Engineering Commons^™

A Comparative Study Of Three Image Matching Algorithms: Sift, Surf, And Fast, Maridalia Guerrero Peña

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A new method for assessing the performance of popular image matching algorithms is presented. Specifically, the method assesses the type of images under which each of the algorithms reviewed herein perform to its maximum or highest efficiency. The efficiency is measured in terms of the number of matches founds by the algorithm and the number of type I and type II errors encountered when the algorithm is tested against a specific pair of images. Current comparative studies asses the performance of the algorithms based on the results obtained in different criteria such as speed, sensitivity, occlusion, and others. These studies …

Investigation Of The Design And Static Behavior Of Cylindrical Tubular Composite Adhesive Joints Utilizing The Finite Element Method And Stress-Based Failure Theories, Michael D. Lambert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The stress and strength behavior of cylindrical tubular adhesive joints composed of dissimilar materials was explored. This was accomplished with the finite element method (FEM) and stress-based failure theories. Also, it was shown how a design of experiments (DOE) based method can be used to objectively organize the process of optimizing joint strength by using stress-based failure criteria.

The finite element program used in this work was written in-house from scratch to implement the FEM for the purpose of solving both axisymmetric and three-dimensional linear elastic governing equations of static equilibrium. The formulation of the three-dimensional model is presented, and …

Measuring The Removal Of Trichloroethylene From Phytoremediation Sites At Travis And Fairchild Air Force Bases, Heather A. Klein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Past use of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a degreasing solvent for aircraft maintenance has resulted in widespread groundwater contamination at Air Force Bases around the world. Travis AFB in California and Fairchild AFB in Washington are evaluating phytoremediation as a treatment option, since trees have been reported to take up dissolved TCE from shallow groundwater and volatilize it to the atmosphere while enhancing the volatilization of TCE from surrounding soil. Previous studies generally focused on the identification of removal mechanisms. The emphasis of this research was to quantify total TCE removal from phytoremediation demonstration plots at Travis and Fairchild AFBs.

Tree …

Piano Key Weir Head Discharge Relationships, Ricky M. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A piano key (PK) weir is a type of nonlinear (labyrinth-type) weir developed specifically for free-surface flow control structures with relatively small spillway footprints. Currently, no generally accepted standard PK weir design procedure is available. This is due, in part, to the large number of geometric parameters and a limited understanding of their effects on discharge efficiency (discharge efficiency is quantified by the discharge coefficient of the standard weir equation). However, Hydrocoop, a non-profit French dam spillways association, has recommended a PK weir design and a head-discharge relationship specific to that geometry.

To develop a better understanding of the effects …

A Linearly And Circularly Polarized Active Integrated Antenna, Ali Khoshniat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis work presents a new harmonic suppression technique for microstrip patch antennas. Harmonic suppression in active integrated antennas is known as an effective method to improve the efficiency of amplifiers in transmitter side. In the proposed design, the antenna works as the radiating element and, at the same time, as the tuning load for the amplifier circuit that is directly matched to the antenna. The proposed active antenna architecture is easy to fabricate and is symmetric, so it can be conveniently mass-produced and designed to have circular polarization, which is preferred in many applications such as satellite communications.

The …

Dynamic Testing For A Steel Truss Bridge For The Long Term Bridge Performance Program, Cody Joshua Santos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Under the direction of the Federal Highway Administration the Long Term Bridge Performance Program (LTBP) selected Minnesota Bridge number 5718 as a pilot bridge for evaluation. This program focuses on the monitoring of bridges for a 20-year period to understand the structural behavior over time due to the various loads and weathering. In monitoring this bridge a better understanding can be acquired for the maintenance issues related to the nation's deteriorating bridge infrastructure.

Bridge Number 5718, which is located just outside of Sandstone Minnesota, is a steel truss bridge that spans the Kettle River. Constant monitoring of the bridge along …

Fluoro-Silane As A Functional Monomer For Protein Conformational Imprinting, Yun Peng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

By using the technology of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), we propose to synthesize a protein conformational imprint that also acts as a plastic enzyme, inducing protein structural transitions. The imprint aims at MIP-induced stabilization and / or formation of bound protein secondary structure and the applications associated with analysis and correction of misfolded proteins. The screening of polymeric functional monomers being able to induce the conformational transitions in proteins is investigated in this report.

The fluoro-silanes (3-heptafluoroisopropoxy)propalethoxysilane (7F) and 3,3,3-trifluoropropylmethoxysilane (3F) were employed as functional monomers for synthesis of this catalytic protein conformational imprint via sol-gel reactions. 3F was demonstrated …

Surface Morphology Implications On Langmuir Probe Measurements, Padmashri Suresh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Langmuir probes are extensively employed to study the plasmas in space and laboratory environments. Successful measurements require a comprehensive modeling of both the plasma environment and the probe conditions in the form of current collection models. In this thesis, the surface morphology implications on the probe current collection are investigated. This problem is applied and solved in the context of a CubeSat regime. The first problem that is investigated is the consequence of surface structural variability on the current measurements. A new model for dealing with non-uniformity of the probe surface structure is developed in this paper. This model is …

Improving Concrete Containment Structures Associated With Fixed Cone Valves, B. Skyler Buck, Michael C. Johnson, Zachary B. Sharp

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Fixed-Cone valves are often used to dissipate energy and regulate flow at the low level outlet works of dams.Fixed-Cone valves, also known as Howell-Bunger valves, create an expanding conical jet allowing the energy of the water to dissipate over a large area. However, in many applications constructing the large stilling basin necessary for these valves is either not possible or not feasible. In order to reduce the relative size of the stilling basin, hoods or concrete containment structures have been used in conjunction with Fixed-Cone valves. This paper discusses the use of baffles in concrete containment structures in order to …

Vertical Take-Off With Artificial Airflow, Rachel J. Adams

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Vertical take-off has been a capability available only to military aircraft due to the design utilized. However, if the design incorporated artificial airflow over the aircraft wings, then vertical take-off becomes a possibility for aircraft varying from general aviation to small jets. In order to determine the most efficient wing for vertical take-off, multiple airfoils with different characteristics and airflow configurations were designed and tested. For each airfoil, the coefficient of lift was to be calculated and recorded in order to determine which airfoil had the greatest capability for vertical take-off. However, the airfoil/airflow design utilized in the tests did …

An Empirical Study Of Student Programming Bugs, Amy Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Students in introductory computer science courses often have difficulty with coding and problem solving, which results in bugs. These bugs cause both student frustration and attrition of many of our CS majors. In this work, we seek to understand the bugs that students encounter. We have two sources of data. First, we collect and analyze 450 bugs that were brought to our tutor lab by our CS 1 and CS2 students. Second, we analyze bugs in CS I homework assignments. The results show that the majority of the problems are due to problem solving skills, while the remaining problems involve …

Aerodynamic Thrust Vectoring For Attitude Control Of A Vertically Thrusting Jet Engine, M. Ryan Schaefermeyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

NASA’s long range vision for space exploration includes human and robotic missions to extraterrestrial bodies including the moon, asteroids and the martian surface. All feasible extraterrestrial landing sites in the solar system are smaller and have gravitational fields of lesser strength than Earth’s gravity field. Thus, a need exists for evaluating autonomous and human-piloted landing techniques in these reduced-gravity situations. A small-scale, free-flying, reduced-gravity simulation vehicle was designed by a group of senior mechanical engineering students with the help of faculty and graduate student advisors at Utah State University during the 2009-2010 academic year. The design reproduces many of the …

Discharge Coefficient Performance Of Venturi, Standard Concentric Orifice Plate, V-Cone, And Wedge Flow Meters At Small Reynolds Numbers, Colter L. Hollingshead

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between the Reynolds number (Re) and discharge coefficients (C) was investigated through differential pressure flow meters. The focus of the study was directed toward very small Reynolds numbers commonly associated with pipeline transportation of viscous fluids. There is currently a relatively small amount of research that has been performed in this area for the Venturi, standard orifice plate, V-cone, and wedge flow meters. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program FLUENT^© was used to perform the research, while GAMBIT^© was used as the preprocessing tool for the flow meter models created. Heavy oil and water were used …

Canal Wave Oscillation Phenomena Due To Column Vortex Shedding, Adam M. Howes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The GARVEE Transportation Program started by the Idaho Transportation Department has improved parts of I-84 in Boise, Idaho. These desired improvements led to the widening of a bridge over the New York Canal (NYC) in 2009. To support the wider road, additional bridge columns were installed. The new bridge columns had a larger diameter than the existing columns and raised the number of columns from 28 to 60.

Construction was completed just before the irrigation season began. During the first irrigation season it was observed that waves and oscillations were occurring within the canal immediately adjacent to the bridge structure. …

Water And Energy Balance Of A Riparian And Agricultural Ecosystem Along The Lower Colorado River, Saleh Taghvaeian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spatially-distributed water consumption was modeled over a segment of the Lower Colorado River, which contains irrigated agricultural and Tamarisk-dominated riparian ecosystems. For the irrigation scheme, distributed evapotranspiration data were analyzed in conjunction with point measurements of precipitation and surface flow in order to close daily and annual water balance. The annual closure error was less than 1% of the total water diversion to the area. In addition, it was found that the soil water storage component of the water balance cannot be neglected if the analysis is performed over time frames shorter than annual (e.g. growing season).

Water consumption was …

Clustering Educational Digital Library Usage Data: Comparisons Of Latent Class Analysis And K-Means Algorithms, Beijie Xu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are common pitfalls and neglected areas when using clustering approaches to solve educational problems. A clustering algorithm is often used without the choice being justified. Few comparisons between a selected algorithm and a competing algorithm are presented, and results are presented without validation. Lastly, few studies fully utilize data provided in an educational environment to evaluate their findings. In response to these problems, this thesis describes a rigorous study comparing two clustering algorithms in the context of an educational digital library service, called the Instructional Architect.

First, a detailed description of the chosen clustering algorithm, namely, latent class analysis …

A Methodology To Conduct Diagnostic Performance Assessment And Simulation Of Deliveries In Large-Scale Pressurized Irrigation Systems, Daniele S.A. Zaccaria

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A methodology was developed to conduct diagnostic performance assessment and simulation of alternative delivery scenarios in pressurized irrigation distribution networks. It consists of three components, an agro-hydrologic model able to forecast peak water demand hydrographs, a hydraulic model with capability of simulating the network behavior under different flow configurations, and a set of performance indicators for conducting assessments of performance achievements relative to specified targets.

As a preliminary work, the current delivery schedule of an existing pressurized irrigation network (system 1) and the resulting effects on crop irrigation management were analyzed by simulating soil water balance and irrigation scheduling at …

Algal Biofilm Production And Harvesting System For Wastewater Treatment With Biofuels By-Products, Logan Christenson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in discharged wastewaters can lead to downstream eutrophication, ecosystem damage, and impaired water quality that may affect human health. Chemical-based and physical-based technologies are available to remove these nutrients; however, they often consume significant amounts of energy and chemicals, greatly increasing treatment costs. Algae are capable of removing these pollutants through biomass assimilation, and if harvested, can be utilized as a feedstock for biomethane or biodiesel production. Currently, difficulties in harvesting, concentrating, and dewatering algae have limited the development of an economically feasible treatment and production process. When algae are grown as surface-attached biofilms, the biomass …

Coanda-Assisted Spray Manipulation Implementation To Plasma Spray, Katie E. Mabey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Co and a-assisted Spray Manipulation (CSM) is a means of modifying the direction of a jet. Previous isothermal static vectoring research is expanded to plasma spray. Two- dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to determine the vectoring results for small angles between 5-10°. Suitable parameters were determined for use on a plasma spray gun for small angle vectoring. Three-dimensional PIV was used to determine the elect of high speed rotation on a vectored jet. A 2-piece CSM collar was retrofitted to a Praxair SG-100 plasma spray gun that replaced the standard faceplate. Two separate collars were tested: one designed …

Anisotropic Compressive Pressure-Dependent Effective Thermal Conductivity Of Granular Beds, R. Daniel Garrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In situ planetary effective thermal conductivity measurements are typically made using a long needle-like probe, which measures effective thermal conductivity in the probe's radial (horizontal) direction. The desired effective vertical thermal conductivity for heat flow calculations is assumed to be the same as the measured effective horizontal thermal conductivity. However, it is known that effective thermal conductivity increases with increasing compressive pressure on granular beds and horizontal stress in a granular bed under gravity is related to the vertical stress through Jaky's at-rest earth pressure coefficient. No research has been performed previously on determining the anisotropic effective thermal conductivity of …

Revenue Recovery Through Meter Replacement, Devan J. Shields

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies have identified water meter inaccuracy at low flow rates as a significant source of non-revenue flow for water systems; however a lack of available data makes it difficult to include low flow accuracy degradation in meter replacement plans. This thesis examines results from an extensive accuracy test program carried out at the Utah Water Research Laboratory on small water meters over a wide range of flow rates and at various levels of throughput. The study compares expected apparent losses of different types of water meters based on a flow profile and expected daily use for the State of …

Effect Of Heavy Metals Found In Flue Gas On Growth And Lipid Accumulation For Green Algae Scenedesmus Obliquus, Reece Butler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years there has been a growing interest within the United States to replace fossil fuels with biofuels for environmental and national security reasons. Algal feedstocks have the potential of producing significantly higher yields of oil for biofuels than any other source. It is well known that high concentrations of CO₂ can increase algal yields. Flue gas from coal fire power plants is an obvious source of CO₂. The flue gas, however, will contain other chemicals besides CO₂ that may not be beneficial to the algae. The research objectives for this study were to determine …

Relationship Between Mass And Modal Frequency Of A Concrete Girder Bridge, Michael W. Dean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In April of 2008, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched the Long Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program. The program was established to collect scientific quality data from a number of bridges across the nation over a period of 20 years. The data will be used to provide a better picture of bridge health and structural performance. Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) structure number 1F 205, located 2.4 km (1.5 mi) west of Perry, Utah, was selected as one of the LTBP pilot bridges (this bridge will also be referred to as the Cannery Street Overpass).

UDOT performs regular maintenance on …

The Transfer Of Agricultural Water To Municipal And Industrial Usages, Dallin Paul Stephens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The water that is available for beneficial use in Utah is quickly approaching full appropriation; water that has been claimed is nearing the amount that is available for use. The Division of Water Resources of the State of Utah has organized a three-part plan to "Plan, Conserve, Develop and Protect Utah's Water Resources." One of these three elements has a focus to "provide comprehensive water planning." Such planning is best achieved when current and accurate data on the uses of the state's water are available.

The primary purpose of this thesis was to provide an evaluation, from data collected on …

Live Load Test And Finite Element Model Analysis Of A Box Girder Bridge For The Long Term Bridge Performance Program, Dereck J. Hodson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Long Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program is a 20-year program initiated by the Federal Highway Administration to better understand the behavior of highway bridges as they deteriorate due to environmental variables and vehicle loads. Part of this program includes the periodic testing of selected bridges.

The Lambert Road Bridge was subjected to nondestructive testing in the fall of 2009. Part of this testing included a live load test. This test involved driving two heavy trucks across the instrumented bridge on selected load paths. The bridge was instrumented with strain, displacement, and tilt sensors. This collected data was used to …

Field-Programmable Gate Array Implementation Of A Scalable Integral Image Architecture Based On Systolic Arrays, Juan Alberto De La Cruz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The integral image representation of an image is important for a large number of modern image processing algorithms. Integral image representations can reduce computation and increase the operating speed of certain algorithms, improving real-time performance. Due to increasing demand for real-time image processing performance, an integral image architecture capable of accelerating the calculation based on the amount of available resources is presented. Use of the proposed accelerator allows for subsequent stages of a design to have data sooner and execute in parallel. It is shown here how, with some additional resources used in the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a …

Assessing The Potential For Seepage Barrier Defects To Propagate Into Seepage Erosion Mechanisms, Ryan G. Van Leuven

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seepage barriers have been used extensively to mitigate seepage problems in dams and levees. Although the design of many of these dams and levees has been based on intact barriers, seepage barriers have been shown to be susceptible to deformation and cracking when high differential hydraulic pressures act across the barrier. Under certain conditions, these cracks can lead to serious seepage problems, which could potentially lead to the development of a low-resistance seepage pathway. Three scenarios have been identified where there is the potential for erosion to occur adjacent to a crack in a barrier: 1) erosion at the interface …

Evaluation Of The Aerodynamic Differences Of A Balloon Shape And A Sphere Using Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling In Fluent, Daniel Burton Scholes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While tracking balloons for wind characterization, there was a question about the theoretical rise rate and corresponding coefficient of drag of a balloon shape as compared to a sphere. Since there are many studies published detailing the drag on spherical shapes, the question of whether or not a balloon can be treated as a sphere begged to be answered.

In this study we apply Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modeling to compare the aerodynamic behavior and drag of a sphere to that of a balloon as it moves through fluid at Reynolds numbers from 10,000 to 100,000.

Fluent CFD models are …

Computational Efficiency Of A Hybrid Mass Concentration And Spherical Harmonic Modeling, Nathan Piepgrass

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Through Spherical Harmonics, one can describe complex gravitational fields. However as the order and degree of the spherical harmonics increases, the computation speed rises exponentially. In addition, for onboard applications of spherical harmonics, the processors are radiation hardened in order to mitigate negative effects of the space environment on electronics. But, those processors have outdated processing speeds, resulting in a slower onboard spherical harmonic program.

This thesis examines a partial solution to the slow computation speed of spherical harmonics programs. The partial solution was to supplant the gravity models in the flight software. The spherical harmonics gravity model can be …

Sustainable Management Of Duckweed Biomass Grown For Nutrient Control In Municipal Wastewaters, Maureen Kesaano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of duckweed as a nutrient removal option for municipal wastewaters can only be realized through regular plant harvesting. As a result, the nutrient-rich biomass generated needs to be effectively managed and disposed of. This study looked at three alternative options for biomass management that would make duckweed-based nutrient removal systems sustainable and attractive to small communities like Wellsville City, Utah. The options included: the use of harvested duckweed biomass as an animal feed, anaerobic digestion of duckweed for methane production, and fermentation of biomass for ethanol production.

Duckweed feed quality was determined using feed analysis reports and results …