Mechanical Engineering Professor Receives 2024 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Microscopy Society of America
The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) recently named Murray Gibson, a mechanical engineering professor at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, as the Distinguished Scientist (Physical Sciences) for 2024. The award honors Gibson’s work in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) applied to a variety of materials problems over his career.
Thesis Defense: John Tietsworth
“Understanding the Cu-Sn mixing heat treatment and its effects on the formation of Nb3Sn in Rod-In-Tube wires of varying Cu:Sn ratios”
Dept: Mechanical Engineering
Chair(s): David Larbalestier, Ph.D.
Dissertation Defense: Aruoture Egoh
“Grain Refinement in 3-Axis Formed High-Purity Niobium and Oxygen-Free High Conducting (OFHC) Copper”
Dept: Mechanical Engineering
Chair(s): Peter N. Kalu, Ph.D.
Rockwell Automation, an industry leader in technology services, asked our team to produce a system demonstrating the steps of automated manufacturing to K-12 audiences. The mission is to educate students about the manufacturing process and engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) topics.
The RoboBoat competition, an annual event joining teams from across the globe, challenges them to navigate their robotic boats through an obstacle course. The tasks within these courses change each year.
The connection between a fuel depot and space vessel is secured with a coupler that prevents leakage, limits boil-off and protects cryogenic fuels. NASA relies on effective coupling to supply cryogenic fuel to space vessels to continue deep space exploration. Through collaborations with industry professionals, we designed, modeled, built and tested a cryogenic coupler to facilitate a successful connection for fueling. We optimized the seal locations to decrease leakage and boil off, which is the main weakness of current designs.
Funded by NASA, our project goal was to design a test fixture that would mimic the space environment on the Moon’s surface. Space is a vacuum, where pressure is zero and temperature is below zero in the Celsius degree range. Regolith, which is soil on the Moon’s surface, contains 95% dirt and 5% water (as ice). NASA wants to extract hydrogen and oxygen from the water in the regolith and use it to make spacecraft fuel. This would allow spacecraft to refuel while in space and increase the travel duration.
Our goal was to develop an effective way to clean parts in low gravity. Selective laser melting is a 3D printing method that uses a laser to melt metal powder. Powder placement and heating occurs layer by layer until the part finishes. This leaves extra metal powder on the finished part. Cleaning the surface with a traditional method works but removing powder from inside the part is difficult. Powder becomes stuck inside the part and can prevent intended use.
During the COVID pandemic, the Mayo Clinic of Florida closed its cardiopulmonary testing facility, where technicians perform CPETs (Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test) on patients. During a CPET, patients ride a bike or run on a treadmill to maximal exercise and are completely exhausted. This test demonstrates how well the heart and lungs work together and separately in the patient. The lungs release more particles and likely any potential virus particles as their breathing becomes faster and deeper with more strenuous exercise.