Engineering Commons^™

Privacy At Scale: A Study Of Mobile App Privacy Practices, Katherine Perez

LSU Master's Theses

What is privacy in a world where people are more connected than ever? Due to the Internet and its rapid advancement, the way information is shared and accessed has fundamentally changed. Millions of people interact with social networks, websites, and applications daily—and with each interaction, some data is collected from the user. In many cases, users cannot access a website or application without first accepting the service’s Privacy Policy. However, these policies often obscure the details of how a consumer’s data is handled, burying important information under dense legal language. In response to growing concerns about transparency, some platforms have …

Innovative Design Methodology For Durable Open-Graded Friction Course Asphalt Mixtures, Anas Abualia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Open-graded friction course (OGFC) is a thin asphalt mixture surface layer with a high percentage of coarse aggregates and high interconnected air voids, which provides improved skid resistance, visibility, and decreased pavement-tire noise. However, construction personnel at DOTD reported that conventional OGFC mixtures have short service life (raveling distress). Further, their structural contribution to the pavement structure is commonly neglected and designed only for functionality purposes.

The objective of this study was to develop a rational mix design methodology to improve the durability of OGFC asphalt mixtures. Specific objectives are to: (1) conduct a rheological and chemical characterization of polymer-, …

Modeling And Simulation Of Methane And Co2 Hydrates In Porous Media, Chico Sambo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive study on modeling and simulation for
methane hydrate production and CO2 sequestration. The research focuses on pore-
scale and reservoir-scale modeling techniques to understand the dynamics of gas
hydrate dissociation, the associated risks of subsidence, and the potential for CO2
storage in deep-sea environments.
This dissertation begins with an investigation into pore-scale modeling. Specif-
ically, a detailed pore network model was developed to simulate the processes of
methane hydrate dissociation and formation. However, the numerical simulations
revealed that assuming an isothermal process for hydrate formation and dissociation
is not physically realistic. Consequently, the results obtained …

Empowering Local Water Resources Managers With Global Hydrological Model Information Through Bias Correction Of Their In-Situ Data Using Saber, Yubin Baaniya

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increase in the frequency and intensity of water related natural disasters driven by climate change and human activities. While satellite data provides extensive coverage of many climatic variables, streamflow monitoring remains inadequate for effectively responding to water-related hazards, particularly in developing regions that lack integrated gauge networks. This study evaluates how incorporating local streamflow gauge data enhances bias correction of the GEOGLOWS Hydrologic Model (RFS) in gauged and ungauged basins using the Stream Analysis for Bias Estimation and Reduction (SABER) method. We analyzed approximately 19,200 gauge stations globally, using machine learning, spatial analysis and Flow Duration Curve …

High-Temperature Inert-Environment Thermomechanical Testing Furnace, Danielle Abenojar, Lex Liang, Shanice Liu, Christoph Mahler, James Masukawa, Alexander Norring, Ryan Owens Kenneth Pan, Estefania Pesqueira, Andrew Tan, Cole Warnick, Joshua Wong

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

High-temperature materials testing is critical for frontier technologies, especially in the aerospace and power generation sectors. The objective of this senior design project is to research and develop an inert-environment sealed furnace for a lab mechanical tester to reach 2000°C for the Santa Clara University Materials Science Lab. Two groups of project members were created to address engineering design and manufacturing issues in various subsystems of the final vision: Team A focuses on structural analysis and fabrication, instrumentation, and electrical design, while Team B focuses on thermal, busbar, and fluid cooling design. Financial and logistical aspects of the project have …

Valve-Tec, Ethan Lung, Dan Pruin, Casey Lacuata, Leo Morris

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This project explores the feasibility of replacing a traditional camshaft driven system with an electronically actuated camless design for internal combustion engines. The primary motivation is to improve engine efficiency, reduce emissions, and extend the relevance of combustion engines in a future leaning toward electrification. Traditional camshaft systems limit engine responsiveness and efficiency due to fixed valve timing. Our camless solution addresses these limitations by using solenoids controlled by microcontrollers to open and close the valves based on the crankshaft position. We developed a modular prototype that integrates both analog and digital hall effect sensors for crank angle detection, dual …

Active Suspension System, Jens Clausen, Felix Derrouaz, Jacky Quan

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis presents the design, development, and prototyping of an active suspension system intended for high-performance racing applications, with a focus on karting. The goal of the project was to create a geometrically active suspension capable of dynamically adjusting key parameters such as camber, caster, toe, and track width in real-time to improve grip, cornering stability, and overall vehicle performance.

The team conducted extensive research into suspension theory, customer needs, and existing industry solutions before developing a mechanical platform based on a Short-Long Arm (SLA) double wishbone configuration. Using linear actuators to introduce five degrees of freedom, the system was …

Development Of Sustainable Nano-Engineered Cementitious Composites Reinforced With Graphene Oxide From Invasive Seaweed, Steven Garcia, Will Weber, Noah Chun

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

This research explores the integration of graphene oxide (GO) derived from invasive sargassum seaweed into cementitious composites to enhance concrete performance while addressing critical environmental and sustainability challenges. With the dual goal of reducing the carbon footprint of cement and repurposing harmful sargassum blooms in Puerto Rico, the research investigates the viability of sargassum-derived GO (SGO) as a partial cement substitute in mortar mixes. The study is motivated by the urgent need to lower cement-related CO₂ emissions—currently contributing nearly 8% of global totals—and by the ecological and economic burdens caused by the accumulation of sargassum along coastlines. Graphene oxide, with …

Ai Diagnostic Tool For Covid-19 Severity, Hunter Lau, Ryan Lang, Aidan Furuhashi

Bioengineering Senior Theses

With the advent of COVID-19 pandemic global, healthcare systems were challenged with resource constraints plaguing hospital environments around the world with consequences that presented weaknesses in our healthcare system. This demonstrated the importance of triage in unprecedented scenarios. This project presents an integrated AI-driven diagnostic tool to predict the severity of COVID-19 cases using length of stay as an analog. By using clinical data and radiographic chest images, this project integrates a XGBoost clinical data model with a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model utilizing chest CT images to create a comprehensive assessment of patient case severity through predicted length of …

Bridging Deterministic And Probabilistic Analysis For Dam Safety, Giselle Aviles

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

Dams play a critical role in water supply, flood control, energy generation, and infrastructure resilience. However, many existing dams face significant risks due to aging structures, evolving environmental conditions, and outdated design methodologies. These dams pose a danger to downstream populations, demanding greater attention to investment in measures to help reduce risks to public safety and economic assets. Traditional deterministic methods for dam stability assessments rely on static factors of safety (FS), often resulting in either overly conservative or underestimated designs. In this approach, engineers input known material properties, loads, and the dam's geometry into a single FS, which is …

Cob Structure Optimization For Oaxacan Community Center, Dana Johnson, Benjamin Lanzas, Alfonso Zepeda Perez

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

Oaxaca, Mexico is one of the most seismically active states in the country. Earthen-based structures are common in this area as well due to their cultural acceptance, affordability, and accessibility. However, due to the seismicity, these structures often face challenges related to durability. This project serves as an exploration, aimed at increasing the lifespan and resilience of cob construction. The design builds off of the work of GRUPEDSAC, a nonprofit focused on utilizing bioconstruction to provide structures for rural communities in Mexico. This thesis proposes the incorporation of a hybrid wall system that incorporates cob with timber framing, and is …

Pajaro River Levee Remedial Design For Climate Resiliency, Anna Krebs, Karina Martin, Olivia Leonardis

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

With climate change causing extreme weather events, low-income, underrepresented residents living in Pajaro, California need a more resilient flood mitigation solution because existing infrastructure– the Pajaro River Levee– has recently failed. A hydraulic analysis and overtopping analysis was performed to evaluate potential levee cross sections for a 1.7 mile stretch along the Pajaro River in California. These cross-sections were assessed based on both their material costs and ability to provide sufficient evacuation time.

A Novel Robotic Pedaling Paradigm To Improve Lower Limb Movement Post-Stroke, Tom S. Ruopp

Dissertations (1934 -)

Prior work in our lab revealed that while impaired paretic neuromuscular output contributes to movement difficulties post-stroke, compensation is more related to interlimb coordination (ILC) deficits. Specifically, ILC deficits were revealed in the context of lower limb split-crank pedaling. Participants who demonstrated larger levels of compensation during a conventional, solid-crank pedaling task also demonstrated larger deficits in ILC i.e. maintaining a 180-degree phase relationship during split-crank. To address this deficit, our lab created a novel, split-crank pedaling robot named CUped. CUped (pronounced Cupid) is so called because it compels use of the paretic limb during a movement that resembles pedaling. …

Aiops–Driven Adaptive Anomaly Detection In Evolving Cloud Environments Using Transfer Learning, Mayur Shivakumar

Master's Theses

As cloud-based microservice architectures have become the foundation of contempo- rary enterprise solutions, performance interference, wherein co-located services com- pete for shared resources, remains a significant challenge. This phenomenon, often referred to as the noisy neighbor problem, manifests when one workload unexpect- edly increases the CPU, memory, disk I/O, or network consumption, resulting in latency spikes or throughput degradation for other services. While existing isolation mechanisms (e.g., cgroups and QoS policies) provide some mitigation, they rarely prevent contention entirely, particularly in dynamic, rapidly evolving environments with frequent code deployments.

This thesis proposes an AIOps-driven adaptive anomaly detection framework that integrates …

Analyzing The Resilience Of Infrastructure-Based Vs. Camera-Based Lane Detection In Autonomous Vehicles, Pritesh Yashaswi Patil

Masters Theses

Traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems that use on-board sensors have the drawbacks of high computational load and data duplication. Infrastructure-based sensors, which can provide high-quality information without the computational burden and data duplication, are an alternative to traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems. However, these technologies are still in the early stages of development and have not been extensively evaluated for lane detection system performance. Therefore, there is a lack of quantitative data on their performance relative to traditional perception methods, especially during hazardous scenarios, such as lane line occlusion, sensor failure, and environmental obstructions. This need is addressed by evaluating …

Cybermapping Solutions: A Unified Approach In Us/Nato Military Applications And Development, Nicholas Macrino

Electrical & Computer Engineering Projects for D. Eng. Degree

[First paragraph] Cyber threats are evolving in complexity and frequency, posing significant challenges for cybersecurity professionals in identifying, categorizing, and responding to attacks in real time. Unlike traditional warfare, where battlefield awareness is based on fixed geographic warfare, cyber operations involve abstract attack vectors, non-linear threat escalation, and rapidly changing network conditions. Modern cyber threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), polymorphic malware, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, require adaptive visualization techniques that provide real-time awareness and facilitate rapid decision-making. However, existing symbology standards, such as MIL-STD-2525D, were not designed to accommodate the dynamic nature of cyber warfare. The inability …

Aimr-Brainstorm: Ai-Enhanced Interactive Mixed Reality For Collaborative Ideation, Yuchuan Ma

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This study investigates the potential of an AI-enhanced Mixed Reality (MR) brainstorming system, named AIMR-Brainstorm, in comparison to traditional sticky notes for creative ideation. By integrating real-time idea extraction through ChatGPT with immersive, physics-based visualizations, the system aims to transform analog brainstorming workflows into dynamic, interactive digital experiences. Using a within-subject experimental design, 30 participants engaged in paired brainstorming sessions with both AIMR and sticky notes. Quantitative measures of efficiency, engagement, creativity, and user satisfaction were collected through between-session and post-study surveys, while qualitative feedback provided additional insights into user experiences. Conclusively, while traditional sticky notes were generally preferred for …

Comparative Performance Analysis Of Cryptographic Workloads Across Cloud Providers: A Multi-Language Study On Faas And Iaas Platforms Dataset, Jeremiah Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Cloud computing has become a relatively new paradigm for the delivery of compute resources, with key management services (KMS) playing a crucial role in securely handling cryptographic operations in the cloud. This paper presents the microbenchmark of cloud cryptographic workloads, including SHA HMAC generation, AES encryption/decryption, ECC signature/verification, and RSA encryption/decryption, across Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) in conjunction with KMS offerings from Ama- zon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure to conduct a comparative performance analysis. The methodology involves the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) and the Bicep language to deploy AWS Lambda Functions and Azure Functions, respectively, to …

Adaptive Control Of Thrusters To Account For Deficiencies In Actuator Effectiveness And Model Uncertainties, Matthew Stanko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Future space missions are expected to become ever more ambitious and challenging. A successful mission requires advanced and resilient control algorithms that enable missions, such as satellite refueling, on-orbit inspection, and end-of-life servicing. This thesis explores the development and application of robust and adaptive control laws for an over-actuated spacecraft system with 3 degrees of freedom (DoF) to mitigate the effects of actuator deficiencies and system uncertainties. Additionally, the nature of the system being over-actuated allows for particular actuator degradation and failure. For stability and command tracking, a novel controller is designed and augmented with sliding mode control, adaptive control, …

Analysis Of Responder-Involved Struck-By Crashes, Jacob Wilhelm

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Emergency responders face significant risks of injury and death from struck-by crashes while operating on or near roadways. Annually, about 50 responders are killed, and hundreds more are injured, leading to operational disruptions and damage to life-saving equipment (ERSI, 2024). This study takes a data-driven approach to identify key risk factors and effective countermeasures for reducing the severity of struck-by crashes. Key findings indicate that struck-by crashes most frequently occur on weekends during late-night hours (2 AM–4 AM), often at crash scenes or disabled vehicle scenes on limited-access highways. Driver behavior – particularly “D” drivers (distracted, drugged, drowsy, disgruntled) – …

Evaluating The Impact Of Access Density On Pedestrian And Bicycle Safety, Charles Hruda

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study examines the impact of access density on pedestrian and bicycle crash rates in urban areas of Florida. Access management, defined as the strategic control of vehicular access points along roadways, plays a crucial role in mitigating conflicts between various roadway users. Previous research has established a positive correlation between access density and crash rates, yet limited studies have analyzed its effects on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

To quantify these impacts, this study identified high-crash roadway segments using Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) data. Geometric, traffic, crash, and access management information was collected and analyzed …

Engineering Anisotropic Porosity In Green Parts From Binder Jet 3d Printing, Reshma Chandrashekhar Kubsad

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing (BJAM) is a promising metal additive manufacturing technique that enables the fabrication of complex geometries without the need for support structures. However, the inherent porosity in green parts, remains a challenge in achieving desired mechanical properties and performance. Instead of treating porosity as a limitation, this thesis explores engineering of anisotropic porosity engineering, where controlled variations in porosity in the green parts can be used to enhance functionality and efficiency in specific applications. The objective of this research is to investigate and analyze the key print parameters that influence green part density. By systematically varying layer …

The Interaction Of A Transient Forward Axial Disturbance Flow With A Rotor, Zhuorui Li

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research presents an in-depth investigation of the aeroacoustic characteristics of a scaled-down Joby Aviation rotor, focusing on its performance under realistic conditions for urban air mobility (UAM). Utilizing a high-fidelity numerical simulation approach that combines Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) and Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) models, the study effectively captures the complex aerodynamic and acoustic interactions inherent in rotor operations. Validation of the numerical framework was achieved through comprehensive comparisons with available experimental data, demonstrating a high level of accuracy in predicting both aerodynamic performance metrics, including thrust and torque, as well as acoustic emissions. The simulation revealed significant impacts resulting …

Antenna Multi-Band Enhancement By Employing Negative Impedance Converters, Kevin Pepin

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents the implementation of a Negative Impedance Converter (NIC) integrated with a planar monopole antenna, originally centered at 2.9 GHz, to create a multi-band network. The network exhibits resonances at frequencies of 0.9 GHz, 1.5 GHz and 1.9 GHz. The work highlights the design process of pairing a NIC with a capacitive, single-band antenna, addressing key challenges such as overcoming the limitations associated with low self-resonant frequency (SRF) inductors. The design process included the use of measurement-based component models and radio-frequency simulations using Keysight Advanced Design Systems (ADS). The developed NIC emulates a -0.99 pF capacitor using two …

Aeroacoustics Applications To Jets And Rotors, Michael Marques G.

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aeroacoustics plays a critical role in the advancement of propulsion technologies for both conventional and emerging aerial systems. This dissertation investigates two key topics: noise suppression in supersonic rectangular jets and rotor noise characterization in hover and ground effect. Using high-fidelity numerical simulations and theoretical analyses, this research aims to develop effective noise mitigation strategies and improve predictive methodologies.

The first part of this study focuses on the reduction of noise in supersonic rectangular jets through active control techniques. A novel approach utilizing unsteady microjet actuation at the nozzle lip is explored to disrupt the formation of large-scale turbulent structures …

Coupled Dynamics In The Cislunar Region And Spacecraft Attitude Prediction In A Higher-Fidelity Model​, Annika Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The cislunar region of space is a complex, multi-body dynamical environment that cannot be modeled trivially. Traditional point-mass assumptions made to simplify the mission design process may be insufficient for accurately predicting spacecraft motion in environments where orbit-attitude coupling is non-negligible. One of the most famous of such models is the circular restricted three-body problem. This thesis advances the state of the art in astrodynamics by modeling all bodies in the problem as rigid bodies, allowing for spacecraft orientation to be propagated and considered. Two models are under consideration—the circular restricted full three-body problem (CRF3BP) and a full higher-fidelity ephemeris …

Machine Learning Methods For Hypervelocity Fragment Flyout Characterization, Katharine Larsen

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Resulting from breakup events, such as collisions and explosions, hypervelocity fragments create potential hazards for both terrestrial and on-orbit environments, such as terrestrial weapons explosions and satellite breakup events, respectively. To avoid unnecessary damage, an accurate understanding or characterization of hypervelocity fragmentation events is vital. Currently, publicly available two-line elements collected from on-orbit breakup events are limited, excluding pre-detonation parent body conditions, such as orientation, and information of smaller fragments. The uncertainty of these datasets varies between each collected set. Therefore, the overall goal of this work is to employ machine learning to estimate distribution characteristics of a space debris …

Automated Plant Morphological Assessment And Microbial Community Monitoring In Simulated Lunar Regolith, Collin R. Topolski

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Upcoming lunar bases will need to leverage in-situ resources to ensure long-term sustainability and reduce mission costs. One key challenge is food production, which could be addressed by growing crops in lunar regolith-based substrates. However, lunar regolith lacks essential nutrients, requiring organic amendments to support continuous plant cultivation. This study examined the impact of manure-amended lunar regolith simulant on Mizuna mustard growth while assessing microbial community diversity and functionality. To support this effort, a custom software pipeline utilizing an open-source library, PlantCV, was developed to automatically track plant leaf area and height via image analysis. Results indicated that amended rhizosphere …

Stability Limits Of Uncertain Systems In The Presence Of Unmatched Coupled Dynamics And Actuator Dynamics With Adaptive Architectures, Bronson Saulo

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Uncertain systems with coupled dynamics and actuator dynamics are prevalent in various applications spanning private, commercial, and government sectors. While stabilization and command tracking strategies exist, they often rely on idealized assumptions, such as negligible actuator bandwidth limitations and matched coupled dynamics. In order to mitigate actuator-induced limitations, we first employ standard model reference adaptive control (MRAC) architectures. We then proposed two architectures: modified hedging reference modeled based MRAC and modified expanded reference model based MRAC. In order to deal with coupled dynamics, we used an observer design to estimate the states of unmatched coupled dynamics. In addition, Lyapunov stability …

Smart End Effector Docking System, Matthew Becker, Julie Corey, Mia Gallarate, Rachel Lee, Adam Shpolyansky

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Smart End Effector Docking System (S.E.E.D.S.) serves as an autonomous docking system to assist with replenishing fluid and charging the Agricultural Robot (AgBot) that has been developed by the Robotic Systems Laboratory. The docking system aims to improve autonomous capabilities by allowing the AgBot to recharge and transfer fluid independently, removing the need for human involvement. The S.E.E.D.S. project can additionally help to address labor shortages and safety hazards associated with agricultural workers by providing several functions including fluid transfer and power transfer for charging.