Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation And Improvements On Row-Column Order Bias And Grid Orientation Bias Of The Progressive Morphological Filter Of Lidar Data, Kody Potter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis reviews algorithms that have been developed for classifying lidar data and identifies a progressive morphological filter for evaluation and improvement. Two potential weaknesses evaluated include the row-column order bias and grid orientation bias.

Four different row-column orderings were developed to test for bias associated with the order choice. Moreover, a method rotating the filter grid to a series of angles was developed for testing bias associated with grid orientation. Measures of success of the improvements include Type I and II errors, where results are compared with a hand-produced "truth" dataset. Two datasets, one urban, the other rural, were …

Signal Processing On Digitized Ladar Waveforms For Enhanced Resolution On Surface Edges, Kevin D. Neilsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Automatic target recognition (ATR) relies on images from various sensors including 3-D imaging ladar. The accuracy of recognizing a target is highly dependent on the number of points on the target. The highest spatial frequencies of a target are located on edges. Therefore, a higher sampling density is desirable at these locations. A ladar receiver captures information on edges by detecting two surfaces when the beam lands partially on one surface and partially on another if the distance between the surfaces is greater than the temporal pulse width of the laser.

In recent years, the ability to digitize the intensity …

Comparative Studies On Scale-Up Methods Of Single-Use Bioreactors, Emily B. Stoker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was performed to increase knowledge of oxygen mass transfer (kLa) and mixing times in the scale-up of disposable bioreactors.Results of oxygen mass transfer studies showed kLa to increase with increasing agitation and aeration rates. By maintaining a scale-up constant such as gassed power to volume or shear, an almost constant k_La was achieved during scale-up from 50 to 2000 L. Using the scale-up constant P_g/V resulted in statistically higher kLa values at greater reactor volumes. Mixing times were revealed to be significantly affected by agitation, but not by the aeration rates tested. No pattern …

Automatic Particle Image Velocimetry Uncertainty Quantification, Benjamin H. Timmins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The uncertainty of any measurement is the interval in which one believes the actual error lies. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement error depends on the PIV algorithm used, a wide range of user inputs, flow characteristics, and the experimental setup. Since these factors vary in time and space, they lead to nonuniform error throughout the flow field. As such, a universal PIV uncertainty estimate is not adequate and can be misleading. This is of particular interest when PIV data are used for comparison with computational or experimental data.

A method to estimate the uncertainty due to the PIV calculation of …

Live-Load Testing And Finite-Element Analysis Of A Steel Cantilevered Deck Arched Pratt Truss Bridge For The Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, Matthew P. Laurendeau

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Long Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program is an organization within the Federal Highway Administration that inspects, tests, analyzes, and observes, for an extended period of time, a variety of bridge types throughout the United States. Part of the program includes periodic testing of select bridges of a span of 20 years. The Kettle River Bridge located outside of Sandstone, Minnesota was selected for study due to its unique design.

The Kettle River Bridge is a historical steel cantilevered deck arched Pratt truss bridge. The bridge was instrumented with 151 strain gauges on various floor and truss members along with …

Variability Of Water Storage And Instream Temperature In Beaded Arctic Streams, Madeline F. Merck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate variation in water export and instream temperatures throughout the open water season in a beaded Arctic stream, consisting of small pools connected by shallow chutes. The goals are to better understand heat and mass movement through these systems, how this may impact chemical and biological processes, and the resulting shifts with changes in climate. This is accomplished by first examining the extent and variability of water storage and export through qualitative analysis of observational data. Further, heat fate and transport is examined through development of an instream temperature model. The model formulation, …

Enhancing Multispectral Imagery Of Ancient Documents, Trace A. Griffiths

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Multispectral imaging (MSI) provides a wealth of imagery data that, together with modern signal processing techniques, facilitates the enhancement of document images. In this thesis, four topic areas are reviewed and applied to ancient documents. They are image fusion, matched filters, bleed-through removal, and shadow removal. These four areas of focus provide useful tools for papyrologists studying the digital imagery of documents. The results presented form a strong case for the utility of MSI data over the use of a single image captured at any given wavelength of light.

Estimation Of Field Alfalfa Evapotranspiration In A Windy, Arid Environment, J. Burdette Barker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Evapotranspiration (ET) of center pivot irrigated alfalfa was studied in the windy, arid, Curlew Valley, Northern Box Elder County, Utah, during the summers of 2009 and 2010. ET was estimated using eddy covariance (EC) and surface renewal (SR) techniques. ET estimates from the EC and SR analyses were compared with estimates using ASCE Standardized Reference ET Equation, with both dual and mean crop coefficients.

EC energy balance closure was 0.80, on average, in 2009 and 0.76 in 2010. The SR weighting parameter (α) was calculated through linear regression of EC and SR sensible heat flux estimates. Alpha was found to …

Characterization And Application Of Dynamic In Vitro Models Of Human Airway, Hemangkumar J. Patel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, respiratory diseases have emerged as a leading cause of mortality across the globe. In the United States alone respiratory diseases are the fourth leading cause of deaths annually. Moreover, with the rapid increase of industrialization and urbanization, the occurrences of respiratory diseases are expected to remain high with strong chances of increasing in the future. To ameliorate the epidemic of respiratory disease, it is first important to understand its underlying mechanisms.

Respiratory research studies in animals have elucidated the chronological order of the pathological events and systemic responses inside the lung, but understanding the response of individual …

Turbulence Modeling Of Strongly Heated Internal Pipe Flow Using Large Eddy Simulation, Michal Hradisky

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of three Large Eddy Simulation (LES) subgrid scale (SGS) models on a strongly heated, low Mach number upward gas flow in a vertical pipe with forced convection. The models chosen for this study were the Smagorinsky-Lilly Dynamic model (SLD), the Kinetic Energy Transport model (KET), and the Wall-Adaptive Local-Eddy viscosity model (WALE). The used heating rate was sufficiently large to cause properties to vary significantly in both the radial and streamwise directions. All simulations were carried out using the commercial software FLUENT.

The effect of inlet turbulence generation techniques …

A Study On The Applications And Toxicity Assessments Of Carbon Nanotubes In Tissue Engineering, Rena Baktur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most popular nanomaterials. There has been increasing interest in the development and applications of carbon nanotubes due to their huge potential in industrial and medical applications. Recent applications of carbon nanotubes include development of scaffolds and drug delivery systems. Despite rapidly emerging applications of CNTs, little is known about the impact of CNTs on cellular processes, especially mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)'s differentiation. Also, the effects of nanoparticle exposure under different conditions on cellular responses have not been well characterized yet.

To characterize the effects of CNTs on creating nanoscale scaffolds for tissue engineering, …

Perching Using A Quadrotor With Onboard Sensing, Jeremy C. Goldin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents an implementation of autonomous indoor perching using only onboard sensors on a low-cost, custom-built quadrotor. The perching aggressive maneuver is representative of a class of control problems for aerobatics that requires an agile and robust control system for maneuvering accurately at high speeds. Such research extends the typical functionality of micro air vehicles (MAV) from low speed and stationary observation to dynamic aerobatic transitions for broader operational capabilities including confined landings and evasive maneuvering. To achieve this, three major challenges are overcome: precise and real-time positioning, sensing of the perch and path to the perch, and control …

Performance Of Transverse Post-Tensioned Joints Subjected To Negative Bending And Shear Stresses On Full Scale, Full Depth, Precast Concrete Bridge Deck System, Kayde Steven Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accelerated bridge construction has quickly become the preferred method for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) as well as many other DOT’s across the United States. This type of construction requires the use of full depth precast panels for the construction of the bridge deck. The segmented deck panels produce transverse joints between panels and have come to be known as the weakest portion of the deck. Cracking often occurs at these joints and is reflected through the deck overlay where water accesses and begins corrosion of the reinforcement and superstructure below. For this reason post-tensioning of the deck panels …

Micromechanical Simulation For Fatigue Damage Incubation, Tong Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Micromechanical simulations are conducted to quantify the influence of microstructure attributes to the formation of small fatigue cracks. Three wrought aluminum alloys (7075-T651, 2024-T3, virtual material) with fractured particle are studied to quantify the influence of material’s yield strength and ultimate strength to material’s fatigue resistance. Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) material with pores of various spatial distribution and particles are simulated for the microplasticity and its effects on fatigue incubation.

A cohesive zone model is used to study the interface cohesive behavior’s influence to the cyclic driving mechanisms. Different simulations based on different interfacial crack geometries and particle shapes …

Hydrologic Controls On Equilibrium Soil Depths, L. Nicótina, David G. Tarboton, Teklu K. Tesfa, A. Rinaldo

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper deals with modeling the mutual feedbacks between runoff production and geomorphological processes and attributes that lead to patterns of equilibrium soil depth. Our primary goal is an attempt to describe spatial patterns of soil depth resulting from long-term interactions between hydrologic forcings and soil production, erosion, and sediment transport processes under the framework of landscape dynamic equilibrium. Another goal is to set the premises for exploiting the role of soil depths in shaping the hydrologic response of a catchment. The relevance of the study stems from the massive improvement in hydrologic predictions for ungauged basins that would be …

Surface Geometry And Heat Flux Effect On Thin Wire Nucleate Pool Boiling Of Subcooled Water In Mictrogravity, Troy Munro, Heng Ban

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Terrain Analysis Using Digital Elevation Models, David G. Tarboton, Daniel W. Watson, Rob Wallace, Kimberly A. T. Schreuders, Jeremy Neff

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Cuahsi Community Hydrologic Information System, David G. Tarboton, David R. Maidment, Ilya Zaslavsky, Jon Goodall, Daniel Ames, Jeffery S. Horsburgh, Kimberly A. T. Schreuders

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Surface Geometry And Heat Flux Effect On Thin Wire Nucleate Pool Boiling Of Subcooled Water In Microgravity, Troy Munro, Andrew Fassman

Presentations

The motivation of this nucleate boiling research is to understand the effects of surface geometry and heat flux as applied to a thin wire heater. This will further the understanding of the fundamental behaviors of boiling onset, steady state heat transfer, and bubble dynamics with respect to nucleate boiling with the goal of creating efficient thermal management systems for future space applications. Using three different thin platinum wire geometries and five different power levels, subcooled water was boiled over a period of approximately 30 seconds for 15 parabolic arcs to simulate microgravity. To represent the trends in bubbles behavior across …

Effects Of Heat Flux On Nucleate Boiling In Microgravity, Andrew Fassman

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Design And Construction Of A Microgravity Boiling Experiment, Troy Munro

Presentations

No abstract provided.

On The Interaction Between Bathymetry And Climate In The System Dynamics And Preferred Levels Of The Great Salt Lake, Ibrahim Nourein Mohammed, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake whose level is determined by the balance between inflows and outflows. We examine the causes for multimodality in the distributions of lake level and hence volume and area that have previously been examined from a system dynamics perspective. We focus on the role of bathymetry in the dynamics of this system and show that some of the modes that are observed and that represent preferred system states are attributable to features of the bathymetry described using the topographic area‐volume relationship. Being a terminal lake, the only “outflow” is evaporation, which depends directly …

Get Away Special: Microgravity Research Team, Getaway Special Team

Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Report For 2011 Urco Funded Experiment: Development Of Optimal Bubble-Seeding Microheaters To Study Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer In Microgravity, Ryan Martineau

Reports and Proposals

No abstract provided.

A Possible Pathway For High School Science In A Stem World, Cary Sneider

Publications

Today‘s high school science teachers find themselves in a period of transition. For the past decade there have been calls for replacing a narrow focus on science education—the traditional courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and space science—with a broader curriculum on STEM (that is, the four allied fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). However, at present there are no guidelines on what that broader curriculum should include or how it should be designed, and the gulf that has separated science and mathematics seems as wide as ever, despite decades of efforts to bridge the two disciplines. Next …

Mapping Engineering Concepts For Secondary Level Education, Jenny L. Daugherty

Publications

Much of the national attention on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education tends to concentrate on science and mathematics, with its emphasis on standardized test scores. However as the National Academy of Engineering Committee on K-12 Engineering Education stressed, engineering can contribute to the development of an effective and interconnected STEM education system (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009). In addition, engineering can provide authentic learning contexts for science, technology, and mathematics. Numerous K-12 engineering initiatives have emerged across the U.S. developing curriculum and conducting teacher professional development (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008). The focus of pre-college engineering education …

Mapping Engineering Concepts For Secondary Level Education, J. L. Daugherty

Publications

No abstract provided.

Engineering Design Thinking And Information Gathering Final Report, Nathan Mentzer

Publications

The objective of this research was to explore the relationship between information access and design solution quality of high school students presented with an engineering design problem. This objective is encompassed in the research question driving this inquiry: How does information access impact the design process? This question has emerged in the context of an exploratory DR-K12 grant project titled, Exploring Engineering Design Knowing and Thinking as an Innovation in STEM Learning. The research work presented here has expanded the data set developed in the DR-K12 and examined the larger data set with a focus on how information access impacts …

Understanding Of Student Task Interpretation, Design Planning, And Cognitive Strategies During Engineering Design Activities In Grades 9-12, Oenardi Lawanto

Publications

The objective of this study was to describe the task interpretation of students engaged in a design activity and determine the extent to which students translate their understanding of their design task to their planning and cognitive strategies. Twenty-nine students at one Colorado high school participated in this study. Students worked individually in the Architectural Design class (n=7), and in teams in the Robotics Design class (n=22). To capture students’ perceptions of their understanding of the task, planning strategies, and cognitive strategies, the Engineering Design Questionnaire (EDQ) was used. The development of the EDQ was guided by Butler and Cartier’s …

Design Problems For Secondary Students, David H. Jonassen

Publications

Are there different kinds of design problems? According to Brown and Chandrasekaran (1989), Class 1 design problems are open-ended, non-routine creative activities where the goals are ill-structured, and there is no effective design plan specifying the sequence of actions to take in producing a design model. Class 2 problems use existing, well-developed design and decomposition plans (e.g. designing a new automobile). Class 3 designs are routine where design and decomposition plans are known as well as customary actions taken to deal with failures (e.g., writing a computer program). Jonassen (2011) argued that problems vary in terms of structuredness, complexity, and …