Engineering Commons^™

Impact Of Delayed Artificial Aging On Tensile Properties And Microstructural Evolution Of Directed Energy Deposited Scalmalloy®, Rachel Boillat-Newport, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Frank Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Scalmalloy® is a novel alloy designed to work with the unique processing inherent in additive manufacturing (AM). This alloy is post-processed using a single artificial aging treatment rather than a multistep heat treatment, as often noted in traditional manufacturing processes. Much of the literature details the impact of direct aging treatments around the temperature and time recommended by the manufacturer, 325 °C for 4 h; however, few studies have explored the impact of delayed artificial aging on the resulting mechanical and microstructural behavior. This study explored this missing link and determined the impact that the time between the fabrication of …

Smart Home Hvac Digital Twin Ml Meta-Model For Electric Power Distribution Systems With Solar Pv And Cta-2045 Controls, Rosemary E. Alden, Evan S. Jones, Steven B. Poore, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Building modeling, specifically heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) load and equivalent energy storage calculations, represent a key focus for decarbonization of buildings and smart grid controls. In this paper, an ultra-fast one minute resolution Hybrid Machine Learning Model (HMLM) is proposed as part of a novel contribution in the field of residential physics-based smart home surrogate modeling. Emulation of white box models, or digital twins, with editable parameters through machine learning (ML) meta-modeling serves as an alternative to wide-spread experimental big data collection. The HMLM employs combined k-means clustering with multiple linear regression (MLR) to emulate minutely HVAC power …

Quality Assurance Framework For Recovered Binders And Aggregates From Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Recycled Materials, Eslam Deef-Allah, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes that a proactive quality assurance (QA) framework for asphalt mixes with recycled materials, i.e., reclaimed asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles, should be developed. Quality control (QC) is generally concerned with the contractor's obligation to produce mixes which meet the job mix formula (JMF) targets. However, QA considers the variability in fabrication processes and materials and offers monitoring by evaluating the contractor's performance. Although both aggregate gradations and asphalt contents were within the JMF specifications, the recovered binders revealed significant differences from the contract binders in the JMF. Rheological tests indicated increased stiffness and elasticity but reduced …

A High-Temperature Lithium-Aluminum Alloy/Oxygen Or Air Fuel Cell, Sarwan S. Sandhu

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper is in support of our current effort in the development of an experimental hybrid (lithium- aluminum alloy/electrolyte/oxygen or air) fuel cell for the acquisition of the experimental data required to characterize its performance behavior. The literature-based assembled formulation provided in this paper can be used to predict the cell open-circuit electric potential, lithium amount in the cell anode alloy, and g-atom ratio of lithium to aluminum in the cell anode as a function of time at any cell discharge current level. The ohmic voltage losses can also be computed in the cell cathode, anode, and two electrolytes at …

Live Recording Of Lectures, Louise Lynch

Case studies: Digital Education

The final year module, consisting of 2-hour lectures and 2-hour tutorials, focuses on worked examples. To support students, especially those repeating the module, lectures were recorded and uploaded to Brightspace. Due to the difficulty of the subject and the small class size, in-person delivery was prioritised. The IT 360 mic was used for audio only, no video was recorded, calculations were done on OneNote Class Notebook using the pen functionality of the Surface Pro. This method gives students immediate access to worked examples. Open Broadcast Studio (OBS) was employed to manage different programmes without screen sharing interruptions, while maintaining the …

Numbas For Formative Assessment, Louise Lynch

Case studies: Digital Education

Numbas is an open-source e-assessment system aimed at mathematics and other numerate disciplines. It allows for the setup of individual assessments for students, increasing academic integrity. Numbas can autograde attempts, and the use of the Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) within Brightspace allows instructors to view attempts, monitor progress, and alter marks where applicable. This adds a valuable element for both formative and summative assessments. In this module, Numbas was used to provide students with individual parameters for the same problems as part of their continuous assessment. These problems would consist of several steps and typically take over 30 minutes to …

Incorporating Screenpal Video To Brightspace Quiz “Hints” Function, Michael O Connor

Case studies: Digital Education

I have used the quiz function in Brightspace for some time as an asynchronous learning support and formative assessment technique for various cohorts from apprentice to UG FT students. Typically, I would create several MCQ quizzes around key learning outcomes (LOs) or “muddiest point” discoveries in the classroom. These quizzes were set up to allow the students unlimited attempts, with results published automatically and all question attempts shown with correct answers. While it was effective and well received (interesting particularly by apprentices whose summative assessment results are often high stakes) I often felt it became a repetitive answer selection exercise …

Endothelial Dysfunction Promotes Age-Related Reorganization Of Collagen Fibers And Alters Aortic Biomechanics In Mice, Liya Du, Jeffrey Rodgers, Nazli Gharraee, Olivia Gary, Tarek Shazly, John F. Eberth, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Endothelial dysfunction, defined as a reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of various vascular diseases. This study investigates the effect of endothelial dysfunction on age-related changes in aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure and the relationship between microstructural adaptation and the mechanical response. Here, we used groups of NOS3 knockout (KO), NOS3 heterozygotes (Het), and wild-type (WT) B6 mice (controls) to study changes in hemodynamic parameters, collagen fiber organization, and both active and passive aortic mechanics using biaxial pressure myography over a time course from 1.5 to 12 mo. Our …

Endothelial Dysfunction Promotes Age-Related Reorganization Of Collagen Fibers And Alters Aortic Biomechanics In Mice, Liya Du, Jeffrey Rodgers, Nazli Gharraee, Olivia Gary, Tarek Shazly, John F. Eberth, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Endothelial dysfunction, defined as a reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of various vascular diseases. This study investigates the effect of endothelial dysfunction on age-related changes in aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure and the relationship between microstructural adaptation and the mechanical response. Here, we used groups of NOS3 knockout (KO), NOS3 heterozygotes (Het), and wild-type (WT) B6 mice (controls) to study changes in hemodynamic parameters, collagen fiber organization, and both active and passive aortic mechanics using biaxial pressure myography over a time course from 1.5 to 12 mo. Our …

Machine Learning For Reactor Power Monitoring With Limited Labeled Data, C. L. Stewart, B. L. Goldblum, R. G. Abbott, L. Appleby, Brett J. Borghetti, V. Hollingshead, J. H. Whetzel

Faculty Publications

Real-time reactor power monitoring is critical for a variety of nuclear applications, spanning safety, security, operations, and maintenance. While machine learning methods have shown promise in monitoring reactor power levels, there is limited research on their efficacy in label-starved environments. The goal of this work is to assess the feasibility of classifying nuclear reactor power level using multisource data in scenarios with limited labels. Data were collected using low-resolution multisensors at four nuclear reactor facilities: two large research reactors and two TRIGA reactors. Within each pair, one reactor dataset served as the source and the other as the target in …

Exploring New Applications Of Municipal Solid Waste, Harrison Appiah, Ezra Bar Ziv, Jordan L. Klinger, Armando G. Mcdonald

Michigan Tech Publications

This study aimed to (i) characterize municipal solid waste (MSW) sourced from Utah and Michigan transfer stations and (ii) upcycle, produce, and evaluate composites derived from this MSW. Composition analysis showed that the MSW was composed of a variety of commodity plastics, paper/cardboard, and inorganic materials. Detailed chemical analysis for lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lipids was performed. The plastics identified were mainly polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly (ethylene terephthalate). The compoundability of the MSW was assessed by torque rheometry. Composites were prepared by compounding the MSW in an extruder. A composite flexural strength of 29 MPa and a modulus of …

Turbulence Numerical Simulation Of Flow Characteristics Of Laval Nozzle Top Blow Jet, Ai Liang Chen, Yao Liu, Zi Biao Wang, Huan Wu Zhan, Xue Xian Jiang, Feng Long Sun, Jiann Yang Hwang, Xi Jun Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

The turbulent characteristics of the top-blown Laval nozzle and the influence of pressure and Mach number were studied through numerical simulation. With 2.72% error between the results and the empirical formula, the results are reliable. Nozzle fluid is influenced by pipe structure, causing pressure and density to drop as speed increases. Differences in pressure and velocity between the jet and surrounding gas lead to jet velocity attenuation, flow expansion, deflection, and eddy currents. The optimal top blowing pressure is 0.6 MPa, and the center velocity and width of the jet are 345 m/s and 0.124 m, respectively, at 20De (De …

Analytical Dispatch Strategies For Pumped Storage Hydro: A Conditional Dynamic Programming Approach To Discontinuous Multi-Period Optimization Problems, Jian Liu, Jianwen Zhang, Zaiwu Gong, Donald C. Wunsch, Rui Bo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The increasing integration of renewable energy sources like wind and solar poses significant challenges to secure and stable grid operation. Energy storage systems, particularly pumped storage hydro (PSH), play a crucial role in balancing power supply and demand. Traditional analytical studies of PSH economic dispatch problems often assume zero lower bounds for generating and pumping rates to simplify analysis and derive analytical solutions for multi-period optimization problems. However, the inherent mechanical design constraints of PSH require non-zero minimum flow rates for efficient operation. We analyze two scenarios, merchants having PSH only and merchants having both PSH and wind farms. In …

Drying Reduces The Total Pfas Concentration In Biosolids And Alters The Pfas Profile, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Jessica Calteux, Eric Redman, Taryn Mcknight, Lynne Moss, Webster Hoener, Scott Carr, Zhongzhe Liu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

While per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not actually generated at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), utilities are being forced to consider PFAS in biosolids management plans due to mounting political pressure and pending regulations. Emerging thermal technologies including pyrolysis, gasification, and super critical water oxidation have garnered recent attention for PFAS destruction. Drying, however, is a conventional technology that might also be a tool for utilities to manage PFAS in biosolids, but research on the impacts of drying on PFAS in biosolids is scarce. The objective of this research was to determine how drying affected the fate of PFAS …

Ptap Memo: Methods For Tn Reduction Of Sewering, Unh Stormwater Center

UNH Stormwater Center

No abstract provided.

Shear-Thinning Hydrogel For Delayed Delivery Of A Small Molecule Metalloproteinase Inhibitor Attenuates Myocardial Infarction Remodeling, Joshua E. Mealy, William M. Torres, Lisa A. Freeburg, Shayne C. Barlow, Alison A. Whalen, Chima V. Maduka, Tarek Shazly, Jason A. Burdick, Francis G. Spinale

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Electrochemical Hydrogen Pump – Methods To Combat Co Poisoning, Neha Namburi

ENGR 310: Technical Writing Final Project

As global demand for hydrogen grows, both as a clean energy carrier and an industrial fuel, electrochemical hydrogen pumps (EHPs) are gaining attention for their ability to separate and compress hydrogen efficiently. EHPs work by selectively drawing hydrogen from low-pressure hydrogen gas mixtures and electrochemically converting it into high-purity, high-pressure hydrogen. EHPs are particularly useful for purifying hydrogen from industrial byproducts like syngas, an industrial mixture containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO). However, CO binds to the platinum catalyst used in EHPs and reduces its effectiveness – a problem known as catalyst poisoning.

This literature review explores a range of …

Multiphase Iterative Algorithm For Mixed-Integer Optimal Control, Chaoying Pei, Sixiong You, Yu Di, Ran Dai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mixed-integer optimal control problems (MIOCPs) frequently arise in the domain of optimal control problems (OCPs) when decisions including integer variables are involved. However, existing state-of-the-art approaches for solving MIOCPs are often plagued by drawbacks such as high computational costs, low precision, and compromised optimality. In this study, we propose a novel multiphase scheme coupled with an iterative second-order cone programming (SOCP) algorithm to efficiently and effectively address these challenges in MIOCPs. In the first phase, we relax the discrete decision constraints and account for the terminal state constraints and certain path constraints by introducing them as penalty terms in the …

Amplification In Mems Rlc Circuits For Enhanced Sensitivity And Mems Applications, Mutaz Mohd Hamdi Al Fayad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have garnered significant attention due to their unique characteristics, including small size, high sensitivity, and cost-effective mass production. While electrostatic actuation offers low power consumption, it requires high voltage to move the MEMS structure, posing a challenge for applications such as RF switches and MEMS resonator-based sensors. Reducing the required input voltage for electrostatic MEMS remains a key research focus.

This thesis investigates voltage amplification in electrostatic MEMS through integration with resonant RLC circuits. By leveraging resonance, optimized configurations are designed to maximize voltage gain and enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. Through theoretical modeling and simulations using MATLAB …

Towards Universal Non-Dimensional Characterization Of The Oscillatory Dynamics Of Wind Turbine Rotors Of Multiple Sizes, North Yates, Fernando L. Ponta, Alayna Farrell

Michigan Tech Publications

One concern in the field of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) is what control strategies are needed to handle gust pulses in the wind to prevent extreme oscillations of the blades to reduce fatigue stress, prevent blade rupture, and extend the turbine’s operational life. In order to design innovative control strategies to modify the blade’s oscillatory response, it is crucial to establish the fundamental vibrational behavior of the blades when excited by gust pulses of different frequencies and amplitudes present in the fluctuating wind inflow. In a series of previous works, the authors presented a novel Reduced-Order Characterization (ROC) technique …

Graduate School Blog - April 2025 Volume 1, Cynthia Haynes

UofM Grad School Blog

The April 2025 UofM Graduate School Blog highlights a month full of events, stories, and celebrations, beginning with Dr. Deborah Tollefsen’s personal graduate school journey, shared during the “Is Graduate School Right for Me?” virtual workshop an inspiring narrative of resilience, mentorship, and finding purpose through education. This edition also spotlights Graduate Student Appreciation Week, featuring a robust lineup of events such as a virtual town hall, resume and job market workshop, student social and awards ceremony, study session, and social dinners all designed to support, celebrate, and connect the UofM graduate student community. With opportunities to hear from …

Enhancing Remote Sensing Imagery Temporal Resolution Using Starfm Data Fusion Approach For Improved Land Surface Monitoring, Ahmadreza Pourghodrat

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

High-resolution remote sensing imagery plays a critical role in various domains, such as farm-level agricultural operations, environmental monitoring, and natural resource management. However, data with high spatial resolution typically have low temporal resolution, and those with high temporal resolution often lack spatial detail. For example, Landsat 8 and 9 satellites deliver high spatial resolution images with a 30-meter pixel size but suffer from low temporal resolution, with a 16-day revisit cycle. In contrast, satellites like MODIS and VIIRS provide daily images but with a much coarser spatial resolution (375 meters or more), reducing spatial details. Additionally, there is a lack …

The Effects Of Snow Cover On The Dynamic Pressure Of Nuclear Detonation Blast Waves, Adam Card, Andrew W. Decker

Faculty Publications

Blast pressure is the primary military targeting metric for nuclear weapons. Any local conditions that affect blast pressure have the potential for altering nuclear plans, both from defensive and offensive standpoints. Understanding the impact of snow to the blast wave, therefore, provides a benefit both to military planners and to warfighters on the ground, for any operation occurring in arctic environments. No existing data provides a quantitative description of how snow on the ground affects a nuclear detonation blast wave passing over it. Similar blast waves passing over dust have experimentally proven to enhance blast pressure in a localized region.1 …

Distribution Comparisons Of Eac Cost Growth For Aircraft Work Breakdown Structure Elements, Kyle P. Marquis, Edward D. White, Brandon M. Lucas, Robert D. Fass, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Shawn M. Valentine

Faculty Publications

This article analyzes and investigates the distribution of cost growth of the Estimate at Completion (EAC) for the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) elements of approximately 60 historical United States Acquisition Category I Research, Development, Test and Evaluation aircraft programs. Using the method of maximum likelihood in conjunction with the Akaike Information Criterion, the authors suggest that both the lognormal and Weibull distributions provide relatively good fit to EAC cost growth, with the lognormal slightly edging out the Weibull. As a summarized finding, the authors present their empirical results for the mean, coefficient of variation (CV), the 15th and 85th percentiles …

Utilization Of Paper Sludge Ash In Geotechnical Engineering – Review, Kyungwon Lee, Hoyoung Lee, Junwoo Shin, Byounghooi Choi, Jinwoo An, Jiannan Chen, Boo Hyun Nam

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The pulp and paper industry has grown and created tremendous volumes of byproducts (e.g., fly ash) via combustion process. Unfortunately, most of them are being landfilled; in the meantime, environmental regulations restrict the disposal in landfill because of high disposal cost and reduced land due to urbanization. Therefore, the pulp and paper industries urgently seek for its beneficial reuse and one of the most cost-effective applications is a building and construction sector, particularly its reuse as geomaterials such as stabilizing soils. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the beneficial use of the paper sludge ash (PSA) in geotechnical engineering …

Sorption-Based Lithium Extraction From Diverse Brines Using Aluminium-Based Adsorbent, Mohsen Farrokhrouz, Mahdi Madelatparvar, Yasaman Boroumand, Amin Sarmadi, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As demand and pressures to produce more lithium increases in the world in a more cost effective and environmentally sustainable, the existing proven methods such as aluminate-based adsorption should be adapted and combined with naturally heated brines to reduce cost, complexity and carbon footprint of production. In this study, an improved type of aluminate-based adsorbent was utilized to adsorb Li content of different brine sources, to show the relationship between the performance of the adsorbent and other factors in the brine. Different brine samples were synthesised from various geographical locations around the world to check the adsorption capacity of the …

Long-Term Techno-Economic Analysis Considering System Strength And Reliability Shortfalls Of Electric Vehicle-To-Grid-Systems Installations Integrated With Renewable Energy Generators Using Hybrid Gru-Classical Optimization Method, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Daryoush Habibi, Paul Moses

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Higher penetration of Electric Vehicle-to-Grid charging stations (EV2GCSs) in power grids integrated with renewable energy generators (REGs) result in system-instabilities raising the risk of blackout issues. Although techno-economic feasibility of EV2GCSs has been identified within the literature addressing power outage and financial concerns as a contemporary solution, no long-term techno-economic analysis has been investigated considering system strength and reliability shortfalls before the EV2GCSs installation. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the long-term (2025–2045) techno-economic analysis of EV2GCSs into REGs-integrated grid systems by accounting for system strength and reliability factors. A novel optimization framework is developed, combining Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) …

Transdisciplinary Collaborations For Advancing Sustainable And Resilient Agricultural Systems, Brooke Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Feeding the growing human population sustainably amidst climate change is one of the most important challenges in the 21st century. Current practices often lead to the overuse of agronomic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and water, resulting in environmental contamination and diminishing returns on crop productivity. The complexity of agricultural systems, involving plant-environment interactions and human management, presents significant scientific and technical challenges for developing sustainable practices. Addressing these challenges necessitates transdisciplinary research, involving intense collaboration among fields such as plant science, engineering, computer science, and social sciences. Five case studies are presented here demonstrating successful transdisciplinary approaches toward more …

Next-Generation Biomedical Implants And Stimuli Responsive Soft Optical Arrays Via Surface Functionalized Elastomeric Materials, John M. Kapitan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The demands of emerging technologies, such as soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and next generation biomedical implants, has led to the development of diverse polymeric and hybrid organic/inorganic materials specifically tuned to meet these challenges. These materials typically have low Young’s moduli and are inert with high chemical stability. However, this has led to materials that are static in nature, lacking any meaningful way of responding to changes in their environment and adapting to these changes. This has driven a shift towards the design, manufacturing, and characterization of various stimuli responsive surfaces, relying on precise control of surface chemical coatings and …

Intersectional Predictors Of Early Mathematics Identity Among Underrepresented Engineering-Interested Students, Douglas D. Havard, Adriana Quirós-Arauz

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines the intersectional factors influencing early mathematics identity development among underrepresented secondary students (grades 9-10) with aspirations in engineering. Mathematics identity is a well-established predictor of long-term persistence in engineering, making its early formation critical to understanding student retention in the engineering pipeline. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's bioecological framework, this study situates learning within nested layers of influence. Using data form the nationally representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), which includes over 23,000 9th-graders, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted. The analysis examined intersections of race and gender identity across 16 variables spanning individual, micro-, meso-, …