Engineering Commons^™

Blink-Related Brainwaves As Digital Biomarkers For Cognition Assessment During Complex Tasks, Lexine Carmlixa Sibert-Jolissaint

Theses and Dissertations

Blink-related oscillations (BROs) are neurophysiological responses observed in electroencephalography (EEG) following spontaneous blinking, reflecting the brain processing of new visual information. Prior research has demonstrated BRO responses across various cognitive states, such as resting, cognitive loading, and sensory stimulation, highlighting their potential as a non-invasive biomarker of brain function. We conducted the first investigation of BRO responses during a verbal fluency (VF) task, which is a complex, dynamic task state combining memory, visual perception, executive function, and language processing. Using publicly available EEG data from 22 healthy adults, we measured BRO responses over the left anterior frontal region corresponding to …

Towards Visual Inertial Navigation With Fixed Tetrahedral Targets, Joao Leonardo Silva Cotta

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a robust method for 6DoF position estimation under impaired visual conditions utilizing a minimum 4-point Perspective-n-Point (P4P) solver designed for tetrahedral targets. Using SO(3) × R 3 instead of SE(3), the method uses a Lie group-based formulation to discriminate between rotation and translation, thereby enabling computationally efficient, resource-conscious op- optimization while preserving correct geometric behavior. Designed using the contemporary C++17 library ShomerTarget, the solver is analytically formulated and assessed under pragmatic robotic conditions. Particularly in low-light and high-dynamic environments, experiments on embedded systems, UAVs, and NASA’s Astrobee show that the proposed solver attains enhanced accuracy compared to …

Experimental And Theoretical Fracture Analysis Of Rift Manufactured Carbon Fiber-Vinyl Ester Lamina, Daniel Joseph Longo

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the fracture behavior of unidirectional carbon fiber-vinyl ester (CFVE) laminates manufactured using the Resin Infusion with Flexible Tooling (RIFT) process, a cost-effective alternative to autoclave-based fabrication methods. Composite materials like CFVE are increasingly adopted in high-performance applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance; however, their anisotropic nature presents challenges in predicting crack initiation and propagation. To address this, a comprehensive approach combining experimental testing, finite element modeling (FEM), and classical fracture mechanics was employed. Orthotropic mechanical properties were first determined through tensile and shear tests, providing critical properties for FEM simulations. A series of …

Co-Designing Manufacturing Systems For Robustness And Resilience: A Decision-Based Design Perspective, Mathew Baby

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturing systems (MSs) comprise various stakeholders associated with the manufacture and supply of products required by customers and are interrelated by the flow of materials and information. The interrelated stakeholders make system-specific decisions and stakeholder-specific decisions across multiple levels of a decision hierarchy to satisfy many conflicting system-specific and stakeholder-specific requirements that define system and stakeholder performances. Given the stakeholder interrelations and conflicting nature of system-specific and stakeholder-specific requirements, system and stakeholder performances are correlated and conflicting.

In the Industry 5.0 era, there is an increased emphasis on the creation and equitable distribution of value among all the stakeholders in …

Tracing Wave Induced Flow Field Surrounding Reef Balls, Alexis Scheele

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore the wave-induced flow dynamics around Reef Ball models using dye tracing techniques. Reef Balls are hemispherical artificial reefs with a hollow center and cavities throughout each face, they are designed in this manner to enhance coral reef restoration. Reef Balls rely on wave energy and current motion to facilitate water circulation and nutrient exchange within and surrounding their structure. To understand how wave action influences flow patterns around these artificial reefs, a scaled model experiment was designed to simulate real-world conditions. The experiments were conducted in the wave flume at Florida Institute of Technology’s Surf …

Sensor Data Fusion For Air Quality Monitoring, Mirna Hesham

Theses and Dissertations

Since traditional air quality monitoring methods often rely on geographically sparse and costly air quality monitoring stations, image-based air quality method- ologies are recently offering a compelling alternative that utilizes images from sources like satellites, traffic cameras, and even smartphones to monitor pollution levels by using estimation models, image-processing techniques, and deep-learning models. In this thesis, we first conduct a systematic review, in which we categorize and discuss the existing literature work. Moreover, we introduce a novel, multi- modal dataset designed to address the limitations of existing datasets, which are restricted in size, geographical coverage, and fixed-scene imagery, impeding the …

Effects Of Different Blue Light Conditions On Saos-2 Cell Viability, Differentiation, And Mineralization, Jamielyn Alcantara Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a low-intensity light therapy that uses non-ionizing forms of energy to induce a directed cellular response. Prior work has investigated the effects of blue light exposure at energy densities ranging from 1 J/cm2 to 10 J/cm2 on osteogenic differentiation of human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (hGMSCs), human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs), and stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) and shown promising outcomes at 4 J/cm2 and then having a detrimental impact at higher energy densities. One key caveat in prior studies is that the blue light energy density was modulated by changing the light exposure …

Experimental And Theoretical Fracture Analysis Of Additively Manufactured Orthotropic V-Notches, Venkata Siva Sainath Bavapuram

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the fracture behavior of additively manufactured orthotropic V-notched components made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material. The research integrates both theoretical and finite element approaches to evaluate stress intensity factors (SIFs) in Modes-I and II, which are fundamental in characterizing stress field distributions around notches under applied loading conditions. Unlike isotropic materials, where stress fields depend only on geometry of the component, the anisotropic nature of 3D-printed ABS introduces a dependency on material properties that necessitate different approaches to include anisotropy of the material.

Tensile specimens are 3D-printed with specific material orientations to …

Fairness And Robustness In Decentralized Federated Learning, Kaichuang Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Federated Learning (FL) has emerged as a privacy-preserving paradigm that allows multiple clients to collaboratively train a machine learning model without sharing raw data. However, traditional FL relies on a central server for model aggregation, which introduces a single point of failure and makes the system vulnerable to server-side attacks or breakdowns. To address these limitations, Decentralized Federated Learning (DFL) has been proposed, eliminating the need for a central server and enhancing system resilience. Despite these advantages, DFL faces critical challenges related to fairness and robustness, especially under non-i.i.d. data distributions and adversarial conditions. In this thesis, we propose a …

Tribological Characterization Of Laser Microtextured Ti-6al-4v Eli Alloy For Biomedical Applications, Nicholas Ricardo Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Titanium alloys have been gaining popularity in multiple fields due to their impressive physical properties, but struggle with poor tribological performance. This thesis aims to mitigate the poor tribological performance of titanium alloys through a laser microtexturing process. Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra Low Interstitial) alloy disks were evaluated against ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) pins. Four texturing patterns were created by changing the texture area fraction from 5 to 20% that were evaluated against untextured control samples. The tribological properties of the laser textured Ti-6Al-4V ELI disks were determined using a pin-on-disk tribometer under lubricated sliding …

Low Speed Water Tunnel Flow Testing, Humberto Cesar Grimaldo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Water tunnels serve as controlled environments for simulating fluid dynamics, providing an essential platform for studying flow patterns for hydrodynamic effects. This report presents a comprehensive overview and refurbishment of the water tunnel system located at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, focusing on its design, operation, calibration, and visualization capabilities for fluid dynamics research. The water tunnel, originally installed in 1995, was restored and updated with structural repairs, including resolving persistent leaks and implementing an improved drain system. A calibration process using a pitot tube and differential pressure transducer was conducted to establish accurate relationships between flow velocity …

Characterizing Human Mobility Patterns In Saudi Arabia Using Cellular Data, Meshal Alnefaie

Theses and Dissertations

The study analyzes human mobility in Saudi Arabia. Using crowd-source data, Riyadh mobility is analyzed to find trends and highlight mobility patterns of individuals in Riyadh. Then, the mobility of Riyadh is compared with that of Jeddah and Dammam in a similar data collection and analysis. Four mobility metrics are utilized: Number of Visited Locations (NLOC), Number of Unique Locations (NULOC), Radius of Gyration (RGYR), and Distance Traveled (DTRV). The results show interesting outcomes about individuals in the three cities. Although these cities are far from each other, they observe the same mobility patterns. These findings have the potential to …

Implementation Of Unscented Kalman Filter-Based State Estimation For Multiple Spacecraft Using Global Positioning System Measurements, Bala Prenith Reddy Gopu

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents an implementation of state estimation for a drag-based rendezvous mission involving multiple chaser spacecraft and a single target, using Unscented Kalman Filtering (UKF) with Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. The implemented method combines GPS navigation solutions with UKF to provide real- time state estimates of all spacecraft involved. Nonlinear least squares method is employed to process pseudorange and pseudorange rate measurements to determine receiver states, UKF utilizes these states as measurements to estimate absolute space- craft positions and velocities. This implementation also addresses practical challenges including raw GPS measurement processing, and varying GPS satellite geometries.

Trends In And Factors Associated With Science Achievement Among Eighth Graders In Saudi Arabia: A Secondary Analysis Of Timss Data, Roba Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

This secondary analysis examined trends in and factors influencing science achievement among eighth-grade students in Saudi Arabia, using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). However, Saudi Arabia's performance on the TIMSS science assessments fell below the international average, from 2003 through 2019. In addition, gender differences in science achievement have been observed, with female students outperforming male students by 30 or more points. This study addresses two problems: factors associated with the lower performance of Saudi students on TIMSS science assessments compared to global standards, and the small number of studies which explored factors which …

Fpso Motion In Synthetic Environments: Stereo-Driven Deep Learning For Wavefield Reconstruction, Motion Analysis, And Mooring System Assessment, Omar Jebari

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an integrated synthetic environment for simulating the motion and monitoring the integrity of a moored Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The central hypothesis is that synthetic data-driven approaches can (1) accurately estimate spatio-temporal wave fields, (2) predict vessel motion, and (3) monitor the integrity of the mooring system—using stereo imagery of the wave field and structure motion, both of which can be acquired in real time. The first study develops a synthetic framework for estimating spatial wave fields using stereo images captured by dual cameras mounted on a moving FPSO. Dynamic sea states and vessel …

Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Mindset In Undergraduate Engineering Students Using Quantiative, Qualitative, And Multi-Methods Approaches, Alexandra Mary Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM) has been acknowledged as beneficial for engineers entering the workforce in a constantly advancing society. With an EM, professional engineers are better equipped to be innovative, creative, and translate ideas into reality. However, assessing how students develop an EM has been plagued with difficulties, mainly due to the discrepancy in EM definitions between different fields. This dissertation applies three EM assessment methods guided by one theoretical framework: the Triad of EM, which contextualizes EM into cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. Chapter 3 of this work analyzes EM across multiple years of an undergraduate engineering curriculum using …

A Study Of The Parameters Involved In Nir Sintering Of Silver Microparticle-Based, Pad-Printed Features, Jonah Clement Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the effectiveness of pad printing and near-infrared (NIR) sintering for producing conductive silver microparticle traces. A new pad printer was set up, and silver inks with varying concentrations of silver particles (17.5 %v/v, 20 %v/v, and 25 %v/v) were manufactured, printed, and sintered. The study identified sintering time and silver concentration as the most influential parameters affecting resistivity, with the best result of 8.73 × 10⁻⁷ Ω·m achieved using 25 %v/v ink sintered for 3 seconds at full power. Although resistivity continued to decrease at this maximum sintering duration, further optimization of parameters, including NIR bulb distance …

Assessing The Impact Of Internal Flow Dynamics On Detection Region Concentrations Of Low-Cost Optical Particle Counters, Livingstone Quarshie

Theses and Dissertations

Particulate matter (PM) poses significant risks to human health and the environment, making accurate measurement essential for exposure assessment and regulatory decisions. While traditional reference methods provide reliable data, they are often bulky, expensive, and difficult to maintain. Optical Particle Counters (OPCs) offer a cost-effective alternative, commonly used in clean rooms, residential spaces, and personal exposure monitoring. These devices rely on light scattering to measure PM concentrations. However, low cost OPCs face challenges related to calibration and measurement accuracy, requiring careful performance evaluation. This study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, CONVERGE Studio and ANSYS Fluent, to simulate a simplified …

In-Situ Void Formation During Liquid Composite Molding For Preformed Warp, Weft, And Alternating Orientation Rtm Samples, Tanner Cal Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon fiber reinforced parts are utilized by the transportation industry due to being strong yet lightweight. The highest quality parts are made using carbon fiber (CF) pre-impregnated with resin processed in an autoclave to reduce void content. The autoclave process is expensive and takes up a large amount of space, so liquid composite molding (LCM) is a less expensive alternative. The parts produced using LCM can be manufactured to rival the mechanical performance of parts made with pre-preg in an autoclave, but concerns remain over voids. Most research pertaining to void formation has been done ex-situ by either micro-CT or …

Surface-Texture Fabrication Of Zirconia-Toughened Alumina Using Focused Ion-Beam Machining, Kameron M. Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

Focused ion-beam machining (FIBM), a precise form of micro-machining, was tested for feasibility in the manufacturing of microscopic dimples in zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA), a wear resistant ceramic used in artificial joint replacements. The interaction between the ion-beam and the ceramic was characterized in terms of material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness, and notable irregularities (e.g. pitting, steps at vertical faces). These characteristics were used to design and machine patterns of microscopic dimples for tribological testing. The dimple size and pattern area were limited due to a slow MRR and high cost of milling. No significant difference in the coefficient of …

Investigation Of Temperature Control's Effects In Additive Friction Stir Deposition Of Al 7050-T7451, Jason Noah Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) is a friction stir based process that includes the addition of material extruding through a bore in the center of the rotating tool. The deformation of the material from the tool rotation and high pressures result in fully dense depositions printed at very high rates with forged like mechanical properties. While deposition properties of varying alloys have been increasingly published, little work has been done investigating control of the process and as with all additive processes, consistency and predictability are of significant concern before implementation can occur. One common control method implemented in Friction Stir …

Isolation Structure Simulation And Measurement To Reduce Transmit-Receive Coupling In Compact X-Band Fmcw Radar, Bruce E. Averill

Theses and Dissertations

Transmit-receive isolation in a compact X-band FMCW radar antenna system is critical for system performance. A set of candidate isolation structures are explored. In the process, performance of a commercial FDTD EM simulation software package is evaluated for antenna array modelling. Noise parameters of receiver electronics on a prototype radar processing front-end are tested. Improvements to the BYU Microwave Lab RF anechoic chamber are also reported, with a focus on measurement repeatability and antenna pattern angular resolution.

Improved Soil Parameters For Lateral Pile Analysis From Full-Scale Load Tests In Cohesionless Soil, Dallin Bruce Widmer

Theses and Dissertations

One common software program developed for analyzing single laterally loaded piles is called LPILE. Soil properties are required as input into LPILE. For sands, the soil properties required are effective soil unit weight, γ’; modulus of subgrade reaction, k; and the internal friction angle,ϕ’. There are two commonly used methods to obtain ϕ’ and subsequently k: the API method and Bolton method. Using the Bolton method to determine the soil strength properties gives more accurate load deflection values with respect to measured values from field tests. The Bolton method led to a 46% reduction in the predicted deflection error compared …

Reconnaissance Investigation Of Soil-Structure Harmonics And Building Collapse Patterns In The 2024 Noto And 2016 Kumamoto Japan Earthquakes, Nathan Cole Chesnut

Theses and Dissertations

This study used ambient vibration data collected during a reconnaissance mission to assess whether harmonics between structures and the underlying soil played a significant role in the pattern of buildings that collapsed in the magnitude 7.5 Noto Japan earthquake on January 1, 2024, and the magnitude 6.2 to 7.0 Kumamoto Japan earthquake series that occurred between April 14 and 16, 2016. Portable seismometers were used to measure the natural soil and structural frequencies of vibration under ambient loading at sites in Wajima, a city located on the Noto Peninsula, and in four locations in and around Kumamoto City. Soil frequency …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Aging Techniques On Cloning Fpga-Based Configurable Ring Oscillator Pufs, Jonathan Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are reconfigurable devices that are used in industries that often require increased security. Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) are a security primitive used on FPGAs for device authentication and key generation. However, the output of a PUF can be susceptible to changes in the environment, such as voltage and temperature, as well as changes in device performance that occur due to transistor aging. Previous work has shown that it is possible to induce targeted accelerated aging in order to intentionally change a PUF response, even to the point of cloning one PUF to behave like another. …

Durability Of Lightweight Concrete Bridge Decks In Utah, Lorenzo Eusebi-Diehr

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to document and compare properties of lightweight concrete and normal-weight concrete used for construction of bridge decks and approach slabs in northern Utah. The scope of work included field and laboratory testing to characterize concrete specimens obtained from three lightweight concrete bridge deck sites and the normal-weight concrete approach slabs at one of these sites, which were recommended by the Utah Department of Transportation for evaluation, as well as laboratory testing to characterize concrete specimens obtained through previous research on lightweight and normal-weight concrete bridge decks. For field testing, a distress survey was performed …

Advancing Global Flood Inundation Mapping From Srtm To Fabdem, Taylor James Miskin

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates how elevation and hydrography inputs influence flood extent accuracy using ARC (Automated Rating Curve), a raster-based flood inundation model. It focuses on how spatial resolution and vertical accuracy, reflecting the satellite mission from which each dataset was derived, and bare-earth processing of the DEM affect the accuracy of predicted flood extents. The assessment compares four dataset combinations--FABDEM with GEOGLOWS River Forecasting System Version 1(RFS1), FABDEM with GEOGLOWS River Forecasting System Version 2(RFS2), SRTM with RFS1, and SRTM with RFS2--across five study locations: the Suncook River in New Hampshire, North Fork Kentucky River in Kentucky, Nimishillen Creek in …

Durability Of Rapid-Setting Concrete Repairs On Pavement Panels And Bridge Decks In Utah, Steven Benjamin Burdette

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to evaluate the durability of rapid-setting concrete batched using volumetric concrete mixers and placed in a cold region. The scope of work included field and laboratory evaluations of rapid-setting concrete repairs on both pavement panels and bridge decks in Utah. Six sites in northern Utah were selected by Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) personnel for evaluation. At the time of inspection, the repairs had been in service for 4 to 5 years. Field research included visual inspection, Schmidt rebound hammer testing, resistivity testing, and concrete sampling. Laboratory research included stiffness testing, compressive strength testing, …

Reconstruction Of Cad Models Into Single Trimmed Surfaces, Rebecca Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations

Classical methods by which computer-aided design (CAD) geometries are represented for both design and analysis involve meshing. However, the current process of converting a CAD model into an analysis-suitable surface mesh for the automotive industry takes a significant amount of time and labor, results in a faceted representation of the original smooth geometry, and generates representations that are prohibitively expensive for use in high-order explicit dynamics computations. This research focuses on accurately and efficiently rebuilding given CAD surfaces or meshes, such as shell-like components of automotive vehicles, into smooth, single trimmed spline surface approximations (rather than typical piecewise-linear approximations), making …

The Influence Of Leaders And Managers In Commercial Construction, Samuel F. Merrill

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores how the distinct traits of leadership and management influence supervisory effectiveness and employee experiences in Utah's commercial construction sector. While leadership and management are often conflated, this study draws on foundational literature that defines leadership as people-centered, visionary, and empowering. In contrast, management is characterized as results-driven, process-oriented, and focused on control. Using survey data from 95 individuals working in commercial construction, the study evaluates how supervisors with leadership or managerial characteristics are perceived by their teams. Supervisors were categorized based on observable behaviors selected by respondents, distinguishing leadership traits from managerial traits. Supervisors identified as leaders …