Engineering Commons^™

Technical Project Management: Union Of Systems Engineering Processes With Project Management Processes, Deyaaldeen M. Abusal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Today, most projects in technical fields utilize project management to complete projects as planned, and some of the projects utilize system engineering to cover the project in both technically and commercially. This Thesis investigates the relationship between Project Management (PM) and Systems Engineering (SE) to determine if a suitably professional level of management and level of quality can be achieved. When studying PM and SE separately and make a comparison between both, there is much overlap between these two mature fields. The project could be planned and completed solely by either process. This study combines both fields of Project Management …

Testing Of A 1n Af-M315e Thruster, Daniela Ivette Aguilar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is currently pursuing various space propulsion and small satellite projects. One of these projects is called Orbital Factory X (OFX), which mission is to design a 2U Cube-Satellite (Cube Sat) with 4 green mono-propellant thrusters along with multiple micro-cathode arc thrusters. A CubeSat is a small-scale version of a satellite that is usually placed in orbit for near earth missions. However, they have a relative short life and limited maneuverability due to their limited source of power and restricted payload. Now, technologies …

Utilization Of Digital Image Correlation Technique In Asphalt Testing, Alejandra Escajeda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over 90% of the roads in the United States are paved with hot mix asphalt (HMA). These asphalt pavements include many mix types, such as permeable friction course (PFC), stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and conventional dense graded mixes. The performance of the HMA is an important factor in pavement design programs used by many departments of transportation. The type of HMA selected not only influences the performance of the pavement structure, but also the pavement's life cycle cost. The performance life of an HMA mix is to be studied further with experimental data in order to contribute and expand on …

Onshore-Offshore Velocity Models North Of The Mendocino Triple Junction In Northern California, Alan Jacquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) marks the boundary where the Gorda plate, North American Plate, and Pacific Plate meet, separating the Cascadia subduction zone to the North from transform tectonics of the San Andreas plate boundary. This actively deforming region experiences high seismic activity and young geological features. Here we examine offshore and onshore seismic wide-angle reflection and refraction data north of the MTJ crossing the Cascadia subduction zone from offshore northern California to the Western edge of the Sierra Nevada. We image subsurface structures in this region by creating P-wave velocity models using datasets collected in 1993 to 1994 …

Geospatial Relationship Of Intelligent Compaction Measurement Values With In-Situ Testing For Quality Assessment Of Geomaterials, Luis Alberto Lemus

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The implementation of Intelligent Compaction (IC) in the construction of transportation infrastructure as a tool for quality control of compacted geomaterials has attracted the attention of a number of highway agencies. Compaction quality has been conventionally assessed using density, and to a less extent, modulus-based spot measurements at selected locations along the roadway section. While spot measurements do not provide a thorough rendition of the level of compaction of the roadway, IC technology is effective in meeting full coverage requirements. IC roller measurements are accelerometer-based measurements recording machine-ground interaction assumed to be indicative of the stiffness of the compacted geomaterial. …

Implementing Large Eddy Simulation To Numerical Simulation Of Optical Wave Propagation, Diego Alberto Lozano Jimenez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, we want to simulate long-range laser propagation in atmospheric turbulence. The numerical simulations are carried out to study the impact of strong atmospheric turbulence in spatial, temporal, and related spectral domains. The first section of this study will be concerned with modeling this numerical simulation in Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov spectrum. To validate our numerical simulation, we will compare the statistical parameter to theoretical approximation in both Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov spectrums. Once the code is validated, we want to integrate Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence modeling. LES simulations allowa us to study strong fluid turbulence and can predict …

Titanium Incorporated Gallium Oxide (Ga-Ti-O): Structure Property Relationship And Performance Evaluation For Extreme Environment Applications, Sandeep Manandhar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The existing power generation systems, which utilize fossil fuels, are in dire need of efficient, reliable chemical sensors that can operate safely at higher temperatures. These sensors control the combustion environment and the emissions during combustion. Several sensing materials such as SnO2, ZnO, TiO2, WO3, and Ga2O3 exhibit high sensitivity to certain type of chemical molecules and in a certain range of temperatures. Among these candidate materials, β-Ga2O3 is stable at very high temperatures and has shown functionality for oxygen sensing at higher temperatures (>700°C). However, the response time and sensitivity must be significantly improved in order to derive …

Evaluation Of Recycled Gypsum Application Dosages To Enhance The Water Infiltration Rate At Water Retention Ponds, Jorge Luis Navarrete

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The retention ponds play central role for efficient collection, removal, and drainage of rainfall runoff from surrounding streets to minimize flooding and damage. However, low percolating retention ponds may result in an extended ponding of water, abundance bacteria accumulations, mosquito breeding, environmental hazards, among others. The presence of clayey soils and soil sodicity reduces infiltration rates of retention ponds. To enhance the infiltration rate of ponds, it is proposed to use recycled gypsum (RG), as a soil amendment in retention ponds consisting of clayey soils to enhance low infiltration rates.

To evaluate the influence of RG in clayey soils as …

Design Of Robotic Tram Unit For Field Data Collection, Quetzalcoatl Mendoza Rosas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Satellite remote sensing is the most applied method for detection and measurement of electromagnetic energy and its interaction with Earth surface. the analysis of the data acquired can provide important information with uses in areas as like weather forecasting, military intelligence and environmental and resources location. Due to the great distance from where the samples are taken and even with the most sophisticated sensor it is impossible to have an exactly replica of the Earth surface. As a result, scientist analyze imagery where a single pixel can be the representation of a 30 by 30 meters area of land. This …

Magnetotelluric Analysis Of Central Kenya Kenyan Rift Volcanoes For Geothermal Development, Anna Wairimu Mwangi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

High temperature geothermal resources are vast along rift margins because of emplacement of magma in shallow crust. This is the case along the Kenyan Rift valley also known as the Gregory Rift. It is the Eastern arm of the East African rift and a chain of volcanoes along the rift graben characterizes it. We use (MT) magnetotelluric method to image beneath the peralkaline province of the Kenya Rift i.e. Olkaria, Eburru, Badlands, and Longonot volcanoes. The resistivity structure shows active geothermal activity happening at the upper 3km from the subsurface as evidenced by low resistivity cap rock comprised of …

Streamlining Alloy Design And Thermo-Mechanical Processing Parameters For High Strength Line Pipe Steels And Hot Rolled Microalloyed Steels: Process - Structure - Property Paradigm, Venkata Vignesh Natarajan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The process parameters related to thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP) of steels play a vital role in affecting the ultimate mechanical properties. We illustrate here the impact of coiling temperature, the impact of finish cooling temperature on interrupted cooling and compare with continuous cooling, and the impact of carbon and niobium on the microstructure and precipitation behavior and corresponding changes in mechanical properties, in an ultrahigh strength titanium-niobium microalloyed steel. The microstructural advancement was contemplated via transmission electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The goal was to underscore the impact of coiling temperature on the nature and distribution of microstructural …

Development Of A Desktop Material Extrusion 3d Printer With Wire Embedding Capabilities, Jose Francisco Motta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Printed circuit boards (PCB) have been widely used as a permanent solution for generating complex circuitries to power electronic devices. Over the years, PCB boards have proved to be reliable when powering electronic devices. However, when fabricating a printed circuit board, one must outsource to fabricate the boards when in prototype phase. Therefore, the risk of intellectual property theft and long lead time is an issue. The objective of this Thesis is to develop a hybrid multi-tool desktop material extrusion 3D printer that allows for easy integration (modularity) of tools to generate multi-functional 3D printed components.

The addition of an …

Formulation Of Nanoparticle Systems For Drug Delivery Application In Biomedical Sciences, Victor Alfredo Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria may result in serious infections which are difficult to treat. In addition, the poor antibiotic pipeline has also contributed to the crisis. Recently, the complex of furosemide and silver (Ag-FSE) has been reported as a potential antibacterial agent. However, its poor aqueous solubility is limiting its activity as an effective antibacterial agent. The purpose of this study was to encapsulate Ag-FSE into chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) and evaluate antibacterial efficacy. Ag-FSE CSNPs were prepared using ionic gelation technique. The particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential of Ag-FSE CSNPs were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. …

Extraction Of Fiber Morphology From Sem Images For Quality Control Of Fiber Reinforced Composites Manufacturing, Md Fashiar Rahman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The morphology of fibers (e.g. spatial uniformity, orientation, and length) plays a decisive role in determining the material properties or fabrication quality of fiber-reinforced nanocomposites. Hence, determining the morphology becomes a very critical issue in the field of nanocomposite quality control. The conventional way of quality inspection is to take the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of the cross-section of composite material and do the visual checking of these SEM images to evaluate the nanofiber alignment and length distribution. But this type of inspection is often subjective, inaccurate and time consuming. Moreover, the extremely small size of nanofibers makes the …

Evaluation Of Commercial Pervaporation Membranes For Desalination Of Saline And Brackish Waters, Andres F. Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Pervaporation is a solution separation method that occurs by vapor transport through a selective membrane. As the need to provide drinking water to the growing population increases, pervaporation has potential merit as an alternative desalination technology, especially for water with very high salinity.

To our knowledge, there are no commercially available pervaporation membranes made specifically for desalination applications. Thus, the membranes PERVAP 4100 and PERVAP 4101 manufactured by DeltaMemAG were tested to evaluate their performance in desalination. Because the driving force in pervaporation is the difference in vapor pressure between the feed side and the permeate side of the membrane, …

Evaluation Of Large Area Additively Manufactured Fiber Reinforced Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (Abs), Kevin Schnittker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To enable the advancement of large-scale additive manufacturing processes, it is necessary to establish and standardize methodologies to characterize the mechanical properties of printed test coupons. Due to the large size of the print beads, conventional test standards are inadequate. The focus of this study was to determine the feasibility of using Digital image correlation (DIC) technology as a key enabler for robust data collection of strain measurements of large 3D printed parts. To incorporate the DIC measurements, a novel method was developed to prepare large 20 wt.% glass filled ABS test coupons for adequate contrast. Through this technique, Poisson's …

Assessing Performance Of Detectors Of High Frequency Oscillations In Eeg Signals, Deeksha Seetharama Bhat

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Attempts to perform epileptic seizure prediction have been made for decades, but there is no solution yet that is generally effective, though some progress in this area has been reported. Interictal epileptic spikes were considered as the only biomarkers of seizure-generating brain tissue until the recent discovery of high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) in electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, with frequency contents in the range from 80 Hz to 800 Hz. HFOs are now considered as biomarkers of epileptogenic tissue and the seizure onset zone. However, there are challenges in the definition and detection of HFO events which complicate this perspective. In studies about …

Classification Of Radar Jammer Fm Signals Using A Neural Network Approach, Ariadna Estefania Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A Neural Network (NN) used to classify radar signals is proposed for the purpose of military survivability and lethality analysis. The goal of the NN is to correctly differentiate Frequency-Modulated (FM) signals from Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) using limited signal pre-processing. The FM signals used to test the NN approach are the linear or chirp FM and the power-law FM. Preliminary simulations using the moments of the signals in the time and frequency domain yielded better results in the frequency domain, suggesting that time domain training would not be as effective frequency domain training. To test this hypoThesis, we …

On-Orbit Autonomous Repair: Systems Design And Project Management Of The Orbital Factory Ii Cube-Satellite, Mike Louis Everett

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In 2016, a group of faculty, staff and students from the University of Texas at El Paso submitted a formal entry to the ULA CubeCorp competition to launch a 1U Cube Satellite into Orbit. In September of 2016, the team was awarded a launch opportunity to a prestigious GTO orbit to test and validate electrically conductive printing on within the Van Allen Radiation belts. This Dissertation is focused upon the management plan and specific decision that were implemented to accomplish this goal within a one year time frame and on a conservative budget.

In 2018 this satellite will launch aboard …

Investigation On A Cooling Channel Design For A High Heat Flux Oxy-Fuel Direct Power Extraction Combustor, Luisa Alejandra Cabrera Maynez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The implementation of oxy-fuel technology in fossil-fuel power generation could result in a drastic increase of system efficiencies and a reduction of emissions. While typical system temperatures are dictated by material constraints, open-cycle magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators have the potential to utilize the energy of undiluted flames. This work presents design and modeling strategies to develop steady-state supersonic MHD combustors operating at temperatures exceeding 3000 K. Throughout the study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were extensively used as a design and optimization tool. A proof-of-concept 60 kWth model was designed, manufactured and tested in accordance to methods relevant to rocket …

The Development Of A Data Acquisition And Control System For Rocket Propulsion Research, Javier Chaparro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The MIRO Center for Space Exploration Technology Research (cSETR) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has developed the Technology Research and Innovation Acceleration Park (tRIAC) in Fabens, Texas. This facility has been established in order to meet new research demands for experimental testing of Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid methane (LCH4) propulsion systems. Within this facility, a vertical test stand capable of measuring up to 3,000lbf will be constructed for main engine testing of the JANUS and DAEDALUS vehicle programs.

In order to meet challenges of precise remote system operation and data acquisition during engine testing, cSETR designed and …

Next Generation Exa-Scale Capable Software For High Fidelity Physics Aware Simulations, Ashesh Kumar Chattopadhyay

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Physics aware simulations, often arising in problems of fluid dynamics, aerodynamics and multi-physics areas have demanded the need for computing software that has the capability to resolve the complexities at multiple scales to analyze and visualize the effects of their interactions with the surroundings. Usually the governing dynamics of these phenomenon appear in the form of complex partial differential equations whose numerical solutions impose various constraints on computational complexity, programming time and efficient throughput. In this scenario, the need of computing software that can solve very large problems resolving the physics of these phenomenon at multiple scales is imperative. Despite …

Characterization And Comparison Of Metallic And Ceramic Parts Fabricated Using Powder Bed-Based Additive Manufacturing Technologies, Jose Angel Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM), or layer-by-layer part fabrication, is enabling the materialization of ideas that were near to impossible to achieve in the past, while providing advantages that include reduced material footprint, increased complexity, reduced lead times, etc. AM has been integrated to highly specialized markets that include aerospace, military, automotive, biomedical, and prototyping.

Although an apparent growth is being witnessed across nearly all AM platforms, technologies with capabilities of producing metallic parts have arguably received the most widespread interest, with powder bed fusion (i.e. electron beam melting and selective laser melting). This class of AM technology produces parts by judiciously …

Quantifying The Characteristic Length Of A Combustor For An Ionic Liquid Monopropellant Thruster, Kimberly Marie Hogge

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ionic liquid monopropellants are currently being researched as a promising alternative to hydrazine in propulsion systems. This report presents a flame study that delineates the flame length of the expected decomposition products from an ionic liquid monopropellant. Through these studies, the characteristic length of a combustion chamber will be defined through calculations and empirical correlations. There is limited information on designing a propulsion system for an ionic liquid monopropellant. Therefore, defining the magnitude for an effective characteristic length serves as beneficial in designing a propulsion system for an ionic liquid monopropellant thruster.

Process Development And Characterization Of Smart Parts Fabricated Using Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Technologies, Mohammad Shojib Hossain

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The fields of modern energy conversion, e.g., fossil fuel, natural gas, and coal power plants, are in increased need of health monitoring and data collection (temperature, pressure, and flow rate) to improve process efficiency and satisfy the demand for clean energy. In situ process monitoring can lead to a robust automated system to achieve the goal. The monitoring equipment or sensors in energy systems components (e.g., pressure tube, turbine blade, and fuel injector) undergo high temperature, high pressure, and corrosive environments; for example, combustion inlet conditions can reach up to 810 K and 2760 kPa [1]. Therefore, a reliable, accurate, …

Design And Development Of A Delivery System For Green Ionic Monopropellants And Testing Of A 22n Thruster, Jaclyn Mona Mejia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

LMP-103S and AFM-315E are emerging propellants that are less toxic to the environment than the propellants currently being used in spacecraft propulsion. Both propellants are a blend of liquid fuel, oxidizer and a majority percent of water. The diluted solutions enable the capability to handle and store the propellants with fewer requirements; for this reason, it decreases the overall cost of the propellants since it needs less precautions. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) a contract to further research green propellants and eventually replace Hydrazide.

Comparison Of Extruder Systems For 3d Printer Filament Fabrication, Adriana Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has grown in popularity over the past thirty years, due to its versatility, short design to product cycle, and capability to fabricate complex geometries, which cannot otherwise be produced. There exist several platforms that are able to print objects composed of different materials, making this technology significant in different fields such as: automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics, amongst others. Though several types of AM technologies are available, the expiration of the patents on fused deposition modeling (FDM) in 2009 has led to a widespread use of this platform in academia and home use settings.

Widespread use of FDM-type …

Healthcare Utilization Awareness And Labor Monitoring Methodology: A Theoretical I.M.S.E. Approach To Risk Minimization And Human Metrics Capturing In The Nursing Workforce, Luis Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The healthcare industry is so complex and dynamic that the development of any tool designed to promote positive patient outcomes nearly requires the developer to be an actual healthcare practitioner. Many healthcare tools exists that initially give the perception that there will be no future requirements that may hinder the tools' integrity, but more often than not, the unexpected occurs. The future is one unpredictable element of life that most engineers wish they could capture with optimal precision. I.M.S.E. (Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering) applications do not assist with fortune telling, but they do assist with creating robust tools designed …

Impact Of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement And Recycled Asphalt Shingles On Laboratory And Field Performance Of Texas Asphalt Concrete Pavements, Berenice Salaices Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The use of recycled materials in Asphalt Concrete (AC) mixes is highly promoted in the transportation industry. Recycled materials minimize the use of virgin materials, reduce the consumption of resources, and cut costs for new construction or rehabilitation projects. The incorporation of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) in the AC mixture is promoted as long as equal or improved performance is achieved. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently placing asphaltic concrete (AC) mixes that are lasting less than their expected performance life when recycled materials are used.

The objective of this Thesis is to …

Modeling The Effects Of Manufacturing Geometric Imperfections In The Buckling Analysis Of Three-Dimensional Structures, Juan Carlos Salcido

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Reticulated three-dimensional structures follow design practices based on the common assumption that joints are either rigid, or pinned. However, the actual non-linear behavior of the jointing system interaction is required to be incorporated into the analysis of the structure to accurately predict its buckling stability. Besides, currently, there is a concern on how manufacturing imperfections of these jointing systems affect the global behavior of three-dimensional structures. This Dissertation incorporates and captures the effect that manufacturing geometric imperfections in the fir-tree jointing system produce in the non-linear buckling behavior of three-dimensional structures.

To understand the effect that initial manufacturing imperfections of …