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Articles 1 - 30 of 45
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Elastic Degradable Polyurethanes For Biomedical Applications, Changhong Zhang
Elastic Degradable Polyurethanes For Biomedical Applications, Changhong Zhang
All Theses
Several series of polyurethanes were synthesized with linear or crosslinked structures by using different synthesis routes. Two studies are mentioned: (1) the synthesis of degradable polyurethanes with linear structure and the investigation of the elasticity and cytophilicity of the materials as function of the chain extender, and (2) the synthesis and the investigation of the biocompatibility, degradation, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the polyurethane-based hydrogels with crosslinked structure.
Influence Of Socio-Economic And Demographic Factors On Crashes In Rural South Carolina At Sub-County Level, Sunil Jakhadi
Influence Of Socio-Economic And Demographic Factors On Crashes In Rural South Carolina At Sub-County Level, Sunil Jakhadi
All Theses
State of South Carolina ranks high in the fatality rates. The state is a predominately a rural state with more percentage of rural roads. This research focuses on the statistical variation of crash rates between the county and block-group, especially rural once to the state. Also, it focuses on the possibility of various socio-economic and demographic characters influence on the high crash rates particularly in rural South Carolina.
Crash database for the year 2004 was acquired from South Carolina Department of Transportation and was processed by the research team at Clemson University. This processed database was imported into GIS. Spatial …
Validation Of An Inertial Sensor System For Quantifying Knee Function, Aaron Koslin
Validation Of An Inertial Sensor System For Quantifying Knee Function, Aaron Koslin
All Theses
Gait analysis has become a useful tool for clinicians in evaluating the progression of pathologies through functional analysis. The high cost and dedicated laboratories associated with the traditional camera-based motion analysis systems present the need for an alternative system. Direct measurement of kinetic parameters using inertial sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers), in place of indirect calculations from position data obtained using cameras, has been shown effective in resolving important gait parameters.
In order to directly compare gait parameters obtained using inertial sensors and a camera system, data was simultaneously collected from both systems for seven test subjects during normal gait. Three …
Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Pavements: State-Of-The-Practice, Zeynep Guven
Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Pavements: State-Of-The-Practice, Zeynep Guven
All Theses
Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is performed by transportation agencies in the design phase of transportation projects in order to be able to implement more economical strategies, to support decision processes in pavement type selection (flexible or rigid) and also to assess the relative costs of different rehabilitation options within each type of pavement. However, most of the input parameters are inherently uncertain. In order to implement the LCCA process in a reliable and trustworthy manner, this uncertainty must be addressed. This thesis summarizes a through research that aims at improving the existing LCCA approach for South Carolina Department of …
Effect Of South Caroline Belt Law On Safety Belt Use, Sourabh Patki
Effect Of South Caroline Belt Law On Safety Belt Use, Sourabh Patki
All Theses
A number of factors and accessories help save lives and prevent injuries to road users, yet safety belts have become synonymous with automobile safety today, unlike any accessory before or since their introduction in automobiles. However, the scientific advances in automobile safety, followed by the acceptance of the necessity for safety in automobiles by both the manufacturers and the population, finally leading to the introduction of safety features and their incorporation within the laws occurred over a much longer span, continuing even today. Today's Safety movement aims at increasing safety belt using an awareness campaigns, accompanied by enforcement. Safety belt …
Elevated Neutral-To-Earth Voltage In Distribution Systems Including Harmonics, Jian Jiang
Elevated Neutral-To-Earth Voltage In Distribution Systems Including Harmonics, Jian Jiang
All Dissertations
The elevated neutral-to-earth voltage (NEV), and the related phenomenon called stray voltage, is analyzed in multigrounded distribution systems. Elevated NEV is typically caused by fundamental frequency currents returning to the source via the neutral conductor and earth. However, harmonic distortion is also found to contribute to elevated NEV. A multiphase harmonic load flow algorithm is developed to examine the effects of various factors on the NEV, including unsymmetrical system configuration, load unbalance and harmonic injection. To fulfill this objective, the system modeling is adapted to include the neutral conductor into the component equivalent circuit. The overhead transmission line is remodeled …
Optimizing Production Methods For Artifical Silk Proteins Through Bioreactor And Purification Studies Of Recombinant Proteins Expressed From Pichia Pastoris, Aaron Ramey
All Theses
Advancements in the field of biomaterials are being made to produce an artificial silk fiber. A gene was constructed which utilized components from both the dragline silk of Nephila clavipes and nematode collagen. For this engineered protein, the yeast strain Pichia pastoris was chosen to be the host organism. Previous research has shown P. pastoris to have comparatively low amounts of specific protein productivity. Therefore, this problem must be compensated for by obtaining extremely high cell densities. The main focus of this study was to optimize the fermentation parameters of transgenic yeast cultures within a bioreactor in order to increase …
Development Of Fatigue Predictive Models Of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (Rac) Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (Rap) Mixtures, Feipeng Xiao
All Dissertations
In recent years, some by-products such as crumb rubber has been used to save money, protect the environment, and extend the life of asphalt pavements. In addition, the utilization of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is an acceptable practice in many states around the United States and many countries all over the world. However, the use of RAP containing crumb rubber has not been investigated in great detail, so it is essential to explore whether these materials have a positive effect on the fatigue life of asphalt pavement. In general, previous experience shows that the use of RAP has proven to …
A Multidimensional Scaling And Participatory Design Approach To Classify Open Ended Aircraft Maintenance Data, Kunal Kapoor
A Multidimensional Scaling And Participatory Design Approach To Classify Open Ended Aircraft Maintenance Data, Kunal Kapoor
All Dissertations
The quality assurance data to be analyzed by the web-based surveillance and auditing tool (WebSAT) is both qualitative and quantitative. The forced responses to checklist questions provide a definitive outcome identifying the effectiveness of the four quality assurance work functions. On the other hand, open-ended responses, the second type of response for capturing maintenance errors, are qualitative in nature since they reflect what the auditors and quality assurance representatives observe during their interactions at vendor locations. This research proposes to apply the statistical technique of multidimensional scaling (MDS) and the User centered Design (UCD) method of Participatory Design (PD) to …
Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagens And Potential For Breast Tissue Engineering, Cheryl Parzel
Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagens And Potential For Breast Tissue Engineering, Cheryl Parzel
All Theses
The purpose of this study was to develop and assess a potential key feature in a minimally-invasive breast reconstruction device and to collect information for an in vitro tissue test system. Tannic acid is a hydrolysable plant tannin, and it has been determined that tannic acid functions as a collagen crosslinking agent through both hydrogen bonding mechanisms and hydrophobic effects. Additionally, current research suggests that tannic acid may have anti-tumor properties. Therefore, it has been proposed that tannic acid can be used as an agent to induce apoptotic processes in any transplanted adult stem cells that are inclined to spontaneously …
Emission Reduction In Small Displacement Diesel Engines Using Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation, Chris Simoson
Emission Reduction In Small Displacement Diesel Engines Using Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation, Chris Simoson
All Theses
A reduced-order dynamic model is presented and experimentally validated to demonstrate the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation to alleviate the tradeoff between nitric oxide reduction and performance preservation in a small displacement diesel engine. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is an effective method for internal combustion engine oxides of nitrogen (NOx) reduction, but its thermal throttling diminishes power efficiency. The capacity to cool exhaust gases prior to merging with intake air may achieve the desired pollutant effect while minimizing engine performance losses.
Simulation and experimental results revealed significant NOx reductions throughout all testing scenarios using EGR, but also experienced a …
Haptics In Robotics And Automotive Systems, Erhun Iyasere
Haptics In Robotics And Automotive Systems, Erhun Iyasere
All Theses
Haptics is the science of applying touch (tactile) sensation and control to interaction with computer applications. The devices used to interact with computer applications are known as haptic interfaces. These devices sense some form of human movement, be it finger, head, hand or body movement and receive feedback from computer applications in form of felt sensations to the limbs or other parts of the human body. Examples of haptic interfaces range from force feedback joysticks/controllers in video game consoles to tele-operative surgery. This thesis deals with haptic interfaces involving hand movements. The first experiment involves using the end effector of …
Hierarchical State Estimation For Wide Area Power Systems, Srivatsan Lakshminarasimhan
Hierarchical State Estimation For Wide Area Power Systems, Srivatsan Lakshminarasimhan
All Theses
This thesis presents the application of hierarchical state estimation techniques to consolidate the state output of a wide area power system network. In a wide area network a large number of interconnections exist between various utilities of the wide area. Power transactions between areas occur over large distances and hence for better security there is a need to monitor the state of the entire wide area systems. Hierarchical state estimation is preferred over integrated state estimation, due to the reduced computational time.
Using existing state estimators of the member utilities of the wide area in the bottom level of hierarchical …
Influence Of Temperature And Polymer/ Mold Surface Interactions On Micro-Feature Replication At Ambient Pressure In Micro Injection Molding, Varun Thakur
All Theses
This study assesses micro-feature replication at elevated mold temperature and ambient pressure using a variety of polymers. Moldings were made on the surface of stainless steel and silicon wafers containing features as small as 130 nm under isothermal conditions in a heated chamber by allowing polymer to spread over the features at ambient pressure. Feature replication was analyzed via AFM and SEM. Polymer behavior was characterized via melt contact angle and melt viscosity. While feature detail was well replicated, the moldings exhibited poor dimensional accuracy due to shrinkage. In general, polymers with low viscosity and surface tension comparable to the …
Investigation Of Flow And Microstructure In Rheometric And Processing Flow Conditions For Liquid Crystalline Pitch, Santanu Kundu
Investigation Of Flow And Microstructure In Rheometric And Processing Flow Conditions For Liquid Crystalline Pitch, Santanu Kundu
All Dissertations
A fundamental understanding of flow and its influence on the microstructure is required to obtain carbon materials with desired properties. The objective of this research was to investigate the flow and microstructural behavior of a synthetic mesophase pitch (AR-HP) in rheometric and processing flow conditions. In addition, simulation studies were performed to establish a frame work for modeling the flow behavior of this complex material in different flow situations.
The steady-shear viscosities obtained from a cone-plate rheometer during increasing rate-sweep experiments exhibited a shear-thinning region (Region I) with a slope of about -0.2 and a plateau (Region II) region. The …
Modeling Of The Transient Behavior Of Heat Pipes With Room-Temperature Working Fluids, Pascal Brocheny
Modeling Of The Transient Behavior Of Heat Pipes With Room-Temperature Working Fluids, Pascal Brocheny
All Dissertations
The heat pipe is a capillary-driven and two-phase flow device, capable of transporting and converting large amounts of energy with minimal losses. As a means of thermal management, uses of heat pipe technology not only include thermal control of satellites and spacecrafts in aerospace applications, but also the cooling of electronic components for ground applications. Recently, there has been a flourishing interest in exploring the use of heat pipe technology in the automotive field. However, in many thermal control applications, heat pipes using room-temperature working fluids, such as water or ammonia, with operating temperatures between 200 K (-73ºC) and 550 …
Use Of Personas For User Interface Design: Results Of Field And Experimental Studies , Pallavi Dharwada
Use Of Personas For User Interface Design: Results Of Field And Experimental Studies , Pallavi Dharwada
All Dissertations
Persona is a fictitious user serving as a role model for designers, helping them make difficult decisions from the users' perspective during the interface design process. This concept, which was introduced by Alan Cooper in 1999, has been found to be a powerful tool for engaging the designers with the users. Although personas do not replace the rich data acquired through user testing, they enhance the interface development process by focusing the designers' attention on the target user until the interface qualifies for testing. Recognizing the benefits of persona, many companies, including the Fortune 500 have embraced this concept as …
Development Of A Cellular Fiber Spinning Technology For Regenerative Medicine, Willie Jones
Development Of A Cellular Fiber Spinning Technology For Regenerative Medicine, Willie Jones
All Theses
In order to prove that our textile hollow fiber spinning apparatus was adequate for cellular encapsulation, we confirmed the viability and metabolic activity of green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-Ts) that were encapsulated in either the wall or lumen of alginate fibers. After a 21 day in vitro macroscopic evaluation, no decrease in fluorescence was observed; and it was determined that MAC-Ts encapsulated under both methods produced lactic acid and consumed glucose. Histomorphological analyses revealed that the diameter of the MAC-Ts increased under both encapsulation scenarios, with little to no evidence of cell cluster propagation. Based …
Dielectric Properties And Method Of Characterizing Ceramic Powders And Multiphase Composites, Ravi Kiran Kota
Dielectric Properties And Method Of Characterizing Ceramic Powders And Multiphase Composites, Ravi Kiran Kota
All Theses
Barium Titanate was the first developed ferroelectric ceramic material and even today it is widely used. It is also a well-known material used for capacitors. The only reason behind a wide range of applications is that barium titanate boasts of high dielectric properties. A phase transition from cubic to tetragonal at normal working temperatures provides enhanced dielectric properties in this electronic material. For any application and design, the most inquired property is the dielectric constant. Predicting the dielectric constant is very much required as it is the pre-requisite. This is the major objective of the present work. To estimate the …
Tribological Systems For The Evaluation Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Sterilized Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, John Desjardins
Tribological Systems For The Evaluation Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Sterilized Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, John Desjardins
All Dissertations
Polymeric biomaterials are especially susceptible to changes in mechanical and surface material properties as a result of sterilization processes that involve heat, moisture and/or irradiation. This is problematic for polymeric materials used in total joint replacement bearings, as these constructs must retain their superior mechanical and tribological properties over their expected 10-20 years of implantation. A younger more active patient population has now exacerbated this longevity issue with service lifetimes of 20+ years now being expected. Supercritical phase carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) is an industrial solvent that has shown great promise as a sterilizing agent in the food industry. Recently, SC-CO2 …
Nonlinear Control Techniques For Robot Manipulators, Nitendra Nath
Nonlinear Control Techniques For Robot Manipulators, Nitendra Nath
All Theses
This Masters thesis describes the design and implementation of control strategies for the following topics of research: i) Whole Arm Grasping Control for Redundant Robot Manipulators, ii) Neural Network Grasping Controller for Continuum Robots and, iii) Coordination Control for Haptic and Teleoperator Systems.
An approach to whole arm grasping of objects using redundant robot manipulators is presented. A kinematic control which facilitates the encoding of both the end-effector position, as well as body self-motion positioning information as a desired trajectory signal for the manipulator joints is developed.
An approach is presented to whole arm grasping control for continuum robots. The …
Simulation And Characterization Of Tire Nonuniformity-Induced Steering Nibble Vibrations Through Integrated Subsystems Modeling, Derek Mangun
All Theses
Periodic force variations produced by nonuniform tire/wheel assemblies are known root causes of torsional steering wheel vibrations known as 'nibble'. Previous studies have sought to investigate this issue through modeling or experimentation involving the entire vehicle or specific subsystems, however a direct link between objectively measured tire force variations and the vibration levels perceived by vehicle occupants has yet to be established. Analytical models of a nonuniform tire, double-wishbone suspension system, and rack and pinion steering system are sourced from literature and integrated into a single subsystem-level model validated against experimental data obtained as part of a collaborative effort. The …
Best Practices For Developing The Engineer's Estimate, Karl Niedzwecki
Best Practices For Developing The Engineer's Estimate, Karl Niedzwecki
All Theses
The research project 'Best Practices for Developing the Engineering Estimate' was executed by Clemson University on behalf of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). The primary objective of this research project was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of two types of estimating methods being utilized today by state department of transportations (DOT) nationwide. These two types of estimating methods are the unit cost line item approach, which the SCDOT utilizes, and the cost-based estimating approach. This research report identifies accuracy obtained, resources expended, and methodologies utilized when implementing either type of estimating approach. This was done so the …
Modeling Long-Term Plutonium Transport In The Savannah River Site Vadose Zone, Deniz Demirkanli
Modeling Long-Term Plutonium Transport In The Savannah River Site Vadose Zone, Deniz Demirkanli
All Dissertations
Improved understanding of flow and radionuclide transport in vadose zone sediments is fundamental to future planning involving radioactive materials. Long-term experiments were conducted at the Savannah River Site (SRS), where a series of lysimeters containing sources of different Pu oxidation states were placed in the shallow subsurface and exposed to the environment for 2 to 11 years. After the experiments, Pu activity concentrations were measured along vertical cores. The distributions were anomalous in nature, with irregular downward migration and unexpected upward migration. Previous studies suggested that surface-mediated, oxidation/reduction (redox) reactions may be responsible for the anomalies. This hypothesis is tested …
A Robust Conjugate Heat Transfer Methodology With Novel Turbulence Modeling Applied To Internally-Cooled Gas Turbine Airfoils, William York
A Robust Conjugate Heat Transfer Methodology With Novel Turbulence Modeling Applied To Internally-Cooled Gas Turbine Airfoils, William York
All Dissertations
Computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer (CFD) has become a viable, physics-based analysis tool for complex flow and/or heat transfer problems in recent years due, in large part, to rapid advances in computing power. CFD based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations is starting to enter the mainstream design environment in certain industries where rapid and reliable predictive capability is necessary. One such application is the gas turbine industry, where thermal management of airfoils at extremely high temperatures is one of the most critical components in engine design for reliability. The problem is complicated by the need for advanced airfoil …
Developing A Benchmark Suite For The Evaluation Of Orientation Sensors, Kelly Waller
Developing A Benchmark Suite For The Evaluation Of Orientation Sensors, Kelly Waller
All Theses
This paper examines the problem with the lack of standardization through which MEMS orientation sensors are evaluated. These sensors are sold with data sheets that outline their performance, but lack the conditions under which the testing takes place. In this research, a testing apparatus was developed, and testing routines were designed to evaluate the different characteristics of orientation sensors under different motion conditions. Three orientation sensors, each in a different price range, were evaluated with the benchmark suite. The testing apparatus is a turntable that can precisely spin an orientation sensor via a stepper motor, and can record its exact …
Modeling And Simulation Of Friction-Limited Continuously Variable Transmissions, Nilabh Srivastava
Modeling And Simulation Of Friction-Limited Continuously Variable Transmissions, Nilabh Srivastava
All Dissertations
Over the last few decades, a lot of research effort has increasingly been directed towards developing vehicle transmissions that accomplish the government imperatives of increased vehicle efficiency and lower exhaust (greenhouse gaseous) emissions. These exhaust emissions can be regulated or lowered by increasing the fuel economy of a vehicle, and CVTs (continuously variable transmissions), indubitably, play a crucial role in this plan to improve the fuel economy. A continuously variable transmission is an emerging automotive transmission technology that offers a continuum of gear ratios between desired limits. A CVT offers numerous advantages over the conventional multi-step gear transmissions such as …
Evaporation Estimation Using A Floating Pan, Michael Klink
Evaporation Estimation Using A Floating Pan, Michael Klink
All Theses
Almost all regions in the United States must accurately estimate evaporation to have effective water management programs. The purpose of this study is to develop a better method for measuring evaporation. Lake evaporation along with meteorological data are measured directly from a floating pan. The floating pan is specifically designed to account for one of the most sensitive parameters of evaporation, the water surface temperature, which the design achieves. However, other design factors such as air movement, solar radiation, stability, heat transfer, wave action, water level range, and site location were also taken into consideration. The evaporation measured from the …
Investigation Of The Effects Of Subgrid-Scale Turbulence On Resolvable-Scale Statistics, Qinglin Chen
Investigation Of The Effects Of Subgrid-Scale Turbulence On Resolvable-Scale Statistics, Qinglin Chen
All Dissertations
The effects of the subgrid-scale (SGS) turbulence on the resolvable-scale statistics and the effects of SGS models on large-eddy simulation (LES) are studied. It is shown that the SGS turbulence evolves the resolvable-scale joint probability density function (JPDF) through the conditional means of the SGS stress, the SGS scalar flux, and their production rate, which must be reproduced by the SGS model for LES to predict correctly the one-point resolvable-scale statistics, a primary goal of LES. This necessary condition is used as the basis for studying SGS physics and for testing SGS models. Theoretical predictions, measurements data obtained in a …
Stabilization Of Vascular Elastin By Treatment With Tannins, Jason Isenburg
Stabilization Of Vascular Elastin By Treatment With Tannins, Jason Isenburg
All Dissertations
Elastin is an important component of the extracellular matrix that endows cardiovascular tissue with the ability to extend and recoil repetitively. It has been shown that elastin may be vulnerable to enzymatic degradation and calcification in certain pathological cases. As a result, elastin degeneration may be associated with the failure of tissue-derived cardiovascular devices, such as bioprosthetic heart valves, as well as the development and progression of aortic aneurysms, a disease associated with progressive connective tissue degeneration of the arterial wall. Therefore, an elastin stabilizing agent may be beneficial for both applications. As such, our objectives for elastin stabilization are …