Engineering Commons^™

Career Prospects And Resources Of Domestic Engineering Doctoral Students, Laura A. Gelles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Career prospects are a motivating factor for entry and retention of doctoral students, especially in the discipline of engineering. While doctoral student training provides them with highly specialized skills to be an independent researcher, they may not have the requisite skills or guidance to secure the job position of their choice. Therefore, it is important to provide doctoral students with opportunities, training, and information (i.e., resources) about different types of careers to not only ensure they are productive contributors of teaching and research, but also equip them for future career prospects. Research techniques based upon in-depth narrative interviews and combining …

Expression Systems For Synthetic Spider Silk Protein Production, Michaela R. Hugie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spider silk is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural material that is stronger than steel and more elastic than nylon. These properties make spider silk a desirable material for many commercial products, ranging from textiles to biomedical materials. Due to spiders’ cannibalistic and territorial nature it is impossible to farm them to produce spider silk at a high enough yield to meet product demands. Therefore, a bioengineered synthetic process is necessary to produce spider silk. Synthetic spider silk has been produced in bacteria, goats, yeast, plants, mammalian cells and silkworms, but none of these processes provided a commercially viable yield or …

Adipose Tissue Engineering: A Therapeutic Strategy For The Treatment Of Obesity And Glucose Intolerance, Michael A. Hendley

Theses and Dissertations

Despite available treatment options, the number of people afflicted by type 2 diabetes has steadily risen for decades. Nearly 90% of the diabetic population also suffers from obesity and the link between the two diseases is undeniable. Characterized by rapid expansion of the adipose tissue and improper lipid storage, the mishandling of lipids by adipose tissue promotes the diabetic state. Excess lipids, unable to be properly stored, build up in peripheral tissues promoting insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Therapeutic strategies designed to address adipose tissue lipid handling could represent a promising treatment strategy for obesity associated type 2 diabetes. …

Design, Construction And Application Of A Home-Built, Two-Photon Microscope, William P. Breeding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two-photon microscopy (TPM) is a powerful, versatile imaging modality for the study of biological systems. This thesis overviews the relevant physics involved in TPM, design considerations and process of constructing a home-built, two-photon microscope, and provides a set of procedures to operate the system. Furthermore, this work explores several applications of TPM through the study of single-cell metabolism and imaging the cellular-material interface. Explored in particular depth was the imaging of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) materials, with the goal of understanding the three-dimensional nature of fibroblast cell growth when embedded within the materials. This work uncovered several optical properties of CNF, …

Dry River Watershed Valuation And Management Plan, Julia Hutchens

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Water quality has become a major environmental and human welfare concern in the world today, it’s no longer just for developing countries. There have been many incidences in the US of health problems related to water quality and a shortage of water. The City of Harrisonburg and the surrounding community also have a need for a well-developed watershed management plan. The focus of this study will be the Dry River because that is a main source of the city’s water. The Dry River watershed is threatened by illegal dumping, erosion from primitive roads and future road building sedimentation, a lack …

High Strollers, Braeden Hammond, Morley Perrin, Reid Bartels, Juan Rodriguez

Mechanical Engineering

This report documents the final product of Jonathon’s new lightweight stroller. The Mechanical Engineering team from Cal Poly, High Strollers, began the project to create a lightweight stroller for the project sponsor, Nina Aguayo, and her son, Jonathon Aguayo, in Fall of 2018. Jonathon is diagnosed with Delayed Brain Development and Hypotonia with some characteristics of Cerebral Palsy. He has a 50lb high intensity stroller to go to and from school. Mrs. Aguayo needed a stroller that is easier to transport while still meeting all of Jonathon’s needs. The re-designed stroller will make leisurely outings for Mrs. Aguayo and Jonathon …

Extraction Of Thorium Dioxide And Other Ree Oxides From Monazite Ore, Bradley M. Bennett, Julia Johnson, Kelsey Hay, Chelsea Connolly-Horton

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

On-Demand Label Production, Robert A. Zimmerman

Master's Theses

The production and approval process for the various labels used in clinical trials wastes significant time and resources through the need to outsource label production or rely on large reams of pre-cut label stock for each revision throughout the process. An in-house, on-demand label printing and cutting system is a potential remedy to this waste. Previous work by Cheadle et al. resulted in a functional electomechanical prototype of the label cutting aspect of this research, capable of rudimentary linear cuts. In this continued research, emphasis was placed on improved label cutting capabilities and creating PC control software for label design. …

Smart Flow Facility Analysis, Chantal Ann George, Pete Suktankar, Eric Wilson, Matthew Geiger

Senior Design Project For Engineers

The SMART Flow Design Team has been tasked in providing a physical layout for a single building facility used to consolidate three separate business units. The objective for the new facility will be to manufacture, receive, ship, and store the company's finished products. When designing the physical layout, the team must take into consideration stable and seasonal business volumes, current and future volume demand growth, designated inbound, outbound, and storage areas, and product turn rates. All specifications must be met while determining an efficient flow of goods. The team has designed indoor and outdoor layouts using Microsoft Visio, performed various …

Investigating The Impact Of Taper And Aspect Ratio On A Stalling Wing Using A Corrected Vortex Lattice Method, Ryan Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The advent of new technologies such as eVTOL vehicles is exciting. The development of fast aerodynamics models incorporating stall is one small step on the road to realizing such concepts by improving the speed of design optimization algorithms. To this end, a modified vortex lattice model was developed based on one reported by dos Santos and Marques [4]. The model was validated against experimental data found in the literature. Making use of its stall capabilities, a sample study was performed to test for any coupling effect between aspect ratio and taper ratio. This was done by calculating the lift curve …

Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels For Total Wound Care Devices, Tushar Goswami

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Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a naturally occurring bio-polymer found in areas of high cartilage in mammals. In directed applications, such as hydrogels, CS can be used to impact keratinocyte growth cycles. In this work, CS based hydrogels were utilized to accelerate wound healing and, in conjunction with a graphene sensor, monitor wound fluid pH. The hydrogels were cast onto a graphene field effect transistor (GFET) to obtain the benefits of the hydrogel wound healing capabilities, while also utilizing the pH sensitivity of the graphene. Results showed that the hydrogel caused a fivefold increase in cell size over the course of …

Feed Control: Composite Recycle, Rosy Perez

All Undergraduate Projects

The Boeing Company gave Central Washington University an opportunity for students to research and come up with an idea to reduce costs and landfill waste caused by the trimmings from the 777x composite wing pieces. The engineering and manufacturing for this project is about transporting composite material through to the delamination and chipper process. The delamination process uses a ram to press two claw shaped devices together that bends and deforms the material in opposite directions. The chipper process uses counter rotating saw blades spaced 1/8” apart to produce small shredded material. It is important for this newly designed feed …

Stair Climbing Hand Truck, James Mcpherson

All Undergraduate Projects

Abstract

Getting a heavy object up a flight of stairs usually requires a team of two or more people. Even with a team of people, the task is often still difficult, dangerous, and possibly insurmountable by one person. This problem is especially prevalent in for those who are moving into apartment complexes. Most apartment complexes have many buildings with two or more floors of living quarters, and elevators are often missing. This project sought to offer a solution to this problem. The solution in question; a motorized hand-truck with 2, trigonal planar pinwheels in place of the stock wheels. The …

R/C Mini Baja: Drivetrain, Kyle Aitken

All Undergraduate Projects

A device is needed that can power the back wheels of R/C car and allow it to drive smoothly. This drivetrain also has to transmit power to the axles in an acceptable height range to comply with the frame and suspension. The project was supported by a team member who designed the frame and suspension. The design of this project consists of two sub-assemblies that make up the drive train assembly. The transmission assembly uses gears to convert the rotational speed from the motor to the drive shaft. The gearbox assembly also uses gears and converts the rotational speed from …

Design, Control, And Optimization Of Robots With Advanced Energy Regenerative Drive Systems, Poya Khalaf

ETD Archive

We investigate the control and optimization of robots with ultracapacitor based regenerative drive systems. A subset of the robot joints are conventional, in the sense that external power is used for actuation. Other joints are energetically self-contained passive systems that use ultracapacitors for energy storage. An electrical interconnection known as the star configuration is considered for the regenerative drives that allows for direct electric energy redistribution among joints, and enables higher energy utilization efficiencies. A semi-active virtual control strategy is used to achieve control objectives. We find closed-form expressions for the optimal robot and actuator parameters (link lengths, gear ratios, …

Robust Impedance Control Of A Four Degree Of Freedom Exercise Robot, Santino Joseph Bianco

ETD Archive

The CSU 4OptimX exercise robot provides a platform for future research into advanced exercise and rehabilitation. The robot and its control system will autonomously modify reference trajectories and impedances on the basis of an optimization criterion and physiological feedback. To achieve this goal, a robust impedance control system with trajectory tracking must be implemented as the foundational control scheme. Two control laws will be compared, sliding mode and H-infinity control. The above robust control laws are combined with underlying impedance control laws to overcome uncertain plant model parameters and disturbance anomalies affecting the input signal. The sliding mode control law …

Autojack - Hydraulic Powertrain System, Tyce Vu

All Undergraduate Projects

A primary problem for mechanics and automotive enthusiasts is the risk associated with lifting and securing a vehicle with conventional jack stands. Often times, improper jack-stand installation results in the vehicle collapsing unexpectedly, causing injury and/or death. This problem can be minimized through the application of a newly re-designed vehicle lifting system. The conventional method for lifting cars is time consuming and can be unsafe in many circumstances. A better, safer, and more efficient lift design was needed; the AutoJack. The approach of the AutoJack design was entirely focused on the safety of lifting a vehicle. Safety was improved by …

Project "Auxilia" - Jaiden's Prosthetic Arm, Christopher Halley, Lindsay Jaros, Autumn Young

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The main objective of this project was to create a prosthetic arm for a 15 year old boy named Jaiden Foden. Jaiden was born with only one fully developed limb as a result of a genetic disorder, Hanhart Syndrome II. His right arm becomes a residual limb below the elbow, but has two fingers which act in a “claw-like” movement. Jaiden’s left arm becomes a residual limb above the elbow, and his left leg becomes a residual limb above the knee. The goal of the arm was to increase Jaiden’s overall independence and to help in completing daily tasks, such …

Reactive Archey Target Design Team "Mimic", Brandon Croyle, Jacob Boss, David Rodgers, Austin Wivell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This design project will aim to provide archery hunters with a platform to simulate shooting at string jumping deer. String jumping refers to a spooked deer hearing the snap of a bow string and instintivly ducking up to ten inches. This often results in wounded or missed deer. We will design and build a control system that uses the sound of a bow string as a trigger to operate a mechanical target system. A sound sensor will mimic a deer’s hearing in close range hunting and then send a signal to the mechanical system to replicate the dropping motion of …

Recumbent Bicycle Balancing Aid, James Hager

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For our senior design project, our team will be consulting to create a balancing aid system intended for the recumbent bicycle shown below in Figure 1. The owner of the bicycle is Robert Henderson, a former United States Navy sailor from Northeast Ohio who picked up biking and skiing while he was stationed in Maine in the late 80’s. While there, he took to the mountains on the rugged terrain and brought this passion of biking back home to share with his wife, Johanna once he completed his service to his country. Biking became an integral part of the …

Development And Exploration Of A Z-Shaped Foot And Ankle Internal Fixation Plate, Rhaz Shaghaghi Paul, Ian Hames, Sean Rich

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper will detail the design process of developing a Z-shaped foot and ankle internal fixation plating system. Group 6: Plates for the Sole was made up of 5 team members, who worked together to accommodate their client’s request to complete a biomechanical analysis of a Z-Plate design and a construct a prototype. The Z-Plate’s purpose is to provide podiatrists with a new solution that can fit nicely on the small, irregular bones of the foot, while also remaining strong enough to withstand the forces and torques of the foot.

Immersive Rehearsal In A Simulated Environment (Irise), Cassandra Clouse

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Recent advancements in virtual environment (VE) technology and the growth of VE use in treating and training individuals are opening up new possibilities for rehearsal in safe and rich environments. Research has shown that VEs can be used to treat those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but very little research has been done to suggest good guidelines for creating an effective environment. This research was conducted to help inform the design of systems that let veterans rehearse potentially stressful experiences in a safe environment before having to physically step into that environment. We investigated responses to specific design components …

Monitoring Cerebral Functional Response Using Scmos-Based High Density Near Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging, Dharminder Singh Langri

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Neurovascular coupling is an important concept that indicates the direct link between neuronal electrical firing with the vascular hemodynamic changes. Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure changes in cerebral vascular parameters of oxy-hemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and thus can provide neuronal activity through neurovascular coupling. Currently many commercial fNIRS devices are available, but they are limited by the number of channels (usually having only 8 detectors), which can limit the sensitivity, contrast, and resolution of imaging. High-density imaging can improve sensitivity, contrast, and resolution by providing many measurements and averaging the signals originating from the target cerebral focus area …

Design And Implementation Of Periodic Unsteadiness Generator For Turbine Secondary Flow Studies, Nathan James Fletcher

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A primary source of periodic unsteadiness in low-pressure turbines is the wakes shed from upstream blade rows due to the relative motion between adjacent stators and rotors. These periodic perturbations can affect boundary layer transition, secondary flow, and loss generation. In particular, for high-lift front-loaded blades, the secondary flowfield is characterized by strong three-dimensional vortical structures. It is important to understand how these flow features respond to periodic disturbances. A novel approach was taken to generate periodic unsteadiness which captures some of the physics of turbomachinery wakes. Using stationary pneumatic devices, pulsed jets were used to generate disturbances characterized by …

Processing And Properties Of Multifunctional Two-Dimensional Nanocomposite Based On Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes, Ali M. Al Mafarage

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Truly single layer (monolayer) films of unmodified zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes by using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique have been processed successfully. Measurements of their mechanical and optoelectric properties were achieved. Different theoretical equations were used based on the results obtained from the experimental part to study the properties and structures of the produced material and their composite. The produced films were highly oriented as determined by polarized Raman spectroscopy and as shown by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The films have a significant amount of flexibility which makes their behavior similar to rubbery materials. They can also be deposited on different …

Development Of Physics Based Machine Learning Algorithms, Rob Jennings

Master’s Theses

In this study, a baseball pitch was examined to try to understand its behavior, and make a predictive model of it. A baseball pitch was tested experimentally with a wind tunnel and modeled computationally with COMSOL CFD software. Five input variables (spin rate, sting angle, seam orientation: Y axis, seam orientation: Z axis, and air velocity) were controlled, with force in three axes recorded as outputs. The experimental and computational results were examined and seen to be interdependent for all input variables. Experimental and computational data were both insufficient for predicting system behavior. Experimental data collection would have required an …

Digital Instantaneous Frequency Measurement Receiver For Fine Frequency And High Sensitivity, Bilal Khudhur Abdulhammed Abdulhamed

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Wideband technology has been applied to many wide bandwidth applications when there is a need to send much different information in a short time from one point and received from another point in high precision and accuracy. A wideband receiver reports a signal without tuning if the signal is within the input bandwidth. The analog Instantaneous Frequency Measurement (IFM) receiver has been used for decades to cover a very wide input bandwidth and report one accurate frequency on a short pulse at a time. The digital IFM use a high sampling rate ADC to operate in a wide bandwidth, Hilbert …

Design And Manipulation Of A Power-Generating System With High-Temperature Fuel Cells For Hypersonic Applications, Jack Randolph Chalker

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Current hypersonic vehicles tend to be incapable of producing onboard power with traditional generators due to their use of supersonic combusting ramjets (scramjets). Because of this, they seek additional energy sources for supporting advanced electronics or other auxiliary power-dependent devices while requiring elaborate thermal management systems to combat temperatures exceeding 700ºC. The incorporation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFCs) stacks is an efficient solution, capable of generating large quantities of power through the use of natural fuel sources at high temperatures. Developments in this thesis include the design, construction, and support of a system operating at hypersonic-environment conditions with a …

Agent-Based Simulation Of Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Transfer Of Care, Paul B. Stone

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This study demonstrates the application of Agent-Based Simulation as a potential training aid for Transfer of Care (ToC) between EMS and a hospital triage department. The specific aim was to develop a simulation to increase the efficiency and accountability of information communication during ToC to test the suitability of Agent-Based Simulation to address training requirements in complex, health provision settings. This paper focuses on the design of the training simulation, including the development of individual agents within the simulation through the user interface elements and the evaluation and verification of the prototype simulator. The primary objective is for the simulation …

Characterization Of In-Vivo Damage In Implantable Cardiac Devices And The Lead Residual Properties, Anmar Mahdi Salih

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Approximately, 92.1 million patients in the US suffer from cardiovascular diseases with an estimated healthcare cost of over $300 billion; out of which at least one million patients have Cardiac Implantable Electronics Devices (CIED). CIED represented by pacemakers, Implantable Cardioversion Defibrillator (ICD), and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) are exposed to in-vivo damage. These damages are complex and composed on multiple levels and present challenges while assessing their combined extent. Since 2004, more than one hundred recalls were reported for cardiac devices. ICD devices had the majority with 40.8% recalls, pacemaker recall percentage was 14.5%, CRT recall percentage was12.7%, leads recalls …