Engineering Commons^™

Resolution Limit For Dna Barcodes In The Odijk Regime, Yanwei Wang, Wes F. Reinhart, Douglas R. Tree, Kevin D. Dorfman

Faculty Publications

We develop an approximation for the probability of optically resolving two fluorescent labels on the backbone of a DNA molecule confined in a nanochannel in the Odijk regime as a function of the fluorescence wavelength, channel size, and the properties of the DNA (persistence length and effective width). The theoretical predictions agree well with equivalent data produced by Monte Carlo simulations of a touching wormlike bead model of DNA in a high ionic strength buffer. Although the theory is only strictly valid in the limit where the effective width of the nanochannel is small compared with the persistence length of …

On Noise-Enhanced Distributed Inference In The Presence Of Byzantines, Mukul Gagrani, Pranay Sharma, Venkata Sriram Siddhardh Nadendla, Aditya Vempaty, Pramod Varshney

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

This paper considers the noise-enhanced distributed detection problem in the presence of Byzantine (malicious) nodes by suitably adding stochastic resonance (SR) noise. We consider two metrics - the minimum number of Byzantines (alpha_blind) needed to blind the fusion center as a security metric and the Kullback- Leibler divergence (DKL) as a detection performance metric. We show that alpha_blind increases when SR noise is added at the honest nodes. When Byzantines also start adding SR noise to their observations, we see no gain in terms of alpha_blind . However, the detection performance of the network does improve with SR. We also …

Simple Optimization Method To Determine Best Management Practices To Reduce Phosphorus Loading In Echo Reservoir, Utah, Omar Alminagorta, Bereket Tesfatsion, David E. Rosenberg, Bethany T. Neilson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops and applies a simple linear optimization program to identify cost effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce phosphorus loading to Echo Reservoir, Utah. The optimization program tests the feasibility of proposed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocations based on potential BMP options and provides information regarding the spatial redistribution of loads among sub-watersheds. The current version of the TMDL for Echo reservoir allocates phosphorus loads to existing non-point phosphorus sources in different sub-watersheds to meet a specified total load. Optimization results show that it is feasible to implement BMPs for non-point sources in each sub-watershed to meet …

Is Adding The E Enough?: Investigating The Impact Of K-12 Engineering Standards On The Implementation Of Stem Integration., Gillian H. Roehrig, Tamara J. Moore, Hui-Hui Wang, Mi Sun Park

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

The problems that we face in our ever-changing, increasingly global society are multidisciplinary, and many require the integration of multiple science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts to solve them. National calls for improvement of STEM education in the United States are driving changes in policy, particularly in academic standards. Research on STEM integration in K-12 classrooms has not kept pace with the sweeping policy changes in STEM education. This study addresses the need for research to explore the translation of broad, national-level policy statements regarding STEM education and integration to state-level policies and implementation in K-12 classrooms. An interpretive …

North American Standard For Cold-Formed Steel Framing -- Nonstructural Members, 2011 Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Numerical Analysis Of Concrete-Filled Circular Steel Tubes, Yaohua Deng, Terri R. Norton, Christopher Y. Tuan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Concrete-filled steel tubes have been widely used in building and bridge construction. In this paper, the flexural behaviour of concrete-filled steel tubes is investigated using finite-element analysis and theoretical sectional analysis. The numerical results from both analytical methods are validated against published experimental test results. It is shown that both methods are capable of predicting the elastic and the ultimate moment capacities of concrete-filled steel tubes. Due to its computational efficiency, theoretical sectional analysis is more suitable for the design of concrete-filled steel tubes than finite-element analysis.

Evolutionary Optimization Of Electronic Circuitry Cooling Using Nanofluid, Manu Mital

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Publications

Liquid cooling electronics using microchannels integrated in the chips is an attractive alternative to bulky aluminum heat sinks. Cooling can be further enhanced using nanofluids. The goals of this study are to evaluate heat transfer in a nanofluid heat sink with developing laminar flow forced convection, taking into account the pumping power penalty. The proposed model uses semi-empirical correlations to calculate effective nanofluid thermophysical properties, which are then incorporated into heat transfer and friction factor correlations in literature for single-phase flows. The model predicts the thermal resistance and pumping power as a function of four design variables that include the …

Optimizing Fiber Cross-Sectional Shape For Improving Stability Of Air–Water Interface Over Superhydrophobic Fibrous Coatings, B. Emami, Hooman Vahedi Tafreshi

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Publications

In this letter, a mathematical force-balance formulation is developed that can be used to predict the critical pressure, the hydrostaticpressure above which the surface starts to depart from the non-wetting state, for superhydrophobicsurfaces comprised of highly aligned fibers (e.g., biased AC-electrospun coatings) with arbitrary cross-sectional shapes. We have also developed a methodology for optimizing the fiber cross-sections to maximize the critical pressure of the surface, using the Euler–Lagrange equation. A case study is presented to better demonstrate the application of our method.

Comparison Of Field Level And Regional Actual Etc Values Developed From Remote Sensing And Dual Crop Coefficient Procedure, Daniel J. Howes, Lucas Hoffmann, Franklin Gaudi

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Crop evapotranspiration (ETc) estimates are important for regional water planning as well as irrigation scheduling. Traditional ETc computations utilize published crop coefficients (basal) that are adjusted on a daily basis depending on soil water availability (i.e., dual crop coefficient method). Recent advancements include using remote sensing data such as LandSAT combined with a surface energy balance algorithm (METRIC), allowing crop evapotranspiration to be computed for each pixel throughout images taken during the season. There are limitations and advantages for both methods. Comparisons of soil water balance evapotranspiration values to METRIC values for two scenarios in different regions of California have …

Multi-Scale Gis Data-Driven Method For Early Assessment Of Wetlands Impacted By Transportation Corridors, Rodrigo Nobrega, Colin Brooks, Charles O'Hara, Bethany Stich

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Mse Annual Report 2012, Department Of Materials Science And Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• What's that Sound? Wind Harp Brings New Beauty to Campus
• Yongmei Jin and Yu Wang: The MSE Dynamic Duo
• MSE Researcher Creates Better Solar Cells
• Faculty and Staff News
• Updates and Awards
• Alumni at a Glance

Managing Server Energy And Reducing Operational Cost For Online Service Providers, Xinying Zheng

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The past decade has seen the energy consumption in servers and Internet Data Centers (IDCs) skyrocket. A recent survey estimated that the worldwide spending on servers and cooling have risen to above $30 billion and is likely to exceed spending on the new server hardware . The rapid rise in energy consumption has posted a serious threat to both energy resources and the environment, which makes green computing not only worthwhile but also necessary. This dissertation intends to tackle the challenges of both reducing the energy consumption of server systems and by reducing the cost for Online Service Providers (OSPs). …

Development And Improvement Of Warm-Mix Asphalt Technology, Shu Wei Goh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Traditionally, asphalt mixtures were produced at high temperatures (between 150°C to 180°C) and therefore often referred to as Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). Recently, a new technology named Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) was developed in Europe that allows HMA to be produced at a lower temperature. Over years of research efforts, a few WMA technologies were introduced including the foaming method using Aspha-min® and Advera® WMA; organic additives such as Sasobit® and Asphaltan B®; and chemical packages such as Evotherm® and Cecabase RT®. Benefits were found when lower temperatures were used to produce asphalt mixtures, especially when it comes to environmental …

Model To Describe The Mode I Fracture Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Eric L. Kreiger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has arisen from the implementation of a variety of concrete engineering and materials science concepts developed over the last century. This material offers superior strength, serviceability, and durability over its conventional counterparts. One of the most important differences for UHPFRC over other concrete materials is its ability to resist fracture through the use of randomly dispersed discontinuous fibers and improvements to the fiber-matrix bond. Of particular interest is the materials ability to achieve higher loads after first crack, as well as its high fracture toughness. In this research, a study of the fracture behavior …

Evaluation Of Flood Risk In Response To Climate Variability, Casey E. Fritsch

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Standard procedures for forecasting flood risk (Bulletin 17B) assume annual maximum flood (AMF) series are stationary, meaning the distribution of flood flows is not significantly affected by climatic trends/cycles, or anthropogenic activities within the watershed. Historical flood events are therefore considered representative of future flood occurrences, and the risk associated with a given flood magnitude is modeled as constant over time. However, in light of increasing evidence to the contrary, this assumption should be reconsidered, especially as the existence of nonstationarity in AMF series can have significant impacts on planning and management of water resources and relevant infrastructure. …

Integration Of Computational Models And Experimental Characterization To Study Internal Frost Damage In Cementitious Materials , Kenny Ng

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The objective of this doctoral research is to investigate the internal frost damage due to crystallization pore pressure in porous cement-based materials by developing computational and experimental characterization tools. As an essential component of the U.S. infrastructure system, the durability of concrete has significant impact on maintenance costs. In cold climates, freeze-thaw damage is a major issue affecting the durability of concrete. The deleterious effects of the freeze-thaw cycle depend on the microscale characteristics of concrete such as the pore sizes and the pore distribution, as well as the environmental conditions. Recent theories attribute internal frost damage of concrete is …

Treatment Of Osteoporosis In A Mouse Model Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Black Bear Parathyroid Hormone, Sarah K. Gray

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive disease affecting skeletal and cardiac muscle, as well as bone. Long term disuse and glucocorticoid treatments cause progressive osteoporosis in DMD patients, leading to an increase in fracture incidence. Treatments for osteoporosis in these patients have not been widely explored. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), an anabolic treatment for post-menopausal osteoporosis, could benefit DMD patients by improving skeletal properties and reducing fracture risk. Other PTH analogues are not currently FDA approved to treat osteoporosis, but may have improved osteogenic effects compared to the human analogue. Black bear PTH is especially promising as an osteoporosis treatment …

Stability Analysis And Hazard Assessment Of The Northern Slopes Of San Vicente Volcano In Central El Salvador, Daniel Smith

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Geologic hazards affect the lives of millions of people worldwide every year. El Salvador is a country that is regularly affected by natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tropical storms. Additionally, rainfall-induced landslides and debris flows are a major threat to the livelihood of thousands. The San Vicente Volcano in central El Salvador has a recurring and destructive pattern of landslides and debris flows occurring on the northern slopes of the volcano. In recent memory there have been at least seven major destructive debris flows on San Vicente volcano. Despite this problem, there has been no known attempt to …

Sampling Bias In Evaluating The Probability Of Seismically Induced Soil Liquefaction With Spt & Cpt Case Histories, Abhishek Jain

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Several deterministic and probabilistic methods are used to evaluate the probability of seismically induced liquefaction of a soil. The probabilistic models usually possess some uncertainty in that model and uncertainties in the parameters used to develop that model. These model uncertainties vary from one statistical model to another. Most of the model uncertainties are epistemic, and can be addressed through appropriate knowledge of the statistical model. One such epistemic model uncertainty in evaluating liquefaction potential using a probabilistic model such as logistic regression is sampling bias. Sampling bias is the difference between the class distribution in the sample used for …

Vortex Shedding Dynamics In Long Aspect-Ratio Aerodynamics Bodies, Liu Chen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The focus of the current dissertation is to study qualitatively the underlying physics of vortex-shedding and wake dynamics in long aspect-ratio aerodynamics in incompressible viscous flow through the use of the KLE method. We carried out a long series of numerical experiments in the cases of flow around the cylinder at low Reynolds numbers. The study of flow at low Reynolds numbers provides an insight in the fluid physics and also plays a critical role when applying to stalled turbine rotors. Many of the conclusions about the qualitative nature of the physical mechanisms characterizing vortex formation, shedding and further interaction …

Design Of A Lab Scale Direct-Filtration System And Its Application In Process Lab , Shichang Ma

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Environmental Process and Simulation Center (EPSC) at Michigan Technological University started accommodating laboratories for an Environmental Engineering senior level class CEE 4509 Environmental Process and Simulation Laboratory since 2004. Even though the five units that exist in EPSC provide the students opportunities to have hands-on experiences with a wide range of water/wastewater treatment technologies, a key module was still missing for the student to experience a full cycle of treatment. This project fabricated a direct-filtration pilot system in EPSC and generated a laboratory manual for education purpose. Engineering applications such as clean bed head loss calculation, backwash flowrate determination, …

The Potential Of Industrial Waste And Agricultural Feedstock Towards Sustainable Biofuels Production: Techno-Economic And Environmental Impact Perspectives, Felix K. Adom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This Ph.D. research is comprised of three major components; (i) Characterization study to analyze the composition of defatted corn syrup (DCS) from a dry corn mill facility (ii) Hydrolysis experiments to optimize the production of fermentable sugars and amino acid platform using DCS and (iii) Sustainability analyses. Analyses of DCS included total solids, ash content, total protein, amino acids, inorganic elements, starch, total carbohydrates, lignin, organic acids, glycerol, and presence of functional groups. Total solids content was 37.4% (± 0.4%) by weight, and the mass balance closure was 101%. Total carbohydrates [27% (± 5%) wt.] comprised of starch (5.6%), soluble …

Engineering Research 2012, College Of Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Michigan Tech Engineering Magazine

Table of Contents

• Energy
• Engineered Materials
• Health
• Education & Outreach
• Earth & Water
• People

Development Of System Reliability Models For Railway Bridges, Andrzej S. Nowak Ph.D., Anna Maria Rakoczy Ph.D.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Performance of the railway transportation network depends on the reliability of railway bridges, which can be affected by various forms of deterioration and extreme environmental conditions. More than half of the railway bridges in US were built before 1950 and many show signs of distress. There is a need for efficient methods to evaluate the safety reserve in the railway bridges by identification of the most sensitive parts of the bridge. An accurate estimation of remaining fatigue life of a structural component is very important in prioritizing bridge rehabilitation and replacement. However, existing procedures to evaluate the fatigue behavior of …

Effects Of Geometric Design Features On Truck Crashes On Limited-Access Highways, Sundanda Dissanayake Ph.D., P.E., Niranga Amarasingha M.S.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Freight can be transported between most points in the country quite efficiently using trucks. However, involvement of large trucks in crashes can cause much damage and serious injuries, due to their large sizes and heavy weights. Large truck crashes occurring on limited-access highways may be more severe than crashes occurring on other roadways due to high speed limits, and traffic- and geometric-related characteristics. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationships between large truck crash probability, and traffic and geometric characteristics. Crash data from 2005 to 2010 were obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), which included …

Use Of High-Volume Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (Rap) For Asphalt Pavement Rehabilitation Due To Increased Highway Truck Traffic From Freight Transportation, Mustaque Hossain, Haritha Y. Musty, Nasim Sabahfer

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

A recent rise in asphalt binder prices has led state agencies and contractors to use higher quantities of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Besides being economic, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, RAP can be replaced for a portion of aggregates in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) where quality aggregates are scarce. In this project, the effect of increasing RAP percentage and using fractionated RAP (FRAP) in HMA mixture on moisture resistance, rutting, and fatigue cracking were evaluated. Mixtures with five different RAP and FRAP contents (20%, 30%, and 40% RAP, and 30% and 40% FRAP) were studied. The Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD) …

Led Traffic Signal Replacement Schedules: Facilitating Smooth Freight Flows, Suzanna Long Ph.D., Ruwen Qin Ph.D., Abhijit Gosavi Ph.D., C. H. Wu Ph.D, Tom Ryan P.E., Casey Noll

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This research details a field study of LED traffic signals in Missouri and develops a replacement schedule based on key findings. Rates of degradation were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results of this research will provide a methodology for engineering managers in state departments of transportation and local communities in identifying best practices and replacement standards for LED traffic signal technology. These findings will facilitate smooth freight flows through the use of more efficient technologies

The U.S.-Canada Border Effect: Smaller Than Previously Thought And Becoming Smaller, Miwa Matsuo D.Des., Hirokazu Ishise Ph.D.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

We revisit the effect of the U.S.-Canada national border on trade, considering to what extent the border reduces trade when observable economic factors are controlled. A reexamination of the data yields estimates of the border effect that are 50% higher than previously expected (Feenstra, 2004); however, the nonlinearity of the estimation and distance measure reduce the effect by 65%. We therefore conclude that the border effect in 1993 had a factor of 4.10. This figure is 15% lower than the effect proposed by previous research. We also calculate the border effect for subsequent years and find that this effect steadily …

Monitoring The Effects Of Knickpoint Erosion On Bridge Pier And Abutment Structural Damage Due To Scour, Thanos Papanicolaou Ph.D., David M. Admiraal, Christopher Wilson Ph.D., University Of Iowa

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The goal of this study was to conduct a field-oriented evaluation, coupled with advanced laboratory techniques, of channel degradation in a stream of the Deep Loess Region of western Iowa, namely Mud Creek. The Midwestern United States is an ideal place for such a study considering that ~$1 Billion of infrastructure and farmland has been lost recently to channel degradation. A common form of channel degradation in this region is associated with the formation of knickpoints, which naturally manifest as short waterfalls within the channel that migrate upstream. As flow plunges over a knickpoint face, scouring of the downstream bed …

Feasibility Of Using Cellular Telephone Data To Determine The Truckshed Of Intermodal Facilities, Steven D. Schrock, Thomas Mulinazzi, Ming-Heng Wang

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

In order to determine the feasibility of using cellular telephone location data in deriving the geographic extent (truckshed) from intermodal facilities, this study was conducted to determine the feasibility analysis in three aspects: technology, penetration analysis and truck tracking methodology. A preliminary test was also conducted to demonstrate the cell phone tracking and traveling characteristics identification process using Washington, D.C. metropolitan area data provided by AirSage, Inc. The preliminary feasibility analysis found that cell phone locations could be located within an average of 100 meters or less of their actual position, which is feasible to use for a long haul …