Engineering Commons^™

Improving Indoor Arenas For The Equine Industry, Staci Mcgill

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Equine indoor arenas are a unique infrastructure investment found at equine farms and facilities. They are semi-indoor structures for exercising horses, exhibiting skills during competitive events, and other equine related activities. These spaces do not always include mechanical ventilation or stirring fans and occupancy by horses and humans can be sporadic and inconsistent, which creates a challenging space for understanding and predicting airflow. Typically, indoor arenas have a sand-based footing over which the horse travels. The impact of the hooves can cause dust to become a concern within the facilities. Environmental concerns within these facilities (temperature, respirable dust, moisture, and …

Integrative Physiology-Coupled Pilot-Centered Flight Simulation, Shawn C. Harrison

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Maintaining the pilot’s physiological performance envelope within the limits of human capabilities may be crucial for avoiding hazardous physiological episodes in fighter aircraft that compromise safety. The main physiological episode of interest is impaired pilot respiration, better known as hypoxia caused by a high fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) at high altitudes and variation in accelerative gravitational forces (g-forces). Integrated into fighter aircraft is an Onboard Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) developed to mitigate the necessity of gaseous and liquid oxygen cannisters [1]. OBOGS act as a life support in hypoxic environments by providing oxygen-rich air, thereby oxygenating the …

Controlling Sars Related Illnesses In The Indoor Environment Using Hvac Ventilation Techniques, Natalie Mansson

Construction Management Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a need for better ventilation systems due to the deadly spreading of the SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 illness through the air. As the positivity rate increases sharply, this study is pertinent in the fight against the virus. The implementation of MERV filters and ventilation rates while also understanding respiratory droplets and how they move through the air is an important part of understanding airborne transmission. Much research has been done on MERV filtration and respiratory droplets and their traveling methods in the air, and this research aims to find the commonalities between prior research, and …

Overcoming Supply Disruptions During Pandemics By Utilizing Found Hardware For Open Source Gentle Ventilation, S. Oberloier, N. Gallup, J. M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

This article details the design of an open source emergency gentle ventilator (gentle-vent) framework that can be used in periods of scarcity. Although it is not a medical device, the system utilizes a wide range of commonly-available components that are combined using basic electronics skills to achieve the desired performance. The main function of the gentle-vent is to generate a calibrated pressure wave at the pump to provide support to the patient's breathing. Each gentle-vent permutation was tested using a DIY manometer as it would be utilized in the field in low-resource settings and validated with an open source VentMon. …

Models And Optimal Controls For Smart Homes And Their Integration Into The Electric Power Grid, Huangjie Gong

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Smart homes can operate as a distributed energy resource (DER), when equipped with controllable high-efficiency appliances, solar photovoltaic (PV) generators, electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS). The high penetration of such buildings changes the typical electric power load profile, which without appropriate controls, may become a “duck curve” when the surplus PV generation is high, or a “dragon curve” when the EV charging load is high. A smart home may contribute to an optimal solution of such problems through the energy storage capacity, provided by its by battery energy storage system (BESS), heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) …

Virtual Power Plant Control For Large Residential Communities Using Hvac Systems For Energy Storage, Huangjie Gong, Evan S. Jones, Rosemary E. Alden, Andrew G. Frye, Donald G. Colliver, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems use the most electricity of any household appliance in residential communities. HVAC system modeling facilitates the study of demand response (DR) at both the residential and power system levels. In this article, the equivalent thermal model of a reference house is proposed. Parameters for the reference house were determined based on the systematic study of experimental data obtained from fully instrumented field demonstrators. Energy storage capacity of HVAC systems is calculated and an equivalent state-of-charge is defined. The uniformity between HVAC systems and battery energy storage system is demonstrated by DR control. The aggregated …

Generalized Energy Storage Model-In-The-Loop Suitable For Energy Star And Cta-2045 Control Types, Huangjie Gong, Evan S. Jones, A. H. M. Jakaria, Aminul Huque, Ajit Renjit, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

The paper proposes a generalized energy storage (GES) model for battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric water heaters (EWH) and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The analogies, including state of charge versus water temperature differential, are identified and explained, and models-in-the-loop (MIL) are introduced, which are compatible with the Energy Star and CTA-2045 general specifications and command types. Emphasis is placed on the proposed EWH model as it needfully fulfills a gap in present literature. The corresponding MIL has been implemented in the DER integration testbed, which was originally developed by EPRI, and satisfactorily validated against experimental results. A …

Power Factor And Reactive Power In Us Residences – Survey And Energyplus Modeling, Hope C. Anderson, Abdullah Al Hadi, Evan S. Jones, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Electric power systems are experiencing a growing number of electronic loads in the residential sector as modern appliance technology progresses, and it has become increasingly more important to consider the total power factor (PF) of residential communities. This paper provides a survey based on literature and publicly available information of typical appliance PF values and effects at the residential level as well as a discussion on appliance energy use and corresponding operation schedules. A procedure for the calculation of equivalent PF is proposed and exemplified with minutely experimental data at 15-minute and hourly time intervals, which correspond to smart metering …

Application Of Methods Of Intermittent Ventilation Of Industrial Premises Using A Digital Data Transmission System, Yuriy Shipulin, Abdullayev Temur, Jamolidin Usmanov, Shahnoza Ergasheva

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article is devoted to topical applied issues, the application of methods of intermittent ventilation of industrial buildings using a digital data transmission system. The requirements for the parameters of the environment are determined, which include: composition, purity, temperature, air humidity, the content of positive and negative ions, the presence of fields of various origins (thermal, optical, biological, gas, and electromagnetic). The authors of the article argue that some of the listed parameters can be supported by ventilation and air conditioning (SCA) systems.

It is shown that when the controlled parameters are limited to a multidimensional area, the SCA control …

Mitigation Of Airborne Contaminant Spread Through Simple Interventions In An Occupied Single-Family Home, Florida Solar Energy Center, Nazim Muradov

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Historically, reducing aerosol-based transmission of respired viruses in indoor environments has been of importance for controlling influenza viruses and common-cold rhinoviruses. The present public health emergency associated with SARS-CoV-2 makes this topic critically important. Yet to be tested is the potential effectiveness of simple interventions that create an isolation zone (IZ) for a suspected/confirmed sick or sensitive person requiring quarantine. The intent in existing homes is to find a practical means to mitigate exposure to airborne contaminants. In creating an IZ in an occupied single-family home in the study, four simple strategies were tested. The test configurations were: (1) IZ …

Lab Home Testing Of Residential Isolation Space Control To Minimize Infectious Disease Transmission In Existing Single-Family Homes, Florida Solar Energy Center, Tanvir Khan

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Existing evidence strongly suggests that viral infectious diseases can be transmitted via an airborne route across distances in indoor environments. Accordingly, the risk of airborne transmission within homes should be managed. The public health emergency associated with SARS-CoV-2 makes controlling airborne transmission of respired viruses in indoor environments critical, especially in poorly ventilated indoor environments. The effectiveness of engineering interventions requiring minor efforts that create a negative-pressure isolation zone (IZ) for a contagious person has yet to be tested for existing residential homes.

To mitigate the risk of airborne virus transmission and maximize health protection for the population in existing …

Lab Home Testing Of Residential Isolation Space Control To Minimize Infectious Disease Transmission In Existing Single-Family Homes -- Fact Sheet, Florida Solar Energy Center, Tanvir Khan

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The FSEC Energy Research Center at the University of Central Florida performed research to test the effectiveness of interventions to isolate an ill person recovering from a contagious disease in a single-family home from the rest of the occupants in the home. Focus was placed on interventions requiring minor cost and effort on the part of the occupants.

DOE/GO-102021-5537, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/79519.pdf

Blowing Curtain Face Ventilation System For Extended Cut Mining Using Passive Regulator, Andrzej M. Wala, Todor P. Petrov

Mining Engineering Faculty Patents

A ventilation system for an underground mine includes a blowing curtain, a passive regulator in a shape of an airfoil and an airflow ventilation source. The passive regulator is positioned in the air path adjacent a discharge end of the blowing curtain.

Nebulizer-Based Systems To Improve Pharmaceutical Aerosol Delivery To The Lungs, Benjamin M. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

Combining vibrating mesh nebulizers with additional new technologies leads to substantial improvements in pharmaceutical aerosol delivery to the lungs across therapeutic administration methods. In this dissertation, streamlined components, aerosol administration synchronization, and/or Excipient Enhanced Growth (EEG) technologies were utilized to develop and test several novel devices and aerosol delivery systems. The first focus of this work was to improve the poor delivery efficiency, e.g., 3.6% of nominal dose (Dugernier et al. 2017), of aerosolized medication administration to adult human subjects concurrent with high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, a form of continuous-flow non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The developed Low-Volume Mixer-Heater (LVMH) …

An Investigation Of The Airborne Particulate Matter Related Health Hazards Present In Makerspaces, Justin Keller

Honors Theses

Airborne particulate matter poses several health hazards ranging from pulmonary inflammation to cardiovascular disease. Particulate matter is produced through many fabrication processes common to makerspaces, such as 3D printing and laser cutting. The danger of these particles is worsened when makerspaces are retrofitted into spaces not designed with good ventilation or safety controls, such as libraries and public schools. This thesis evaluates the relationship between makerspaces and hazardous particle generation with both continuous and motion sensor controlled ventilation, showing that the latter creates unsafe working conditions. Both observational and controlled studies were conducted in Bucknell’s Mooney Lab makerspace monitoring particle …

Understanding Of Aerosol Transmission Of Covid 19 In Indoor Environments, Adama Barro, Cathal O'Toole, Jacob S. Lopez, Matthew Quinones, Sherene Moore

Publications and Research

Our reason for discussing severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or 2019 novel corona virus (Covid-19), is to understand its aerosol transmission characteristics in indoor spaces and to mitigate further spread of this disease by designing a new HVAC system. The problem that we are tackling is the spread of covid-19 droplets through aerosol transmission by looking at potential engineering solutions to the existing HVAC systems. The purpose is to eradicate the spread of the COVID-19 by testing indoor spaces in an effort to understand the effectiveness of ventilation controls. We believe that scientists and engineers have not …

A Cfd Study Of Operation Room Air Conditioning: Air Curtain Performance, Spencer Lee Boer

Masters Theses

An operation room is a critical environment when it comes to the safety of patients undergoing surgery. There are a lot of factors that go into reducing Surgical Site Infections (SSI) following a surgery. This comes in the form of cleaning standards, surgical practices, but also environment controls. The characteristics of airflow within an operation room are related to the risk of an SSI. Some of these factors are temperature, velocity, and turbulent air around an open wound which could increase the chance of bacteria or other particles entering the very vulnerable patient. As clean room standards continue to be …

Ventilation And Recirculation Airway Design For An Autonomous, Climate Controlled, Hydroponic Demonstration Unit, Nicholas Cross

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

For this Honors Thesis project, I designed and fabricated a ventilation and recirculation airway sub-system prototype for a hydroponic demonstration unit to be used as an educational demonstration for prospective students, illustrating the capabilities of biological engineers. This thesis focuses on the design of an autonomous air system that toggles between ventilation and recirculation modes based upon sensor output. In the literature review I discuss how ventilation can be used to achieve a targeted climate, the benefits of hands-on projects for education, and the optimum parameters for growing herbs in a hydroponic system.

In the design and fabrication process, every …

Demand Response Of Hvacs In Large Residential Communities Based On Experimental Developments, Huangjie Gong, Evan S. Jones, Rosemary E. Alden, Andrew G. Frye, Donald G. Colliver, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems contribute the largest electricity usage for a residential community. Modeling of the HVAC systems facilitate the study of demand response (DR) at both the residential and the power system level. In this paper, the equivalent thermal model of a reference house was proposed. Parameters for the reference house were determined based on the systematic study of experimental data obtained from fully instrumented field demonstrators. The aggregated HVAC load was modeled based on the reference house while considering a realistic distribution of HVAC parameters derived from data that was provided by one of the largest …

Partially Reprapable Automated Open Source Bag Valve Mask-Based Ventilator, Aliaksei Petsiuk, Nagendra G. Tanikella, Samantha Dertinger, Adam Pringle, Shane Oberloier, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

This study describes the development of a simple and easy-to-build portable automated bag valve mask (BVM) compression system, which, during acute shortages and supply chain disruptions can serve as a temporary emergency ventilator. The resuscitation system is based on the Arduino controller with a real-time operating system installed on a largely RepRap 3-D printable parametric component-based structure. The cost of the materials for the system is under $170, which makes it affordable for replication by makers around the world. The device provides a controlled breathing mode with tidal volumes from 100 to 800 mL, breathing rates from 5 to 40 …

The Effect Of High Efficiency Building Technologies And Pv Generation On The Energy Profiles For Typical Us Residences, Evan S. Jones, Rosemary E. Alden, Huangjie Gong, Andrew G. Frye, Donald G. Colliver, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

The penetrations of high efficiency technologies and photovoltaic (PV) generation are increasing in the residential sector. Technologies such as improved insulation and efficient HVAC systems significantly affect the energy profile of a house. This effect varies due to climate characteristics, i.e. temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speeds. The effect of other technologies, such as efficient water heaters, lighting, or kitchen appliances, is mainly governed by human behavior, which may be represented by a schedule. This paper studies the performance of both climate-influenced and scheduled household devices among different levels of efficiency through combined computational and experimental methods. Three …

Ventilation & Masks: Reducing Airborne Transmission Of Covid-19 In A Classroom, Eric A. Schiff

SyracuseCoE Research Brief Series

We've calculated the number of COVID-19 infections that will be spread from a single COVID-19 "superspreader" to students and teachers in a classroom shared for 4 hours in different ventilation and masking conditions.

Reprapable Automated Open Source Bag Valve Mask-Based Ventilator, Aliaksei Petsiuk, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Samantha C. Dertinger, Adam Pringle, Shane Oberloier, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

This study describes the development of an automated bag valve mask (BVM) compression system, which, during acute shortages and supply chain disruptions can serve as a temporary emergency ventilator. The resuscitation system is based on the Arduino controller with a real-time operating system installed on a largely RepRap 3-D printable parametric component-based structure. The cost of the system is under $170, which makes it affordable for replication by makers around the world. The device provides a controlled breathing mode with tidal volumes from 100 to 800 milliliters, breathing rates from 5 to 40 breaths/minute, and inspiratory-to-expiratory ratio from 1:1 to …

A Review Of Open Source Ventilators For Covid-19 And Future Pandemics., Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) threatens to overwhelm our medical infrastructure at the regional level causing spikes in mortality rates because of shortages of critical equipment, like ventilators. Fortunately, with the recent development and widespread deployment of small-scale manufacturing technologies like RepRap-class 3-D printers and open source microcontrollers, mass distributed manufacturing of ventilators has the potential to overcome medical supply shortages. In this study, after providing a background on ventilators, the academic literature is reviewed to find the existing and already openly-published, vetted designs for ventilators systems. These articles are analyzed to determine if the designs are open source both in …

Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation Of Inhaled Radon Dilution By Auxiliary Ventilation In A Stone-Coal Mine Laneway And Dosage Assessment Of Miners, Bin Zhou, Ping Chang, Guang Xu

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Inhaled radon status in the laneways of some Chinese stone-coal mines is a cause of concern. In this study, computational fluid dynamics simulations were employed to investigate three flowrates of the dilution gas (2.5, 5, and 7.5 m³/s) and radon distributions at realistic breathing levels (1.6, 1.75, and 1.9 m). The results showed that there are obvious jet-flow, backflow, and vortex zones near the heading face, and a circulation flow at the rear of the laneway. A high radon concentration area was found to be caused by the mining machinery. As the ventilation rate increased, the radon concentrations …

Adaptive Closed-Loop Neuromorphic Controller For Use In Respiratory Pacing, Ricardo Siu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory pacing can treat ventilatory insufficiency through electrical stimulation of the respiratory muscles, or the respective innervating nerves, to induce ventilation. It avoids some of the adverse effects associated with mechanical ventilation such as risk of diaphragm atrophy and lung damage. However, current respiratory pacing systems provide stimulation in an open-loop manner. This often requires users to undergo frequent tuning sessions with trained clinicians if the specified stimulation parameters are unable to induce sufficient ventilation in the presence of time-varying changes in muscle properties, chest biomechanics, and metabolic demand. Lack of adaptation to these changes may lead to complications arising …

Residential Attic Performance Comparison Research, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This research project evaluated cooling energy and moisture-related impacts between conventional attic venting and sealed attic vents in a lab home located in central Florida. All tests had R30 insulation on the ceiling and the roof deck uninsulated. A total of four different test configurations were tested. The four tested configurations were: Attic Vented with Attic Ducts, Attic Vents Sealed with Attic Ducts, Attic Vented with Indoor Ducts, and Attic Vents Sealed with Indoor Ducts. On average the impact from sealing attic vents will increase annual cooling energy use in a Florida home between 5%-10%. For a 1620 square foot …

Innovative Schematic Concept Analysis For A Space Suit Portable Life Support Subsystem, M. Schuller, R. Kobrick, T. Lalk, L. Wiseman, F. Little, Et Al.

Ryan L. Kobrick

Conceptual designs for a space suit Personal Life Support Subsystem (PLSS) were developed and assessed to determine if upgrading the system using new, emerging, or projected technologies to fulfill basic functions would result in mass, volume, or performance improvements. Technologies were identified to satisfy each of the functions of the PLSS in three environments (zero-g, Lunar, and Martian) and in three time frames (2006, 2010, and 2020). The viability of candidate technologies was evaluated using evaluation criteria such as safety, technology readiness, and reliability. System concepts (schematics) were developed for combinations of time frame and environment by assigning specific technologies …

Space Suit Concepts And Vehicle Interfaces For The Constellation Program, D. M. Klaus, J. Metts, R. Kobrick, M. Mesloh, T. Monk, Et Al.

Ryan L. Kobrick

In carrying out NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration, a number of different environments will be encountered that will require the crew to wear a protective space suit. Specifically, four suited mission phases are identified as Launch, Entry & Abort profiles, Contingency 0g (orbital) Extravehicular Activity (EVA), Lunar Surface EVA and Martian Surface EVA. This study presents conceptual design solutions based on a previous architecture assessment that defined space suit operational requirements for four proposed space suit configuration options. In addition, a subset of vehicle interface requirements are defined for enabling umbilical and physical connections between the suits and the various …

Cuffed Pediatric Endotracheal Tubes, Jennifer Nutter, Emmanuela Oppong, Colleen Pouliot

Honors Theses

Endotracheal tubes (ET) are used to provide patients with an adequate airway when they are unable to breathe on their own. ET tubes can be used in emergency situations, surgical procedures, and on-floor intubations. The two main types of ET tubes are cuffed and uncuffed. Due to the fragile structure of a child's throat, uncuffed tubes are primarily used in pediatric patients. Uncuffed tubes can slip out of place resulting in air leakage and improper oxygenation. In contrast, cuffed ET tubes provide a proper seal to the airway and prevent against aspiration. The following work proposes an improved design for …