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In Vitro Method To Quantify And Visualize Volumetric Wear In Meniscus Subjected To Joint Loading Using A 3d Optical Scanner, Kate J. Benfield

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The menisci are fibrocartilaginous soft tissues that act to absorb and distribute load across the surface of the knee joint. As a result of mechanical wear and large repetitive loading, meniscus tissue can begin to breakdown, or degenerate. Meniscus degeneration increases the risk of tearing, weakened tissue integrity, and the progression of osteoarthritis. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the wear behavior of whole human meniscus to identify conditions that may significantly increase the risk of degeneration.

The objective of this study is to develop and validate an in vitro methodology for characterizing volumetric wear behavior in whole human meniscus …

Direct Solar Absorption Nanoparticle Doped Membranes For A Hybrid Membrane Distillation And Photovoltaic Cell, Alejandro Espejo Sanchez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The growing demand for clean water supplies is driving the need for an innovative approach of water desalination. Developing a method for treating water with high salinities is possible with membrane distillation (MD). Additionally, MD is very attractive for pairing with solar energy due to the low temperature requirements. The integration of a membrane distillation system with a photovoltaic (PV) system will result in the co-production of electricity and clean water, thereby improving the economics of MD. Such a hybrid system will directly absorb thermal energy in the membrane for desalination while taking advantage of the spectrally selective nature of …

Heat Transfer Modeling And Optimization Of A Carbonized Microvascular Solar Receiver, Taylor Brown

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Concentrating solar power is an emerging renewable energy source. The technology can collect and store thermal energy from the sun over long durations, generating electricity as needed at a later time. Current CSP systems are limited to a maximum operational temperature due to constraints of the working fluid, which limits the maximum possible efficiency of the system. One proposed pathway forward is to utilize a gas phase for the working fluid in the system such as supercritical carbon dioxide.

A composite gas phase modular receiver is being developed by researchers at Boise State University and the University of Tulsa. The …

Constitutive Modeling Of Force-Controlled Fatigue Testing In Human Meniscus Tissue, Bradley Scott Henderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The meniscus is a wedge-shaped fibrocartilaginous tissue located between the femur and tibia that helps stabilize the knee and protect the underlying cartilage. There are 2.5 million reported knee injuries each year, making it the most injured joint in the human body. Nearly twenty percent of these injuries are due to a torn meniscus, leading to over half a million meniscus surgeries performed in the United States annually. Therefore, it is critical to understand the failure modes of meniscus tissue to prevent these debilitating injuries. A failure mode that accounts for one-third of all meniscus injuries is repeated exposure to …

Large Displacement J-Integral Double Cantilever Beam (Dcb) Test Method For Mode I Fracture Toughness, Joshua Gunderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The J-integral is used to develop an alternative double cantilever beam (DCB) test method for the Mode I fracture toughness suitable for both small and large displacements. The current focus is the experimental determination of the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of composite materials, but the method is generally applicable to other similar tests and material systems, such as to the Mode I fracture toughness of adhesives. A series of five identical specimens are tested to compare the linear-elastic fracture mechanics method recommended by ASTM, which makes use of linear beam theory with root rotation, large displacement, and end …

Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis Of In-Pile Sensors For Advanced Nuclear Reactors, Takoda Linn Bingham

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear reactors have large needs for in-pile sensors that are durable in high temperature, radioactive, and corrosive environments. With the use of multiphysics finite element analysis (FEA) researchers can speed up sensor prototyping. FEA also allows for a better fundamental understanding of sensors and enables sensor optimization. This research focuses on three types of in-pile sensors developed at Idaho National Laboratory: acoustic sensors, linear variable differential transformers (LVDT), and capacitance based strain gauges (CSG). Two acoustic sensors, magnetostrictive waveguides and piezoelectric surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors were first modeled. These models showed the acoustic wave patterns and estimated the speed …