Engineering Commons^™

Pvc Pipe Longevity Report: Affordability And The 100+ Year Benchmark Standard, Steven Folkman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

In the United States and Canada, underground water infrastructure was installed during three main time periods because of population growth in the 1800s, 1900–1945, and post 1945. Pipes made of iron constructed in each of these three eras will all start to fail at nearly the same time over the next couple of decades due to the corrosion of the iron pipes. Additionally, the life span of the materials used since the 1960's has changed. Grey cast iron pipes are no longer manufactured and the new ductile iron material has been made thinner to reduce costs, but as a result, …

Usu Concrete Canoe, Promontory, Nathaniel Laurence Decker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In 1863, while the Civil War was dividing the East, a monumental project began in the West. Plans had been finalized for a railroad that would unify the country in commerce and migration. Two companies accepted the challenge of laying track across over 1700 miles of North American soil, from Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railroad would come from the East and the Central Pacific Railroad from the West. Governor Leland Stanford of California broke ground for the project on January 8, 1863, and the line was finished at Promontory Summit, UT on May 10, 1869 (NPS, …

Optimization Of Wastewater Microalgae Pretreatment For Acetone, Butanol, And Ethanol Fermentation, Yessica A. Castro

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation from wastewater microalgae by Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 is a novel bioprocess that utilizes waste substrate to generate valuable solvents. Butanol, the most abundant product resulting from ABE fermentation, is an environmentally safe and high performing fuel that can be utilized as a drop-in-fuel; however, high operational costs and low ABE yield present challenge in scale-up of the process. The utilization of algae as a substrate requires pretreatment prior to fermentation to increase the bioavailability of the algal fermentable sugars and to improve the conditions of the pre-fermentation medium. The purpose of this thesis was to optimize wastewater …

Sustainable Production Of Novel Biomaterials In Escherichia Coli, Asif Rahman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The biotechnology revenues in the United States exceeded $100 billion in 2010 and the potential impact of synthetic biological engineering has been identified nationally as an emerging technology to further expand the national bioeconomy. Synthetic biological engineering approaches biology from an engineering perspective to make biology easier to engineer. The potential to engineer microorganisms for novel applications can have far-reaching implications and benefits for society. Some of the potential applications range from biosensors, biofuels, therapeutics, and biomaterials.

In this study two biomaterials were produced in genetically engineered Escherichia coli: polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) and spider silk. PHBs are bioplastics that have …

Alkaloid Production By Hairy Root Cultures, Bo Zhao

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the present research, nicotine alkaloid production by Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) hairy roots and tropane alkaloid production by Hyoscyamus niger hairy roots were investigated. The first objective of this research was to improve the oxygen mass transfer in hairy root cultures with microbubbles. Oxygen was shown as a critical nutrient for the growth of tobacco and H. niger hairy roots. In a 1-liter fermentor, microbubble dispersion improved the oxygen mass transfer, tobacco hairy root growth, and nicotine production in the medium. In a novel ground-joint column bioreactor, microbubbles enhanced the oxygen mass transfer and the growth of H. niger hairy …

Laboratory Modeling Of Erosion Potential In Dam Foundations Due To Foundation Voids, Tyler K. Coy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Earthen dams and levees create high gradients and increased hydraulic pressures in the underlying soil, which can lead to erosion and other challenges. Karst formations and other defects such as cracks in the foundation and/or abutments can lead to failure mechanisms such as internal erosion. Generally these voids or cracks are filled with soil, but due to the increased pressures and gradients that dams and levees create, the original soil is pushed out, thus creating a void that acts as a conduit for more soil to follow. Different soils will erode at different rates and some even create a natural …

Impact Of Organic Matter Composition From Urban Streams And Storm Water On Oxygen Consumption In The Jordan River, Jacob Matt Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The water quality of the Jordan River has been the subject of a Total Maximum Daily Load study conducted under the direction of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality's Water Quality Division (DWQ). They have determined the oxygen impairment issues in the river are most likely tied to the amount of organic material entering the river from various sources.

The focus of the study conducted by Jacob Richardson was organic material that enters the Salt Lake City storm drain system, and is eventually released into the Jordan River. He found that leaves, grass, and wood particles that enter the storm …

Exploiting Sparsity And Dictionary Learning To Efficiently Classify Materials In Hyperspectral Imagery, Andrew E. Pound

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) produces spatial images with pixels that, instead of consisting of three colors, consist of hundreds of spectral measurements. Because there are so many measurements for each pixel, analysis of HSI is difficult. Frequently, standard techniques are used to help make analysis more tractable by representing the HSI data in a different manner.

This research explores the utility of representing the HSI data in a learned dictionary basis for the express purpose of material identification and classification. Multiclass classification is performed on the transformed data using the RandomForests algorithm. Performance results are reported.

In addition to classification, single …

Cyber-Physical Systems With Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Cooperative Source Seeking And Contour Mapping, Jinlu Han

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation presents the design, simulation, and execution of multi-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-based cooperative source seeking and contour mapping with cyber-physical systems (CPS). Both fixed-wing UAVs and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAVs are developed as the flight platforms. Compared with single UAV, multi-UAV formation with advanced cooperative control strategies has more advantages for radiative source detection, especially in urgent tasks, for example, detecting nuclear radiation before deploying the salvage. A contour mapping algorithm for the nuclear radiation is proposed, and practical predefined waypoint-based formation flights are realized. Next, four scenarios are developed for multi-UAV-based cooperative source seeking and contour …

Analysis Of False Data Injection In Vehicle Platooning, Bidisha Biswas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of automated vehicles has come more into the focus of researchers due to progress in areas of potential benefit, such as increasing road safety and fuel efficiency and reducing time road travel by decreasing traffic congestion and, thus, minimizing workload on the driver. For a platoon (which is a method of grouping vehicles that helps increase the capacity of roads by managing the distance between vehicles by using electrical and mechanical coupling) of such vehicles, the inter-vehicular distance is one of the most important facets to be taken into consideration. As in automated highway systems (AHS) (AHS is …

Models And Solution Algorithms For Asymmetric Traffic And Transit Assignment Problems, Donghyung Yook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Generally, modeling is a simplified representation of the real world; however, this research adds value to the modeling practice by investigating the asymmetric interactions observed in the real world in order to explore potential improvements of the transportation modeling. The enhanced representation of the transportation system by the asymmetric transportation equilibrium problem is promising because there are various asymmetric interactions in real transportation such as intersections, highway ramps, toll roads and in the structure of the transit fares.

The dissertation considers the asymmetric interactions of flows in the traffic and transit assignment problems with an efficient solution algorithm. The study …

A Computational Fluid Dynamics Validation Experiment For Forced And Mixed Convection On A Vertical Heated Plate, Jeff Robert Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation experiment is conducted for flow over a heated vertical plate. The design of the experiment to meet CFD validation standards is described. Many experiments and simulations have been completed in past studies, but none measure or present the necessary boundary conditions to define the simulation. Experimental measurements of heated flow are presented, along with corresponding boundary conditions sufficient to define the simulation's boundary conditions. Some simulation results are described, but a complete validation study is not included. The simulations are conducted by the experimentalist to ensure all necessary boundary conditions are being measured. This …

Convex Model-Based Synthetic Aperture Radar Processing, Chad P. Knight

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of radar often conjures up images of small blobs on a screen. But current synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems are able to generate near-optical quality images with amazing benefits compared to optical sensors. These SAR sensors work in all weather conditions, day or night, and provide many advanced capabilities to detect and identify targets of interest.

These amazing abilities have made SAR sensors a work-horse in remote sensing, and military applications. SAR sensors are ranging instruments that operate in a 3D environment, but unfortunately the results and interpretation of SAR images have traditionally been done in 2D. Three-dimensional …

Resolving The Temporal-Spatial Ambiguity With The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe, Daniel Farr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The behavior of the electric and magnetic fields in the upper atmosphere of the Earth is scientifically interesting but difficult to study, since balloons and aircraft are unable to fly high enough to measure it directly. Sounding rockets, which make a one-time flight carrying instruments that measure the environment around them, have been successfully used to study the upper atmosphere. As the rocket flies through the upper atmosphere, it radios down data about the environment. When scientists on the ground use this data to construct a picture of the upper atmosphere, they run into a problem: the fields reported by …

Comparison Of Selected Differential Producing, Ultrasonic, And Magnetic Flow Meters, Johnny B. Prettyman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Flow meters are used to measure flow accurately. There are many different flow meters and it is necessary to know which will function best for specific situations. A wide variety of flow meters were selected for the study to assist in showing that each flow meter has its tradeoffs. The selected meters include: three types of Venturi meters, a wedge meter, a V-cone meter, an electromagnetic flow meter, and an ultrasonic flow meter. The characteristics researched in this study are discharge coefficient (Cd) over a range of Reynolds numbers (Re), head loss across each flow meter, life, and cost of …

A Sociocultural Analysis Of Latino High School Students' Funds Of Knowledge And Implications For Culturally Responsive Engineering Education, Joel Alejandro Mejia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies have suggested that, when funds of knowledge are incorporated into science and mathematics curricula, students are more engaged and often develop richer understandings of scientific concepts. While there has been a growing body of research addressing how teachers may integrate students’ linguistic, social, and cultural practices with science and mathematics instruction, very little research has been conducted on how the same can be accomplished with Latino and Latina students in engineering. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by investigating how fourteen Latino and Latina high school adolescents used their funds of …

Real-Time Scheduling Algorithm Design On Stochastic Processors, Anushka Pakrashi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent studies have shown that significant power savings are possible with the use of in-exact processors, which may contain a small percentage of errors in computation. However, use of such processors in time-sensitive systems is challenging as these processors significantly hamper the system performance. In this thesis, a design framework is developed for real-time applications running on stochastic processors. To identify hardware error pat- terns, two methods are proposed to predict the occurrence of hardware errors. In addition, an algorithm is designed that uses knowledge of the hardware error patterns to judiciously schedule real-time jobs in order to maximize real-time …

Mechanical And Physical Properties Of Spider Silk Films Made From Organic And Water-Based Dopes, Chauncey Lewis Tucker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spider silk has become a popular material due to its exceptional mechanical and biocompatibility properties. The project team has developed methods of producing and improving the properties of synthetic spider silk films. Other groups have been able to produce similar films having less than impressive mechanical properties using a toxic solvent. The spider silk team here at Utah State University has developed a new way of processing these films to more than triple their mechanical properties and has created a novel form of spider silk films produced from a water-based liquid, making it less expensive, more environmentally friendly, and more …

Salinity Management In The Upper Colorado River Basin: Modeling, Monitoring, And Cost-Equity Challenges, Jongho Keum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salinity issues in the Upper Colorado River Basin have been a serious concern to the western United States and northern Mexico. The Colorado River salinity is mainly come from geologic materials located in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Natural weathering and human activities, such as irrigation, accelerate the dissolution of saline materials. Economic damages due to salinity in the Colorado River Basin are estimated at $295 million in 2010, for example, reduced crop yield, plugging of water pipes and fixtures, and ecological health of rivers. In order to manage salinity in the Upper Colorado River Basin, SPARROW model has been …

Lifecycle Assessment Of Microalgae To Biofuel: Thermochemical Processing Through Hydrothermal Liquefaction Or Pyrolysis, Edward P. Bennion

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microalgae have many desirable attributes as a renewable energy recourse. These include use of poor quality land, high yields, and it is not a food recourse. This research focusses on the energetic and environmental impact of processing microalgae into a renewable diesel. Two thermochemical bio-oil recovery processes are analyzed, pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). System boundaries include microalgae growth, dewatering, thermochemical bio-oil recovery, bio-oil stabilization, conversion to renewable diesel, and transportation to the pump. Two system models were developed, a small-scale experimental and an industrial-scale. The small-scale system model is based on experimental data and literature. The industrial-scale system model …

Precision Current Control For Quantum Cascade Lasers As Flight Calibration Sources, Stewart M. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The design of a precision current controller for quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) enables QCLs to be used for calibrating instruments in space-borne applications. This current controller design will enable constant wave (CW) or pulsed mode operation of QCL devices as calibration sources in a space environment. Any differences in the temperature between components of the current controller can result in an erroneous current through the QCL. This design will use previously demonstrated techniques from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to minimize the effects of temperature changes on the desired current levels. A mathematical model is used to calculate what performance …

Automatic Registration Of Multiple Texel Images To Form A 3-Dimensional Texel Image, Neeraj S. Badamikar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging has found a lot of use in modern era, owing to the fast ongoing advancement in electronics, processors, and sensors, all available at affordable prices. Three-dimensional television, games, and 3D projectors are some of the commonly found utilities which use 3D imaging. 3D images used for surveillance, exploration, target acquisition equipment, etc., are few of the military applications of 3D imaging. As the need increases, more techniques are being introduced to create 3D images which improve upon previously stated techniques. This thesis proposes an algorithm which uses “texel” images, which are images that have digital imagery fused …

Global Evaluation Of Biofuel Potential From Microalgae, Jeffrey W. Moody

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of the proposed work is to determine the productivity potential of microalgae around the world based on the current large uncertainty of the productivity
potential found in literature. To achieve this objective, a validated thermal and biological growth model was utilized coupled with weather data files from weather stations around the world. This enabled a realistic assessment of the productivity potential based on actual climatic variables. Sensitivity of microalgae lipid productivity to biomass production, temperature, and variability was performed illustrating the importance of biological and temporal resolution. Results from modeling work were leveraged for a scalability assessment based …

Volatile Organic Compounds (Vocs) In Indoor Air: Emission From Consumer Products And The Use Of Plants For Air Sampling, Todd A. Wetzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adults living in North America spend an estimated 80-90% of their time indoors where they can be exposed to a wide range of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) found in home construction materials and consumer products (e.g. molded plastics, adhesives, cleaning products, paints, etc.). Some of these VOCs are known to be harmful if exposure concentrations are high or occur over a long period of time. Vapor intrusion (VI), the process by which VOCs in the soil or groundwater migrate to indoor air from a contaminated site, can also contaminate indoor air. Since remediation activities to prevent or stop VI are …

Considerations For Hood Placement And Design Downstream From A Fixed-Cone Valve, Barry Jacob Prettyman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In many hydroelectric projects there is a need to safely dissipate the energy associated with the elevation of the water surface. When the flow is not passing through the turbines, bypass valves are often used. A valve that is commonly used is the fixed-cone valve. Fixed-cone valves, also known as Howell-Bunger valves, are devices often used to safely reduce flow energy at dams with medium to high heads. The valve directs the outflow into a conical hollow jet, which requires a large area for energy dissipation. The flow is controlled by an adjustable sleeve, also known as the gate which …

Evaluation Of Composting Of Municipal Solid Waste, J. Ryan Stebbins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Millions of tons of organic waste are lost each year by being deposited in landfills instead of being composted. Composting would increase the life of landfills and reduce the loss of renewable resources. Current composting techniques take approximately 6 months to break down the organic components, such as yard trimmings and food waste. In addition, a large amount of area is required for the windrows piles. Recycling techniques help to separate organics, such as yard trimmings and food waste, from the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream for composting. However, these techniques are time consuming, costly, and not extensively practiced. Since …

Labyrinth Weirs: A Look Into Geometric Variation And Its Effect On Efficiency And Design Method Predictions, Tyler Robert Seamons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rehabilitation of dams often requires spillway capacity upgrades. Replacing a less hydraulically efficient linear weir with a labyrinth weir can be an effective way to increase discharge efficiency (discharge at a given upstream head) for a fixed-width channel. Labyrinth weirs are linear weirs folded in plan view to increase total spillway crest length (which in turn increases discharge efficiency within a channel). Labyrinth weirs potentially have limitless geometric configurations. This study was performed to analyze the effects of varying certain geometric parameters on discharge efficiency and design method predictions.

Due to limited cross-sectional flow area near the upstream apex, …

Control Of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems Using Fractional Order Operators, Hadi Malek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work presents a new peak seeking strategy for maximum power point operation using fractional order operators in the three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Moreover, fractional order controllers have been implemented in the voltage and current control loops. The simulation results and theoretical analysis indicate that the proposed fractional order control strategy improves the efficiency of the system by reducing the total harmonic distortion of the injected current to the grid and increases the robustness of the system against uncertainties. Additionally, the proposed maximum power point tracking algorithms provide more robustness and faster convergence speed under environmental variations than other maximum …

An Efficiency-Motivated Attack Against Vehicles In A Platoon: Local Vehicle Control, Platoon Control Strategies, And Drive Train Technologies Considerations, David A. Cornelio Sosa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Automated Electric Transportation Group (AET) at Utah State University proposes to demonstrate the benefits and feasibility of vehicle platooning. A platoon is a transportation system, formed by vehicles that are controlled automatically by computers (the driver does not operate the vehicle while cruising). Platoons are interesting in view of the future because they present many advantages: increase highway capacity and safety, reduce travel time, save energy, and reduce stress for human drivers. There are many problems to solve in order to make vehicle platooning a reality. In this work, the focus is not on making it feasible, but rather …

The Effects Of Pipewall Offsets On Water Meter Accuracy, Jesse M. Pope

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accurate flow measurement is essential for the management of any type of fluid system. In order for a meter to accurately measure the flow, some installation requirements must be met. These installation requirements are meant to produce a condition where there are limited flow disturbances as the fluid enters the meter. If flow disturbances do occur, the meter may produce inaccurate measurements.

This research investigated the effect on accuracy that different types of 12-inch flow meters have as a result of being installed in pipelines of differing inside diameter. The types of meters chosen for this research were the portable …