Thermal and mechanical properties of a conventional material were to be determined. The temperature distribution and the natural frequency were used to determine these properties. The experimental temperature distribution was determined with a maximum error of 0.31%. The first five bending modes were found in order to determine the beam's natural frequency. The value of the elastic modulus was found to be 70.66 GPa, which most closely resembles Aluminum 5086. The greatest error occurred on the first bending mode at 5%. The methods developed in this work can be applied to the investigations of thermo-mechanical properties of nanocomposites. Substituting a composite for the conventional materials used in this project will allow for comparisons between everyday materials and nanocomposites.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• White, Peter Andrew

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-082611-144640

Advisor

• Furlong-Vazquez, Cosme

Year

• 2011

Date created

• 2011-08-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved