Engineering Commons^™

Posture - A Framework With Measures And Mediating Effects In Support Of A Structural Model For Attitude In Identity Formation, Christopher Kyle Prather

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation develops a framework and new, valid, abbreviated instruments for researching engineering identity formation as an evolving relational and attitudinal development process rather than a fixed outcome. The framework centers on “posture”, a mediating effect analogous to physical posture in human factors engineering. The investigation was unique, and developed evidence for a structural model using an interdisciplinary, systems-oriented approach. Methodologically, a clinical measure of internal emotional states from the Marriage and Family Therapy literature was administered alongside existing scales for perseverance, perceived workload, and psychological ownership. This study used the broad coverage of the clinical instrument to search for …

Evaluation Of The Performance Of The Traveling Wave Differential Element In Protective Relays, Niranjan Kc

Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the dependability, security, and limitations of the traveling wave differential protection function (TW87) in modern time-domain-based protective relays, using a combination of simulations and hardware testing in a laboratory environment. Fault transients are first generated using the electromagnetic transients program model of a real, 230 kV, 65.7 km long overhead transmission line, which are then played back on real time-domain-based protective relays. Various fault scenarios are chosen to evaluate the impacts of factors such as fault inception angle, distance to fault from line terminals, fault type, fault impedance, and external faults on the relay functions’ performance. Results …

The Design Of Coplanar Waveguide Traveling-Wave Kinetic-Impedance Parametric Amplifiers, Jordan Scott Savoie

Master's Theses

Astronomical observations and many physics experiments rely on cryogenic amplifiers for readout. Current sensitivity is limited by the noise figure of high-electronmobility transistor (HEMT) amplifiers, which have proven di!cult to decrease further in recent years. Traveling-wave kinetic-impedance parametric amplifiers (TKIPAs) are an emerging class of amplifiers which have the potential to substantially improve the sensitivity of microwave low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) while also accepting relatively high input powers and amplifying over a wide bandwidth. In this thesis, I present the design, modeling, and testing procedures for coplanar waveguide (CPW) TKIPAs developed by our group at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Using …

Advancing Rfid Systems: From Head Orientation To Robotic Localization Using Passive Tags, Guilherme Ricardo Mendes Da Silva Barreto De Figueiredo

Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Envisioned And Efficient Design Of Next Generation Decentralized Iot Bot Detection Model, Ahmed Abdullah Almalki

Doctoral Dissertations

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) are revolutionizing critical infrastructures, but their expansion has also introduced severe cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Traditional IoT Bot Detection Systems (IBDS) struggle to scale in environments characterized by high-dimensional, large-scale, and redundant network traffic. These challenges hinder the development of reliable cloud-based intrusion detection systems. The limitations of static and rulebased methods in detecting evolving IoT botnet attacks—such as those launched by Mirai and Gafgyt—underscore the need for intelligent, adaptive approaches. To address this, the present study proposes a machine learning and deep learning-driven IoT Botnet Detection Model, validated through …

Developing Deep Learning Methods For Cognitive Impairment Detection Based On Non-Invasive Data, Muath Alsuhaibani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment detection is on the rise to help reduce the burden of healthcare costs on institutions and individuals. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline progressing to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or AD-related Dementia (ADRD). Detecting the early stages of AD/ADRD is crucial for early interventions among older adults to mitigate cognitive decline over time. However, the current diagnostic methods are often costly and/or invasive, such as MRI and PET scans. Thus, the search for non-invasive and cost-effective screening tools for the early detection of cognitive impairment using speech, language, visual, and motor data is growing. …

Equilibration And Transport Of Binary Mixtures On Planar And Porous Nanomaterials, Andrew Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We present results of a Kinetic Monte Carlo investigation of the adsorption dynamics of binary gas mixtures on planar and porous sorbents, with a focus on identifying and characterizing kinetic processes involved in uptake evolution and how they influence equilibrium conditions. We also investigate varying thermodynamic simulation parameters such as interactions, alkane lengths, partial pressures and pore configurations to determine how they impact these kinetic processes as well as equilibrium properties. This study matters both for better understanding how kinetics and equilibrium are connected and for improving practical techniques in separation applications. For planar surfaces, weak species overshoot kinetic processes …

Surgeon Ergonomics While Performing Total Knee Arthroplasty, Cameron Dahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most prevalent hazards to orthopedic surgeons are musculoskeletal disorders with 97% of arthroplasty surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal pain and 66% of orthopedic surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal injury [1], [2], [3]. With the annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKA) on the rise, orthopedic surgeons are taking on larger annual caseloads and retiring later in life [4], [5]. The goal of this study was to quantify postural demand for 11 discrete surgical steps of TKA to identify ergonomically unfavorable positions surgeons experience while operating. Four orthopedic surgeons performed TKA while their motions were recorded using marker-based motion capture. …

Influence Of Obesity On Knee Joint Mechanics: A Subject-Specific Musculoskeletal Modeling Approach, Ryan C. Knowles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has been consistently linked to knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a debilitating joint disease. While prior work has shown that obese individuals often walk with altered biomechanics compared to normal-weight (NW) individuals, which may accelerate KOA progression, less is known about how these mechanics affect load distribution between the medial and lateral tibiofemoral (TF) compartments, particularly during higher-demand activities. This study developed subject-specific musculoskeletal models of five obese and five NW individuals, incorporating CT-based bone measurements and individualized joint contact points. Simulations were driven by six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) kinematics obtained from high-speed stereo radiography (HSSR) to predict TF loading and associated …

Calcium-Ion Transport In Gel And Solid Polymer Electrolytes: From Solvent-Solute Interactions To Molecular Simulations For Next-Generation Calcium Batteries, Xinlu Wang

Dissertations - ALL

Multivalent metal-ion batteries, especially calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) systems, are attractive alternatives to lithium-ion technologies owing to their high theoretical energy density, improved safety profiles, and abundant natural resources. Nevertheless, the successful commercialization of these technologies is impeded by challenges in electrolyte development, particularly related to cation solvation, ion transport efficiency, and interfacial stability. This dissertation addresses these challenges through comprehensive experimental investigations and molecular dynamics simulations of polymer-based electrolytes designed explicitly for multivalent cation conduction. In the first study, polymer gel electrolytes comprising poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and low dielectric solvents—1,3-dioxolane (DOL) and dimethoxyethane (DME)—with calcium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Ca(TFSI)₂) …

Resolvent-Based And Data-Driven Analysis Of A Supersonic Rectangular Multistream Jet, Miteshkumar Thakor

Dissertations - ALL

Coherent structures play a key role in uncovering and predicting the underlying physics of complex turbulent flows. This dissertation employs data-driven and operator-based techniques to investigate spatiotemporal correlated structures of a complex supersonic multi-stream rectangular jet. The nozzle configuration comprises three primary shear layers: (i) an upper shear layer (USL) formed by the flow on the upper single-sided expansion ramp stream and the freestream, (ii) a splitter plate shear layer (SPSL) generated by the mixing of a core Mach 1.23 stream with a bypass Mach 1 stream at the splitter plate trailing edge (SPTE) and (iii) a lower shear layer …

Cost-Effectiveness Model For Reservoir Sediment Management Economics, Connor Ronald Hale

Theses and Dissertations

Reservoir sediment deposition poses a challenge to sustainable water supplies around the world. Sediment management has proven to be an expensive endeavor. Two models have been developed to guide economic analysis for reservoir sediment management, namely the Reservoir Sediment Economics Model (RSEM) and the Reservoir Conservation Model 2 (RESCON 2). While these are helpful tools for benefit-cost prefeasibility studies, they rely heavily on sometimes elusive estimations of the benefits of water supply. In this study, a new method for economic analysis is proposed that foregoes benefit-cost analysis in favor of a cost-effectiveness approach. The Sediment Management Cost-Effectiveness Model ranks sediment …

A Hieratical Control Framework For Assessing Ev’S Impact On Residential Energy Flexibility, Yuewei Li

Dissertations - ALL

With the development of the power grid, the world's industries and economies have experienced a significant boost over the past centuries. However, as the demand for electricity from the grid continues to grow, utility markets face increasingly challenging tasks in balancing supply and demand. Additionally, integrating renewable energy sources such as solar, hydroelectric, and wind power into the grid adds further complexities to maintaining grid stability. In the United States, buildings account for about 76% of electricity consumption and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, making them a major contributor to peak demand, which is nearly 80%. Therefore, buildings play a …

Quantify The Impact Of Occupant Behavior On Building Retrofits To Achieve Net-Zero Target Under Future Climates, Pratik Raj Pandey

Dissertations - ALL

It is estimated that about 40% of all the electricity generated in the United States is consumed by the building sector. This scale of energy use by buildings can be understood by the fact that the U.S. alone consumes approximately 20% of all the energy produced globally, despite having only about 4.23% of the world's population. Given the threats posed by climate change, it is necessary to curtail the energy demand of this sector. Additionally, global climate change has increased the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme climate events like heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Given the …

Köppen-Geiger Climate Effects On F-15 Readiness Spares Package Parts, Maximus A. Fan

Theses and Dissertations

Readiness Spares Packages (RSP) are critical to deployed operations. Future demands of the Air Force require squadrons to operate in different climate environments from home stations. RSPs can sustain aircraft maintenance operations for up to 30 days. Currently, failure rates of parts within the RSP are assumed to be constant. This research aims to explore whether there is a difference in F-15 RSP failure rates when Koeppen climate classifications are taken into effect. The Koeppen-Geiger system classifies area climates based on the geography, elevation, and location. The history of operations and diversity of F-15 locations make the aircraft an ideal …

Improving High Frequency Absorptive Filters For Quantum Computing, Christopher B. Sutton

Graduate Masters Theses

Coaxial transmission lines in superconducting quantum circuits are subject to infrared radiation (IR) leakage as signals travel from room temperature (≈ 300 K) to low temperature (≈ 10 mK). Current experimental configurations typically include an epoxy based filter on all cables connecting classical devices (pulse generators, VNA, etc.) to the quantum circuit. The epoxy is characterized by its dielectric properties per unit length and acts as an absorber, attenuating IR noise. Historically, such IR filters have been fabricated by the experimentalists who require them, more recently they have become commercially available. This work investigates the performance of filters which were …

Re-Engaging Driver Attention Using Chatgpt: A Multimodal Study On Stress Impact And Driving Performance, Alaa Zaki Elfiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Driving is considered a complex task that requires continuous focus and attention from the driver. Driving performance can also be impacted by changes in the driver’s stress level. However, limited research explores methods to address this challenge. With the current advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) and their ability to engage in human-like interaction, this study investigates the potential of using ChatGPT, designed to speak Egyptian Arabic, in re-engaging driver attention under different driving scenarios for low-stress and high-stress conditions within a virtual reality (VR) environment driving simulator. Drivers were asked to follow a leading car into two scenarios with …

Analyzing The Impact Of Passive Techniques On Aircraft Wing Hysteresis: An Experimental And Numerical Study, Brendan Worton

Masters Theses

This study investigates the effects of passive flow control techniques on aerodynamic hysteresis primarily in NACA 2412 (cambered) and 0012 (symmetric) wings. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to design and evaluate three passive techniques, including outward-facing dimples, leading-edge tubercles, and rectangular vortex generators, prior to experimental validation. These techniques demonstrated improvements in aerodynamic performance in CFD simulations and were therefore selected for wind tunnel testing to analyze their aerodynamic performance and influence on hysteresis behavior. A custom, cost-effective experimental setup was designed and developed to facilitate efficient angle-of-attack control and data acquisition. It incorporates a three-axis force sensor, stepper …

Investigation Of A Divergent Triangle Construct For Internal Fixation Of Vertical Femoral Neck Fractures Using Experimental And Finite Element Analysis Methods, Hannah Rainey

Masters Theses

Hip fractures are a significant public health issue as they are a commonly encountered problem and have a high rate of mortality. The fracture of the femoral neck is difficult to treat due to the geometry of the proximal femur and the weight-bearing capacity that the structure must comply with. Internal fixation of the femoral neck is often accomplished with three screws inserted along the axis of the femoral neck. The optimal configuration and number of these screws is not agreed upon in the literature. The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot investigation on the biomechanical performance …

Early Detection Of Oak Wilt Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uav) & Computer Vision, Muttaki I. Bismoy

Masters Theses

Forests are critical ecosystems, delivering services such as biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, timber production, and recreation. However, they face increasing threats from pathogens like Bretziella fagacearum, which causes Oak Wilt, a lethal disease that disrupts water transport in oak trees, leading to canopy dieback and eventual death. Traditional detection methods rely on manual ground surveys, which are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to error, particularly in early disease stages.

This research presents an automated, scalable, high-precision Oak Wilt detection system using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) combined with deep learning-based computer vision. Expanding on earlier work with a lightweight CNN achieving an …

A Control Theoretic Approach To The Stochastic Multi-Armed Bandit Problem With Applications In Hyperparameter Optimization, Jonathan Gornet

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Decision-making under uncertainty is a fundamental problem encountered frequently in many real-world applications. This challenge has been rigorously formulated as the Stochastic Multi-Armed Bandit (SMAB) problem, which consists of a learner interacting with an environment. For each interaction, the learner selects an action and then receives a reward from the environment based on the chosen action. The learner's objective is to maximize the accumulated reward over a set number of rounds. This thesis addresses the SMAB problem by leveraging the field of Control Theory and dynamical systems. We specifically focus on a SMAB environment where the rewards are the output …

Photolysis Of Emerging Agricultural Applications Under Environmental Conditions, Kun-Pu Ho

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Novel agricultural applications are rapidly emerging to protect crops from weeds or pests in the US and worldwide. Isoxaflutole is a proherbicide considered agriculturally significant because it controls weeds that have developed resistance to other commonly used herbicides. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) technology is regarded as a next-generation biopesticide because the technology has less toxicity to humans and more specificity to pests than traditional pesticides, which pose risks to the environment and the health of humans and livestock. However, we cannot disregard the possible risks of the emerging proherbicides and biopesticides to humans or non-target organisms. Therefore, the study …

Developing Aerosol Representation In Atmospheric Modeling, Inderjeet Singh

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Ambient aerosols affect climate and air quality in the Earth system. Global chemical transport models used to study these impacts require an accurate representation of aerosols in terms of shape, composition, and vertical distribution. For example, despite having a complex morphology, mineral dust is often treated as spherical particles in these models. This can lead to errors in optical properties calculations, trace gas retrievals, and heterogeneous chemistry. Similarly, inaccurate representation of the vertical distribution of smoke particles in these models can lead to uncertainties in air quality assessments. Aerosol composition also plays a critical role in determining radiative forcing and …

Design And Evaluation Of An Electromagnetic Band Gap Structure For Self-Interference Reduction In Mmwave Full-Duplex Systems, Adewale Kehinde Oladeinde

Dissertations and Theses

Full-duplex (FD) wireless is a new technology that allows a device to transmit and receive at the same time and on the same frequency band. It has the potential to double the capacity and spectral efficiency of a wireless link compared to the family of conventional half-duplex wireless systems. The key challenge in implementing FD wireless communication is self-interference (SI): a node's transmitting signal generates significant interference to its receiver. Several previous studies have demonstrated the potential to reduce SI and develop FD radios; however, these studies are mostly limited to sub-6 GHz systems. Previous and on-going research explored various …

Impact Analysis On Silicone Breast Implants Using In Vitro Experiments And Finite Element Analysis, Brenna Marie Tiernan

Masters Theses

Silicone breast implants are commonly used in breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures. Mentor introduced two newer models of silicone gel-filled implants, the MemoryGel^TM Xtra and MemoryGel^TM Boost, designed to increase the gel fill and projection of the implants while reducing wrinkling and rippling of the shell. Modifications to the shape and fill of these implants may result in different mechanical responses under compressive or impact loading conditions. To investigate whether these structural differences influence implant behavior, in vitro drop testing and finite element analysis (FEA) simulations were conducted, focusing on impact forces, internal stresses, and deformation patterns experienced …

Development Of Turbulence Models For Prediction Of Hypersonic Flows Using Compressibility Corrections And Uncertainty Quantification With Emphasis On The Wray-Agarwal Model, Aidan Robert Murphy

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Accurate prediction of high-speed compressible turbulent flows remains one of the most significant challenges in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), especially in the realm of hypersonic vehicle design. These flow regimes involve significant aerodynamic heating and shock-wave boundary layer interactions (SBLI) which remain a significant challenge for the current CFD prediction capabilities. While Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) provide high-fidelity solutions, their computational demands limit their usability, making the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations an efficient alternative for many industrial aerodynamic applications. Traditional RANS techniques, while computationally efficient, often provide limited accuracy in high-speed flows due to the presence …

Development, Numerical Simulation, And Optimization Of Quiet Supersonic Transport Aircraft And Extension Of The Wray-Agarwal Algebraic Transition Model To Include Compressibility And Crossflow Effects, Dean Ryan-Simmons

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In the first part of this thesis, the goal of the research is to implement and extend multi fidelity methods for conceptual design and optimization of a commercial supersonic transport (SST). Most modern commercial aircraft operate at a cruise condition between Mach 0.7 and 0.9, as this is the optimal trade-off of flight efficiency, operational cost, and adherence of noise regulations for overland travel. Advancements in aviation propulsion fuel efficiency and design materials suggests a primary restraint on commercial supersonic transport is noise regulations. At speeds above Mach 1, the shock waves generated by the airframe are strong enough to …

Multi-Layer Support For Component-Based Cyber-Physical Systems Applications, Oren Bell

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Component-based design is a paradigm meant to aid in development of software applications by modularizing different functionalities of a system. This building-block approach is used extensively in cyber–physical and robotic systems. Common and established solutions to specific problems, such as perception nodes, state estimators, and motion planners, can be developed, verified, and reused as off-the-shelf modules. These modules may be integrated atop today’s heterogeneous hardware platforms, where an application can be distributed across GPUs, FPGAs, and CPU cores. When heterogeneous computational devices share the workload of a collection of components, the very act of integration may inject timing uncertainty. For …

Moment Ensemble Approaches For Estimation And Robust Quantum Control, Andre Luiz Paes De Lima

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Large-scale population dynamics governed by ensemble systems present significant challenges due to their inherently high dimensionality. Recent advances have demonstrated the effectiveness of moment-based methods (particularly those employing polynomial bases such as Legendre and Chebyshev polynomials) when integrated with optimization techniques for control design in ensemble systems. However, these methods have not been extensively explored for enhancing robustness against systematic noise, nor have they been widely applied to complex quantum systems involving multi-parameter configurations and entanglement phenomena. In this work, we extend the application of moment methods in ensemble systems through two projects. Initially by developing a Kalman filter analogue, …

Transition And Instability Characteristics Of The Separated Shear Layer Formed At Low Reynolds Number Over Three-Dimensional Irregular Rough Surface, Ganesh Kt Mr

Theses and Dissertations

The present experimental work investigates the effects of irregularly roughened surfaces and imposed streamwise pressure gradients on the topological, transitional, and instability characteristics of the laminar separated shear layer (SSL). Experiments are conducted in the low-speed wind tunnel for 𝑅𝑒𝑡=30000, based on the thickness of the airfoil model, t, and freestream turbulence intensity, fst = 0.8%. The airfoil model used in this study features a semicircular leading edge followed by a constant-thickness flat portion and a pitchable trailing-edge flap. Test conditions include two rough surfaces: sandblasted (SB) and sand-deposited (SD), and flap deflections: 𝛽=−30° and 𝛽=+30°, imposing adverse (APG) and …