Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Wetting Events On Mass Timber Surface Microbial Communities And Voc Emissions: Implications For Building Operation And Occupant Well-Being, Gwynne Á. Mhuireach, Susan Collins, Leslie Dietz, Patrick Finn Horve, Aurélie Laguerre, Dale Northcutt, Jason Stenson, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, Elliott Gall, Mark Fretz

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

IntroductionHumans have used wood as a construction material throughout history. Currently, mass timber products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), are becoming more popular as a structural material, since they are renewable and have a lower carbon footprint than concrete or steel. Nonetheless, some building types, such as healthcare, veterinary, and food manufacturing, avoid using structural mass timber due to concerns about microbial growth in the event of wetting. One solution is to use protective coatings on mass timber products to increase moisture resistance, although the coatings themselves may generate concerns about volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Natural uncoated wood also …

A Pressure-Based Estimate Of Multi-Orifice Synthetic Jet Performance, Rhett Parry

Student Research Symposium

Synthetic Jets

• Zero-Net Mass Flux
• Wide voltage and frequency response
• Trends with physical and nondimensional parameters

Open Accessarticle Crystal Plasticity Modeling Of Dislocation Density Evolution In Cellular Dislocation Structures, Md Mahabubur Rohoman, Caizhi Zhou

Faculty Publications

The complex thermal cycles during the solidification process in metal additive manufacturing (AM) lead to the formation of high-density dislocation networks, organizing into submicron-scale cellular structures. These ultrafine structures are recognized as crucial for enhancing the mechanical properties of AM metals. In this study, we investigate the evolution of dislocation density within these cellular structures under plastic deformation and its impact on mechanical response using dislocation density-based crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modeling. The model incorporates the evolution of both statistically stored dislocation (SSD) and geometrically necessary dislocation (GND). Our simulations reveal that the yield and flow stresses of dislocation …

A Model Predictive Control To Improve Grid Resilience, Joseph Young, David G. Wilson, Wayne Weaver, Rush Robinett

Michigan Tech Publications

The following article details a model predictive control (MPC) to improve grid resilience when faced with variable generation resources. This topic is of significant interest to utility power systems where distributed intermittent energy sources will increase significantly and be relied on for electric grid ancillary services. Previous work on MPCs has focused on narrowly targeted control applications such as improving electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure or reducing the cost of integrating Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) into the grid. In contrast, this article develops a comprehensive treatment of the construction of an MPC tailored to electric grids and then applies it …

Wind-Resilient Solar: Harnessing Cfd For Enhanced Load Estimation, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

Solar panels are a cornerstone of renewable energy infrastructure, playing a pivotal role in global sustainability efforts. To ensure their resilience and long-term viability, accurate wind load estimations are essential for designing supporting structures, which account for nearly 50% of their total cost. However, traditional building codes lack comprehensive guidance for solar panels, resulting in inconsistent estimations due to discrepancies in scaled wall-bounded wind tunnel testing methodologies. These inaccuracies pose safety risks, increase costs, and hinder adoption. Emerging technologies like computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations offer a promising alternative by enabling full-scale analysis under realistic conditions of complete turbulence. This …

Fabrication Of Ultra High-Temperature Compact Heat Exchanger By Extrusion-Based Ceramic Additive Manufacturing, Abid Hasan Rafi, David W. Lipke, Jeremy Lee Watts, Greg Hilmas, Ming-Chuan Leu

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Development Of Intelligent Robot Assistance In Mining (Iram), Khosro Ghorbani Zadeh, Yun Seong Song

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Additive Manufacturing Of Thermoplastic Composites, Matik Heskin, K. Chandrashekhara, Richard Billo, Ming-Chuan Leu, Thomas P. Schuman

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Design Of A Two-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry System For The Missouri S&T Supersonicwind Tunnel, Joseph Villarreal, Davide Vigano

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Impulse, Spring 2025, Jill Fier, Micayla Standish, Jerome J. Lohr College Of Engineering

Impulse (Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Publication)

2 | Faculty, Staff Honored
4 | The State of Lithium
6 | 100 Years of Ag and Biosystems Engineering
8 | Major Milestones
12 | Distinguished Engineer Geldert-Murphy
14 | Distinguished Engineering Heitkamp
16 | By the Numbers
18 | Space Grant Consortium at SDSU
20 | Healthcare Systems Engineering Program
22 | Ridgway Three-Peat
23 | Aerospace Club Launches
24 | Power and Energy Scholarships
25 | More Take Part in Nasa Challenges
26 | Weber Recognized as Student Leader
30 | Wild Hare Racing Ready
32| Sebern’s Success as Sole Operator
34 | Meink: From Prairie to …

High-Temperature Inert-Environment Thermomechanical Testing Furnace, Danielle Abenojar, Lex Liang, Shanice Liu, Christoph Mahler, James Masukawa, Alexander Norring, Ryan Owens Kenneth Pan, Estefania Pesqueira, Andrew Tan, Cole Warnick, Joshua Wong

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

High-temperature materials testing is critical for frontier technologies, especially in the aerospace and power generation sectors. The objective of this senior design project is to research and develop an inert-environment sealed furnace for a lab mechanical tester to reach 2000°C for the Santa Clara University Materials Science Lab. Two groups of project members were created to address engineering design and manufacturing issues in various subsystems of the final vision: Team A focuses on structural analysis and fabrication, instrumentation, and electrical design, while Team B focuses on thermal, busbar, and fluid cooling design. Financial and logistical aspects of the project have …

Valve-Tec, Ethan Lung, Dan Pruin, Casey Lacuata, Leo Morris

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This project explores the feasibility of replacing a traditional camshaft driven system with an electronically actuated camless design for internal combustion engines. The primary motivation is to improve engine efficiency, reduce emissions, and extend the relevance of combustion engines in a future leaning toward electrification. Traditional camshaft systems limit engine responsiveness and efficiency due to fixed valve timing. Our camless solution addresses these limitations by using solenoids controlled by microcontrollers to open and close the valves based on the crankshaft position. We developed a modular prototype that integrates both analog and digital hall effect sensors for crank angle detection, dual …

Active Suspension System, Jens Clausen, Felix Derrouaz, Jacky Quan

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis presents the design, development, and prototyping of an active suspension system intended for high-performance racing applications, with a focus on karting. The goal of the project was to create a geometrically active suspension capable of dynamically adjusting key parameters such as camber, caster, toe, and track width in real-time to improve grip, cornering stability, and overall vehicle performance.

The team conducted extensive research into suspension theory, customer needs, and existing industry solutions before developing a mechanical platform based on a Short-Long Arm (SLA) double wishbone configuration. Using linear actuators to introduce five degrees of freedom, the system was …

2025 (Spring) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the spring of 2025.

Towards Sustainable Energy: Design And Preliminary Testing Of Tidal Current Turbines, Yareli A. Zelaya Pavon

Presentations - 2025

As the energy demand constantly increases and traditional energy resources decrease, incorporating sustainable alternatives has become necessary. In this context, this research attempts to provide a new solution for energy scarcity in regions that lack electricity, especially those located near large ocean areas. The objective of this project was to engineer and investigate an ideal prototype to transform power generation. Through detailed design and testing, this project seeks to reveal the potential of tidal energy, offering an alternative to communities struggling with energy distribution.

The research focuses on utilizing custom-designed propellers, which are 3D printed and installed on an open …

Automated Fiber Placement Laminate Level Optimization: A Physics-Inspired Method To Analyze Through-Thickness Defect Interactions, Nishan Patel

Theses and Dissertations

With the growing adoption of composite materials in industries such as aerospace, automotive, naval, wind energy, and even sectors like sports and consumer goods, there has been a strong push towards improving manufacturing reliability and productivity. One key method that has gained significant traction is Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), an additive manufacturing technique valued for its precision, efficiency, and adaptability in producing complex composite parts. As industries continue to shift from traditional metal-based structures to more advanced composite materials, the need for efficient and high- quality manufacturing solutions has become even more critical, prompting a focus on automation and optimization …

Towards Universal Non-Dimensional Characterization Of The Oscillatory Dynamics Of Wind Turbine Rotors Of Multiple Sizes, North Yates, Fernando L. Ponta, Alayna Farrell

Michigan Tech Publications

One concern in the field of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) is what control strategies are needed to handle gust pulses in the wind to prevent extreme oscillations of the blades to reduce fatigue stress, prevent blade rupture, and extend the turbine’s operational life. In order to design innovative control strategies to modify the blade’s oscillatory response, it is crucial to establish the fundamental vibrational behavior of the blades when excited by gust pulses of different frequencies and amplitudes present in the fluctuating wind inflow. In a series of previous works, the authors presented a novel Reduced-Order Characterization (ROC) technique …

Impact Of Delayed Artificial Aging On Tensile Properties And Microstructural Evolution Of Directed Energy Deposited Scalmalloy®, Rachel Boillat-Newport, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Frank Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Scalmalloy® is a novel alloy designed to work with the unique processing inherent in additive manufacturing (AM). This alloy is post-processed using a single artificial aging treatment rather than a multistep heat treatment, as often noted in traditional manufacturing processes. Much of the literature details the impact of direct aging treatments around the temperature and time recommended by the manufacturer, 325 °C for 4 h; however, few studies have explored the impact of delayed artificial aging on the resulting mechanical and microstructural behavior. This study explored this missing link and determined the impact that the time between the fabrication of …

Automated Plant Morphological Assessment And Microbial Community Monitoring In Simulated Lunar Regolith, Collin R. Topolski

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Upcoming lunar bases will need to leverage in-situ resources to ensure long-term sustainability and reduce mission costs. One key challenge is food production, which could be addressed by growing crops in lunar regolith-based substrates. However, lunar regolith lacks essential nutrients, requiring organic amendments to support continuous plant cultivation. This study examined the impact of manure-amended lunar regolith simulant on Mizuna mustard growth while assessing microbial community diversity and functionality. To support this effort, a custom software pipeline utilizing an open-source library, PlantCV, was developed to automatically track plant leaf area and height via image analysis. Results indicated that amended rhizosphere …

Smart End Effector Docking System, Matthew Becker, Julie Corey, Mia Gallarate, Rachel Lee, Adam Shpolyansky

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Smart End Effector Docking System (S.E.E.D.S.) serves as an autonomous docking system to assist with replenishing fluid and charging the Agricultural Robot (AgBot) that has been developed by the Robotic Systems Laboratory. The docking system aims to improve autonomous capabilities by allowing the AgBot to recharge and transfer fluid independently, removing the need for human involvement. The S.E.E.D.S. project can additionally help to address labor shortages and safety hazards associated with agricultural workers by providing several functions including fluid transfer and power transfer for charging.

Trigger Buddy, Alex Requadt, Alan Chen, Max Fernandez

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Gun violence in the United States, particularly unauthorized firearm use by children and impulsive suicides, remains a devastating public health crisis. Despite widespread use of gun safes and locks, many remain ineffective or inconvenient, with most unauthorized users accessing firearms that were either unlocked or secured with easily bypassed mechanisms. Biometric locks present a promising alternative, but existing products often fall short in speed, reliability, and usability. To address this gap, we developed Trigger Buddy, a biometric handgun lock designed to balance accessibility, durability, and security. Trigger Buddy mounts directly to a handgun's picatinny rail and uses a fingerprint sensor …

3d Printing Filament Machine (Revers3d), Jairo Gonzalez, John Gonzalez, Jaime Garcia, Xiaotian (Stephen) Yan, Andrew Huynh, Jose Canez

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Reverse3D printer project aims to develop an innovative machine that recycles leftover 3D printed parts into new, usable spools, promoting sustainability in the 3D printing community. The project will create a new dimension of versatility when using 3D printing filament while still being user-friendly. The device will incorporate a grinding unit to grind up the parts, a heating element, an extrusion system, a cooling system, and a spooling system to create a continuous filament strand. Our ultimate goal is to grind the plastic to a size capable of being melted down and molded into a spool-like form suitable for …

Bronco Evtol: Vfs 2024 - 2025 Dvbf, Caroline Barbar Askar, Lanie Pritchard, John Bowers, Jacob Finley, Gus Gianotti, Luke Helwee

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Common vertical take-off vehicles, such as helicopters, have been useful for transportation, rescue, and fire-fighting applications. However, these vehicles contribute significantly to CO2 emissions and are extremely loud. Electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles ( e VTOLs) have been proposed as an alternative vehicle which can perform the same functions, without the costs associated with a helicopter. In this paper, we develop a conceptual design for an eVTOL which satisfies the requirements of the annual Vertical Flight Society's Design-Vertical-Build-Fly Competition. We focus our conceptual design on three subsystems: Propulsion, Airfoils, and Controls. These subsystem designs are verified using Finite Element …

2025 Aiaa Design/Build/Fly, Chris Campanile, Michael Cavan, Tyler Choo, Jason Dionida, Mateo Jovicic, Zane Kempler, Cole Lourenco, Derek Nease, Spencer Roberts

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis presents the design, fabrication, and testing of Santa Clara University's 2025 AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition aircraft. The project comprises two integrated systems: the Mothership (MS), a 6-ft wingspan electric aircraft, and the Autonomous Parasite Glider (APG), designed to complete four missions: rapid assembly, airworthiness, efficient fuel transport, and autonomous glider deployment. MS employs a tapered wing with an MH 20 airfoil and a Scorpion SII-4025-520 kV motor, selected for aerodynamic efficiency and mission-specific payloads, including wingmounted steel-filled fuel tanks. The APG, constructed from carbonreinforced foam, is deployed via spring latch and guided by an Ardupilot GPS controller.

Development …

Portable Stage, Theo Cabot, Martin Decker, Liam Jacobo

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The following report details the design, analysis, manufacturing, and testing of the prototype for the Portable Auto-Leveling Stage. Time and labor constraints required the prioritization of crucial safety subsystems over those conceived with performance enhancement in mind. FEA simulations displayed expected results on a fully assembled stage unit, whereas physical testing was run on one of the leg assemblies and the unconstrained stage deck. Wiring and verification of input response came to fruition in a testing system untethered to the physical stage deck.

Frequency-Based Rapid Structural Damage Detection Using Embedded Edge Computing On Resource-Constrained Devices, Ryan Yount

Theses and Dissertations

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is essential for ensuring reliability and longevity of useful structures. Traditional SHM approaches rely on manual or remote data transmission and external processing, which introduce latency and can depend on stable communication links. This work aims to advance SHM by integrating edge-computing techniques for rapid damage detection to enable faster and more autonomous structural assessments in resource-constrained environments. The research spans three key contributions including 1) frequency-based damage detection of civil structures using a sensor package with the addition of an edge processor, 2) additions to the computational efficiency of the edge-computing sensor package in a …

Helical Products Parts Display Stand, Binh Nguyen, Emily Yuan Mendyke, Zoe Porter

Mechanical Engineering

Helical Products needs a new product display stand that will demonstrate their custom springs, couplings, and u-joints. Their current display stand, a marble run contraption, is large, loud, and difficult to transport, so they would like the new stand to remedy these issues. The goal of this senior project is to create a display stand that captures the attention of their customers with dynamic product demonstrations while addressing the issues outlined above.

The new display stand is also a marble run contraption, but instead of being almost 4 feet tall and 3 feet long, it is 23” tall, 26.25” long, …

Bilateral Gait Trainer For Transtibial Amputees, Desmond Greer, Odinachi Anene, Andrew Wallace, Noah Hill

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Lower limb amputation affects over 2.3 million individuals in the U.S., with peripheral vascular disease and diabetes as leading causes. Prosthetic rehabilitation is critical for restoring mobility, yet barriers like therapist shortages, cost, and inconsistent at-home training limit patient outcomes. This thesis presents the design, development, and testing of a bilateral gait training device that addresses these challenges by providing real-time haptic feedback and quantitative gait metrics for at-home rehabilitation. The device integrates force-sensitive resistors embedded in insoles to monitor plantar pressure distribution, haptic actuators (eccentric rotating mass motors) mounted on thigh straps to deliver corrective feedback, and an Arduino-based …

Explainable And Reduced-Feature Machine Learning Models For Shape And Drag Prediction Of A Freely Moving Drop In The Sub-Critical Weber Number Regime, Md Amanullah Kabir Tonmoy

Theses and Dissertations

Accurately predicting the shape and drag of a moving drop is crucial in many spray applications. However, due to the complex interaction between the drag force and drop shape deformation, accurate prediction of drop shape and drag from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation requires large computational resources and time. A novel data-driven approach using NARXNN (Non-linear Auto Regressive eXogenous input Neural Network) is proposed in this study, which recurrently predicts the drop shape and drag for a given Weber number (We) and Reynolds number (Re), in the sub-critical We regime where there is no drop breakup. The average error in …

Exploring New Applications Of Municipal Solid Waste, Harrison Appiah, Ezra Bar Ziv, Jordan L. Klinger, Armando G. Mcdonald

Michigan Tech Publications

This study aimed to (i) characterize municipal solid waste (MSW) sourced from Utah and Michigan transfer stations and (ii) upcycle, produce, and evaluate composites derived from this MSW. Composition analysis showed that the MSW was composed of a variety of commodity plastics, paper/cardboard, and inorganic materials. Detailed chemical analysis for lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lipids was performed. The plastics identified were mainly polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly (ethylene terephthalate). The compoundability of the MSW was assessed by torque rheometry. Composites were prepared by compounding the MSW in an extruder. A composite flexural strength of 29 MPa and a modulus of …