Engineering Commons^™

Exploring A Platinum Nanocatalytic Microcombustion-Thermoelectric Coupled Device, Dylan Moore Mcnally

Theses and Dissertations

This work aimed to create a first-generation power device for eventual application to portable electronics. A platinum nanoparticle catalytic substrate was employed in a microcombustion-thermoelectric coupled (MTC) device for the purpose of chemical-to-electrical energy conversion. Multiple microcombustion reactors were designed, fabricated, and investigated. Most importantly, the reactor configuration was designed to accommodate thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for power production. Temperature studies with catalytic combustion of methanol-air fuel mixtures were used to evaluate the thermal power generation performance of each reactor. The final reactor design enabled ignition at room temperature with the ability to achieve repeat catalytic cycles upon subsequent exposure to …

Efficient End-To-End Autonomous Driving, Hesham Eraqi

Theses and Dissertations

Steering a car through traffic is a complex task that is difficult to cast into algorithms. Therefore, researchers turn to train artificial neural networks from front-facing camera data stream along with the associated steering angles. Nevertheless, most existing solutions consider only the visual camera frames as input, thus ignoring the temporal relationship between frames. In this work, we propose a Convolution Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (C-LSTM), which is end-to-end trainable, to learn both visual and dynamic temporal dependencies of driving. Additionally, We introduce posing the steering angle regression problem as classification while imposing a spatial relationship between the …

Root Cause Analysis And Classification Of Single Point Failures In Designs Applying Triple Modular Redundancy In Sram Fpgas, James D. Swift

Theses and Dissertations

Radiation effects encountered in space or aviation environments can affect the configuration bits in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) causing errors in FPGA output. One method of increasing FPGA reliability in radiation environments includes adding redundant logic to mask errors and allow time for repair. Despite the redundancy added with triple modular redundancy (TMR) and configuration scrubbing there exist some configuration bits that individually affect multiple TMR domains causing errors in FPGA output. A new tool called DeBit is introduced that identifies hardware resources associated with a single bit failure. This tool identifies a novel failure mode involving global routing …

Experimental And Modeling Of Biomass Char Gasification, Ruochen Wu

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation provides a comprehensive experimental dataset and kinetic model for biomass gasification, over a wide temperature range (1150-1350 °Ï¹) in CO2, H2O and the combination of these two reactant gases over the mole fraction ranges of 0 to 0.5 for H2O and 0 to 0.9 for CO2. The data come from a unique experimental facility that tracks continuous mass loss rates for poplar wood, corn stover and switchgrass over the size range of 6-12.5 mm. In addition, the data include char size, shape, surface and internal temperature and discrete measurements of porosity, total surface area, pore size distribution and …

Blast-Induced Liquefaction And Downdrag Development On A Micropile Foundation, Cameron Mark Lusvardi

Theses and Dissertations

Frequently, deep foundations extend through potentially liquefiable soils. When liquefaction occurs in cohesionless soils surrounding a deep foundation, the skin-friction in the liquefied layer is compromised. After cyclical forces suspend and pore pressures dissipate, effective stress rebuilds and the liquefied soil consolidates. When the settlement of the soil exceeds the downward movement of the foundation, downdrag develops. To investigate the loss and redevelopment of skin-friction, strain was measured on an instrumented micropile during a blast-induced liquefaction test in Mirabello, Italy. The soil profile where the micropile was installed consisted of clay to a depth of 6m underlain by a medium …

Instructional Case Studies In The Field Of Windfarm Optimization, N. Francesco Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Wind farm layout optimization is a multidisciplinary undertaking, requiring students and researchers to integrate many skillsets in order to optimize turbine placement. There is currently a lack of useful benchmarking exercises for participants in the field to compare the efficacy of their methods. This work details the construction and completion of a set of four case studies meant to satisfy this need, with the hope of providing some insight into useful layout optimization approaches. These case studies are intended to also serve as instructive introductory exercises with which newcomers researching wind energy may incrementally practice and increase their abilities.The first …

The Impact Of Calendering On The Electronic Conductivity Heterogenity Of Lithium-Ion Electrode Films, Emilee Elizabeth Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in Li-ion batteries are needed especially for the development of electric vehicles and stationary energy storage. Prior research has shown mesoscale variations in electrode electronic conductive properties, which can cause capacity loss and uneven electrochemical behavior of Li-ion batteries. A micro-four-line probe (μ4LP) was used to measure electronic conductivity and contact resistance over mm-length scales in that prior work. This work describes improvements to overcome the challenge of unreliable surface contact between theμ4LP and the sample. Ultimately a second generation flexible probe called the micro-radial-surface probe (μ4LP) was designed and produced. The test fixture was also optimized to obtain …

Frameworks For Part Generation In Multiple Cad Systems And For Cad Simulation With Multiple Users, Jonathan Edwin Sadler

Theses and Dissertations

Companies often require designers to work with and operate between different computer-aided design (CAD) systems. To interoperate between these systems, a neutral design standard for CAD models is needed that allows for generation, customization, and parameterization. Current standards often fail to incorporate file history and design intent. The research proposes a simplified, neutral design format that can be used to generate models in different CAD systems. The format proposes additional functionality not yet found in existing neutral formats or scripts. The system was tested by generating models in both NX and CATIA, then comparing the models for accuracy, flexibility, and …

Signal Transport And Rf Over Fiber Design For Alpaca, Erich Johannes Nygaard

Theses and Dissertations

The design of the RF over fiber signal transport system for the ALPACA receiver is described, with particular attention to the strict noise requirements as well as dynamic range considerations. Also discussed are analytical tools for analyzing dynamic range in the context of RFI-rich radio astronomy observational settings, including formulas for maximum interference to noise ratios and a simulation framework for predicting distortion levels. Phase and gain stability measurements of the signal transport system are presented, including the effects of the multi-strand armored fiber optic cable. The resulting system meets design requirements, with equivalent noise temperature below 900 K in …

Development Of A Management Guide For Concrete Bridge Decks In Utah, Tenli Waters Emery

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) investigate bridge deck condition assessment methods used in the field and laboratory, methods of managing bridge decks, and methods for estimating remaining bridge deck service life using computer models through a comprehensive literature review on these subjects; 2) collect and analyze field data from representative concrete bridge decks in Utah; and 3) develop a decision tree for concrete bridge deck management in Utah. As a result of the literature review performed for objective 1, a synthesis of existing information about condition assessment, bridge deck preservation and rehabilitation, bridge deck reconstruction, and estimating …

Effects Of Conformal Cooling Channels On Additively Manufactured Injection Molding Tooling, Tyler Blaine Whatcott

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the cycle-averaged mold temperature of additively manufactured injection molding tooling and how it is affected by conformal cooling channels. This was done by producing a benchmark mold out of Digital ABS produced by Stratasys, an acrylic based photopolymer, which was then used to produce injection molded parts until tool failure. Another, more cost-effective material, High Temp Resin produced by Formlabs, another acrylic based photopolymer, was also tested but yielded very little success. Then the mold design was altered by adding conformal cooling channels and again tested by producing injection molded parts while tracking the mold temperature. …

Lateral Resistance Of 24-Inch Statically Loaded And 12.75-Inch Cyclically Loaded Pipe Piles Near A 20-Ft Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Wall, Addison Joseph Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Installing load bearing piles within the reinforcement zone of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls is common practice in the construction industry. Bridge abutments are often constructed in this manner to adapt to increasing right-of-way constraints, and must be capable of supporting horizontal loads imposed by, traffic, earthquakes, and thermal expansion and contraction. Previous researchers have concluded that lateral pile resistance is reduced when pile are placed next to MSE walls but no design codes have been established to address this issue. Full –scale testing of statically applied lateral loads to four 24”x0.5” pipe piles, and cyclically applied lateral load …

Design And Optimization Of A Modular Dc-Dc Power Converter For Medium Voltage Shipboard Applications, Seyed Rasoul Hosseini

Theses and Dissertations

Power electronic converters rated for medium voltage direct current (MVDC) are promising for electrification of future ships. In shipboard electrification, due to limitation of space, energy and technical maintenance, the high-power density, high efficiency and modularity of the power electronic converters are desired. Utilizing power modules made from wide band gap (WBG) semiconductors like silicon carbide (SiC) and high frequency power transformer (HFPT) can be beneficial for obtaining the high-power density, high efficiency and isolation that is required for the power electronic converters. To provide power for the low voltage (LV) DC loads, a conversion of the power from MVDC …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Aeration Self Mixing By Using Pulsating And Continuous Air Flow, Ahmed Ali Alkhafaji

Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater treatment is considered one of the most common forms of pollution control in the united states. Considered as an integral part of the wastewater treatment, the aeration process is the most energy-consuming process among all the processes that take place in any wastewater treatment plant. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a wastewater treatment plant is expected to remove at least 85% of the suspended solids and dissolved organic compounds from the wastewater before discharging it to a river or a lake. The normal operation of the aeration process is by compressing air continuously to basin …

Gurethyesit Dhe Ndikimi I Tyre Ne Mjedis, Valmir Hazrolli

Theses and Dissertations

Edhe pse guroret dhe industritë e gurit përfaqësojnë një sektor të rëndësishëm industrial në Kosovë për sa i përket prodhimit dhe eksportet dhe duke përmirësuar kështu situatën ekonomike, këto operacione kanë ndikim të kundërt në mjedis dhe në njerëz shëndetin. Studimi i tanishëm zbuloi se grimcat e imëta (pluhuri) të prodhuara si rezultat i aktiviteteve të ndryshme që lidhen me të këto industri i shkaktojnë disa probleme mjedisit dhe njerëzve që jetojnë në zonë. Matjet e cilësisë së ajrit treguan se përqendrime të larta të grimcave të ndryshme janë në zonën e studimit. Në këtë drejtim, shumica e njerëzve konfirmuan …

Math Models And Heuristic Methods For Constructing Fair Political Districts, Roya Ghorashi

Theses and Dissertations

Political parties’ attempts to manipulate district boundaries in order to gain political advantages in the election system lead to huge inefficiency and unfair election results. Previously some studies have developed methods for forming political districts considering various factors such as population equality, compactness, and contiguity; but only a few recent studies have considered political fairness as an objective for redistricting political map.This study attempts to find a solution to draw political districts using political fairness as a factor in addition to integrity, population equality, contiguity, and compactness of the districts in order to prevent gerrymandering. In this research, we introduce …

Sustainability In Construction: Using Lean Management Principles To Reduce Waste, Matthew Waite

Theses and Dissertations

The construction industry is facing many challenges. There are growing consumer demands for sustainable building. The construction industry generates a significant portion of the waste going into landfills. The construction industry has failed to keep pace with productivity in the manufacturing industry. Through adoption of Lean management principles, the construction industry can become more sustainable while increasing productivity. The literature was evaluated for three concepts: Lean management principles interaction with sustainability, the current state of sustainability in the construction industry, and the current state of Lean management principles in the construction industry. Lean management philosophies interactions with sustainability has been …

A Parametric Evaluation Of Iot Applications To Freight Transportation Using Model-Based Systems Engineering, Paul George Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT consists of computing and communication at the operational edge of a value chain. Applications span manufacturing, energy, and transportation, among others. In the transportation context, IIoT translates to connected vehicle architecture and ITS applications. Current trends in communication allow more applications and devices to contribute to functions traditionally allocated to transportation ITS infrastructure. This poses challenges to design engineers to prototype emerging technologies in the existing transportation context and reduce integration, validation, and time to market. Model-based systems engineering is crucial step for IIoT deployment since it allows for a feature-rich digital representation of …

Development Of A Deformation-Based Structural Health System With Contactless Sensors And Machine Learning For Health Characterization And Failure Prediction, Juan Camilo Avendano Arbelaez

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the design and development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system specifically tailored for transportation infrastructure components, such as bridges. The proposed system collects data by using contactless sensors and performs health characterization and failure prediction. It is capable of simulating multiple load conditions on structures, identifying possible failure points, and detecting and predicting failure scenarios. Both hardware and software implementations of a model of a bridge were performed as a pilot project in order to validate the proposed system. Computer simulation in ANSYS and the application of gradient boosting neural networks were performed to produce a …

3d Printed Microporous Collagen Constructs Using The Freeze-Fresh Methodology, Thais Sousa Senzano

Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold microporosity is known to play a critical role in governing cellular response including cell migration, proliferation, and tissue-specific differentiation. While fabrication approaches such as solvent leaching and freeze-casting are commonly used for the generation of microporous biomaterial scaffolds, these methods provide little control over scaffold geometry and creation of complex tissue structures. Extrusion-based 3D printing, an additive manufacturing method, is a highly versatile layer-by-layer printing approach that allows for the fabrication of easily customizable 3D scaffolds with complex architecture using a vast selection of polymeric bioinks. These 3D printed constructs are porous at the macroscale, but achieving microporosity (i.e., < 100 μm) in printed constructs is challenging due to the sub-optimal resolution of the extrusion-based printing method. A recent study using alginate inks introduced a new fabrication technique termed Freeze-FRESH(FF)that combines extrusion printing and freeze-casting approaches to generate 3D constructs with hierarchical microporosity. However, the porosity of the resultant alginate constructs was comparable despite changing the freezing temperature. In the current study, the FF method was modified to print collagen constructs with greater control of microporous architecture. Highly concentrated collagen type I ink was used to 3D print collagen constructs using the freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH)approach. Modification of the FF technique entailed melting of the FRESH bath post printing via incubation at 37 °C followed by freezing and lyophilization to allow for collagen gelation and better heat transport during the freezing process. The effect of freezing temperature on micropore size, swelling degree, degradation, and mechanical properties of printed constructs was assessed. Finite element (FE) models were generated to predict the mechanical properties of microporous scaffolds. In addition, the effect of microporosity on Saos-2 cell morphology, proliferation, infiltration, and ALP activity was evaluated. Results from the study showed that freezing temperature effectively modulated micropore size and that constructs with larger micropore size were more stable. Microporosity had no effect on swelling ratio yet caused a decrease in mechanical properties of collagen constructs; FE models confirmed experimental results. Cell metabolic activity and infiltration was enhanced in microporous constructs with larger pore size, yet there was no effect on cell morphology, and ALP activity. In conclusion, the modified FF technique can be effectively used to fabricate hierarchically porous 3D collagen constructs.

Intelligent Therapeutic Robot: Design, Development, And Control, Asif Al Zubayer Swapnil

Theses and Dissertations

This research contributes to developing an Intelligent Therapeutic Robot (iTbot) designed to provide therapy to patients with upper limb impairment due to stroke, injury, and other trauma. This robot aims to implement robotic rehabilitation based on principles of motor rehabilitation and Neuroplasticity. The iTbot, as developed in this research, can provide end-effector type rehabilitation exercises in various configurations, including motion in the vertical and horizontal plane. It can provide passive, active, and active-assisted rehabilitation therapies to patients with limited upper limb mobility.

The iTbot has been designed with simplicity in mind with a minimum viability approach. With a minimum amount …

A Mathematical Approach To Paint Production Process Optimization, Ching-Ya Chuang

Theses and Dissertations

As the global paint market steadily grows, finding the most effective processing model to increase production capacity will be the best way to enhance competitiveness. Therefore, this study proposes two production environments commonly used in the paint industry: build-to-order (BTO) and the variation of a configuration-to-order (CTO), called group production, to schedule paint production. Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) was solved using genetic algorithms (GA) to analyze two production environments with various products, different set-up times, and different average demand for each product. The models determine the number of batches, the size and product of each batch, and the batch sequence …

Bullwhip Effect Of A Closed Leep Supply Chain With And Without Information Sharing Of Customer Demand, Jui-Hsin Hsu

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, companies have become interested in a closed-loop supply chain that is concerned with the recovery pipeline. The expenses of a company can be influenced by large inventories and backlogs due to the bullwhip effect in the supply chain. Previous literature has shown that the bullwhip effect can be decreased by a reverse supply chain. This paper develops a closed-loop supply chain including seven echelons for recovery of end-of-life products. The model considers the order-up-to inventory policy and the exponential smoothing forecasting with a trend method in the system to assist in determining the ordering quantities. The best …

Characterization Of Fiber Bragg Grating Based, Geometry-Dependent, Magnetostrictive Composite Sensors, Edward Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

Optical sensors based on geometry dependent magnetostrictive composite, having potential applications in current sensing and magnetic field sensing are modeled and evaluated experimentally with an emphasis on their thermal immunity from thermal disturbances. Two sensor geometries composed of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) embedded in a shaped Terfenol-D/epoxy composite material, which were previously prototyped and tested for magnetic field response, were investigated. When sensing magnetic fields or currents, the primary function of the magnetostrictive composite geometry is to modulate the magnetic flux such that a magnetostrictive strain gradient is induced on the embedded FBG. Simulations and thermal experiments reveal the …

Cloud Computing Service Interoperability And Architectural Concepts, Anmar Salih

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s market with a vast number of Cloud-computing providers creates a challenge for practical cooperation between the various provider cloud service platforms. Not only does Cloud interoperability provide this needed cooperation, but it also avoids vendor lock-in and, additionally, saves time and cost. Although there is no established definition for Cloud interoperability, most researchers agree on the purposes of Cloud interoperability. Research and literature have attempted to explain interoperability as transferring data, moving workloads, and migrating virtual machines between Cloud platforms. Transferring data between Clouds refers to objects migrating between provider-specific domains. In comparison, data migration is the most commonly …

The Effect Of Intensive Auditory Cues On Flight Passengers’ Safe Behaviors, Tianhua Li

Theses and Dissertations

When passengers do not follow in-flight announcements, injuries can occur. It is critical to draw passengers’ attention and help them be aware of the importance of the instructions provided during in-flight announcements. Passengers’ attention can be improved by providing intensive auditory cues before announcements. The auditory cues with intensive acoustic parameters increase the hearers’ perceived level of urgency, and then, they are more likely to perform safer behaviors. Also, when the intensity level increases to an intermediate level, the stimulated persons should have better performance. However, when it increases excessively, their performance may be impaired. The study examined the effect …

Flight Tests Of Trajectory Energy Management Systems Using A Vertical Takeoff And Landing Vehicle, Emils Senkans

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of new aircraft propulsion methods (e.g. powered by batteries, fuel cells or hybrid electric systems), the increased use of automated and integrated flight control systems, and the envisioned use of personal Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicles in urban environments (urban aerial mobility) leads to novel technical and regulatory challenges for aircraft manufacturers, certification authorities and operators. Of primary concern is operational safety, and closely connected pilot situation awareness and workload. A particular safety factor for operating VTOL vehicles that depend on propulsive lift for the majority of their operations and that are operated over urban terrain, is …

Improving Long-Term Vascular Graft Viability Using Peritoneal Pre-Implantation And Epsin-Mimetic Peptides, Mahyar Sameti

Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this project was to produce and develop a tissue-engineered small-diameter vascular graft which can replace the arteries and function well for long-term grafting. Implanting an electrospun tubular conduit into the peritoneal cavity to recruit autologous cells prior to grafting the conduit into the artery is a method to achieve this goal. Incorporating an epsin-mimetic peptide on the conduit prior to grafting is another proposed method to reach the goal. This will be accomplished through four complementary studies: (1) determining the effect of a pouch in peritoneal pre-implantation and reducing the potential peritoneal adhesion formation;(2) determining the …

Evaluation Of Accumulated Strain From Both Cyclic Triaxial And Static Creep Tests On Unbound Pavement Materials, Amir Mohammad Sajjadi

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, the behavior of Limerock (LR) aggregates blended with different reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials were investigated as an unbound base layer. Various combinations of LR and RAP, including 100%LR, 25%RAP75%LR, 50%RAP50%LR, and 100%RAP, were evaluated. Three main experiments performed on the samples were: static creep, static triaxial test, and cyclic triaxial test. The cyclic triaxial test was performed to measure the resilient modulus (MR) of materials. The results of the static triaxial test for 100% RAP showed that the deviator stress at failure steadily increased by increasing the confining pressure, while the 100% LR showed a maximum …

Modern Standard Arabic Speech Recognition: Using Formants Measurements To Extract Vowels From Arabic Words’ Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Vowel Structure, Mohamed Ali Alshaari

Theses and Dissertations

Arabic texts suffer from missing diacritics (short vowels) which become obstacles for new learners. Speech Recognition is the translation of words spoken to text through intelligent computer programs. As of today, it has been integrated into many computer systems. Arabic Speech Recognition has made progress over the years, but it is still not as good as English speech recognition due to the problem of short vowels not being recognized. This is mainly because the Arabic language is unlike the English language in the nature because it is a Semitic language. This is reflected in different characteristics such as grammar, morphology, …