Engineering Commons^™

Coyotelab - Linux Containers For Educational Use, Michael D. Korcha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

CoyoteLab is an exploration in the use of Linux container technology as a means to simplify the way students in computing fields access and complete laboratory work in their educational career. This project provides two main benefits: creating a simple way for students to log in and access their coursework without anything more than their web browser, and providing course instructors a way to verify that assigned work is completed successfully. Thanks to advances in container technology and the advent of WebSockets, this becomes a middle layer between a WebSocket opened up on the client’s browser and the SSH daemon …

Context-Sensitive Auto-Sanitization For Php, Jared M. Smith, Richard J. Connor, David P. Cunningham, Kyle G. Bashour, Walter T. Work

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Temperature Dependent Mechanical Behavior Of Solid Acids, Ryan Scott Ginder

Doctoral Dissertations

Existing literature data on the creep behavior of superprotonic solid acids, which is important for their use in fuel cell applications, is scant and unreliable. Steady state creep behavior for the model material system cesium hydrogen sulfate (CHS) is probed using nanoindentation and corroborated using uniaxial compression testing. To facilitate nanoindentation creep result interpretation, a radial flow model of power law indentation creep is developed. This model is compared with the related model from Bower, et. al. for several pre-existing literature datasets showing that the nonlinear, steady state creep law underpinning both appears valid for power law indentation creep.

Innovative Electrode Nanocomposites For Energy Storage And Conversion Systems, Yiran Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanocomposites emerged as suitable alternatives for electrode materials, are defined as “two or more materials with different properties remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within one unity and with any dimension in any phase less than 100 nm”. Recently, polymer/carbon based nanocomposites have attracted significant research interests for energy applications due to their multi-functionalities, improved structure stability and ease of production. This dissertation work focusing on the development of innovative electrode nanocomposites for proton exchange membrane fuel cell, supercapacitor and electrochromic applications.

Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 & 3 focus on the synthesis of Pd-based nanocatalysts …

Development Of Instrumentation And Control Systems For An Integral Large Scale Pressurized Water Reactor, Matthew Rowland Morrow Lish

Doctoral Dissertations

Small and large scale integral light water reactors are being developed to supply electrical power and to meet the needs of process heat, primarily for water desalination. This dissertation research focuses on the instrumentation and control of a large integral inherently safe light water reactor (designated as I²S-LWR) which is being designed as part of a grant by the U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Research Project (IRP). This 969 MWe integral pressurized water reactor (PWR) incorporates as many passive safety features as possible while maintaining competitive costs with current light water reactors. In support of this work, the …

Resource-Efficient Technology To Produce 4-Aminodiphenylamine, V.V. Bochkarev, L.S. Soroka, J.K. Bashkin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Direct Quadrature Method Of Moments With Delumping For Modeling Multicomponent Droplet Vaporization, Simcha L. Singer

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A multicomponent droplet vaporization model which combines the computational efficiency of continuous thermodynamic approaches with the detailed species information provided by discrete component models has been developed. The Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (DQMoM) is used to efficiently solve for the evolution of the nodes and weights of the equivalent liquid-phase mole fraction distribution without assuming any functional form. The novelty of the approach is an inexpensive delumping procedure that is used to reconstruct the time-dependent mole fractions and fluxes for all discrete species. When applied to a vaporizing kerosene droplet, agreement between the full discrete component model, which solves …

Model Predictive Control Of A Nonlinear Aeroelastic System Using Volterra Series Representations, Wai Leuk Law

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential effectiveness of using a Volterra-based Model Predictive Control strategy to control a nonlinear aeroelastic system. Model Predictive Control (MPC), also known as Receding Horizon Control (RHC), entails computing optimal control inputs over a finite time horizon, applying a portion of the computed optimal control sequence, and then repeating the process over the next time horizon. The Volterra series provides input-output models of a dynamical system in terms of a series of integral operators of increasing order, where the first-order Volterra operator models the linear dynamics and the higher-order operators model …

Design And Basic Verification Of A Discrete Event Simulator For Glucose Metabolism In Human Beings, Elizabeth Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and basic verification of a discrete event simulator for glucose metabolism in human beings. The simulator implements the glucose metabolism related behavior of various organs in the human body and tracks the blood plasma glucose level as the human body goes through a sequence of diet and exercise events. The simulator can mimic insulin resistance in various organs as well as the loss of insulin production in the pancreas and the adverse impact of these changes on the metabolic behavior of various organs. Thus, the simulator can serve as a model for people with diabetes. …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Different Additives On The Compressive And Flexural Strength Of Rammed Earth, Aiham Alskif

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research is to study the effect of using different additives on the compressive and flexural strength of rammed earth structures. Different ratios of fly ash, and/or cement were added to the soil to identify their influence on the compressive strength. Recycled fiber materials were used to wrap and reinforce the cement-soil specimens in order to enhance the flexural strength of beams and control the cracks and the mode of failure. The study finds that adding cement to soil has significant effect on the soil strength, and it causes a remarkable increase in the strength while …

In-Situ Optical Microscopic Investigation Of The Dendrite Formation On Lithium Anode Under Different Electrolyte Conditions In Li-S Battery, Tianyao Ding

Theses and Dissertations

By utilizing a high-resolution optical microscope, the dendrite formation on a lithium electrode with different electrolytes suitable for Li-S battery was investigated. It is found that the anions of lithium, the solvents, and the deposition current density have significant effects on the dendrite formation and surface morphology of lithium electrodes in electrolytes without polysulfides. On the contrary, in electrolytes with 25 mM concentration of polysulfides, the dendrite formation and surface morphology tend to be similar regardless of the other conditions. The dendrite-suppression effect of polysulfides, inorganic additive (CsNO3), and electrode modifier (TEOS) are not significant in the electrolytes with polysulfides …

Quantitative Optical Studies Of Oxidative Stress In Rodent Models Of Eye And Lung Injuries, Zahra Ghanian

Theses and Dissertations

Optical imaging techniques have emerged as essential tools for reliable assessment of organ structure, biochemistry, and metabolic function. The recognition of metabolic markers for disease diagnosis has rekindled significant interest in the development of optical methods to measure the metabolism of the organ.

The objective of my research was to employ optical imaging tools and to implement signal and image processing techniques capable of quantifying cellular metabolism for the diagnosis of diseases in human organs such as eyes and lungs. To accomplish this goal, three different tools, cryoimager, fluorescent microscope, and optical coherence tomography system were utilized to study the …

Aesthetic Coatings For Concrete Bridge Components, Brent Kriha

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluated the durability and aesthetic performance of coating systems for utilization in concrete bridge applications. The principle objectives of this thesis were: 1) Identify aesthetic coating systems appropriate for concrete bridge applications; 2) Evaluate the performance of the selected systems through a laboratory testing regimen; 3) Develop guidelines for coating selection, surface preparation, and application.

A series of site visits to various bridges throughout the State of Wisconsin provided insight into the performance of common coating systems and allowed problematic structural details to be identified. To aid in the selection of appropriate coating systems, questionnaires were distributed to …

Computational Modeling Of Transient Processes During Run-In For Tribological Systems, Rob Morien

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the frictional behavior of machine elements in mutual rolling or sliding contact is important for many engineering applications. When frictional sliding is initiated, the tribological system passes through several stages with each stage possessing its own unique frictional property. The initial transition process preceding stationary sliding is usually called “run-in”. During the run-in time interval, surface topographies of frictional contacts as well as lubricant distribution and surface tribofilms reorganize and adjust through asperity deformation and wear processes before reaching the steady state. This surface stability formed during run-in leads to an improvement in frictional performance during steady state operation, …

An Experimental And Computational Investigation Of The Mechanical, Structural, And Hydrothermal Properties Of Mesoporous Materials, Dayton Gage Kizzire

MSU Graduate Theses

Periodic mesoporous materials have tunable pore sizes and high surface to volume ratios. Some of the most anticipated applications are those that call for energy harvesting in extreme environments, and these materials have a great structural stability to withstand the harsh conditions. In this work, the structural properties of mesoporous materials SBA-15 silica and Al-SBA-15 aluminosilica have been investigated by pressure dependent in situ small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) using a diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to ~12 GPa in pressure. Hydrothermal measurements were also made in this manner to near supercritical water/steam conditions (to 255 °C and ~ 114 …

Experimental Characterization And Simulation Of Carbon Nanotube Strain Sensing Films, Nagendra Krishna Chaitanya Tummalapalli

Masters Theses

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have excellent mechanical, electrical and electromechanical properties. These properties led to a lot of novel applications. Due to change in electrical properties under mechanical loading, these composites have potential applications in strain sensors, when these are fabricated as films. CNT-based films are commonly fabricated using different physical and chemical techniques based on the property requirements governing those applications. In this work, CNT films were prepared using wet chemical based methods and chemical vapor deposition techniques.

Plasma chemical vapor deposition using microwave power is used in the first method to deposit films on silicon substrates, using Nickel film …

Analysis Of Transit Accessibility For People With Disabilities, Rostam Khalid Mohammed Ameen Qatra

Masters Theses

The inconvenience of public transit systems and unavailability of bus stops in the United States has resulted in a heavy reliance on the private automobile. One of the main issues in transit services is accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. This research is intended to compare estimated job accessibility measures by transit in Kalamazoo county for workers with reduced physical mobility and without. Using OpenTripPlanner (OTP) software, General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), Open Street Map (OSM) and Longitudinal Employer-Housing Dynamics (LODES) data were analyzed to estimate job accessibility for people with mobility constraints. By using the shortest tree path method, …

A Genetic Algorithm Incorporating Design Choice For The Preliminary Design Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Kenneth Michael Mull

Masters Theses

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are currently at the forefront of aerospace technologies. The design of these aircraft is complex and often performance characteristics are coupled to multiple design attributes. At the early design phase both discrete and continuous design choices are present limiting the feasibility of traditional derivative based optimization techniques. In place of these methods, the design space can be explored using a genetic algorithm that mimics the process of natural selection, providing a capable and reliable base airframe constructed from the required performance metrics. By incorporating a genetic multidisciplinary optimization algorithm early in the conceptual design phase, aircraft …

Design, Modeling And Simulation Of A Thermoelectric Cooling System (Tec), Pooja Iyer Mani

Masters Theses

Thermoelectric Devices are solid state devices which directly convert thermal energy to electrical energy and vice versa. In the recent past, a lot of effort has been made to improve the performance and also the power generated by a thermoelectric device. This is done by attaching heat sinks on either sides of the device. Optimizing heat sinks improves the overall efficiency of it but on the other hand the device also has to be optimized. TECs are mostly used for electronic cooling where the heated electronic devices serve as target that needs to be cooled while air acts as a …

Development Of Fully Printed And Flexible Strain, Pressure And Electrochemical Sensors, Dinesh Maddipatla

Masters Theses

In recent years, considerable research has been put into the development of printed electronics (PE) as well as the best ways to effectively and efficiently print electronic devices on flexible substrates. This thesis focuses majorly on the design and fabrication of novel flexible sensors using conventional printing processes.

Initially, a flexible printed strain gauge was fabricated successfully on a flexible paper substrate using flexography printing process. Silver (Ag) ink was printed on the paper substrate as metallization layer. The performance of the printed device was investigated by subjecting the strain gauge to a 3-point bend test, with a displacement of …

Improved Methodology For Developing Non-Motorized Safety Perfomance Functions, Keneth Morgan Kwayu

Masters Theses

This study aimed at improving the methodology for developing statewide non-motorized safety performance functions (SPFs). Due to lack of pedestrian and bicyclist counts, the methodology proposed a procedure for developing statewide surrogate non-motorized exposure measures using data that are available at statewide level. Eleven years non-motorized crashes at signalized urban intersections joining Arterial and Collector roads in Michigan were used to test the procedure.

The study also explored the use of Bayesian approach for modeling non-motorized crashes as an alternative to traditional classical count data models. Classical count data models that were considered as potential fit to the data include; …

Modeling, Optimizing And Testing Thermoelectric Generators For Liquid-To-Liquid Low Grade Waste Heat Recovery, Ali Eyddan Hamil

Masters Theses

The use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for producing electricity from low grade waste heat is thought to be a great solution in the future to reduce the power generation cost because of their advantages of reliability and environmental friendliness. Therefore, the current project aims to study thermoelectric generators for low grade waste heat recovery. In this work, a single unit cell of liquid to liquid thermoelectric generator attached with heat exchangers (heat sinks) is modeled using an internal flow. Its optimum design is obtained based on heat sink optimization and the optimal design method. An analytical model of four unit …

Development Of An Analytical Model For Beams With Two Dimples In Opposing Directions, Mofareh H. Ghazwani

Masters Theses

Structures such as beams and steel plates can produce potentially high levels of unwanted vibrations and noises in the environment. A method of improving the vibration and acoustic characteristics of beams based on introducing dimples on its surfaces will be presented in this study. This method focuses on creating two dimples in the same and opposite direction on beam’s surface where the effect of dimples on the change in beam’s natural frequencies is the problems of interest.

A boundary value model (BVM) is developed for a beam with two dimples and subjected to various boundary conditions using Hamilton’s Variational Principle. …

Optimal Design Of Automotive Exhaust Thermoelectric Generator (Aeteg), Hassan Fagehi

Masters Theses

A consumption of energy continues to increase at an exponential rate, especially in terms of automotive spark ignitions vehicles. About 40% of the applied fuel into a vehicle is lost as waste exhaust to the environment. The desire for improved fuel efficiency by recovering the exhaust waste heat in automobiles has become an important subject. The thermoelectric generator (TEG) has the potential to convert exhaust waste heat into electricity as long as it is improving fuel economy. The remarkable amount of research being conducted on TEGs indicates that this technology will have a bright future in terms of power generation. …

Analytical Modeling And Numerical Simulation Of A Thermoelectric Generator Including Contact Resistances, Shripad Dhoopagunta

Masters Theses

With increasing demand for energy harvesting systems, research has been conducted in different areas in which Thermoelectric Generators (TEG) find their way into the top of many available resources. Out of many energy harvesting systems available, TEGs are comparatively easier to study, to manufacture and also to comprehend while producing enough energy for applications they find use in. They are solid state devices, meaning; they do not have any moving parts and hence makes them durable. Most of the energy that goes out of the automobile as exhaust is reused to power the TEGs. In most of the works that’s …

Analytical Study Of Miniature Thermoelectric Device, Mohammed Dhannoon

Masters Theses

Miniature thermoelectric devices (TE) have been regarded as hopeful devices to attain efficient cooling in microprocessors and other small-scale devices. To recognize the performances of miniature thermoelectric coolers, a thermoelectric cooling module is theoretically analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the thermoelectric element length effect and the substrate material type influence on the cooling performance. The electrical contact resistance and thermal contact are taken into account.

Furthermore, miniature thermoelectric is compared with large thermoelectric, and effective material properties of miniature thermoelectric are studied. The obtained results also demonstrate power density (cooling/heating power per unit area of the …

Application Of Wavelet Transform In Structural Health Monitoring, Yashodhya Swarna Sri Dhanapala Liyana Kankanamge

Masters Theses

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process of implementing a damage detection strategy in structures to evaluate the condition of existing structures to ensure the safety of users in the future. The changes in the material, geometric and/or structural properties affect structural responses, which can be captured and analyzed for condition assessment. Various vibration-based damage detection algorithms have been developed in the past decades. Among them, the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) gained popularity as an efficient method of signal processing to build a framework to identify model properties and detect damage in structures. In this study, the application of wavelet …

Safety Benefit Analysis Of Alternative Delineation Practices In Michigan, Brenda C. Burdick

Masters Theses

Among the many aspects of roadway design, one important system is roadway delineation. The main purposes of roadway delineation include regulating, warning, and guiding drivers in a safe manner. Delineation systems have the potential to reduce crashes. This research sought to perform safety benefit analysis of roadway delineation practices in Michigan. Through literature review, several delineation practices, selection criteria, and previously developed crash modification factors were researched. Even though several pavement marking materials have been implemented in Michigan, a safety benefit analysis of various materials had not been performed. Sites were selected, and pavement marking material inventory data were combined …

Optimization Methodology For Cvt Ratio Scheduling With Consideration Of Both Engine And Cvt Efficiency, Steven Beuerle

Masters Theses

A transmission ratio schedule is developed to optimize the fuel consumption for an automotive continuously variable transmission (CVT) connected to an internal combustion engine (ICE). Although the optimal operating line (OOL) generated from an engine brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) map can be used to generate a CVT ratio schedule that yields maximum engine efficiency, it was found that OOL-based CVT ratio scheduling does not necessarily offer the best fuel economy because optimal CVT efficiency does not always correspond to OOL tracking. To develop a CVT ratio schedule that can offer the best fuel economy, a novel ratio-scheduling methodology is …

A General Code To Represent The Mathematical Life Cycle Cost Model Of Bridge, Bajel Mohammed Alshadeedi

Masters Theses

There are many factors that play a role in the overall cost of any bridge. The life cycle cost needs deep knowledge of bridge components to calculate its subcategories costs. The bridge life cycle cost is divided into; agency, user cost, and society costs. The agency cost includes the expected value of the final bridge construction cost, the inspection cost, better value of repainting cost, and replacing asphaltic deck cost. The user cost includes traffic delay cost and vehicle operation cost under different traffic conditions, accident cost, and failure cost. The society cost includes aesthetical and environmental impact. All costs …