Engineering Commons^™

Small Spacecraft Thermal Control Louvers, James Anthony Mullen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Small satellites missions are becoming increasingly complex and are requiring more power. These demands lead to temperature fluctuations on the satellite due to spacecraft layout, sunlight and shadow in orbit, and high-powered instrumentation. Products which provide necessary thermal stability for components on the satellite are desirable to small satellite manufacturers.

In September of 2015, Dr. Allison Evans of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center filed a patent for an innovative louver system configured for small satellite applications. The design was sized for satellites with a 1U form factor and utilized bimetallic springs to lift the louver flaps. The design was …

Design Survey Of Laminated Composite I-Beam, Mrinmoy Saha

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

Composite I-beams are popular for high-strength low-weight applications. Learning the macro-mechanics and designing the composite I-beam properly are necessary. In this report, a design overview of the composite I-beam is discussed which is based on classical lamination theory where it includes the homogenization approach, the plane stress assumption and the Kirchhoff hypothesis. Using these assumptions, a method was developed to come up with the effective material properties of a beam. Formulas to calculate maximum deflection and maximum bending stress and shear stress and the stress concentration at the connection of web-flange are discussed which describe ways for designing and manufacturing …

Rickshaw For Common Ground, Marcus Dallin Cronin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

For this project my team and I were asked to design and manufacture a rickshaw, a device which will enable disabled individuals to experience outdoor hiking trails, for a non-profit organization based in Logan, Utah called Common Ground. Common Ground specializes in helping people with disabilities experience the outdoors in ways that would otherwise be impossible. The rickshaw will help Common Ground achieve its goals by providing them with a way to transport people with disabilities on moderately difficult hiking trails (i.e. Wind Caves Trail in Logan Canyon). In the past, Common Ground had use of a rickshaw that had …

Numerical Algorithm For Wing-Structure Design, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Douglas F. Hunsaker, James J. Joo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Low-fidelity aerostructural optimization routines have often focused on determining the optimal spanloads for a given wing configuration. Several analytical approaches have been developed that can predict optimal lift distributions on rectangular wings with a specific payload distribution. However, when applied to wings of arbitrary geometry and payload distribution, these approaches fail. Increasing the utility and accuracy of these analytical methods can result in important benefits during later design phases. In this paper, an iterative algorithm is developed that uses numerical integration to predict the distribution of structural weight required to support the bending moments on a wing with arbitrary geometry …

Ahoy Aggies! | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

In landlocked Utah, freshmen engineering students at Utah State University got a hands-on lesson in sailing the open seas.

Usu Opens State-Of-The-Art Idea Factory For Aggie Engineers | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

The College of Engineering at Utah State University is debuting its brand new Idea Factory, a state-of-the-art design and fabrication facility on the Logan campus.

Design Of Logan City's Storm Water Conveyance System, Megan Gordon

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This report summarizes 10th West Engineers’ (10WE) storm water conveyance design for Logan City. The implementation of the design mitigates flood risk due to storm water discharge, helps improve local water quality, and uses infrastructure that would otherwise be abandoned. The system collects storm water discharged along 1000 West and transports the water to the holding pond located at approximately 2400 West 2200 North, Logan, Utah (see Figure 1).

Logan City is located in northern Utah’s Cache County. As development and redevelopment occur, storm water runoff quantities will decrease due to new regulations. However, Logan City’s storm water system does …

Design Of Logan City's Stormwater Conveyance System, Kade Jacob Beck

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This report summarizes 10th West Engineers' (10WE) storm water conveyance design for Logan City. The implementation of the design mitigates flood risk due to storm water discharge , helps improve local water quality, and uses infrastructure that would otherwise be abandoned. The system collects storm water discharged along 1000 West and transports the water to the holding pond located at approximately 2400 West 2200 North, Logan, Utah (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Aerial Photo of the Area of Interest Current Conditions

Logan City is located in northern Utah's Cache County. As development and redevelopment occur, storm water runoff quantities will …

Thinking Like A Pro: How Experts And Novices Solve Problems Differently | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Jan. 7, 2016 – Engineering education experts at Utah State University are narrowing in on new insights into why young engineering students drop out of their programs or change majors.

It’s an increasingly important conversation as government and industry leaders push for more college graduates in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields. And yet nationwide, only about half of all engineering students complete their degrees.

Design For Reduction Of Noise Produced By Natural Gas Regulator, Britany L. Chamberlain

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This document describes the design of a multi-stage restrictive orifice device (MSRO) that serves to reduce the noise produced by a regulator valve. The scope of this document explains the determination of the proper design through the development of analytical models, the design of a test fixture to obtain empirical data, and the corroboration of the models with empirical data to obtain a working solution.

Design Of Reliable And Secure Network-On-Chip Architectures, Dean Michael B Ancajas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The trend towards massive parallel computing has necessitated the need for an On-Chip communication framework that can scale well with the increasing number of cores. At the same time, technology scaling has made transistors susceptible to a multitude of reliability issues. This dissertation demonstrates design techniques that address both reliability and security issues facing modern NoC architectures. The reliability and security problem is tackled at different abstraction levels using a series of schemes that combine information from the architecture-level as well as hardware-level in order to combat aging effects and meet secure design stipulations while maintaining modest power-performance overheads.

Ieee Members Win Department Design Competition | Electrical And Computer Engineering | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

IEEE USU Student Branch members recently won the USU Electrical and Computer Engineering Department award for Outstanding Senior Design Project. The Autonomous Shopping Cart (ASC) stole the show despite stiff competition.

Labyrinth Weirs: A Look Into Geometric Variation And Its Effect On Efficiency And Design Method Predictions, Tyler Robert Seamons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rehabilitation of dams often requires spillway capacity upgrades. Replacing a less hydraulically efficient linear weir with a labyrinth weir can be an effective way to increase discharge efficiency (discharge at a given upstream head) for a fixed-width channel. Labyrinth weirs are linear weirs folded in plan view to increase total spillway crest length (which in turn increases discharge efficiency within a channel). Labyrinth weirs potentially have limitless geometric configurations. This study was performed to analyze the effects of varying certain geometric parameters on discharge efficiency and design method predictions.

Due to limited cross-sectional flow area near the upstream apex, …

The Design And Testing Of A Three-Degree-Of-Freedom Small Satellite Simulator Using A Linear Controller With Feedback Linearization And Trajectory Generation, Marina A. Samuels

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A small satellite simulator with attitude determination and control was designed and implemented in hardware. The simulator consists of inertial sensors for attitude determination and a pyramidal four-wheel momentum exchange system as the control actuators. A linearized PV controller with trajectory generation and feedback linearization was implemented, with the focus on controlling yaw. The simulator was tested on a spherical air bearing platform to allow three-degree-of-freedom operation. The simulator software was developed to read measurements from the sensors, apply the control algorithm, and send commands to the actuators. A data processing routine was developed. Electromechanical testing for the system as …

Usu Concrete Canoe, Promontory, Nathaniel Laurence Decker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In 1863, while the Civil War was dividing the East, a monumental project began in the West. Plans had been finalized for a railroad that would unify the country in commerce and migration. Two companies accepted the challenge of laying track across over 1700 miles of North American soil, from Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railroad would come from the East and the Central Pacific Railroad from the West. Governor Leland Stanford of California broke ground for the project on January 8, 1863, and the line was finished at Promontory Summit, UT on May 10, 1869 (NPS, …

The Design And Implementation Of The Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment (Dice) Science Instruments, Steven Reed Burr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment (DICE) is a cubesat satellite project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the ionosphere. Cubesats are small satellites in the shape of a cube around 10cm on a side, and allow better access to space. Three main properties of the ionosphere are measured by the DICE mission, which are electric field, magnetic field, and plasma density with an instrument for each. The limitation of power, mass, and volume contributes to the difficulty of cubesat design. Mission and instrumentation requirements must be carefully planned to ensure mission success. Each instrument’s requirements and design are …

Analysis And Design Of A Thermal Capacitor For Use In The Food Industry, Karen Nielson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Team Hot Stuff is working with Thermal Management Technologies (TMT) of Logan, UT to explore the concept of a thermal capacitor serving platter. With the funding from TMT, Hot Stuff will design, build, and test a prototype serving platter. This report is written by Hot Stuff for MAE 4800, Capstone Design I; it covers the design and analysis of a serving platter.

Transformable Wheelchair, Benjamin Shurtz

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This report includes the development, design, and analysis of a transformable wheelchair. There was a need to design and build a wheelchair that transformed to be pushed, pulled, or self-propelled. This design meets the need of physically restricted wheelchair users who frequent simple hiking trails without needing to move to a secondary off-road capable device. Documentation for concepts, analysis, and completed design details follows.

Design And Optimization Of A Thermal Capacitor, Karen Nielson, Jordan Tracy Cox

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Team Hot Stuff designed a thermal capacitor for Senior Design I at Utah State University. This thermal capacitor is intended for use in the food service industry as a low-cost alternative to chafers. Chafers are platters which use oil burners to keep food warm. The client for this thermal capacitor is Thermal Management Technologies (TMT), a company specializing in thermal science solutions whose mission is “to provide simple, practical thermal science solutions to a wide range of platforms including: Industry, Defense, and Space”¹. The founder and president of TMT, Dr. J. Clair Batty, serves as a mentor for …

Concrete Design For Traffic Application, Marc Shields

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

Inductive charging of electronic devices is a newer technology that is capable of transferring electrical power without physical contact through wiring. Research is currently being done to find and improve ways to implement this technology on electric cars. If this type of technology pas implemented on a large scale throughout much of the country, electrical or hybrid cars could travel across counties and states without depleting their batteries.

The current problem with electric cars is that they have a limited range of travel. Even with larger batteries with much more capacitance, the range of pure electric cars usually does not …

Investigation Of The Design And Static Behavior Of Cylindrical Tubular Composite Adhesive Joints Utilizing The Finite Element Method And Stress-Based Failure Theories, Michael D. Lambert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The stress and strength behavior of cylindrical tubular adhesive joints composed of dissimilar materials was explored. This was accomplished with the finite element method (FEM) and stress-based failure theories. Also, it was shown how a design of experiments (DOE) based method can be used to objectively organize the process of optimizing joint strength by using stress-based failure criteria.

The finite element program used in this work was written in-house from scratch to implement the FEM for the purpose of solving both axisymmetric and three-dimensional linear elastic governing equations of static equilibrium. The formulation of the three-dimensional model is presented, and …

Engineering Design Challenges In A Science Curriculum, Arthur Eisenkraft

Publications

Create a light and sound show to entertain your friends. Design an improved safety device for a car. Develop a 2-3 minute voice-over for a sports clip explaining the physics involved in the sport. Modify the design of a roller coaster to meet the needs of a specific group of riders. Design an appliance package for a family limited by the power and energy of wind generator. Develop a museum exhibit to acquaint visitors with the atom and nucleus and create a product that can be sold at the museum store after visitors leave your exhibit. All of these challenges …

Integrating Engineering Design Challenges Into Secondary Stem Education, Ronald L. Carr

Publications

Engineering is being currently taught in the full spectrum of the P-12 system, with an emphasis on design-oriented teaching (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008). Due to only a small amount of research on the learning of engineering design in elementary and middle school settings, the community of practice lacks the necessary knowledge of the trajectory of students' learning progressions towards design mastery and expertise and the appropriateness of otherwise established design pedagogies. The issue is even more pressing since many states are embedding engineering into their standards without a clear notion of how engineering (often conceptualized as design) works …

Comparative Studies On Oxygen Mass Transfer For The Design And Development Of A Single-Use Fermentor, Kristan L. Sorenson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accurate experimental oxygen mass transfer coefficient, a measure of how quickly oxygen travels from a gas bubble to the bulk liquid, is important for comparing performance and for evaluating the oxygen transfer capability of a fermentor. Delays in probe response and changing gas volumes upon start-up of gassing affect the accuracy of oxygen transfer measurements. To mitigate these inaccuracies, a standard correction procedure for oxygen mass transfer data was established for highly oxygenated, well-mixed fermentation systems. Probe response time correction was generated by applying a second-order response model to dissolved oxygen probes and shown to be effective within 4%. By …

Engineering Professional Development Design For Secondary School Teachers: A Multiple Case Study, Jenny L. Daugherty

Publications

The effectiveness of teachers has been regarded as crucial to the success of standards-based reform (Fishman, Marx, Best, & Tal, 2003). Research, particularly within science and mathematics, has underscored the need for professional development to help teachers understand (a) subject matter, (b) learners and learning, and (c) teaching methods (Loucks-Horsley, 1999). In addition to focusing on teacher professional development, national reform efforts have also emphasized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education (i.e., Rising Above the Gathering Storm, NRC, 2006). While substantial work has been conducted in mathematics and science, the efforts in technology and engineering education are much less …

Motivation While Designing In Engineering And Technology Education Impacted By Academic Preparation, Nathan Mentzer, Kurt Becker

Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if high school students’ academic preparation was correlated with change in motivation during an engineering design challenge. The research was conducted in a high school classroom in which elements of engineering design were taught in a technology education context to eleventh-grade student from diverse academic backgrounds (measured by grade point average [GPA]). Participant motivation was assessed by the California Measure of Mental Motivation (CM3). The CM3 measures student motivation to apply critical thinking skills and reasoning to solve problems in five subscales: mental focus, learning orientation, creative problem solving, cognitive integrity, and …

Optimization Model For National Water Master Planning: Design And Documentation, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Physical distribution system and Balancing and Allocation and Transfer modules descriptors.

Join The Mission, Design A Patch, Nathan Mentzer, Fay Mentzer, Krista Jones

Publications

The article presents a classroom activity designed for third grade and up that requires students to design their own mission patch. The activity references the patches developed and designed by the U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration. Moreover, the article discusses the design of the activity, the available resources, the evaluation process and interdisciplinary connections.

Design Activity: Students Designing Their Own Video Games, Steve Shumway

Publications

The article presents a school activity helping students to design their own computer video games. In the past, advanced programming using Java or C++ was used to design video games. At present, there are many free, easy-to-use software programs available to help elementary-age children create their own video games. The article suggests that teachers download a free version of this software and begin the tutorial.

Mix Design For A Concrete Canoe, Ryan Thomas Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Each year the American Society of Civil Engineers sponsors a concrete canoe competition. This paper details the work performed by Ryan Christensen for the 2006 concrete canoe competition. His primary focus was on formulating a concrete mix to be used for the Utah State University canoe. Basic information regarding the building and design of concrete canoes is also presented. Finally, general competition results for 2006 are presented for the Utah State University canoe team.