Engineering Commons^™

Attracting Women To Engineering Through Service-Based Learning, Celine Manoosingh

Department of Civil Engineering & Construction Faculty Research & Publications

Attracting Women to Engineering through Service Based Learning Georgia Southern University’s Department of Civil Engineering & Construction Management (CECM) has developed a program that utilizes a service-learning based curriculum as a vehicle to attract and retain young women to engineering fields. In 2012, women made up less than 20%of the undergraduate population of the CECM department at Georgia Southern University. In response, the department has launched an initiative to motivate young women to choose engineering as a career path. The goal of the program is to attract women by creating sustainable service-learning based curriculum that is mutually beneficial to the …

A Novel Peer-Assisted Hybrid Flipped Classroom Model Using Online Discussion, Rami J. Haddad, Youakim Kalaani

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

A Unique Hybrid Flipped Classroom Model with an Online Discussion ComponentThe effectiveness of active learning pedagogy and the huge technological advancements in thearea of educational technology were the key factors that made classroom flipping possible.Flipping a classroom has the effect of altering the dynamics of the learning process by switchingthe role of the student from a passive to an active role. Under this model, the student is giveninstructions to watch a set of short online videos about the topics being taught which is usuallydone outside the classroom. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the learningprocess has …

Design And Implementation Of An Interactive Animatronic System For Guest Response Analysis, Brian Burns

Phi Kappa Phi Research Symposium (2012-2016)

In theme park based entertainment applications, there is a need for interactive, autonomous animatronic systems to create engaging and compelling experiences for the guests. The animatronic figures must identify the guests and recognize their status in dynamic interactions for enhanced acceptance and effectiveness as socially interactive agents, in the general framework of human-robot interactions. The design and implementation of an interactive, autonomous animatronic system in form of a tabletop dragon, Kronos, and the comparisons of guest responses in its passive and interactive modes are presented in this work. The dragon capabilities include a four degrees-of-freedom head, moving wings, tail, jaw, …

Lead Acid Battery Modeling For Pv Applications, Rami J. Haddad, Adel El-Shahat, Youakim Kalaani

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

Lead-Acid batteries continue to be the preferred choice for backup energy storage systems. However, the inherent variability in the manufacturing and component design processes affect the performance of the manufactured battery. Therefore, the developed Lead-Acid battery models are not very flexible to model this type of variability. In this paper, a new and flexible modeling of a Lead-Acid battery is presented. Using curve fitting techniques, the model parameters were derived as a function of the battery’s state of charge based on a modified Thevenin equivalent model. In addition, the charge and discharge characteristics of the derived model were investigated and …

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• Manufacturing Engineering Scholarships Available

Design And Implementation Of An Interactive Animatronic System For Guest Response Analysis, Brian Burns

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

For nearly half a century, animatronic figures have provided entertainment in the theme park industry by simulating life-like animations and sounds. These figures enhance the storytelling experience by stimulating visual and audio senses among guests. Animatronics must be identified as human partners to establish status for dynamic interactions for enhanced acceptance and effectiveness as socially-interactive agents. An animatronic dragon, Kronos, has been designed, fabricated and implemented with human-identification sensors. The primary sensor input comes from an infrared camera, the PrimeSense Carmine, and includes an Arduino Mega 2560 as the center of control. Using the data from the depth camera, people …

Investigations Of Synthetic Fuels: S8 And Sasol Ipk To Determine The Possibility Of Alternate Fuels In The Aerospace Industry, Scott M. Dyke

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Investigations of Synthetic Fuels: S8 and Sasol IPK to Determine the Possibility of Operation as Alternate Fuels in the Aerospace Industry

Name: Scott Dyke

Co-Authors: Martin Muinos, Julia Heimberger, Dr. Valentin Soloiu,

An ever-growing society that becomes more and more dependent on a finite energy source will eventually exceed its supply. Fossil fuel quantities are continuously decreasing and new solutions are needed. According to the United States Department of Transportation, over 10 billion gallons of airline fuels have been consumed in each of the past 15 years with some years over 13 billion gallons. In the meantime, fuel costs have …

Electrospinning Of Polycaprolactone Core-Shell Nanofibers With Anti-Cancer Drug, Sakib Iqbal, Mujibur Khan, Saheem Absar, Andrew Diamanduros, Samuel Chambers

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Encapsulation of a model anti-cancer drug, 5-Fluorouracul (5-FU) into biocompatible core-shell nanofibers of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers was fabricated using a coaxial electrospinning process. Our work aims to solve these issues using a novel method of fabrication of fibers featuring confinement of drugs within a biodegradable core-shell structure, thereby permitting sustained release of drugs to specific sites of treatment, such as tissues affected with tumor cells. The coaxial electrospinning was performed using a sheath polymer solution consisting of a 14 wt% PCL solution and a 5 wt% solution of 5-FU as the core solution. Dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as the solvent …

Learning From Cinara: Exploring The Depths Of Participatory Water Engagement In Cali, Colombia, Zachary T. Strickland

Honors College Theses

Located within the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, CINARA is an academic institution, comprised of both engineers and social scientists, that has almost three decades of experience regarding participatory approaches to water supply and environmental sanitation. In this paper, I argue that CINARA’s work is important due to its emphasis on meaningful community participation that significantly involves communities in decisions on technical matters that are usually allocated exclusively to “experts.” Furthermore, the valuation of social considerations and non-technical knowledge found amongst CINARA’s engineers stands in distinct contrast to traditional development practices and engineering mindsets. This paper will go on …

State Of Accelerated Bridge Construction (Abc) In The United States, Mike Ofili

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this project is to develop a toolkit for the design and construction of bridges using prefabricated materials primarily to reduce the closure time and on-site construction time of newly constructed bridges or bridges undergoing renovation. The research focuses specifically on short span bridges in Georgia (40,60,80, and 120ft spans).

Areas of primary concern for this project were design, constructability, structural analysis, the use of concrete and steel girders, cost efficiency, and industry surveys. In this particular portion of the study, the surveys proved to be most effective when combined with information obtained existing research as well as …

Electrical & Computer Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Electrical & Computer Engineering News (2014-2023)

• NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Applications Open in Electrical Engineering Department at GSU

Investigation Of Synthesis And Processing Of Cellulose, Cellulose Acetate And Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Nanofibers Incorporating Anti-Cancer/Tumor Drug Cis-Diammineplatinum (Ii) Dichloride Using Electrospinning Techniques, Saheem Absar, Mujibur R. Khan, Kyle Edwards, Jeffrey Neumann

Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A model anti-cancer/tumor drug cis-diammineplatinum (II) dichloride (cisplatin) was loaded into micro- and nanofibers of cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), using various electrospinning techniques. Single-nozzle electrospinning was used to fabricate neat fibers of each category. Drug loading in cellulose fibers was performed using single-nozzle electrospinning. Encapsulation of cisplatin in CA and PEO-based fibers was performed using coaxial electrospinning. Morphological analysis of the fibers was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The various categories of fibers exhibited diverse morphological features depending on the material compositions and applied process parameters. The drug-loaded cellulose …

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering News (2013-2023)

• Eagle Motorspots Places 5th Overall at Auburn

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• Eagle Motorsports Amazes at Auburn

Cross Disciplinary Perceptions Of The Computational Thinking Among Freshmen Engineering Students, Rami J. Haddad, Youakim Kalaani

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

In this paper, we analyzed the perception of Computational Thinking among engineering students from three engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil) and correlated their performance with their discipline. The goal of this analysis is to determine whether structuring discipline-specific Computational Thinking courses can improve the retention or having a diverse group of students in this course is more beneficial by allowing multidisciplinary interaction. This analysis was quantitatively verified by assessing the students' performance in over 40 different sections of Computing for Engineers course taught from Fall 2012 to Spring 2014. Our sample consisted of 861 students (142 Civil, 484 Mechanical, …

Improving Energy Efficiency And Environmental Sustainability Of Commercial Insulation, Celine F. Manoosingh, James Mihelcic, Manjriker Gunaratne

Department of Civil Engineering & Construction Faculty Research & Publications

With increasingly stringent energy standards set in place by the Department of Energy, energy efficiency is becoming a paramount concern to manufacturers of appliances. Additionally, the production and disposal of the voluminous amount of polyurethane foam commonly utilized as insulation in refrigeration units poses a significant environmental challenge. In this context, this study investigated an alternative insulation for use in commercial refrigerator/freezer units. A prototype exploring the use of evacuated packets of pyrogenic silica substituting for conventional insulation was assessed. Assessment criteria included experimental comparison of heat transfer characteristics and the energy efficiency of the new insulation as well as …

Electrical & Computer Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Electrical & Computer Engineering News (2014-2023)

• Dr. Danda B. Rawat Receives Sustainability Grant to Design Green Networks

A Hybrid Simulation And Hands-On Experimentation For Electric Machines Laboratory, Youakim Kalaani, Rami J. Haddad, Bikiran Guha

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

In this paper, we presented a hybrid approach to integrate hands-on experimentation with virtual simulation environment in an Electric Machines course. This was achieved by using Lab-Volt’s LVSIM-EMS software as a platform for the virtual simulation environment. The use of this simulation software allowed students to freely experiment and test various circuit designs before they actually conduct any physical experimentations. This hybrid approach helped promote lab safety and also avoid damaging the equipment due to random testing. In addition, it allowed for more student-centric experiments with less hazardous lab environment. A new experiment to derive the equivalent-circuits of a transformer …

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• CE Students Excel at ASCE Southeast Student Conference
• Adel El Shahat publishes book about Smart Home Systems

Information Technology News, Georgia Southern University

Information Technology News (2012-2023)

• Brandon Kimmons to Present Research at the American Chemical Society National Meeting

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• Brandon Kimmons to Present Research at the American Chemical Society National Meeting

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• IT and ME Students as Keynote Speakers at STEM Conference
• SGA President Azell Francis wins Potts Leadership Award
• CS student wins People’s Choice and Miss Congeniality award

Information Technology News, Georgia Southern University

Information Technology News (2012-2023)

• IT Students Win Undergraduate Student Best Paper Award for Southeast Decision Sciences Conference

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing News (2012-2023)

• IT Students Win Undergraduate Student Best Paper Award for Southeast Decision Sciences Conference

Smart Grids Technology Fundamentals - New Course, Adel El-Shahat, Rami J. Haddad, Youakim Kalaani

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

In this paper, a new course in smart grid technologies to enhance the power systems concentration in an Electrical Engineering program is presented. The aim of this course is to introduce students to contemporary topics related to distributed generation, micro-grids, renewable energy sources, and smart homes applications. This proposed 4-credit course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge from the basic concepts of power systems to the inherent elements of computational intelligence including decision support systems, smart metering, cyber security, optimization, and renewable energy sources. The automation and computational techniques involved in Smart Grid technologies are also introduced …

Color Removal From Pulp Mill Effluent Using Coal Ash Produced From Georgia Power Coal Combustion Plants, Christopher B. Willett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two environmental concerns currently face Georgia: coal fly ash (CFA) waste from coal power plants, and the effluent generated by pulp mills. Pulp mill effluent discolors surface waters into which it is discharged, and has been proven to negatively impact the dissolved oxygen and carbon necessary for aquatic life. The proposed solution is a cost-effective adsorption treatment using an inexpensive but abundantly available waste material: CFA. CFA possesses beneficial properties that allow it to effectively remove contaminants, and is available at significantly reduced cost. The primary research objective was to define treatment parameters that would result in the maximum removal …

Objective Predictor Metric Of Annoyance For Hydraulic Engine Mount Cavitation, John Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vehicle acoustics has been found to have a direct impact on customer experience. Unexpected noises play a role in this experience. Hydraulic engine mount cavitation, the noise heard from the collapse of vapor bubbles in the mount, is considered one of those unexpected noises. During the design phase of a vehicle when an unexpected noise is found there is a need for a method to quantify how much of the noise is too much. Subjective evaluations alone are not enough due to variability from engineer to engineer. An objective way needed to be developed in order to evaluate the cavitation …

Ultra-Fast, Autonomous, Reconfigurable Communication System, Paul Bupe Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent years have witnessed an increase in natural disasters in which the destruction of essential communication infrastructure has significantly affected the number of casualties. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina in the United States resulted in over 1,900 deaths, three million land-line phones disconnections, and more than 2000 cell sites going out of service. This incident highlighted an urgent need for a quick-deployment, efficient communication network for emergency relief purposes. In this research, a fully autonomous system to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as the first phase disaster recovery communication network for wide-area relief is presented. As part of this system, …

Smart Distributed Generation Systems Using Improved Islanding Detection And Event Classification, Bikiran Guha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distributed Generation (DG) sources have become an integral part of modern decentralized power systems. However, the interconnection of DG systems to the power grid can present several operational challenges. One such major challenge is islanding detection. Islanding occurs when a DG system is disconnected from the rest of the power grid. Islanding can present serious safety hazards and therefore an accurate and fast islanding detection technique is mandated by DG interconnection standards such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741. Conventional islanding detection techniques passively monitor the local power system parameters such as voltage and frequency to detect islanding. These techniques …

Teacher Influence On Elementary School Students’ Participation In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Courtney Hartman

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of elementary school teachers on encouraging students’ interest and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The researcher sought to understand what methods teachers use in their classrooms to encourage students to participate in STEM subjects and programs. This mixed methods study consisted of a questionnaire to collect quantitative data, as well as an interview of selected teachers who participated in the questionnaire to collect qualitative data. The data was analyzed to determine the overall perceptions of teachers regarding the importance of encouraging students to participate in STEM. The qualitative …