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Articles 1 - 30 of 99
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Design And Frequency Characterization Of Dual-Piezoresponsive Foam Sensors, Cory Nelson Newton
Design And Frequency Characterization Of Dual-Piezoresponsive Foam Sensors, Cory Nelson Newton
Theses and Dissertations
Multifunctional "self-sensing" materials at the frontiers of current research are generally designed to gather only a single type of information (such as quasi-static strain data). This project introduces a new sensor that is both multifunctional and dual-response, indicating its ability to not only perform in mechanical and sensing functions but also in its ability to sense multiple types of response. The proposed new class of sensing materials, comprised of nanocomposite polymer foams, exhibits measurable piezoresistive and quasi-piezoelectric phenomena in the form of change in resistance and voltage generation in response to deformation, respectively. An initial sampling of the envelope of …
Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety Related Improvements On Roadways, Jordan Browne Frustaci
Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Safety Related Improvements On Roadways, Jordan Browne Frustaci
Theses and Dissertations
The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) lists four different methods for determining the change in crash frequency in order of reliability. Currently, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) uses the fourth reliable method. The goal of this research was to develop a tool that the most reliable method mentioned in the HSM could be used to perform life-cycle benefit-cost analyses. A spreadsheet program was built that performs the HSM's Part C Predictive Method for 11 different roadway segment types mentioned in HSM using Excel macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming. Intersections were not included in this spreadsheet program as …
Development Of A Performance-Based Procedure For Assessment Of Liquefaction-Induced Free-Field Settlements, Brian David Peterson
Development Of A Performance-Based Procedure For Assessment Of Liquefaction-Induced Free-Field Settlements, Brian David Peterson
Theses and Dissertations
Liquefaction-induced settlement can cause significant damage to structures and infrastructure in the wake of a seismic event. Predicting settlement is an essential component of a comprehensive seismic design. The inherent uncertainty associated with seismic events makes the accurate prediction of settlement difficult. While several methods of assessing seismic hazards exist, perhaps the most promising is performance-based earthquake engineering, a framework presented by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. The PEER framework incorporates probability theory to generate a comprehensive seismic hazard analysis. Two settlement estimation methods are incorporated into the PEER framework to create a fully probabilistic settlement estimation procedure. …
Recognition Of Infrastructure Events Using Principal Component Analysis, Lane David Broadbent
Recognition Of Infrastructure Events Using Principal Component Analysis, Lane David Broadbent
Theses and Dissertations
Information Technology systems generate system log messages to allow for the monitoring of the system. In increasingly large and complex systems the volume of log data can overwhelm the analysts tasked with monitoring these systems. A system was developed that utilizes Principal Component Analysis to assist the analyst in the characterization of system health and events. Once trained, the system was able to accurately identify a state of heavy load on a device with a low false positive rate. The system was also able to accurately identify an error condition when trained on a single event. The method employed is …
Autonomous Goal-Based Mapping And Navigation Using A Ground Robot, Jeffrey L. Ferrin
Autonomous Goal-Based Mapping And Navigation Using A Ground Robot, Jeffrey L. Ferrin
Theses and Dissertations
Ground robotic vehicles are used in many different applications. Many of these uses include tele-operation of the robot. This allows the robot to be deployed in locations that are too difficult or are unsafe for human access. The ability of a ground robot to autonomously navigate to a desired location without a-priori map information and without using GPS would allow robotic vehicles to be used in many of these situations and would free the operator to focus on other more important tasks. The purpose of this research is to develop algorithms that enable a ground robot to autonomously navigate to …
A Comparison Of Gestures For Virtual Object Rotation, Brandon Michael Garner
A Comparison Of Gestures For Virtual Object Rotation, Brandon Michael Garner
Theses and Dissertations
The fields of virtual reality and gesture-based input devices are growing and becoming more popular. In order for the two technologies to be implemented together, an understanding of gestures in relation to virtual objects and users' expectations of those gestures needs to be understood. Specifically, this thesis focuses on arm gestures for the rotation of virtual objects. Participants in the study were first asked to freely perform an arm gesture they felt should execute a task. Next, participants were asked to perform specific rotation tasks with pre- configured arm gestures on four objects. There were two types of objects: those …
Effects Of Tethering Placement And Linker Variations On Antibody Stability On Surfaces, Rebecca Ellen Grawe
Effects Of Tethering Placement And Linker Variations On Antibody Stability On Surfaces, Rebecca Ellen Grawe
Theses and Dissertations
An antibody microarray consists of antibody bound to a surface. Antibody microarrays have great potential in many fields, particularly as a tool to detect antigens. Unfortunately, antibodies suffer from poor performance. A greater understanding of how antibodies interact with surfaces would improve microarray design and performance, but experimental methods fall short of being able to observe these interactions. Therefore molecular simulation has emerged as the primary method to study protein/surface interactions.The simulations here were coarse grain simulations performed using the model of Karanicolas and Brooks. Additionally, an advanced surface model was used that allows for different surface chemistries. PyMBAR analysis …
How A Systematic Approach To Uncertainty Quantification Renders Molecular Simulation A Quantitative Tool In Predicting The Critical Constants For Large N-Alkanes, Richard Alma Messerly
How A Systematic Approach To Uncertainty Quantification Renders Molecular Simulation A Quantitative Tool In Predicting The Critical Constants For Large N-Alkanes, Richard Alma Messerly
Theses and Dissertations
Accurate thermophysical property data are crucial for designing efficient chemical processes. For this reason, the Design Institute for Physical Properties (DIPPR 801) provides evaluated experimental data and prediction of various thermophysical properties. The critical temperature (Tc), critical density (ρc), critical pressure (Pc), critical compressibility factor (Zc), and normal boiling point (Tb) are important constants to check for thermodynamic consistency and to estimate other properties. The n-alkane family is of primary interest because it is generally assumed that other families of compounds behave similarly to …
Feasibility Of Friction Stir Processing (Fsp) As A Method Of Healing Cracks In Irradiated 304l Stainless Steels, Cameron Cornelius Gunter
Feasibility Of Friction Stir Processing (Fsp) As A Method Of Healing Cracks In Irradiated 304l Stainless Steels, Cameron Cornelius Gunter
Theses and Dissertations
The current US fleet of nuclear reactors has been in service for three decades. Over this period, existing welds in stainless steel (SS) shrouds have sustained stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and are in need of repair. Additionally, helium has formed interstitially as a byproduct of proton bombardment. Current repair technology, such as TIG welding, puts extreme amounts of heat into the material and allows for interstitial helium atoms to aggregate and form bubbles/voids at grain boundaries. This significantly weakens the material, proving to be a very counterproductive and ineffective repair technique. Much study has been done on friction stir processing …
Selecting Cloud Platform Services Based On Application Requirements, Bridger Ronald Larson
Selecting Cloud Platform Services Based On Application Requirements, Bridger Ronald Larson
Theses and Dissertations
As virtualization platforms or cloud computing have become more of a commodity, many more organizations have been utilizing them. Many organizations and technologies have emerged to fulfill those cloud needs. Cloud vendors provide similar services, but the differences can have significant impact on specific applications. Selecting the right provider is difficult and confusing because of the number of options. It can be difficult to determine which application characteristics will impact the choice of implementation. There has not been a concise process to select which cloud vendor and characteristics are best suited for the application requirements and organization requirements. This thesis …
An Ion Detection Scheme Employing Solid State Devices For Use In Portable Mass Spectrometers, Sanjiv Nath Pant
An Ion Detection Scheme Employing Solid State Devices For Use In Portable Mass Spectrometers, Sanjiv Nath Pant
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis presents a solid state approach to the ion detection system used in the back-end of modern mass spectrometers. Although various techniques already exist to detect ions – even with the sensitivity of a single particle, the existing techniques require high voltage or lower operation temperature to counteract the noise inherent in the system. The suggested design presents an alternative to the more popular detection system whereby the requirement of high operation voltage or low operation temperature can be precluded. This is made possible through the gate capacitance of a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET). This thesis …
Voltage Measurement Using Slab-Coupled Optical Sensors With Polarization-Maintaining And Absorption-Reduction Fiber, Rex Lavell King
Voltage Measurement Using Slab-Coupled Optical Sensors With Polarization-Maintaining And Absorption-Reduction Fiber, Rex Lavell King
Theses and Dissertations
This research presents the first use of side-polished Panda fiber in the fabrication of slab-coupled optical sensors (SCOS). It is determined that the Panda SCOS provides a sensor that is comparable to the D-fiber SCOS in cases of electric field sensing. It exhibits greater power transfer and higher bandwidth than a typical D-SCOS. The Panda SCOS is also less costly and easier to splice than the D-fiber alternative. This comes at a cost of slightly decreased sensitivity and a more fragile fabrication process. This research also demonstrates the use of the Panda-SCOS as means of voltage characterization across both the …
Comparison Of Simulation And Hands-On Labs In Helping High School Students Learn Physics Concepts, Matthew Charles Rytting
Comparison Of Simulation And Hands-On Labs In Helping High School Students Learn Physics Concepts, Matthew Charles Rytting
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the research was to determine whether PhET simulation labs or hands-on labs were more effective in helping students learn physics concepts. This measure was done by comparing quiz scores using recall, calculation, and transfer questions. Additionally, student perceptions of learning from both hands-on and simulation lab experiences were measured. Six labs were conducted with high school physics students on the topics of momentum, energy, circuits, angular momentum, pendulums, and friction. It was found that PhET simulation labs were as effective at creating student understanding, and sometimes more effective, as measured by quizzes given after the labs. Additionally, …
Evolvability And Excess Capability As A Response To Uncertain And Future Requirements, Jeffrey Douglas Allen
Evolvability And Excess Capability As A Response To Uncertain And Future Requirements, Jeffrey Douglas Allen
Theses and Dissertations
Product and system designers face many challenges in the modern world. Designing products that will be subject to emerging or uncertain requirements can be one of the most significant of these challenges. A major risk associated with emerging or uncertain requirements is premature obsolescence. Large-scale, complex engineered systems, such as, aircraft, spacecraft, large seagoing vessels, communication and power systems are especially susceptible to this issue. However, this challenge is not limited to only large-scale complex systems. Even relatively simple products can suffer from premature obsolescence and even failure to be initially accepted, due to inadequately understood or changing requirements. One …
A Secure, Reliable And Performance-Enhancing Storage Architecture Integrating Local And Cloud-Based Storage, Christopher Glenn Hansen
A Secure, Reliable And Performance-Enhancing Storage Architecture Integrating Local And Cloud-Based Storage, Christopher Glenn Hansen
Theses and Dissertations
The constant evolution of new varieties of computing systems - cloud computing, mobile devices, and Internet of Things, to name a few - have necessitated a growing need for highly reliable, available, secure, and high-performing storage systems. While CPU performance has typically scaled with Moore's Law, data storage is much less consistent in how quickly performance increases over time. One method of improving storage performance is through the use of special storage architectures. Such architectures often include redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID). RAID provides a meaningful way to increase storage performance on a variety of levels, some higher-performing than …
Nanoemulsions Within Liposomes For Cytosolic Drug Delivery To Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells, Jacob Brian Williams
Nanoemulsions Within Liposomes For Cytosolic Drug Delivery To Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells, Jacob Brian Williams
Theses and Dissertations
Cancer cells that survive chemotherapy treatment often develop resistance to the administered chemotherapeutics, as well as to many other types of drugs, because the cancer cells increase their production of efflux pumps in the cell. This undesired phenomenon of resistance to cancer drugs is known as multidrug resistance. This work uses a novel drug carrier, called an eLiposome, to achieve cytosolic drug delivery to kill multidrug-resistant cancer cells. An eLiposome consists of a perfluoropentane (PFC5) emulsion droplet inside of a liposome. Folate attached to the eLiposome facilitates uptake into the cell. The PFC5 droplet is metastable at body temperature, but …
Extending Time Until Failure During Leaking In Inflatable, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots, Joshua Parker Wilson
Extending Time Until Failure During Leaking In Inflatable, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots, Joshua Parker Wilson
Theses and Dissertations
Soft robots and particularly inflatable robots are of interest because they are lightweight, compact, robust to impact, and can interact with humans and their environment relatively safely compared to rigid and heavy traditional robots. Improved safety is due to their low mass that results in low-energy collisions and their compliant, soft construction. Inflatable robots (which are a type of soft robot) are also robust to impact and have a high torque to weight ratio. As a result inflatable robots may be used for many applications such as space exploration, search and rescue, and human-robot interaction. One of the potential problems …
Submerged Jump Remediation At Low-Head Dams: The Multiple Staggered Deflector Design, Ronald Francis Mcghin
Submerged Jump Remediation At Low-Head Dams: The Multiple Staggered Deflector Design, Ronald Francis Mcghin
Theses and Dissertations
Low-head dams are capable of creating dangerous counter-currents just downstream from the structure. These dangerous counter-currents are known as submerged hydraulic jumps and are responsible for hundreds of fatalities at numerous low-head dams across the United States. The counter-current creates high upstream-directed surface velocities across the width of the channel, making it nearly impossible for an individual to escape. This submerged jump can occur during a range of upstream and downstream conditions. Effective, safe and low-cost remediation options must be explored in order to prevent further fatalities at these structures. This document explores such a remediation option: the Multiple Staggered …
The Feasibility Of Using A Markerless Motion Capture Sensor (Leap MotionTm Controller) Forquantitative Motor Assessment Intended For A Clinical Setting, Clay Jordan Kincaid
The Feasibility Of Using A Markerless Motion Capture Sensor (Leap MotionTm Controller) Forquantitative Motor Assessment Intended For A Clinical Setting, Clay Jordan Kincaid
Theses and Dissertations
Although upper limb motor impairments are common, the primary tools for assessing and tracking these impairments in a clinical setting are subjective, qualitative rating scales that lack resolution and repeatability. Markerless motion capture technology has the potential to greatly improve clinical assessment by providing quick, low-cost, and accurate tools to objectively quantify motor deficits. Here we lay some of the groundwork necessary to enable markerless motion capture systems to be used in clinical settings. First, we adapted five motor tests common in clinical assessments so they can be administered via markerless motion capture. We implemented these modified tests using a …
Rotational Strength And Stiffness Of Shallowly Embedded Base Connections In Steel Moment Frames, Kevin N. Hanks
Rotational Strength And Stiffness Of Shallowly Embedded Base Connections In Steel Moment Frames, Kevin N. Hanks
Theses and Dissertations
Shallowly embedded column base connections with unreinforced block out concrete are a common method of connecting steel columns to their foundation. There has been little research done to accurately quantify the effects of this block out concrete on the connection strength and rigidity, and therefore there is nothing to aid the practicing engineer in accounting for this in structural analysis. Due to this lack of understanding, engineers have typically ignored the effects of shallow block out concrete in their analysis, presumably leading to a conservative design. Recent research has attempted to fill this gap in understanding. Several methods have been …
Fitplay Games: Increasing Exercise Motivation Through Asynchronous Social Gaming, Dario Carlos Gonzalez
Fitplay Games: Increasing Exercise Motivation Through Asynchronous Social Gaming, Dario Carlos Gonzalez
Theses and Dissertations
Many factors contribute to people's physical inactivity, but among the leading factors is a lack of motivation. Fitness trackers have been shown to encourage an increase in exercise, but they are frequently abandoned within a few short months. For this thesis I developed and asynchronous-play social gaming platform, FitPlay Games, to fill the gap in motivation left by current fitness trackers. By providing users with a variety of asynchronous cooperative and competitive gaming styles, this platform enable them to find a motivation technique that works best for their lifestyle and fitness prowess. The platform encourages prolonged use of fitness trackers, …
An Exploration In Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng
An Exploration In Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng
Theses and Dissertations
With the rise of modern infrastructure and systems, testing and evaluation of specific components such as structural health monitoring is becoming increasingly important. Fiber optic sensors are ideal for testing and evaluating these systems due many advantages such as their lightweight, compact, and dielectric nature. This thesis presents a novel method for detecting electric fields in harsh environments with slab coupled optical sensors (SCOS) as well as a novel method for detecting strain gradients on a Hopkinson bar specimen using fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). Fiber optic electric field sensors are ideal for characterizing the electric field in many different systems. …
Rapidscat Slice Spatial Response Function Contour Parameterization, John Clyde Niedfeldt
Rapidscat Slice Spatial Response Function Contour Parameterization, John Clyde Niedfeldt
Theses and Dissertations
The spatial response function (SRF) of the backscatter measurements for a radar scatterometer is often used in reconstruction. It has been found that in many cases the SRF can be approximated as a binary function that is 1 inside the - 6 dB contour of the SRF and 0 outside. This improves the computation speed of reconstruction. Computing the SRF contour can still be a lengthy computation, which can be simplified by precomputing and tabulating key SRF contours. The tabular parameterization for many spinning scatterometers, i.e., QuikSCAT, is straight-forward. For RapidSCAT, this estimation is more involved than other radars due …
Haptic Shape-Based Management Of Robot Teams In Cordon And Patrol, Samuel Jacob Mcdonald
Haptic Shape-Based Management Of Robot Teams In Cordon And Patrol, Samuel Jacob Mcdonald
Theses and Dissertations
There are many current and future scenarios that require teams of air, ground or humanoid robots to gather information in complex and often dangerous environments, where it would be unreasonable or impossible for humans to be physically present [1-6]. The current state of the art involves a single robot being monitored by one or many human operators [7], but a single operator managing a team of autonomous robots is preferred as long as effective and time-efficient management of the team is maintained [8-9]. This is limited by the operator's ability to command actions of multiple robots, be aware of robot …
Packing Sheet Materials Into Cylinders And Prisms Using Origami-Based Approaches, Jared Thomas Bruton
Packing Sheet Materials Into Cylinders And Prisms Using Origami-Based Approaches, Jared Thomas Bruton
Theses and Dissertations
Packing sheet materials into cylinders and prisms using Origami-based approaches (Soft Origami or traditional Origami) is of interest in fields where sheet materials need folded into cylinders or prisms. Fully-dense packing has application in fields where a sheet material is to be folded with minimal gaps into a cylinder or prism. Partially-dense packing is applicable to fields where gaps are required between packed surfaces or where hollow volumes are to be filled, such as in fluid filter design. Soft Origami is explored as a method for folding soft-sheet materials into fully-dense cylinders. Two fold patterns, the "flasher'' and the "inverted-cone …
Position And Stiffness Control Of Inflatable Robotic Links Using Rotary Pneumatic Actuation, Charles Mansel Best
Position And Stiffness Control Of Inflatable Robotic Links Using Rotary Pneumatic Actuation, Charles Mansel Best
Theses and Dissertations
Inflatable robots with pneumatic actuation are naturally lightweight and compliant. Both of these characteristics make a robot of this type better suited for human environments where unintentional impacts will occur. The dynamics of an inflatable robot are complex and dynamic models that explicitly allow variable stiffness control have not been well developed. In this thesis, a dynamic model was developed for an antagonistic, pneumatically actuated joint with inflatable links.The antagonistic nature of the joint allows for the control of two states, primarily joint position and stiffness. First a model was developed to describe the position states. The model was used …
Comparing Efficacy Of Different Dynamic Models For Control Of Underdamped, Antagonistic, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots, Morgan Thomas Gillespie
Comparing Efficacy Of Different Dynamic Models For Control Of Underdamped, Antagonistic, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots, Morgan Thomas Gillespie
Theses and Dissertations
Research in soft robot hardware has led to the development of platforms that allow for safer performance when working in uncertain or dynamic environments. The potential of these platforms is limited by the lack of proper dynamic models to describe or controllers to operate them. A common difficulty associated with these soft robots is a representation for torque, the common electromechanical relation seen in motors does not apply. In this thesis, several different torque models are presented and used to construct linear state-space models. The control limitations on soft robots are induced by natural compliance inherent to the hardware. This …
Fundamental Principles Of Tremor Propagation In The Upper Limb, Andrew Doran Davidson
Fundamental Principles Of Tremor Propagation In The Upper Limb, Andrew Doran Davidson
Theses and Dissertations
Although tremor is the most common movement disorder, there exist few effective tremor-suppressing devices, in part because the characteristics of tremor throughout the upper limb are unknown. To clarify, optimally suppressing tremor requires a knowledge of the mechanical origin, propagation, and distribution of tremor throughout the upper limb. Here we present the first systematic investigation of how tremor propagates between the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist. We simulated tremor propagation using a linear, time-invariant, lumped-parameter musculoskeletal model relating joint torques and the resulting joint displacements. The model focused on the seven main degrees of freedom (DOF) from the shoulder to …
A Visual Return-To-Home System For Gps-Denied Flight, Benjamin Paul Lewis
A Visual Return-To-Home System For Gps-Denied Flight, Benjamin Paul Lewis
Theses and Dissertations
Unmanned aerial vehicle technology is rapidly maturing. In recent years, the sight of hobbyist aircraft has become more common. Corporations and governments are also interested in using drone aircraft for applications such as package delivery, surveillance and communications. These autonomous UAV technologies demand robust systems that perform under any circumstances. Many UAV applications rely on GPS to obtain information about their location and velocity. However, the GPS system has known vulnerabilities, including environmental signal degradation, terrestrial or solar weather, or malicious attacks such as GPS spoofing. These conditions occur with enough frequency to cause concern. Without a GPS signal, the …
The Effects Of Antenna Coupling In A Mimo Radar System, Benjamin T. Arnold
The Effects Of Antenna Coupling In A Mimo Radar System, Benjamin T. Arnold
Theses and Dissertations
A mathematical model for a multiple-input multiple-output radar system is presented. The model is used to track signals through the system in order to identify the impact of antenna array mutual coupling on radar system performance. Simulations using the model provide quantitative assessment of the performance degradation as a function of antenna coupling strength. Specifically, the results show that coupling can cause a target to appear at an angle notably different than its actual angle and can cause an increase in the side lobe level. A compensation technique is presented that completely removes these effects for practical levels of coupling. …