Engineering Commons^™

The Augmentation Of A Solar Panel Lab For The Chemical Engineering Curriculum To Introduce Sustainability Principles, Lane A. Wilkins

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Photovoltaic solar cells are utilized in solar panels to convert sunlight into usable electricity. Since the energy derived from solar panels produces far less greenhouse gas than typical fuels such as coal and natural gas do, it is considered a clean source of energy and is vital to sustainability efforts. Sustainability is often defined by three pillars: environmental, social, and economical. Solar energy incorporates each of these pillars into its process, allowing it to be an effective tool to teach sustainability to students. A previously written lab that employs solar panels focused on the efficiency of converting light into electricity. …

Engaging Future Engineers: Utilizing Ai-Generated Video To Promote The Chemical Engineering Profession, Madeline G. Mondebello

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The expected incline of the chemical engineering profession faces a growing need to attract the next generation of prospective students. This research explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) software to create an innovative form of media fit for secondary school and early college outreach. The pre- and post-video questionnaires were taken by a voluntary population comprised of high school students, college students, and parents. Overall, the feedback received was generally positive but indicated that the AI avatars and the lip-sync discrepancies may disrupt the video more than enhance it. In the future, a larger population will be surveyed to …

Measuring Selectivity Of Ion Exchange Resin For Use In Activated Wafer Electrodeionization, Hope M. Coffman

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ion exchange resins are a type of ion exchange material used throughout industry. Their insolubility allows for the exchange of ions and an easy separation of the resin itself. They are used alone in industry, but they are also found in processes such as electrodialysis and electrodeionization. This research investigates the selectivity of chloride form ion exchange resin in the presence of solutions of lactate and formate ions. The work of this thesis is a part of a larger study investigating the conversion and separation of glucose into lactic acid via coupled electrocatalysis and electrodialysis. The results of this study …

Extending Simulation-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization Of System Designs: A Computational Study, Luke Kim

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis builds off work initially accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 2025 IISE Annual Conference & Expo, which introduced “Simulation-Enhanced Bayesian Optimization” (SEBO)—a hybrid testing optimization approach that combined the usage of unbiased but costly physical experiments with the usage of cheaper but potentially biased computer experiments to optimize engineered systems. The original study established the SEBO methodology and demonstrated its effectiveness on a multimodal, two-dimensional benchmark function. Expanding on the work performed, we conduct a broader evaluation of the SEBO framework through parameter testing and experimentation under a variety of additional benchmark functions. This investigation …

Towards A Configurable Platform For The Design And Evaluation Of P4 Network Systems And Applications, Joseph B. Wilkin

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the difficulties of running experiments on production networks, researchers often use platforms such as network emulators and testbeds to test their applications before applying them to the real world. There exists a need for a networking platform of this sort designed specifically for running P4 code and for evaluating P4-based experiments. In this work, we design and develop such a platform for use within our lab group based on the Mininet network emulator and its corresponding graphical user interface, MiniEdit. We have successfully integrated the BMv2 software switch into MiniEdit to allow users to build topologies for running …

Exploration Of Polymorphic Gate-Based Watermarking In Asynchronous Circuits, Stephanie Stock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing demand for new state-of-the-art integrated circuits (ICs), intellectual property (IP) reuse has become more commonplace to both accelerate the design process and lessen the non-recurring engineering costs of a design. Reuseable IP poses significant security risks, not only to the creator of the IP, but also to the consumer purchasing the IP. For an IP vendor, this risk can come from illegal distribution, cloning, or overuse. For the purchaser, counterfeit IPs may be purchased from an unvetted vendor, leading to a substandard design, malfunctions, IP infringement, or security vulnerabilities. Hardware watermarking is a method to protect designers …

In Vitro Investigation Of Macrophage Functional And Metabolic Modulation, Shelby Nicole Bess

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages are a subset of immune cells with a variety of functions that are abundant in numerous tumor types such as colorectal and breast cancer. It has been suggested that macrophages may serve an important function as immune mediators in tumor behavior; however, macrophage activity is complex and remains not completely understood. The overall goal of this dissertation was to explore and exploit tumor-associated macrophage phagocytic function and the changes in their interactions with cancer cells in an in vitro mouse model and in 2D and 3D in vitro culture models. First, we wanted to better understand macrophage behavior under …

Subsurface Characterization Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) Integrated With Masw, P-Wave Refraction, And Boring Results, Mohammadyar Rahimi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has gained widespread application in geotechnical engineering as a non-invasive method for subsurface characterization. Despite its versatility, several challenges remain regarding its resolution capabilities, interpretive limitations, and integration with other investigative methods. This dissertation addresses three key applications of ERT, focusing on its effectiveness and limitations in resolving thin subsurface layers, detecting anomalies such as voids, and supporting environmental assessment in river restoration projects.

The first study investigates the ability of ERT to resolve thin, discontinuous clay layers beneath levees, using the Melvin Price Reach of the Wood River Levee on the Mississippi River as a …

Validating An Electronics Cooler Experiment And Optimizing Its Performance Using Ansys Icepak, Daniel V. Curl

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Researchers at the University of Arkansas' Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Research Departments have designed and built a cold plate and substrate design for a 10 kV SiC MOSFET power module. Many variables define the design of the cold plate and substrate system and have quantifiable effects on the device’s performance. These variables include but are not limited to geometry and material selection of the fins and substrate. Manufacturing many test designs, running experiments, and comparing their performance is a time-consuming and expensive design optimization method that may be effective for some low-cost applications. Still, simulation is often a more cost-effective …

Exploring Metal Additive Manufacturing In Martian Atmospheric Environments, Zane Mebruer

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

On-surface manufacturing is key to the success of a planetary colonization, especially that of Mars. However, traditional subtractive manufacturing processes are equipment, energy, and material intensive, meaning novel additive manufacturing (AM) processes must be pursued for this end. Selective laser melting, one of the most effective and versatile AM methods, would be incredibly beneficial to a Martian mission but requires an artificial argon atmosphere to create effective parts. The purpose of this study was to examine if carbon dioxide, the gas that makes up over 95% of Mars’ surface atmosphere, would be a sufficient substitute for argon in SLM fabrication. …

Introduction To Building Energy Modeling And Analysis Using Energyplus, Jackson C. Burnett

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Retail stores are dynamic environments where human activities significantly influence energy consumption patterns, particularly affecting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) demands. Existing energy models, such as those developed using EnergyPlus, often rely on generalized assumptions about human occupancy and behavior, leading to discrepancies between predicted and actual energy usage. This research aimed to enhance the accuracy of energy modeling for retail stores by conducting a sensitivity analysis of occupancy using EnergyPlus simulations. The study investigated how variations in occupancy levels impact HVAC loads, cooling and heating demands, and overall energy use. Results showed that increasing occupancy leads to higher …

Thermal Characterization Of 3d Printing Materials For Increasing Insulation Potential And Practicality, Jackson H. Minnick

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study served as an exploration into the possible existence of a correlation between the infill lattice structure of a 3D printed wall section and the thermal performance of that sample as characterized by thermal conductivity measured in units of Watts per meter Kelvin. With the continual increase in the practicality, fidelity, and applicable fields of additive manufacturing, namely FDM 3D printing, research on specific print characteristics and their effects on the material and thermal characteristics of the part in question is steadily becoming more commonplace. Although the thermal conductivity of 3D printed wall sections as a function of infill …

Causes And Contributing Factors In General Aviation Fixed-Wing Stall And Spin Accidents, Lauren Westfall

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

General Aviation operations are all civil aviation operations excluding commercial airline operations and cargo transport. General Aviation accidents comprise approximately 94% of all aviation accidents in the United States annually. Stall and spin accidents are the third most common causes of fatal General Aviation accidents, accounting for 7.28% of such accidents in 2013–2022. The National Transportation Safety Board investigates and records all General Aviation accidents in the United States. Using the National Transportation Safety Board’s accident database, I investigated stall and spin accidents between 2013 and 2022 to find (1) the most common phases of flight where stall and spin …

Characteristics Of Patterned Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Devices For Ionic Wind Propulsion, Ethan J. Graef

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Electroaerodynamic (EAD) or ionic wind propulsion is a growing area of research for small noiseless low speed aircraft. Previous flight demonstrations and experimentation have revealed that traditional methods of EAD propulsion utilizing corona discharge incur a large drag penalty due to their collector and emitter geometries. Recent publications detail flexible and geometrically conformable surface dielectric barrier discharge devices (SDBD) that could increase thrust and decrease drag as an ion source for an EAD propulsion system. This thesis explores the effects of different electrode sizes and geometries on total SDBD power consumption. SDBDs of a hexagonal, triangular, and square electrode geometry …

Agent-Based Modeling For Faulty System Analysis, Jayden G. Hamilton

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Numerous approaches exist for computational modeling of complex, dynamic systems. One particular option is the use of agent-based modeling, which simulates the behavior of numerous autonomous agents interacting with each other and with the system at large. Current agent-based modeling research has largely focused on studying the system level behavior of a model, as this is generally the main concern for any real world application. However, the characteristics and behaviors of agents deserves consideration as well. The issue with this area of interest lies in the fact that the agent data cannot be as quickly obtained and analyzed as system …

A Labview-Based Open-Source Data Acquisition Program For Acoustic Emission Sensing, Harrison Greene

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Acoustic emission sensing is a growing field of analysis and testing that benefits from its non-destructive nature, enabling operators to detect faults, the severity of impacts, the propagation of cracks, and much more without damaging the system being tested. However, the use of proprietary software to collect, analyze, and display data hinders the field, as access to this crucial information makes consistent and in-depth data analysis impossible. To this end, this paper details an open-source code made in the programming language LabVIEW for the express purpose of allowing the user to have full access to all data and fully customize …

Using Optical Dielectrophoresis For Microbead And Cell Manipulation, Leigh K. Smith

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dielectrophoresis is a common method used to manipulate particles on the microscopic scale. Optically Induced Dielectrophoresis or ODEP is the specific method used in this research. All experiments were conducted in Dr. Tung’s Micro and Nano Systems lab at the University of Arkansas’ ENRC. An ODEP system was created in the lab for manipulating microbeads (6-10 micrometers (μm) in diameter) and E. coli cells (1-2 μm in diameter).

Experiments were performed on the microbeads to see how changing the parameters of the device affects the force caused by ODEP on the beads. The parameters that could be changed in the …

Optimal Parameters For Electrode Free Local Anodic Oxidation Lithography, Maxwell C. Cleveland

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dr. Steve Tung’s research lab is developing a device for sequencing DNA strands. A key component of this device is a nano sensor fabricated using monolayer graphene. To create the sensor, the graphene must be precisely patterned. Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is an ideal material for detecting electrical signals from DNA bases due to its excellent conductivity.

The current fabrication method uses Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in combination with Electrode-Free Local Anodic Oxidation (LAO) lithography. While AFM is typically employed for nanoscale imaging, pairing it with LAO lithography enables the patterning of graphene into nanoribbons capable of …

Regulatory Compliance Standards And Power System Reliability: A Study On Inverter-Based Resources, Pirouz Honarmand

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing penetration of renewable energy, particularly inverter-based resources (IBRs), has reshaped the dynamics of modern power systems. This thesis investigates the impact of regulatory compliance, especially frequency ride-through requirements under NERC PRC-029-1, on the performance and reliability of interconnected multi-area systems. Using a MATLAB/Simulink-based state-space model built on the foundational structure proposed by Murty [31] and augmented with advanced control methods such as Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control from Mackey and McCann [32] and further refined in the context of IBR damping by Alsarray and McCann [33], we explore three configurations of a three-area load frequency control (LFC) system. …

Development Of Si-Based Germanium-Tin Infrared Photodiode, Sylvester Amoah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) photodetectors have attracted increasing attention for the past few decades. SWIR and MWIR detectors are used for a wide range of applications in military and civilian defense, such as future automotive night vision, video surveillance security cameras, and integrated night vision in mobile/wearable electronics. The current market-dominating IR photodetector technology is mainly developed with the costly III-V or II-V material systems, such as InGaAs, InSb, and HgCdTe. While many efforts have been made towards the hybrid integration of III-Vs or II-VIs on a Si substrate, it is highly desirable to develop an alternative …

Development Of Soil Water Characteristic Curves Through Control Of Relative Humidity, Lauren E. Johnson, Julia I. Loshelder, Richard A. Coffman

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relationship between soil suction and soil water content in unsaturated soil mechanics is important but can be difficult to measure. The objective of the research described herein was to develop soil water characteristic curves (SWCC) from relative humidity values by incorporating the use of glycerin-water mixtures. Glycerin-water mixtures can be used to achieve different relative humidity levels by varying the concentration of glycerin within the mixture. The relative humidity created by each mixture was measured with a relative humidity sensor, and the relative humidity values and Kelvin’s equation were used to compute the total suction.

Soil water characteristic curves …

Relating Strength, Time, And Temperature For Bcsa Cement Concrete Using The Maturity Method, Daniel M. Passarelli

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belite calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement is an extension of CSA cement technology designed to provide early setting times and rates of strength gain with reduced environmental impact compared with portland cement. However, its application in the field of structural concrete is widely unexplored. To that end, this paper details research conducted at the University of Arkansas Civil Engineering Research and Education Center (CEREC) exploring the rates of strength gain in concrete samples created using BCSA cement relative to various temperatures and ages. Following the practices outlined in ASTM C1074, the maturity method, compression strength tests were conducted on the aforementioned …

Critical Analysis Of Coursework And Internship Experience In Relation To Biological Engineering At The University Of Arkansas, Samantha Wheat

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

My internship allowed me to gain important experience about a possible future career path with a biological engineering degree. Not only did this experience apply knowledge learned in the classroom from classes taken, I was also able to use my critical thinking skills gained from biological engineering coursework and teaching style to learn new skills and efficiently complete tasks given to me. This internship allowed me to try out a possible career path that interested me, and through my internship experience I was able to learn more about what kind of career path I was interested in after graduation. Additionally, …

Effects Of Sensor Separation On Flux Calculations In The Eddy Covariance Method., Maria D. Vergara Murillo

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice production contributes approximately 8% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO₂) which makes it important to monitor for understanding and mitigating its contribution to climate change. The Eddy Covariance (EC) method is used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions such as CO₂, CH₄, etc. As part of the EC method, the instruments on the EC towers are used to record the gas concentrations in the atmosphere; these concentrations are then run in the EddyPro software …

Real Time Adaptive Control Of A Pid Via Genetic Algorithm Machine Learning Systems, Cemre Tas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common control method that is utilized by all industries across the world is the proportional-integrative-derivative controller (PID) due the relatively low cost and complexity of the system. However, there are draw-backs with PIDs, it is not adaptative to a changing system, so it works on nominal systems, and it starts breaking down when a system begins to have a non-linear response. The method chosen to overcome both is the utilization of machine learning with the use of genetic algorithms.

This method allows any PID system to be capable of adapting in real-time, while not adding significant additional cost …

Modelling Virus Filtration And Virus Reduction By An Advanced Multilayer Model: Retention Distribution And The Effect Of Product Aggregates, Hironobu Shirataki, Remo Leisi, Junji Hdaka, S. Rancil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Robust virus reduction and high permeability are characteristic properties of virus filters, which are modeled as having an asymmetric multilayer membrane structure with a pore size distribution. In this study, an advanced heterogeneous multilayer model for the multicomponent solution containing viruses, protein monomers and aggregates, has been developed to reproduce the filtration behavior, virus reduction, and virus/protein retention distribution in the virus filter with asymmetric membrane structure. Calculations based on the multilayer membrane structure with consideration of the effect of aggregate size and concentration numerically reproduce the experimental results that virus LRV (log reduction value) decreases when a large number …

Survival Signature Estimation For All-Terminal Networks By Solving The Multi-Objective Bottleneck Spanning Tree Problem, Dewan Maisha Zaman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the problem of estimating the survival signature of all-terminal networks using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Following a recent similar result for twoterminal networks, we show that the work required within each MC replication corresponds to solving a multi-objective bottleneck spanning tree (MOBST) problem. We implement the resulting MC procedure using a “Blocks” algorithm from the literature to solve the MOBST in each replication by identifying its minimal set of non-dominated points. We compare this implementation against intuitive benchmark procedures for completing the work within an MC replication. We conduct numerical experiments to assess the efficacy of multi-objective …

Computationally Guided Liquid Crystal-Based Competitive Binding Sensing Platform For Optical Detection Of Spike Protein, Homa Ghaiedi, Shubham Pandey, Sophia Ezendu, Tibor Szilvasi, Karthik Nayani

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A liquid crystal (LC)-based sensing platform for the rapid optical detection of SARS-CoV-2 ' s spike protein's receptor binding domain (RBD) domain is introduced. This platform utilizes a thermotropic LC, hosted on metal-cation decorated substrates, onto which the spike protein can competitively bind. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations guide the experiments that reveal a homeotropic-to-planar transition in the LCs upon exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike-decorated yeast, providing a basis for sensitive virus detection. The sensor's reversibility/specificity is confirmed through antibody-induced orientation recovery of the LCs initial orientation. Strikingly, the sensor can detect approximate to 2000 copies of the spike protein per …

Quantifying Treatment Response To A Macrophage-Targeted Therapy In Combination With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors After Exposure To Conventional Chemotherapy, Shelby N. Bess, Gaven K. Smart, Timothy J. Muldoon

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Conventional chemotherapeutic agents, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), can exert anti-tumor effects through immunogenic cell death (ICD) induction. Researchers have found hallmarks that quantify ICD (such as the translocation of HMGB1 and calreticulin). Although chemotherapeutic agents can induce ICD, they increase the expression of immune checkpoints, limiting their effectiveness. Studies have emphasized the importance of investigating the heterogeneous responses of cells co-localized in a solid tumor (macrophages, tumor cells, etc.) to ICD induction. However, these studies were performed in vivo, which limits the collection of information on cell-cell interactions due to model complexity.

Methods: In this study, we used a …

Establishing Particle Size Recommendations For Cationic Asphalt Emulsions, Tanner Turben, Pedro Diaz-Romero, Andrew Braham

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Asphalt emulsions are used in flexible pavement maintenance and rehabilitation treatments. Emulsion specifications for material characterization are based on testing methodology dating to the 1930s. Newer test methods, including particle size analysis (PSA) of binder droplets in emulsion, have been explored but not implemented into specifications. The objective of this study is to observe the particle size and performance of cationic slow-setting (CSS) emulsions and establish baseline particle size recommendations for cationic emulsions. Four physical property tests (residue, oversize particles, viscosity, and particle size) and two cold mix asphalt performance tests (indirect tensile strength (IDT) and direct shear test (DST)) …