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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Simulating And Training Autonomous Rover Navigation In Unity Engine Using Local Sensor Data, Christopher Pace May 2024

Simulating And Training Autonomous Rover Navigation In Unity Engine Using Local Sensor Data, Christopher Pace

Senior Honors Theses

Autonomous navigation is essential to remotely operating mobile vehicles on Mars, as communication takes up to 20 minutes to travel between the Earth and Mars. Several autonomous navigation methods have been implemented in Mars rovers and other mobile robots, such as odometry or simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) until the past few years when deep reinforcement learning (DRL) emerged as a viable alternative. In this thesis, a simulation model for end-to-end DRL Mars rover autonomous navigation training was created using Unity Engine, using local inputs such as GNSS, LiDAR, and gyro. This model was then trained in navigation in a …


Applications, Challenges, And Research Issues For Enabling A Uav Swarm, Jennifer Hahner Apr 2024

Applications, Challenges, And Research Issues For Enabling A Uav Swarm, Jennifer Hahner

Senior Honors Theses

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms have the potential to be useful in numerous applications due to their versatility and ability to operate without human intervention. However, this promising technology still requires further investigation, research, and testing before UAV swarms can be implemented extensively. The level of human intervention needed to control the system determines the differing levels of autonomy for UAV swarms. For swarms to become more independent, efficient algorithms for task and path planning are essential. In addition, accurate communication is essential for swarms to be able to coordinate and accomplish tasks successfully. This paper seeks to provide a …


Incorporating Safety Excellence Into Urban Air Mobility (Uam): Insights From Commercial Aviation, Rotorcraft, And Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas), Seyoung "Evie" Jang Apr 2024

Incorporating Safety Excellence Into Urban Air Mobility (Uam): Insights From Commercial Aviation, Rotorcraft, And Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas), Seyoung "Evie" Jang

Senior Honors Theses

This paper focused on safety considerations in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) through a cross-industry examination of commercial aviation, rotorcraft, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Although UAM promises transformative benefits, there are safety concerns remaining. Based on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Concept of Operations (ConOps), the literature review explained the fundamental concepts of UAM. In commercial aviation, regulatory framework, pilot training and certification, vehicle design and maintenance, and emergency response planning are emphasized. For rotorcraft, safety requirements for vertical flight, collision avoidance systems, heliport standards, and weather adaptability are crucial. Leveraging UAS advancements, the study suggested autonomous systems, sense-and-avoid technology, …


Exploring 21st Century Learning In Virginia Secondary School Technology And Engineering Classrooms: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, George Nicholas Cornwell Dec 2023

Exploring 21st Century Learning In Virginia Secondary School Technology And Engineering Classrooms: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, George Nicholas Cornwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how integrative STEM teachers utilize the Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL) to foster and assess 21st-century learning in technology and engineering classes at multiple Virginia public secondary schools. The theory guiding this study was Kolb’s experiential learning theory, which integrates nine learning theories into an innovative cyclical learning process that is like the engineering design loop. This hermeneutic phenomenology included 15 Virginia technology and engineering schoolteachers (Grades 6-12) who purposefully taught multiple academic disciplines and utilized the eight practices of the STEL in the context of their curriculum to …


A Novel Brain Computer Interface Design, Steven Vogan Aug 2023

A Novel Brain Computer Interface Design, Steven Vogan

Senior Honors Theses

A brain computer interface (BCI) is a system which connects neural signals to a computer system. They have been used for controlling systems including robotics, on-screen computer control such as mouse movement, typing, and synthesizing audio signals. Invasive, or implanted, systems are often long-term medical solutions, or used for research where very clear signal is required. Non-invasive systems usually rely on exterior signals gathered through a headset using one or more electrode sensors. These signals are composed of sums of neuron activation potentials from brain activity and can be used to determine particular aspects of brain function. All BCIs rely …


An Embedded Case Study To Understand The Barriers To Cultural Progression In Aviation, Scott Phillip Trepinski Jul 2023

An Embedded Case Study To Understand The Barriers To Cultural Progression In Aviation, Scott Phillip Trepinski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, revelatory, embedded case study was to understand the barriers to cultural progression aviation leaders experience within airlines based in the United States. The study was guided by the research question: What can be learned about the barriers hindering the progression of safety culture within the aviation industry? The research design used a single embedded case study model utilizing participants responsible for managing, participating in, and designing programs and policies associated with an organization's safety management system. The study's theoretical framework was the cognitive dissonance theory and the dialogue-supported organizational learning theory. Data was collected utilizing …


Meeting The Psychological Needs Of Astronauts In The Flourishing Human Spaceflight Frontier: The Case For Astronaut-Trained Psychologists, Skylar Jordan Laham May 2023

Meeting The Psychological Needs Of Astronauts In The Flourishing Human Spaceflight Frontier: The Case For Astronaut-Trained Psychologists, Skylar Jordan Laham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Space psychology (i.e., astronaut psychological counseling and support) has remained largely unchanged since the onset of long-duration low-Earth-orbit (LEO) human spaceflight missions, with teletherapy utilized as the primary means of psychotherapy delivery. However, with NASA’s plans to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, the suitability of teletherapy – as well as astronaut-trained psychologists, an alternative space psychology method suggested for human spaceflight beyond LEO – must be ascertained. The aim of this novel space psychology investigation was to identify and compare the effectiveness of three astronaut psychotherapy treatment conditions (i.e., teletherapy with a 2 second Earth to LEO …


A New Atomization Paradigm: Smart Wave-Augmented Varicose Explosions, Daniel Mason Wilson May 2023

A New Atomization Paradigm: Smart Wave-Augmented Varicose Explosions, Daniel Mason Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The characterization of viscous, non-Newtonian slurry heating and atomization by means of internal wave excitation is presented for a twin-fluid injector. We detail mechanisms that enhance their disintegration in a novel process called “Wave-Augmented Varicose Explosions” (WAVE). Atomization of such fluids is challenging, especially at low gas-liquid mass ratios. Droplet production is further complicated when slurry viscosity varies widely; if viscosity levels are too high, atomization quality suffers, and an undesirable pressure drop restricts the flow. To mitigate, we introduce and demonstrate “Smart” atomization, a novel implementation of simultaneous proportional integral derivative (PID) control algorithms to accommodate dynamically and extensively …


The Development And Use Of The Probabilistic Financial Decision Model For A Company Expansion, Elizabeth Wiese May 2023

The Development And Use Of The Probabilistic Financial Decision Model For A Company Expansion, Elizabeth Wiese

Senior Honors Theses

In the United States, companies are expanding constantly. However, in an industrial equipment dealership expanding into a new state, it is important to understand the industry, new market, and costs associated with expanding. With using financial statements of data-backed percentages for growth, research seeks to set up a financial model to see if expansion for an industrial equipment dealership into the state of North Carolina will be a financially wise decision. Wesley Worldwide, an industrial equipment dealership, is moving forward with the investment of expanding into North Carolina. However, it is vital to understand the financial predictions for profit return …


An Exploration Of The Application Of Desalination In Disaster Relief, Emma Sager May 2023

An Exploration Of The Application Of Desalination In Disaster Relief, Emma Sager

Senior Honors Theses

This paper aims to explore the application of small-scale desalination systems to provide clean water in the wake of marine natural disasters. A lack of clean water is a devastating impact of many natural disasters. Desalination technologies, both thermal and membrane, show potential for being scaled down and self-powered by renewable energy. Desalination can transform ocean water and contaminated drinking water with a high salt content into drinkable, usable water. While these techniques are not perfected, and the solution to a need for clean water is multifaceted, desalination shows potential. Through further research and ever-advancing technology, small-scale desalination could develop …


The Rapid Increase Of Ransomware Attacks Over The 21st Century And Mitigation Strategies To Prevent Them From Arising, Sanjay Jacob May 2023

The Rapid Increase Of Ransomware Attacks Over The 21st Century And Mitigation Strategies To Prevent Them From Arising, Sanjay Jacob

Senior Honors Theses

Cyber-attacks have continued to become more common throughout the past century as more people are exposed to the Internet. Every year, various studies, reports, and scholarly research is done to emphasis the rapid increase of attacks. In this honors thesis, the student sought to gather further information about the rise of ransomware attacks, various cyber threats, discuss the psychological manipulation that exist, and provided the reader with an ethical complement of cyber-attacks. Additionally, case studies from previous research have been analyzed and mitigation strategies have been explained to provide the reader with practical application. This research emphasizes in on key …


Effect On Focusing Fields By Ferromagnetic Cell Cores In Linear Induction Accelerators, Cooper Guillaume May 2023

Effect On Focusing Fields By Ferromagnetic Cell Cores In Linear Induction Accelerators, Cooper Guillaume

Senior Honors Theses

In the Los Alamos National Laboratories DARHT facility, there are two perpendicular linear induction accelerators, LIAs. The LIAs’ solenoids produce magnetic fields which focus the electron beam. Simultaneously, the accelerating pulse creates a magnetic field. These two field intensities act upon a ferromagnetic material in the cells to enhance magnetic flux density. Due to the nonlinearity of the material, this flux density will reach a saturation point. In turn, the magnetic field intensity of the axial solenoidal magnetic field will be affected and slightly altered. The width of the electron beam will increase, causing a decrease in effectiveness. Through simulation, …


The Impact Of Flight On Cabin Crew Wellness: A Literature Review, Ashleigh Roderick May 2023

The Impact Of Flight On Cabin Crew Wellness: A Literature Review, Ashleigh Roderick

Senior Honors Theses

Since its conception in 1903, aviation has captivated the attention of people across the globe and has been utilized in many sectors of society. Aviation related occupations pose a unique set of risks to those working in the field, health risks being one of the most prominent. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal ailments, and genetic damage have all been studied as potential consequences of working in the aviation industry, as some studies indicate a higher prevalence of these issues in aviation employees. Apart from physiological issues, mental health issues have also been observed in those working in aviation. Mental health issues …


Laboratory Evaluation Of The Geotechnical Properties Of Biochar-Amended Clay, Brett Natelborg Apr 2023

Laboratory Evaluation Of The Geotechnical Properties Of Biochar-Amended Clay, Brett Natelborg

Senior Honors Theses

The upkeep and rehabilitation of infrastructure damage related to the shrinking and swelling of expansive soils have cost the United States billions of dollars. Biochar, an innovative and eco-friendly additive proven to improve soil permeability, nutrient retention, and mechanical properties, is investigated as an additive to Mississippi chalk. The index properties of the chalk were determined and used to characterize its nature. The geotechnical engineering properties of the chalk amended with 6% and 12% biochar were evaluated via the Proctor compaction, compression, and direct shear tests. Results were analyzed to make comparative remarks on how the behavior of the chalk …


Effective Use Methods For Continuous Sensor Data Streams In Manufacturing Quality Control, William Hitchcock Apr 2023

Effective Use Methods For Continuous Sensor Data Streams In Manufacturing Quality Control, William Hitchcock

Senior Honors Theses

This work outlines an approach for managing sensor data streams of continuous numerical data in product manufacturing settings, emphasizing statistical process control, low computational and memory overhead, and saving information necessary to reduce the impact of nonconformance to quality specifications. While there is extensive literature, knowledge, and documentation about standard data sources and databases, the high volume and velocity of sensor data streams often makes traditional analysis unfeasible. To that end, an overview of data stream fundamentals is essential. An analysis of commonly used stream preprocessing and load shedding methods follows, succeeded by a discussion of aggregation procedures. Stream storage …


Flexible Materials And Applications For Wearable Sensors, Brock Ferrari Apr 2023

Flexible Materials And Applications For Wearable Sensors, Brock Ferrari

Senior Honors Theses

This literature review aimed to address the limitations of rigid wearable sensors in the medical community by investigating the development of flexible materials for remote health monitoring. A keyword search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Jerry Falwell Library, which yielded 9,102 articles. After applying filtering techniques, the results were narrowed down to 21 articles, which were categorized into "Present Market Conditions," "Flexible Materials for Medical Use," "Applications for Wearable Sensors," and "Potential Use Cases." Discussions were held on prominent materials such as substrate, nanocomposite, and liquid metal materials, exploring their potential applications for chemical and physical sensing, …


Application Of Image Processing In Soil Mechanics, Luke Knodel Apr 2023

Application Of Image Processing In Soil Mechanics, Luke Knodel

Senior Honors Theses

Whenever someone digs a hole in the ground or takes a relaxing walk on the beach, they directly interact with the soil. In its basic form, soil consists of solid, water, and air phases. Unlike water and metals, soil is a particulate media, and the relative proportion of the individual phases significantly influences its physical properties. Various studies have analyzed soil using image processing to determine its morphological properties. Research involving the digital processing of X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) images of soil to retrieve physically meaningful information is gaining recognition. This study investigates two-dimensional X-ray CT images of unsaturated …


Simulating Steam Jets Due To Rapid Plate Tectonics: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis, Emilie Hatton Apr 2023

Simulating Steam Jets Due To Rapid Plate Tectonics: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis, Emilie Hatton

Senior Honors Theses

According to the Bible's account of earth's physical history, the majority of geological change from creation to the Ice Age is a consequence of the global Flood cataclysm described in Genesis 6-8. The changes included large-scale tectonic activity, recycling all pre-Flood ocean floor into the mantle, and generating all present-day igneous ocean floor by seafloor spreading at mid-ocean rift zones. Along the middle of these zones, strips of newly formed seafloor were present near the melting temperature of basaltic magma. Above these strips of extremely hot rock, intense jets of steam would almost certainly form. This research seeks to investigate …


Development Of Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nanofiber Hybrid Structure, Greta Liu Bo Wilkins Apr 2023

Development Of Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nanofiber Hybrid Structure, Greta Liu Bo Wilkins

Senior Honors Theses

Graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanofibers have unique individual properties that could be combined complimentarily to be utilized in a variety of fields. Combining these two materials together into self-standing structures would enable them to maximize their high surface area and electrically conductive properties into applications from lithium batteries to biosensors. This thesis aims to use a two-step process to develop a self-standing carbon nanofiber/GO structure. The first process is the electroless deposition process, and it is used to coat the GO with a metal catalyst. In the second step, a chemical vapor deposition technique is used to deposit carbon …


How A Higher Education Aviation Faculty Perceived The Challenges Of An Online Emergency Transition During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Identifies Recommendations For Future Emergency Online Transitions, Victor Miguel Fraticelli Rivera Mar 2023

How A Higher Education Aviation Faculty Perceived The Challenges Of An Online Emergency Transition During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Identifies Recommendations For Future Emergency Online Transitions, Victor Miguel Fraticelli Rivera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to discover the perceived challenges and identify future recommendations for emergency online learning transition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a major aeronautical higher education institution in the southeast region of the United States. For this study, emergency online learning transition is defined as the period in which higher education faculty members were required to pivot to an online methodology in response to a global pandemic in the spring and fall academic semesters of 2020. The theories guiding this study are the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by Icek Ajzen and …


Applications Of Lean In Construction: Benefits From Using The Last Planner System, Mohsin Shareef Al Taie Dec 2022

Applications Of Lean In Construction: Benefits From Using The Last Planner System, Mohsin Shareef Al Taie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Question: What are the benefits of using the Last Planner System in commercial construction projects in areas with high disruption, e.g. the Civil War in Iraq from 2005-2017. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the benefits of using the Last Planner System with respect to the key project metrics of cost, safety, quality, and time performance in projects operating in highly disruptive environments. Very few qualitative studies have been done on the Last Planner System in commercial construction and none specifically studying work in areas of high disruption. Research Method: The study utilizes qualitative methodology with a …


Peer Mentoring And Test Anxiety In Collegiate Aeronautics Students: An Integrative Review, Angelo R. Cosentino Dec 2022

Peer Mentoring And Test Anxiety In Collegiate Aeronautics Students: An Integrative Review, Angelo R. Cosentino

Senior Honors Theses

An integrative review was conducted to lay the foundation for further research focusing on the use of peer mentoring as a tool to reduce the anxiety pilots and mechanics feel for their oral and practical exams to increase student safety and performance. Research on performance anxiety in competitive sports, music performance anxiety, and academic test anxiety showed how anxiety levels relate to athlete and student performance. Feedback surveys from peer mentoring programs identified increased self-efficacy, increased student retention, and a better understanding of the applicable examination as possible benefits of such mentoring programs. I determined the proposed research question was …


Student Perceptions Of Meaningful Learning, Behaviors Towards Learning Experiences, And Academic Performance In Aeronautical Courses: A Quantitative Research Study, Andrea Lynn Smith Oct 2022

Student Perceptions Of Meaningful Learning, Behaviors Towards Learning Experiences, And Academic Performance In Aeronautical Courses: A Quantitative Research Study, Andrea Lynn Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current literature on the predictive correlation between a student’s perceived course value and their end-of-course results utilizing the Course Valuing Inventory (Nehari & Bender, 1978) has not been studied in aeronautics education. While research investigating various attributes of academic success exists, quantitative studies specifically addressing predictive variables of course success related to end-of-course grades in aeronautics education do not exist. Given the results of quantitative data, aeronautics academia can strategically implement specific variables into course planning and designing to create academic content that appeals to aeronautic students. The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational study is to examine the predictive …


Study Of Urethane Double-Coated Nylon Membranes For Fluid-Storage Applications, Micah Austin Howell Aug 2022

Study Of Urethane Double-Coated Nylon Membranes For Fluid-Storage Applications, Micah Austin Howell

Masters Theses

Polymer-coated fabrics are used for many fuel and water storage applications, such as in U.S. military field operations. Urethane-double-coated nylon (UDCN) is one such material used in collapsible fluid storage tanks. Research into the mechanical properties of UDCN membranes under different environmental conditions is necessary for substantiating its current operations as well as developing new technologies. Novel modular, closed-loop and scalable pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) systems are one technology that could use UDCN membrane tanks in order to mitigate large costs, risks, environmental impacts, and time-for deployment associated with PSH system construction due to their modular, closed-loop technology. This study focuses …


Modeling And Simulating Brain Damage From Football Helmet Impacts, Tate Russell Fonville Jun 2022

Modeling And Simulating Brain Damage From Football Helmet Impacts, Tate Russell Fonville

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The objective of this research was to present a model for brain damage to investigate the head’s response to mechanical loadings. A Finite Element (FE) head and brain mesh used throughout this dissertation was constructed from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan data of one of the authors and validated in previous research. A computational modal analysis was first conducted on the whole head and an isolated brain to identify the resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and locations. A physics-based Internal State Variable (ISV) constitutive model for polymers was modified to include damage in the form of pore growth. The brain damage …


Modelling And Development Of An Automated Ldpe Autoclave Reactor In Cfd For Revealing Ethylene Hot Spots, Eric Turman May 2022

Modelling And Development Of An Automated Ldpe Autoclave Reactor In Cfd For Revealing Ethylene Hot Spots, Eric Turman

Masters Theses

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to develop a rigorous model of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) autoclave reactor. Different numerical settings within the solver were evaluated to minimize false diffusion and to reflect the sensitive heat generation taking place during free radical polymerization. The rigorous CFD model employed reaction kinetics, Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) automated thermal management, and a rotating stirrer shaft. Validation was carried out to determine the sensitivity to time-step size, turbulence model, and grid resolution. Data were compared to an industrial scale plant autoclave to guide the development of CFD. Time-step independence was confirmed by comparing the …


The Traveling Salesman Problem: An Analysis And Comparison Of Metaheuristics And Algorithms, Mason Helmick Apr 2022

The Traveling Salesman Problem: An Analysis And Comparison Of Metaheuristics And Algorithms, Mason Helmick

Senior Honors Theses

One of the most investigated topics in operations research is the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and the algorithms that can be used to solve it. Despite its relatively simple formulation, its computational difficulty keeps it and potential solution methods at the forefront of current research. This paper defines and analyzes numerous proposed solutions to the TSP in order to facilitate understanding of the problem. Additionally, the efficiencies of different heuristics are studied and compared to the aforementioned algorithms’ accuracy, as a quick algorithm is often formulated at the expense of an exact solution.


Design Considerations Of A Magnus Effect Flettner Rotorcraft, Benjamin Cook Apr 2022

Design Considerations Of A Magnus Effect Flettner Rotorcraft, Benjamin Cook

Senior Honors Theses

Airfoils have dominated the development of aircraft since the Wright brothers’ first flight. There are very few (if any) functional alternative mechanisms for heavier-than-air flight. However, in exploring the Magnus effect phenomenon applied to Flettner rotors in a rotorcraft configuration, a new and significantly underdeveloped method of heavier-than-air flight may be accomplished. Considering the aerodynamic context of the Magnus effect and its implementation in existing applications, this research principally concerns a single proposed mechanism and its design, viability, and lift-surface optimization. The proposed mechanism employs at least two 180o offset rotating cylinders rotating about a central vertical axis, like …


Assessing Security Risks With The Internet Of Things, Faith Mosemann Apr 2022

Assessing Security Risks With The Internet Of Things, Faith Mosemann

Senior Honors Theses

For my honors thesis I have decided to study the security risks associated with the Internet of Things (IoT) and possible ways to secure them. I will focus on how corporate, and individuals use IoT devices and the security risks that come with their implementation. In my research, I found out that IoT gadgets tend to go unnoticed as a checkpoint for vulnerability. For example, often personal IoT devices tend to have the default username and password issued from the factory that a hacker could easily find through Google. IoT devices need security just as much as computers or servers …


The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu Apr 2022

The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu

Senior Honors Theses

The modern musician faces a new challenge: how can technology be used to enhance a performance? This thesis documents the development of a Bluetooth remote controller that will aid today’s performing musicians by interacting with a digital display (e.g., an iPad) to flip musical score pages remotely. At its core, while mimicking a Bluetooth pedal (the current industry standard), this device attaches to the musician’s hand. In its pilot stages, the device has been referred to “MBC” (Music Bluetooth Controller).