Engineering Commons^™

High Resolution Cine Displacement Encoding With Stimulated Echoes (Dense) At 3t With Navigator Feedback For Quantification Of Cardiac Mechanics, Gregory J. Wehner, Jonathan D. Suever, Christopher M. Haggerty, Linyuan Jing, David Powell, Xiaodong Zhong, Frederick H. Epstein, Brandon K. Fornwalt

Biomedical Engineering Presentations

Background: Measures of cardiac mechanics such as myocardial wall strain are better predictors of outcomes in patients with heart disease compared to traditional clinical measures and ejection fraction. Cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) is an ideal method for quantifying cardiac motion which encodes tissue displacement in the phase of the MR signal and provides pixel-level resolution for quantifying cardiac mechanics. To date, DENSE has been implemented with resolution limited to 2-3 pixels across the myocardium. While this resolution is higher than most other techniques for quantifying cardiac mechanics, it may limit the ability of DENSE to quantify finer …

Deactivation Of V2o5-Based Catalysts Used In The Selective Catalytic Reduction Of Nox, Aaron Nackos, Dr. Calvin H. Bartholomew

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nitric oxides (NO and NO2, or NOx for short) are significant contributors to photochemical smog and acid rain and are mainly produced from automobile emissions and from coal combustion used to generate electric power. Because of these issues, the EPA will require by the year 2004 that NOx emissions from coal-fired plants in this country meet strict pollution limitations—up to a 90% reduction in the amount of NOx currently allowed to be released by the EPA (Belden 41).

The Effects Of Tool And Temperature Parameters On Grain Growth In Friction Stir Welded 7050 And 7475 Aluminum, Kevin Allen Schwendiman, Dr. Tracy Nelson, Dr. Carl Sorenson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Welding Institute (TWI) in Cambridge, England invented friction stir welding (FSW) late in 1991. TWI applied in December of that year for worldwide patent protection. The friction stir welding process is simple, energy-efficient and inexpensive relative to other welding methods. FSW can be implemented to make high quality welds with the most versatility – meaning the process can be used in almost all positions. Tensile, fatigue and bending tests have demonstrated that the properties of friction stir welded materials are superior to those made by other welding methods such as fusion or arc welding.

Static Strength And Durability Testing Of Biomass Fly Ash In Concrete, John Hema, Dr. Fernando Fonseca

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fossil fuels are used in modern power plants throughout the world to produce electrical energy. This process increases air pollution and generates millions of tons of a by-product known as fly ash. Fly ash is the inorganic residue that remains after pulverized coal is burned. This residue rapidly accumulates and is often disposed of in landfills, filling them to capacity. One solution to reducing the amount of waste has been to use fly ash in concrete.

An Analysis Of Beowulf Supercomputing Clusters, And Their Potential Application In Higher Education, Curtis R. Nielson, C. Richard G. Helps

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A supercomputer may be defined as a computer that leads the world in processing capacity, particularly in terms of calculation speed. Historically, the processing power of a supercomputer has been reserved for government or scientific research agencies; however, advances in computing technology have made the supercomputer an obtainable tool for academia. The Information Age has generated enormous amounts of data, which often require the processing capacity of a supercomputer for proper analysis. Modern supercomputers are well equipped to handle the demands of most data manipulations, but their cost is usually in the millions. A supercomputer design growing in popularity is …

Low Reynolds Number Aerodynamics For Micro Air-Vehicles (Mav), Paul Nelson, Chad Lebaron, Bart Frischknecht, Kristopher Danielson, Jerry Bowman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Very little aerodynamic data exists for Reynolds numbers less than 100,000. It is common for there to be a large discrepancy between numerically predicted and experimental airfoil performance, especially at very low Reynolds numbers. In this research, a low Reynolds number airfoil was developed based on aerodynamic measurements.

An Examination Of The Usefulness Of Lapping For Reducing Tip Leakage In Scroll Compressors, Jared W. Jensen, Paul Eastman, Jason Hugenroth

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Scroll compressors are unique in that the working fluid (in most cases, Freon or Puron™) is continuously compressed in an involute wrap. The geometry of the two scrolls is such that the gas is compressed towards the center in progressively smaller chambers as one scroll orbits the other. Before the gas is discharged, the involute returns to an intake state allowing the compressor to compress several “pockets” of refrigerant at the same time.

Testing And Analysis Of A Post-Tensioned Coupled Wall System Monitored With Multiple Digital Image Correlation Systems, Michelle Holloman

Civil Engineering Theses

This thesis discusses the design and experimental evaluation of a novel seismic resistant reinforced concrete (RC) coupled shear wall system. In this system, the widely-used unbonded post-tensioned floor slab construction method is adapted to couple (i.e., link) two RC wall piers, providing significant performance and construction benefits over conventional RC coupling beams in high seismic regions. Previous experiments of post-tensioned coupled wall structures are limited to floor-level coupling beam subassemblies. The current study extends the available research to multi-story structures by construction and testing of a 15% scale eight story prototype specimen. This test is monitored by four digital image …

The Small Volume Autonomous Water Sampler (Svaws): An Innovative, Cost- Effective, Adaptable Protocol, Nicholas B. Fitzgerald

Dissertations and Theses

As of 2007, U.S. pesticide use stood at 1.1 billion pounds with 80% of all usage in agriculture. Such realities pose a potentially dangerous threat to our surface water bodies. This research provides a detailed analysis of the design, operation and field testing of a prototype water sampler, the Small Volume Autonomous Water Sampler (SVAWS). The research includes a discussion of the design and construction of the SVAWS. Seven USGS employees operated the SVAWS in a number of different states and conditions in order to collect samples for pesticide analysis. Field-testing outcomes of the SVAWS were measured through a Participant …

Mobile Robot Localization Based On Kalman Filter, Omar Q. Mohsin

Dissertations and Theses

Robot localization is one of the most important subjects in the Robotics science. It is an interesting and complicated topic. There are many algorithms to solve the problem of localization. Each localization system has its own set of features, and based on them, a solution will be chosen. In my thesis, I want to present a solution to find the best estimate for a robot position in certain space for which a map is available. The thesis started with an elementary introduction to the probability and the Gaussian theories. Simple and advanced practical examples are presented to illustrate each concept …

Ground Water Modeling For Deseret Ranch In Deer Park, Florida, James Halgren, Dr. Wayne Downs

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original intent of this project was to create a groundwater model of the Deseret Ranch in Deer Park, Florida, in order to predict the possible detrimental effects of a 3,000-acre landfill planned for the area. Shortly after the acceptance of the proposal, the landfill plans were cancelled and the project had to be reconsidered. Sufficient issues with ranch hydrogeology exist to justify eventual creation of a model, so I changed my focus to collection of the pertinent data to accurately formulate such a model.

Laboratory Design And Construction For Catalyst Characterization, Kenneth G. Crowther, Dr. Larry Baxter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the midst of industrial development we sometimes fail to foresee problems that may arise from current, seemingly economical, methods of production. One oversight in many industries ranging from Power to Caprolactam production is nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions that damage our bodies and limit visibility. NOX are highly reactive molecules that are responsible for the formation of ground level ozone, acid aerosols, acid rain, and photochemical smog; all which pose a threat to the health of humans and other living things. This problem, however, is finally noticed. Government legislation is going into effect that is reducing the amounts of NOX …

Computer Simulation Of Microstructures Based On Two-Point Correlation Functions, Benjamin L. Hansen, Dr. Brent Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A great amount of variance exists in the properties of any material. The ability to accurately predict these properties allows for designers to find the “best” material in highly constrained design situations. Many properties, such as elasticity and conductivity, are relatively insensitive to grain boundary interfaces and dislocations, and are thus accurately predicted by simple averaging techniques with a first-order description of the microstructure. However, many properties that effect lifetime to failure such as plastic yielding, intergranular stress corrosion cracking, and embrittlement are sensitive to dislocations and grain boundary interfaces. Therefore, second-order descriptions of the microstructures are needed to estimate …

Enhanced High-Alphabet Fm For A Flight Termination System, Brent Allen Kenney, Dr. Michael D. Rice

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The BYU Telemetry Lab has functioned in a consulting role for NASA’s Enhanced Flight Termination System (EFTS) group since 2000. NASA initiated the EFTS program to develop a new system to be used on their many test ranges for unmanned flight vehicles throughout the country. In the event that a flight vehicle loses control and threatens to endanger lives, the EFTS will place the vehicle in a zero-thrust state either by parachute or planned explosion. To ensure safety, the desired feature of EFTS is the reliability or the communication link rather than high data throughput.

Use Of A Gradient-Based Search Method To Reconstruct The Temperature Profile Along An Optical Fiber Thermometer, David G. Barker, Dr. Matthew R. Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Advances in the area of Optical Fiber Thermometry (OFT) are leading to more accurate temperature measurements in high-temperature environments. A typical OFT application is when the tip of an optical fiber is inserted into an environment where the temperature is to be measured. The other end of the fiber is attached to an optical system where light from the fiber is measured (see Figure 1). From the light emission measurements, the temperature at the heated tip of the fiber can be inferred.¹

Environmental Stress Cracking Of Glassy Polymers, Parthasakha Neogi, Gholamreza Zahedi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

When a glassy polymer is exposed to an organic solvent, it can crack spontaneously or fail more readily under extension. This is environmental stress cracking. When the solvent diffuses into the polymer, stresses develop because of swelling of the polymer. In addition, fluctuations give rise to stresses, because of the variation in surface tension from changes in the surface concentration of the solute, which is the Marangoni effect. A linear stability analysis is performed to show that such a system is unstable to infinitesimal disturbances. Large tensile stresses arise locally, leading to failures, which will be observed in the interfacial …

Pmu-Based Adaptive Central Protection Unit (Cpu) For Power Systems With High Dg Penetration, Pooria Mohammadi

Electrical Engineering Theses

The rapid expansion and integration of Distributed Generations (DG) into power systems plays an increasingly important role in their planning, operation, and control. The rules used to design and operate current systems are being altered by the DGs incorporation. This may jeopardize the system's reliability and security. Private owners of large DGs should not be restricted to a particular time schedule to connect/disconnect their generation to/from the system. This feature dynamically changes the typical power system with unidirectional power flow from generation to the loads. A smart Central Protection Unit (CPU) is needed to take proper measures in case of …

Sac Drone History, John Dale

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Learn about the previously classified Strategic Air Command drone reconnaissance program covering targets in China, N. Korea, & N. Vietnam, from the pilot who was in charge. Specially modified C-130s launched the drones that were then recovered in mid-air by helicopters. They went where manned aircraft could not and some wouldn’t make it back! This program contributed to the amazing UAVs of today.

Reu Site Program | Eed, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

This ten-week summer program provides undergraduate students in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline with intensive experience in engineering education research, such as how learners’ experience, background, and perception play a role when they learn engineering knowledge and skills. The program provides research experience for undergraduates (REU) and is not an internship. The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and hosted by Utah State University (USU) in Logan, Utah, a beautiful city nestled between two mountain ranges.

The central focus of this summer research program is on self-regulated learning (SRL). When confronted with a problem or …

A New Software Tool To Environmentally And Economically Evaluate Solvent Recovery In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Eduardo Cavanagh

Theses and Dissertations

The environmental impact reduction and operating costs savings associated with the purification and reuse of solvent waste in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API's) were investigated. A software toolbox has been developed that combines Aspen Plus(R) process simulation with SimaPro(R) and Ecosolvent life cycle assessment (LCA) databases. The feasibility of a relatively small flexible skid capable of recovering multiple solvent waste streams was evaluated. Fractional distillation and pervaporation were considered to separate binary solvent waste mixtures. Optimum distillation reflux ratio and feed stage were determined to maximize the environmental impact reductions and operating cost savings. The optimum reflux ratio …

Model-Free Q-Learning Over Finite Horizon For Uncertain Linear Continuous-Time Systems, Hao Xu, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a novel optimal control over finite horizon has been introduced for linear continuous-time systems by using adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). First, a new time-varying Q-function parameterization and its estimator are introduced. Subsequently, Q-function estimator is tuned online by using both Bellman equation in integral form and terminal cost. Eventually, near optimal control gain is obtained by using the Q-function estimator. All the closed-loop signals are shown to be bounded by using Lyapunov stability analysis where bounds are functions of initial conditions and final time while the estimated control signal converges close to the optimal value. The simulation …

Ranbp9 Overexpression Accelerates Loss Of Pre And Postsynaptic Proteins In The Apδe9 Transgenic Mouse Brain, Hongjie Wang, Ruizhi Wang, Shaohua Xu, Madepalli Krishnappa Lakshmana

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

There is now compelling evidence that the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease (AD) begins in synapses. Loss of synaptic proteins and functional synapses in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mouse models of AD is well established. However, what is the earliest age at which such loss of synapses occurs, and whether known markers of AD progression accelerate functional deficits is completely unknown. We previously showed that RanBP9 overexpression leads to robustly increased amyloid β peptide (Aβ) generation leading to enhanced amyloid plaque burden in a mouse model of AD. In this study we compared synaptic protein levels among four …

Event-Based Optimal Regulator Design For Nonlinear Networked Control Systems, Avimanyu Sahoo, Hao Xu, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a novel stochastic event-based near optimal control strategy to regulate a networked control system (NCS) represented as an uncertain nonlinear continuous time system. An online stochastic actor-critic neural network (NN) based approach is utilized to achieve the near optimal regulation in the presence of network constraints, such as, network induced time-varying delays and random packet losses under event-based transmission of the feedback signals. The transformed nonlinear NCS in discrete-time after the incorporation the delays and packet losses are utilized for the actor-critic NN based controller design. To relax the knowledge of the control coefficient matrix, a NN …

Neural Network-Based Adaptive Optimal Consensus Control Of Leaderless Networked Mobile Robots, Haci Mehmet Guzey, Hao Xu, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel neural network (NN)-based optimal adaptive consensus control scheme is introduced in this paper for networked mobile robots in the presence of unknown robot dynamics. Throughout the paper, two NNs are used. The unknown formation dynamics of each robot is identified by using the first NN. The second NN is utilized to approximate a novel value function derived in this paper as a function of augmented error vector, which is comprised of the regulation and consensus-based formation errors of each robot. A novel near optimal controller is developed by using approximated value function and identified formation dynamics. The Lyapunov …

Process For The Purification Of Benzphetamine Hydrochloride, Keith Tomazi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The present invention relates to the economical and separation of benzphetamine hydrochloride and methamphetamine by liquid extraction. An extraction process employing a suitable organic solvent and water at a pH in the range of from about 6 to about 8 provides excellent removal of the methamphetamine by dissolution in the water phase while the benzphetamine dissolves in the organic phase. Simple separation of the two phases results in separation of the two amines.

Basic Number Sysyems, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs on "Basic Number Systems" from January 14, 2014.

Sse-122 Satellites & Space Systems, Spring 2014, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A syllabus created by Professor Bob Twiggs for Space Science Engineering - Satellites & Space Systems (SSE 122) on January 14, 2014.

A Cost Effective Method To Create Accurate Engine Performance Maps & Updating The Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance Criteria, Jacob K. Keller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this paper was to develop a simplified process to create engine performance maps using tractor test data and theoretical modeling techniques. Performance maps for industrial engines can greatly simplify the process of matching engines to their various applications in the most economical way. However, a common performance graph supplied by a manufacturer typically only includes a single performance curve across the range of an engine’s operating speed. The single curve is good for some applications but lacks the needed performance detail at operating conditions other than shown on the performance curve. Extensive testing and resources are required …

Fiegel, Kurt H. (Sc 1257), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1257. Paper, “Historic and Archival Photographic Documents of the 1869 Bowling Green Water Works Engine/Boiler Room, Repair Shop and Pump House: A Contributing Element of WA-B-3, the Bowling Green Water Works, Warren County, Kentucky” by Kurt H. Fiegel, Frankfort, Kentucky. Includes historical narrative, construction details, maps and photographs. This project documented the structure prior to its demolition.

Integrating Non-Planar Metamaterials With Magnetic Absorbing Materials To Yield Ultra-Broadband Microwave Hybrid Absorbers, Wei Li, Tianlong Wu, Wei Wang, Jianguo Guan, Pengcheng Zhai

Birck and NCN Publications

Broadening the bandwidth of electromagnetic wave absorbers has greatly challenged material scientists. Here, we propose a two-layer hybrid absorber consisting of a non-planar metamaterial (MM) and a magnetic microwave absorbing material (MAM). The non-planar MM using magnetic MAMs instead of dielectric substrates shows good low frequency absorption and low reflection across a broad spectrum. Benefiting from this and the high frequency strong absorption of the MAM layer, the lightweight hybrid absorber exhibits 90% absorptivity over the whole 2-18 GHz range. Our result reveals a promising and flexible method to greatly extend or control the absorption bandwidth of absorbers. (C) 2014 …