Engineering Commons^™

Investigating If Multidisciplinary Or Homogenous Teams Are More Innovative In A Higher Education Setting, Blake Howard Hoover

Theses and Dissertations

This study is derived from the claim that multidisciplinary groups are more innovative than homogeneous groups; a claim that has flooded the business industry and has become criteria for accreditation in higher education. However, the impact of disciplinary diversity in work groups is a growing area of research; therefore, it is yet to be thoroughly understood. The purpose of this study is to answer the question: are multidisciplinary teams more innovative than homogenous teams. To accomplish this university students from differing majors were sorted into multidisciplinary and homogeneous groups while participating in a two-day innovation course. The course taught the …

Analysis Of Safety Impacts Of Access Management Alternatives Using The Surrogate Safety Assessment Model, Kyung Min Kim

Theses and Dissertations

In a traditional safety impact analysis, it is necessary to have crash data on existing roadway conditions in the field and a few years must pass before accumulating reliable crash data. This is a time-consuming approach and there remains uncertainty in the crash data due to the random nature of crash occurrences. The Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) was developed for resolving these issues. With SSAM, a conflict analysis is performed in a simulated environment. A planned improvement alternative under study is modeled and no physical installation of the alternative is needed. Hence, the method using a simulation software along …

Tribopairs In Wellbore Drilling: A Study Of Pcd Tilting Pad Bearings In An Electric Submersible Pump, Cameron B. Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

A polycrystalline diamond was tested as a bearing material for a tilting pad thrust bearing to be used in an electric submersible pump, which elevates process fluids from the bottom of well bores. The goal of this study was to compare the PCD to a current best of technology, which is stainless steel with an engineering polymer.This study found that PCD can handle larger loads than current technology but is limited in size due to diamond sintering and manufacturing constraints. The maximum size is Ø75mm.

An Investigation Of Elementary Teachers<'> Self-Efficacy For And Beliefs About The Importance Of Engineering Education, Khristen Lee Massic

Theses and Dissertations

In order for the United States to regain its global standing in science and engineering, educational and governmental organizations have started to re-emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math content in k-12 classrooms.While some preliminary research has been conducted on student and teacher perceptions related to engineering, there has been little research conducted related to teachers beliefs about the importance of engineering content in their classrooms and relatively few studies have investigated elementary teachers teaching engineering self-efficacy. Current studies have investigated the impact of professional development on teachers teaching engineering self-efficacy but these studies were conducted with limited sample sizes, for …

An Obstacle Avoidance System For The Visually Impaired Using 3-D Point Cloud Processing, Evan Justin Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The long white cane offers many benefits for the blind and visually impaired. Still, many report being injured both indoors and outdoors while using the long white cane. One frequent cause of injury is due to the fact that the long white cane cannot detect obstacles above the waist of the user. This thesis presents a system that attempts to augment the capabilities of the long white cane by sensing the environment around the user, creating a map of obstacles within the environment, and providing simple haptic feedback to the user. The proposed augmented cane system uses the Asus Xtion …

Characterization Of Mechanical Properties Of Battery Electrode Films From Acoustic Resonance Measurements, Kathryn Lanae Dallon

Theses and Dissertations

Measurements of the mechanical properties of lithium-ion battery electrode films can be used to quantify and improve manufacturing processes and to predict the mechanical and electrochemical performance of the battery. This thesis demonstrates the use of acoustic resonances to distinguish among commercial-grade battery films with different active electrode materials, thicknesses, and densities. Resonances are excited in a clamped circular area of the film using a pulsed infrared laser or speaker and responses are measured using an electret condenser microphone. A numerical model is used to quantify the sensitivity of resonances to changes in mechanical properties. When the numerical model is …

A Comparison Between Self-Cleaning Properties Via Rolling Droplets And Condensation On Superhyrophobic Surfaces, David Leland Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces are super water repellent surfaces on which a droplet of water will bead up like a marble and roll off the surface with minimal tilting of the surface. This is caused by the combination of a hydrophobic coating and a rough surface structure. To achieve thermodynamic stability, surface tension of the water pulls the droplet into this shape to minimize the contact area between the droplet and the surface. This creates a high contact angle (CA) between the droplet and the surface and a low sliding angle (SA) of which the droplet begins to roll off the …

Microstructural Evaluation Of Hydrogen Embrittlement And Successive Recovery In Advanced High Strength Steel, Quentin Scott Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Advanced high strength steels (AHSS) have high susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement, and are often exposed to hydrogen environments in processing. In order to study the embrittlement and recovery of steel, tensile tests were conducted on two different types of AHSS over time after hydrogen charging. Concentration measurements and hydrogen microprinting were carried out at the same time steps to visualize the hydrogen behavior during recovery. The diffusible hydrogen concentration was found to decay exponentially, and equations were found for the two types of steel. Hydrogen concentration decay rates were calculated to be -0.355 /hr in TBF steel, and -0.225 /hr …

Phased-Array Feed Instrumentation And Processing For Astronomical Detection, Interference Mitigation, And Transient Parameter Estimation, Richard Allen Black

Theses and Dissertations

Radio astronomy, the survey and study of naturally occurring astronomical radio signals, is a challenging field in terms of engineering requirements. The typical astronomical signal of interest is incredibly faint, resulting in very low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) on the order of -30 dB or lower. To detect such signals, one must have an uncommonly low and stable receiver noise temperature, high gain through large aperture reflectors, and state-of-the-art signal processing algorithms. One must also be able to mitigate the effects of interference, the presence of which, even if extremely weak, can completely mask the faint astronomical signals of interest. To …

Current State Of Practice Associated With The Use Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) In The Custom Home Building Industry, William Noble Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has entered the construction industry and has permeated the commercial sector. Research is continually performed to expand the capabilities and applications within the industry. However, research has historically been mostly limited to the commercial sector and has seen little expansion to other sectors of the industry including the residential sector. The potential cause for this may be the limited number of industry professionals who utilize the software to the benefit of their companies. The focus of this study was specifically the custom home building sector of residential construction in the United States because of the unique …

A Molecular Simulation Study Of Antibody-Antigen Interactions On Surfaces For The Rational Design Of Next-Generation Antibody Microarrays, Derek B. Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Antibody microarrays constitute a next-generation sensing platform that has the potential to revolutionize the way that molecular detection is conducted in many scientific fields. Unfortunately, current technologies have not found mainstream use because of reliability problems that undermine trust in their results. Although several factors are involved, it is believed that undesirable protein interactions with the array surface are a fundamental source of problems where little detail about the molecular-level biophysics are known. A better understanding of antibody stability and antibody-antigen binding on the array surface is needed to improve microarray technology. Despite the availability of many laboratory methods for …

Improving Thermodynamic Consistency Among Vapor Pressure, Heat Of Vaporization, And Liquid And Ideal Gas Heat Capacities, Joseph Wallace Hogge

Theses and Dissertations

Vapor pressure (P_vap), heat of vaporization (ΔH_vap), liquid heat capacity (C_p^l), and ideal gas heat capacity (C_p^ig) are important properties for process design and optimization. This work focuses on improving the thermodynamic consistency and accuracy of the aforementioned properties since these can drastically affect the reliability, safety, and profitability of chemical processes. They can be measured for pure organic compounds from the triple point, through the normal boiling point, and up to the critical point. Additionally, ΔH_vap is proportional to the derivative of vapor …

Multiple Target Tracking In Realistic Environments Using Recursive-Ransac In A Data Fusion Framework, Jeffrey Dyke Millard

Theses and Dissertations

Reliable track continuity is an important characteristic of multiple target tracking (MTT) algorithms. In the specific case of visually tracking multiple ground targets from an aerial platform, challenges arise due to realistic operating environments such as video compression artifacts, unmodeled camera vibration, and general imperfections in the target detection algorithm. Some popular visual detection techniques include Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT)-based motion detection, difference imaging, and object feature matching. Each of these algorithmic detectors has fundamental limitations in regard to providing consistent measurements. In this thesis we present a scalable detection framework that simultaneously leverages multiple measurement sources. We present the recursive random …

Reliability Of Feqdrain For Modeling Performance Of Sand Treated With Large-Diameter Prefabricated Drains For Liquefaction Mitigation, Travis Hatch Meservy

Theses and Dissertations

Finite element modeling of laminar shear box testing that consisted of loose sand treated with large diameter prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), was performed. The objective of the modeling was to evaluate the reliability of the computer program FEQDrain for predicting excess pore pressure ratios (Ru) at sites treated with prefabricated drains. FEQDrain was found to be capable of successfully modeling measured excess pore pressure ratio time histories from the laminar shear box experiment, as long as an appropriate combination of €˜number of equivalent cycles and €˜shaking duration was chosen, and sensitive parameters were in the range of measured values. Hydraulic …

Eigenblades: Application Of Computer Vision And Machine Learning For Mode Shape Identification, Alex W. La

Theses and Dissertations

On August 27, 2016, Southwest Airlines flight 3472 from New Orleans to Orlando had to perform an emergency landing when a fan blade separated from the engine hub and destroyed the cowling and punctured the fuselage. Initial findings from the metallurgical examination conducted in the National Transpiration Safety Board Materials Laboratory found that the fracture surface of the missing blade showed curving crack arrest lines consistent with fatigue crack growth. Fatigue is often cause by resonate vibrations. Modal analysis is a method that can model the natural frequencies and bending modes of turbomachinery blades. When performing modal analysis with finite …

Extending Motion Detection To Track Stopped Objects In Visual Multi-Target Tracking, Jacob H. White, Karl T. Salva, Randal W. Beard

Student Works

Various solutions to visual multi-target tracking have been proposed, but many of them are not capable of running in real time from a moving camera on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We present a tracker that runs in real time and tracks multiple objects while accounting for camera motion on a UAV. Our algorithm is capable of processing over 10 frames per second on a 1280x720 video sequence.

We utilize Recursive-RANSAC, an efficient algorithm for tracking multiple objects in clutter. Our work combines motion detection with optical flow and feature matching to allow stationary objects to be tracked. We use …

Characterizing The Electromechanical Response Of Flexible Foam For Multifunctional Impact-Sensing Applications, Evan Troy Bird

Theses and Dissertations

Flexible foams have unique properties that make them well-suited to several engineering systems. They are often used in impact-related applications because of their superior energy absorption performance. Many multifunctional materials are also derived from flexible foams due to their high customizability, which allows them to satisfy a wide range of performance requirements. Though flexible foams have high potential in these and other classes of material applications, their success relies on the proper characterization of their complex behavior. This thesis promotes the application of flexible foams by characterizing their electromechanical response through both experimental and theoretical approaches. One study in this …

Reaching In Clutter With Whole-Arm Tactile Sensing, Advait Jain, Marc D. Killpack, Aaron Edsinger, Charles Kemp

Faculty Publications

Clutter creates challenges for robot manipulation, including a lack of non-contact trajectories and reduced visibility for line-of-sight sensors. We demonstrate that robots can use whole-arm tactile sensing to perceive clutter and maneuver within it, while keeping contact forces low. We first present our approach to manipulation, which emphasizes the benefits of making contact across the entire manipulator and assumes the manipulator has low-stiffness actuation and tactile sensing across its entire surface. We then present a novel controller that exploits these assumptions. The controller only requires haptic sensing, handles multiple contacts, and does not need an explicit model of the environment …

Hydrodynamic And Thermal Effects Of Sub-Critical Heating On Superhydrophobic Surfaces And Microchannels, Adam M. Cowley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the effects of heating on superhydrophobic (SHPo) surfaces. The work is divided into two main categories: heat transfer without mass transfer and heat transfer in conjunction with mass transfer. Numerical methods are used to explore the prior while experimental methods are utilized for the latter. The numerical work explores convective heat transfer in SHPo parallel plate microchannels and is separated into two stand-alone chapters that have been published archivally. The first considers surfaces with a rib/cavity structure and the second considers surfaces patterned with a square lattice of square posts. Laminar, fully developed, steady flow with …

Highly Compressible Origami Bellows For Harsh Environments, Jared J. Butler

Theses and Dissertations

The use of origami-based bellows is of interest in fields where traditional metal bellows are incapable of meeting compression, mass, or flexibility constraints. Metal bellows are often used in space applications but frequently complicate spacecraft design. Origami-based bellows capable of meeting design constraints while adequately shielding sensitive spacecraft parts may be advantageous to space mechanism design. The design and testing of a highly compressible origami bellows for harsh environments is described. Several origami patterns were evaluated and the Kresling fold pattern was designed to meet constraints and selected for use in the bellows design. Origami bellows were prototyped in five …

Pull-Out Strength Of Fiberglass/Epoxy Composite Rebarfabricated On A Three-Dimensional Braiding Machine, Tarisai Machanzi

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to explore and demonstrate the production andperformance of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar manufactured on a continuous threedimensionalbraiding machine for use as reinforcement in concrete structures. Differentconfigurations of fiberglass/epoxy composite cylindrical rebar rods were manufactured,embedded in concrete, and tested in axial tension to identify the relationships betweenmanufacturing parameters and tensile pull-out strength of the rebar. The strength of the bondbetween concrete and FRP rebar was investigated using the pull-out test detailed by ACI 440.3R-12. The rebar was a No. 4 size and produced by combining multiple tows of fiberglass/epoxyprepreg to form the core of cylindrical …

Developing New Classes Of Thick-Origami-Based Mechanisms: Conceal-And-Reveal Motion And Folding Printed Circuit Boards, Bryce Parker De Figueiredo

Theses and Dissertations

Origami-adapted mechanisms form the basis of an increasing number of engineered systems. As most of these systems require the use of non-paper materials, various methods for accommodating thickness have been developed. These methods have opened new avenues for origami-based design. This work introduces approaches for the design of two new classes of thick-origami systems and demonstrates the approaches in hardware. One type of system, called "conceal-and-reveal,'' is introduced, and a method of designing these mechanisms is developed. Techniques are also developed for designing folding printed circuit boards which are fabricated from a single sheet of material. This enables areas of …

A Case Study Of Instructional Methods Used For Private Pilot Certification At Utah Valley University Flight School, Michael Robert Graham

Theses and Dissertations

In this case study, researchers investigated the instructional methods used to train private pilot students at Utah Valley University. Traditional one-on-one individualized learning methods were replaced with cooperative learning methods. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the cooperative learning methods used. Reduced training time, less repeated lessons and a reduced number of flight hours showed that cooperative learning methods were more efficient and a more effective way to train private pilot students at Utah Valley University.

The State Of Bim-Based Quantity Take-Off Implementation Among Commercial General Contractors, Morgan Christian Tagg

Theses and Dissertations

Building Information Modeling (BIM) plays an important role in today's construction industry. Models are tools that help stakeholders communicate, visualize building geometry, perform trade coordination and clash detection among others. A less popular aspect of BIM that shows high potential is the quantity take-off (QTO) feature. Yet, its implementation among commercial general contractors (GC) has not received as much attention. The purpose of this study was to identify how the BIM QTO features were being implemented among commercial general contractors, what challenges they faced and how they worked to overcome those challenges. Through a three-step process including semi structured interviews …

Design And Evaluation Of A Cmos Contact-Imaging System For Microfluidics, Andres Moroni Galan Cherrez

Theses and Dissertations

A CMOS contact-imaging system for microfluidics is presented. The microsystem integrates a five-layer PDMS microfluidic network and a CMOS image sensor fabricated in a standard 0.18 µ­m technology. The CMOS image sensor consists of two 10×1-pixel array, an amplifier, and a control logic. The imager is able to achieve a low dark signal of 1.67 mV/s, a maximum integration time of 514 s, and a high dynamic range of 75.2 dB at 1 s integration time. The microfluidic device integrates several actuated valve to achieve a fully automated lab-on-a-chip. This work also presents a quantitative comparison of the photomultiplier tube …

Development Of A Performance-Based Procedure For Assessment Of Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spread Displacements Using The Cone Penetration Test, Tyler Blaine Coutu

Theses and Dissertations

Liquefaction-induced lateral spread displacements cause severe damage to infrastructure, resulting in large economic losses in affected regions. Predicting lateral spread displacements is an important aspect in any seismic analysis and design, and many different methods have been developed to accurately estimate these displacements. However, the inherent uncertainty in predicting seismic events, including the extent of liquefaction and its effects, makes it difficult to accurately estimate lateral spread displacements. Current conventional methods of predicting lateral spread displacements do not completely account for uncertainty, unlike a performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) approach that accounts for the all inherent uncertainty in seismic design. The …

An Investigation Into Isogeometric Blended Shells, David Scott Willoughby

Theses and Dissertations

Improvements to isogeometric blended shells are introduced which blend traditional Reissner-Mindlin shells, and Kirchhoff-Love shells, with an exact interpolation of the shell director increment. A gradient extraction operator is introduced which allows derivatives of basis functions to be exactly expressed as a linear combination of the basis functions themselves. Several benchmarks are investigated and the new blended shell is compared with different shell elements in ABAQUS and NASTRAN. In addition, the effect of different quadrature schemes is included in the comparisons. The new isogeometric blended shell performs comparably in some benchmarks, and even outperforms commercial shell finite elements in some …

Considering Manufacturing In The Design Of Thick-Panel Origami Mechanisms, Erica Brunson Crampton

Theses and Dissertations

Origami has been investigated and demonstrated for engineering applications in recent years. Many techniques for accommodating the thickness of most engineering materials have been developed. In this work, tables comparing performance and manufacturing characteristics are presented. These tables can serve as useful design tools for engineers when selecting an appropriate thickness-accommodation technique for their application. The use of bent sheet metal for panels in thick-origami mechanisms shows promise as a panel design approach that mitigates several trade-offs between performance and manufacturing characteristics. A process is described and demonstrated that can be employed to use sheet metal in designs of origami-adapted …

Visual Multiple Target Tracking From A Descending Aerial Platform, Parker C. Lusk, Randal Beard

Student Works

A real-time visual multiple target tracker is demonstrated onboard a descending multirotor. Measurements of moving ground targets are generated using the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) tracking method. Homography-based image registration is used to align the measurements into the same coordinate frame, allowing for the detection of independently moving objects. The recently developed Recursive-RANSAC algorithm uses the visual measurements to estimate targets in clutter. Altitude-dependent tuning increases track continuity and coverage during the descent of the vehicle. The algorithm requires no operator interaction and increases the situation awareness of the unmanned aerial system. Real-time tracking efficiency is analyzed on GPUs and CPUs. Tracking …

Relationships Between Access To Mobile Devices, Student Self-Directed Learning, And Achievement, Scott R. Bartholomew, Ed Reeve, Raymond Veon, Wade Goodridge, Victor Lee, Louis Nadelson

Faculty Publications

Today’s students are growing up in a world of constant connectivity, instant information, and ever-changing technological advancements. The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K–12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of these devices in K–12 classrooms. Arguments in favor cite instant access to information and collaboration with others as positive affordances that enable student self-directed learning. In this study, 706 middle school students from 18 technology and engineering education classes worked in groups of 2–3 to complete an openended engineering design challenge. Students completed design portfolios and constructed prototypes in response to the …