Engineering Commons^™

Hydrocarbon Removal, Elizabeth Ashley

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A group of Chemical Engineers romoved hydrocarbons from a surrogate flowback solution. The solution contained polar and non-polar hydrocarbons that had to be removed to protect an RO membrane. The full scale solution would use UF to remove the non-polar hydrocarbons and GAC beds to remove the soluble hydrocarbons.

Highly Sensitive Method For Detecting And Separating Pathogens Using Paramagnetic Particles And A Micro-Fluidic System, William Ryan

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is one of the most important compounds on Earth. If a water supply is contaminated with a pathogen, it can have devastating results to an individual or a community. This research is directed at constructing an easily reproducible procedure that could increase the sensitivity of detecting and separating bacteria from the current limits of about 100 cells to 10-20 cells per sample with a ultimate goal of a single cell detection. Here, we report a micro-fluidic system to magnetically capture pathogenic bacteria in water followed by rapid impedance detection using Escherichia coli K-12 as a model bacterium. Paramagnetic beads …

Comparing Decellularized Muscle Tissue With An Engineered Muscle Biomaterial, Katelin Cherry

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Decellularized tissues composed of extracellular matrix are commonly used for tissue transplantations but this method has many limitations. An alternative approach is to create an extracellular matrix by seeding degradable foams with cells, culturing these foams to allow extracellular matrix to be secreted from the cells, then washing away the degradable foam to collect the material that is produced. This study was interested in comparing decellularized skeletal muscle tissue to an engineered biomaterial that was seeded with skeletal muscle myoblast cells. Collagen content of decellularized tissue and engineered biomaterial were quantified using a hydroxyproline assay to compare the two samples. …

Cost Distribution Analysis Of Remote Monitoring System Use In The Treatment Of Chronic Diseases, Adeola Yusuf

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The cost of the treatment of chronic diseases is very high and this has a huge impact on the health-care system. Several factors contribute to this high cost. Some of these include the direct costs of treatment and the costs of several potential complications that arise as a result of the presence of other diseases. The goal of this study is to evaluate a cost-effective way of managing some of the common chronic diseases by analyzing the potential cost savings of utilizing remote monitoring systems (RMS) as opposed to the use of the traditional bundle (which includes regular visits to …

Decision Support Tool For Operations Management Course And Instructor Scheduling, Morgan Ulesich

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this project is develop a decision support tool that will assist the Operations Management Department at the University of Arkansas with scheduling courses and instructors for the upcoming academic year. The staff of the department dreads this time each year because it takes countless hours to complete the daunting task. Creating an abstract mathematical model will assist the department in scheduling the courses. The model will have the ability to optimize the schedule of the courses and instructors from a large number of variables and constraints that the department requires. An optimization software package can solve the …

Reliability Analysis Of Social Networks, Kellie R. Schneider

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation is on the quantification of actor interaction and the dissemination of information through Social networks. Social networks have long been used to model the interactions between people in various Social and professional contexts. These networks allow for the explicit modeling of the complex interrelations between relevant individuals within an organization and the role they play in the decision making process. This dissertation considers Social networks represented as network flow models in which actors have the ability to provide some level of influence over other actors within the network. The models developed incorporate performance metrics …

Plasmonic Nanostructures For The Absorption Enhancement Of Silicon Solar Cells, Nathan Matthias Burford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this work, computational investigation of plasmonic nanostructures was conducted using the commercial finite element electromagnetics solver Ansys® HFSS. Arrays of silver toroid nanoparticles located on the surface of an amorphous silicon thin-film absorbing layer were studied for particle sizes ranging from 20 nm to 200 nm in outer diameter. Parametric optimization by calculating an approximation of the photocurrent enhancement due to the nanoparticles was performed to determine optimal surface coverage of the nanoparticles. A comparison was made between these optimized nanotoroid arrays and optimized nanosphere arrays based on spectral absorption enhancement and potential photocurrent enhancement in an amorphous silicon …

Rapid Detection And Quantification Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Single-Based Extension And Capillary Electrophoresis, Anh Vu

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared tuberculosis (TB) a global emergency. Since then, more than 30 million lives have been claimed by that world-wide epidemic. In 2011, 8.7 million people “felt ill” because of TB and not all TB cases were reported to clinicians. Therefore, it is important to accurately identify TB patients by developing a diagnostic method that is sensitive, fast, and cost-effective. However, conventional methods have not met those criteria because they either require lengthy procedures or may misdiagnose TB cases. Hence, the automated Xpert MTB/RIF, endorsed by WHO in 2010, was developed and so …

Development Of A Pdms Based Micro Total Analysis System For Rapid Biomolecule Detection, Balaji Srinivasan Venkatesh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emerging field of micro total analysis system powered by microfluidics is expected to revolutionize miniaturization and automation for point-of-care-testing systems which require quick, efficient and reproducible results. In the present study, a PDMS based micro total analysis system has been developed for rapid, multi-purpose, impedance based detection of biomolecules. The major components of the micro total analysis system include a micropump, micromixer, magnetic separator and interdigitated electrodes for impedance detection. Three designs of pneumatically actuated PDMS based micropumps were fabricated and tested. Based on the performance test results, one of the micropumps was selected for integration. The experimental results …

Optimal Production Of Biobutanol Via Hydrogenation Of Butyric Acid, Sarad Panta

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Butanol is a primary alcohol most commonly used industrially as a solvent. It is largely produced petrochemically using fossil fuel feedstocks. The global butanol market has steadily increased in recent years and is projected to continue increasing at an annual rate of 3.2%. Additionally, the possibility of introducing butanol to the fuel market presents the opportunity to further grow the industry. Because of the increasing demand and its production from fossil fuels, there is a need to manufacture butanol more sustainably and efficiently to help the environment and improve the world economy. Currently, biobutanol is not produced commercially; however, its …

International Environmental Design Contest Task: Hyrdaulic Fracturing Fluid Hydrocarbon Removal As A Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment, Elisabeth Yates

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Natural gas is useful in several different applications from chemical feed stock, to energy and fuel source. In the past it has been too expensive to be properly taken advantage of, but in recent years technology advancements have made it a rather cheap commodity. However, these advancements, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, come at an additional cost. They require massive amounts of water, approximately 7,000,000 gallons per well drilled. After use, this water is laden with salts and dangerous hydrocarbons. In order for the water to be recycled or reused, both components must be removed. Reverse osmosis membranes are commonly …

Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltraion And Granulated Activated Carbon Hydrocarbon Removal For Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment, Hayden Dwyer

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydraulic Fracturing is becoming an increasing prevalent technology in present society due its ability to produce cheap, clean natural gas as a viable fuel source. One public image draw back to hydraulic fracturing, however, is that it uses large volumes of water. This water returns to surface after stimulation laden with hydrocarbons and other material from down hole. The proposed and test method to treat this flowback water was reverse osmosis membranes with granulated activated carbon and ultrafiltration serving as a pretreatment. This proved to be a very successful method in treating hydraulic fracturing flowback water.

Computational Tire Models And Their Effectiveness, Andrew Wheeler

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper describes the advantages, disadvantages, and complications that arise during the modeling, simulation, and analysis of tire models using MSC’s Adams/Car software. Due to the complexity of the testing, this paper was limited to a handful of tests. This included putting a template Formula SAE vehicle through simulations on a constant radius skidpad, performing a high stress longitudinal acceleration, a fish-hook maneuver, and a step-steer maneuver. These tests were analyzed and compared to current understandings of the model’s accuracy and validity. Of the six different models tested, the FTire model proved to be the best performing. The main Pacejka …

Gesture Based Home Automation For The Physically Disabled, Alexander Hugh Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Paralysis and motor-impairments can greatly reduce the autonomy and quality of life of a patient while presenting a major recurring cost in home-healthcare. Augmented with a non-invasive wearable sensor system and home-automation equipment, the patient can regain a level of autonomy at a fraction of the cost of home nurses. A system which utilizes sensor fusion, low-power digital components, and smartphone cellular capabilities can extend the usefulness of such a system to allow greater adaptivity for patients with various needs. This thesis develops such a system as a Bluetooth enabled glove device which communicates with a remote web server to …

Design And Fabrication Of Nanofluidic Systems With Integrated Sensing Electrodes For Rapid Biomolecule Characterization, Taylor Bradley Busch

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A transparent nanofluidic system with embedded sensing electrodes was designed and fabricated by integrating Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) nanolithography, Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling and metal deposition, and standard microfabrication processing. The fabrication process started with the evaporation of chrome/gold (Cr/Au) onto a Pyrex 7740 wafer followed by photolithography and wet etching of the microchannels. The wafer was patterned a second time to form Au microelectrodes with 15-45 micrometer separation gaps in the nanochannel region. Sensing electrodes (up to one micron wide) were then deposited using FIB to bridge the gaps. The nanochannels were realized through both AFM nanolithography and …

Directed Percolation And The Abstract Tile Assembly Model, Tyler Garrett Moore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-assembly is a process by which simple components build complex structures through local interactions. Directed percolation is a statistical physical model for describing competitive spreading processes on lattices. The author describes an algorithm which can transform a tile assembly system in the abstract Tile Assembly Model into a directed percolation problem, and then shows simulations of the aTAM which support this algorithm. The author also investigates two new constructs designed for Erik Winfree's abstract Tile Assembly Model called the NULL tile and temperature 1.5. These constructs aid the translation between self-assembly and directed percolation and may assist self-assembly researchers in …

Intermediate Band Solar Cells Based On Inas Quantum Dots Embedded In Ingaas Quantum Well, Ramesh Vasan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intermediate band solar cells based on quantum dots and quantum wells with anti-reflection coating are investigated in this thesis. The demand for high efficient solar cells as an alternate source of energy is the main motivation for this research project. Intermediate band solar cells based on quantum dots were the subject of intensive research in recent years. High power conversion efficiency was predicted from InAs/GaAs intermediate band solar cells as the presence of InAs quantum dots increased the absorption below the band gap of the host material.

In this thesis, an attempt has been made to further increase the absorption …

Design And Fundamental Understanding Of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (Mql) Assisted Grinding Using Advanced Nanolubricants, Parash Kalita

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abrasive grinding is widely used across manufacturing industry for finishing parts and components requiring smooth superficial textures and precise dimensional tolerances and accuracy. Unlike any other machining operations, the complex thermo-mechanical processes during grinding produce excessive friction-induced energy consumption, heat, and intense contact seizures. Lubrication and cooling from grinding fluids is crucial in minimizing the deleterious effects of friction and heat to maximize the output part quality and process efficiency. The conventional flood grinding approach of an uneconomical application of large quantities of chemically active fluids has been found ineffective to provide sufficient lubrication and produces waste streams and pollutants …

A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Water Use In U.S. Pork Production, Eric Boles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to analyze water use across a range of regions, scales and practices of the U.S. pork industry. A Life Cycle Assessment of water use within the pork supply chain was performed. Cumulative water use was the environmental impact category used in the LCA to evaluate the impacts of pork production processes throughout the pork supply chain. The functional unit for the analysis was the volume of water required to produce one kilogram of swine (live weight) at the farm gate.

A comprehensive literature review was used to design and propagate algorithms for the National …

Optimization Of Automated Temperature Measurement System For Formed Meat Products, Tyler Norman

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Federal Safety and Inspection Services in accordance with United States Department of Agriculture require that formed meat products be cooked to a specified minimum internal temperature in order to eliminate the possible presence of harmful bacteria. The current system of verifying the internal temperatures of formed meat products consists of manually inserting a temperature probe into the selected sample as it exits the oven. Creating an automated system that measures and records the internal temperatures of formed meat samples as they exit the oven along a meat processing line has been the topic of an ongoing research. The most …

Design And Construction Of An Experiment For The Investigation Of The Effects Of Gust On Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Power Consumption, Brett Hiller

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, the promising nature of flapping wing flight has led researchers to investigate the wing morphology and unsteady wing aerodynamics found in insects to aid in the design of modern micro air vehicles (MAVs). A high-fidelity flapping wing MAV could achieve high mobility, hovering stability, increased stealth, and efficient flight at low speeds. These characteristics offer a viable solution to the operational requirements for the typical hazardous and dynamic environments encountered during flight. While the kinematics and morphology of flapping wings are well-understood, significant research has yet to be completed with respect to the control and power requirements …

Exploration Into Properties Of Molybdenum Disulfide Using Atomistic Simulation, Joseph Simpson

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has a lamellar crystal structure, which makes it ideal for use as a solid lubricant. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images have shown that line defects exist within the lattice of mechanically deformed MoS2, but the physical mechanisms which lead to the formation of these defects are unknown. The two central objectives of this research are to use molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of tensile deformation on both single layer and bulk MoS2 and explore the properties of line defects in an otherwise perfect lattice of MoS2. Under tensile loading, molecular dynamics simulations show a multi-stage …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Plastic Deformation In Dopant-Modified Nanocrystalline Metallic Materials, Lucas Brown

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Polycrystalline metallic materials commonly exhibit the Hall-Petch relationship, which states that decreased grain size leads to increased strength. As a result, nanocrystalline metals, which are defined as polycrystalline metals with average grain diameters on the nanoscale, exhibit ultra-high strength phenomenon. Despite their incredible strength, the applications of these materials are severely limited due to thermodynamic instability that causes low temperature grain growth and a reduction in the enhanced properties. It is known that dopant atoms located at the grain boundaries in nanocrystalline metals can reduce this effect and stabilize the microstructure of these materials, but little is known about the …

The Geometry And Sensitivity Of Ion-Beam Sculpted Nanopores For Single Molecule Dna Analysis, Ryan Connor Rollings

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the relationship between the geometry of ion-beam sculpted solid-state nanopores and their ability to analyze single DNA molecules using resistive pulse sensing is investigated. To accomplish this, the three dimensional shape of the nanopore is determined using energy filtered and tomographic transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that this information enables the prediction of the ionic current passing through a voltage biased nanopore and improves the prediction of the magnitude of current drop signals when the nanopore interacts with single DNA molecules. The dimensional stability of nanopores in solution is monitored using this information and is improved …

Full Depth Reclamation: Bringing Developing Countries' Transportation Up To Speed, Sadie Smith

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Often, a direct correlation is observed between a country’s transportation network and economic development. Evidence of this is observed all over the world. Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) is a roadway recycling technique that mills and mixes the existing roadway with a stabilizing agent and then re-compacts the mixture to create a thicker, stabilized pavement layer. This method is both cost effective and environmentally friendly, making it a very appealing option as the need to rehabilitate or increase the structural capacity of existing roads grows. In this study, the material characterization of FDR was examined as a composite material of both …

An Estimation Of Available Cellulosic Biomass In Ten Counties In Northeastern Arkansas From 1999-2011, Thomas Jenkins

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to explore the possibility of siting a biorefinery that produces cellulosic ethanol in the Delta region of Arkansas, which is the main agricultural area of the state. Four major crops that the state of Arkansas produces on a yearly basis that could potentially be used for cellulosic ethanol production are: corn, rice, sorghum, and soybeans. This research will result in the generation of maps that will be useful in quantifying feedstock produced in the Delta region of Arkansas, which can be used by a biorefinery. An actual site will not be chosen based strictly …

Scaffolding For Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lineage Specification, Thanh Dai

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Current research regarding stem cells is the premise behind this project. These cells have the potential to develop into any kind of cell in the human body. Due to the scarcity of transplantable pancreas and/or pancreatic beta cells, the production of pancreatic insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has emerged as one of the most attractive cell therapy strategies for insulin deficient diabetes treatment. The aspect of hESC research that the project focused on was the environment or foundation the hESCs grew in. A key step to pancreatic beta cell production from hESC differentiation or growth is establishing …

Varying Culture Conditions To Enhance Tissue Formation, Katherine Atkins

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

For severe muscle damage, tissue engineering has become a viable option to culture muscle tissues with the ultimate goal of implantation. However, the tissues are typically cultured on permanent scaffolds which would elicit a foreign body response if placed in the body. To avoid this, biological scaffolds are ideal for tissue culture and limiting any negative reactions. A sacrificial scaffold can be used to gather extracellular matrix (ECM), which can then be used as the primary scaffold for culturing tissues for implantation. To reach the ultimate goal of implanting muscle tissue, an understanding of how to produce ECM on a …

The Effect Of Cell Density And Cultivation Period On Skeletal Muscle Extracellular Matrix Accumulation, Ryan Yarnall

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Traumatic skeletal muscle injuries have led to severe disability disallowing one to perform necessary daily tasks. Different methods are under current research to rebuild muscle tissue and have it function properly. One such method is the use of extracellular matrix, or ECM, retrieved from cells to create biological scaffolds providing structure for myoblast cells to grow into tissue. This research holds promise because it utilizes the body’s own machinery, minimizing risk of a foreign body response. To obtain ECM scaffolding, one viable technique involves the cultivation of cells on polyurethane foams to collect and harvest ECM. This research investigates the …

Structural Characterization Of Engineered Muscular Mimetic, Nadia Bhatti

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

An engineered muscular mimetic (EMM) was synthesized, and its overall structure—porosity, average pore size, and pore alignment—was characterized and compared to actual decellularized skeletal muscle (DSM). The EMM’s porosity was about 20% more and average pore size was about 85% smaller compared to that of the DSM. Unlike the strong horizontal pore alignment in the DSM, no distinct orientation could be identified in the EMM structure.