Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Synthesis And Analysis Of Anionic Hydrogel Scaffolds For Endothelial Cell Tissue Engineering, Abitha Sundararajan

Masters Theses

Acidic hydrogels are cross-linked polymer networks that contain neutral and negatively charged monomers. The degree of negative charge on these soft materials plays a critical role in their biomedical applications. In particular, their use as a scaffold for cardiovascular applications depends on their charged and swollen states. The amount of negative charge, however, is a complicated function of the fabrication conditions, monomeric dissociation constants, ionic strengths and pH of the surround bath solution. This study, therefore, considered four representative acidic hydrogels and their physical properties and interactions with endothelial cells. The acidic monomers methacrylic acid (MAAc) and sulfoethylmethacrylate (SEMA) were …

A Method To Calculate The Femoro-Polyethylene Contact Pressures In Total Knee Arthroplasty In-Vivo, Adrija Sharma

Masters Theses

This study deals with the development of a computational method that generates the in-vivo contact pressures on the superior side of the polyethylene in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) based on in-vivo kinematic data. Ten clinically successful subjects (five fixed and five mobile bearing TKA), having Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee scores greater than 90, were analyzed under fluoroscopic surveillance while performing a weight-bearing deep knee bend. 3D in-vivo contact positions and kinematics, determined using a 2D to 3D registration technique, and soft tissue locations derived from literature were entered into a 3D inverse dynamics mathematical model to determine the …

A Validation Simulation Of A Large Pool Fire, W. Reid Williams

Masters Theses

The capabilities of the Fire Dynamics Simulator (Version 3) (FDS3) have been examined to determine whether a large pool fire test can be reasonably simulated. Activities undertaken include 2-D and 3-D pool fire modeling in the absence of wind and heat sinks within the fire principally to compare flame height predictions to established correlations, wind field modeling specifically targeted at developing initial velocity and boundary conditions to use in the simulation of an actual pool fire, and simulation of a specific pool fire test conducted by Sandia National Laboratories in 1983. Processes were developed for determining flame heights based on …

Multiple View 3d Reconstruction Of Micro- To Nano-Scopic Specimens, Matthew Alan Schultz

Masters Theses

Range images and 3D modeling are often utilized on large scale specimens, but have been somewhat overlooked on the microscopic scale. This thesis concentrates on overcoming some of the difficulties of capturing images and creating both 3D models and 2D range images on this scale. During the scope of this thesis we take a deeper look into the optical mechanics of the laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to understand the formation of the images and use that information to create our algorithms. With the use of the LSCM we can obtain a stack of 2D …

Microstrain Pattern Analysis Of The Canine Patellar Tendon Following A Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, Joshua Paul Stapleton

Masters Theses

This study investigates the change in strain patterns of the canine patellar tendon following a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). The TPLO is a procedure used to minimize anterior tibial translation in canines following a cranial cruciate rupture. A noted clinical deficiency randomly seen with the TPLO is an inflammation of the patellar tendon. In some instances, the inflammation results in material damage resulting in a calcification of the tendon and in worst cases, a fracture of the patella.

In order to investigate the strain patterns, four fresh frozen canine cadaver stifles were used. The cadavers were mounted for stabilization …

Development Of A Methodology To Evaluate Environmental Implications Of Lean Implementation, Pamuk Teparakul

Masters Theses

While much research has confirmed the effectiveness of lean manufacturing in improving manufacturing productivity, far less work has focused on the impact of lean implementation on the different measures of environmental performance. More notably, there remains much to be understood about the complex relationship between lean manufacturing principles and their overall environmental impacts.

The purpose of this research is to develop a multi-phase methodology to assist practitioners in evaluating overall environmental impacts associated with implementation of various lean manufacturing principles. This knowledge would then allow practitioners to design and analyze manufacturing systems for both productivity and environmental concerns. A case …

Finite Element Nonlinear Dynamic Response Analysis Of The Human Knee Joint, T. Wayne Pfeiler

Masters Theses

Objective. To develop a detailed non-linear 3-D dynamic finite element model of the knee joint and perform preliminary analysis simulating different loading conditions to confirm reasonable function of the model.

Design. Using ANSYS, a finite element model of the human knee was created and tested.

Background. Finite element models of the knee have been developed in previous studies. However, no study has generated a detailed tissue level model, or performed dynamic testing on a model.

Methods. Initial cartilage and ligament geometry was received from a previous study. A finite element mesh including bone was created. The model was constrained to …

Effect Of Loading Frequency On Intervertebral Disc Cells., Kristen Nicole Loveless

Masters Theses

Cells of the intervertebral disc have a limited capacity for matrix repair and may contribute to the onset and progression of degenerative disc changes. Disc degeneration contributes to declining nutrition, loss of viable cells, cell senescence, post-translational modification of matrix proteins, accumulation of degraded matrix molecules, and fatigue failure of the matrix. During daily activities intervertebral discs are exposed to oscillatory hydrostatic loads. It is known that dynamic loads with critical frequencies close to that of the human spine resonant frequency (4-8 Hz) have a destructive effect on disc tissue properties. Whether this destructive effect is purely mechanical due to …

Modeling Of Circulation Zone And Shear Layers In Coaxial Injectors, Clayton Andrew White

Masters Theses

Gaseous/gaseous hydrogen oxygen shear coaxial injectors were modeled to investigate grid parameters affecting solution and to determine if a steady state solution might exist if only one circulation zone was present. The General Equation Mesh Solver (GEMS), which implements the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the k-ω turbulence model, was used to conduct the study. The Gambit grid generator was used to construct computational grids. Different grids were compared in a search for the optimum configuration while residual levels were monitored in search of a steady state solution.

The Development And Verification Of Three Matlab Analysis Applications Programmed Specifically For Engage Team Projects., Jonathan W. Huber

Masters Theses

This thesis outlines the development of three analysis applications for use in the freshmen Engineering Fundamentals Program (engage) at the University of Tennessee. Engage teaches freshmen engineering mechanics concepts through a set of integrated components including Lecture, Analysis and Skills, Problem Session, Physical Homework, and Team Projects. Presently, the students have limited access to any software analysis tools to aid the design process. The students have little experience writing the types of complex programs needed to analyze a particular project. Even more, they do not have the time. The applications provide a means for the students to perform an accurate …

A Study On The Prediction Of Viscosity With The Use Of Numerical Simulation Software, Brian Robinson

Masters Theses

A study was undertaken to numerically simulate the flow of highly viscous fluid. Simulating a highly viscous flow within a parallel plate plastometer will hopefully begin to bridge the gaps in the current knowledge of these viscous models. The modeling of this flow was performed using the canned code FiDAP from Fluent Inc. The results are compared with the analytical results calculated by NASA Marshall researchers.

A Study Of The Electron Beam Scattering Under Various Gaseous Environment, Jing He

Masters Theses

There are three objectives in this work: to experimentally measure the profiles of electron beams scattered by interaction with a gas, to measure total scattering cross-sections for gases and to apply the cross-section data in a suitable Monte Carlo simulation to predict beam scattering profiles for comparison with experiment.
The experimentally measured profiles cover a wide range of intensity variation. There are two evidenced regions: an inner region and an outer skirt corresponding to inelastic (small angle) and elastic scattering respectively are appeared. These profiles use the planar p-n junction gives us an overall look at the electron beam spreading, …

Analysis Of A Ground-Coupled Heat Pump During A Heating Season, Francis Conlin

Masters Theses

A ground-coupled heat pump, installed in an 170 square meter residential building in Knox County Tennessee, has been examined both experimentally and analytically. The ground coupling was realized with a 210 meter coil buried 1.2 meters beneath the soil, through which circulated a secondary heat transfer fluid. The house, the ground and the power consuming devices were instrumented, and hourly readings of temperatures, heat flows, power consumption, and weather data were recorded.

The experiment was carried out during the 1982-1983 heating season beginning in November and lasting 26 weeks. The overall heating seasonal performance factor was 2.57. No backup heat …

A Transient, One-Dimensional, Discrete-Element Transport Model For Predicting Hydrodynamic Conditions And Three-Layer Non-Equilibrium Pollutant Concentrations As Dissolved In Water And As Adsorbed On Different Classes Of Sediment In Controlled Rivers And Tidal Estuaries, Gary W. Zimmerman

Masters Theses

A transient one-dimensional mathematical model for simulating the transport of pollutant effluents from industrial plants is presented.

The Eulerion fluid-in-discrete-element (FLIDE) formulation employs the integral forms of the conservation principles of water mass, sediment mass, and pollutant mass in variable size discrete elements that span the flow region. The transport of the pollutant effluents are modeled as dissolved and adsorbed suspended sediment in the suspended sediment and slurry sediment layer and as dissolved and stationary resident sediment in the resident sediment layer.

The contributions of vertical variations of the velocity components and pollutant concentrations in the suspended sediment and slurry …