Engineering Commons^™

Steam In Arabia, Troy Bickham

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

In late 2014 Texas A&M University at Qatar, which is a small branch campus focusing on engineering, launched its own STEAM initiative. Its goals are to better integrate the liberal arts into the engineering curriculum and to demonstrate the relevance of the arts to STEM-based education and research. What follows is a description of the initiative and the reception it has received.

Development And Implementation Of Post Graduate Nuclear Engineering Education In Nigeria, Ayoade Kuye, Franklin Osaisai

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Nigeria has abundant energy resources that include natural gas, large hydro, coal, nuclear, small hydro, solar (PV and PT), and wind. However, the country's per capita electricity consumption is lower than the African continent’s average. Therefore, there is a need for the diversification of the electricity supply in Nigeria. The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has acknowledged that nuclear energy would play a significant role in enhancing the per capita electricity generation. Consequently, the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), as the national focal agency for developing and harnessing peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Nigeria, developed a strategic …

Building The Education And Training Pillar Of The University Of Tennessee’S Institute For Nuclear Security, Howard Lewis Hall

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The University of Tennessee (UT) developed its first formal and coordinated efforts in nuclear security education in 2008-2009 with its graduate certificate program in nuclear security in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Building on this work, in 2011 UT established the UT Institute for Nuclear Security (INS) as a collaborative center at the university to expand its curricular impact as well as foster research and partnerships with nearby major governmental facilities engaged in nuclear security work. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) have joined with UT as charter members …

Promoting Excellence And Demonstrated Competence For Nuclear Security Training, Daniel Johnson, Brunelle Battistella, Roger Howsley

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The international community has spent considerable time, money, and effort attempting to establish a series of national and regional Centres of Excellence (COEs), also known as Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres (NSSCs). These Centres tend to have a wide variety of objectives, structures, and methods of delivery. Unsurprisingly, no internationally accepted standard exists on how they should operate. The IAEA has produced some excellent guidance (TECDOC 1734), but by virtue of its role cannot provide standards for benchmarking success. Against this backdrop, the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) launched the WINS Academy, an initiative to provide practitioners with …

Optimized Sizing And Placing Of Distributed Energy Resources (Ders) In An Island Microgrid Using Der-Cam, Bhuwan B. Bastola

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The electric grid at La Gomera, an island in the Canary archipelago, has been the subject of interest in optimized integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) primarily because of high distribution losses and concerns about complying with emission regulations. Consequently, the utility that operates the island power system wishes to mitigate the problem with installation of renewable and distributed energy sources like PV and battery, which is the focus of this research.

Specifically, the focus of this thesis is to use Distributed Energy Resource - Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) to optimize the installation of PV and battery in terms of …

Industrial Cold-Formed Steel Rack Column Base Fixity And Strength, Francesc Roure, Teoman Peköz, M. Rosa Somalo, Jordi Bonada, M. Magdalena Pastor, Miquel Casafont, James Crews

CCFSS Proceedings of International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures (1971 - 2018)

This paper summarizes the testing done at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain and the possible use of the results in design for column base stiffness and strength. The test setup and procedure are adopted in the European rack design standards.

Experiments On Column Base Stiffness Of Long-Span Cold-Formed Steel Portal Frames Composed Of Double Channels, H. B. Blum, K. J. R. Rasmussen

CCFSS Proceedings of International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures (1971 - 2018)

Cold-formed steel haunched portal frames are popular structures in industrial and housing applications. They are mostly used as sheds, garages, and shelters, and are common in rural areas. Cold-formed steel portal frames with spans of up to 30m (100 ft) are now being constructed in Australia. As these large structures are fairly new to the market, there is limited data on their feasibility and design recommendations. An experimental program was carried out on a series of portal frame systems composed of back-to-back channels for the columns, rafters, and knee braces. The system consisted of three frames connected in parallel with …

Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions Modulate Irrigation’S Climate Impacts, Nir Y. Krakauer, Michael J. Puma, Benjamin I. Cook, Pierre Gentine, Larisa Nazarenko

Publications and Research

Numerous studies have focused on the local and regional climate effects of irrigated agriculture and other land cover and land use change (LCLUC) phenomena, but there are few studies on the role of ocean– atmosphere interaction in modulating irrigation climate impacts. Here, we compare simulations with and without interactive sea surface temperatures of the equilibrium effect on climate of contemporary (year 2000) irrigation geographic extent and intensity.We find that ocean–atmosphere interaction does impact the magnitude of globalmean and spatially varying climate impacts, greatly increasing their global reach. Local climate effects in the irrigated regions remain broadly similar, while non-local effects, …

Want To Be A Space Scientist For All Ages?, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Want to be a Space Scientistfor all ages?" from November 8, 2016.

Pepper Mild Mottle Virus As A Surrogate For Enteric Viruses: Implications For Assessing Water Quality, Erin Michelle Symonds

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Less than 10% of the world’s domestic wastewater is disinfected prior to discharge into surface waters; therefore, human exposure to diverse wastewater-related pathogens results in millions of cases of illness each year. Among the enteric pathogens, viruses represent an important group of emerging pathogens and are frequently the cause of food- and water-borne outbreaks of illness. Although the World Health Organization and many government agencies mandate the use of bacterial indicators to identify poor microbial water quality, it is well known that these indicators poorly correlate with fecal pollution contamination events and risk of disease. The field of public health-related …

Abandoning Creativity: The Evolution Of Creative Ideas In Engineering Design Course Projects, Elizabeth Starkey, Christine Toh, Scarlett Miller

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Creativity training has been widely integrated into engineering education as a means to prepare students to be an innovative force in design industry. However, much of this research has focused on training students to be creative idea generators, with limited attention to what happens after this generation. Thus, the current study was developed to understand how creative ideas are promoted or filtered throughout the design process in order to focus our educational efforts. In order to accomplish this, an 8-week study with 136 engineering students was conducted. Our results point to the reduction in creativity throughout the design process and …

Study Of Surface Tension, Natural Evaporation, And Subcooled Boiling Evaporation Of Aqueous Surfactant Solutions, Matthew John Lehman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The relation between surface tension and surfactant concentration and its effect on solution evaporation under natural convection and subcooled pool boiling is examined through experimental methods. Aqueous solutions of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ECOSURFTM EH-14, and ECOSURFTM SA-9 are used in this study. SLS is an anionic surfactant while EH-14 and SA-9 are environmentally-friendly nonionic surfactants.

Surfactants, surface active agents, are known to affect evaporation performance of solutions and are studied in relation to water loss prevention and heat dissipation. Surfactants could be useful under drought conditions which present challenges to water management on a yearly basis in arid areas …

A Study On The Effectiveness Of The Ism Code Through A Comparative Analysis Of Ism And Psc Data, Min-Jung Lee

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Green Energy Or Nuclear Power Plants, Besnik Skenderi, Diamanta Skenderi

UBT International Conference

World seems to go green regarding the energy, however the cost of green energy is high and as a result of security issues nuclear energy seems to be avoided, while introducing business and outsourcing concepts nuclear energy seems to be solution.

Effects Of Sustainable Materials In Construction, Environment And Health, Muhamet Ahmeti, Mimoza Sylejmani, Vlora Aliu

UBT International Conference

In this paper it is presented a definition of sustainable construction from ecological aspect, characterized by reducing the impact of different materials in the environment during construction, but also during the whole lifetime of use of buildings. To assess the impact of materials on health and environment is necessary to examine all phases from beginning of the materials manufacturing till the insertion to the construction, including the use of natural resources for the production of construction products, necessary energy for production, amount of release and CO2 emissions (carbon dioxide) in different stages, methods of construction, use of construction and in …

Opportunities For Energy-Water Nexus Management In The Middle East & North Africa, Amro M. Farid, William N. Lubega, William W. Hickman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Electric power is required to produce, treat, distribute, and recycle water while water is required to generate and consume electricity. Naturally, this energy-water nexus is most evident in multi-utilities that provide electricity and water but still exists when the nexus has distinct organizations as owners and operators. Therefore, the sustainability question that arises from energy-water trade-offs and synergies is very much tied to the potential for economies of scope. Furthermore, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, multi-utilities are not only common, but also the nexus is particularly exacerbated by the high energy intensity of the water supply …

Learning Form And Function By Dance-Dramatizing Cultural Legends To Drum Rhythms Wearing Student-Made Animal Masks, Phyllis Gray, Audrey C. Rule, Gloria Kirkland Holmes, Stephanie R. Logan, Andrea L. Alert, Cynthia A. Mason

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This study examined the self-efficacy in science, art, dance, and music; attitudes concerning contributions of people of various ethnic/cultural groups; and science learning of students involved in an after-school arts-integrated science enrichment project. Students dramatized three traditional animal legends from African, Native American, and Mexican cultures to drum beats while wearing student-made papier-mâché helmet crest masks of the animal characters. They learned the structure and functions of the featured animals through slide shows, embedded explanations in the play scripts, and hands-on form and function analogy materials that related the form and function of animal body parts to manufactured items. Although …

How Do The Social Benefits And Costs Of The Patent System Stack Up In Pharmaceuticals?, Daniel J. Gifford

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

This paper explores the workings of the patent system in the context of the generation of new pharmaceutical products. First it identifies the relevant characteristics of the patent system and its relation to the market. The paper concedes that, in general, the patent system is probably the best way of generating new technology, in substantial part because that system uses the market to provide both incentives and rewards. The paper also identifies downsides of this patent/market system: deadweight loss and the unresponsiveness of that patent/market system to the needs of the poor. The paper then explores the social costs and …

Climate Change And The Delta, San Francisco Estuary And Watershed Science, Michael D. Dettinger, Jamie Anderson, Michael L. Anderson, Larry R. Brown, Daniel R. Cayan, Edwin P. Maurer

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Anthropogenic climate change amounts to a rapidly approaching, “new” stressor in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta system. In response to California’s extreme natural hydroclimatic variability, complex water-management systems have been developed, even as the Delta’s natural ecosystems have been largely devastated. Climate change is projected to challenge these management and ecological systems in different ways that are characterized by different levels of uncertainty. For example, there is high certainty that climate will warm by about 2°C more (than late-20th-century averages) by mid-century and about 4°C by end of century, if greenhouse-gas emissions continue their current rates of acceleration. Future precipitation changes …

Engineering News, Fall 2016, School Of Engineering

Engineering News

No abstract provided.

Violating Of Individual Privacy: Moroccan Perceptions Of The Ban Of Voip Services, Tyler Delhees

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

On January 6, 2016, the Moroccan telecommunications regulatory agency, the ANRT, announced a ban onVoice Over Internet Protocol(VoIP) calling services such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber. The ban triggered sweeping opposition among the Moroccan public, opening discussion of digital rights, censorship, and Internet governance. Considering liberal democratic rights in the 2011 Moroccan Constitution and a history of censorship, this study analyzes the official justification of the ANRT alongside additional explanations involving business interests and the security services. The purpose of this study is to gauge the perceptions of Moroccans on the decision of the ANRT and provide a holistic explanation. …

Research: South Dakota State University, Fall 2016, Christine Delfanian, Emily Webber

State of Discovery South Dakota State University's Research Magazine

CONTENTS:

Cattle primary host for new influenza virus [page] 1
Statisticians evaluate probability models for crime scene evidence [page] 2
Beef reproduction research to increase sperm, embryo survival [page] 4
Chemicals in ice core reveal climate-changing events [page] 6
New pediatric drug delivery method uses corn, milk proteins [page] 8
Strategic application key to biochar application [page] 8
Outstanding Scholars:
Collaborative projects brings pioneer women to life [page] 9
Nurses to learn substance abuse intervention technique [page] 9
Dietitian targets weight management, goal-setting to improve health [page] 10
Photovoltaic group helps Pakistani scientists harness sun's energy [page] 10
New capabilities …

Exploring Access To Portable Water And Sanitation Practices In A Post-Conflict Environment: The Case Of Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Peyton Going

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the course of 30 days of fieldwork in October and November of 2016, data was collected through interviews conducted with local government officials, researchers and academics, and village community members of Gulu District.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which agencies have improved water and sanitation in the region. The case study of Gulu utilized in-depth interviews with key informants, focus groups, and observations, and sought to determine who the local stakeholders in water and sanitation are, the water sources and sanitation facilities available and their uses, the perception local people have about their …

Measurements By Controlled Meteorological Balloons In Coastal Areas Of Antarctica, Lars R. Hole, Alexis Pérez Bello, Tjarda J. Roberts, Paul B. Voss, Timo Vihma

Engineering: Faculty Publications

An experiment applying controlled meteorological (CMET) balloons near the coast of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, in January 2013 is described. Two balloons were airborne for 60 and 106 hours with trajectory lengths of 885.8 km and 2367.4 km, respectively. The balloons carried out multiple controlled soundings on the atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity up to 3.3 km. Wind speed and direction were derived from the balloon drift. Observations were compared with radiosonde sounding profiles from the Halley Research Station, and applied in evaluating simulations carried out with the weather research and forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model. The most interesting feature …

An Improve Naked Mole Rat Trap, Group Iii, Spencer Egly, Ted Daley, Andrew Thompson

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This project attempts to improve on Dr. Stan Braude’s current Naked Mole Rat trap design. Dr. Braude currently uses his trap to catch and tag naked mole rats for his research. While Dr. Braude is happy with his current trap, he designed them himself over twenty years ago, and believes that they can be improved and modernized for increased ease and convenience. The key project goal is to deliver an improved trap to Dr. Braude that will meet his needs. The modifications that this project will attempt to deliver are a repeatable, solar powered trap that is compatible with his …

Mems 411 Design Report Group O: Naked Mole Rat Trap, Drew Pikey, Adam Glassl, Sam Nadell

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Naked mole-rats are mouse size rodents that live in underground colonies in East Africa. They are best known for having a queen and workers like bees. Prof Stan Braude has been studying them in Kenya and Ethiopia for over 25 years and has trapped over 10,000 of these animals, marked and released them. He is the world’s expert at trapping naked mole-rats and yet, he still needs a better trap. Prof. Stan Braude is looking forward to working with a team of real engineers and designers who can help him complete this project.

Creep And Recovery Behavior Of Polymeric And Chemically Treated Asphalt Binders, Mohammed Ziaur Rahaman

Student Theses and Dissertations

For quality assurance and quality control purposes, suppliers and users of asphalt binders follow the widely used dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test method (AASHTO T 315) to capture viscoelastic properties of polymer-modified binders (PMBs), warm mix asphalt (WMA)- and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)- modified binders even though it is designed for unmodified asphalt binders. AASHTO T 315 is inadequate to characterize the aforementioned binders because of the relatively small impact of the phase angle and strain levels on the rutting and fatigue factors, respectively. The recently balloted multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test (AASHTO T 350) results can better relate …

A Global Catalogue Of Large So < Inf> 2 Sources And Emissions Derived From The Ozone Monitoring Instrument, Vitali E. Fioletov, Chris A. Mclinden, Nickolay Krotkov, Can Li, Joanna Joiner, Nicolas Theys, S. Carn, Mike D. Moran

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite sensor processed with the new principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm were used to detect large point emission sources or clusters of sources. The total of 491 continuously emitting point sources releasing from about 30 kt yr-1 to more than 4000 kt yr-1 of SO2 per year have been identified and grouped by country and by primary source origin: volcanoes (76 sources); power plants (297); smelters (53); and sources related to the oil and gas industry (65). The sources were identified using different methods, including through OMI measurements themselves applied …

Goggatomy: A Method For Opening Small Cuticular Compartments In Arthropods For Physiological Experiments, Alan R. Kay, Davide Raccuglia, Jon Scholte, Elene Sivan-Loukianova, Chirstopher A. Barwacz, Steven R. Armstrong, C. Allan Guymon, Michael N. Nitabach, Daniel F. Eberl

Faculty Publications

Most sense organs of arthropods are ensconced in small exoskeletal compartments that hinder direct access to plasma membranes. We have developed a method for exposing live sensory and supporting cells in such structures. The technique uses a viscous light cured resin to embed and support the structure, which is then sliced with a sharp blade. We term the procedure a “goggatomy,” from the Khoisan word for a bug, gogga. To demonstrate the utility of the method we show that it can be used to expose the auditory chordotonal organs in the second antennal segment and the olfactory receptor neurons …

A Model Of Academic Community Entrepreneurship (Ace): Initiation, Innovation, And Impacts Of Picmet, Min-Seok Cha

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Entrepreneurship is the process of creating problem solving system that generate knowledge and provide value. It is also seen as an innovation engine. It could be applied in many fields including academic community. This attempt of creating academic community can be view as an academic entrepreneurship. The impactful process of academic entrepreneurship is worthwhile to be noticed and shared. Because PICMET has shown a model of building a sustainable scholar community and its coordinating organization in the international level, it could be a successful case of academic community entrepreneurship (ACE) Model. ACE is focused on creating new value of academic …