Engineering Commons^™

Ultrafast Laser Surface Structuring For Wettability Control On Copper, Akshay Arvind Nagvenkar

All Theses

Wettability is a crucial surface property influencing various phenomena, including heat transfer, cell adhesion, and corrosion. Engineering devices can achieve superior performance by precisely manipulating surface wettability. As a result, extensive research has focused on developing surfaces that exhibit either extreme water attraction (superhydrophilic) or strong water repellency (superhydrophobic). Tailoring surface wettability paves the way for numerous applications, such as drag reduction in marine vessels, controlled drug delivery, efficient water collection, advanced liquid transport systems, oil-water separation, anti-corrosion coatings, friction reduction, and self-cleaning materials. Ultrafast laser surface structuring is a promising approach for engineering multifunctional surfaces, effectively modifying material properties …

Impacts Of Cognitive Workload On Veteran Driver Reaction Time: Predictive Modeling Using Bayesian And Machine Learning Methods, Kenneth Ofosu-Kwabe

All Theses

In high-demand environments, the ability to manage cognitive workload can mean the difference between optimal or safe performance and critical failure or accidents. Veterans face an elevated risk of fatal motor vehicle accidents due to post-deployment stress, combat-related injuries, and challenges readjusting to civilian driving. This study explores how cognitive workload affects reaction time performance using a driving simulator by collecting and analyzing subjective workload ratings (using the NASA-TLX survey), physiological signals from eye-tracking and performance data from a sample of 28 Veterans.

We examined how task difficulty, cognitive indicators and personal attributes influence reaction times across an interactive driving …

Bim-Based Automated System For Carbon Emissions And Construction Costs Estimation (Bas-Cc) In Modular Design And Production, Roshan Bandiwadekar

All Theses

Modular construction adopts a manufacturing-like construction process, enhancing the management of embodied carbon emissions in production and construction phases. However, estimating these emissions presents challenges due to the involvement of diverse stakeholders across various lifecycle stages. Additionally, cost considerations often influence design choices and material selections in modular constructions, neglecting the impact of embodied carbon emissions. To address these challenges, we present a proof-of-concept for an automated Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based system to estimate both carbon emissions and construction costs. This system automates the calculation of embodied carbon and cost implications of different modular designs and materials, enabling informed decision-making. …

Essential Components For A Uas Standard Operating Procedure Manual For State Departments Of Transportation, Nurudeen Segun Lawal

All Theses

The integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) has become increasingly essential for improving efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance in transportation operations. However, the lack of a standardized approach to UAS program management has resulted in variability in policies, procedures, and implementation strategies across state agencies. This study examines how state DOTs incorporate the Association of Unscrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Organizational Implementation Guide (OIG) 35 essential components into their UAS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identifies 13 additional components that address agency-specific operational, regulatory, and administrative needs. Through an analysis of publicly available SOPs …

Multi-Domain Machine Learning For Biological Classification: Mallard Classification And Protein Function Prediction, Tolulope Samuel Adeyina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Multi-domain machine learning applications have revolutionized how we understand and predict complex biological phenomena. This dissertation presents novel computational methodologies addressing two critical problems: mallard classification using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and protein function prediction via interpretable topic-aware peptide embeddings. The research focuses on distinguishing mallard populations through SNP data, which are inherently characterized by ultra-high dimensionality. The research uses advanced feature-selection and dimensionality-reduction strategies alongside machine learning classification algorithms to identify minimal, yet highly predictive SNP sets crucial for accurate breed differentiation. This framework demonstrates robust performance with optimal computational efficiency, significantly aiding conservation and breed management efforts. Furthermore, the …

Binary Solid/Liquid Equilibrium Of Mixtures Of Thermally Robust Salts And Molecular Compounds For Use As Heat Transfer Fluids, Jared Ridge Mathews

Honors Theses

Fossil fuels, contributors to climate change that may bear catastrophic consequences, power the entire world. The human species is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for energy, but other sources of renewable and environmentally friendly energy must be developed. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising source of renewable energy with hampered potential—better heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are needed for it to be economically feasible. Currently, the HTFs in industrial use are predominantly either synthetic oils or nitrate-based molten salts. Synthetic oils are only stable up to 400 °C, and molten salts often have high melting temperatures, making them prone …

Design And Optimization Of Aquaculture Gear: Development Of A Cage-Integrated Reeling Mechanism For Oyster Farming, Felicity Bryant

Honors Theses

This project encompasses the design, fabrication, and testing of a cage-integrated reeling system aimed at reducing the physical labor required in oyster aquaculture at Bama Bay Oyster Farm, the last operational oyster farm in Mobile Bay. The proposed system includes two primary components: lightweight, modular oyster cages and a dual-winch reeling device for automated retrieval. Three cage prototypes—rectangular, oval, and hexagonal—were evaluated for structural performance and fabrication feasibility. The oval design was ultimately excluded due to practical fabrication limitations. The rectangular and hexagonal designs were fabricated using recycled materials and tested under the most extreme environmental conditions derived from years …

Life Cycle Analysis Of Cosmetic Products -- Assessing Environmental Sustainability And Potential Impacts, Karina Magro Machado

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The cosmetic industry has a significant environmental footprint due to its reliance on water, energy, petrochemical-derived ingredients, and plastic-based packaging. This study performs a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of three cosmetic products: CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion, bareMinerals Gen Nude Powder Blush, and Gillette Foamy Regular Shave Cream. The analysis was conducted using OpenLCA software and free databases, modeling each product across raw materials, packaging, manufacturing, transportation, use and end-of-life phases. The results showed that the shave cream had the highest environmental burden to three out of the four categories, especially in consumption and carbon …

Autonomous Search And Rescue: Real-Time Drone And Robotic Dog Integration, Robert Alexander

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

Common robotic navigation techniques often utilize GPS to set up the robot’s reference frame, which is not possible in environments, such as indoor facilities, underground passages, and disaster zones, where GPS is not available. This research explores the integration of a Boston Dynamics Spot robot with a Tello drone to form a non-GPS-based autonomous navigation system. By leveraging coordinate transformation logic, this study enables real-time aerial reconnaissance and ground-based waypoint navigation without reliance on GPS. The methodology includes software development using the Spot SDK and Tello APIs, a virtual networked solution for integration, and an experimental setup to validate navigation …

Implementation Of Residual Tandem Neural Networks For Photonic Inverse Design, Ponthea A. Zahraii

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

Deep-learning approaches can greatly benefit the modeling and design of nanophotonic and optical structures. Traditional full-wave simulations are time and resource-intensive, which can act as a bottleneck in photonic design. On the other hand, deep-learning approaches for designing the response of nanophotonic geometries can be computationally inexpensive and produce accurate and efficient results. In this project, we specifically investigate the case of optical forces near meta-structures. We propose using an inverse design approach with residual blocks to account for the deep nature of this architecture and inherently address the non-uniqueness problem. A tandem approach, which consists of two interconnected models, …

Connecting The Montessori Philosophy Through Edtech, Olivia Chilvers

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

This thesis explores the evolving landscape of Educational Technology (EdTech) and examines how the Montessori educational philosophy is translated into digital learning environments. The study aims to identify design implications for children’s educational applications (apps) that seek to align with Montessori principles and what aspects of a Montessori-based application excel over a non-Montessori-based application. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using a custom-developed codebook to analyze user reviews posted by guardians of children on the Apple App Store. These reviews pertained to apps identified as Montessori-based, either through explicit labeling or meta-data. In addition to this review analysis, a user …

Reconfigurable Python Autopilot Software For Rc Aircraft, Kate Doiron

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Predicting Which Genes Will Respond To Transcription Factor Perturbation, Eric L. Jia

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

A fundamental issue in mapping regulatory networks between transcription factors and their target genes is the poor overlap between the set of genes bound by a given transcription factor (TF), and the set of genes that are differentially expressed after knocking out or overexpressing the same TF. We began with the hypothesis that to predict whether a gene will respond to perturbation of a TF, it is important to not only consider whether that TF is bound at the gene’s promoter, but also whether other TFs bind at the same promoter.

In this work, we propose a novel modeling procedure …

Reducing Measurement Error In Three-Point Bend Test Using Linear Gradient Correction Model, Juan J. Becerra-Garcia

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Endovascular devices like catheters feature non-uniform flexural rigidity (EI) profiles (flexi- ble tip, stiff shaft) crucial for navigation and pushability. Standard three-point bend analysis (assuming uniform stiffness) yields inaccurate apparent rigidity (B0) for these graded devices, especially in transition zones. This inaccuracy hinders device comparison, clinical selection, and predictive modeling. This thesis develops and validates a correction model for three-point bend tests aimed at improving local flexural rigidity accuracy for devices with varying stiffness, particularly those exhibiting transition zones similar to logistic profiles. The model assumes a linear gradient in rigidity (B(x) = Bm(1 + 2mx/L)) across the test span …

Compartmental Disaggregation: Bridging Simulation And Sampling Methods For Synthetic Population Data Generation, Dylan Mack

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As agent-based models (ABMs) grow increasingly widespread in public health, their associated challenges have become all the more significant. Lauded for their ability to capture population heterogeneity, nonlinear dynamics, and emergent behaviors, disease ABMs are also computationally expensive and often require detailed inputs that describe each agent at the individual-level, known as synthetic population data. Current approaches for synthetic population data generation generally fall into one of two categories: sampling or simulation. These methods are both feasible only under restricted conditions and suffer from challenges surrounding data availability and computing power. This thesis proposes compartmental disaggregation, an intermediate method for …

Stability Of Holes In Granular Raft, Plabon Kumar Saha

All Theses

A granular raft at an oil–water interface exhibits unique mechanical properties, including the ability to form and sustain stable holes. In this study, we experimentally investigate the formation, stability, and collapse dynamics of holes in particle rafts composed of micrometer-sized particles. Holes are created using a hollow cylinder, which generates a meniscus that inhibits particle motion, thus stabilizing the hole. Stable holes are formed when their size reaches a critical value, which depends upon the capillary length. The critical hole size does not depend upon the circularity of the hole. We show that capillary forces due to the presence of …

Resurrecting Mslrp The Diagnosing, Documentation, And Demonstration Of Miniaturized Sequential Liquid Lignin Recovery And Purification, Robert Booth Whiting Lowery Jr

All Theses

A pilot plant designed for the Sequential Recovery and Purification of Liquid Lignin was downsized to perform optimization and minor adjustments at a reasonable time and operational cost. Multiple failed runs proved the need for a redesign, and an analysis was performed to solve the newly discovered scaling issues.

Operators identified several common failure points of the mSLRP and theorized several methods to rectify them. This included a rework of both procedural elements, the physical construction of the pilot plant, and the actual code and control of the pilot plant’s operating system, LabVIEW.

Runs were attempted, and eventually, the corrective …

Micro Wind Turbine - Modelling And Testing, Mohammad Uzair Bhati

All Theses

The global energy demand continues to rise as people consume more electricity to power their personal electronics, electric vehicles, and consumer products such as outdoor tools. To generate renewable energy, large scale solar and wind farms continue to receive the most commercial attention. However, portable wind energy turbines have the potential to generate sufficient power for cell phones and other electronic devices. There are two types of wind turbines, horizontal and vertical axis each having their pros and cons. Vertical-axis wind turbines are the main focus of this thesis, with a reduction in their form factor or size and portable …

Modality Distillation Using A Sam-Guided Multimodal Teacher For Unimodal Wildfire Segmentation And Temperature Prediction, Michael N. Marinaccio

All Theses

Wildfires are one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters that affect the environment, communities, and more critically, humans that live in and around those communities. Due to the threat of large-scale destruction in landscapes and human inhabited areas, it has become increasingly more important to develop wildfire detection, management, and suppression strategies to mitigate and prevent these negative outcomes. Wildfire research encompasses many different areas. Most notably, the development of communication, navigation, remote sensing, and monitoring systems. In wildfire monitoring, limitations discovered in-ground and satellite observation have shifted the focus toward Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based wildfire research, which …

Tradespace Exploration With Statistical Modeling Techniques And Immersive Visual Representation In Virtual Environments, Nikhil Raj

All Theses

Statistical modeling techniques combined with virtual reality (VR) visualization offer powerful new approaches to tradespace exploration in engineering design. The research presented addresses the challenge of analyzing and communicating insights from complex multidimensional datasets, particularly for autonomous ground vehicle systems.

Beginning with a review of statistical methods—including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and correlation analysis—the study examines their applications in tradespace exploration. Building on this foundation, three distinct visualization pathways connecting MATLAB data to virtual environments are developed and evaluated: VRML representation, STL conversion, and Blender integration. Each approach is assessed for its ability to maintain data …

An Experimental And Computational Study Of High-Temperature Creep Behavior In Fully Lamellar Titanium Aluminide Alloys, Karel M. Ziminsky

All Theses

Titanium aluminide alloys have seen increased aerospace applications in recent years, especially in aircraft jet engines. They can offer benefits such as improved high-temperature strength compared to titanium alloys and reduced density compared to nickel alloys. These alloys also can exhibit high creep resistance due to their fully lamellar microstructure. These mechanical properties are desirable for components like turbine blades, where tight tolerances must be maintained for optimal performance. This research examines the high-temperature creep behavior of a fully lamellar two-phase titanium aluminide alloy, TNM® (Ti-43.5Al-4Nb-1Mo-0.1B), through experimental and computational methods. Scanning electron microscopy studies reveal the presence of large …

Investigation Of Plm Utilities And Concepts In Engineering Curriculum: Challenges And Opportunities, Frederick Rowell

All Theses

The implementation of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools and concepts in engineering education has gained increasing significance as manufacturing and engineering industry shifts towards digital engineering workflows to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and innovation. Despite its typical application in engineering industries, many mechanical engineering programs have not integrated PLM software into their curriculums. The Product Lifecycle Management Center (PLMC) at Clemson University offers PLM workshops and research opportunities to students. Despite these initiatives, PLM education remains largely extracurricular and is not fully incorporated into required coursework within the mechanical engineering curriculum. The objective of this thesis is to explore the role …

Tsunamigenesis On A Buoyant Granular Layer As A Model Of Ice Mélange In Ice-Choked Fjords, Nathan F. Reyner

All Theses

Glacial calving events can often create destructive tsunami waves in ice-choked fjords in the arctic region, posing a threat to local inhabitants and damaging coastlines. Here the sea is covered by a polydisperse granular material called ice mélange, whose properties can affect the wave characteristics. To investigate the role of a buoyant granular layer, as a model of ice mélange, on tsunami generation, or tsunamigenesis, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted by collapsing a column of dense granular material into a body of water with a layer of buoyant particles distributed across the liquid surface. Experiments were performed over …

Privacy Implications Of Data Collection In Android Automotive Os, Bulut Gözübüyük

All Theses

Modern vehicles have become sophisticated computational and sensor systems, as evidenced by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), in-car infotainment, and autonomous driving capabilities. They collect and process vast amounts of data through various onboard subsystems. One significant player in this landscape is Android Automotive OS (AAOS), which has been integrated into over 100 million vehicles and has become a dominant force in the in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) market. With this extensive data collection, privacy concerns have become increasingly crucial. The volume of data gathered by these systems raises questions about how this information is stored, used, and protected, making privacy a …

Implications Of Biourbanism On Sustainable Business Strategy, Samuel Walsh

Graduate Theses - Engineering Management

Recently developed for urban planners to view cities through the lens of ecosystems and other complex natural systems, the Biourbanism model is a set of metrics to numerically assess the resilience and sustainability of urban systems. This model focuses on ten factors of urban sustainability, which include categories such as energy, infrastructure, and technology, and is intended to help cities achieve more holistic measures of their ability to realize resilience and sustainability goals. The premise of this Integrated Project is that businesses can also be viewed as complex natural systems. Hence, this project examines case studies to show how implementing …

Computer Vision In Soccer: Yolov11 Analytics Engine For Quantifying Game Strategy, Connor S. Maurer

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Single-shot object detection capabilities significantly reduce computational overhead for real-time computer vision in sports analytics at 60 FPS. YOLO11’s lightweight CNN gives promising accuracy while meeting the low-latency demand of dynamic soccer matches. As data-driven approaches take over the sport of soccer, efficient player tracking systems become critical for informing coach’s strategies. I prototype the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process of data collected from a single- shot detection program and evaluate its viability for estimating player fatigue. YOLO11 detects players, the ball, and other characteristics, with the output transformed by homography to estimate the positions in the real world. These …

Connecting Biological Engineering Education With Hands-On Internship Experience, Lindsey Bush

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

My honors thesis examines how my time in the biological engineering program and internship experience have prepared me for my future career. It highlights the skills I developed, the lessons I learned, and how these experiences shaped my job search and career decisions.

In my thesis, I share details about my internship. I described what I worked on, the places I visited, and the hands-on experience I gained. I talk about how my coursework provided a strong foundation and how my internship allowed me to apply those concepts in real-world engineering settings. I also discuss the technical and professional skills …

De Novo Design Of Ablative Polymers For Aerospace Thermal Protection Systems Through An Integrated Ai-Theory-Experiment Approach, Rene Damaso Boisseau

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Novolac phenolic resin (NPR) is a widely used polymeric ablative material (PAM) for thermal protection systems (TPS) due to its high thermal decomposition temperature (TD, 500â?¯Â°C) and char yield (YC, 55â?¯wt%). However, its drawbacks (including high thermal conductivity, low mechanical properties and water uptake) prompt the need for improved PAMs. This study explores the pyrolysis behavior and char-forming capabilities of NPR and a potential alternative PAM, poly(1,6-dimethyl phenol) (PPO), through both theoretical and experimental approaches. A graph neural network (GNN) was developed to predict structure-property relationships, revealing that benzyl group positioning and oxygen atom placement significantly influence YC. PPO's para-positioned …

Bim Assessment For State Departments Of Transportation, Francisco Israel Guillen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been used by the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry to enhance the efficiency and quality of work across various stages, including planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance (OM) of projects. Despite widespread adoption in vertical construction, BIM implementation in infrastructure projects is still falling behind. This disparity can be attributed to several factors, including the complexity and scale of infrastructure projects and varying levels of BIM adoption and integration within organizations. Efforts to standardize BIM practices and enhance the digital capabilities of infrastructure projects are essential to bridge this gap and ensure the …

Charging Infrastructure Needs For Electric Trucks In Texas, Katerina Jilkova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the design of a methodology for determining the optimal location of charging stations for heavy-duty electric trucks. The work focuses primarily on long-distance trips that require charging the truck battery outside cities, where the range of charging stations is not extensive. In addition to design the algorithm, the thesis also focuses on implementing the algorithm on a specific case - the implementation of charging stations in the I-10 Freeway corridor between El Paso and San Antonio. The output of the work is not only a description of the procedure, but also an application to a real …