with the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (an affiliate
of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership) to provide research and
engineering services for the enhancement of the product competitiveness
of manufacturing companies in the Delaware Valley.
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