Digital Commons Network^™

Elastic Actuator For Robotic Leg, Bruce Berg, Allan Pham, Madeline Slater, Sofie Zalatimo

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Legged Robots Group (CPLRG) is developing a 12 degree of freedom robot with the goal of eventually performing highly dynamic movements such as jumps and flips. During such movements, large impact forces will be experienced by the leg, potentially resulting in damage to physical components such as the motors. The scope of this project is to integrate elastic elements into the quadruped legs to reduce shock loads on the motors and improve the efficiency of the legs through energy storage. The key stakeholders for this project are Professor Charlie Refvem and Dr. Simon Xing. Other stakeholders include …

Design And Optimization Of A Bluff Body For Energy Harvesting Of Transverse Galloping Induced By Low-Speed Wind Using Bernstein Polynomial Equations, Youssef Wael Abdelmoneim

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a computational framework is proposed for optimizing the aerodynamic shape of bluff bodies used in galloping-based wind energy harvesters. The system targets low-wind speed environments, where normal wind turbines are not effective, offering a potential alternative to batteries used for powering small electronic devices such as wireless sensors. The design relies on the galloping effect, where airflow around a bluff body induces transverse oscillations that drive an energy conversion mechanism. To generate efficient bluff body geometry, the Class-Shape Transformation (CST) method is used to define a wide range of candidate shapes with minimal design parameters. These shapes …

Elevate Grill, Tanner Bachmann, Lance Anderson, Caden Huang, Jonathan Li, Brady Alexander

Mechanical Engineering

Santa Maria-style grills are a defining cooking tool of California’s Central Coast and are valued for their open fire cooking method and adjustable grate height. While this design provides direct control over cooking conditions, maintaining a consistent cooking temperature requires frequent manual adjustment of the grate position. This process relies heavily on operator experience and continuous attention, making temperature consistency difficult to maintain in a commercial kitchen environment. The Elevate Grill project was developed for Mike Ahrens and Wren Provisions to address this challenge while preserving the traditional Santa Maria grilling experience. The system uses temperature feedback from multiple thermocouples …

Design And Parametric Study Of A Mems-Based Reservoir Computer For Reinforcement Learning, Andrew P. Carr

Master's Theses

Single-node reservoir computing (RC) is a hardware-efficient approach to machine learning, leveraging the dynamics of physical systems. In this work, two reinforcement learning algorithms, Q-learning and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), are applied to a simulated micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based reservoir computer to solve both discrete and continuous control tasks. MEMS-based reservoirs are low-power, compact, and their natural frequencies (kHz to MHz) pair well with real-time control loops. To explore the relationship between reservoir dynamics and learning performance, a parametric study is conducted on two reservoir hyperparameters, reservoir size and neuron separation, using CartPole-v1 and MountainCar-v0. The RC successfully learns multiple tasks …

Design And Implementation Of An Embedded Control System For The Cal Poly Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator, Neil Mahesh Bedagkar

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development of a cascaded reaction wheel control system for Cal Poly's Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator. This work considers system architecture, empirical modeling, high-fidelity simulation, embedded firmware, hardware integration, and experimental characterization. In discrete-time simulation, it is shown that nonlinear direct model reference adaptive control (NDMRAC) enables a nonlinear, partially known plant with realistic actuator dynamics to track the response of a canonical second-order transfer function, with settling time within 4.67% and percent overshoot within order of magnitude of the second-order response. In hardware, the feasibility of a cascaded reaction wheel control architecture is experimentally demonstrated, achieving …

A Generative Ai-Driven Computational Framework For Industry-Scale Discovery Of Novel Battery Materials, Joy Datta

Dissertations

The growing demand for sustainable, high-energy-density electrochemical storage has motivated the exploration of multivalent-ion batteries based on earth-abundant elements such as aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. While multivalent charge carriers offer higher theoretical energy density than lithium, their practical deployment is hindered by sluggish ion transport, strong ion-host interactions, and structural degradation of electrode materials. Identifying host materials that can reversibly accommodate multivalent ions while maintaining structural integrity remains a fundamental challenge. The dissertation develops a scalable, end-to-end computational framework that integrates density functional theory (DFT), machine learning (ML), and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to accelerate the discovery of next-generation …

Toward Learning-Based Reconstruction And Part Decomposition Of Man-Made 3d Geometry: Neural Implicit Representations And Scalable Supervision, Shen Fan

Dissertations

Digital three-dimensional (3D) models are central to engineering design, analysis, and manufacturing, but learning pipelines for man-made geometry often operate on sampled carriers that do not preserve all of the structure present in exact CAD representations. This dissertation studies learning-based reconstruction and part decomposition for structured man-made 3D geometry, from general object benchmarks to CAD-derived datasets, with a focus on neural implicit representations trained from signed-distance samples, point clouds, and tessellated meshes. The goal is to make these models more accurate, more part-aware, and more consistently supervised.

First, signed distance function (SDF) reconstruction with implicit neural representations is improved through …

Hydrodynamic Analysis And Cfd Modeling Of Pawec Interacted With Regularwaves Using Cfx, Ahmed Elbaz

Mechanical Engineering

The multiplicity of renewable energy sources represents the biggest challenge for environmental scientists and engineers. This research presents a mathematical model and a numerical study using the high-performance ANSYS-CFX software to analyze the dynamic behavior of the point absorberwave energy converter (PAWEC). Two different models were constructed to predict the hydrodynamic response of the wave energy converter in both free and forced oscillations under the action of incident regular waves and external mechanical damping. The differential equations are solved analytically using RKFOM. CFX multiphase model is constructed to solve the 3D Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes Equation (URANS) using the two-way …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Isometric Force Characterization Of Braided Pneumatic Actuators, Ben Bolen, Mohammad Elzein, Lawrence Pang, Alexander Hunt

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Artificial muscles such as braided pneumatic actuators (BPAs) offer many advantages for robotic systems, including high durability and strength-to-weight ratios. However, their use in robotic systems is still extremely limited, in part due to their poor force, length, and pressure characterization. In this work, a test setup is created to compare force produced by Festo fluidic BPAs with leading models. Our analysis of the data has resulted in (1) the development of new equations to calculate force as functions of pressure and contraction for Festo BPAs with uninflated diameters of 10 mm and 20 mm, and (2) a novel equation …

Entropy-Constrained Closure For Steady, Quasi-One-Dimensional Flow Of Ideal Gases, Andrew A. Oliva

Michigan Tech Publications

An entropy-constrained closure is developed for steady quasi-one-dimensional flow of a calorically perfect ideal gas. Net irreversibility is represented by a prescribed entropy change between the inlet and outlet or, equivalently, by a stagnation pressure ratio together with the stagnation temperature ratio implied by the energy balance equation. The thermodynamic constraint, enforced through Gibbs relation together with conservation of mass and energy, yields an algebraic mapping from the inlet flow state, area ratio and prescribed stagnation property ratios to the outlet flow state. The momentum balance is retained only as an auxiliary post-processing relation and may be used to infer …

Sentience, Sheetal Agrawal

Masters Theses

The increasing urgency for sustainable and adaptive systems has driven research toward embedding intelligence directly into materials rather than relying solely on external sensing and control systems. This thesis explores how smart material1 embedded systems can be designed to recognize and respond to environmental signatures, defined as measurable patterns such as temperature fluctuations and mechanical forces. Central to this investigation is the integration of shape memory alloys, particularly Nitinol, with geometry-based actuation mechanisms that amplify material behavior into functional system responses.

The central argument is that designing with smart materials is a design problem, not primarily a materials science problem …

From Frames To Strains: Analytically Modeling Inelastic Deformation Under Mapped Single-Site Impacts From High-Speed Footage To Internal State Variable Codes, Joby Milo Anthony

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This work adds insight to the physical phenomena of microstructural and stress strengthening of metal components by the inelastic deformation from Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT). Impact behaviors observed by high-speed footage of a Crank-Slider Mechanism (CSM) are examined in the context of analytically moving rigid bodies in spacetime and resolving kinematics upon impact until restitution via Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A Coupled Discrete-Finite Element Model (CDFEM) leverages Bammann plasticity, Horstemeyer damage and void nucleation, growth, and coalescence and Cho recrystallization Internal State Variable (ISV) models to show the localization of plastic strain and onset of recrystallization under any single …

An Analytical Framework For Quantifying Urban And Community Resilience To Natural Hazards From Cell-Phone Gps-Location And Traffic-Flow Data, Georgios Chatzikyriakidis

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Urban areas are increasingly exposed to natural hazards while accommodating a growing share of the global population, yet a consistent science-based framework for quantifying urban and community resilience remains lacking. This dissertation develops a physics-based analytical framework grounded in statistical mechanics and the quantitative theory of Brownian motion. A city is conceptualized as a complex medium in which citizens move analogously to Brownian particles within a viscoelastic environment, influenced by socioeconomic interactions and infrastructure functionality.

A central premise is that urban resilience, interpreted as engineering resilience (an outcome), can be quantified through a single metric: the mean-square displacement MSD=⟨r²(t)⟩, of …

Assessing The Impact Of Multi-Physics Effects On Photovoltaic Module Degradation Using Computational Modeling, James Yuan Hartley

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation describes research to develop and apply multi-physics simulation capabilities using finite element methods to analyze photovoltaic module damage mechanisms. Analyses of full-scale solar modules under mechanical load are presented, including experimental validation against measurements of external deflection and internal strain. Module damage by solar cell breakage and interconnection fatigue are discussed, and the applicability of simplifying analyses using mathematical plate theory is assessed. Detailed sub-module component models undergoing thermal-mechanical stressors are also presented, to identify the design features and materials most influential to stress generation and to assess the representativeness of using sub-module assemblies in accelerated testing. Finally, …

Harmonic Response Analysis Of Asymmetric Double-Wishbone Suspension Systems For Amphibious Vehicle Stability, Harper K. Mccraw

Theses and Dissertations

Amphibious vehicles in the surf zone face severe hydrodynamic forcing, yet their internal suspension dynamics remain under-characterized. This research quantifies the non-linear dynamic response of an asymmetric double-wishbone suspension under regular wave impact. Using a physical model in a wave flume and a Qualisys motion-capture system, global rigid-body roll angles were processed through a decoupled kinematic numerical framework to isolate time-domain strut displacements. To evaluate stability, the data was transformed into the frequency domain to calculate Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Results indicate that all test configurations exhibited significant non-linearity, primarily driven by mechanical clipping as struts reached their physical travel …

A Cradle To Grave Life Cycle Assessment Of Captured Landfill Methane Abatement Strategies, Joshua Caleb Richard

Theses and Dissertations

Landfill methane mitigation strategies are commonly evaluated using percentage-based leakage assumptions and linear scaling models. These approaches may misrepresent system performance at varying throughput levels and real-world operating scenarios. This thesis develops a system-level life cycle assessment framework that incorporates both fixed infrastructure losses and employs sensitivity analysis to more accurately characterize emissions from landfill gas management pathways. Three scenarios are evaluated: methane capture and flare, methane capture and combustion for electricity generation, and methane upgrading with pipeline injection as renewable natural gas. Results demonstrate that emissions models over- dependance on static factors may inadvertently lead to under-reporting and provide …

Vegetated Canopy Heterogeneity Footprints In The Roughness Sublayer, Giulia Salmaso, Raul Bayoan Cal, Marc Calaf

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Turbulent flows over horizontally homogeneous rough surfaces are categorized as rough‐wall boundary layer flows, while flows over homogeneous vegetated canopies are better described through a mixing‐layer analogy. At present, numerous studies have investigated canopy density as a transition mechanism between rough‐wall and mixing‐layer‐type flows. Yet, most considered canopies have been spatially homogeneous, with few exceptions investigating agricultural arrangements. However, most vegetated canopies are not homogeneously distributed, but instead contain gaps and spatial heterogeneities of different scales. In these cases, it remains unclear which are the dominant flow traits, and how spatial heterogeneity affects them. To help overcome these knowledge gaps, …

A Study & Comparison Of Lift Boosters For An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Trevor Sean Dady

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society for tasks, such as package delivery, defense, and cinematography. Due to this surge in applications, many researchers have begun to search for improvements to unmanned aerial vehicles for their lift and thrust properties. Potential solutions to magnify an unmanned aerial vehicle’s thrust capability are the implementation of Coanda surfaces, nozzles, or bowl-shaped structures on each propeller. Coanda surfaces provide additional lift force by creating a vacuum in response to the adhesion of fluid to the smooth surface. Nozzles can constrict the flow of air, while also increasing its velocity. The …

Experimental Measurements Of The Forces Acting On A Submerged Beam Using High-Speed Videography, Madelyn Burrell

Masters Theses

The interaction of structures and fluids is highly relevant in many fields but difficult to accurately and reliably characterize. This study demonstrates a novel method of simplifying such problems by analyzing the structural deformations directly, without needing to explicitly solve for the fluid aspect. Six cantilever beams of varying properties were submerged in still water and released from an initial deflection at the free end: the cases consisted of three beam shapes (one of uniform width, one with a narrower free end, and one with a wider free end), with an end mass attached or detached. High-speed videography was utilized …

Thermal Transient Analysis Of Mahogany Wood Biomass Pyrolysis: The Role Of Zeolite Catalyst Variations On Temperature Distribution, Yusri Yusri, Widya Wijayanti, Mega Nur Sasongko

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Biomass pyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste into fuel. The use of zeolite catalysts can enhance efficiency by accelerating biomass decomposition. To demonstrate its effect, thermal simulations were conducted using ANSYS Thermal Transient to analyze temperature distribution, reaction rates, and catalyst effectiveness in the pyrolysis process. This study aims to improve thermal efficiency and temperature uniformity by analyzing the effect of 10% and 20% zeolite mixtures on heat distribution and heating rates at input temperatures of 650 K, 750 K, and 850 K, using the 2D axial symmetry method. The simulation was performed under specific boundary conditions: input …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Spray Development And Low Temperature Combustion Characteristics In A Cvcc With Nvh Of Renewable Aerospace Fuels: Hefa & Ft Synthetic Kerosene (S8) Compared To Jet-A & Ulsd, Coleman Norton

Honors College Theses

A comprehensive analysis was conducted to research the viability of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) and S8 Synthetic Kerosene fuels as a drop-in replacement for conventional petroleum-based fuels, Jet-A and ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel). Global transportation remains heavily dependent on liquid fossil fuels, while renewable aerospace fuels offer a promising pathway to reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. However, the combustion performance and long-term feasibility of these fuels remain insufficiently characterized. This study performed a thorough assessment of each fuel's thermophysical and combustion properties. Thermophysical characterization encompassed viscosity, freezing point, energy density, spray atomization, and volatility. …

Development Of A Putting Green Manufacturing Process, Tabitha R. Webster

Honors Theses

Our Capstone project investigates the end to end design, development, and production of a 6‑foot long portable putting green marketed for individuals seeking a high quality, competitively priced golf product for home or office use. The capstone project examines the full lifecycle of product creation applying manufacturing principles learned through the center of manufacturing’s coursework. From the initial concept through engineering design, market research, prototyping, manufacturing optimization, and final production the project emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration across engineering, business, and accountancy majors. Methods used to gather data included marketing surveys, CAD drawings, time studies during production runs, value stream mapping, and …

Plastic Material Analysis And Bonding In Small Aquatic Vessels, Andrew R. Orr

Honors College Theses

This project presents the design and development of a suitable vessel for small-scale aquatic applications. The developed project is used for a remote-controlled duck hunting system, and the parameters of the design are based on the requirements for the system as a whole. Traditionally, plastics are fabricated using blow molding to create a single seamless form. However, for small-scale prototyping with limited resources, this method of fabrication is unsustainable for short-term, non-industrial design applications. As a result, an existing longer hull is selected and shortened to meet the required project length. The project evaluates multiple initial hull designs, ultimately selecting …

Design Optimization Of Active-Stabilizing Canards For High-Powered Rockets, Simon Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

Rocket canards are a common means of stabilizing a high-powered rocket in flight by producing aerodynamic forces to correct the rocket's trajectory. The size, shape, and position of the canards relative to the rocket body determine their control effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency – two objectives of canard design with an inverse relationship to each other. By integrating automated iterative rocket trajectory simulation with adaptive surrogate modelling, this research optimized the canard planform geometry for a high-powered rocket to maximize the canards’ control effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency through multi-variable, multi-objective design optimization. The canard design was first parameterized into four design …

Development Of A Putting Green Manufacturing Process, Jose Andres Cepeda Santiago

Honors Theses

Our Capstone project investigates the end-to-end design, development, and production of a 6‑foot long portable putting green marketed for individuals seeking a high quality, competitively priced golf product for home or office use. The capstone project examines the full lifecycle of product creation applying manufacturing principles learned through the center of manufacturing’s coursework. From the initial concept through engineering design, market research, prototyping, manufacturing optimization, and final production the project emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration across engineering, business, and accountancy majors. Methods used to gather data included marketing surveys, CAD drawings, time studies during production runs, value stream mapping, and controlled documentation …

Development Of A Putting Green Manufacturing Process, Avalon R. Madden

Honors Theses

Our Capstone project investigates the end to end design, development, and production of a 6‑foot long portable putting green marketed for individuals seeking a high quality, competitively priced golf product for home or office use. The capstone project examines the full lifecycle of product creation applying manufacturing principles learned through the center of manufacturing’s coursework. From the initial concept through engineering design, market research, prototyping, manufacturing optimization, and final production the project emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration across engineering, business, and accountancy majors. Methods used to gather data included marketing surveys, CAD drawings, time studies during production runs, value stream mapping, and …

Brine Solidification And Metals Sequestration Using Lignocellulosics, Frank Kvietok

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal ash has historically been used as a convenient, on-site solidification material for brines generated from flue gas desulfurization at power plants. As alternate utilization scenarios are developed for coal ash, lignocellulosic (wood-based) sorbents can serve as a highly efficient substitute for the solidification process. Results will be shared for a variety of different brine types: thermally reduced, thermally reduced and neutralized, and reverse osmosis. In addition to solidification performance, which demonstrated a 3-4x mass of liquid vs mass of sorbent factor, studies were conducted to quantify the strength of binding to the wood-based sorbent for a broad range of …

Practical Guidelines For Pump Testing Of Ccr: Workflow, Design, And Lessons Learned., Nathanial Keller, Brian Hennings, Vic Modeer, Katie Moran

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

This session presents a streamlined approach for pump testing of coal combustion residuals (CCR) to maximize hydraulic information with limited well installations, variable pumping rates, and short tests. Pre-test forward modeling identifies well offsets (typically 5–10 ft) and test durations (~2–6 hours) to yield measurable and analyzable drawdown at observation wells despite low pumping rates. Field execution consists of short step-drawdown testing to evaluate well specific capacity and select pumping rates for a constant rate test with one or more observation wells. Test results facilitate analysis of transmissivity and storativity of the CCR. Applied at two Midwestern sites with different …

Simplified Approximate Procedure For Assessing The Implications Of Updated Usgs Seismic Hazard Models On Seismic Stability Assessments Of Ccr Impoundment Facilities, Nick Mcclung, Matt Bishop, Adrian Pena-Iguaran, Seda Gokyer-Erbis

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Selection of appropriate seismic design ground motions remains a key challenge for seismic stability assessments of coal combustion residual (CCR) impoundment facilities, particularly where regulatory guidance does not specify a required hazard model. This paper examines the implications of using Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) derived from the 2014 versus the 2018 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for seismic amplification and stability evaluations of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Widows Creek Fossil (WCF) Plant CCR Management Units. The 2018 NSHM incorporates updated understanding of seismicity in the central and eastern United States and generally predicts higher ground …