Engineering Commons^™

Stabilization Of Iron Mine Tailings Through Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation, Noah D. Buikema

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Mine tailings are deposited into large-scale impoundments. Seasonal temperature fluctuations destabilize particles on the impoundment surface. Wind-induced shear stresses on the destabilized particles can in turn result in suspension of micron-sized particles into the atmosphere, creating dust storms that pose hazards to humans and the environment. Thus, efficient and sustainable methods of dust abatement are needed. One novel method for controlling dust emissions is biomodification. For example, Sporosarcina pasteurii can promote biocalcification in soil via ureolysis. However, application of this method to fined grained materials, such as mine tailings, is challenging. The goal of this work was to perform a …

Non-Pulsitile Shear Driven Annular Flow-Boiling Investigations, Timothy M. Frasier

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The main goal of this correlations-based modeling investigation is to undertake a preemptive analysis on expected measurement values (of selected flow variables) that may be realized during the implementation/completion of the ongoing experimental endeavors dealing with non-pulsatile steady operations of the innovative flow boiler. The correlation models do not accurately predict the heat transfer coefficients or pressure drops due to the assumptions lumped into the development of the correlations. At the conclusion of the investigation, a tool was created that provides rough order of magnitude estimates of pressure drop and local heat transfer rates. The approach is also recommended for …

Modeling And Simulation Of Microstructures, Mechanisms, And Diffraction Effects In Energy Materials: Ferroelectrics And Lithium Ion Battery Cathode Materials, Jie Zhou

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ferroelectric materials, as a large family exploited for the application of sensors, transducers and random access memories, open up a remarkable ground both for fundamental science and industry. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties are of the most interest in ferroelectric materials, which motivate research to enhance ferroelectric properties based on various application purposes. Among the multitudinous candidates in ferroelectric family, pseudo binary solid solutions with ABO₃ lattice structure attract special attention in virtue of their large strain response when applying external loading. Furthermore, existence of morphological phase boundary (MPB) on their phase diagrams shed light on tuning material compositions to …

Performance-Based Engineering For Evaluation And Retrofitting Non-Ductile Reinforced Concrete Buildings Incorporating Aftershock Hazard, Ruilong Han

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Performance-based engineering (PBE) provides a probabilistic tool for assessing the seismic risk and performance of buildings. Only the mainshock hazard has been included in the current PBE framework, although the concern on aftershock hazard has been increased recently. This study develops methodologies to incorporate aftershock hazard into a PBE framework, and assesses the seismic risk and performance of non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings under mainshock and aftershock hazards. A seismic retrofit strategy for these buildings, base isolation, is also evaluated using the developed methodologies.

A methodology for synthesizing aftershock ground motions is proposed and validated to resolve the challenge …

Development Of Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation System For Electric Power Steering Controller Testing, Chuanliangzi Liu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system is a core device to decide how much assistance an electric motor applies on steering wheel. EPS ECUs play an important role in EPS systems. The effectiveness of EPS ECUs needs to be thoroughly tested before mass production. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation provides an efficient way for the development and testing of embedded controllers. This report focuses on the development of HIL system for testing EPS controllers. The hardware of the HIL system employs a dSPACE HIL simulator. The EPS plant model is an integrated model consisting of Vehicle …

Structural Analysis Of Integration Of A Non-Cylindrical Cng Fuel Tank, Prathamesh Prashant Deshpande

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The purpose of this study is to computationally model and analyze the vehicle frame which is mounted with a non-conventional, non-cylindrical compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tank. Integration of this tank in the vehicle underbody will resolve the issue of reduced storage space which is observed in a conventional CNG powered vehicle. This research will ultimately result in making CNG a good alternative to gasoline and reducing the increasing dependency on a single fuel. This tank will be developed in two phases: phase I design of the tank will be a standard rectangular outer box shape with Schwarz P-surface inner …

Design And Implementation Of A Mobile Test Cell, Timothy J. Okkema

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In this thesis, a modular powertrain mounting and instrumentation system is developed to increase engine testing efficiency in the Michigan Technological University Mobile Laboratory (Mobile Lab). This method is specifically designed for use in an on-the-road application with limited space where traditional engine test cell designs are not practical. This system is made to be robust, but simple enough that it can easily be built by future powertrain test engineers. In addition, a wall mounted diesel system was developed to provide common rail injection pressures to add the ability for conversion of mechanical injected diesel engines. And finally, an engine …

Beautiful Forms And Compositions Are Not Made By Chance: Exploring The Efficacy Of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence To Sort And Source English Lead Glazed Ceramics, Steven J. Sarich

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Advances in portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) technology have made it a viable option for the non-destructive exploration of the underlying chemical composition of ceramic artifacts for the purposes of classification. However, because the literature regarding the use of this instrument on historic artifacts is limited, it is necessary to begin with a broad scale exploratory assessment that might act as a jumping off point for future studies on this topic. Toward that end, this research uses a collection of British and Continental European ceramics ranging from 1650-1920, owned and curated by the Chipstone Foundation in Fox Point, WI, to explore …

A Sub-Basin Water Resource Quantification And Aquifer Productivity Assessment For The Northwest Borehole Scheme Near Opuwo, Namibia, Lucas C. Moilanen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Namibia is the most arid country in southern Africa, and is classified as experiencing medium-water stress from 2010-2014 by the Water Resources Institute (WRI) (World Bank, 2015) (Gassert, 2013). Increased water-resources management responsibility at the municipal level, population growth and urbanization trends necessitate community-scale quantification of water resources.

An annual water balance for the contributing sub-basin to Opuwo, Namibia was performed. The Behnke and Maxey method was used to estimate PET, and the methodology outlined by Allen, et al was used to determine soil moisture response to individual rainfall events for one hypothetical year. Water balance results indicate that of …

A Field Investigation Of Composite Mud Brick Compressive Strength, Kevin D. Hale

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

It has been highlighted in numerous publications that in the field of earth construction there is a strong disconnect between experimental work in the laboratory and its application in the field. The current study attempts to help bridge this gap with a field test conducted in Nampula, Mozambique. Mud bricks were made with a simple hand mold and reinforced with bamboo and straw fibers. Fibers were cut into lengths of 3 cm and 6 cm while being mixed in fractions of 0.125%, 0.25% and 0.50% by weight and compressive strength was measured using an application of the 3-point bending test. …

Blood Typing Device Without Reagents: Sensing Electrodes To Replace Optics, Nupur Bihari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

There is need to develop a fast and efficient procedure for detecting blood type that makes use of an electronic measurement to minimize human error and is portable so that it can be used in triage situations. A process to develop a crossover frequency based blood typing device is described. Alternating field drives red blood cells over the sensing electrodes and depending on the capacitance measured between pairs of sensing electrodes, the position of these RBCs can be determined. The convergence/divergence of these cells at a particular frequency determines blood type, since each type has a characteristic frequency. This project …

Gelatin Microgel Incorporated Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Bioadhesive With Enhanced Adhesive Property And Bioactivity, Yuting Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In this study, chemically crosslinked gelatin microgels were incorporated into dopamine-modified poly (ethylene glycol) (PEGDM) adhesive to form composite bioadhesive with simultaneously improved adhesive property and bioactivity. Gelatin microgel, with an average diameter of 53.6±14.2μm, was prepared with water in oil emulsification method and chemically crosslinked with
1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Gelatin microgels were incorporated into PEGDM adhesive precursor solution at 1.5wt%, 3.75wt% and 7.5wt%. The cure time of adhesive reduced from 54 seconds to 37 seconds with increasing gelatin microgel content. Additionally, the incorporation of the gelatin microgel also increased the crosslinking density of the adhesive network …

Ph Responsive, Adhesive Hydrogels Based On Reversible Catechol - Boronic Acid Complexation, Ameya Ravindra Narkar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Smart hydrogel adhesives with tunable properties consist of adhesive moieties in the polymer network that respond to external stimuli like pH, temperature, etc. Responsiveness of smart adhesives to pH, in particular, is important because of the simple actuation mechanism and the ability to achieve facile bonding and debonding upon command. Covalently crosslinked hydrogel adhesives were prepared by employing an N-HEAA (hydroxyethyl acrylamide) backbone embedded with dopamine methacrylamide (DMA), a marine mussel inspired adhesive protein and 3-acrylamido phenylboronic acid (AAPBA), to determine the effect of pH on the interfacial binding properties of the hydrogel adhesive with a borosilicate glass substrate. Swelling …

Bio-Inspired Optimal Fin Shape And Angle For Maximum Surfboard Stability, Megan S. Macneill

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Wave surfing is a multi-billion dollar industry involving both maneuverability and speed, yet little research has been done regarding optimal fins shape for these competing qualities. The purpose of this master's thesis was to focus on a single fin setup in order to identify a bio-inspired fin shape that maximized lateral stability while minimizing drag forces, in order to increase surfing maneuverability.

The computational fluid dynamic models NX and laboratory experiments performed in a water channel, with lift and drag being directly measured, were used to compare nine fins based on dorsal fins of real fish. To properly compare, fluid …

Structures, Properties And Functionalities Of Magnetic Domain Walls In Thin Films, Nanowires And Atomic Chains: Micromagnetic And Ab Initio Studies, Liwei D. Geng

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Structures, properties and functionalities of magnetic domain walls in thin film, nanowires and atomic chains are studied by micromagnetic simulations and ab initio calculations in this dissertation. For magnetic domain walls in thin films, we computationally investigated the dynamics of one-dimensional domain wall line in ultrathin ferromagnetic film, and the exponent α = 1.24 ± 0.05 is obtained in the creep regime near depinning force, indicating the washboard potential model is supported by our simulations. Furthermore, the roughness, creep, depinning and flow of domain wall line with commonly existed substructures driven by magnetic field are also studied. Our simulation results …

The Influence Of Passive Ankle Joint Power On Balance Recovery, Stephanie E. Hamilton

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Over one–third of Americans over the age of 65 fall each year, costing more than $19 billion in health care costs in 2000. Many adults 65+ who have not experienced a fall still fear falling, and fear can decrease quality of life and increase the likelihood of falls. Several factors such as muscle strength, power, stiffness and tendon properties change in the human body with age affecting balance, which has been tagged as a fall risk predictor. Additionally, balance recovery strategies also differ between young and older adults, with young adults primarily utilizing their ankle joint and older adults utilizing …

Biological Materials: Part A. Temperature-Responsive Polymers And Drug Delivery And Part B. Polymer Modification Of Fish Scale And Their Nano-Mechanical Properties, Xu Xiang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This research has three parts. Two parts deal with novel nanoparticle assemblies for drug delivery, and are described in Part A, while the third part looks at properties of fish scales, an abundant and little-used waste resource, that can be modified to have value in medical and other areas.

Part A describes fundamental research into the affects of block sequence of amphiphilic block copolymers prepared from on a new and versatile class of monomers, oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (OEGA) and the more hydrophobic di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA). Polymers from these monomers are biologically safe and give polymers …

Development Of A Fundamental Rating System For Identifying Sprawl: A Case Study Utilizing Small Cities In Michigan, Jonathan T. Riehl

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Urban sprawl research generally fits into one or more of four realms including definitions, causes, components, and consequences. Although research on consequences continues to thrive, research on components is in its adolescence, primarily due a lack of consensus on definition. Recent studies such as Ewing et al. 2014 have narrowed the list of sprawl metrics to about 20 within four factors including development density, land use mix, activity centering, and street accessibility.

This main product of this research is a Sprawl Scorecard for small Michigan cities varying in size from Traverse City, nearly 50,000 people in the urban cluster, down …

Mechanical Properties Of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy Composites, Danielle René Klimek-Mcdonald

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Due to their high specific stiffness, carbon-filled polymer composites are commonly used in the construction of structural components of subsonic fixed-wing aircrafts, such as the fuselage and control surfaces. In this work, neat epoxy (EPON 862 with EPIKURE Curing Agent W) was fabricated along with 1- 6 wt% of three types of GNP available from XG Sciences Inc. and 1-4 wt% of another type of GNP available from Asbury Carbons added to epoxy. The curing cycle for this epoxy was 121 °C for 2 hours followed by 177 °C for two hours.

GNP are short stacks of individual layers of …

Modeling Of Biomass Torrefaction And Pyrolysis And Its Applications, Jordan L. Klinger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Utilizing biomass provides a possible near-term alternative solution for fossil energy dependence in both electricity generation and transportation. Though thermochemical conversion can produce solid/liquid fuels that are compatible in existing infrastructure, detailed scientific chemical and mechanistic understanding are still being developed. In contribution to these efforts, this work is focused on development of a semiempirical, lumped parameter, chemical kinetic model to describe the degradation of woody biomass.

The initial kinetic model was developed in the torrefaction region to describe the gas-phase evolution of products (water, organic acids, permanent gases, and furfural) through a three consecutive reaction model. In this model, …

A Quantitative Investigation Of The Water Condensation Inside Tubes Of Compact Charge Air Cooler, Robin Cash

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

To address the need of increasing fuel economy requirements, automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are increasing the number of turbocharged engines in their powertrain line-ups. The turbine-driven technology uses a forced induction device, which increases engine performance by increasing the density of the air charge being drawn into the cylinder. Denser air allows more fuel to be introduced into the combustion chamber, thus increasing engine performance. During the compression process, the air is heated to temperatures that can cause pre-ignition, resulting in reduced engine functionality. The introduction of the charge air cooler (CAC) is therefore, necessary to extract heat from …

Numerical Study Of Structural Responses Of Rigid And Flexible Pavements Under Heavy Vehicles’ Loading, Rezwana Kabir

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The highway system serves as the most critical transportation link in the economic development of a nation. In Michigan, about 74% of all the commodities delivered annually are transported by heavy trucks. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) permits multi-axle (11 axles) heavy truck with gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit of 164,000 lb., unlike many states having GVW limit of 80,000 lb. The effect of these heavy truck loadings on pavements might accelerate the rate of deterioration for flexible and rigid pavement structures. More detailed knowledge of the interaction of trucks with the pavement structure is essential for better management …

Elementary Assessments And Simulations Based Proposals For New Heat Transfer Correlations And Flow Regime Maps For Annular/Stratified Regime Of Shear Driven Internal Condensing Flows, Siddharth Ravikumar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Contemporary cooling applications necessitate the use of mm-scale shear driven flow condenser designs which also need to ensure substantial heat transfer rates for a wide range of flow conditions. Some modern shear driven flow condensers must meet the requirements of small size and large heat flux removal capability for variety of flow conditions. For this, effective estimates of heat transfer rate correlations and correlations for estimating the length of the annular regime are essential. Existing heat transfer correlations are built based on semi-empirical approaches which are primarily supported by large data sets, which are often mixed with insufficient explanation and …

The Effect Of Water Temperature On In-Stream Sediment Concentration And Transport Rate, Jennie Tyrrell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Global climate change may result in rising temperatures. As a result, ecological health and the human use of rivers may be impacted. The hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, and in-stream hydraulics are dynamic systems, influenced by human activities, natural events, and climate. Although known drivers like precipitation and stream velocity govern sediment processes, the effect of water temperature on sediment transport remains unclear. In-stream sediment movement could lead to blocked harbors, flooding, and degradation of vulnerable fish habitat. To better understand how fluctuations in water temperature affect sediment dynamics, six transport models were analyzed on the Niobrara River, with water temperatures …

Kitchen 2.0: Investigation Of The Effect Of Ventilation On Indoor Air Quality, Kelli Marie Whelan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Even in today’s technology-filled world, nearly half of the global population still relies on some form of biomass to meet their daily energy requirement. Currently, improved combustion technologies (improved cookstoves) are the most common intervention to reduce fuel usage and to reduce human exposure to harmful products of incomplete combustion. This report explores an alternative option to cookstove replacement: ventilation as a low-cost, low-impact solution for health risk reduction.

Application Of Hydrodynamic Models In Simulating The Thermal Regime Of Lake Superior, Rasika K. Gawde

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In large systems, such as the Great Lakes and coastal oceans, physical processes have a significant influence on chemical and biological phenomena. Hydrodynamic modeling assists in describing these physical characteristics and in recent years, these models have been extensively applied in the Great Lakes basin to study the response of the lake ecosystem to long-term meteorological forcing conditions.

Due to its role in mediating physical, biological and chemical processes in lake environments, water temperature (and the attendant thermal regime) has been the parameter of interest in many of these mathematical modeling studies and was adopted as the primary metric for …

Climate Anomalies And Primary Production In Lake Superior, Marcel L. Dijkstra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This dissertation supports the modeling of primary production in Lake Superior by offering site specific kinetics and algorithms developed from lab experiments performed on the natural phytoplankton assemblage of Lake Superior. Functions, developed for temperature, light and nutrient conditions and the maximum specific rate of primary production, were incorporated in a 1D specific primary production model and confirmed to published in-situ measured rates of primary production.

An extensive data set (supporting model calibration and confirmation), with a fine spatiotemporal resolution, was developed from field measurements taken bi-weekly during the sampling seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2014; considered to be meteorologically …

Calibration, Verification, And Diagnosis Of A Season-Ahead Drought Prediction Model: Limits To Predictability In Central Texas, Jonathan Witham

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface hydrology model was calibrated and verified for prediction of naturalized flows into the Highland Lakes system in central Texas. Using seasonal climate forecasts downscaled to daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures, and wind speeds, the VIC model was run to generate ensemble inflow hindcasts for two seasons – March through June and July through October – corresponding to the period of 1960 through 2010. A diagnosis of the seasonal hindcast results determined that inflows are not as heavily influenced by the physical soil moisture state as expected, and that variability in statistical precipitation …

Physics-Based Modeling And Control Of Powertrain Systems Integrated With Low Temperature Combustion Engines, Mehran Bidarvatan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) holds promise for high thermal efficiency and low Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) exhaust emissions. Fast and robust control of different engine variables is a major challenge for real-time model-based control of LTC. This thesis concentrates on control of powertrain systems that are integrated with a specific type of LTC engines called Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI). In this thesis, accurate mean value and dynamic cycleto- cycle Control Oriented Models (COMs) are developed to capture the dynamics of HCCI engine operation. The COMs are experimentally validated for a wide range of HCCI steady-state and …

Development And Operation Of A Mobile Test Facility For Education, Christopher Davis

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The automotive industry saw a large shift towards vehicle electrification after the turn of the century. It became necessary to ensure that new and existing engineers were qualified to design and calibrate these new systems. To ensure this training, Michigan Tech received a grant to develop a curriculum based around vehicle electrification. As part of this agenda, the Michigan Tech Mobile Laboratory was developed to provide hands-on training for professional engineers and technicians in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicle electrification. The Mobile Lab has since then increased the scope of the delivered curriculum to include other automotive areas and even …