Engineering Commons^™

Effects Of Ca Doping On Structural And Optical Properties Of Pzt Nanopowders, K. H. Omran, M. Mostafa, M. S. Abd El-Sadek, O. M. Hemeda, R. Ubic

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The influence of the addition of calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in the Pb_(1-x)Ca_xZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ system (PCZT) for x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25 on the structural and optical properties was systematically studied. The compositions were synthesized through a polymerized-complex approach based on the Pechini polymeric precursor route. The solubility limit of calcium ions within the PCZT lattice is in between x = 0.10 and x = 0.15, at which a CaTiO₃ secondary phase is detected. The Goldschmidt tolerance factors, modified tolerance factors, and the effective vacancy sizes were …

A One‐Dimensional Model For Turbulent Mixing In The Benthic Biolayer Of Stream And Coastal Sediments, Stanley B. Grant, Jesus D. Gomez‐Velez, Marco Ghisalberti, Ian Guymer, Fulvio Boano, Kevin Roche, Judson Harvey

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we develop and validate a rigorous modeling framework, based on Duhamel's Theorem, for the unsteady one‐dimensional vertical transport of a solute across a flat sediment‐water interface (SWI) and through the benthic biolayer of a turbulent stream. The modeling framework is novel in capturing the two‐way coupling between evolving solute concentrations above and below the SWI and in allowing for a depth‐varying diffusivity. Three diffusivity profiles within the sediment (constant, exponentially decaying, and a hybrid model) are evaluated against an extensive set of previously published laboratory measurements of turbulent mass transfer across the SWI. The exponential diffusivity profile …

Low-Intensity Vibration Restores Nuclear Yap Levels And Acute Yap Nuclear Shuttling In Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected To Simulated Microgravity, Matthew Thompson, Kali Woods, Joshua Newberg, Julia Thom Oxford, Gunes Uzer

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reducing the musculoskeletal deterioration that astronauts experience in microgravity requires countermeasures that can improve the effectiveness of otherwise rigorous and time-expensive exercise regimens in space. The ability of low-intensity vibrations (LIV) to activate force-responsive signaling pathways in cells suggests LIV as a potential countermeasure to improve cell responsiveness to subsequent mechanical challenge. Mechanoresponse of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which maintain bone-making osteoblasts, is in part controlled by the “mechanotransducer” protein YAP (Yes-associated protein), which is shuttled into the nucleus in response to cyto-mechanical forces. Here, using YAP nuclear shuttling as a measurement outcome, we tested the effect of 72 h …

Aerosol Jet Printed Capacitive Strain Gauge For Soft Structural Materials, Kiyo T. Fujimoto, Jennifer K. Watkins, Timothy Phero, Takoda Bingham, Kshama Lakshmi Ranganatha, Benjamin C. Johnson, Zhangxian Deng, Brian Jaques, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soft structural textiles, or softgoods, are used within the space industry for inflatable habitats, parachutes and decelerator systems. Evaluating the safety and structural integrity of these systems occurs through structural health monitoring systems (SHM), which integrate non-invasive/non-destructive testing methods to detect, diagnose, and locate damage. Strain/load monitoring of these systems is limited while utilizing traditional strain gauges as these gauges are typically stiff, operate at low temperatures, and fail when subjected to high strain that is a result of high loading classifying them as unsuitable for SHM of soft structural textiles. For this work, a capacitance based strain gauge (CSG) …

Annual Simulation Of Photovoltaic Retrofits Within Existing Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Powerplants, Nipun Goel, Hannah O'Hern, Matthew Orosz, Todd Otanicar

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Solar power for electricity production comes from either photovoltaics or concentrating solar power plants. The former has seen rapid growth and expansion due to the rapid fall in global prices, while the latter has seen moderate growth due to ability to cheaply store thermal energy for later use. Hybridization, or combining photovoltaics with concentrating solar power represents a potential way for lowering cost while enabling long term storage. Over 5 GW of capacity exist worldwide using parabolic trough style technology for concentrating solar power which presents a unique option for optimization in the form of a photovoltaic retrofit. While it …

General-Purpose Coarse-Grained Toughened Thermoset Model For 44dds/Dgeba/Pes, Michael M. Henry, Stephen Thomas, Mone’T Alberts, Carla E. Estridge, Brittan Farmer, Olivia Mcnair, Eric Jankowski

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of this work is to predict the morphology and material properties of crosslinking polymers used in aerospace applications. We extend the open-source dybond plugin for HOOMD-Blue to implement a new coarse-grained model of reacting epoxy thermosets and use the 44DDS/DGEBA/PES system as a case study for calibration and validation. We parameterize the coarse-grained model from atomistic solubility data, calibrate reaction dynamics against experiments, and check for size-dependent artifacts. We validate model predictions by comparing glass transition temperatures measurements at arbitrary degree of cure, gel-points, and morphology predictions against experiments. We demonstrate for the first time in molecular simulations …

Basis Set Truncation Further Clarifies Vibrational Coherence Spectra, Daniel B. Turner, Paul C. Arpin

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coherent vibrational oscillations in femtosecond transient-absorption spectra have been interpreted since the 1990s using a model based on Gaussian wavepacket dynamics. The oscillations are often studied using probe-wavelength dependent plots of the oscillation amplitude and phase that are known as vibrational coherence spectra. Here we show that restricting the basis of the wavepacket to a small number of eigenstates clarifies several features in vibrational coherence spectra. Improving the understanding of vibrational coherence signatures will help distinguish them from signatures of electronic coherence that arise from measurements of strongly coupled excitonic states in molecular aggregates and light-harvesting proteins.

High-Performance Flexible Bismuth Telluride Thin Film From Solution Processed Colloidal Nanoplates, Madhusudan Kongara, Tony Varghese, Karthik Chinnathambi, Jesse Schimpf, Josh Eixenberger, Paul H. Davis, Yaqiao Wu, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Thermoelectric generators are an environmentally friendly and reliable solid‐state energy conversion technology. Flexible and low‐cost thermoelectric generators are especially suited to power flexible electronics and sensors using body heat or other ambient heat sources. Bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) based thermoelectric materials exhibit their best performance near room temperature making them an ideal candidate to power wearable electronics and sensors using body heat. In this report, Bi₂Te₃ thin films are deposited on a flexible polyimide substrate using low‐cost and scalable manufacturing methods. The synthesized Bi₂Te₃ nanocrystals have a thickness of 35 ± …

Wildfires Force Thousands To Evacuate Near Los Angeles: Here’S How The 2020 Western Fire Season Got So Extreme, Mojtaba Sadegh, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two wildfires erupted on the outskirts of cities near Los Angeles, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes Monday as powerful Santa Ana winds swept the flames through dry grasses and brush. With strong winds and extremely low humidity, large parts of California were under red flag warnings.

High fire risk days have been common this year as the 2020 wildfire season shatters records across the West.

More than 4 million acres have burned in California – 4% of the state’s land area and more than double the previous annual record. Five of the state’s six largest historical …

The Year The West Was Burning: How The 2020 Wildfire Season Got So Extreme, Mojtaba Sadegh, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

More than 4 million acres of California went up in flames in 2020 – about 4% of the state’s land area and more than double its previous wildfire record. Five of the state’s six largest fires on record were burning this year.

In Colorado, the Pine Gulch fire broke the record for that state’s largest wildfire, only to be surpassed by two larger blazes, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.

Oregon saw one of the most destructive fire seasons in its recorded history, with more than 4,000 homes destroyed.

What caused the 2020 fire season to become so extreme?

Fully Inkjet-Printed Multilayered Graphene-Based Flexible Electrodes For Repeatable Electrochemical Response, Twinkle Pandhi, Kiyo Fujimoto, Pete Barnes, Jasmine Cox, Hui Xiong, Paul H. Davis, Harish Subbaraman, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graphene has proven to be useful in biosensing applications. However, one of the main hurdles with printed graphene-based electrodes is achieving repeatable electrochemical performance from one printed electrode to another. We have developed a consistent fabrication process to control the sheet resistance of inkjet-printed graphene electrodes, thereby accomplishing repeatable electrochemical performance. Herein, we investigated the electrochemical properties of multilayered graphene (MLG) electrodes fully inkjet-printed (IJP) on flexible Kapton substrates. The electrodes were fabricated by inkjet printing three materials – (1) a conductive silver ink for electrical contact, (2) an insulating dielectric ink, and (3) MLG ink as the sensing material. …

Mechanochemical Conversion Kinetics Of Red To Black Phosphorus And Scaling Parameters For High Volume Synthesis, Samuel V. Pedersen, Florent Muramutsa, Joshua D. Wood, Chad Husko, David Estrada, Brian J. Jaques

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adopting black phosphorus (BP) as a material in electronic and optoelectronic device manufacturing requires the development and understanding of a large-scale synthesis technique. To that end, high-energy planetary ball milling is demonstrated as a scalable synthesis route, and the mechanisms and conversion kinetics of the BP phase transformation are investigated. During the milling process, media collisions rapidly compress amorphous red phosphorus (RP) into crystalline, orthorhombic BP flakes, resulting in a conversion yield of ≈90% for ≈5 g of bulk BP powder. Milling conversion kinetics, monitored via ex situ x-ray diffraction, manifest a sigmoidal behavior best described by the Avrami rate …

Using Schema Training To Facilitate Students' Understanding Of Challenging Engineering Concepts In Heat Transfer And Thermodynamics, Dazhi Yang, Ruth Streveler, Ronald L. Miller, Inanc Senocak, Jim Slotta

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Chi and colleagues have argued that some of the most challenging engineering concepts exhibit properties of emergent systems. However, students often lack a mental framework, or schema, for understanding emergence. Slotta and Chi posited that helping students develop a schema for emergent systems, referred to as schema training, would increase the understanding of challenging concepts exhibiting emergent properties.

Purpose: We tested the effectiveness of schema training and explored the nature of challenging concepts from thermodynamics and heat transfer. We investigated if schema training could (a) repair misconceptions in advanced engineering students and (b) prevent them in beginning engineering students. …

Increasing Concurrence Of Wildfire Drivers Tripled Megafire Critical Danger Days In Southern California Between 1982 And 2018, Mohammad Sadegh Khorshidi, Philip E. Dennison, Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Amir Aghakouchak, Charles H. Luce, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wildfire danger is often ascribed to increased temperature, decreased humidity, drier fuels, or higher wind speed. However, the concurrence of drivers—defined as climate, meteorological and biophysical factors that enable fire growth—is rarely tested for commonly used fire danger indices or climate change studies. Treating causal factors as independent additive influences can lead to inaccurate inferences about shifting hazards if the factors interact as a series of switches that collectively modulate fire growth. As evidence, we show that in Southern California very large fires and 'megafires' are more strongly associated with multiple drivers exceeding moderate thresholds concurrently, rather than direct relationships …

A Review Of Inkjet Printed Graphene And Carbon Nanotubes Based Gas Sensors, Twinkle Pandhi, Ashita Chandnani, Harish Subbaraman, David Estrada

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graphene and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based gas/vapor sensors have gained much traction for numerous applications over the last decade due to their excellent sensing performance at ambient conditions. Inkjet printing various forms of graphene (reduced graphene oxide or modified graphene) and CNT (single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs) or multiwall nanotubes (MWNTs)) nanomaterials allows fabrication onto flexible substrates which enable gas sensing applications in flexible electronics. This review focuses on their recent developments and provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in inkjet printing of graphene and CNT based sensors targeting gases, such as NO₂, Cl₂, CO₂, NH_{3 …}

Data And Analysis Toolbox For Modeling The Nexus Of Food, Energy, And Water, Mojtaba Sadegh, Arvin Farid

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Energy, water, and food resources are highly interdependent. Agricultural irrigation accounts for 84% of global consumptive freshwater use, the food supply chain demands up to 30% of global primary energy use, and roughly 80% of global electricity generation depends on water for cooling (an average of nearly 100 L of water withdrawn per kWh). Improving understanding of the complex interactions of this resource nexus is, therefore, a top priority for human well-being, sustainable development, and policymaking. Here, we present an interactive analysis toolbox, Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water (NeFEW), that synthesizes available global data to …

Impact Of Arsenic Species On Self-Assembly Of Triangular And Hexagonal Tensile-Strained Gaas(111)A Quantum Dots, Christopher F. Schuck, Kevin D. Vallejo, Trent Garrett, Qing Yuan, Ying Wang, Baolai Liang, Paul J. Simmonds

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We use dimeric arsenic (As₂) or tetrameric arsenic (As₄) during molecular beam epitaxy to manipulate the structural and optical properties of GaAs(111)A tensile-strained quantum dots (TSQDs). Choice of arsenic species affects nucleation and growth behavior during TSQD self-assembly. Previously, epitaxial GaAs(111)A TSQDs have been grown with As₄, producing TSQDs with a triangular base, and 'A-step' edges perpendicular to the three 1̅1̅2 directions. We demonstrate that using As₂ at low substrate temperature also results in triangular GaAs(111)A TSQDs, but with 'B-step' edges perpendicular to the three 112̅ directions. We can therefore invert the crystallographic …

A Century Of Observations Reveals Increasing Likelihood Of Continental-Scale Compound Dry-Hot Extremes, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Jan Adamowski, Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Amir Aghakouchak, Philip Dennison, Mojtaba Sadegh

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using over a century of ground-based observations over the contiguous United States, we show that the frequency of compound dry and hot extremes has increased substantially in the past decades, with an alarming increase in very rare dry-hot extremes. Our results indicate that the area affected by concurrent extremes has also increased significantly. Further, we explore homogeneity (i.e., connectedness) of dry-hot extremes across space. We show that dry-hot extremes have homogeneously enlarged over the past 122 years, pointing to spatial propagation of extreme dryness and heat and increased probability of continental-scale compound extremes. Last, we show an interesting shift between …

Emerging Gene-Editing Modalities For Osteoarthritis, Alekya S. Tanikella, Makenna J. Hardy, Stephanie M. Frahs, Aidan G. Cormier, Kalin D. Gibbons, Clare K. Fitzpatrick, Julia Thom Oxford

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a pathological degenerative condition of the joints that is widely prevalent worldwide, resulting in significant pain, disability, and impaired quality of life. The diverse etiology and pathogenesis of OA can explain the paucity of viable preventive and disease-modifying strategies to counter it. Advances in genome-editing techniques may improve disease-modifying solutions by addressing inherited predisposing risk factors and the activity of inflammatory modulators. Recent progress on technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 and cell-based genome-editing therapies targeting the genetic and epigenetic alternations in OA offer promising avenues for early diagnosis and the development of personalized therapies. The purpose of this …

Inkjet-Printed Graphene-Based 1 × 2 Phased Array Antenna, Mahmuda Akter Monne, Peter Mack Grubb, Harold Stern, Harish Subbaraman, Ray T. Chen, Maggie Yihong Chen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Low-cost and conformal phased array antennas (PAAs) on flexible substrates are of particular interest in many applications. The major deterrents to developing flexible PAA systems are the difficulty in integrating antenna and electronics circuits on the flexible surface, as well as the bendability and oxidation rate of radiating elements and electronics circuits. In this research, graphene ink was developed from graphene flakes and used to inkjet print the radiating element and the active channel of field effect transistors (FETs). Bending and oxidation tests were carried out to validate the application of printed flexible graphene thin films in flexible electronics. An …

Efficacy Of Enzymatically Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation In The Retention Of Heavy Metal Ions, Arif Ali Baig Moghal, Mohammed Abdul Lateef, Syed Abu Sayeed Mohammed, Kehinde Lemboye, Bhaskar C. S. Chittoori, Abdullah Almajed

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study evaluated the efficacy of enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) in restricting the mobility of heavy metals in soils. EICP is an environmentally friendly method that has wide ranging applications in the sustainable development of civil infrastructure. The study examined the desorption of three heavy metals from treated and untreated soils using ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) extractants under harsh conditions. Two natural soils spiked with cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were studied in this research. The soils were treated with three types of enzyme solutions (ESs) …

A Cathode Support Structure For Use In A Magnetron Oscillator Experiment, Daylon Black, Ryan Harper, Patrick Ward, Jacob Davlin, Omar Bentancourt, Donald Plumlee, Jim Browning

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic (LTCC) material system has been used to develop a protype field emission cathode structure for use in an experimental magnetron oscillator. The structure is designed for used with 30 Gated Field Emission Array (GFEA) die electrically connected through silver metal traces and electrical vias. To approximate a cylinder, the cathode structure (48 mm long and 13.7 mm in diameter) is comprised of 10 faceted plates which cover the GFEA dies. Slits in the facet plates allow electron injection. The GFEA die (3 mm x 8 mm) are placed in axial columns of 3 and spaced …

Accuracy Comparison Of Aerial Lidar, Mobile-Terrestrial Lidar, And Uav Photogrammetric Capture Data Elevations Over Different Terrain Types, Mandar Khanal, Mahamudul Hasan, Nikolaus Sterbentz, Ryen Johnson, Jesse Weatherly

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lidar and other remotely sensed data such as UAV photogrammetric data capture are being collected and utilized for roadway design on an increasing basis. These methods are desirable over conventional survey due to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness over large areas. A high degree of relative accuracy is achievable through the establishment of survey control. In this case study, elevations (z-values) derived from mobile-terrestrial lidar, aerial lidar, and UAV photogrammetric capture collected with survey control were statistically compared to conventionally surveyed elevations. A cost comparison of the methods is also included. Each set of z-values corresponds to a discrete horizontal point …

Continuous Learning In A Single-Incremental-Task Scenario With Spike Features, Ruthvik Vaila, John Chiasson, Vishal Saxena

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have two key deficiencies, their dependence on high precision computing and their inability to perform sequential learning, that is, when a DNN is trained on a first task and the same DNN is trained on the next task it forgets the first task. This phenomenon of forgetting previous tasks is also referred to as catastrophic forgetting. On the other hand a mammalian brain outperforms DNNs in terms of energy efficiency and the ability to learn sequentially without catastrophically forgetting. Here, we use bio-inspired Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) in the feature extraction layers of the network …

A Novel Tri-Band Reconfigurable Microstrip Patch Antenna, Wen Tao Li, Meng Wei, Bahareh Badamchi, Harish Subbaraman, Xiaowei Shi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, a novel tri-band reconfigurable patch antenna with simple structure is presented. By changing the on-off state of only two PIN diodes, the antenna can operate in three bands, namely X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band. The overall size of the antenna is 0.24λ_L × 0.5λ_L × 0.019λ_L, where λ_L is the free-space wavelength of the lowest operating frequency. A prototype is fabricated and measured to verify the design. The measurement results are in good agreement with the simulation results, which indicate that the proposed antenna can be flexibly switched between three …

A Self Controlled Rdp Approach For Feature Extraction In Online Handwriting Recognition Using Deep Learning, Sukhdeep Singh, Vinod Kumar Chauhan, Elisa H. Barney Smith

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The identification of accurate features is the initial task for benchmarked handwriting recognition. For handwriting recognition, the objective of feature computation is to find those characteristics of a handwritten stroke that depict the class of a stroke and make it separable from the rest of the stroke classes. The present study proposes a feature extraction technique for online handwritten strokes based on a self controlled Ramer-Douglas-Peucker (RDP) algorithm. This novel approach prepares a smaller length feature vector for different shaped online handwritten strokes without preprocessing and without any control parameter to RDP. Thus, it also overcomes the shortcomings of the …

Breaking Down The Silos: Innovations For Multidisciplinary Programs, Jillana Finnegan, Donna C. Llewellyn

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2020

Universities, colleges and academic departments acknowledge the need for more collaborative, multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial, and global education. Unfortunately, this is no trivial task. Centuries of tradition have produced institutional silos, reinforced by layers of policy and cultural differences between academic departments, between colleges, and between academic and non-academic units. Successful multidisciplinary programs require programmatic and administrative innovation that meet faculty, student and institutional needs and leverage available resources. The Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) model, in place at thirty-seven institutions, has achieved notable success in these areas. This paper profiles innovations from ten VIP Programs in three areas: institutional organization, program organization, …

Work In Progress: Development Of A General Education First-Year Design Course, Courtney Hollar, Sondra M. Miller

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We discuss in this Work in Progress paper the development of a new first-year engineering course at Boise State University. ENGR 180 Communication in Design Thinking, was developed in order to emphasize the importance of communication throughout the design process. Communication with the client at the start of the design process occurs in order to understand the problem to be solved. The team and other stakeholders continuously communicate in order to work toward developing a prototype to solve the problem. The ability to effectively communicate is equally as important to the design of the final product. The development of ENGR …

What Is The Derivative Of Music?, Thad B. Welch, Cameron H.G. Wright, Michael G. Morrow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In our continuing effort to prove to students that Signals & Systems is not just another mathematics course taught by the ECE Department, we ask the question, “What is the Derivative of Music?”

The first-order difference (or first-difference) is an incredibly simple algorithm that very accurately approximates the numeric derivative operator, especially for oversampled signals. Its inverse also accurately approximates the numeric integration operator, but not without numeric difficulty.

Given a real-time demonstration using winDSK8, we can now show students that these mathematical operators provide powerful signal processing filtering tools for real-world signals.

During this ASEE session, we will include …

Lasting Impacts Of A Summer Bridge And Outdoor Experience Program On Student Relationships: A Social Network Analysis, Noah Salzman, Ann E. Delaney, Catherine Rose Bates, Donna C. Llewellyn

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Complete Research paper, we present a social network analysis of an academic summer bridge and outdoor experience program designed to support the social and academic integration of incoming STEM majors at Boise State University. Summer bridge programs can support students through both the development of academic skills and the creation of intentional community and peer support networks which can facilitate students’ sense of belonging in both their chosen major and at the university. Alumni from the past five years of the program received a survey asking them to indicate their connections to other participants, faculty, and staff associated …