Engineering Commons^™

Performance And Environmental Impact Of Waste Glass Asphalt In Cold Regions, Kai Xin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The reuse of waste glass in asphalt mixtures has significant potential in sustainable pavement engineering, yet its performance under cold, freeze–thaw conditions remain underexplored. This dissertation presents a first-of-its-kind comprehensive evaluation of glass asphalt for cold regions, simultaneously assessing its low-temperature cracking resistance, moisture susceptibility, field performance, and life-cycle environmental impacts. A series of laboratory tests were performed on asphalt mixtures incorporating various proportions of crushed waste glass aggregate, including Disk-Shaped Compact Tension (DCT) and Indirect Tensile (IDT) tests for low-temperature fracture resistance, and Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR) and Hamburg Wheel Tracking (HWTT) tests for moisture damage and rutting susceptibility. …

Analysis Of Lava Flow Paths Using Remote Sensing And Geomorphological Techniques, Oluwatosin Oluyemisi Ayo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lava flows have severe impacts on the Earth’s surface, communities, and natural habitats. Accurate modeling of lava flow paths is crucial for volcanic hazard assessment and risk mitigation. This research integrated remote sensing, geographic information systems, geomorphological techniques, and hydrologic analysis to numerically determine the optimal ground sample distance (GSD) of digital elevation models (DEMs) for delineating lava flow paths. Two volcanic regions were analyzed: the Afar Region of Ethiopia (Alu, Dalaffilla, and Erta Ale volcanoes) and the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland (Fagradalsfjall volcano). Forward and backward modeling methods were used to simulate potential lava flow paths. Remote sensing data, …

Stepper Motor Load Estimation Using A Neural Network, Soham S. Kulkarni

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Bipolar stepper motors are common in scenarios that require low-cost precision including 3d printers. The ability to estimate stepper motor load provides an opportunity for health monitoring. For example, excessive load estimates may indicate a future problem in the driven system such as bearing wear. Stepper motor drivers often have built-in stall detection strategies that exploit the driver's precise knowledge of the high-frequency voltage pulses being sent to the motor. The goal of this work was to develop a retrofit approach to stepper motor load estimation using externally measured voltage, current, and speed. A stepper motor dynamometer was created to …

Study Of Two-Phase Void Fraction In A Rectangular Channel Using Capacitance Sensor, Peter Ngoc Nguyen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Two-phase liquid-gas flow has many applications in the nuclear industry, including active heat exchangers, reactor core designs, secondary steam generators, and two-phase flow loop balance of the plant. The void fraction is a crucial parameter to determine the pressure drop, flow regimes and liquid levels inside the nuclear reactor core. For the past forty years, void fraction has been studied by many researchers by different measurement techniques. Each method has positive and negative attributes. In this study, after extensive literature reviews, the author has chosen a capacitance type void fraction sensor over other void fraction measuring techniques. The principal concept …

Linking Molecular Structure Evolution To Mechanical Degradation During Environmental Aging In Conventional And Recyclable Epoxy Systems, Ben T. Jewell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The long-term performance of polymeric materials in extreme environments is governed by complex chemical and physical aging processes that alter their molecular structure and mechanical integrity. Conventional thermoset epoxies, while widely used in structural applications, are particularly susceptible to oxidative degradation at elevated temperatures, leading to embrittlement and loss of structural integrity. In the first part of this work, diffusion-limited oxidation (DLO) in a bulk structural epoxy was systematically investigated to establish the link between heterogeneous microstructural evolution and macroscopic mechanical degradation. High-temperature oxidation experiments were conducted in a controlled environmental chamber, and the resulting chemical, thermal, and mechanical changes …

Iron Ore Tailings Reprocessing By Electrostatic Separation Plus Two Stages Froth Flotation, Vincent Bailey Arohunmolase

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The reprocessing of tailings is crucial for recovering valuable iron and reducing the environmental impact associated with tailings disposal. This study investigates the practicality of reprocessing tailings to enhance iron oxide content, combining electrostatic separation with a two-stage froth flotation process using oleic acid (direct flotation) and amine (reverse flotation). The primary goal is to efficiently recover valuable iron from tailings, thereby reducing waste and promoting sustainable resource utilization. The process aims to upgrade the iron oxide content to around 93-99% Fe₂O₃, making the recovered material suitable for the production of direct-reduced iron.

Electrostatic separation was …

Degradation Of Polymers And Polymer Composites In Extreme Environments, Ben T. Jewell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Polymeric materials are widely used in engineering applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, easy manufacturability, and cost-effectiveness. When incorporated into composites, they provide further performance enhancements, enabling use in demanding structural applications. However, long-term exposure to harsh environments including elevated temperatures, UV radiation, harsh chemicals, and radiation, can drive degradation processes that alter the material’s network structure, and in turn, degrade its mechanical performance. Exposure to thermo-oxidative conditions is one of the most common environments driving polymer degradation, leading to chain scission and crosslinking events, with the resulting oxidative products causing discoloration, reduced ductility, and changes in glass transition …

Numerical Modelling And Co-Optimization Of Gasoline Fuels For Gasoline Compression Ignition Using Multi Component Approach, Ashwin Karthik Purushothaman

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Future mobility is expected to rely on a broad spectrum of powertrain technologies, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Despite the shift toward electrification, internal combustion engines are projected to remain a key component of future powertrains, either as the primary power source or as range extenders to generate electricity in hybrid systems. As such, significant research efforts continue to focus on enhancing the efficiency and reducing the emissions of ICEs to meet increasingly stringent regulatory and environmental targets. Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) has been …

Bayesian Alloy Design With Additive Synthesis, Michael R. Sulwer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

To reduce carbon emissions and increase power out, steam powerplants need to increase the operating temperatures and pressures of steam turbines to improve efficiency. This necessitates the development of high temperature alloys with superior strength and stability. This research aims to design a class of solid solution High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) to exceed the high temperature performance of commercial alloys like Haynes 230 while maintaining comparable costs for Advanced Ultra Supercritical (A-USC) steam cycles. This project integrates Bayesian optimization and Calculation of Phase Diagrams (CALPHAD) within an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) framework to predict and optimize key material properties: …

Leveraging Product And Process Characteristics Across The Concrete Pavement Life Cycle To Integrate Global Warming Potential Into Project Procurement Processes, Michelle Annette Cooper

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The objective of this research is to support sustainable procurement of concrete pavements by linking materials-level global warming potential (GWP) to the project-level. Infrastructure owners require reliable environmental product declarations (EPDs) and methodologies for integrating GWP into the procurement process to ensure equitable decision-making. This work provides insights into current EPD reliability by assessing the sensitivity of concrete GWP to materials-level contributors to recommend a level of supply chain specificity needed to effectively communicate GWP. A benchmarking methodology was developed and implemented to establish reference values for procuring sustainable products. Having provided evidence towards EPD reliability, this work presents a …

Biomedical Applications Of Reactive Oxygen Species From Catechol Oxidation, Zhongtian Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Catechol, a key functional moiety found in mussel adhesive proteins, undergoes oxidation to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be leveraged for biomedical and environmental applications. By modifying catechol-based polymers, ROS generation can be controlled and applied toward organic compound degradation, antimicrobial treatments, and polymer crosslinking. This dissertation focuses on the design and application of catechol-based materials that leverage ROS generation for biomedical and environmental applications.

Development And Verification Of Testing Platform For Torque Vectoring Controller, Nicholas Petersen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A foremost concept in the automotive industry in recent years has been that of a vehicle “digital twin”. A digital twin is an accurate simulation of a dynamic system for the use of rapid development. These digital twins have a critical advantage over physical testing, which have dominated vehicle development up to now. As the cost of physical testing continues to rise, simulation can deliver rapid system development in a low-cost format. No simulation environment is a perfect representation of reality, however, and physical testing is still necessary to validate systems for use in the real world. This is especially …

Developing Inexpensive Sensors That Can Detect Roof Collapse From Snow Loads, Edward Sandy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In cold regions in the United States, residential timber structures are susceptible to roof collapses due to heavy snow accumulation. The recent updates in ASCE 7-22 have introduced reliability-targeted ground snow loads, leading to significant increases in design snow loads for certain areas. Despite this development, existing buildings in these regions designed under historical code requirements may be under-designed for snow load. This fact provides motivation to owners of these structures to pursue effective monitoring and mitigation strategies to prevent structural failures. This research focuses on the development of an early warning system utilizing cost-effective slope monitoring sensors to estimate …

Geospatial Analysis For Urban Resilience: Green Space, Flood Susceptibility, And Wetland Restoration Potential, Jessica Lareaux

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Through the integration of high-resolution geospatial data, hydrologic modeling, and spatial statistics, this research addresses three interrelated topics that are critical to sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient urban planning. The overall objective of this dissertation is to provide data-driven and machine learning-based geospatial analysis frameworks that enhance our understanding of environmental inequities, flood exposure, and the potential for wetland restoration, with a focus on urban contexts. The study presented in Chapter Two examines the distribution and accessibility of urban green spaces in Detroit, Michigan, using high-resolution geospatial data and geospatial analysis methods, including geographically weighted regression (GWR) and network-based analyses. This …

Dam It All: A Multi-Scalar Investigation Into The Ecological Role And Function Of Beaver Dams, Kenneth Larsen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The central theme of this dissertation is ecological scaling, which examines how small, localized features, such as beaver ponds, contribute to large-scale watershed processes and how different modeling approaches at various scales reveal distinct insights. Through a combination of probabilistic modeling and high-resolution empirical research, this work demonstrates that small ponded systems, particularly those created by beavers (Castor canadensis), serve as critical biogeochemical control points, whose contributions to sediment and nutrient dynamics have been historically underestimated.

In Chapter 1, I contextualize this research within the broader fields of freshwater ecology, watershed modeling, and ecological restoration. I introduce the …

Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography: Development Of Tissue Models And Investigation Of Shear Wave Variability, Emily J. Miller

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Ultrasound shear wave elastography (USWE) is an evolving and promising clinical tool for noninvasively measuring in vivo soft tissue biomechanical properties. Assumptions incorporated into the clinical workflow and technical limitations have created gaps between theoretical and clinically derived solutions. The heterogeneity of the fibrotic liver tissue, composition of the background, such as the presence of fatty liver tissue, and the preferred local orientation of the scarred fibrotic liver tissues embedded into the liver parenchyma, may contribute to the uncertainty in USWE measurements. This study aims to systematically investigate four cofounding factors (i.e., size, volume fraction, orientation of the fibrotic inclusions, …

Batteryless Nfc-Enabled Wireless Sensor Node: Design, Optimization, And Implementation, Rishin Patra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis presents the design, construction, and testing of a batteryless Near-field communication (NFC) powered wireless sensor node intended for maintenance free, short range Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The work focuses on harvesting energy from a 13.56 MHz NFC field to power a very low-power sensing platform capa- ble of measuring temperature, pressure, and humidity without the use of batteries or wired power. The motivation behind this approach is the growing need for reliable, sustainable, and low-maintenance sensing systems that can operate in environments where battery replacement is impractical, undesirable, or environmentally costly. The prototype is built around a …

Great Lakes Wave Height Trends, Erv Kraft, Brian Barkdoll

Michigan Tech Publications

With the advent of the industrial revolution, greenhouse gases have been emitted into the atmosphere causing the alteration of weather across the globe. These gases have caused the global temperature to warm. This has also caused a change in precipitation, wind speeds, and wave heights. The Great Lakes have many cities located on their shores and millions of people are affected by waves. Effects include shoreline erosion, infrastructure damage, and loss of valuable property and lives. It is imperative to future planning and engineering that the trends of wave height are understood. This study uses linear regression, a well-known and …

Impact Of Compaction Process On The Carbon Epoxy Composite Under Varied Environmental Conditions, Maryam Al Kuwaiti, Amir Hussain Idrisi, Asima Zahoor, Mostafa S. Elsayed, Dinu Thomas Thekkuden, Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad

Michigan Tech Publications

Fibre-reinforced polymeric composites utilized in aerospace settings, experience varying environmental conditions throughout their operational lifespan. The major factors that can have adverse effects on their long-term performance are water and temperature. The present study investigates how the determinants such as water and temperature impact the structural integrity of plain weave woven carbon/epoxy laminated composites and further categorizing them into compacted and non-compacted groups. The compacted group involves in-process compactions during composite lay-up and the use of bleeders/breathers around the laminate, whereas the non-compacted group lacks these procedures. Specimens comprising twelve plies are created and submerged in water heating chambers set …

Enriched Microbial Consortia From Natural Environments Reveal Core Groups Of Microbial Taxa Able To Degrade Terephthalate And Terphthalamide, Laura G. Schaerer, Sulihat Aloba, Emily Wood, Allison Olson, Isabel B. A. Valencia, Rebecca Ong, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

Millions of tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are produced each year, however only ~30% of PET is currently recycled in the United States. Improvement of PET recycling and upcycling practices is an area of ongoing research. One method for PET upcycling is chemical depolymerization (through hydrolysis or aminolysis) into aromatic monomers and subsequent biodegradation. Hydrolysis depolymerizes PET into terephthalate, while aminolysis yields terephthalamide. Aminolysis, which is catalyzed with strong bases, yields products with high osmolality, which is inhibitory to optimal microbial growth. Additionally, terephthalamide, may be antimicrobial and its biodegradability is presently unknown. In this study, microbial communities were enriched …

Understanding Confusion: A Case Study Of Training A Machine Model To Predict And Interpret Consensus From Volunteer Labels, Ramanakumar Sankar, Kameswara Mantha, Cooper Nesmith, Lucy Fortson, Shawn R. Brueshaber, Candice Hansen-Koharcheck, Glenn Orton

Michigan Tech Publications

Citizen science has become a valuable and reliable method for interpreting and processing big datasets, and is vital in the era of ever-growing data volumes. However, there are inherent difficulties in the generating labels from citizen scientists, due to the inherent variability between the members of the crowd, leading to variability in the results. Sometimes, this is useful — such as with serendipitous discoveries, which corresponds to rare/unknown classes in the data — but it might also be due to ambiguity between classes. The primary issue is then to distinguish between the intrinsic variability in the dataset and the uncertainty …

Nature-Derived Flame Retardant For Cotton Fabrics With Green Coconut Shells, Tarikul Islam, Abdullah Al Rakib Shikder, Md Shahabul Hossen, Md Mazbah Uddin, Md Tanvir Hossain, M. Mahbubul Bashar

Michigan Tech Publications

This study presents an eco-friendly flame-retardant solution for cellulosic fabrics using green coconut shell (GCS) extract and phytic acid (PA). Cellulosic materials are highly flammable and release harmful gases during combustion. Conventional flame retardants may pose environmental and health risks while impacting the fabric quality. GCS extract is a rich source of tannins, phosphorus, silicates, metallic salts, and oxides and is explored as a novel flame retardant (FR) for cotton fabrics. Cotton samples were pretreated with PA and then with varying concentrations of GCS extract using a padding technique. Comprehensive characterization followed, including limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), …

Mae Enewsbrief July-Sept 2024, Department Of Mechanical And Aerospce Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Developing A Nearly Automated Open-Source Pipeline For Conducting Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations In Anterior Brain Vasculature: A Feasibility Study, Mostafa Rezaeitaleshmahalleh, Nan Mu, Zonghan Lyu, Joseph Gemmete, Aditya Pandey, Jingfeng Jiang

Michigan Tech Publications

Intracranial aneurysms (IA) pose significant health risks and are often challenging to manage. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding lesion-specific hemodynamics in and around IAs, aiding in the clinical management of patients with an IA. However, the current workflow of CFD simulations is time-consuming, complex, and labor-intensive and, thus, does not fit the clinical environment. To address these challenges, we have developed a semi-automated pipeline integrating multiple open-source software packages to streamline the CFD simulation process. Specifically, the study utilized medical angiography data from 18 patients. An in-house open-source DL image segmentation model …

Performance Of Optimized Composition Of Epoxy Resin Adhesive Used In High Friction Surface Treatment, Jiapeng Li, Xiao Huan, Shubing Wang, Yanping Sheng, Dahui Xu, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

The High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) paving technique is widely employed in engineering practices globally, serving to enhance the long-term anti-skid performance of pavements. However, there still exist significant gaps in research regarding the modified and optimized composition and corresponding content of the polymer binding materials used in HFST, as well as the performance of the pavements laid with modified and optimized blended aggregates during service. To address these issues, this research first modified and optimized the composition ratio of traditional epoxy resin materials. Subsequently, a toughened, high-flow epoxy bonding system suitable for the maintenance of concrete pavements was prepared. …

Performance Evaluation Of Bio-Oil And High Rubber Content Modified Asphalt: More Effective Waste Utilization, Zihao Ju, Dongdong Ge, Songtao Lv, Dongzhao Jin, Yanhua Xue, Jianping Xian, Wenhui Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

In this study, the bio-oil was used to reduce the viscosity and preparation temperature of high content of rubber-modified asphalt. The high rubber content modified bio-asphalt (RMBA) was prepared, the rubber and bio-oil contents were 20 %-30 % and 5 %-15 % (mass ratio of neat asphalt), respectively. The viscosity, temperature sweep (TS), frequency sweep (FS), multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to assess the properties of RMBA. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Fluorescence microscopy (FM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted to explore the microscopic morphology of RMBA. Besides, the …

Factors Influencing Faculty's Adoption Of Engineering Technology: A Qualitative Study, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Shari L. Stockero, Alfred Owusu-Ansah

Michigan Tech Publications

With technologies changing faster than ever before, engineering faculty must continuously update the technologies they use and teach to students to meet accreditation requirements and keep up with industry standards. Many do not, however. Additionally, existing models of technology adoption do not account for all variability within intention to use a technology, nor its actual use. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study examined which constructs from prior models apply to engineering faculty's adoption of industry-specific technologies, as well as other factors influencing faculty adoption of these technologies for their teaching or research. …

Performance Evaluation Of Surface Treatment Waste Glass As Aggregate In Asphalt Mixture, Miao Yu, Dongzhao Jin, Yu Liu, Zhanping You, Yalong Li

Michigan Tech Publications

Surface modification is a crucial strategy for enhancing the pavement performance of waste glass hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures. This study conducts a comparative analysis of various surface modification techniques to pinpoint the key factors that influence the interfacial interaction between waste glass and asphalt. To assess the performance of asphalt mixtures containing surface-treated waste glass, the study employed methods such as Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), boiling water tests, and contact angle measurements, which helped to quantify surface morphology and the effectiveness of different treatments. The evaluation also included assessments of water stability, dynamic stability, small beam bending, and …

Assessing Visibility At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Using Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) Technology, Mohsen Naghdi, Pasi T. Lautala, Abdolmajid Erfani

Michigan Tech Publications

In 2022, 2034 incidents occurred at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) in the United States, posing significant risks such as fatalities, injuries, and property damage. These incidents underscore the need for effective prevention and mitigation strategies. With over 212,000 public and private HRGCs nationwide, safety monitoring is challenging, as traditional inspections primarily rely on manual assessments. Obstructed sightlines at HRGCs further increase safety risks by limiting road users' ability to see approaching trains. Although previous studies have addressed behavioral and safety issues, the literature currently lacks quantitative data analysis of sightlines at HRGCs. This study aims to address this gap by …

Modeling, Control And Validation Of A Three-Phase Single-Stage Photovoltaic System, Eubis Pereira Machado, Adeon Cecílio Pinto, Rodrigo Pereira Ramos, Ricardo Menezes Prates, Jadsonlee Da Silva Sá, Joaquim Isídio De Lima, Flavio Bezerra Costa, Damásio Fernandes, Alex Coutinho Pereira

Michigan Tech Publications

The central inverter topology presents some advantages such as simplicity, low cost and high conversion efficiency, being the first option for interfacing photovoltaic mini-generation, whose shading and panel orientation studies are evaluated in the project planning phase. When it uses only one power converter, its control structures must ensure synchronization with the grid, tracking the maximum power generation point, appropriate power quality indices, and control of the active and reactive power injected into the grid. This work develops and contributes to mathematical models, the principles of formation of control structures, the decoupling process of the control loops, the treatment of …