Project Portfolio

Hamed (Mahmood) Dehnavi

Hawaii Nanotechnology Lab Mechanical Engineering, MSc dehnavi@hawaii.edu dehnavi.ma@gmail.com

(808) 699-5013

Contents
Growth of a flexible carbon nanotube structure: Nanosponge Sheet (NSS) ...................... 3

Application of carbon nanotubes in energy storage systems ................................................ 5

Application of carbon nanotubes in carbon fiber reinforced composites ............................. 7

Design of Biomedical Devices: A Pain-free Adhesive Bandage ........................................... 8

A Comparison of a Finite Element Study of a Simply-Supported Concrete Beam with a Concentrated Load to Theory .................................................................................................. 10

Study of soot-free flame conditions under microgravity ....................................................... 12

Leadership/Student Advising/Volunteering ............................................................................ 13

Growth of a flexible carbon nanotube structure: Nanosponge Sheet (NSS)

2012-2014: Hawaii Nanotechnology Lab (HNL), Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received a lot of attention due their structural,

thermal and electrical properties. Most commercial CNT structures are either in powder form or brittle sheets which limit their applications. Increasing the flexibility of the CNT structure while maintaining its unique properties, allows for easy handling and reducing weight and cost in applications that otherwise require extra packing and processing. In HNL, we have developed a novel and highly flexible CNT structure, named Nanosponge Sheets (NSS), with high thermal and electrical conductivity, high surface area, ability to compress/expand similar to other foams, high porosity and low density. Fig. 1 and 2 show the flexibility of NSS when folded and twisted. A Scanning Electron Microscopy image of the morphology of the NSS is shown in Fig. 3. The flexibility of the structure is mainly due to the interlinking and the three dimensional growth of CNTs This novel material has potential applications in energy storage systems (batteries, fuel cell, and capacitors), chemical filtration, oil absorption and CNTreinforced composites. The fabrication of NSS through the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process is illustrated in Fig. 4. Carbon source mixed with the catalyst is injected through a syringe and is carried to the furnace heat zone via the carrier gas. The reaction then occurs on the substrate and the NSS structure is formed.
Fig. 2. NSS twisted Fig. 1. NSS folded several times

Task: I have had the task of optimizing the CNT structure by changing the growth parameters, The responsibilities include: modifying and maintaining the system components, problem solving, data analysis, material characterization using microscopy methods such as SEM, TEM and optical methods, and active surface area measurement.
Fig. 3. CNT morphology

Project planning and purchase ordering has been an essential part of my duties to ensure continuous progress. These tasks include clear communication with fiscal staff and manufacturers as well as budget considerations.
Fig.4 CVD process

In this project I have applied and improved my knowledge of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, component design and optimization, and hands-on and analytical skills. Having gained the experience and knowledge of CNT growth using chemical vapor deposition process, I was able to identify the limitations of a currently patented CNT structure, known as Nanoforrest, and improve its structural properties. The resulting material is a novel structure which we are in the process of filing a patenting for.

The application of these materials is discussed in the following parts:

Application of carbon nanotubes in energy storage systems

2013-2014: Hawaii Nanotechnology Lab (HNL), Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: One of the main challenges of renewable energies is their intermittent nature, which underlines the need for energy storage systems with high energy density. High energy density batteries can also enable electric vehicles to compete with their fossilfuel powered counterparts, if made economically viable. Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Li-S batteries are the next generation of batteries that are in the research phase. Sulfur is an abundant and inexpensive element with a theoretical capacity of more than four times that of graphite (commonly used in lithium-ion batteries). Among the challenges of Li-S batteries is the sulfur loading of the electrode. Loading of sulfur translates into higher capacity of the battery. As shown in Fig. 5, a typical electrode consists of carbon additive, polymer binder and sulfur which are then pasted onto a current collector (usually Al).
Fig.5 Li-S electrode structure

The unique properties of nanosponge make it a perfect candidate for this application. Using the nanosponge material, sulfur can be directly loaded onto the CNT structure and therefore eliminating the need for polymer binder and current collector, which leads to weight reduction of up to 50%.
Fig. 6. CNT structure with sulfur loading

This means that for the same weight, using nanosponge-sulfur composite enables you to store more energy in a car battery and achieve higher mileage. Another advantage of a NSS-sulfur composite electrode is its potential higher lifetime due to the high flexibility and compression/expansion of NSS, which can withstand the volume expansion during charging and discharging.
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Lithium-ion Batteries: The above mentioned advantages can be applied to Li-ion batteries as well. A typical Li-ion battery is similar to Fig. 5 with graphite instead of sulfur. Eliminating the polymer binder and current collector can potentially reduce the ageing effect of the degradation mechanisms caused by of reaction with Fig. 7. Ar-filled glovebox electrolyte/oxidation of binder and the current collector. In addition, the 50% weight reduction can have applications in electronics, transportation, avionics and aerospace industries. As part of the experiments, I fabricated Li-ion cells in an argon-filled glovebox (Fig. 7) using both graphite and NSS electrodes and tested the battery performance with galvanostatic techniques.

Fuel Cell (Gas Diffusion Layer): Another application of carbon nanotube structures is in fuel cell technologies, particularly Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs). An exploded view of a single-cell fuel cell is shown in Fig. 8. Enhancing the diffusion properties of the gas (hydrogen, methane, etc) and also water using CNT-modified GDLs can increase the efficiency of a fuel cell. In addition, by modifying the surface properties of the CNTs, fuel cell efficiency can be increased at low humidity conditions which is a great improvement to the current commercial GDLs.
Fig. 8. Exploded view of a fuel cell

This work is in progress, but our initial tests showed a considerable improvement in low humidity conditions and need to be further validated. I am currently collaborating with the HiSERF center for the fuel cell experiments.

Application of carbon nanotubes in carbon fiber reinforced composites

2014: Hawaii Nanotechnology Lab (HNL), Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: Weight reduction is the main focus of automotive and aerospace industries to reduce fuel consumptions. Carbon fiber reinforced composites have shown great applications in the aforementioned industries due to their high strength to weight ratio (Fig. 9). One main problem is that the composite is only reinforced in the carbon fiber direction, and therefore, has no reinforcement against shear stresses in the cross sectional area. The goal of this project is to reinforce the composite in the out of plane direction (z-direction), utilizing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Task: Composite fabrication and properties testing using Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) test to determine the effect of CNT addition on fracture toughness of the samples. DCB is an ASTM standard test to determine the fracture toughness and shear properties of a structure. Fig. 10 demonstrates how this test is performed. Our initial results showed the sample modified with CNTs had a 30% increase in fracture toughness compared to the baseline sample with no CNT modification. In this project, I have gained a thorough understanding of composites fabrication, structural analysis and material testing using standard techniques.

Fig. 9. Carbon fiber used in composites (fibers in x and y direction)

Fig. 10. DCB test on a carbon fiber reinforced composite.

Design of Biomedical Devices: A Pain-free Adhesive Bandage

2012-2014: Mechanical Engineering Dept., Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: Adhesive bandages have made wound treatment quicker and easier due to the fact that one does not have to wrap and secure a bandage. Though an improvement over many previous methods, the one major qualm about the adhesive bandage is the discomfort it causes when removed. A strong adhesive is required to secure the bandage which in turn, makes removal difficult as one must overcome that adhesion. There is a need for a bandage that eases the removal process, especially for infants and the elderly where the skin can be easily damaged. As a project in a graduate class, a pediatric surgeon at Queens medical center came to us, requesting a bandage for use with infants and small children. Our design, however, evolved to a broader group of customers and showed the potential for general use. We have entered the Univ. of Hawaii PACE business competition to commercialize our product and are in the process of patenting this design. Task: During the design process, we conducted a thorough research on the existing commercial products and identified their advantages and disadvantages. We then researched and identified the effective removal mechanisms based on FDA regulations. A number of benchmark products were purchased and tested through a systematic procedure.
Fig. 11. Benchmark testing

A few initial designs were considered and fabricated to compare with the benchmarks. The final design was then prototyped and showcased to other students and the visiting medical doctors, which received strong acceptance. One of the valuable experiences that I gained from this project is the product design and development process, from conception to production. Successful project and budget management was an essential part of this process that ensured our deliverable product within a limited three month period. Currently, as the team leader in the business
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competition I have the task of communicating with the judges and making sure we meet the requirements and deadlines. I am also getting more familiar with the business and entrepreneurial aspect of a project through the competition workshops and interacting with other teams and judges. We are chosen as the semi-finalists in the competition.

A Comparison of a Finite Element Study of a SimplySupported Concrete Beam with a Concentrated Load to Theory
2012: Mechanical Engineering Dept., Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to study the limitations of Finite Element Method (FEM) by comparing the solution of a simply supported beam using FEM to the analytical solution. FEM is a commonly used method in structural analysis, but one needs to consider its limitations in terms of mesh size and type of element given the nature of problem at hand. Task: I modeled a simply-supported concrete beam with a point load at the midspan in SAP 2000 and compared it to the analytical solution. The effect of mesh size and element type was studied: shell elements with and without drilling degrees of freedom and plane elements with and without incompatible modes.

Fig 12. Deformed beam under a point load

Fig. 13. Normal stress distribution

Fig. 12 and 13 show some of the results of the FEM analysis. The results indicated that: Increasing the number of elements along the cross section leads to higher accuracy for displacement calculation, since shear deflection will be modeled more accurately. Incompatible modes for plane elements and drilling degrees of freedom for shell elements should be considered to minimize errors. These might add complexity to the model but exclusion of them leads to poor results. Convergence studies showed that for this specific problem, displacement was independent of the mesh size after 500 mesh elements. Similar results were noticed for shear stress. (Fig. 14-17)

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Fig. 14. Mesh study for displacement results

Fig. 15. Convergence study for max displacement

Fig. 16. Convergence study for max shear

Fig. 17. Convergence study for mesh size

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Study of soot-free flame conditions under microgravity

2009-2012: Mechanical Engineering Dept. Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: Soot, a product of incomplete combustion, is a major pollutant in industry and is most responsible for premature deaths and lung cancer. Understanding the combustion physics and the conditions under which soot is produced can help reduce soot in combustion devices. The governing equations for modeling of a flame are complicated and three dimensional. Therefore, further simplifications are required for a fundamental study of combustion phenomena (a common approach to
Fig. 18

engineering problems). As seen in Fig. 18, a flame shape is almost spherical in microgravity (right picture) and can be modeled in one dimension reducing computational and analytical complexity to a great extent due to symmetry.

Task: My tasks were to model the flames using a numerical code and to identify the conditions under which the flame can be soot-free. Fig. 19 shows two of these flames under microgravity: the flame on the left is sooty, and the flame on the right is soot-free. These conditions were validated with data from experiments that had been performed at NASA Glenn Research Facility. A number of flames with different fuel, oxidizer and combustion parameters were considered. This study identified the sooting limit based on critical local values for temperature and carbon to oxygen ratio, and the results were presented at a Combustion Institute conference. Knowing these critical values, one can design a combustion device to operate at soot-free conditions. I had a NASA-funded research assistantship for this project and collaborated with researchers from Univ. of Maryland and Univ. of Washington in St. Luis.
Fig. 19. Flames under microgravity

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Leadership/Student Advising/Volunteering
2012-2014: Mechanical Engineering Dept. Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa

Purpose: Mentor undergraduate students in hands-on and design projects such as senior design project, extracurricular projects and so on. Task: Provide students guidance with design theory, fabrication and testing procedure. SAE regular Aero Design 2014: I served as the graduate mentor of the team, assisting them with the design and testing procedures. These design factors included structural analysis, aerodynamics performance, landing gear specifications, and wing design. I also noticed that there were no resources or legacy left from previous years projects. Therefore, I designed and built a website including resources and contacts from each years airplane design to facilitate the design process for upcoming years and enable improvements and design optimizations using previous designs. In addition, this tool makes communication among team members and their mentors easier and allows for the monitoring of the teams progress. See Fig. 20.

Fig. 20. Website Design

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Fig. 21. Also shows a SAE regular aero prototype from the 2014 design

Fig. 21.Second Prototype

Ignition Club: A student organization with the goal of promoting entrepreneurship, critical thinking and product design and development. To name a few of our efforts: networking with companies to establish collaboration with them, skills and workforce development, exposure to real-world problems, familiarity with business and project management aspect of projects, project design techniques and fabrication methods, hold educational workshops. Ignition Club placed in the top three teams at the UH Manoa PACE business innovation challenge in 2013. We are collaborating with a local company, Oceanit, to brainstorm and come up with a design challenge competition.

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