Thermal analysis of the Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing process using the F.E. method

In this research, a thermal analysis of the wire and arc additive manufacturing process is presented based on the F.E. method. <br/><br/>An important quality of the F.E. model that is presented in this research is to describe the temperature field that is experienced by the deposited material in the wire and arc additive manufacturing process....

Passive Thermal Design of a Thermal Infrared Telescope

The Deployable Space Telescope (DST) project aims to reduce the stowed volume compared to other Earth observation satellites with a similar resolution. The DST demonstrator functions in the thermal infrared (TIR) domain, which imposes stringent thermal requirements on the detector. The detector must be cooled to 150 K, and the instrument box to...

Timber-Glass Curtain Wall: An embodied carbon, structural and thermal performance study for timber and glass bonded with structural silicone

The present research investigates the potential of timber-glass composites in unitized curtain wall façade applications. Hybrid aluminum-timber curtain walls and timber-glass composites are explored, while specific design criteria, timber and adhesive limitations and unique material properties are defined. A geometry study is conducted though...

Developing thermal testing methods for a locomotion system of a Phobos rover

In 2024, a rover will leave Earth on a daring mission to explore Phobos, one of the two moons of Mars. Phobos has a severe thermal environment, with surface temperatures ranging from -153 °C to +57 °C and an 8-hour diurnal cycle. This work focuses on validating the performance of the locomotion system of the Mars Moon eXploration (MMX) rover....

A finite element investigation of the mechanical effect of ply drops in blended laminates

Weight reduction in vehicles offers many advantages. Especially in aircraft, one of the advantages of weight reduction less need for power which is translated into less fuel consumption and lower emissions. Composite materials are now a popular construction material in new passenger aircraft, making them lighter by taking advantage of their high...

Enhancing the mechanical properties of fused filament fabricated parts by elevating the print room temperature

Additive manufacturing (AM) is currently making a transition from mainly being used for prototyping to an alternative for conventional production methods. AM provides more freedom in design geometry combined with the possibility to produce (complex) products in low quantities. As a result, the need arises for printed parts with consistent...

Thermal Modelling & Analysis of the Deployable Space Telescope

The Deployable Space Telescope (DST) project aims at producing a competitive telescope by using segmented deployable light weighted optics which reduces launch volume and mass, and thus launch costs. Due to the criticality of heat management to the performance of the telescope, a thermal model had to be built in order to determine the expected...

Modelling of heat transfer dynamics in the oxy-fuel cutting of steel

Oxy-fuel gas cutting is the most widely applied industrial thermal cutting process due to its various benefits such as low cost equipment, versatility and flexibility in terms of manual or mechanized operation. It is employed in cutting mild steel plates with thicknesses ranging from 0.5mm to 250mm, to manufacture heavy equipment such as...

Novel Transmission Thermal Model

Flexibility services by a community microgrid: Quantifying the value of flexibility services by a community microgrid in the context of the Dutch electricity sector using Schoonschip as case study

The volatile production of renewable energy sources is often considered a key issue in future sustainable energy systems. Drawing on microgrid research, we argue that the potential synergy between microgrid energy management and provision of flexibility services to the wider grid could be further explored. In addition, the trade-off between cost...

RF-Bracket Design: Mass reduction of a mechanical bracket by redesigning the bracket without compromising on thermal, structural and EMC aspects

This thesis shows the mass reduction of a mechanical bracket, without compromising on thermal, EMC and structural aspects. The focus was on analysing thermal aspects related to bracket design. Models were made to show the deflection and solder layer stresses due to CTE mismatches between the bracket and PCB. A thermal heat transfer model was...

Design of a cooling helmet liner

Humans wear helmets to protect the head from impact. However, covering part of the body influences the thermal balance due to restricting the heat loss capacity. This is especially the case for the head due of the lack of vasoconstriction response in the head’s skin. This project focussed on improving thermal comfort and perception when wearing...

Thermal Modelling and Thermal Control Optimisation of the mN-μHEMPT

Airbus Friedrichshafen is working on the development of a milliNewton HEMPT (High Efficiency<br/>Multistage Plasma Thruster): an electrostatic thruster concept suitable for small satellite<br/>propulsion. An engineering model, the mN-μHEMPT, has been built and tested in vacuum,<br/>generating thrust levels in the range of 1 to 5 mN. Although the...