Engineering Commons^™

A Microstructural Constitutive Framework For Injured Ligament, Christina J. Stender, Evan Rust, Raquel J. Brown, Trevor J. Lujan

Biomolecular Research Center Student Presentations

No abstract provided.

On Designing Collaborative Robotic Systems With Real-Time Operating Systems And Wireless Networks, Andrew Jacob Wolin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Robotic devices currently solve many real-world problems but do so primarily on an individual basis. The ability to deploy large quantities of robots to solve problems has not yet been widely embraced partially due to the complex nature of robotics and levels of research investment.

Existing research in robot collaboration largely exists in the forms of models and simulations. This work seeks to accelerate the next level of research in this area by providing a low cost, collaborative capable robotic system. This platform can be used as a gateway to transport simulations into physical representations. This research not only presents …

Radiation-Induced Effects In Chalcogenide-Based Memory Devices And Films, Kasandra Wolf

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Continued scaling of memory devices has produced many issues for the current foremost non-volatile memory—the flash memory—leading to the emergence of a wide variety of alternative memory solutions. Redox Conductive Bridge Memory (RCBM) is one such solution that has shown great promise in recent years. However, the performance of these devices under radiation conditions has not been explored in detail. This work investigates the effects of x-rays and electron bombardment on chalcogenide glasses and RCBM devices based on these materials.

RCBM devices are a form of Resistance Change Memory, which rely on two distinct resistive states to represent the binary …

Investigation Of Fatigue Life And Fracture Mechanics Of Unconstrained Ni-Mn-Ga Single Crystals, Theodore Bryson Lawrence

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ni-Mn-Ga is a magnetic shape memory alloy (MSMA) that exhibits large recoverable strains. The magnetic field induced strain (MFIS) occurs through twin boundary motion resulting in reorientation of the crystal structure, which is coupled to the magnetic moment of the material. The shape memory capabilities of the material make it promising for applications including microactuators, sensors, microfluid pumps, refrigeration, energy harvesting, and data storage.

In order for Ni-Mn-Ga to become a viable option for use in commercial applications the performance and reliability must be on par with industry standards. Ni‑Mn-Ga has been shown to achieve high cycles at low strains, …

Evolutionary Search For Models Of Planarian Regeneration Using Experimental Data, Marianna Viktorovna Budnikova

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The ability of science to produce experimental data greatly surpasses our current ability to effectively visualize, conceptualize, and integrate the vast volumes of available data into a unified understanding of how complex biological systems work. This inability is a hindrance to scientific progress, and is particularly daunting when one considers multidimensional and shape-based observations as in the field of regenerative biology. For example, for at least the last 200 years, scientists have been interested in the exceptional ability of Planaria to regenerate lost tissues from damage, and there is a large amount of experimental data available on this organism. However, …

Simulation Of A Rising Sun Magnetron Employing A Faceted Cathode With A Continuous Current Source, Sulmer Fernandez-Gutierrez, Jim Browning, Ming-Chieh Lin, David N. Smithe, Jack Watrous

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

It has been proposed that gated field emitters could be used in place of conventional thermionic cathodes to control the current injection in a magnetron, both temporally and spatially. Since gated field emitters have to be fabricated on flat surfaces, a faceted cathode would be used to implement this approach. A 2D ten cavity, rising sun magnetron has been modeled using the particle-in-cell code VORPAL. Cylindrical, five-sided, and ten-sided faceted cathodes were modeled to study the variation of magnetron operation due to the cathode shape. This work shows the results of the device performance employing three different cathode geometries with …

Construction Management Service Learning: A "How To" Process For Success, R. Casey Cline, Ken Robson, Michael Kroth

Construction Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

To ensure that students are prepared for positions in the construction industry, construction management education programs expose students to industry relevant construction management (CM) theory and practice. Traditional transmission teaching methodologies, while arguably effective for teaching management theory and practice, are not as effective for the transfer of practical leadership skills and knowledge of construction specific processes. As an alternative teaching strategy, many CM programs incorporate service-learning (S-L) into curricula; providing students practical experience, focusing on the acquisition of knowledge through goal setting, thinking, planning, experimentation, observation, and reflection.

However, from a practical standpoint, the development of a service-learning project …

Interdisciplinary, Collaborative International Service Learning: Developing Engineering Students As Global Citizens, Anthony D. Songer, Karen R. Breitkreuz

Construction Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent calls to reform engineering education place emphasis on applied math and science within the broader context of globalization, economics, the environment, and society. This broad and complex challenge necessitates the investigation of new interdisciplinary education approaches for engineering education. This paper presents a formal approach for developing engineering students as global citizens. The 360 Degree Model for Educating Socially Responsible Global Citizens (360 Global Ed model) presented herein includes a framework for foundational theory, educational environment, academic coursework, and outcomes. At the core of the emerging model is an international service learning experience called the Village Network. …

Noise-Enhanced Information Systems, Hao Chen, Lav R. Varshney, Pramod K. Varshney

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Noise, traditionally defined as an unwanted signal or disturbance, has been shown to play an important constructive role in many information processing systems and algorithms. This noise enhancement has been observed and employed in many physical, biological, and engineered systems. Indeed stochastic facilitation (SF) has been found critical for certain biological information functions such as detection of weak, subthreshold stimuli or suprathreshold signals through both experimental verification and analytical model simulations. In this paper, we present a systematic noise-enhanced information processing framework to analyze and optimize the performance of engineered systems. System performance is evaluated not only in terms of …

Channel, Phase Noise, And Frequency Offset In Ofdm Systems: Joint Estimation, Data Detection, And Hybrid Cramér-Rao Lower Bound, Omar Hazim Salim, Ali A. Nasir, Hani Mehrpouyan, Wei Xiang, Salman Durrani, Rodney A. Kennedy

Hani Mehrpouyan

Oscillator phase noise (PHN) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) can adversely impact the performance of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, since they can result in inter carrier interference and rotation of the signal constellation. In this paper, we propose an expectation conditional maximization (ECM) based algorithm for joint estimation of channel, PHN, and CFO in OFDM systems. We present the signal model for the estimation problem and derive the hybrid Cramér-Rao lower bound (HCRB) for the joint estimation problem. Next, we propose an iterative receiver based on an extended Kalman filter for joint data detection and PHN tracking. Numerical …

Compact Verilog-A Modeling Of Silicon Traveling-Wave Modulator For Hybrid Cmos Photonic Circuit Design, Kehan Zhu, Vishal Saxena, Wan Kuang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A compact Verilog-A model of silicon-based junction traveling-wave Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) is developed for hybrid CMOS and photonic system-level simulation in Cadence environment. Critical device functions such as the voltage dependent change of refractive index, small-signal RLGC parameters for the MZM arms are extracted from the photonic device characterization from OpSIS foundry. Thermo-optical coefficient is also considered in the model. Simulation results including electro-optic S21 is characterized for the phase modulator's bandwidth. Also, transient MZM operation with non-return to zero (NRZ) data transmission at 10 Gb/s and 20 Gb/s rates are demonstrated.

Dual-State Kalman Filter Forecasting And Control Theory Applications For Proactive Ramp Metering, Brian Richard Portugais

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Deterioration of freeway traffic flow condition due to bottlenecks can be ameliorated with ramp metering. A challenge in ramp metering is that it is not possible to process data in real-time and use the output in a control algorithm. This is due to the fact that by the time processing is completed and a control measure applied, the traffic state will have changed. A solution to this problem is to forecast the traffic state and implement a control measure based on the forecast.

A dual-state Kalman filter was used to forecast traffic data at two locations on a freeway (I-84). …

The Electronic And Thermodynamic Properties Of Ca Doped Lafeo3 – A First Principles Study Using Density Functional Theory, Davis George Daniel

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Density functional theory (DFT) was used to evaluate the electronic and thermodynamic properties of Ca-doped LaFeO₃ (La_1-xCa_xFeO_3-y). La_1-xCa_xFeO_3-y exhibits ionic (O^2- anions) and electronic conductivity at high temperatures and has potential applications in gas separation, syngas production and solid oxide fuel cell cathodes. DFT is a computational technique based on the First Principles of physics, derived from the theory of quantum mechanics. DFT approximates the ground state energy of a system and can subsequently determine many bulk properties such as lattice constants, magnetic states, band gap, density …

Creating A Stem Identity: Investment With Return, Janet Callahan, Patricia Pyke, Susan Shadle, R. Eric Landrum

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Establishing a strong STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) identity at Boise State University, a metropolitan campus with approximately 3,655 undergraduate STEM students and a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 19,042 (16,136 FTE) has been an important step toward creating a climate conducive to facilitating fundamental change. Examples of such change include building collaborations among faculty within and across departments, establishing the identity of students as part of a community beyond their chosen major, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of university systems, and perhaps most importantly, developing a framework to think deliberately about ways to effect change. This paper is …

Sparsity-Based Edge Noise Removal From Bilevel Graphical Document Images, Thai V. Hoang, Elisa H. Barney Smith, Salvatore Tabbone

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper presents a new method to remove edge noise from graphical document images using geometrical regularities of the graphics contours that exist in the images. Denoising is understood as a recovery problem and is accomplished by employing a sparse representation framework in the form of a basis pursuit denoising algorithm. Directional information of the graphics contours is encoded by atoms in an overcomplete dictionary which is designed to match the input data. The optimal precision parameter used in this framework is shown to have a linear relationship with the level of the noise that exists in the image. Experimental …

Phase Control And Fast Start-Up Of A Magnetron Using Modulation Of An Addressable Faceted Cathode, J. Browning, S. Fernandez-Gutierrez, M. C. Lin, D. N. Smithe, J. Watrous

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of an addressable, faceted cathode has been proposed as a method of modulating current injection in a magnetron to improve performance and control phase. To implement the controllable electron emission, five-sided and ten-sided faceted planar cathodes employing gated field emitters are considered as these emitters could be fabricated on flat substrates. For demonstration, the conformal finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell simulation, as implemented in VORPAL, has been used to model a ten-cavity, rising sun magnetron using the modulated current sources and benchmarked against a typical continuous current source. For the modulated, ten-sided faceted cathode case, the electrons are injected from …

Strength And Stiffness Characterization Of Controlled Low-Strength Material Using Native High-Plasticity Clay, Bhaskar Chittoori, Anand J. Puppala, Anil Raavi

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A research attempt was made to design a controlled low-strength material (CLSM) mix that can be used as bedding and haunch material for a pipeline by using the native soil as fine aggregate. Several CLSM mix designs were attempted using native high-plasticity clay as fine aggregate material. Comprehensive material characterization studies including flowability to strength tests were performed. These results were analyzed to address the applicability of each mix to serve as pipe bedding/backfilling zones in a pipeline construction. Both flowability and density test results are first evaluated, and as a result, several mixes are formulated. These mixes were further …

Durability Studies On Native Soil-Based Controlled Low Strength Materials, Bhaskar Chittoori

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL) is a collaborative effort between the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) and Dallas Water Utilities (DWU), which bring additional water supplies to the Dallas / Fort Worth area. As part of a sustainability initiative, several studies were conducted to assess the reuse potential of excavated materials along the IPL project. One of these studies involved using the excavated material as an ingredient in Controlled Low Strength Material, often known as CLSM or flowable fill. This flowable fill can be used as bedding and haunch material in pipeline construction. These CLSMs meet the specifications in the …

Energy-Efficient Stdp-Based Learning Circuits With Memristor Synapses, Xinyu Wu, Vishal Saxena, Kristy A. Campbell

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

It is now accepted that the traditional von Neumann architecture, with processor and memory separation, is ill suited to process parallel data streams which a mammalian brain can efficiently handle. Moreover, researchers now envision computing architectures which enable cognitive processing of massive amounts of data by identifying spatio-temporal relationships in real-time and solving complex pattern recognition problems. Memristor cross-point arrays, integrated with standard CMOS technology, are expected to result in massively parallel and low-power Neuromorphic computing architectures. Recently, significant progress has been made in spiking neural networks (SNN) which emulate data processing in the cortical brain. These architectures comprise of …

Joint Phase Noise Estimation And Data Detection In Coded Mimo Systems, Arif O. Isikman, Hani Mehrpouyan, Ali A. Nasir, Alexander G. Amat, Rodney A. Kennedy

Hani Mehrpouyan

In this paper, the problem of joint oscillator phase noise (PHN) estimation and data detection for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems using bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) is analyzed. A new MIMO receiver that iterates between the estimator and the detector, based on the expectation-maximization (EM) framework, is proposed. It is shown that at high signal-to-noise ratios, a maximum a posteriori estimator (MAP) can be used to carry out the maximization step of the EM algorithm. Moreover, to reduce the computational complexity of the proposed EM algorithm, a soft decision-directed extended Kalman filter-smoother (EKFS) is applied instead of the MAP estimator to …

Estimating Unsaturated Flow Properties In Coarse Conglomeratic Sediment, Michael James Thoma Jr.

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I address the lack of knowledge of unsaturated flow in coarse, conglomeratic sediment by determining if functional θ-ψ-K relationships, specifically van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) relationships, developed to predict unsaturated flow in relatively fine-grained sediment can be directly applied to coarse, conglomeratic sediment. In the summer of 2011, a field-scale infiltration test was conducted at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site to determine if functional ψ-θ-K relationships could be applied to infiltration in coarse, conglomeratic sediment, and to estimate parameter values for the VGM relationships. Vertically and laterally distributed ψ(t) and θ( …

Thermodynamics And Reaction Kinetics During Mechanochemical Synthesis And Environmental Testing Of Lanthanide And Actinide Refractory Materials, Gordon Andrew Alanko

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

High energy ball milling is a broad family of well-known techniques for materials processing that includes mechanochemical synthesis, in which the milled materials react during milling. The latter may involve components reacting in the solid, liquid, or gas phases, and the operative kinetics have hardly been studied. Several manufacturers of high energy ball mills have recently made available instrumented milling vessel lids. These lids are able to monitor the temperature of the lid and the gas pressure within the vessel in situ during milling experiments. This ability is a significant improvement over the ad hoc instrumentation setups sometimes discussed in …

Nano-Ionic Redox Resistive Ram – Device Performance Enhancement Through Materials Engineering, Characterization And Electrical Testing, Muhammad Rizwan Latif

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Redox Conductive Bridge Memory (RCBM), which falls in the Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) category, has gained considerable attention as one of the promising candidates for future generation non-volatile memory due to its advantages over Flash memory as it offers high density, low operating power, fast read/write operation, and compatibility with conventional CMOS process. Currently research is being conducted to improve the reliability of the RCBM devices, which are comprised of an insulating material, also known as active layer, sandwiched between two metal electrodes. The main working mechanism of these devices is based on the resistance change …

Wsnfs: A Distributed Data Sharing System For In-Network Processing, Joshua C. Kiepert

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as versatile platforms for a wide range of scientific data acquisition applications. Wireless sensor network systems are used in many applications including: surveillance, environmental monitoring, target tracking, wildlife tracking, personal health monitoring, machinery monitoring, and many others. Current research efforts in WSN system designs are moving toward approaches that enable direct in-network processing of acquired sensor data to avoid the high energy costs associated with the bulk transmission of data to outside systems for processing. Implementation of collaborative in-network processing algorithms is a non-trivial issue for WSN system development. Design complexity for in-network processing …

Nano-Ionic Radiation Sensor: Materials Engineering, Device Design, And Testing, Mahesh Satyanarayana Ailavajhala

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

For decades, various radiation-detecting materials have been extensively researched, to find a better material or mechanism. Recently, there has been a growing need for smaller, and more effective materials or devices that are Integrated Circuits (IC) compatible, and can perform similar functions as bulkier Geiger counters, and other measurement options, which fail the requirement for easy, cheap, and accurate radiation dose measurements. Here arises the use of thin films of chalcogenide glasses, which have unique properties of high thermal stability along with high sensitivity towards short wavelength radiation.

In this work, the effect of γ-rays, generated from a ⁶⁰Co …

Phase Transformations In Calcium Substituted Lanthanum Ferrite, Patrick M. Price

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Increasing world energy demands are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. To meet these demands, crude oil is increasingly being extracted from remote locations where natural gas pipelines do not exist. It is not profitable for oil and gas companies to transport natural gas by ship or truck from these remote locations so it is combusted on site in the form of gas flares. Critics oppose this practice due to the environmental impact from pollution and carbon emissions created during the flaring process. Oil and gas companies are eager to find profitable ways to eliminate natural gas lines in order …

On Uniformly Most Powerful Decentralized Detection, Uri Rogers

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The theory behind Uniformly Most Powerful (UMP) composite binary hypothesis testing is mature and well defined in centralized detection where all observations are directly accessible at one central node. However, within the area of decentralized detection, UMP tests have not been researched, even though tests of this nature have properties that are highly desirable. The purpose of this research is to extend the UMP concept into decentralized detection, which we define as UMP decentralized detection (UMP-DD). First, the standard parallel decentralized detection model with conditionally independent observations will be explored. This section will introduce theorems and corollaries that define when …

Simulation Of A Magnetron Using Discrete Modulated Current Sources, Sulmer A. Fernández Gutierrez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Magnetrons are microwave oscillators and are extensively used for commercial and military applications requiring power levels from the kilowatt to the megawatt range. It has been proposed that the use of gated field emitters with a faceted cathode in place of the conventional thermionic cathode could be used to control the current injection in a magnetron, both temporally and spatially. In this research, this concept is studied using the 2-D particle trajectory simulation Lorentz2E and the 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) code VORPAL. The magnetron studied is a ten cavity, rising sun magnetron, which can be modeled easily using a 2-D simulation. …

High-Speed Delta-Sigma Data Converters For Next-Generation Wireless Communication, Sakkarapani Balagopal

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Continuous-time Delta-Sigma(CT-ΔΣ) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) have been extensively investigated for their use in wireless receivers to achieve conversion bandwidths greater than 15 MHz and higher resolution of 10 to 14 bits. This dissertation investigates the current state-of-the-art high-speed single-bit and multi-bit Continuous-time Delta-Sigma modulator (CT-ΔΣM) designs and their limitations due to circuit non-idealities in achieving the performance required for next-generation wireless standards. Also, we presented complete architectural and circuit details of a high-speed single-bit and multi-bit CT-ΔΣM operating at a sampling rate of 1.25 GSps and 640 MSps respectively (the highest reported sampling rate in a 0.13 …

Seeking Cleaner Air - Accessible Air Quality Monitoring And Event Diagnosis, James Allen Hall Jr.

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Airborne particulate matter has been shown to be associated with morbidity and mortality, and can have a detrimental impact on sensitive materials and processes. Understanding the levels and movements of particulate matter in an enclosed space can lead to a reduction in the negative consequences of poor air quality. A system of environmental sensors including particulate matter, selected gases, and other atmospheric factors can be used to provide a real-time assessment of air quality. This assessment can be used to assist in the diagnosis of the source of particulate matter. This dissertation describes the creation of a framework for the …