Engineering Commons^™

Nanosecond Stimulation And Defibrillation Of Langendorff-Perfused Rabbit Hearts, Johanna Neuber

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The search for novel defibrillation methodologies focuses on minimizing deposition of energy to the heart, as this is an indicator for side effects including pain and tissue death. In this work, we investigate the effect of reducing the duration of the applied shocks from low milliseconds to the nanosecond range.

300 ns defibrillation was observed and confirmed to require lower energy than monophasic shocks by almost an order of magnitude with no tissue damage. Additionally, the safety factor, the ratio of median effective doses for electroporative damage and defibrillation, was similar for both durations. To predict how defibrillation shocks of …

An Investigation On The Effectiveness Of A Problem Structuring Method In A Group Decision-Making Process, Ying Thaviphoke

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

There is no shortage of methods to address messy problems. A messy problem is a system of problems with multiple stakeholders who may hold different views of what is feasible or desirable. Decision-makers in a messy problem are prone to committing an error – especially the Type III error. One of the ways to mitigate the chance of committing the error in a messy problem is to reach a group consensus. Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) are the collections of participatory modeling methods that aim to tackle a messy problem. Despite the positive reports, literature indicates some challenges and criticisms of …

Enhanced Traffic Incident Analysis With Advanced Machine Learning Algorithms, Zhenyu Wang

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Traffic incident analysis is a crucial task in traffic management centers (TMCs) that typically manage many highways with limited staff and resources. An effective automatic incident analysis approach that can report abnormal events timely and accurately will benefit TMCs in optimizing the use of limited incident response and management resources. During the past decades, significant efforts have been made by researchers towards the development of data-driven approaches for incident analysis. Nevertheless, many developed approaches have shown limited success in the field. This is largely attributed to the long detection time (i.e., waiting for overwhelmed upstream detection stations; meanwhile, downstream stations …

Cyber Defense Remediation In Energy Delivery Systems, Kamrul Hasan

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The integration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has resulted in increased efficiency and facilitated real-time information acquisition, processing, and decision making. However, the increase in automation technology and the use of the internet for connecting, remote controlling, and supervising systems and facilities has also increased the likelihood of cybersecurity threats that can impact safety of humans and property. There is a need to assess cybersecurity risks in the power grid, nuclear plants, chemical factories, etc. to gain insight into the likelihood of safety hazards. Quantitative cybersecurity risk assessment will lead to informed cyber …

Using Interacting Multiple Model Filters To Indicate Program Risk, Amy Sunshine Smith-Carroll

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Technology development has increased exponentially. Program managers are pushed to accelerate development. There are many resources available to program managers that enable acceleration, such as: additional resources in the form of funding, people and technology. There are also negative impacts to acceleration, such as: inclusion, inexperience program managers, and communication. This research seeks to identify the limit to which a program or project can be accelerated before the program manager begins to accept an unacceptable amount of pre-determined risk.

This research will utilize estimation algorithms used by sensor systems to estimate the current and future state of objects in space. …

Hardware Development For The Generation Of Large-Volume High Pressure Plasma By Spatiotemporal Control Of Space Charge, Nikhil Boothpur

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

While generating a plasma under laboratory conditions, any attempt to scale the pressure and volume leads to instabilities due to the build-up of localized space-charge. This poses a challenge in the design of the discharge chamber, type of excitation field, and the type of gas that is used in the discharge. This work investigates a spatially and temporally varying electric field to control the formation of space-charge in large-volume (greater than 5 mm in the smallest dimension) near atmospheric pressure. The simulations show that in a space-charge dominated transport, the charged species disperse both in azimuthal and radial directions in …

Numerical Analysis Of A Roadway Piezoelectric Harvesting System, Abdul Rahman Badawi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Highways, streets, bridges, and sidewalks with heavy traffic dissipate a considerable amount of waste mechanical energy every day. Piezoelectric energy harvesting devices are a very promising technology that can convert the waste mechanical energy to clean and renewable energy to enhance the sustainability of infrastructures. Research efforts in large-scale energy harvesting have led to the advancement of piezoelectric devices to the point that large-scale implementation is starting to become more feasible. The energy harvested by these devices can be used in many ways such as providing heating or cooling, melting ice, monitoring structural conditions in bridges and tunnels, and powering …

Onboard Autonomous Controllability Assessment For Fixed Wing Suavs, Brian Edward Duvall

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Traditionally fixed-wing small Unmanned Arial Vehicles (sUAV) are flown while in direct line of sight with commands from a remote operator. However, this is changing with the increased popularity and ready availability of low-cost flight controllers. Flight controllers provide fixed-wing sUAVs with functions that either minimize or eliminate the need for a remote operator. Since the remote operator is no longer controlling the sUAV, it is impossible to determine if the fixed-wing sUAV has proper control authority. In this work, a controllability detection system was designed, built, and flight-tested using COTS hardware. The method features in-situ measurement and analysis of …

Space-Based Countermeasure For Hypersonic Glide Vehicle, Robert Joseph Fowler Iv

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness of a space-based laser weapon system for countering a hypersonic glide vehicle. Hypersonic glide vehicles are an emerging type of weapon system which combine the range of ballistic missiles with the maneuverability of cruise missiles. These systems pose a unique threat to military assets not only for their expanded capabilities but also for the lack of an effective defensive countermeasure. Space-based laser weapon systems may offer a solution to this problem. The dynamics of a space-based laser system defending against a hypersonic glide vehicle are modeled first. The governing equations …

Conical Orbital Mechanics: A Rework Of Classic Orbit Transfer Mechanics, Cian Anthony Branco

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Simple orbital maneuvers obeying Kepler’s Laws, when taken with respect to Newton’s framework, require considerable time and effort to interpret and understand. Instead of a purely mathematical approach relying on the governing relations, a graphical geometric conceptual representation provides a useful alternative to the physical realities of orbits. Conic sections utilized within the full scope of a modified cone (frustum) were employed to demonstrate and develop a geometric approach to elliptical orbit transformations. The geometric model in-question utilizes the rotation of a plane intersecting the orbital frustum at some angle β (and the change in this angle) in a novel …

Parametric Study Of Residual Stresses In Wire And Arc Additive Manufactured Parts, Hisham Khaled Jamil Abusalma

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a cost-effective additive manufacturing process due to its capability to fabricate large metal parts with high deposition rate and low equipment cost. Although this method is gaining popularity in manufacturing industry, more research is needed to understand process parameters’ effects on residual stress (RS) distribution and part distortion. As such, a 3D thermo-elastic-plastic transient model was established in ABAQUS and employed to investigate the effect of process parameters such as the torch speed, the deposition power and the interlayer dwell time on RS distribution and distortion in WAAM part. The numerical model utilized …

A Parametric Analysis Of A Turbofan Engine With An Auxiliary Bypass Combustion Chamber – The Turboaux Engine, Kaleab Fetahi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A parametric study of a novel turbofan engine with an auxiliary combustion chamber, nicknamed the TurboAux engine is presented. The TurboAux engine is conceived as an extension of a low-bypass turbofan engine with an auxiliary bypass annular combustion chamber around the core stream. The study presented in this thesis is motivated by the need to facilitate clean secondary burning of fuel at temperatures higher than conventionally realized, from air exiting the low-pressure compressor. The parametric study starts by analyzing the turbojet engine and its performance with and without an afterburner segment attached. Following that, the conventional turbofan and its mixing …

Detailed Modeling Of The Flash Hydrolysis Of Algae For Biofuel-Production In Comsol Multiphysics, Noah Joseph Legrand

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Algae-derived biofuels are being commercialized as an important renewable energy source. Like any new technology, conversion improvements are desired, including reductions in process complexity and better utilization of the entire microalgae feedstock. The Old Dominion Biomass Laboratory has focused on flash hydrolysis for algae biofuel production. That process involves rapidly heating algae and water mixed as a slurry to a subcritical state. Results from small-scale bench tests are promising, but process scale up is a challenge. Currently there exists a pilot laboratory scale system utilizing induction heating in order to reach controlled reaction temperatures with a reaction duration of 10 …

The Effect Of Compaction Temperature And Pressure On Mechanical Properties Of 3d Printed Short Glass Fiber Composites, Pushpashree Jain Ajith Kumar Jain

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Among many thermoplastics that are used in engineering, polyamide 6 (nylon 6) is an extremely versatile engineering thermoplastic. Nylon filled with glass fibers has higher mechanical strength and high wear resistance than general purpose nylon. 3D printed composites, based on fused filament modeling, typically suffer from poor bead-to-bead bonding and relatively high void content, limiting their mechanical properties

This thesis explores the effect of compaction pressure and temperature on improving the mechanical properties of 3D printed composites. Engineering moduli in the printing and transverse to printing direction, as well as ultimate strength were measured using the tensile testing with Digital …

Synthesis, Characterization, Spectroscopic, And Mesomorphic Studies Of New Schiff Base Ligands And Titanium, Cobalt, Nickel And Copper Metal Centers, Raj K. Gurung

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Transition metal complexes with Schiff base ligands offer a wide application in the field of development of catalysis and material. The straightforward synthesis allowed the structural modification and helped to optimize in various application of such complexes. Titanium-containing complexes have been reported to be important for their catalytic and material applications through the coordination of a tetradentate Schiff base ligand, viz. N, N’-ethylene bis(salicylideneiminate) dianion (salen). Studies reporting the characterization of achiral titanium(IV) salen complexes are scarce due to their intricate nature. Such complexes would be comparatively less expensive and easier to prepare synthetically and thus could represent an …

Parallelization Of The Advancing Front Local Reconnection Mesh Generation Software Using A Pseudo-Constrained Parallel Data Refinement Method, Kevin Mark Garner Jr.

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Preliminary results of a long-term project entailing the parallelization of an industrial strength sequential mesh generator, called Advancing Front Local Reconnection (AFLR), are presented. AFLR has been under development for the last 25 years at the NSF/ERC center at Mississippi State University. The parallel procedure that is presented is called Pseudo-constrained (PsC) Parallel Data Refinement (PDR) and consists of the following steps: (i) use an octree data-decomposition scheme to divide the original geometry into subdomains (octree leaves), (ii) refine each subdomain with the proper adjustments of its neighbors using the given refinement code, and (iii) combine all subdomain data into …

Modulation Of Ros In Nanosecond-Pulsed Plasma-Activated Media For Dosage-Dependent Cancer Cell Inactivation In Vitro, Chunqi Jiang, Esin Bengisu Sozer, Shutong Song, Nicola Lai, P. Thomas Vernier, Sigi Guo

Bioelectrics Publications

Dosage control of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is critical to low-temperature plasma applications in cancer therapy. Production of RONS by atmospheric pressure, nonequilibrium plasmas in contact with liquid may be modulated via plasma conditions including plasma treatment time and pulse voltage and repetition frequency. In this study, a terephthalic acid-based probe was used to measure hydroxyl radicals [OH_aq] in water exposed to plasma and to demonstrate that the OH_ag concentration increases linearly with treatment time. Fluorometric measurements of hydrogen peroxide concentration in plasma-activated water show a linear relationship between the H₂O₂ production …

Standards For Technological And Engineering Literacy: Addressing Trends And Issues Facing Technology And Engineering Education, Johnny J. Moye, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article offers information on addressing trends and issues facing technology and engineering education. It mentions future challenges, students need to "have a broad conceptual understanding of technology and its place in society, enabling them to be active participants in the technological world and careful creators and users of technology.

Macroeconomic Aspects Of Maintenance Optimization Of Critical Infrastructures, S. A. Timashev, A. V. Bushinskaya

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The main goal of maintenance is prevention, timely detection and elimination of failures and damage. From the point of view of critical infrastructures (CIs), the main purpose of their maintenance is to increase the safety of CIs and / or to ensure life safety. CIs should be optimal in terms of their purpose, cost, as a source of income and profit at all stages of their life cycle, and also acceptable in terms of possible loss of human lives or injuries. The paper considers the assessment of necessary optimal investments in the maintenance (time interval between subsequent maintenance), to increase …

Black-Swan Type Catastrophes And Antifragility/Supra-Resilience Of Urban Socio-Technical Infrastructures, S. A, Timashev

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper may be one of the first attempts dealing with the problem of creating, providing and maintaining antifragility of systems of interdependent urban critical infrastructures (CI) in the wake of black-swan type technological, ecological, economic or social catastrophes occurring in a municipality. A synonym is offered to describe antifragility from a positive psychology perspective, formulating the problem as the supraresilience problem. A brief description is given of the developed innovative approach for creating a supraresilient city/region using black-swan catastrophe and the antifragility concepts. Resilience metrics are formulated as well as methods of assessing damage, interdependence of infrastructures and convergent …

An Accurate Vegetation And Non-Vegetation Differentiation Approach Based On Land Cover Classification, Chiman Kwan, David Gribben, Bulent Ayhan, Jiang Li, Sergio Bernabe, Antonio Plaza

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate vegetation detection is important for many applications, such as crop yield estimation, landcover land use monitoring, urban growth monitoring, drought monitoring, etc. Popular conventional approaches to vegetation detection incorporate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which uses the red and near infrared (NIR) bands, and enhanced vegetation index (EVI), which uses red, NIR, and the blue bands. Although NDVI and EVI are efficient, their accuracies still have room for further improvement. In this paper, we propose a new approach to vegetation detection based on land cover classification. That is, we first perform an accurate classification of 15 or more …

Biomechanical And Biophysical Properties Of Breast Cancer Cells Under Varying Glycemic Regimens, Diganta Dutta, Xavier-Lewis Palmer, Jose Ortega-Rodas, Vasundhara Balraj, Indrani Ghosh Dastider, Surabhi Chandra

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Diabetes accelerates cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, particularly for cancers of the pancreas, liver, breast, colon, and skin. While pathways linking the 2 disease conditions have been explored extensively, there is a lack of information on whether there could be cytoarchitectural changes induced by glucose which predispose cancer cells to aggressive phenotypes. It was thus hypothesized that exposure to diabetes/high glucose alters the biomechanical and biophysical properties of cancer cells more than the normal cells, which aids in advancing the cancer. For this study, atomic force microscopy indentation was used through microscale probing of multiple human breast cancer cells (MCF-7, …

Model Based Systems Engineering For A Venture Class Launch Facility, Walter Mcgee Taraila

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A study of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) applied to a small-lift launch facility is presented. The research uses Systems Modeling Language (SysML) products and functional diagrams to document the structure, controls, electrical power, hydraulic, safety mechanisms, software, and fluid ground systems on a launch pad. The research is motivated by the need to design complex systems with an unambiguous understanding that improves communication, quality, productivity, and reduces risk. A model is developed following the ISO/IEC-15288 technical process framework. The stakeholder requirements are defined and analyzed to provide traceability to individual systems and subsystems. An architectural design is realized and implemented …

Gaining Insight Into Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation Forecasting Utilizing Explainable Artificial Intelligence Tools, Murat Kuzlu, Umit Cali, Vinayak Sharma, Özgür Güler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Over the last two decades, Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches have been applied to various applications of the smart grid, such as demand response, predictive maintenance, and load forecasting. However, AI is still considered to be a ‘‘black-box’’ due to its lack of explainability and transparency, especially for something like solar photovoltaic (PV) forecasts that involves many parameters. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) has become an emerging research field in the smart grid domain since it addresses this gap and helps understand why the AI system made a forecast decision. This article presents several use cases of solar PV energy forecasting using …

Agent-Based Modelling Of Values: The Case Of Value Sensitive Design For Refugee Logistics, Christine Boshuijzen-Van Burken, Ross J. Gore, Frank Dignum, Lamber Royakkers, Phillip Wozny, F. Leron Shults

VMASC Publications

We have used value sensitive design as a method to develop an agent-based model of values in humanitarian logistics for refugees. Schwartz’s theory of universal values is implemented in the model in such a way that agents can make value trade-offs, which are operationalized into a measure of refugee wellbeing and a measure of public opinion about how the refugee logistics is being handled. By trying out different ‘value scenarios’, stakeholders who are responsible for, or involved in refugee logistics can have insights into the effects of various value choices. The model is visualized and made usable as a platform …

Finite Element Analysis Investigation Of Hybrid Thin-Ply Composites For Improved Performance Of Aerospace Structures, Alana M. Zahn

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Commercial and private aircraft have a need for strong yet light materials in order to have the most ideal performance possible. This study looks at the use of thin-ply composite materials to improve the performance of aircraft structures by means of weight savings and/or strength increase when compared to laminates that are composed of exclusively standard-ply materials. In order to perform an investigation based solely on finite element analysis, validation efforts were performed using test data from open hole tension, open hole compression, notched tension, and notched compression specimens. Once the models were validated sufficiently, the same modeling practices were …

Biomanufacturing Organized Collagen-Based Microfibers As A Tissue Engineered Device (Tend) For Tendon Regeneration, Yas Maghdouri-White, Nardos Sori, Stella Petrova, Hilary Wriggers, Nathan Kemper, Amrita Dasgupta, Kelly Coughenour, Seth Polk, Nick Thayer, Mario Rodriguez, Bill Simon, Anna Bulysheva, Kevin Bonner,, Steven Arnoczky, Samuel Adams, Michael Francis

Bioelectrics Publications

Approximately 800,000 surgical repairs are performed annually in the U.S. for debilitating injuries to ligaments and tendons of the foot, ankle, knee, wrist, elbow and shoulder, presenting a significant healthcare burden. To overcome current treatment shortcomings and advance the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, we have developed a novel electrospun Tissue ENgineered Device (TEND), comprised of type I collagen and poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) solubilized in a benign solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). TEND fiber alignment, diameter and porosity were engineered to enhance cell infiltration leading to promote tissue integration and functional remodeling while providing biomechanical stability. TEND rapidly adsorbs …

Snitch Application: Addressing Cyber Trust In Future Living Spaces, Russell Moore

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The future of smart homes is filled with excitement and ample opportunity to live in an environment that features extraordinary convenience and energy efficiency. Devices such as Amazon Alexa and Roku Smart TV’s feature voice interaction options that provide the user with enhanced functionality. While voice-activated devices are accommodating, it is imperative to acknowledge how they work on the backend. The problem is that these devices collect and share a large amount of data from users who are oftentimes unaware that it’s even happening. The Snitch App is being developed in order to inform the user of what exactly is …

A Core Reference Hierarchical Primitive Ontology For Electronic Medical Records Semantics Interoperability, Ziniya Zahedi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Currently, electronic medical records (EMR) cannot be exchanged among hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, and insurance providers or made available to patients outside of local networks. Hospital, laboratory, pharmacy, and insurance provider legacy databases can share medical data within a respective network and limited data with patients. The lack of interoperability has its roots in the historical development of electronic medical records. Two issues contribute to interoperability failure. The first is that legacy medical record databases and expert systems were designed with semantics that support only internal information exchange. The second is ontological commitment to the semantics of a particular knowledge …

Cyber-Assets At Risk (Car): Monetary Impact Of Personally Identifiable Information Data Breaches On Companies, Omer Ilker Poyraz

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cyber-systems provide convenience, ubiquity, economic advantage, and higher efficiency to both individuals and organizations. However, vulnerabilities of the cyber domain also offer malicious actors with the opportunities to compromise the most sensitive information. Recent cybersecurity incidents show that a group of hackers can cause a massive data breach, resulting in companies losing competitive advantage, reputation, and money. Governments have since taken some actions in protecting individuals and companies from such crime by authorizing federal agencies and developing regulations. To protect the public from losing their most sensitive records, governments have also been compelling companies to follow cybersecurity regulations. If companies …