Engineering Commons^™

A Feasibility Study Of Drilling Fluid Slippage For Wellbore Displacement, John Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

In the ideal plug-flow mode viscoplastic drilling fluids display uniform frontal velocity due to wall slippage (at very low flowrate limited by the fluid’s yield strength). The flow rate could be increased by raising the yield strength that would make the fluid best candidate for frontal displacement. Based on this concept the study qualifies wall slippage effect for wellbore displacement. Using a conceptual model of fluid motion between two parallel plates defines maximum velocity as a function of shearing rate and yield stress. Conversion to coaxial geometry gives practical formulas for fluid testing with rotational viscometer. A new analysis of …

Cyber Attacks Against Industrial Control Systems, Adam Kardorff

LSU Master's Theses

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are the foundation of our critical infrastructure, and allow for the manufacturing of the products we need. These systems monitor and control power plants, water treatment plants, manufacturing plants, and much more. The security of these systems is crucial to our everyday lives and to the safety of those working with ICS. In this thesis we examined how an attacker can take control of these systems using a power plant simulator in the Applied Cybersecurity Lab at LSU. Running experiments on a live environment can be costly and dangerous, so using a simulated environment is the …

Investigation Of Gas Dynamics In Water And Oil-Based Muds Using Das, Dts, And Dss Measurements, Temitayo S. Adeyemi

LSU Master's Theses

Reliable prediction of gas migration velocity, void fraction, and length of gas-affected region in water and oil-based muds is essential for effective planning, control, and optimization of drilling operations. However, there is a gap in our understanding of gas behavior and dynamics in water and oil-based muds. This is a consequence of the use of experimental systems that are not representative of field-scale conditions. This study seeks to bridge the gap via the well-scale deployment of distributed fiber-optic sensors for real-time monitoring of gas behavior and dynamics in water and oil-based mud. The aforementioned parameters were estimated in real-time using …

The Ecological Responses To Hydroperiod Of Wetland Plant Species Determined By Manipulated Soil Surface Elevation (Marsh Organs), Brandon Wolff

LSU Master's Theses

As sea level rise, subsidence, and abandonment of natural deltaic processes due to a highly engineered Mississippi River continue to threaten Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, the need for a system-wide understanding of natural wetland land-building and preservation processes has never been greater. A key component of any wetland is the ever-changing water environment that periodically floods and dries the marsh platforms. The flooding depth, duration, and frequency, known as the hydroperiod, along with salinity and soil fertility are key determining factors of vegetation and marsh types at a particular location. Different types of vegetation will have different growth characteristics such as …

Surrogate-Assisted Simulation-Optimization Framework For Groundwater Management In A Multi-Aquifer System, Melika Mani

LSU Master's Theses

Uncontrolled groundwater exploitation can lead to aquifer depletion, land subsidence, and saltwater intrusion. Effective groundwater management is challenging due to the intricate nature of subsurface hydrogeology and spatiotemporally variable pumping, especially in a multi-aquifer system. To ensure sustainable withdrawal, multi-objective optimization is an effective tool for balancing management goals and drawdown effects. However, running simulation-optimization using detailed groundwater models is computationally expensive, pushing decision-makers to decide based on limited scenarios. In this study, a hydrogeological framework was constructed for the Capital Area, Louisiana, allowing for individual assessment of each unit to better understand each aquifer's condition. Moreover, a surrogate-assisted simulation-optimization …

Carbonate Precipitation Behavior In Co2 Mea Electrolyzers With Cu Electrocatalyst, John C. Hendershot

LSU Master's Theses

Annually, over 35 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) are emitted into Earth’s atmosphere. The accumulated CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere over the last century drive climate change. CO₂ electroreduction (CO₂ER) is an emerging technology that aims to recycle carbon emissions from the industrial sector by using CO₂, H₂O, and electricity as a feedstock to produce ethylene (C₂H₄) at current densities as high as 1 A cm^-2 and Faradaic efficiencies (FE) of 60%. However, CO₂ electrolyzers currently demonstrate poor durability at industrially relevant …

Integrating The Concept Of Complete Streets Into Pavement Preservation, Sirisha Gangireddy

LSU Master's Theses

This study is motivated by the evident gap in integrating Complete Streets principles into pavement preservation. Complete Streets opportunities, which aim to accommodate all road users, are typically encouraged in all kinds of projects including new construction, reconstruction, preservation, and rehabilitation. While the concept of Complete Streets is understood in terms of new construction (e.g., building sidewalks), its application through pavement preservation programs is not well-developed. To bridge the gap between the Complete Streets and pavement preservation, this study conducted a comprehensive review on how state Department of Transportation (DOTs) are currently incorporating Complete Streets into pavement preservation and identified …

Multichannel Low-Cost Sensor For Iaq Monitoring: Implementation And Guidelines, Isaac Ntiamoah

LSU Master's Theses

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is adversely affected by both indoor and outdoor environments, and rental homes occupied by low-income families suffer the most. Poor indoor air can be detrimental to the health of occupants, especially for susceptible populations like those with respiratory diseases such as asthma. Although IAQ monitoring is necessary, it is a challenging, costly, and time-intensive task. Moreover, the protocol for assessing IAQ in residential settings varies, and additional research is needed to establish a standard operating procedure that incorporates new monitoring technologies, such as low-cost air sensors. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive, evidence-based protocols for …

The Effects Of Disruption Type, Trip Purpose, Gender, And Age On Driver Diversion Willingness In The United States Of America, James D. Fuller

LSU Master's Theses

When drivers encounter traffic congestion, one of the most common ways to avoid excessive delays is to divert to an alternate route. Despite the commonplace nature of such routing decisions, relatively little is known about the specific influencers, motivators, and preferences that affect diversion choices under disrupted conditions. Understanding these driver motivations is important for improving the ability of transportation authorities to plan, design, operate, and maintain transportation networks. The research described in this thesis utilizes a driver survey to investigate the situational factors and personal characteristics that may play a significant role in determining a decision to divert or …

Bim And Digital Twins In Infrastructure Projects: An Overview From The Transportation Professional's Perspective, Natállia Mendes

LSU Master's Theses

Transport infrastructure has undergone significant changes in recent years due to the digitalization of construction methods. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for more productive and cost-effective technologies to optimize various aspects such as time, cost, changes, waste, and errors in projects. Notably, technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Twin (DT) hold the potential to enhance the performance of infrastructure projects. While BIM has received substantial attention in recent years, Digital Twin is relatively new to the construction industry. This leads to a scarcity of studies on DT and its integration with other emerging technologies like BIM. …

A Multi-Aerial Vehicle Platform For Testing Collaborative Mobility Formation Controllers, Matthew Snellgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Multi-agent systems have potential applications in a multitude of fields due to their ability to perform complex tasks with a high degree of robustness. Decentralized systems are multi-agent systems where sensing, control, and communication responsibilities are distributed amongst the agents giving this scheme a particularly high potential for robustness, adaptability, and complexity; however, this comes with its own list of challenges. Formation control is a topic in multi-agent systems that aims to have the agents moving as a virtual rigid body through space. In the literature, there have been successful implementation of formation control algorithms on robot agents in both …

Investigating The Influence Of Portland Limestone Cement Combined With Sugarcane Bagasse Ash And Different Types Of Fly Ash On The Mechanical Properties Of Engineered Cementitious Composites, Samuel Guidroz

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to implement Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) within our transportation infrastructure systems has been limited because of increased costs associated with the material’s high cement quantity. To improve cost- effectiveness and to create a more sustainable footprint, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) has been explored. This study evaluated the effects of utilizing cement interground with limestone, Portland limestone cement (PLC), as a replacement for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Additionally, the performance of the composites was analyzed when mixed with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as well as different classes of fly ash (FA). In doing so, the experimental …

Autonomous Shipwreck Detection & Mapping, William Ard

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development and testing of Bruce, a low-cost hybrid Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) / Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) system for the optical survey of marine archaeological sites, as well as a novel sonar image augmentation strategy for semantic segmentation of shipwrecks. This approach takes side-scan sonar and bathymetry data collected using an EdgeTech 2205 AUV sensor integrated with an Harris Iver3, and generates augmented image data to be used for the semantic segmentation of shipwrecks. It is shown that, due to the feature enhancement capabilities of the proposed shipwreck detection strategy, correctly identified areas have a 15% …

Remote Sensing And Artificial Intelligence-Based Modeling And Prediction Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Lake Pontchartrain, Ian Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and particularly toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) have become a growing threat to the environment, economy, communities, and human and animal health. This is particularly true for Lake Pontchartrain. Forecasting the occurrence of cyanobacterial HABs in Lake Pontchartrain is a process that currently does not exist, as nowcasting by the NCCOS Algal Bloom Monitoring System or the similar system implemented by the U.S. EPA is currently the only method to monitor HAB production in the Lake. This thesis made this process possible by identifying antecedent environmental conditions controlling CyanoHABs, describing the conditions using NASA satellite …

Behavioral Comparison Of Fluorescent Tracer Sediment To Lightweight Polystyrene Sediment Of The Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (Lmrpm), Julia C. Mudd

LSU Master's Theses

A lightweight, unexpanded polystyrene sediment with a specific gravity of 1.05 and a D10, D50 and D90 of 0.250 mm, 0.425mm, and 0.800 mm, respectively, is utilized in the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model (LMRPM) at Louisiana State University to mimic the sand transport of the Lower Mississippi River. While the black model sediment is easily visible against the stark white of the LMRPM, the relative homogeneity of the sediment particles and the opaqueness of the model channel make it difficult to closely study sediment dynamics during an experiment. For this reason, a tracer sediment that is marked with fluorescence …

Exploring Machine Learning In Deep Foundation And Soil Classification Application, Mohammad Moontakim Shoaib

LSU Master's Theses

The applicability of several Machine Learning (ML) models was explored in this research to predict the ultimate capacity and load-settlement behavior of axially loaded single-driven piles from Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data. Additionally, a common CPT-based soil behavior type (SBT) classification system was reproduced using those ML models. Eighty static pile load tests and corresponding CPT data close to those pile locations were collected from 34 sites in Louisiana for the deep foundation application. On the other hand, 70 CPT soundings were taken in 14 different parishes across Louisiana for the soil classification application. Specifically, tree-based ML models such as …

An Investigation On The Resilience Of Long Short-Term Memory Deep Neural Networks, Christopher Vasquez

LSU Master's Theses

In a world of continuously advancing technology, the reliance on these technologies continues to increase. Recently, transformer networks [22] have been implemented through various projects such as ChatGPT. These networks are extremely computationally demanding and require cutting-edge hardware to explore. However, with the growing increase and popularity of these neural networks, a question of reliability and resilience comes about, especially as the dependency and research on these networks grow. Given the computational demand of transformer networks, we investigate the resilience of the weights and biases of the predecessor of these networks, i.e. the Long Short-Term (LSTM) neural network, through four …

Optimization Of The Self-Healing Efficiency Of Bacterial Concrete Using Impregnation Of Three Different Precursors Into Lightweight Aggregate, Omar Omar

LSU Master's Theses

Concrete is the most broadly used construction material; thus, developing sustainable concrete is essential to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from concrete production. Implementation of self-healing concrete technologies is a promising approach to enhance the durability and sustainability of the transportation infrastructure. Among these technologies, bacterial concrete has the potential to seal microcracks through microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP). Bacterial protection is essential to ensure the viability of this technology due to concrete’s harsh environment. Additionally, the success of this technology depends on the presence of an adequate mineral precursor compound and nutrient for the bacteria. As such, the main …

Numerical Flume For Wave Dissipation By Mangrove Prop Roots, Rebecca L. Schurr

LSU Master's Theses

Mangroves provide shorelines with many beneficial engineering services, including shoreline stabilization, wave attenuation, and damage mitigation during tsunami or tropical cyclone events. This research focuses on wave attenuation rates and drag coefficients, and how they are affected by mangrove prop roots. Previous lab research using a physical wave flume has quantified wave height decay and drag coefficients for synthetic mangrove forests and confirmed that attenuation does indeed increase as mangrove forest density increases. This research will use a 3D numerical flume model developed in Proteus, a Python package, to simulate prior physical model experiments. This work will attempt to validate …

Deposition, Material Characterization, And Mechanical Testing Of Cr Containing Diamond-Like Carbon Films, Nicholas Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

A series of amorphous hydrogenated chromium containing diamond-like carbon films were deposited on 316 stainless steel substrates with a chromium interlayer through inductively coupled plasma assisted direct current magnetron sputtering. Details on the deposition process of these films are discussed. The film is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The coating hardness and indentation modulus is measured by instrumented nanoindentation. The coefficient of friction and the upper bound of the coating wear coefficient is measured using the pin-on-disk method. The fracture toughness of the diamond-like carbon film and a …

Cable Decoupling And Cable-Based Stiffening Of Continuum Robots, Parsa Molaei

LSU Master's Theses

Cable-driven continuum robots, which are robots with a continuously flexible backbone and no identifiable joints that are actuated by cables, have shown great potential for many applications in unstructured, uncertain environments. However, the standard design for a cable-driven continuum robot segment, which bends a continuous backbone along a circular arc, has many compliant modes of deformation which are uncontrolled, and which may result in buckling or other undesirable behaviors if not ameliorated. In this study, a detailed approach for using additional cables to selectively stiffen planar cable-driven robots without substantial coupling to the actuating cables is investigated. A mechanics-based model …

Improved Selectivity And Stability In Methane Dry Reforming By Atomic Layer Deposition Onto Ni-Ceo2-Zro2/Al2o3 Catalysts, Jonathan Lucas

LSU Master's Theses

The use of Ni in the dry reforming of methane (DRM) has been widely studied as a replacement for noble metal catalysts (Pt, Pd, Rh) due to Ni’s low cost compared to noble metals, its abundance, and the fact that its DRM activity is near that of noble metal catalysts. However, Ni has been shown to deactivate quickly under DRM conditions. Rare earth oxides such as CeO₂, or as CeO₂-ZrO₂ (CZO) are supports that improve both the activity and stability of Ni DRM systems due to their redox activity. However, this same activity is thought …

Motivators And Preferences Of Route Diversion During Roadway Incidents, Grace Cole

LSU Master's Theses

When confronted with congestion and delay, drivers often divert their route. Depending on factors like purpose, urgency, destination, route alternatives, type of disruption, and mode options, common diversionary options can range from changing departure time, route, and mode to canceling a trip altogether. One of the foundational building blocks of travel forecasting is traffic assignment, which is used to distribute trips over a network using complex algorithms to aggregately represent the desire of drivers to minimize travel time.

While these assignment models are backed by decades of research and observational experience, they are also limited by the fact that they …

A Data-Driven Multivariate Process Monitoring Platform For Knowledge Discovery And Model Building In Industrial Applications, Estelle E. Seghers

LSU Master's Theses

In industrial chemical manufacturing processes, the amount of raw data generated can add complexity in the analysis and understanding of the process dynamics. Being able to properly interpret this data can help improve plant operation, especially regarding safety and profitability. This research has culminated in FastMan-JMP, a platform proposed for monitoring of industrial processes and optimization of the offline data-driven model-building process as part of the process monitoring workflow. FastMan-JMP is a tool developed in Python to apply various data mining and machine learning techniques quickly and easily to better understand valuable patterns and hidden trends in process data. One …

A Simulation Study Of Surfactant/Foam Processes In Shallow Subsurface Remediation: Using Foams For Mobility Control Vs. Blockage, Betty Cepeda

LSU Master's Theses

Many shallow ex-situ and in-situ remediation treatments come from the contamination of underground soils and groundwater sources by organic hydrocarbon components called non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). These contaminants, if leaking, can impose long-term threats causing environmental and health concerns. One of the versatile in-situ remediation techniques is using surfactant/foam processes that can overcome subsurface heterogeneity and improve NAPL removal.

This simulation study investigates surfactant/foam processes, especially focusing on two different roles of foams during the treatment: foams for “mobility control” vs. foams for “blocking”. The first is based on the actual operations carried out in the pilot-test site for 23 …

Anaerobic Toluene Biodegradation Potential At A Superfund Site Where Toluene Biosynthesis Was Observed, George Carson

LSU Master's Theses

At a Superfund site near Baton Rouge, LA, the subsurface injection of molasses has been used to stimulate anerobic reductive dechlorination of halogenated organic compounds (e.g., 1,2-dichloroethane and vinyl chloride) present in the groundwater. Following some molasses injections, temporary accumulation of toluene and p-cresol was observed in the groundwater. Accumulation of these aromatic hydrocarbons, which were not detected in the molasses, has been attributed to anaerobic biotransformation of the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. Experiments reported here were conducted in support of an effort to determine if toluene biodegrading bacteria were present in the area where anaerobic toluene accumulation was …

Programming The Properties Of Branched Polymers Through Precision Architectures, Michael R. Dearman

LSU Master's Theses

The glass transition of branched polymers is determined by multiple structural parameters that dictate their inter- and intramolecular interactions, and ultimately, their molecular packing in the amorphous phase. Here we examined the impact of side chain length, backbone length, molecular weight composition, and topology on the glass transition behavior of bottlebrush polymers. Through examining precision bottlebrush polymer libraries (PBP, ĐSC = 1.0), we find the infinite molecular weight Tg is reached at a specific brush length after which the effect of the side-chain length dominates. Being a factor more dominant than the backbone, side-chain length affects the Tg of bottlebrush …

A Machine Learning Approach To Robotic Additive Manufacturing Of Uv-Curable Polymers Using Direct Ink Writing, Luis A. Velazquez

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a robotic additive manufacturing system that uses ultraviolet (UV)-curable thermoset polymers. Its design considers future applications involving free-standing 3D printing by means of partial UV curing and the fabrication of samples that are reinforced with fillers or fibers to manufacture complex-shape objects.

The proposed setup integrates a custom-built extruder with a UR5e collaborative manipulator. The capabilities of the system were demonstrated using Anycubic resin formulations containing fumed silica (FS) at varying weight fractions from 2.8 to 8 wt%. To fully cure the specimens after fabrication, a UV chamber was used. Then, measurements …

Enabling The Human Perception Of A Working Camera In Web Conferences Via Its Movement, Anish Shrestha

LSU Master's Theses

In recent years, video conferencing has seen a significant increase in its usage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When casting user’s video to other participants, the videoconference applications (e.g. Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, etc.) mainly leverage 1) webcam’s LED-light indicator, 2) user’s video feedback in the software and 3) the software’s video on/off icons to remind the user whether the camera is being used. However, these methods all impose the responsibility on the user itself to check the camera status, and there have been numerous cases reported when users expose their privacy inadvertently due to not realizing that their camera is …

Improvements To The Automatic Calibration Of Digital Focusing Color Schlieren Systems, Robert C. Frazee

LSU Master's Theses

As a diagnostic method, Schlieren imaging offers the unique ability to visualize flows with a completely non-intrusive method. By visualizing small changes in the refractive index of a fluid, Schlieren imaging is able to visualize changes in temperature, pressure, and composition. While historic Schlieren methods have been limited to providing largely qualitative information, modern Schlieren methods are able to extract quantitative information from flow phenomena. This is possible through either Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) or Digital Focusing Color Schlieren (DFCS) methods. While BOS is relatively flexible, it requires a large amount of computational effort to process each frame of captured …