Engineering Commons^™

Hydrologic Modeling Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay Watershed Using Hecc-Hms With Implications For Future Coupled Coastal Modeling, Christopher Leonard Frost

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the hydrological methodology for modeling a coastal watershed basin using the US Army Corps of Engineers hydrologic software, HEC-HMS with an objective of being able to create riverine boundary conditions that could be applied to a coupled compound flood model. Compound flooding is defined as high water inundation event that occurs due to the simultaneous occurrence of multiple flooding drivers. The Atlantic Seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico regions of the United States account for most of the compound events observed in the United States with a higher occurrence caused by hurricanes from July to November. In …

A Kinematic Analysis Of The Shoulder During The Volleyball Attack Using Euler And Helical Axis Methods, Victoria Jolliff

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The shoulder is a complex joint with a wide range of motion, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and internal and external rotation. In volleyball, repetitive overhand movements can cause shoulder overuse injuries. The primary offensive move, the attack, involves the approach, arm cocking, arm acceleration, and follow-through phases. Motion capture analysis and techniques like calculating Euler angles and rotation about a mean helical axis can evaluate shoulder movements. This study aimed to calculate shoulder movements during each phase of the volleyball attack using the Euler angle YXY sequence and the helical axis method. Different attack types, such as cross-court and …

Harnessing Social Media For Disaster Response: Intelligent Identification Of Reliable Rescue Requests During Hurricanes, Wael Khallouli

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hurricanes pose a significant threat to both human lives and infrastructure. Decision-makers face substantial challenges during such events, as they must act quickly to address victims’ needs. Social media platforms provide a valuable source for quick and real-time information. Recent hurricane events have shown that people turn to social media to call for help when official communication channels, such as 911, are overwhelmed. However, extracting actionable information from the massive number of messages posted on social media is challenging. Furthermore, verifying social media messages posted by the public is a critical concern for disaster response practitioners, making them hesitant to …

Development Of A Conceptual Framework For Complex System Governance (Csg) Performance Measurement, James Hartwell Rutherford

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Within the Complex System Governance (CSG) paradigm, system performance is regulated by nine metasystem governance functions, which provide control, communication, coordination, and integration. However, CSG has lacked a fully developed model or language to richly articulate system performance at a conceptual level. The purpose of this research was to develop a systems theory-based conceptual framework to measure the performance of CSG metasystem governance using an inductive research design.

Although ‘good performance’ may seem like an obvious idea, the current literature on performance measurement across many disciplines and contexts contains vastly inconsistent uses of the word ‘performance.’ Both researchers and practitioners …

Mesostructure Reconstruction Of Prepreg Platelet Molded Composite With Artificial Intelligence, Richard Larson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Prepreg platelet molded composites (PPMC) are long, discontinuous fiber reinforced polymer materials. PPMC are an important subcategory of composite materials as they are processible into geometrically complex structures and can be produced via high-throughput manufacturing processes, however they have higher stiffness and strength as compared to traditional discontinuous fiber reinforced polymers. However, there is inherent randomness in the structure of PPMCs and as such, PPMC parts frequently require per part testing that is cost prohibitive.

Herein, a method using artificial intelligence is proposed as a more cost-effective method of inspecting PPMC parts. Different artificial intelligence (AI) architectures are explored to …

Flying Wing Aerodynamic Design And Airbrake Integration, Philip Lawson Mantz

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

During the 2022-2023 Academic year, the defense contractor, AeroVironment, tasked the Unmanned Aerial Systems Laboratory at Old Dominion University with designing an autonomous drone platform. A brief summary of the aerodynamic requirements included that the drone should cruise at a target cruise speed of 30m/s, the drone would operate up to an altitude of 1500m and be able to land within a 20m radius of a designated landing spot. The laboratory chose a flying wing model. Additionally, the aircraft would have an airbrake system integrated into the platform.

The aerodynamic requirements were configurated through the use of a ‘constraint diagram’. …

Alternative Applications Of Composite Materials To Reduce Radar Cross Section, Mark Patterson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The use of carbon nanoparticles and graphene in composite materials has created a foundational shift in enhancing performance across mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Such applications are vital in the aerospace industry. However, there has not been such a focus on the material use for reducing radar cross section (RCS). Historically, RCS is minimized by designing sharp geometric shapes to deflect or dissipate the incoming electromagnetic waves away from the receiving antenna. However, these designs are not always optimized for aerodynamics. The goal of this research is to understand the application of composite materials and specifically carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to …

Evaluating The Influence Of Evtol Pilot Interface Visual Density And Information Density On Pilot Situation Awareness, Workload, And Search Performance, Bhoomin Bhupendrabhai Chauhan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of levels of visual density (VD) and information density (ID) of an electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft pilot interface on pilot situation awareness (SA), workload, and search performance. An eVTOL aircraft is a novel aircraft design that is able to perform vertical take-off and landing similar to a rotorcraft and transition to a forward flight, similar to a fixed-wing aircraft. These aircraft are envisioned to operate in urban environments at lower altitudes, necessitating efficient, clear, and concise pilot interfaces to ensure safety and operational effectiveness. The study …

Innovative 4d Printing Of Biomimetic Collagen-Tcp Scaffolds For Bone Regeneration, Karly Morgan Liebendorfer

Theses and Dissertations

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising alternative approach to autografts and allografts when treating various bone diseases and disorders. BTE enables the fabrication of biocompatible, biomimetic, and osteo-stimulating constructs for the repair and regeneration of damaged bone tissue. The native bone environment primarily consists of anisotropic type 1 collagen (organic) and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (inorganic). Composite biomimetic scaffolds fabricated by combining collagen with bioceramics have shown immense promise for BTE applications. Prior work has reported on different biofabrication methods to synthesize collagen-based composite scaffolds for use in BTE applications. However, to date, a customizable 3D composite scaffold that resembles the …

Safe And Efficient Operation Of Mobile Robots In Indoor Environments: A User-Centric Shared Control System With High-Level Navigation Capabilities, Ahmet Saglam

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hospitalization and isolation can be a traumatic experience for immunocompromised children, especially because they are separated from their families and friends. Social robots have been proposed as a way to improve the quality of care for children hospitalized in isolation by providing alternative means of social interaction and support. Remote control of such robots in a hospital setting, particularly where safety is a major concern, can be a daunting task for young patients.

This dissertation introduces a multilevel shared control system for mobile robots, specifically companion robots in hospital-like indoor spaces. The system integrates user inputs with algorithmic semi-autonomous control …

Zero Dynamics Attacks On Unknown Bilinear Systems: Vulnerability And Detection, Mohammad Aminul Haq

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Critical infrastructure requires a safe and secure operating environment because of its significant impact on society. Its large-scale size and distributed sensors and actuators make it vulnerable to cyber-physical attacks. A zero dynamics attack is a type of cyber-physical attack where an adversary keeps the output of the target constant (classically zero), while forcing some of the internal states to deviate from their nominal values. Most of the existing work in the literature assumes the system dynamics are linear and available to an adversary. The first goal of this dissertation is to show that an adversary can successfully execute a …

Process Modeling Of Composites For Automated Fiber Placement, Von Clyde Jamora

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Fiber-reinforced composites are available in various material systems, each requiring specific manufacturing techniques to exploit their unique properties fully. Systems such as woven fabrics and preimpregnated fibers employ distinctive methods to harness these properties effectively. For instance, non-crimp fabrics (NCF) use high-pressure resin transfer molding and prepregs, like IM7-8552, use manufacturing method called automated fiber placement (AFP). However, these manufacturing processes often introduce deposition features that can evolve into defects. Their occurrence and impact on morphology must be predicted using experimentally informed finite element models. The research began with compaction experiments on NCF fabric, leading to the development of a …

Patient-Specific Hemodynamic Modeling For Optimizing Left Ventricular Assist Device And Right Heart Health, Holly Felice Grant

Theses and Dissertations

LVAD speed optimization is essential for efficient LVAD therapy and to minimize complications. However, the ideal LVAD speed is unknown and must be tailored for each patient. The interplay between the LVAD, systemic, and pulmonary circulations is critical and should be considered during optimization. A computational hemodynamic model that can be tailored for each patient may provide clinicians with useful guidance and reduce the need for repeated invasive studies. This study sought to customize and evaluate a patient-specific LVAD hemodynamic optimization model.

We conducted a retrospective analysis on 25 patients implanted with HM3 and who underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) …

Engine Performance Of An Electric Airplane With Partial Battery Capability, Hannah Yasmine Scrivens

Theses and Dissertations

As electric aircraft are developed and certified, knowledge of electric aircraft performance during complete or partial battery failures can be useful to determine an aircraft’s limitations and capabilities of completing an emergency landing, especially during takeoff and low-altitude climbs, as well as fully characterizing the potential aircraft performance. The results of this research will be useful in developing regulations and procedures pertaining to energy reserves and emergencies. This paper presents the results of a Pipistrel electric airplane climb power ground test that was conducted by the author and Florida Tech faculty. In the test, one of the airplane’s batteries was …

Study On Pilot Response Time To Reject Takeoff With One Engine Inoperative (Oei), Lydia Savitri Scrivens

Theses and Dissertations

The FAA regulation 14 CFR § 25.109 defines accelerate-stop testing for transport-category multiengine aircraft. It specifies that testing must include 2-second distance equivalent at engine failure speed VEF to simulate time taken for pilot to reject takeoff. However, pilot response time is widely debated. The purpose of this study is to determine pilot response time in rejecting a takeoff due to the failure of one engine during the takeoff roll.

Seven multiengine rated pilots participated in this study, which was conducted in a Baron 58 in the X-Plane 12 flight simulator. During the recruiting process, test subject candidates provided their …

Advancing Influence In Social Networks Based On Game Theory, Adedamola Adesokan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Online Social Networks (OSNs) have become part of our everyday life, as a means of interacting with people, sharing content, attending events, etc. Influencers are professional OSN users, who have a large loyal audience and use the OSNs to market various goods or services based on brand partnerships. In this thesis, we introduce a novel mechanism to enable OSN users to become influencers by strategically deciding their activity within the OSN. Initially, the concepts of social coordinates and social communities are proposed. Then, a non-cooperative game is introduced to enable the users to make optimal decisions regarding their activity in …

Manufacturing Of Aligned Electrospun Nanofiber Yarns For Their Enhanced Mechanical And Piezoelectric Properties, Adaugo Mary-Frances Enuka

Theses and Dissertations

Electrospinning is a widely used technique for producing nanofibers with diverse applications. This method uses polymer solutions and strong electric fields to generate nano-sized fibers with unique properties. This study presents a novel manufacturing approach that enables the production of electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber yarns using an automated parallel track system and an adjustable roll-to-roll collector. This research examines the impact of an automated post-drawing system on the polymer chain orientation, crystallinity, tensile strength, morphology, and piezoelectric properties of PVDF-HFP nanofiber yarn. The results reveal that the post-drawing process significantly improves molecular alignment, increases tensile strength, and enhances the …

Repair And Surface Functionalization Of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites By Cold Spray, Ibnaj Anamika Anni

Theses and Dissertations

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in industries and applications such as energy, automotive, defense, and aerospace. This study investigates the application of polymer cold spray, an emerging additive manufacturing process, for coating and repair of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The research starts with feasibility studies focused on the cold spray deposition of thermoplastic nylon-6 particles on woven glass fiber-reinforced composites (GFRP). A parametric study determines critical process parameters window, ensuring successful deposition and bonding without compromising the macroscale mechanical behavior. These findings indicate that the cold spray process does not adversely affect the fiber integrity or surface quality of …

Chemotherapy Drug Release From Hollow Core Polyethyleneimine Nanoparticles, Brian Boyle

Theses and Dissertations

Novel anticancer delivery vehicles are arising from engineered nanostructured materials. This work involved the synthesis, characterization, and release of novel hollow core polymeric nanoparticles (HCPNPs) for controlled drug delivery. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was bound to AuNPs, forming polymer-shell nanoparticles with dissolution of the gold core via iodine forming HCPNPs with drug intercalated DNA bound to the surface. A high density (85 molecules/particle) of DNA intercalated with daunorubicin was conjugated. Particles were spherical with an average diameter of 105.7 ± 17.3 nm and zeta potential of 20.4 ± 3.54 mV. We hypothesize the DNA backbone electrostatically condensed to the primary amines on …

Matrix Processing With Photonic Analog Computing, James Michael Garofolo

Theses and Dissertations

In the digital age, a wide variety of engineering problems have been solved, to a great deal of success, by digital computing techniques. The flexibility of software and relatively low cost of digital computing hardware make it an ideal starting point for solving a majority of tasks, and the numerical stability of software solutions make it highly appealing as the major workhorse for computational tasks. Despite this, many problems are actually suboptimally solved by digital methods, leading to systems with high latency, low throughput, power hungry parallel processing units and an excess of memory for discretizing sensor inputs. Computational photonic …

Assessing The Social, Economic, And Environmental Impacts Of A Multifunctional Crop: The Case Of Moringa Oleifera, Yoel Gebrai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multifunctional crops have the potential to support societal goals toward more sustainable production of food, feed, and fuel. The production and processing of multifunctional crops, with their numerous uses and coproducts, is accompanied by social, economic, and environmental impacts that need to be systematically evaluated to avoid unintended consequences from widespread adoption. Complexity emerges in the presence of multifunctionality, and counterintuitive system responses can occur. As a result, this dissertation has sought to enhance and apply frameworks to assess multifunctional crop sustainability holistically. Systems thinking and life cycle approaches are applied to a multifunctional crop case study, Moringa oleifera (MO). …

Tuning Polymer Glass Formation Behavior And Understanding Time-Temperature Superposition Breakdown With Oligomeric Additives, Peijing Yue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The glass transition of polymer melts has been investigated for over a century. Even so, there are still many unanswered questions about the underlying physics. Countless theories were proposed to explain and define glass transition temperatures. More specifically, both the origins of the glass transition and underlying classification of glass as a state of matter remain unresolved. Time-temperature superposition (TTS) is one of the most widely used techniques to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of a material and the mechanical behavior and is employed to reduce the measuring time during characterization. Despite the widespread use of TTS, many authors have reported …

Ultrasound Based Dynamic Reference Reflection Technique For Simultaneous Specific Gravity And Temperature Estimation, Jose Paul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work is driven by the need for a noninvasive density estimation device for pipeline infrastructure due to the increased risk of volatility in the high energy density fuels that are available in the market. Ultrasound based techniques have proved to be a viable alternative to traditional u tube resonance or nuclear techniques due to their robustness and safety offering. The major update that this work intends to make to the existing technology is development of a system wherein the transducer or the electronic components remain isolated from the flow field.As a result, this work dives headfirst into the fundamentals …

The Role Of Spontaneous Activity In Maturation Of The Calyx Of Held Nerve Terminal And Its Synaptic Target In The Medial Nucleus Of The Trapezoid Body, Daniel Tatsuo Heller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neural circuit formation is a complex process involving synergistic roles between neurons and glial cells regulated by coordinated genetic and molecular cues and activity-dependent mechanisms. The canonical pathway for synapse formation begins with neurogenesis and migration followed by axonal outgrowth and dendritic arborization allowing for the capture and formation of nascent synapses. These initial synaptic contacts are exuberant in nature ensuring proper neural connectivity and undergo a period of pruning of superfluous inputs followed by maturation and strengthening of the remaining contacts. This maturation includes pre- and postsynaptic specialization of the active zone, localization and clustering of ion channels, and …

Enhancing The Performance Of Interdependent Stormwater Drainage And Roadway Systems Under Future Conditions, Chao Ye

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Flooding can cause extensive and devastating damage to human properties, including damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure systems, and personal belongings and it has become a threatening challenge during the past decades due to the massive damage brought to communities, infrastructures, and ecosystems. As climate change intensifies, the frequency and severity of flooding issues are expected to increase, exacerbating the existing flooding risks for vulnerable communities. Various approaches of modeling, optimizing, and designing for multiple levels of flooding problems have been adopted to deal with flooding control studies and research to alleviate the flooding risks on multiple levels of communities. This …

Design Of A Pick-And-Place Robot With Computer Vision And Optimized Sorting Algorithms, Dan Kilula

Student Theses and Dissertations

In computer science, the Multiple Travelling Salesman Problem (mTSP) is a special case of Travelling Salesmen where one salesman travels through a network of cities (end nodes) and goes back to the starting city (start node) rather than stopping at the targeted end node. Numerous search and optimization algorithms are used to find the most time-efficient path for the salesman to visit each node. In this work 3 optimization methods and algorithms such as linear programming and A* pathfinding are utilized and compared to solve the mTSP applied to a 3 degrees-of-freedom pick-and-place robot that uses computer vision to detect …

Advances In Model Reference Adaptive Control: Exploring Gain Scheduling, Scalability, And Time-Varying Command Following, Jesse Jaramillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Feedback control architectures are fundamental for achieving a desired response in physical systems. A robust and reliable design must account for system uncertainties and exogenous disturbances, which may arise from phenomena such as modeling approximations, nonlinearities, degraded modes of operations, wind gusts, or structural impairments. Two widely recognized methods to mitigate the negative impact of uncertainties and disturbances are robust and adaptive control architectures. Specifically, robust control designs ensure stability by considering a worst-case scenario, which can potentially lead to suboptimal performance or steady-state errors depending on the nature of the uncertainty. In contrast, adaptive control designs offer the capability …

Photodegradation And Microencapsulation Of Organic Thermochromic Material For Application As Building Coating Envelope, Sushant Madhukar Nagare

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to exponential urbanization, residential building electrical loads have increased over the past decades. Also, deforestation has led to increased urban heat island effects, due to which summer has been scorching and winter has become freezing. This further increases the load on generation due to the extensive use of heating and cooling systems. New techniques, such as cool building materials and green building concepts, compensate for the load. The building can be coated with a material that has heat reflectivity capability for summer and heat-trapping capability for winter. One such material is thermochromic, which turns white upon heating and black …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Multifunctional Cellular Structures For Enhanced Impact Energy Mitigation Performance, Kazi Zahir Uddin

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the relationship between the structural design of cellular solids and their macroscopic behavior and focuses on the customization of properties through advanced fabrication techniques. The concepts of density gradation and their integration in both non-ordered and ordered cellular structures have been proposed. The investigation focuses on the development of functionally graded foam materials (FGFMs) and mechanical metamaterials to obtain tunable mechanical performance. One significant focus is the fabrication of density-graded foam stacks with various interface adhesives. From the insights gained from the study of interfaces in density-graded foams, certain design and fabrication principles are applied to enhance …

Investigating The Feasibility And Mechanisms Of Cold Spray Deposition Of Polymer-Based Powders On Fiber-Reinforced Composite Substrates, Nicholas Beau Mennie

Theses and Dissertations

Fiber-reinforced composites have become important structural components in industries such as aerospace and energy due to their high mechanical strength and relatively light structural weight. However, during operation, these materials can be prone to impact damage and disintegration. Effective protection via metalization and repair of composites would, therefore, reduce the cost and time for replacement parts. Polymer-based cold spray, while a relatively new technique, can be utilized to metalize and possibly repair composite materials subjected to impact-induced damage. In this work, studies involving polymers and composite cold spray were performed to enable the process of safeguarding, enhancing, or repairing various …