Graduate Coursework
My graduate academic work primarily focused on enhancing my Mechanical Engineering prowess through advanced MCE courses. I was also able to expand the scope of my engineering knowledge from completing courses outside of my specific engineering discipline. Click on the corresponding "Read More" button next to the specific project's description to view the work in its entirety.
Corrosion Analysis of Autonomous Underwater Projectiles Launched from a Host Vehicle
CHE 534: Corrosion and Corrosion Control Final Term Paper
The final term paper for CHE 534 required me to select a specific corrosion related topic, identify corrosion issues, and present potential solutions using the knowledge I had gained throughout the course. The topic I chose to explore was a Navy Undersea Warfare Center Research Initiative, which focused on analyzing and improving the corrosion resistance of autonomous underwater projectiles launched from a host vehicle.
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This course provided me with an excellent understanding of the processes by which corrosion degrades materials so that the correct measures can be taken to reduce the detrimental effects of corrosion in an engineering environment.
Characterizing Tidal Stream Energy Resources in the San Juan Island, Washington
OCE 513: Ocean Renewable Energy
Final Project
The final OCE 513 group project required our team to select a location in the world that presented promising ocean renewable energy potential, characterize the area's energy resources, and determine the feasibility of installing an ocean renewable energy plant in that location.
We chose to analyze the energy resources residing in the Bellingham Channel of the San Juan Islands in Washington state due to the high tidal power densities/velocities present in this area. After characterizing the tidal stream energy resources in this area, an optimal tidal-stream device was selected and a Levelized Cost of Energy calculation was completed to determine the hypothetical feasibility of the plant as a whole.
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This course ignited my interest in ocean renewable energy and provided me with a great understanding of the current landscape of the marine renewable energy industry.
Digital Control of a Maneuvering Submarine
MCE 503: Linear Control Systems
Final Project
The motion of a submarine is influenced by the angles of several control surfaces (inputs) and the goal is to achieve desired motion along several degrees of freedom (outputs). Because of this, submarine control requires a multiple-input, multiple-output control system.
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The final project for MCE 503 required me to design and simulate a linear multivariable digital tracking system to control the overall motion of a submarine. A full-state feedback tracking system was first designed and analyzed. An observer was then used to estimate the plant state vector from the input and output signals of the plant. The performance of the observer-based tracking system was demonstrated by simulating a combined maneuver in which step commands for each plant output were applied simultaneously. All design and simulation work was completed using MATLAB and Simulink.
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This course provided me with an in-depth overview of linear system theory and control system design with a heavy emphasis on MATLAB and it's State-Space Digital Control Toolbox.