Engineering Commons^™

Two-Stage Methodology For Managing And Controlling Material Flow Between Multiple Construction Projects, Fatmah Almazkoor

All Dissertations

There is a strong connection between managing and controlling material flow in a supply chain and its performance. While this is true in all supply chains, it is particularly true in the construction supply chain (CSC) where the total demand for parts is finite, the storage space available can be small, and the variability in consumption is high. On the other hand, effectively controlling the CSC can have a significant impact on controlling risk and buffering their impact so that projects stay on schedule and within budget. Currently, a common control of the CSC is with a push-based material ordering …

Effect Of Silicone Finishes On The Burning Behavior Of Polyester, Julien Boyon

All Dissertations

Polyester fibers are widely used as filling in home applications such as pillows or comforters. Silicone finishes can be used to reduce friction between fibers during processing or as softeners to impart a pleasant down like hand on the fibers. However, it has been reported that these added silicone-based finishes may have a negative effect on the burning behavior of polyester. This research examined the possible mechanisms that can modify the response of polyester fibers when subjected to a flame source. In this study, a spunbond needled polyester nonwoven substrate was treated with different commercial silicone-based finishes. A vertical flame …

The Delivery Of Poly(Lactic Acid) Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Nanoparticles Loaded With Non-Toxic Drug To Overcome Drug Resistance For The Treatment Of Neuroblastoma, Jhilmil Dhulekar

All Theses

Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. A neuroblastoma tumor develops in the nerve tissue and is diagnosed in infants and children.1 Approximately 10.2 per million children under the age of 15 are affected in the United States and is slightly more common in boys.1,2 Neuroblastoma constitutes 6% of all childhood cancers and has a long-term survival rate of only 15%.2-4 There are approximately 700 new cases of neuroblastoma each year in the United States. With such a low rate of survival, the development of more effective treatment methods is necessary. A number of therapies are available …

Should Expectations About The Rate Of New Antiretroviral Drug Development Impact The Timing Of Hiv Treatment Initiation And Expectations About Treatment Benefits?, Amin Khademi, R. Scott Braithwaite, Denis Saure, Andrew J. Schaefer, Kimberly Nucifora, Mark S. Roberts

Publications

Background: Many analyses of HIV treatment decisions assume a fixed formulary of HIV drugs. However, new drugs are approved nearly twice a year, and the rate of availability of new drugs may affect treatment decisions, particularly when to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Objectives: To determine the impact of considering the availability of new drugs on the optimal initiation criteria for ART and outcomes in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Methods: We enhanced a previously described simulation model of the optimal time to initiate ART to incorporate the rate of availability of new antiviral drugs. We assumed that the future rate of availability …

A Simulation Protocol For Exercise Physiology In Fontan Patients Using A Closed Loop Lumped-Parameter Model, Ethan Kung, Giancarlo Pennati, Francesco Migliavacca, Tian-Yen Hsia, Richard Figliola, Alison Marsden, Alessandro Giardini

Publications

Background: Reduced exercise capacity is nearly universal among Fontan patients, though its etiology is not yet fully understood. While previous computational studies have attempted to model Fontan exercise, they did not fully account for global physiologic mechanisms nor directly compare results against clinical and physiologic data. Methods: In this study, we developed a protocol to simulate Fontan lower-body exercise using a closed-loop lumped-parameter model describing the entire circulation. We analyzed clinical exercise data from a cohort of Fontan patients, incorporated previous clinical findings from literature, quantified a comprehensive list of physiological changes during exercise, translated them into a computational model …

Influence Of Different Rubber Modified Binder Variables On Performance Properties Of Porous Asphalt Mixtures, Katelyn Love

All Theses

Porous asphalt is a type of pavement in which surface water can permeate down into the subbase below. Open graded friction course (OGFC) is a type of porous asphalt often used as a surface course on top of dense graded pavements on high speed roadways. Due to an increase in waste tires, rubber modified asphalt has become an increasingly popular material around the world, including the US. The rubber modified asphalt is created by utilizing processed rubber particles blended into the mixture. This research investigated the effects of rubber modified binder on the performance of porous asphalt by evaluating the …

In Vitro Validation Of Patient-Specific Hemodynamic Simulations In Coronary Aneurysms Caused By Kawasaki Disease, Ethan Kung, Andrew M. Kahn, Jane C. Burns, Alison Marsden

Publications

To perform experimental validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applied to patient specific coronary aneurysm anatomy of Kawasaki disease. We quantified hemodynamics in a patient-specific coronary artery aneurysm physical phantom under physiologic rest and exercise flow conditions. Using phase contrast MRI (PCMRI), we acquired 3-component flow velocity at two slice locations in the aneurysms. We then performed numerical simulations with the same geometry and inflow conditions, and performed qualitative and quantitative comparisons of velocities between experimental measurements and simulation results. We observed excellent qualitative agreement in flow pattern features. The quantitative spatially and temporally varying differences in velocity between PCMRI …

Design And Implementation Of A Real-Time Adaptive Oxygen Transfer Rate Estimator, Li Wang

All Theses

Oxygen transfer rate (OTR) is the most signicant signal for aerobic bioprocess control, since most microbic metabolic activity relies on oxygen consumption. However, accurate estimation of OTR is challenging due to the difficulty of determining uncertain oxygen transfer parameters and system dynamics. This paper presents an adaptive estimator, which incorporates exhaust gas, stir speed and dissolved oxygen measurements, to predict the real-time OTR. The design of this estimator takes into account the headspace dilution effect, off-gas sensor dynamics and uncertain oxygen transfer parameters. Accurate and real-time OTR signal is derived by combining the low latency property of stir speed and …

Ear Contour Detection And Modeling Using Statistical Shape Models, Satish Ravindran

All Theses

Ear detection is an actively growing area of research because of its applications in human head tracking and biometric recognition. In head tracking, it is used to augment face detectors and to perform pose estimation. In biometric systems, it is used both as an independent modality and in multi-modal biometric recognition. The ear shape is the preferred feature used to perform detection because of its unique structure in both 2D color images and 3D range images. Ear shape models have also been used in literature to perform ear detection, but at a cost of a loss in information about the …

Identifying Target Properties For The Design Of Meta-Material Tank Track Pads, Venkata Sampath Dangeti

All Theses

On track vehicle systems, track pads are designed to provide traction and support the weight of the vehicle, they have limited service life due to common failure by blowout. According to the literature, blowout is a failure mode caused by overheating due to hysteresis in elastomeric materials during high speed operations. Elastomers are used primarily for their high compliance, which is essential to protect the suspension components and maintain structural integrity of the track pad. The objective of the work is to explore the use of linear elastic meta-materials with optimized topology to replace elastomers and reduce or eliminate the …

Design Of A Custom Software Application To Monitor And Communicate Cnc Machining Process Information To Aid In Chatter Identification, Valerie Pezzullo

All Theses

In any manufacturing environment, it is important to be able to monitor the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining process so that high quality parts can be produced in the least amount of time in order to be profitable. This involves acquiring the proper parameters needed from the machine's controller, which can prove to be difficult with proprietary machine tools that tend to limit access to the internal data collected by the controller. This closed approach to controller design also means that many technological advances that have recently become prevalent in society are not being adopted in the manufacturing industry, preventing …

Ultra-Wideband Position Tracking On An Assembly Line, Harikrishnan Ravikrishnan

All Theses

This works considers the problem of tracking objects on an assembly line using an ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning system. Assembly line tracking can be accomplished using touch sensors that physically detect when an object reaches a given location. Such tracking requires sensors placed throughout the entire assembly line, and only provides readings at the sensor locations. In contrast, UWB position tracking utilizes a set of sensors surrounding the whole area, enabling continuous position tracking with less infrastructure. Similar tracking can be accomplished using radio frequency identication (RFID) sensing, but this only provides readings when the parts are near RFID readers. The …

Monitoring Hospital Safety Climate Using Control Charts Of Non-Harm Events In Reporting Systems, Susan Robinson

All Theses

The primary aim of this thesis is to design an approach and demonstrate a methodology to supplement safety culture assessment efforts. The framework affords an enhanced understanding of hospital safety climate, specifically reporting culture, through the use of control charts to monitor non-harm patient safety events documented in reporting systems. Assessing safety culture and climate remains difficult. One of the most common methods to assess safety culture is a self-report survey administered annually. Surveys assess safety climate, because they are a snapshot of the management's and front-line staff's perceptions of safety within their settings. One component of safety culture is …

Lateral Dynamics Of Multiple Trailer Trucks In Windy Environments, David Wafer

All Theses

The lateral response of three-trailer commercial vehicles has been assessed using the simulation package TruckSim^TM. Aerodynamic and mechanical characterizations for the vehicle were developed for this investigation. Simulations were carried out with various aerodynamic and load configurations with several different arbitrarily defined crosswinds. The aerodynamic configurations were tested in constant and random crosswinds. The load configurations were tested only in random crosswinds. Each aerodynamic configuration differed by the aerodynamic side-force coefficient for the trailers. Each load configuration consisted of reducing the payload in a single trailer. The tractor was identically defined for each load and aerodynamic configuration. Increasing …

The Effect Of Decorative Foil Stamping On Consumer Attention, Julianne Holmes

All Theses

Packaging plays a key role in communicating product benefits to consumers at the point of sale (Rundh, 2009). Oftentimes, designers use high visibility enhancements to help the package stand out among competitors. Although luxury products often use high-end graphic techniques to convey high quality product, many private label package designers are also using these enhancements to attract attention to their products. Foil stamping is a high visibility enhancement that can create a rich and elegant effect on a package. The process involves transferring a thin layer of foil onto a substrate by using pressure and heat. No quantitative research has …

Electric Power Synchrophasor Network Cyber Security Vulnerabilities, Christopher Beasley

All Theses

Smart grid technologies such as synchrophasor devices (Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs)), make real-time monitoring, control, and analysis of the electric power grid possible. PMUs measure voltage and current phasors across the electrical power grid, add a GPS time stamps to measurements, and sends reports to the Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs) in the control centers. Reports are used to make decisions about the condition and state of the power grid. Since this approach relies on Internet Protocol (IP) network infrastructure, possible cybersecurity vulnerabilities have to be addressed to ensure that it is stable, secure, and reliable. In literature, attacks that are …

Investigation Of Warm Mix Asphalt Overlays And Geosynthetic Pavement Interlayers, William Bolger

All Theses

Geosynthetics play an ever increasing role in enhancing pavements. The construction of asphalt overlays with geosynthetic interlayers is a common method to rehabilitate flexible and rigid pavements. Geosynthetic interlayers provide numerous benefits to a pavement system. When utilized properly, geosynthetic interlayers can prevent water from infiltrating a roadway base and can extend the life of a pavement and assist in absorbing stresses. Geoysnthetics lead to an increase in a pavement overlay's performance and also retard reflective cracking. Warm mix asphalt has become more popular as a result of the search for more sustainable construction practices. WMA and its technologies are …

Inverse Problems Using Reduced Basis Method, Phil Gralla

All Theses

Inverse Problems is a field of great interest for many applications, such as parameter identification and image reconstruction. The underlying models of inverse problems in many applications often involve Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). A Reduced Basis (RB) method for solving PDE based inverse problems is introduced in this thesis. The RB has been rigorously established as an efficient approach for solving PDEs in recent years. In this work, we investigate whether the RB method can be used as a regularization for solving ill-posed and nonlinear inverse problems using iterative methods. We rigorously analyze the RB method and prove convergence of …

Improved Oxidative Stability In Biodiesel Via Commercially-Viable Processing Strategies, Gregory Lepak

All Theses

Biodiesel made from waste cooking oil (WCO) frequently requires antioxidants to meet oxidation stability specifications set forth in ASTM D6751 or EN 14214. In contrast, unrefined cottonseed oil (CSO), containing tocopherols and high concentrations of gossypol, a toxic polyphenolic antioxidant, is unique for biodiesel processing because it produces biodiesel resulting in higher oxidation stability. During biodiesel production, however, only a portion of these endogenous natural antioxidants are suspected to be retained. Because the economics of biodiesel manufacturing rely upon inexpensive sources of triglycerides, emphasis was placed upon developing improved alternative commercially-viable processing strategies where WCO is the main source of …

Biomass And Lipid Production Of Chlorella Protothecoides Under Heterotrophic Cultivation On A Mixed Waste Substrate Of Brewer Fermentation And Crude Glycerol, Xiaoyu Feng

All Theses

Biodiesel production using Chlorella protothecoides microalgae species has become an attractive topic due to the intense requirements of renewable energy in past decades. While, the expensive capital cost of the carbon and nitrogen substrates for algae growth is becoming a restrictive problem in this filed. In this study, heterotrophic cultivation of Chlorella protothecoides in the dark was conducted in 500mL shake flasks. Chlorella protothecoides growth in mixed substrate of brewer fermentation and biodiesel crude glycerol by-products containing a relatively high concentration of carbon and nitrogen was discussed and compared with that in microalgae basal medium which was supplied with 30 …

Evaluation Of Turbidity Reduction Using Polyacrylamide With Linear Sediment Control Best Management Practices, Jacob O. Burkey

All Theses

Accelerated erosion and highly turbid stormwater runoff from construction sites are known to cause a variety of environmental and economic problems. To reduce turbidity and keep eroded sediment on site, this research was conducted to evaluate the potential for turbidity reduction using polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculants with sediment control best management practices (BMPs).

Previous research has shown significant turbidity reduction when applying granular PAM to linear sediment control BMPs. Numerous studies indicate that PAM loses efficacy if it becomes wet and then dries. This makes PAM reapplication a necessary part of maintaining sediment control BMPs using PAM and suggests that further …

Minimizing Bridge And Pavement Deterioration From Large Trucks: A Policy Analysis For Damage Recovery, Kakan Dey

All Dissertations

Facing an exceptional challenge of maintaining state roadways with ever-shrinking financial resources, this research examined multiple facets of the impact of overweight trucks. The objectives of this research were to investigate the impact of overweight trucks on pavements and bridges, and develop policy recommendations based on technical analysis and the modern political and institutional environment in South Carolina. To achieve the objectives, this research modeled pavement and bridge deterioration, investigated the adequacy of standard practices in state agencies, examined how trucking industry perceives those practices, and developed policy analysis models. Pavement and bridge deterioration analysis revealed that pavement and bridge …

Improved Mixed-Integer Models Of A Two-Dimensional Cutting Stock Problem, William Lassiter

All Theses

This paper is concerned with a family of two-dimensional cutting stock problems that seeks to cut rectangular regions from a finite collection of sheets in such a manner that the minimum number of sheets is used. A fixed number of rectangles are to be cut, with each rectangle having a known length and width. All sheets are rectangular, and have the same dimension. We review two known mixed-integer mathematical formulations, and then provide new representations that both economize on the number of discrete variables and tighten the continuous relaxations. A key consideration that arises repeatedly in all models is the …

Gis-Based Suitability Modeling And Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis For Utility Scale Solar Plants In Four States In The Southeast Us, Kata Tisza

All Theses

Photovoltaic (PV) development shows significantly smaller growth in the Southeast U.S., than in the Southwest; which is mainly due to the low cost of fossil-fuel based energy production in the region and the lack of solar incentives. However, the Southeast has appropriate insolation conditions (4.0-6.0 KWh/m2/day) for photovoltaic deployment and in the past decade the region has experienced the highest population growth for the entire country. These factors, combined with new renewable energy portfolio policies, could create an opportunity for PV to provide some of the energy that will be required to sustain this growth. The goal of the study …

Strategies To Improve The Efficiency Of Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Systems Under More Realistic Conditions, Kanchala Sudtachat

All Dissertations

Emergency medical service (EMS) systems provide medical care to pre-hospital patients who need rapid response and transportation. This dissertation proposes a new realistic approach for EMS systems in two major focuses: multiple unit dispatching and relocation strategies. This work makes recommendations for multiple-unit dispatch to multiple call priorities based on simulation optimization and heuristics. The objective is to maximize the expected survival rate. Simulation models are proposed to determine the optimization. A heuristic algorithm is developed for large-scale problems. Numerical results show that dispatching while considering call priorities, rather than always dispatching the closest medical units, could improve the effectiveness …

Developing A South Carolina Traffic Incident Management Plan Along The I-26 Corridor Between Columbia And Charleston, Laura Rowe

All Theses

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) programs are used in many states across the nation to efficiently clear interstate incidents and alleviate congestion in response to incidents. The overarching goal of this research is to maintain safety of the motoring public and incident responders while reducing congestion, secondary collisions, and traffic delays from incidents that occur on South Carolina highways. To reduce incident clearance times along the I-26 corridor between Columbia and Charleston through the implementation of a Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Program, several objectives for this thesis were established to move toward the goal, including; defining gaps between national TIM best-practices …

Density Functional Theory Study Of The Thermodynamics Of Catalytic Remediation Of Nitrate In Water, Lizzie Bollmann

All Theses

Over 1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water and 5,000 people die each day due to drinking contaminated water. With the development of new industries, new substances and chemicals are entering the waters every day, and the current water treatment processes are unable to remove them entirely. For example, agriculture is the world's heaviest consumer of water, and nitrates and nitrites from fertilizers are washed away with the water to rivers and streams. These chemicals can cause problems to humans and to the environment. To humans, they can cause methemoglobinemia, also known as 'blue baby syndrome'. To …

Clemson University Science Master's Program In Sustainable And Resilient Infrastructure: A Program Evaluation, Elizabeth O'Sell

All Theses

The Clemson University Science Master's Program (SMP) in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure is a program which aims to link engineering, materials, construction, environment, architecture, business, and public policy to produce graduates with unique holistic perspective and expertise to immediately contribute to the workforce in the area of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. A program evaluation of the SMP has been performed to study the effectiveness of the SMP and identify areas where the goals and vision of the SMP are achieved and areas where improvements can be made. This was completed by analysis of trends within survey responses, review of Master's …

A Study Of Time-Based Features And Regularity Of Manipulation To Improve The Detection Of Eating Activity Periods During Free Living, Jose Reyes

All Theses

This thesis considers the problem of detecting when people eat by tracking their wrist motion. The goal of this work is to automatically detect the start and stop times of these eating activities. It builds upon previous work done by our research group, which developed an algorithm for automatically detecting peaks in activities associated with food preparation and clean-up. This peak detector is then used for segmenting data. These segments are then classified as eating or non-eating activities using a naive Bayes classifier based on probabilities obtained from computing different features in each segment. The original work introduced 4 features, …

Post-Tensioning To Prevent End-Region Cracks In Pretensioned Concrete Girders, Michael Willis

All Theses

Web-splitting cracking during and immediately after prestress transfer is a common problem in pretensioned concrete beams, often with lasting effects on the durability and performance. By providing an entry point for chlorides and other corrosives, end-region cracks enable degradation of reinforcing steel and further cracking. Current practices offer a variety of methods for controlling end-region cracking. However, methods for preventing--not just controlling or repairing--end-region cracks are necessary to improve prestressed concrete construction. Vertical end-region post-tensioning is a developing method for preventing web-splitting cracks. The purpose of this document is to explore implementation methods of post-tensioning using the turn-of-the nut procedure, …