Engineering Commons^™

3d Printable And Computational Models Of The Bone Marrow Mechanical Environment, Alexander Regner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Aged individuals and astronauts experience bone loss despite rigorous physical activity. Bone mechanoresponse is in part regulated by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We reported that daily low intensity vibration (LIV) restores MSC proliferation in senescence and simulated microgravity models, suggesting reduced mechanical signal delivery to MSCs likely contributes to declining bone mechanoresponse. To this end, we have developed a 3D bone marrow analog which controls trabecular geometry, marrow mechanics and external stimuli.

Finite element (FE) models of hydrogels, representing bone marrow, were generated using instantaneous compression (1000% strain/s, 20% strain) and relaxation experiments (100s) of both gelatin and hyaluronin-based hydrogels. …

Constitutive Modeling Of Force-Controlled Fatigue Testing In Human Meniscus Tissue, Bradley Scott Henderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The meniscus is a wedge-shaped fibrocartilaginous tissue located between the femur and tibia that helps stabilize the knee and protect the underlying cartilage. There are 2.5 million reported knee injuries each year, making it the most injured joint in the human body. Nearly twenty percent of these injuries are due to a torn meniscus, leading to over half a million meniscus surgeries performed in the United States annually. Therefore, it is critical to understand the failure modes of meniscus tissue to prevent these debilitating injuries. A failure mode that accounts for one-third of all meniscus injuries is repeated exposure to …

Empirical Modeling Of Structural Distortions In Perovskite Ceramics, Evan Connor Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Predictive models for composition-structure-property relationships are essential to realizing the full potential of electroceramic materials; however, the electroceramics industry has largely failed to invest in predictive models in favor of simple rules of thumb or expensive, time-consuming trial-and-error methods. Empirically derived predictive models have the potential to significantly improve and guide future research in a more cost-effective and timely manner. It may even be possible to predict some intrinsic properties (e.g., polarization) on the order of a unit cell using only the charge and size of each chemical component. Scientists and researchers may ultimately be able to use …

Reduced Order Modeling For Virtual Building Commissioning, Sean Rosin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Model order reduction can help reduce the time and monetary constraints associated with building commissioning and significantly decrease overall building energy consumption through virtual commissioning. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of using reduced order models to simulate the overall building energy consumption, and to estimate the energy savings from control-based commissioning recommendations.

A case study building was modeled using a ‘Lumped RC’ thermal model with three thermal resistances and capacitances (3R3C) for the building interior and a 2R1C model describing the building foundation. Due to energy consumption being dependent on building systems, this model was coupled with a …

Thermoelectric System Modeling And Design, Buddhima Pasindu Gamarachchi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) convert heat to electricity by way of the Seebeck effect. TEGs have no moving parts and are environmentally friendly and can be implemented with systems to recover waste heat. This work examines complete thermoelectric systems, which include the (TEG) and heat exchangers or heat sinks attached to the hot and cold sides of the TEG to maintain the required temperature difference across the TEG. A 1-D steady state model is developed to predict the performance of a TEG given the required temperatures and device dimensions. The model is first validated using a 3-D model and then is …

Empirical Models For Structural Effects Of A-Site Point Defects And Ordering In Perovskites, Kevin Ross Tolman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Composition-structure-property relationships are essential keys to unlocking the strength of predictive crystal chemistry. Awkwardly, the electroceramics industry largely relies on various time-consuming and expensive trial-and-error experiments to address new questions which often could otherwise be interpolated from published data. Indeed, predictive models, which can be derived from empirical evidence, can greatly aid the direction and support of future development in a meaningful, apt, and cost-effective way. Theory suggests that intrinsic properties on the scale of a unit cell may be estimated from the sizes and charges of the chemical constituents alone. Ultimately, researchers could be provided a compositional recipe for …

Carbon-Free Compressed Air Energy Storage, Dustin Andrew Shively

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The inherent intermittency of the two fastest growing renewable energy sources, wind and solar, presents a significant barrier to widespread penetration and replacement of fossil-fuel sourced baseload generation. These intermittencies range from short term ramp events experienced by wind farms to the diurnal fluctuation of solar installations. Traditionally, grid operators have had very little control over demand and full control over supply. With the increase in wind and solar based generation onto an electric grid comes a decrease in control of supply. Grid operators are required to have a certain amount of spinning reserve ready to respond when wind or …