Engineering Commons^™

Agricultural Water Management In The Sevier River Basin, Utah: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Daeha Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Sevier River Basin situated in south central Utah is characterized by its semiarid climate, snowmelt-driven runoff, and high dependency on agricultural economy. High evapotranspiration and low precipitation make agricultural production challenging, but naturally stored water in the snowpack in the mountains alleviates water stresses during high water demand seasons. The snowmelt-driven river flow along the main channel is highly exploited for irrigation for farms near the Sevier River. Reservoir operations and river diversions result in heavily regulated flows from the upper to the lower basins. The return flows of over-irrigated water in the upper basin increase salinity of surface …

Characterization And Performance Of Algal Biofilms For Wastewater Treatment And Industrial Applications, Maureen Kesaano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was carried out on algal biofilms grown using rotating algal biofilm reactors (RABRs) with the aim of: i) characterizing their growth in terms of photosynthetic activity and morphology ii) evaluating their performance as a wastewater treatment option and a feedstock for biofuels production, and iii) examining the algal-bacteria interactions.

A review of algal biofilm technologies currently employed in wastewater treatment processes was made to compare nutrient removal efficiencies, factors that influenced algal biofilm growth, and the different bioproducts generated from algal biomass. Consequently, research efforts were directed towards addressing pertinent issues identified in literature in order to optimize …

Attacker-Induced Traffic Flow Instability In A Stream Of Automated Vehicles, Daniel D. Dunn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Highway systems world wide continue to see an ever increased number of vehicles and subsequently a rise in congested traffic. This results in longer commute times, wasted energy as vehicles idle in stop and go traffic, and increases the risk of accidents. In short, increased congestion costs time and money. These issues have prompted much research into Automated Highway Systems (AHS). In AHS vehicles using computer algorithms can safely travel at much smaller inter-vehicle distances than human drivers are capable of. This increases the capacity of existing highway systems. Sensors aboard each vehicle make this possible by monitoring their surroundings. …

Characterization Of An E2v Charge-Coupled Device For The Michelson Interferometer For Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging Instrument, James Beukers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents the characterization process of an imaging device for a satellite. The camera system was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and will be used in the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument for National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ionospheric Con- nection Explorer (ICON) satellite. This mission will further scientists' understanding of the connection between the Earth's weather and ionospheric conditions. The ionosphere, a part of the atmosphere, interferes with satellite communications, causing disturbances and disruptions. By learning more about the ionosphere through the data collected by this instrument, scientists will better understand …

The Effects Of Interactive Computer Simulation And Animation On Student Learning Of Rigid Body Dynamics: A Mixed Method Study, Oai Ha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Engineering Dynamics (ED) courses are known as challenging and demanding for undergraduate students majored in many engineering fields, such as mechanical and aerospace engineering and civil and environmental engineering. The course is built upon the foundation and framework of mathematics and physics and requires students to have strong abstract thinking and reasoning skills. Rigid body dynamics (RBD), the second part of ED, investigates kinematics and kinetics of rigid bodies and is considered as a difficult subject by many undergraduate students because the course requires them to visualize abstract objects in motions. Although there have been many studies reporting the uses …

Systems Modeling And Economic Analysis Of Photovoltaic (Pv) Powered Water Pumping Brackish Water Desalination For Agriculture, Michael A. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the economic viability of solar powered water pumping and desalination systems for agriculture. Growing global demand for agricultural production has put increased pressure on limited freshwater resources in various locations around the word. Many areas have low quality groundwater resources that have not been utilized for agriculture due to limited availability to electricity, high operational costs of diesel generators and the economics associated with water pumping and processing. Reverse osmosis is a desalination technology that removes salts and other minerals from low-quality water, making it fit for drinking or irrigation. Reduced costs …

The Fate Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In Conventional And Engineered On-Site Wastewater Drain Fields, James Beardall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah State University Division of Environmental Engineering student, under the direction of Ms. Judith L. Sims, has investigated the fate of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in conventional and engineered on-site wastewater drain fields. The presence of PPCPs in the environment, especially in aquatic environments, has raised awareness to the effects of PPCPs on aquatic life and the fate of these PPCPs, and has caused regulators to become more involved in setting requirements for the removal of PPCPs from wastewater.

This research investigated the fate of caffeine, acetaminophen, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, progesterone, and fluoxetine in laboratory scaled columns that …

Direct Electrical Arc Ignition Of Hybrid Rocket Motors, Michael I. Judson Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hybrid rockets motors provide distinct safety advantages when compared to traditional liquid or solid propellant systems, due to the inherent stability and relative inertness of the propellants prior to established combustion. As a result of this inherent propellant stability, hybrid motors have historically proven difficult to ignite. State of the art hybrid igniter designs continue to require solid or liquid reactants distinct from the main propellants. These ignition methods however, reintroduce to the hybrid propulsion system the safety and complexity disadvantages associated with traditional liquid or solid propellants. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of a novel direct …

Effective Properties Of Randomly Oriented Kenaf Short Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite, Dayakar Naik L.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural fibers have drawn attention of researchers as an environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic fibers. Developing natural fiber reinforced bio-composites are a viable alternative to the problems of non-degrading and energy consuming synthetic composites. This study focuses on (i) the application of kenaf fiber as a potential reinforcement and, (ii) determining the tensile properties of the randomly oriented short kenaf fiber composite both experimentally and numerically. Kenaf fiber micro-structure and its Young's modulus with varying gage length (10, 15, 20, and 25.4 mm) were investigated. The variation in tensile strength of kenaf fibers was analyzed using the Weibull probability distribution function. …

Experimental Validation Data For Cfd Of Steady And Transient Mixed Convection On A Vertical Flat Plate, Blake W. Lance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this computer age, simulations are becoming common in science and engineering. One category of simulation, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), begins with physical equations but adds approximations and calibrations in order to complete solutions. Translating these equations into computer languages may cause unintended errors. If simulation results are to be used for decision making, their accuracy needs to be assessed. This accuracy assessment is the theory behind the field of Verification & Validation.

Verification involves confirming the translation of physical equations to computer language was per- formed correctly. It also features methods to detect many types of code errors. Validation …

Stormwater Bioretention: Nitrogen, Phosphorous And Metal Removal By Plants, Malgorzata Rycewicz-Borecki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stormwater runoff is an environmental concern. It increases the volume and velocity of surface water flow and contains high pollutant concentrations. High flows erode stream channels. Nutrients in the runoff cause eutrophication. Some metals from stormwater runoff is regulated by the Federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Bioretention (BR) systems are often used in response to these regulations to retain and treat this stormwater runoff.

This study conducted greenhouse and field experiments, and evaluated differences in nutrient and metal removal among plant species that are typically found growing in BR systems but are not typically investigated in this detail. …

Innovative And Efficient Simulation-Optimization Tools For Successful Groundwater Management And Conflict Resolution, Bassel Timani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Simulation-Optimization (S-O) models are exemplary for strategic groundwater management planning. The two components of an S-O model serve different purposes. The simulation component models the aquifer and computes state variables resulting from stimuli such as extraction or diversion while the optimizor computes an optimal set of stimuli that maximize an objective function and satisfy a set of constraints. With the increased use of S-O model for larger and more complex real-world study areas, the use of fast and efficient S-O models has risen. Response matrix methods (RMMs) are usually used as substitute simulators within an S-O to solve the posed …

Systems Optimization Models To Improve Water Management And Environmental Decision Making, Omar Alminagorta Cabezas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The degradation of water quality and wetlands is one of the most challenging environmental problems around the world. In spite of the magnitude of these environmental problems, few efforts identify how scarce resources (e.g., water, budget) can be more efficiently used to solve these problems. This dissertation presents a set of tools to help solve environmental problems related to excess phosphorus levels in water bodies and wetland degradation caused by water shortages and invasive vegetation. These tools are presented in three studies. The first study presents a simple optimization model that identifies the cost-effective combination of management practices to reduce …

Interactive Computer Simulation And Animation Learning Modules: A Mixed-Method Study Of Their Effects On Students' Problem Solving In Particle Dynamics, Yongquing Guo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Engineering dynamics is a fundamental core course in many undergraduate engineering curricula. This course is widely regarded as one of the most difficult engineering courses for students to succeed in. A variety of instructional strategies, such as hands-on experimentation, multimedia games, and computer simulation and animation (CSA), have been developed to improve student learning. Among these instructional strategies, CSA has been receiving increasing attention and applications in the international engineering education community. CSA provides students with a visualization tool and a constructivist environment to better understand various engineering problems.

The goal of this dissertation research was to improve student learning …

Optimization And Control Of Lumped Transmitting Coil-Based In-Motion Wireless Power Transfer Systems, Nazmul Hasan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis explores optimization and control aspects of in-motion electric vehicle charging. The vision is of an electrified roadway, where the vehicles can move and charge at the same time. The present systems have long tracks embedded in the roadway which transfer energy. This thesis explores smaller coils in the road, which has the promise of higher efficiency and lower volt ampere ratings. The promise can only be realized through optimized design and synchronized control of charging with respect to vehicle position. The existing design procedures lack comprehensiveness, require designer experience and use computationally costly 3D FEM algorithms. The proposed …

Successful Paths To Becoming A Lean Organization In The Construction Industry, Robert D. Warcup

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lean construction is defined as the continuous process of eliminating waste, with the goal of increasing value on construction projects to the owner and to all stakeholders of a project. It has gained considerable momentum since the early 2000s because of its potential for problem-solving and increased productivity, especially as many construction firms still struggle to adapt to an ever-changing industry. This study was designed to assist construction companies, especially company executives and managers, to better understand the requirements of a lean transformation by describing the paths of three highly successful lean construction firms from the U.S.

Nine lean advocates, …

Electrokinetic Flow In A Nanochannel With An Overlapped Electrical Double Layer, Zhuorui Song

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is a theoretical study aiming to improve the understanding of nanofluidic flows. Nanofluidic flows have a wide range of potential application in many fields, such as DNA analysis, drug delivery, analyte separation, power generation, and so on. The most common material used in nanofluidic flows is silica whose surfaces are charged mainly due to proton exchange with the fluids. Charges on the surfaces as well as near the surfaces in the fluid side cause a significantly different response of the fluids to the applied electric field or pressure difference compared to those at normal scale. In the previous …

An Analysis Of Sensitivity In Economic Forecasting For Pavement Management Systems, Antonio Fuentes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the scope of transportation asset management, the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) performed on asphalt roads at the local government level requires careful planning and intelligent use of limited funding. For this reason, a Pavement Management System (PMS) is incorporated and used as a tool for local government leaders to make the best decision given their annual budget. The PMS process is a repeatable process which consists of determining present day pavement condition, evaluating future deterioration, performing an economic analysis of possible M&R treatments and finally implementing a proper M&R plan to keep the asphalt pavement network in good condition. …

Mechanical Properties Of Kenaf Composites Using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Thomas A. Loveless

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural fibers show potential to replace glass fibers in thermoset and thermoplastic composites. Kenaf is a bast-type fiber with high specific strength and great potential to compete with glass fibers.

In this research kenaf/epoxy composites were analyzed using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). A three-point bend apparatus was used in the DMA testing. The samples were tested at 1 hertz, at a displacement of 10 μm, and at room temperature.

The fiber volume content of the kenaf was varied from 20%-40% in 5% increments. Ten samples of each fiber volume fraction were manufactured and tested. The flexural storage modulus, the flexural …

Redox-Controlled Biogeochemical Processes Affecting Arsenic Solubility In Sediments From A Basin-Fill Aquifer In Northern Utah, Xianyu Meng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The basin-fill aquifers of the American Southwest host elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater due to the local geology. Limited information is available on arsenic dynamics in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. This study describes arsenic biogeochemistry and mechanisms of arsenic solubilization for a soil profile collected from the surface to the depth of groundwater in the Cache Valley Basin, Northern Utah.

The first objective was to delineate mechanisms of arsenic solubilization from sediments collected at the study site. Microcosms containing site groundwater and siteoxidized and site-reduced sediments, were monitored over time to observe changes in the solubilization …

Design Of Reliable And Secure Network-On-Chip Architectures, Dean Michael B Ancajas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The trend towards massive parallel computing has necessitated the need for an On-Chip communication framework that can scale well with the increasing number of cores. At the same time, technology scaling has made transistors susceptible to a multitude of reliability issues. This dissertation demonstrates design techniques that address both reliability and security issues facing modern NoC architectures. The reliability and security problem is tackled at different abstraction levels using a series of schemes that combine information from the architecture-level as well as hardware-level in order to combat aging effects and meet secure design stipulations while maintaining modest power-performance overheads.

A Neural Network Approach To Fault Detection In Spacecraft Attitude Determination And Control Systems, John N. Schreiner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

CubeSats are employed in a variety of missions as scientific platforms, low-cost technology demonstrators, and in the future, they will conduct service missions as part of larger satellite constellations. CubeSat ADCS designers today are being tasked with designing to ever increasing accuracy requirements. The ability to hold those requirements rests with the attitude control system being robust enough and able to sufficiently respond to changes in the control environment. The need for greater control autonomy is then evident in the need for these systems to be able to react independently to changes in the system dynamics and to identify and …

Microfabrication Of Bio-Analytical Devices: Microelectrode Array And Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis, Neil Draper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The need for potable water is increasing with the ever-increasing world population. Further development of fast, portable, and cost effective analytical tools is necessary in order to create diagnostic techniques capable of supporting the water needs of the world’s population. Within the last decade microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) technologies have increased the portability and speed of detection for aqueous samples. Photolithography techniques serve as a cost effective fabrication tool to create LOC electrodes on the micron scale.

An in-depth look at the fabrication process is undertaken in this paper in order to further the development of micro-scale detection techniques. An …

Arsenic Release From Dechlorination Remediation Processes Of Biostimulation And Bioaugmentation, Suzy Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Arsenic (As), a known carcinogen, is a groundwater contaminant in many parts of the world. Arsenic contamination is enhanced through carbon addition, such as biostimulation, a remediation process, which has been used to remove trichloroethylene (TCE) from sediment and groundwater. Two studies were designed to evaluate the effect of different carbon sources on the removal of TCE through dechlorination and on As solubilization and mobilization in response to carbon addition.

The first set of columns (15.2 cm diameter, 183 cm long) used whey, Newman Zone® standard surfactant emulsified oil, Newman Zone® nonionic surfactant emulsified oil, and no carbon controls as …

Bio-Inspired Materials And Micro/Nanostructures Enabled By Peptides And Proteins, Swathi Swaminathan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bio-nanotechnology refers to the field of science that intersects nanotechnology with biology. The study involves in the creation of bio-mimetic devices that emulate elements and systems of nature finding use in various applications. Nanotechnology involves the characterization of nanomaterials along with the study of molecular self-assembly and nanoelectronics. Controlled binding and assembly of proteins onto nanomaterials is at the core of biological materials science and engineering with wide-ranging applications. This hybrid technology opens up several avenues in the field of sensors, pharmaceuticals, artificial implants and so on.

In this work, different biomaterials and polymers were characterized for phage displayed peptide …

Testing Of Rainflow Histograms Of Strain For Implementation As A Bridge Weigh-In-Motion Technique, Nephi R. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The highways and bridges that make up the nation’s infrastructure are becoming older and need replacement or maintenance. In order to determine the best use of funds, bridges are being monitored and studied. This paper was part of a long term study with the goal of monitoring multiple bridges for several years in order to develop an extensive network of bridge information. This particular study was on a bridge in Utah that was instrumented with permanent measurement and monitoring devices. Monitoring of bridges provides information on how the temperature and weather cause the bridge to move, change and age. It …

Techno-Economic Feasibility And Life Cycle Assessment Of Dairy Effluent To Biofuel Via Hydrothermal Liquefaction, Hailey M. Summers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Delactosed whey permeate (delac) is a low valued by-product in the dairy industry with 90 million tons annually disposed of worldwide. Upgrading delac to bioproducts, specifically biofuel, has been demonstrated at laboratory scale through yeast fermentation. However, the large-scale environmental impact and economic feasibility of this process is yet to be quantified. Further research, focused on evaluating the sustainability, scalability and economic feasibility of the fermentation pathway, directs research and development to move the technology towards commercialization. The enclosed research incorporates biological experimentation with engineering systems modeling to evaluate the large-scale environmental impacts and economic feasibility of generating bioproducts from …

Evaluation Of Tracking Regimes For, And Security Of, Pli Systems, Shayan Taheri

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, the researchers and engineers have realized that the trustiness of computer and networking devices and hardware can no longer be examined properly using the existing identification and security checking methods that operate based on the digital representation of data. As an example, since the digital identifiers can be copied, it is difficult to tie a digital identity to a device for sure. Also, the new or present created cyber attacks can manipulate the used digital data in a network easily. Due to these issues, the trend in development of new identification and security checking methods has moved …

Students' Task Interpretation And Conceptual Understanding In Electronics Laboratory Work, Presentacion Rivera-Reyes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Students’ interpretation of an assigned task is a key determinant of setting goals, choosing strategies to accomplish those goals, monitoring, and self-evaluating outcomes. Laboratory activities, including worksheets, quizzes, and other assignment are designed to improve the understanding of concepts taught in the classroom. The main concern of many laboratory students is simply completion of the task because it is critical to their success. Three objectives were proposed in this study, to investigate: (1) the students’ interpretation of the task before and after the completion of the laboratory activity, (2) the interpretation of the task differs between high- and low- coregulated …

Microscopic Modeling Of Crowds Involving Individuals With Physical Disability: Exploring Social Force Interaction, Daniel S. Stuart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nearly one quarter of a population is affected by a disability which influences crowd evacuation. Emergencies such as stampede or crowd crush can occur during evacuations. While research has investigated crowd evacuation, little has been researched involving individuals with disabilities. There is a need to understand and model individuals with disabilities in their interaction and how it impacts crowd movement. This dissertation creates a video tracking system to study heterogeneous crowds with individuals with disabilities towards conducting crowd experiments. A large-scale crowd experiment is conducted and the results are analyzed through a developed analysis graphical user interface. Preliminary results of …