Engineering Commons^™

Industry Based Multimedia Education, Cameron Wilson, Dr. Geoffrey Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My goal was to study how the cinematographic industry teaches multimedia and digital production, and compare that with how Utah schools teach multimedia and digital production. The outcome was somewhat of a surprise to me. I thought that public school teachers, having proper pedagogical training, and all having graduated from college would be able to provide the students with an adequate learning environment. I found this to be wrong. The students at the Industry based schools overall were much more prepared to go out in the world and be successful in the industry of multimedia. The findings are backed by …

Cloud Security For Medical Imaging, Craig Treasure, Dr. Chia-Chi Teng

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current medical imaging technology exists in the form of large and expensive systems in hospitals inside the network firewalls. Data from these machines is only transmitted on a hospital’s computer network to maintain the privacy of patient’s personal information and images. These expensive machines require high processing power to process medical images to be used by physicians and doctors. Patient’s data is protected by keeping it within the hospital’s private computer network.

Mathematical Dynamics Of Fluid Motion Inside Of A Spherical Boundary, Taylor Killian, Dr. Tadd Truscott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of the proposed research was to mathematically define and model the flow of fluid within a partially filled sphere. The goal of this modeling was to aid the study of the effects an enclosed fluid had on its boundary. We desired to demonstrate the movements of the fluid numerically. Professor Truscott’s laboratory observed that the rebound of a sphere, partially filled with fluid, is greatly reduced by the motion of the fluid inside the sphere and wanted to understand the dynamics of this event.

Capillary Action In A Rectangular Micro-Channel, Jeffrey Hendricks, Dr. Tadd Truscott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The study of fluid flow on a microscale has become of increasing interest in recent years. We have studied the effects of capillary action in a micro-channel with a rectangular cross-section having a large width to height ratio. In general, capillary action allows fluid to fill a horizontally oriented tube smaller than the capillary length (on the order of 2 mm in water). When the far end of such a tube is capped, typically the fluid is drawn through the tube until it meets a pressure field that is equal but opposite of the surface tension force. We have found …

Rebound Suppression Of A Partially Filled Sphere, Robert Klaus, Dr. Tadd Truscott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sloshing is a very common phenomenon that we encounter everyday. Anytime that a liquid is enclosed within a moving container there exists the potential for sloshing. In some cases, such as trucks & ships, the sloshing of the fluid can produce undesired vehicle motion and even lead to catastrophic results. On the other hand, street hockey balls use fluid sloshing to help mitigate the rebound inherent to elastic spheres. In this research, high-speed imaging has been used to capture the sloshing motion and understand its effect on the rebound of partially filled, hollow, elastic spheres.

Charcoal Briquette Manufacturing In The Uros Islands Of Peru, Aaron Harrison, Dr. Vincent Wilding

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Uros Islands in Peru, also known as the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, are made from reeds by the inhabitants. These reeds serve not only as shelter, but also as the main cooking fuel for nine months of the year. During the other three months the reeds are too wet to burn, so the islanders use propane to prepare their food. Unfortunately, propane can cost more than 50% of their monthly income which is a financial burden to most families on the islands. Additionally, breathing the smoke from these reeds can increase the islanders’ risk of contracting a respiratory …

Waste Treatment For The Uros Islands, Spencer Bowen, Dr. Randy Lewis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was to design and install one bio-toilet system before the end of May 2011 in cooperation with the inhabitants of the Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca, Peru. The system is composed of two parts: the bio-toilet infrastructure and the treatment of waste. This proposal focuses on waste treatment. The bio-toilet infrastructure was developed in tandem via another project. There are several bio-toilet and waste treatment designs useful for land applications¹; however, the unique challenge of this project was to develop a system that will be able to serve the people living on man-made, …

Optical Characterization Of Optofluidic Waveguides Using Scattered Light Imaging, Micah Jenkins, Dr. Aaron Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One exciting field of research within optics involves using on chip optical waveguides as biological sensors. Dr. Aaron Hawkins and his team of students have worked to develop a platform for bio-sensing using ARROW’s (anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides) to confine light to a hollow core channel. These devices are filled with sample solutions and can be used to detect changes in optical transmission as fluorescently tagged particles traverse the hollow core channel.

Tapered Photoresist In The Manufacture Of Nanosieves, Meagan Bracken, Dr. Aaron Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to assist in the manufacturing of nanosieves. The device is designed to separates nano-size particles from the fluid substance in which they are contained. An example of this, and one of the main targets of this project, is the separation of HDL and LDL cholesterol particles from a sample of blood. This goal of separating cholesterol has many benefits to the medical world. By creating a method to characterize HDL cholesterol sizes and concentrations we can monitor a person’s risk for heart disease. Because cholesterol particles have this important attribute of size characterization, it …

Measurement Of Steel Corrosion In Bridge Decks By Impedance Spectroscopy, Paul Bartholomew, Dr. Brian Mazzeo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On bridge decks, a specified thickness of concrete cover, usually between 2.0 and 3.0 in., is provided over the embedded reinforcing steel as a protective layer. When chloride ions penetrate the concrete cover, corrosion of the reinforcement can occur [1, 2, 3]. Corrosion problems are usually exacerbated in cold regions, where the source of chlorides is usually deicing salts applied to roads during winter conditions to melt ice, and in coastal regions, where exposure to sea water is prevalent. Since corrosion products are generally five to seven times greater in volume than the parent steel, the corrosion process can induce …

Modular Containerized Provisional Habitations For Emergency Disaster Relief, Matthew Butler, Brian Capt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Perhaps the greatest challenge to this project was determining which materials to use in the construction of the modules. There are a multitude of materials that could have been used for the project, many of which might have worked well for the designated use. The shelters have a specific set of criteria that required several different properties that the material had to fill, including: (a) price—it needed to be fairly inexpensive to purchase and ship to a shipping container assembly area, (b) durability—the panels that make up the module must be made from a material that can support itself, the …

Experiments With Gmti Radar Using Micro-Doppler, Benjamin Walter Dilsaver

Theses and Dissertations

As objects move, their changing shape produces a signature that can be measured by a radar system. That signature is called the micro-Doppler signature. The micro-Doppler signature of an object is a distinguishing characteristic for certain classes of objects. In this thesis features are extracted from the micro-Doppler signature and are used to classify objects. The scope of the objects is limited to humans walking and traveling vehicles. The micro-Doppler features are able to distinguish the two classes of objects. With a sufficient amount of training data, the micro-Doppler features may be used with learning algorithms to predict unknown objects …

Spinning Objects In A Shallow Bath: Eggs In Milk, Kenneth Langley, Dr. Tadd Truscott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

If an egg spinning on a counter-top passes through a shallow pool of milk, a thin film of milk will be drawn up the sides of the egg and sprayed on the counter-top. This phenomenon is not limited to eggs or milk. In fact, when any axis-symmetric object is spun in a shallow bath of fluid, this phenomenon occurs in which fluid flows up the object and is then ejected at the maximum radius. This phenomenon lends itself well as a pump for moving fluids from very shallow areas to other regions and can even be used to make droplets …

Combustion-Driven Water Heating In Huatta, Peru: A Solution For Third-World Countries, Brandon Decker, Dr. Matt Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This group aimed to construct a system that heated water to at least 38°C (100 OF) – warm enough for bathing, dish washing, and washing hands. Our goal was to create a system inexpensive and simple enough for implementation in Huatta, Peru. We also aimed to make the system sustainable and replicable.

Forked Shaped Rebound Droplet For Impingement On Anisotropic Superhydrophobic Surfaces, David Bilodeau, Dr. Daniel Maynes

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many metals rust when exposed to moisture and that rusting can cause the item that is made of that metal to break down. A superhydrophobic surface can repel liquids and keep metals from rusting longer. Superhydrophobic surfaces have existed in nature for a long time but are just beginning to be understood and manufactured for societal applications. They are manufactured by micro-texturing a surface that is either made from specific materials or is coated with a different material after the micro-texturing (see Figure 1). Both the material and the micro-geometry are important parameters in the surface‟s ability to repel liquids. …

An Improved Estimation Of Passive Wrist Stiffness Using Various Techniques, Will Drake, Dr. Steven Charles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The wrist plays a vital yet frequently overlooked role in positioning and supporting the hand during activities of daily living. Particularly during low-level activities (such as typing), passive joint stiffness dominates wrist dynamics and constitutes the main obstacle to motion. In spite of its importance, however, little consensus exists as to the exact range of passive wrist stiffness. Reported values vary from as little as 0.002 Nm/rad (Lehman & Calhoun, 1991) to as many as 9.0 Nm/rad (Crisco et al, 2010), a span of three orders of magnitude! The purpose of this research is to determine an approximate single-order-of-magnitude range …

Stand-Alone Lance For Nanoinjection Of Dna, Mark Fernelius, Dr. Larry Howell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Technologies for injecting DNA into egg cells have greatly facilitated genetic research. Microinjection is a current standard for this purpose. It uses a hollow glass needle to inject a solution containing DNA into cells. Although widely used, microinjection has several significant challenges. First, the DNA can be damaged when forced through the small opening of the needle. Second, the cell can die from the physical trauma caused by the microinjection needle piercing the cell membrane. Third, the cell can split open because of the increased internal pressure caused by injecting fluid into the cell. Brigham Young University has developed nanoinjection …

Compositional And Structural Properties Of Emulsion-Treated Base Material: 7800 South In West Jordan, Utah, Lisa Renay Gurney

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were 1) to examine correlations between compositional and structural properties of emulsion-treated base (ETB) layers, determine which of these factors exhibit the greatest spatial variability, and determine if significant differences exist between different test sections on a given project and 2) to investigate temporal trends in the structural properties of base materials treated with asphalt emulsion and to assess the rate at which ETB design properties are achieved. The research conducted in this study focused on testing of the ETB layer constructed on 7800 South (SR-48) in West Jordan, Utah. The research conducted in this …

Evaluating The Effects Of Non-Anonymity On Student Team-Member Evaluations, Taylor Robert Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the effect that non-anonymity has upon student team-member evaluations; more specifically, it looked at how to create conditions of openness and honesty in which students will readily give and receive constructive criticism. The central hypothesis of this research is that if students are taught and prepared to properly give and receive constructive criticism, and have multiple opportunities to do so, non-anonymous feedback is the most effective and desirable. In order to gauge the effects of non-anonymity, eight specific hypotheses relating to different aspects of the feedback process were tested. Predictions were made as to the effects upon …

Comparison Of Performance-Based Liquefaction Initiation Analyses Between Multiple Probabilistic Liquefaction Models Using The Standard Penetration Test, Alexander David Wright

Theses and Dissertations

For the most recent and correct article, please click here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784412787.086

This study examines the use of performance-based approaches in liquefaction hazard analysis. Two new methods of performance-based liquefaction initiation analysis are proposed which use the works of Juang et al. (2012) and Boulanger and Idriss (2012). Further advances are made by incorporating the performance-based magnitude scaling factors as proposed by Cetin et al. (2012). Using these new equations a comparative study is made between the three methods. Further comparisons are made between the performance-based approaches and the more widely used deterministic approaches. The comparisons reveal that on average for …

An Alternative System Identification Method For Friction Stir Processing, Dustin John Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Temperature control has been implemented in friction stir processing and has demonstrated the ability to give improved process control. In order to have optimal control of the process, the parameters of the system to be controlled must be accurately identified. The system parameters change with tool geometry and materials, workpiece materials, and temperature. This thesis presents the use of the relay feedback test to determine the system parameters. The relay feedback test is easy to use and promotes system stability during its use. The results from the relay feedback test can be used to determine controller gains for a PID …

Backprojection For Synthetic Aperture Radar, Michael Israel Duersch

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a type of radar capable of high-resolution coherent imaging. In order to produce coherent imagery from raw SAR data, an image formation algorithm is employed. The various image formation algorithms have strengths and weaknesses. As this work shows, time-domain backprojection is one algorithm whose strengths are particularly well-suited to use at low-altitudes. This work presents novel research in three areas regarding time-domain backprojection. The first key contribution of this work is a detailed analysis of SAR time-domain backprojection. The work derives a general form of backprojection from first principles. It characterizes the sensitivities of backprojection …

Subthreshold Op Amp Design Based On The Conventional Cascode Stage, Kurtis Daniel Cahill

Theses and Dissertations

Op amps are among the most-used components in electronic design. Their performance is important and is often measured in terms of gain, bandwidth, power consumption, and chip area. Although BJT amplifiers can achieve high gains and bandwidths, they tend to consume a lot of power. CMOS amplifiers utilizing the strong inversion region alone use less power than BJT amplifiers, but generally have lower gains and bandwidths. When CMOS SPICE models were improved to accurately simulate all regions of inversion, researchers began to test the performance of amplifiers operating in the weak and moderate inversion regions. Previous work had dealt with …

Application Of One Dimensional Turbulence (Odt) To Model Fire Spread Through Biomass Fuel Bed, Abinash Paudel

Theses and Dissertations

Each year fires destroy millions of acres of woodland, lives, and property, and significantly contribute to air pollution. Increased knowledge of the physics and properties of the flame propagation is necessary to broaden the fundamental understanding and modeling capabilities of fires. Modeling flame propagation in fires is challenging because of the various modes of heat transfer with diverse fuels, multi-scale turbulence, and complex chemical kinetics. Standard physical models of turbulence like RANS and LES have been used to understand the flame behavior, but these models are limited by computational cost and their inability to resolve sub-grid scales. Application of several …

Accuracy Of A Simplified Analysis Model For Modern Skyscrapers, Jacob Scott Lee

Theses and Dissertations

A new simplified skyscraper analysis model (SSAM) was developed and implemented in a spreadsheet to be used for preliminary skyscraper design and teaching purposes. The SSAM predicts linear and nonlinear response to gravity, wind, and seismic loading of "modern" skyscrapers which involve a core, megacolumns, outrigger trusses, belt trusses, and diagonals. The SSAM may be classified as a discrete method that constructs a reduced system stiffness matrix involving selected degrees of freedom (DOF's). The steps in the SSAM consist of: 1) determination of megacolumn areas, 2) construction of stiffness matrix, 3) calculation of lateral forces and displacements, and 4) calculation …

The Effects Of Mismatches And Probe Tethering Configurations On The Stability Of Dna Duplexes On Surfaces, Kyle Evan Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

DNA microarrays are chip-based, analysis tools which can perform hundreds of thousands of parallel assays to determine the identity of genes or gene expression levels present in a sample. They have been identified as a key technology in genomic sciences and emergent medical techniques; however, despite their abundant use in research laboratories, microarrays have not been used in the clinical setting to the fullest potential due to the difficulty of obtaining reproducible results. Microarrays work on the principle of DNA hybridization, and can only be as accurate as this process is robust. Fundamental, molecular-level understanding of hybridization on surfaces is …

Advanced Deepwater Monitoring System, David Brower, John Hedengren, Reza Asgharzadeh Shishavan, Alexis Brower

Faculty Publications

This study investigates new methods to improve deepwater monitoring and addresses installation of advanced sensors on ”already deployed” risers, flowlines, trees, and other deepwater devices. A major shortcoming of post installed monitoring systems in subsea is poor coupling between the sensor and structure. This study provided methods to overcome this problem. Both field testing in subsea environments and laboratory testing were performed. Test articles included actual flowline pipe and steel catenary risers up to twenty-four inches in diameter. A monitoring device resulting from this study can be installed in-situ on underwater structures and could enhance productivity and improve safety of …

Fluid-Structure Interactions With Flexible And Rigid Bodies, David J. Daily

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid structure interactions occur to some extent in nearly every type of fluid flow. Understanding how structures interact with fluids and visa-versa is of vital importance in many engineering applications. The purpose of this research is to explore how fluids interact with flexible and rigid structures. A computational model was used to model the fluid structure interactions of vibrating synthetic vocal folds. The model simulated the coupling of the fluid and solid domains using a fluid-structure interface boundary condition. The fluid domain used a slightly compressible flow solver to allow for the possibility of acoustic coupling with the subglottal geometry …

A Multiobjective Optimization Method For Collaborative Products With Application To Engineering-Based Poverty Alleviation, Nicholas Scott Wasley

Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative products are created by combining components from two or more products to result in a new product that performs previously unattainable tasks. The resulting reduction in cost, weight, and size of a set of products needed to perform a set of functions makes collaborative products useful in the developing world. In this thesis, multiobjective optimization is used to design a set of products for optimal individual and collaborative performance. This is introduced through a nine step method which simultaneously optimizes multiple products both individually and collaboratively. The method searches through multiple complex design spaces while dealing with various trade-offs …

Evaluating The Safety Effects Of Signal Improvements, Ashley Lynn Dowell

Theses and Dissertations

As a result of high crash frequencies on roadways, transportation safety has become a high priority for the United States Department of Transportation and the Utah Department of Transportation. A large percentage of fatal and injury crashes on roadways occur at intersections and traffic signals have been implemented to reduce these severe crashes. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the traffic signal improvements through the development of Crash Modification Factors (CMFs). Recent research has shown that traditional safety evaluation methods have been inadequate in developing CMFs. In recent years, Bayesian statistical methods have been utilized in traffic …