Engineering Commons^™

Phonon Wave-Packet Simulations Of Ar/Kr Interfaces For Thermalrectification, Nick A. Roberts, D. G. Walker

Nick Roberts

The frequency and direction dependence of transmission coefficients at interfaces was investigated theoretically. The interfaces are formed by having two Lennard-Jones materials differing in mass and interatomic potential equally divided at the center of an fcc lattice system. A single frequency wave-packet is generated at one end of the system and allowed to propagate through the system until all interactions with the interface are complete. The transmission coefficient is then calculated by comparing the energy of the packet that is transmitted with the original wave-packet. Results show a difference in transmission when the wave-packet originates from opposite sides.

Creating Tomorrow, Fall 2010, College Of Engineering

College of Engineering Magazines

Annual magazine of the College of Engineering at Utah State University.

Plasticity And Damage In Bimodal Grain Size Al-5083: Microstructural Finite Element, Steven Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bimodal and nanocrystalline aluminum alloys are being investigated as stronger replacements for conventional polycrystalline aluminum alloys. Higher strengths are achieved by reducing the grain size of a metal; however, as the grain size is reduced the ductility diminishes. One solution that limits this decrease in ductility is the addition of a few microcrystalline grains into a nanocrystalline alloy, creating a bimodal microstructure that offers a better balance of strength and ductility. Two- and three-dimensional microstructural finite element (FE) simulations of monotonic and fatigue failures in Al-5083 having bimodal grain structures are conducted. To reduce the computational time and facilitate the …

Fabrication Of Multi-Material Structures Using Ultrasonic Consolidation And Laser-Engineered Net Shaping, John Olorunshola Obielodan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research explores the use of two additive manufacturing processes for the fabrication of multi-material structures. Ultrasonic consolidation (UC) and laser- engineered net shaping (LENS) processes were used for parallel systematic investigations of the process parameters and methodologies for the development of multi-material structures.

The UC process uses ultrasonic energy at low temperature to bond metallic foils. A wide range of metallic materials including nickel; titanium; copper; molybdenum; tantalum; MetPreg®; silver; stainless steel; and aluminum alloys 1100, 3003, and 6061 were bonded in different combinations. Material domains are inherently discrete in ultrasonically consolidated structures. The mechanical properties of some of …

Design Of An Adaptable Run-Time Reconfigurable Software-Defined Radio Processing Architecture, Joshua R. Templin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Processing power is a key technical challenge holding back the development of a high-performance software defined radio (SDR). Traditionally, SDR has utilized digital signal processors (DSPs), but increasingly complex algorithms, higher data rates, and multi-tasking needs have exceed the processing capabilities of modern DSPs. Reconfigurable computers, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), are popular alternatives because of their performance gains over software for streaming data applications like SDR. However, FPGAs have not yet realized the ideal SDR because architectures have not fully utilized their partial reconfiguration (PR) capabilities to bring needed flexibility. A reconfigurable processor architecture is proposed that utilizes …

Dynamic Testing, Finite Element Modeling, And Long-Term Instrumentation Of A Box Girder Post-Tensioned Bridge For The Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, Timothy Paul Thurgood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program, a flagship research program funded by the Federal Highway Administration in response to the aging bridge network, the Lambert Road Bridge near Elk Grove California was selected as the California Pilot bridge set to undergo non-destructive testing and monitoring. The purpose of the program is to obtain a database of scientific quality data concerning the health and maintenance procedures currently in use across the nation. FHWA program managers along with members of the Utah State University LTBP research team selected the bridge with the assistance of the National Bridge index and …

Integration Of Ultrasonic Consolidation And Direct-Write To Fabricate An Embedded Electrical System Within A Metallic Enclosure, Ludwing A. Hernandez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A research project was undertaken to integrate Ultrasonic Consolitation (UC) and Direct-Write (DW) technologies into a single apparatus to fabricate embedded electrical systems within an ultrasonically consolidated metallic enclosure. Process and design guidelines were developed after performing fundamental research on the operational capabilities of the implemented system. In order to develop such guidelines, numerous tests were performed on both UC and DW. The results from those tests, as well as the design and process guidelines for the fabrication of an embedded touch switch, can be used as a base for future research and experimentation on the UC-DW apparatus. The successful …

Analysis Of Field Programmable Gate Array-Based Kalman Filter Architectures, Arvind Sudarsanam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based Polymorphic Faddeev Systolic Array (PolyFSA) architecture is proposed to accelerate an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm. A system architecture comprising a software processor as the host processor, a hardware controller, a cache-based memory sub-system, and the proposed PolyFSA as co-processor, is presented. PolyFSA-based system architecture is implemented on a Xilinx Virtex 4 family of FPGAs. Results indicate significant speed-ups for the proposed architecture when compared against a space-based software processor. This dissertation proposes a comprehensive architecture analysis that is comprised of (i) error analysis, (ii) performance analysis, and (iii) area analysis. Results are presented …

Incorporating Spatial Information Into Gas Plume Detection In Hyperspectral Imagery, Cameron S. Grant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Detection of chemical plumes in hyperspectral data is a problem having solutions that focus on spectral information. These solutions neglect the presence of the spatial information in the scene. The spatial information is exploited in this work by assignment of prior probabilities to neighborhood configurations of signal presence or absence. These probabilities are leveraged in a total probability approach to testing for signal presence in a pixel of interest. The two new algorithms developed are named spatial information detection enhancement (SIDE) and bolt-on SIDE (B-SIDE). The results are explored in comparison to the clutter matched filter (CMF), a standard spectral …

Complexity And Power Consumption In Stochastic Iterative Decoders, Keyur M. Payak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stochastic iterative decoding is a novel method to decode the bits received at the end of a communication channel and to control the rate of error happening in the message bits due to noise being injected into the channel. This decoder uses stochastic computation that is based on manipulation of probabilities from a random sequence of digital bits. Hardware needed for implementing this arithmetic is very simple and can be completely implemented using simple digital complementary metal oxide gates. This helps the decoder to be technology independent, which is a major advantage over its digital and analog counterparts, which are …

Destructive Testing Of Composite Precast Concrete Deck Panels And Built-Up Steel Plate Girders, Wesley J. Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has implemented the use of precast concrete panels for bridge deck construction. A bridge utilizing these panels as a reconstruction method was decommissioned three years after the new deck installation, due to unrelated matters. Two sections of this bridge were salvaged and sent to Utah State University (USU) for destructive testing.

Each bridge section consisted of two built-up steel plate girders intact with the precast concrete deck panels. The precast panels were designed and constructed to achieve full composite action between the deck and built-up steel plate girders through the use of Nelson shear …

Destructive Testing And Finite-Element Modeling Of Full-Scale Bridge Sections Containing Precast Deck Panels, Travis R. Brackus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Full-depth, precast panel deck systems are becoming more common in bridge installation and repair. The objective of these systems is to achieve the performance of cast-in-place systems while simultaneously saving time and money. The structural behavior of these systems has been the subject of scrutiny in recent research. The Utah Department of Transportation demolished a steel I-girder bridge containing a precast panel deck system and provided two full-scale specimens for this project. Destructive testing was performed at Utah State University on the specimens to investigate three failure modes: flexural, beam shear, and punching shear. Finite-element models were created using ANSYS …

Estimating And Verifying Household Potential To Conserve Water, Francisco J. Suero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis identifies impacts of behaviors and technology on residential indoor water use and conservation efforts. We use pre-existing detailed end-use data collected before and after toilets, faucets, showerheads, and clothes washers were retrofitted in 96 owner-occupied, single-family households in Oakland, California; Seattle, Washington; and Tampa, Florida between 2000 and 2003.

Water volume, duration of use, and time of use were recorded and disaggregated by appliance for two weeks before and four weeks after appliances were retrofitted. For each appliance, we compare observed differences in water use before and after retrofits to water savings predicted by analytical engineering, semi-analytical engineering, …

Axisymmetric Finite Element Modeling For The Design And Analysis Of Cylindrical Adhesive Joints Based On Dimensional Stability, Paul E. Lyon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use and implementation of adhesive joints for space structures is necessary for incorporating fiber-reinforced composite materials. Correct modeling and design of cylindrical adhesive joints can increase the dimensional stability of space structures. The few analytical models for cylindrical adhesive joints do not fully describe the displacement or stress field of the joint.

A two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model for the design and analysis of adhesive joints was developed. The model was developed solely for the analysis of cylindrical adhesive joints, but the energy techniques used to develop the model can be applied to other types of joints as well. …

Retrieval Of Aerosol Mass Concentration From Elastic Lidar Data, Christian C. Marchant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Agricultural aerosol sources can contribute significantly to air pollution in many regions of the country. Characterization of the aerosol emissions of agricultural operations is required to establish a scientific basis for crafting regulations concerning agricultural aerosols. A new lidar instrument for measuring aerosol emissions is described, as well as two new algorithms for converting lidar measurements into aerosol concentration data. The average daily aerosol emission rate is estimated from a dairy using lidar.

The Aglite Lidar is a portable scanning lidar for mapping the concentration of particulate matter from agricultural and other sources. The instrument is described and performance and …

Transportation Network Resiliency: A Fuzzy Systems Approach, Nayel Urena Serulle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Every day the dependence on transportation grows as local, regional, national, and international independence increases. Resilient transportation systems are needed to secure the highest possible level of service during disruptive events, including natural and man-made disasters. Because of limited resources, decision makers need guidance on how, when, and where to invest to improve resiliency of their networks. The research objective is to develop a method to assess and quantify resiliency, at pre-event conditions, using a fuzzy inference approach. This research expands previous work, refining key variable definitions, adjusting model interactions, and increasing transparency between metrics. This thesis presents the method …

Architecture, Modeling, And Analysis Of A Plasma Impedance Probe, Magathi Jayaram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Variations in ionospheric plasma density can cause large amplitude and phase changes in the radio waves passing through this region. Ionospheric weather can have detrimental effects on several communication systems, including radars, navigation systems such as the Global Positioning Sytem (GPS), and high-frequency communications. As a result, creating models of the ionospheric density is of paramount interest to scientists working in the field of satellite communication.

Numerous empirical and theoretical models have been developed to study the upper atmosphere climatology and weather. Multiple measurements of plasma density over a region are of marked importance while creating these models. The lack …

Toward The Validation Of Depth-Averaged, Steady-State Simulations Of Fluvial Flows Using Three-Dimensional, Steady-State, Rans Turbulence Models, Pedro Abdiel Mateo Villanueva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Calculations of fluvial flows are strongly influenced by geometry complexity and large overall uncertainty on every single measurable property, such as velocity and shear. Moreover, a considerable portion of the data obtained from computational simulations arose from two-dimensional, steady-state models. The present work states a different approach to perform computer-based simulations and analyze fluvial flows. For the first part, the suitability of OpenFOAM to be used as the main CFD solver to analyze fluvial flows is studied. Initially, two well documented channel configurations are computationally studied using OpenFOAM. Finally, these results are compared to the output obtained from one of …

Spatial Light Dilution As A Technique For Conversion Of Solar Energy To Algal Biomass, Daniel J. Dye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A photobioreactor has been designed and developed to efficiently utilize solar irradiance through spatial dilution of sunlight. The concept of spatial light dilution is simple: incident sunlight is spread over a large surface area, thus reducing the photon flux density of the light. The implementation of this technique, however, is difficult. The reactor described within uses a new approach to spatial light dilution, utilizing recently-developed optical components to diffuse concentrated sunlight inside an algae culture. Preliminary productivity tests indicate a 2-3 fold increase in productivity per unit aperture (sunlight collection area) over a control reactor with direct-sunlight. Aperture productivity of …

Triso Fuel Compact Thermal Conductivity Measurement Instrument Development, Colby Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thermal conductivity is an important thermophysical property needed for effectively predicting fuel performance. As part of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) program, the thermal conductivity of tri-isotropic (TRISO) fuel needs to be measured over a temperature range characteristic of its usage. The composite nature of TRISO fuel requires that measurement be performed over the entire length of the compact in a non-destructive manner. No existing measurement system is capable of performing such a measurement.

A measurement system has been designed based on the steady-state, guarded-comparative-longitudinal heat flow technique. The system as currently designed is capable of measuring cylindrical samples …

Safety Evaluation Of Work Zone Practices In Utah, Tomás Ernesto Lindheimer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Work zones present a risk to drivers and to personnel constructing the roadway. In 2005 work zones accounted for 2.5% of fatalities nationwide, 3.5% for the state of Utah. The goal of this research is to make work zones safer by quantifying the risk that they present to drivers. The approach of this research has been to review part 6 of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and compare the differences from the 2003 and 2009 editions, conduct field studies of Utah work zones, and develop a tool for measuring risk in work zones. In the 2009 MUTCD …

Increasing Parameter Certainty And Data Utility Through Multi-Objective Calibration Of A Spatially Distributed Temperature And Solute Model, Christina J. Bandaragoda, Bethany T. Neilson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

To support the goal of distributed hydrologic and instream model predictions based on physical processes, we explore multi-dimensional parameterization determined by a broad set of observations. We present a systematic approach to using various data types at spatially distributed locations to decrease parameter bounds sampled within calibration algorithms that ultimately provide information regarding the extent of individual processes represented within the model structure. Through the use of a simulation matrix, parameter sets are first locally optimized by fitting the respective data at one or two locations and then the best results are selected to resolve which parameter sets perform best …

Selective Biochlorination Of Hydroxyquinolines By A Flavin-Dependent Halogenase, Fuchao Xu, Amanda Merkley, Dayu Yu, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Rdc2 is a flavin-dependent halogenase from Pochonia chlamydosporia. Through the introduction of a His₆-tag to both the N- and C-termini, the isolation yield of Rdc2 from Escherichia coli using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography was increased by three-fold. In vitro reaction of Rdc2 and a flavin reductase (Fre) with seven different hydroxyquinolines revealed that 3-hydroxyquinoline (3), 5-hydroxyquinoline (5), 6-hydroxyquinoline (6), and 7-hydroxyquinoline (7) can be specifically halogenated. These products were prepared by incubating the corresponding substrates with IPTG-induced E. coli BL21(DE3)/Rdc2. They were respectively characterized as 3-hydroxy-4-chloroquinoline (3a), 5-hydroxy-6-chloroquinoline (5a), 5-chloro-6-hydroxyquinoline (6a), and 7-hydroxy-8-chloroquinoline (7a) by NMR and MS …

Earth Systems Lesson Plan: Size And Forces Of The Solar System, Getaway Special Team 2010

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Elementary And Middle School Science Lesson Plan: Solid, Liquid, Gas, What Is It?, Getaway Special Team 2010

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Physics Lesson Plan: How Far And Fast Does It Travel?, Getaway Special Team 2010

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Year Six Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Ncete Faculty

Reports to NSF

The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is a collaborative network of scholars with backgrounds in technology education, engineering, and related fields. Our mission is to build capacity in technology education and to improve the understanding of the learning and teaching of high school students and teachers as they apply engineering design processes to technological problems.

A One-Dimensional Finite-Difference Solver For Fully-Developed Pipe And Channel Flows, Doug F. Hunsaker

Utah Space Grant Consortium

An algorithm is developed to solve the fundamental flow cases of fully-developed turbulent flow in a pipe and in a channel. The algorithm uses second-order finite-difference approximations for nonuniform grid spacing and is developed in such a way as to easily facilitate the implementation of several two-equation, Reynolds-Averaged-Navier-Stokes turbulence models. Results are included for the Wilcox 1998 k-ω model.

Laboratory Approach To Modeling The Initiating Mechanism In The Piping Failure Of Sandy Soils, Olalekan O. Olorunsola

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This research intends to develop a testing apparatus to measure the critical gradient in sandy soils. The designed apparatus will be used in subsequent studies to develop a relationship between critical hydraulic gradient, soil properties and the inclination of the exit face.

This study evaluates several design modification to assess the effects of the modifications, and develop a design that most closely models the field mechanism of piping initiation. The design is initiated from a conceptual design and is executed into the first version. This design is called the Alpha Version. The next version, or more precisely, the Beta Version, …

Oscillation Phenomenon Of The New York Canal At The I-84 Overpass In Boise, Idaho, Erik W. Robison

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As part of the Idaho Transportation department's GARVEE program, the 1-84 bridge structure at the New York Canal in Boise, Idaho, was widened in 2009. During the 2009 irrigation season, oscillation patterns were noticed at the bridge structure which resulted in erosion damage to the banks of the canal. After ITD consulted with Horrocks Engineers, a contract was established with the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University to construct a Froude scale model of the structure. The purpose of the model was to determine the cause of the oscillations, and develop an effective method to eliminate them. The …