Engineering Commons^™

College Of Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

College of Engineering & Computing: News & Publications (2010-2023)

• 2013 CEIT Faculty Research Seed Grants

Orbital Debris Removal Technologies: A Hybrid Electrodynamic Tether And Ion Beam Shepherd Satellite Design For Fuel Efficient Contactless Debris Removal, JöRn Mumme

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Space debris poses a serious threat to humanities efforts at space exploration as well as the expanding uses for earth-orbiting satellites. This thesis investigates the proposed technologies for the debris's removal both large and small. Focus is applied to the large debris removal technologies since the small size category is dominated by the ORION laser system. Furthermore, the large debris objects pose the most destructive threat upon impact to satellites. Electrodynamic tethers (EDT) as well as their control strategies, ion-beam shepherds (IBS), and tradition thruster methods are investigated for effectiveness and feasibility. Hybrid combinations of these technologies are investigated in …

A Rigorous Solution For Finite-State Inflow Throughout The Flowfield, Zhongyang Fei

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In this research, the Hseih/Duffy model is extended to all three velocity components of inflow across the rotor disk in a mathematically rigorous way so that it can be used to calculate the inflow below the rotor disk plane. This establishes a complete dynamic inflow model for the entire flow field with finite state method. The derivation is for the case of general skewed angle. The cost of the new method is that one needs to compute the co-states of the inflow equations in the upper hemisphere along with the normal states. Numerical comparisons with exact solutions for the z-component …

Thermoelectric Properties Of Epitaxial Scn Films Deposited By Reactive Magnetron Sputtering Onto Mgo(001) Substrates, Polina V. Burmistrova, Jesse Maassen, Tela Favaloro, Bivas Saha, Shuaib Salamat, Yee Rui Koh, Mark S. Lundstrom, Ali Shakouri, Timothy D. Sands

Birck and NCN Publications

Epitaxial ScN(001) thin films were grown on MgO(001) substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. The deposition was performed in an Ar/N-2 atmosphere at 2 x 10(-3) Torr at a substrate temperature of 850 degrees C in a high vacuum chamber with a base pressure of 10(-8) Torr. In spite of oxygen contamination of 1.6 +/- 1 at. %, the electrical resistivity, electron mobility, and carrier concentration obtained from a typical film grown under these conditions by room temperature Hall measurements are 0.22 m Omega cm, 106 cm(2) V-1 s(-1), and 2.5 x 10(20) cm(-3), respectively. These films exhibit remarkable thermoelectric …

Managing Moisture - The Key To Healthy Internal Wall Insulation Retrofits Of Solid Walls, Joseph Little, Benat Arregi

Conference papers

This study investigates the appropriateness of internally insulating solid walls to the Passivhaus standard. A number of variables are assessed using numerical hygrothermal simulation (under EN 15026) to check (1) associated risk of mould growth on original substrate and (2) if they result in a greater likelihood of timber decay at built-in joist ends. While air and vapour control layers (AVCLs) perform well regarding mould risk in low absorption walls, the results question their appropriateness where joist ends are built-in: when AVCLs are used, moisture levels at joist ends can potentially rise above critical thresholds, even in low absorption walls. …

Green River - Locks And Dams (Sc 1009), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1009. Survey for tract of land at southern end of Lock and Dam Number 5 on Green River at Glenmore in Warren County, Kentucky.

Vsfs: A Versatile Searchable File System For Hpc Analytics, Lei Xu, Ziling Huang, Hong Jiang, Lei Tian, David Swanson

School of Computing: Technical Reports

Big-data/HPC analytics applications have urgent needs for file-search services to drastically reduce the scale of the input data to accelerate analytics. Unfortunately, the existing solutions either are poorly scalable for large-scale systems, or lack well-integrated interface to allow applications to easily use them. We propose a distributed searchable file system, VSFS, which provide a novel and flexible POSIX-compatible searchable file system namespace that can be seamlessly integrate with any legacy code without modification. Additionally, to provide real-time indexing and searching performance, VSFS uses DRAM-based distributed consistent hashing ring to manages all file-index. The results of our evaluation show that VSFS …

Naming A Mountain Peak - Montana Tech Peak, Jon Craig, Larissa Watson

Posters

While conducting research to measure and confirm the elevation of Silver Bow County's highest point, Table Mountain, a group of Montana Tech students came across a heretofore unnamed peak designated as Peak 10131 (which denotes it's height).

Space Utilization For The Boulder Cemetery, Ray Woods, Aaron Peters, Bill Rees, Jacob Schutz

Posters

The purpose of this project in Boulder, Montana was to determine how much usable space was left in the cemetery for future burials and to locate old burial sites where headstones no longer exist.

Concept Fire Truck, Breanna Biegler

Posters

A prototype Concept Fire Truck was designed using Autodesk Inventor 3D Design Software. Various pictures of old-time and toy fire trucks were utilized for this project. The prototype was printed using a 3D printer to verify that all parts of the truck would fit and work as intended.

Bypassing Roadblocks To Technical Information: Locating Freely Available Technical Information For Entrepreneurs, Anne E. Rauh

Librarian Publications

If you have ever had to seek technical information, you have probably run into an information access roadblock or a pay-wall. This is a major issue for our students as they leave our universities and our subscription resources and move on to become practitioners of their field. This session will outline the different types of freely available technical information - including patents, government funded technical reports, and open access journal literature - and demonstrate how to access them. The session will also give examples of how to integrate these resources into the classroom through design projects and information seeking assignments. …

Orthogonal Expression Of Metabolic Pathways, George Howard Mcarthur Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial metabolism can be tailored to meet human specifications, but the degree to which these living systems can be repurposed is still unknown. Artificial biological control strategies are being developed with the goal of enabling the predictable implementation of novel biological functions (e.g., engineered metabolism). This dissertation project contributes genetic tools useful for modulating gene expression levels (extending promoters with UP elements) and isolating transcription and translation of engineered DNA from the endogenous cellular network (expression by orthogonal cellular machinery), which have been demonstrated in Escherichia coli for the production of lycopene, a 40-carbon tetraterpene carotenoid with antioxidant activity and …

Revisiting Blob Theory For Dna Diffusivity In Slitlike Confinement, Liang Dai, Douglas R. Tree, Johan R. C. Van Der Maarel, Kevin D. Dorfman, Patrick S. Doyle

Faculty Publications

Blob theory has been widely applied to describe polymer conformations and dynamics in nanoconfinement. In slit confinement, blob theory predicts a scaling exponent of 2/3 for polymer diffusivity as a function of slit height, yet a large body of experimental studies using DNA produce a scaling exponent significantly less than 2/3. In this work, we develop a theory that predicts that this discrepancy occurs because the segment correlation function for a semiflexible chain such as DNA does not follow the Flory exponent for length scales smaller than the persistence length. We show that these short length scale effects contribute significantly …

Fastlane: Flow-Based Channel Assignment In Dense Wireless Networks, Dane N. Seaberg

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wireless communication in dense networks is becoming more apparent and presents challenges in achieving reliable and near real-time communication. While some works have begun to address dense wireless networks, few address both reliability and latency. In this work we introduce FastLane, a method of ow-based channel assignment for dense wireless networks, which works to achieve reliable, near real-time communication in a dense environment with single-radio devices. FastLane uses an assignment mechanism that assigns channels at a ow-level granularity, rather than a tree-level or link-level granularity. Our scheme also takes into account channel quality and can adapt as the quality changes …

The Santa Clara, 2013-04-18, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Design And Implementation Of A Hybrid Technology Networking System, Sushanta Mohan Rakshit

Department of Computer Electronics and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The safety of rail transport has always been the top priority for the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA). Legacy technology, like wayside monitoring, is still
in place and is largely relied upon for detection of faults. Modern technology like
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been introduced recently. However, this
is largely used to detect a particular railcar rather than to monitor it for problems.
Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology is being evaluated by the railroads for real-time or near real-time monitoring of the status of railcars for timely response to problems and also for trend analysis.

ZigBee has been the networking …

Influence Of Tissue Stiffness Asymmetry On Human Vocal Fold Vibration, Kimberly Stevens, Dr. Scott Thomson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The flow-induced vibration of the human vocal folds produces the sound for voiced speech and singing. The vocal folds consist of two folds of tissue, one on each side of the larynx, that are nominally symmetric in terms of shape, composition, and stiffness. However, several voice disorders, including vocal fold scarring and inflammation, cause severe asymmetry in vocal fold tissue properties. The asymmetry can lead to irregular vocal fold vibration and subsequent decrease in voice quality. A more accurate understanding of the effect of vocal fold asymmetry can aid in the development of improved clinical care of the human voice. …

Measurement Of Wing Loads During Flapping Flight, Ryan Anderson, Dr. Mark Colton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ongoing research at BYU with the Flapping Flight Research Group (FFRG) is aimed at uncovering the physics behind flapping flight. Discoveries in this field could produce new aircraft designs and technolo- gies, as well as broaden our understanding of natural phenomena. One ambition of the FFRG is to quanti- fy (as determined by lift and thrust) wing trajectories followed during flight. To achieve this quantifica- tion, a precise sensor is necessary to record the lift and thrust produced during each flap.

Assessing The Impact Of The Approximations Used In The Development Of The Pulsed Laser Method For Measuring Thermal Diffusivity, Trevor Terrill, Dr. Matthew Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to conduct a rigorous investigation of each of the approximations made in the development of the pulsed laser method for measuring the thermal diffusivity. Thermal conductivity is an important engineering parameter, but measuring it directly is difficult. In common engineering practice, the thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and density are measured, and the thermal conductivity is calculated from these properties. The pulsed laser or flash method is commonly employed to measure the thermal diffusivity, but it contains many restrictive approximations that are difficult to satisfy in practice. This project investigated the significance of each of …

Investigation And Development Of Of Pyrometer Coating, Weston Baxter, Dr. Dale Tree

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project aimed to produce and test an opaque surface on an optical fiber tip that will survive temperatures up to 3000 K. The optical fiber is to be used to measure flame temperature in oxy-coal and other combustion processes.

Enhancing In Vitro Production Of Exotic Proteins Utilizing Linear Dna Templates, Savannah Herdegen, Dr. Brad Bundy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

[Final report posting is embargoed pending publication.]

New Capabilities In Large-Scale Models In Computational Biology, Casey Abbott, Dr. John Hedengren

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Advances in biomedical research have lead to an increase of experimental data to be interpreted in the context of reaction pathways, molecular transport, and population dynamics. Kinetic modeling is one way employed to interpret this data and is used in the pharmaceutical industry in developing clinical trials for new medications [1]. One collection of kinetic models is built on the System Biology Markup Language (SBML). Many of these models have detailed reaction metabolic pathways that describe biological systems, including cause and effect relationships in the human body. While simulations of these biological systems have been successfully applied for many years, …

An Alternative Method To Prepare Cobalt Catalysts Using Salt Precursors, Trevor Seegmiller, Dr. Calvin Bartholomew

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is the process for converting syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) into liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel. A cobalt or iron catalyst is required for the process. Cobalt catalysts have the highest effectiveness and stability in FTS; however, they are more expensive due to higher materials cost as well as the time-consuming and complex processes generally associated with manufacture.

Instrumentation And Monitoring Of Concrete Bridge Decks: Moisture, Temperature, And Electrical Conductivity, Tenli Waters, Dr. Spencer Guthrie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this report is to give the results of research conducted to measure the extent of internal curing occurring in the field in concrete bridge decks constructed using lightweight concrete compared to conventional concrete. With permission from bridge engineers at the Utah Department of Transportation and in cooperation with personnel at Provo River Constructors and Raba Kistner Infrastructure, Inc., we used sensors donated by Decagon Devices to monitor moisture content, temperature, and electrical conductivity in four bridge decks located in Utah County along the I-15 corridor: 400 South, 400 North, 800 North, and Geneva Road. The bridge decks …

Scos Calibration And Filtering For Hpm Field Measurement, Bradley Whitaker, Dr. Stephen Schultz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

High power microwave (HPM) weapons create large electric and magnetic fields with the purpose of disrupting electronic equipment. In order to protect electronics, the interaction between the equipment and the electromagnetic fields must be characterized. This requires a noninvasive sensor that can detect large electromagnetic fields and the sensing area needs to be in close proximity to the target electronics. However, to serve as a reliable measurement tool, the sensor must neither cause electromagnetic interference of its own nor disrupt the electric field it measures. Finally, the sensor must not be sensitive to electric and magnetic field interference outside the …

Power Harvesting System For More Efficient, Cleaner Burning Cookstoves, Suman Pokharel, Dr. Matthew Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Each day more than 2 billion people cook using open fires or fires in primitive cook stoves that are fueled with biomass (wood, straw, crop waste, dung, etc…). These fires pollute homes and the environment, leading to serious health problems and contributing to global climate change. Additionally, fuel must be purchased at relatively high prices, or many hours are required to gather sufficient fuel each day. High fuel costs add in the limited financial resources, and collecting for fuel limits time available for education or other economically productive activities.

Development Of A Fuel-Efficient Stove To Reduce Particulate Emissions, Geoffrey Lemon, Dr. Randy Lewis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the World Health Organization, one of the leading causes of death in developing countries is respiratory disease, caused by inhalation of particulates from cooking stoves.¹ With this challenge in mind, our team of interdisciplinary engineering students worked for over two semesters on designing and implementing a more effective stove for the people in Matinga, Peru. With the help and feedback of faculty members and other teams within our Global Engineering Outreach class, we chose to design a modified “rocket stove.” This design was chosen to more completely combust the fuel, producing a much cleaner burning fire.

Silver Flash: A Mems Memory Device, John Stout, Dr. Aaron Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The silver flash project is an effort to create a reliable, MEMs based memory device. As a joint electrical and mechanical structure these devices offer several advantages over the traditional NAND flash memory currently found in phones, mp3 players, and USB memory drives. The silver flash project uses standard silicon-processing materials and processes to build a device that should have a long lifespan and continue to function under extreme conditions.

Incorporating Cyberbullying Prevention Curriculum In Technology Classrooms, Andrew Jackson, Dr. Geoff Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the advancement of communication technology and the increasing influence it has in our lives, the prevalence of a new intimidation tactic, cyberbullying, is multiplying. Recent studies cite that between 25% and 46% of adolescents are victims of cyberbullying or online harassment (Li, 2006; Palfrey et al., 2010). At present there is limited access to a cyberbullying prevention curriculum for educators; cyberbullying prevention resources have not been synthesized into useable curriculum.

Sensors For Integrated Monitoring And Mitigation Of Erosion, Genda Chen, David Pommerenke, Zhi Zhou, Ying Huang, Andro Radchenko

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Methods and systems for measuring erosion. Systems of various embodiments include a sensor adapted to be placed where earthen material is expected to move and to sense a condition related to that movement (for instance, the position of the sensor). The sensor includes a receiver for receiving a wireless signal (be it acoustic, magneto-inductive, etc.) from another sensor which conveys an identifier for the second sensor. The first sensor also includes a signal generator that generates a second (possibly wireless) signal conveying that identifier and its own identifier. Systems of some embodiments include a second receiver placed outside of the …