Other Engineering Commons^™

The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu

Senior Honors Theses

The modern musician faces a new challenge: how can technology be used to enhance a performance? This thesis documents the development of a Bluetooth remote controller that will aid today’s performing musicians by interacting with a digital display (e.g., an iPad) to flip musical score pages remotely. At its core, while mimicking a Bluetooth pedal (the current industry standard), this device attaches to the musician’s hand. In its pilot stages, the device has been referred to “MBC” (Music Bluetooth Controller).

Improving Young Driver Perceptions Of Vulnerable Road Users Through A Persuasive Intervention, Shashank Mehrotra

Doctoral Dissertations

Vulnerable road users (VRUs), including bicyclists, pedestrians, and road users of other modalities, are at a higher risk of collision with young drivers when a complex traffic situation presents itself. Past research has established the importance of young drivers’ perceptions about VRUs that would encourage safe behavior. This research designed and evaluated a novel persuasive intervention that can help improve the perceptions of young drivers while they interact with VRUs. The study identified young drivers’ perceptions towards VRUs who have been licensed in the past 12 to 18 months through structured interviews. Based on these findings, an interactive intervention was …

A Deep Learning-Based Approach To Extraction Of Filler Morphology In Sem Images With The Application Of Automated Quality Inspection, Md. Fashiar Rahman, Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng, Jianguo Wu, Yuxin Wen, Yirong Lin

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Automatic extraction of filler morphology (size, orientation, and spatial distribution) in Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) images is essential in many applications such as automatic quality inspection in composite manufacturing. Extraction of filler morphology greatly depends on accurate segmentation of fillers (fibers and particles), which is a challenging task due to the overlap of fibers and particles and their obscure presence in SEM images. Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) have been shown to be very effective at object recognition in digital images. This paper proposes an automatic filler detection system in SEM images, utilizing a Mask Region-based CNN architecture. The proposed system …

Theoretical Justification Of The Parameters Leveler Track Rippers, A Tuxtakuziyev, A O. Naurizbayev

Scientific-technical journal

The article presents the results of research on obtaining analytical expressions that allow us to determine the rational values of the parameters (angles of installation of levelers to the direction of movement and solution, the width of the levelers, the gap between the levelers, the length of the levelers, the height of the levelers) of the levelers of the wide-span small leveler and the calculations performed on them.

Encouraging Voluntary Government Action Via A Solar-Friendly Designation Program To Promote Solar Energy In The United States, Xue Gao, Casey I. Canfield, Tian Tang, Hunter Hill, Morgan Higman, John Cornwell

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sustainable development requires an accelerated transition toward renewable energy. In particular, substantially scaling up solar photovoltaics (PV) adoption is a crucial component of reducing the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable development. However, it is challenging to convince local governments to take action. This study uses a combination of propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID) models to assess the effectiveness of a voluntary environmental program (VEP) called SolSmart that targets local governments to engage in solar-friendly practices to promote the local solar PV market in the United States. Via specific designation requirements and technical assistance, SolSmart simplifies the …

Interpreting Multi-Stage Teaching And Learning Initiatives For Mechanical Engineering Students - A Knowledge Management Perspective For Students, Kevin Delaney, Ger Nagle, Mingzhu Chen

Conference papers

Encouraging students to “think differently”, to “think like an engineer”, to “just solve the problem” is challenging and depends upon many factors such as the prior learning and experiences of the particular students involved. Sometimes it is difficult to convince students to really engage with activities outside their own comfort zones if they cannot see the potential benefits that might accrue through such engagement.

This paper describes a paradigm, inspired by knowledge management, which the authors have used to explain the importance of engaging with teaching and learning activities to undergraduate students. More importantly it helps these students to understand …

Memory Surf: The Surfing App, Lorenzo Quaid Sison

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Surfing has a very special place in my heart—my dad taught me, my younger brother, and my younger sister at a young age. Since then, the sport has deeply enriched my appreciation for nature and allowed me to better connect with friends.

One late afternoon I was sitting in the water on my board with two of my best friends, watching the rich sunset colors melt into the water; a sea otter was floating on his back next to us, cracking a shell open on his stomach. Then, suddenly, a few feet away, we saw a pod of dolphins leap …

Influence Of Site And System Parameters On The Performance Of Roof-Top Grid-Connected Pv Systems Installed In Harlequins, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Chibuisi Chinasaokwu Okorieimoh, Brian Norton, Michael Conlon, Desmond Lalor, Ciaran Mcnamara

Other Resources

The problem of energy scarcity has hit a global scale because of the dependency of most of the energy generation on non-renewable sources (e.g., fossil fuels). As in supply and demand laws, the lower the amount of energy provided, the more expensive it becomes, causing a major problem for the industry in general, which is dependent on it. These non-renewable energy sources contribute to environmental degradation effects and depletion of the ozone layer from the atmosphere. To reduce this effect, the use of renewable energy sources which is environmentally friendly has been on the growing index across the globe.

Solar …

Design Of A Capability And Maturity Model For The Development Of Trustworthy Adm Systems Based On Principled Ai, Daniel Varona Cordero

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Automatic decision-making (ADM) systems have permeated every sphere of society where a large amount of data is managed to fulfill prediction/classification needs. The enhanced capabilities ADM systems have brought into their applied sciences conditioned their evolution to more complex and less transparent machine learning algorithms and models (MLA & M). Nowadays, dissimilar predictions, or suggested decisions supported by MLA & M are found to be misleading, or discriminatory resulting in heated academic and public debates since these MLA & M are being applied in socially and politically sensitive areas such as crime prevention, justice management, among others. Thus, there exists …

Ahp Based Multi Criteria Decision Analysis Of Success Factors To Enhance Decision Making In Infrastructure Construction Projects, Solomon Belay, James D. Goedert, Asregedew Woldesenbet, Saeed Rokooei

Faculty Publications in Architectural Engineering

The study presents analytical data-based multi-criteria approach of critical success factors of infrastructure construction projects analyzed in the Ethiopian construction industry. This multi-criteria technique helps to improve the decision capabilities and ultimate performance of construction processes in various low-income countries of the East African region. The aim of this paper is to establish a logical relationship and interdependencies of success-related factors for enhancing decision making for various project teams and identify priorities while taking into account all known construction organizational constraints. A structured hierarchical matrix was developed based on a pre-identified success-related factors, and initially evaluated by experienced professionals as …

Resource Availability And Implications For The Development Of Plug‐In Electric Vehicles, Ona Egbue, Suzanna Long, Seong Dae Kim

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plug‐in electric vehicles (PEVs) have immense potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, and for smart grid applications. Although a great deal of research is focused on technological limitations that affect PEV battery performance targets, a major and arguably equal concern is the constraint imposed by the finite availability of elements or resources used in the manufacture of PEV batteries. Availability of resources, such as lithium, for batteries is critical to the future of PEVs and is, therefore, a topic that needs attention. This study addresses the issues related to lithium availability and sustainability, particularly supply …

Representation Learning For Chemical Activity Predictions, Mohamed S. Ayed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Computational prediction of a phenotypic response upon the chemical perturbation on a biological system plays an important role in drug discovery and many other applications. Chemical fingerprints derived from chemical structures are a widely used feature to build machine learning models. However, the fingerprints ignore the biological context, thus, they suffer from several problems such as the activity cliff and curse of dimensionality. Fundamentally, the chemical modulation of biological activities is a multi-scale process. It is the genome-wide chemical-target interactions that modulate chemical phenotypic responses. Thus, the genome-scale chemical-target interaction profile will more directly correlate with in vitro and in …

Designing And Implementing A Novel Graduate Program To Develop Transdisciplinary Leaders In Urban Sustainability, Megan M. Wallen, Ingrid Guerra-Lopez, Louay Meroueh, Rayman Mohamed, Andrea Sankar, Pradeep Sopory, Ryan Watkins, Donna R. Kashian

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Urban settings, where >50% of the world's population resides, are increasingly faced with environmental challenges that threaten their sustainability. Aging infrastructure, water and air pollution, and increasing recognition of environmental injustices highlight the need for professionals to employ complex scientific reasoning across disciplines where they can effectively address the multifaceted issues of urban sustainability. Here we present an innovative model for preparing the next generation of public, private, and academic leaders to address complex problems in urban sustainability. Specifically, we outline the design and implementation of an integrated, adaptable graduate training program, with the goals of science leadership, curriculum relevancy, …

Preparing Engineering Students For The Challenges Of The Sdgs: What Competences Are Required?, Una Beagon, Klara Kövesi, Brad Tabas, Bente Nørgaard, Riitta Lehtinen, Brian Bowe, Christiane Gillet, Claus Monrad Spliid

Articles

Despite the emerging discussions about the growing role of engineers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a lack of agreement on which competences should be prioritised to prepare engineering students to resolve future sustainability challenges. This study examined and compared the views of key stakeholders of engineering education (Academics, Employers and Students) using twelve focus groups in Denmark, Finland, France and Ireland. The findings were mapped against competences identified in previous studies to highlight gaps and opportunities for development. The results confirm the strong emphasis on normative, strategic and systems thinking competences in engineering. However, the outcomes …

Tilt-Up Partially Composite Insulated Wall Panels, Marc Maguire, Salam Al-Rubaye

Faculty Publications in Architectural Engineering

This research project was initiated to investigate the behavior of load-bearing concrete insulated wall panels for use in tilt-up construction. The primary objective was to understand the inelastic behavior of these panels so that engineers could perform a proper second-order analysis for combined axial and out-of-plane loading. Toward this aim, the Tilt-up Concrete Institute (TCA) and wythe connector suppliers Innstruct, Thermomass, HK Composites, Dayton Superior, and IconX, funded this study.

This report contains information related to testing of solid and partially composite insulated wall panels that integrated proprietary wythe connection systems. Using the information from these tests, a method to …

Mechanism For Selective Binding Of Aromatic Compounds On Oxygen-Rich Graphene Nanosheets Based On Molecule Size/Polarity Matching, Heyun Fu, Bingyu Wang, Dongqiang Zhu, Zhicheng Zhou, Shidong Bao, Xiaolei Qu, Yong Guo, Lan Ling, Shourong Zheng, Pu Duan, Jingdong Mao, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, Shu Tao, Pedro J.J. Alvarez

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Selective binding of organic compounds is the cornerstone of many important industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Here, we achieved highly selective binding of aromatic compounds in aqueous solution and gas phase by oxygen-enriched graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets via a previously unknown mechanism based on size matching and polarity matching. Oxygen-containing functional groups (predominately epoxies and hydroxyls) on the nongraphitized aliphatic carbons of the basal plane of GO formed highly polar regions that encompass graphitic regions slightly larger than the benzene ring. This facilitated size match–based interactions between small apolar compounds and the isolated aromatic region of GO, resulting in high binding …

Incorporación De Harina De Cáscara De Piña Como Fuente De Fibra En La Elaboración De Un Producto Cárnico Tipo Hamburguesa, Juana Valentina Aguirre Tinoco

Ingeniería de Alimentos

En busca de la utilización de residuos y la incorporación de fibra en alimentos cárnicos como nuevas alternativas para la industria alimentaria, se tomó como base la cascara de piña. En el proyecto se propone la extracción y evaluación de harina de cascara de piña como fuente de fibra y sustituto de la harina de trigo utilizada en la elaboración de carne para hamburguesa. La obtención de la harina de cascara de piña se realizó por medio de secado, molido y tamizado reportando un rendimiento del 16.36%, la harina de cascara de piña se sometió a análisis fisicoquímico obteniendo porcentaje …

High Precision Pipeline Leak Detection And Localization Using Negative Pressure Wave Technique: An Application In A Real Field Case Study, Nathaniel C. Moryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

One of the most important aspects of oil and gas production is the safe and efficient fluid transportation using pipelines. Pipelines transporting various fluids are the most efficient but are susceptible to failure and leaks. These leaks can come about through natural disaster, as well as from general wear from the pipes that could result in major environmental and economic problems. The ability to detect leaks with speed and accuracy, as well as locating these leaks within a narrow range, will aid with the maintenance response. Hasty responses will minimize the revenue loss and reduce potential environmental impact but bring …

Incentive Analysis Of Blockchain Technology, Rahul Reddy Annareddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Blockchain technology was invented in the Bitcoin whitepaper released in 2008. Since then, several decentralized cryptocurrencies and applications have become mainstream. There has been an immense amount of engineering effort put into developing blockchain networks. Relatively few projects backed by blockchain technology have succeeded and maintained a large community of developers, users, and customers, while many popular projects with billions of dollars in funding and market capitalizations have turned out to be complete scams.

This thesis discusses the technological innovations introduced in the Bitcoin whitepaper and the following work of the last fifteen years that has enabled blockchain technology. A …

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Analysis Of Corrosion Of Reinforcing Steel In Fly Ash Mortar By Means Of Transmission Line Modeling, Padraig Stack

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is an important non-destructive tool that allows for a deeper understanding of the electrochemical processes and mechanisms occurring in an electrochemical cell. Equivalent electrical circuits (EECs) are used to model the impedance data into electrical components, such as resistors and capacitors, on a circuit. Current potentiostat offers software packages that can analyze the frequency response, but the software only supports “simple” EEC that can be written as fixed electrical components in some combination of series and parallel. Park and Macdonald propose a transmission line model (TLM) that does not use lumped-element models, instead, the values of …