Engineering Commons^™

Seepage Monitoring And Diagnosis Of Distresses In An Earth Embankment Dam Using Probability Methods, Seyed Mohammad Reza Mousavian

Dissertations

Failure of embankment dams may result in catastrophic consequences. Considering seepage and internal erosion are accounted as one of the major causes of failure in earth embankment dams, it is essential to detect any concentrated seepage and sources of distress at early stages. A number of investigation and monitoring methods exist for the detection of seepage, with varying degrees of technological and implementation complexity. This research, focuses on the Electrical Resistivity Monitoring Method (ERM), and develops a condition assessment process that allows 1) the identification of potential seepage areas and progress through visual observation and flow measurement, and 2) the …

Long-Term Management And Condition Assessment Of Concrete Culvert, Zhenting Zou

Dissertations

Infrastructure is the backbone of national security, economic growth, public safety and other aspects of the society. Nationwide, the condition of America’s infrastructure was graded as “D+” by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2013.

Owners and responsible agencies have employed various cost-effective maintenance and repair methods as well as analytical tools to repair and extend the service life of the infrastructure. However, without a long-term plan, maintenance work can be delayed by lack of funds. Maintenance delay may cause significant reduction in condition state leading to premature failure of the infrastructure. Consequently, a long-term rehabilitation plan is …

A Half-Yearly E-Newsletter Of The Department Of Computer Science And Engineering Manipal Institute Of Technology,, Ashalatha Nayak

Faculty work

No abstract provided.

Decision Models For Fast-Fashion Supply And Stocking Problems In Internet Fulfillment Warehouses, Jingran Zhang

Dissertations

Internet technology is being widely used to transform all aspects of the modern supply chain. Specifically, accelerated product flows and wide spread information sharing across the supply chain have generated new sets of decision problems. This research addresses two such problems. The first focuses on fast fashion supply chains in which inventory and price are managed in real time to maximize retail cycle revenue. The second is concerned with explosive storage policies in Internet Fulfillment Warehouses (IFW).

Fashion products are characterized by short product life cycles and market success uncertainty. An unsuccessful product will often require multiple price discounts to …

Nuclear Weapons In A Changing Climate: Probability, Increasing Risks, And Perception, Adam Liska, Tyler R. White, Eric Holley, Robert J. Oglesby

Adam Liska Papers

Many people tend to think that the outcome of any nuclear weapons use today will result in an escalatory situation with apocalyptic outcomes for the countries involved. Yet many factors are increasing the probability of the limited use of nuclear weapons (e.g., 1 to 20 warheads) in a range of conflict scenarios. Previous atmospheric model simulations of regional nuclear conflicts employing many relatively small bombs have been estimated to cause a global “nuclear autumn,” with great reductions in agricultural productivity, stratospheric ozone loss, and spread of hazardous radioactive fallout. The totality of these effects would result in widespread damage …

Polymer-Capped Nanoparticle Transport In Granular Media Filtration: Deviation From The Colloidal Filtration Model, Ijung Kim, Tongren Zhu, Sungmin Youn, Desmond F. Lawler

All Engineering Faculty Research

The single-collector removal efficiency based on the colloidal filtration model is widely used to quantify deposition of nanoparticles in porous media filtration. The validity of this theory for nanoparticles, especially at filtration rates used in water treatment, was evaluated. Granular media filtration experiments were performed under widely variant physical conditions. Chemical effects were minimized by selecting spherical branched polyethylenimine capped silver nanoparticles as a positively charged nanoparticle to avoid electrostatic repulsion with the negatively charged silica filter media. The model and experimental results agreed well for 50 and 100 nm particles, but 10 nm particles were removed to a lesser …

The Effects Of Coolant Pipe Geometry And Flow Conditions On Turbine Blade Film Cooling, Muhammad K. Akbar, Bashir Alsaidi, Roger Painter, Lonnie Sharpe, S. Mostafa Ghiaasiaan

Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Faculty Research

The performance of gas turbine engines can be improved by increasing the inlet gas temperature. Turbine blades can be damaged by high gas temperature, unless additional cooling mechanisms are incorporated to maintain the blades below an acceptable temperature limit. Film cooling techniques are often used to cool the blades to avoid damages. The performance of film cooling depends on several parameters, however. In this paper past research on film cooling is reviewed and areas in need of further investigation are identified. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are then conducted on the widely-used single-hole film cooling arrangements in which coolant jets …

Energy From Chemical Reactions: Understanding The Combustion Engine, Tammy Guthrie, Kathy Prophet, Greg Herzig, Cassie Kautzer

Middle School Lesson Plans

Automobiles produce a large amount of heat generated by the burning of gasoline. Burning gasoline is a chemical reaction that causes a phase change. This is called combustible energy. During combustion fuel combines with oxygen to release energy (such as heat, light, sound) along with another product that is often considered waste. Most of the energy produced is not used to power the automobile, but is released as heat. 19.3 pounds of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is produced from the combustion of 1 gallon of U.S. gasoline according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Investigating Rheological, Morphological And Mechanical Properties Of Pbs/Pbat Blends, A Boonprasertpoh, D Pentrakoon, J Junkasem

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Morphological, rheological and mechanical properties of various biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) blends via conventional melt blending technique are studied. The morphology, rheology, and tensile properties of the PBS/PBAT blends were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), rotational rheometer, and universal testing machine, respectively. The SEM micrographs of the PBS/PBAT blends reveal an occurrence of phase separation indicating by a presence of spherical particles/cavities for a range of 10 to 30 wt% (i.e. PBS90-PBS70), and 70 to 90 wt% (i.e. PBS30-PBS10) PBT content and co-continuous structure for a range of 40 to 60 wt% (i.e. PBS60PBS40) PBAT content. The …

Strengthening Of The Astm-356 Alloy With Silicon Carbide Particles, Jaime Hinojosa-Torres, Diego Sánchez-García, Andrés Herrera-Vázquez, Jose Luis Velázquez-Ortega

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Extensive research has been done in recent years in composites of metallic matrix in order to get better melting practices, mechanical properties and structure. In this work, steel metal mould was previously preheated to three different temperatures. The ASTM-356 alloy was melted and heated to 993 K. For the purpose of reinforcing, silicon carbide particles (mesh: 325, 400) were introduced into the melted alloy then stirred. For each obtained solid its solidification time was recorded. Cylindrical specimens were tested in a tension test machine in order to obtain the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and fracture toughness (KIc) values. Hardness measurements …

Introduction To Signal Timing & Traffic Control, Sarah V. Hernandez, Mariah Crew, Karla Diaz-Corro, Taslima Akter

Civil Engineering Teaching and Learning

The purpose of these lesson plans is to introduce students to traffic signalization basics. Students will be lead through a series of mini-lectures on traffic control and signalization including a discussion on the limitations and benefits of traffic signalization. The lesson plans compliment a computer simulation “game” in which students act as manual operators for a single up to four by four gridded intersection. Students attempt to control the progression of signals to understand the relationship between signal timing and user delay. Through experimentation with the simulation, students generate a presentation discussing the benefits and drawbacks of signal timing and …

How Technology Is Reshaping Financial Services: Essays On Consumer Behavior In Card, Channel And Cryptocurrency Services, Dan Geng

Dissertations and Theses Collection

The financial services sector has seen dramatic technological innovations in the last several years associated with the “fintech revolution.” Major changes have taken place in channel management, credit card rewards marketing, cryptocurren-cy, and wealth management, and have influenced consumers’ banking behavior in different ways. As a consequence, there has been a growing demand for banks to rethink their business models and operations to adapt to changing consumer be-havior and counter the competitive pressure from other banks and non-bank play-ers. In this dissertation, I study consumer behavior related to different aspects of financial innovation by addressing research questions that are motivated …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 58 Number 2, Summer 2017, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

18 - LISTENING IS HER SUPERPOWER The groundbreaking stage work of Anna Deavere Smith. By Jesse Hamlin.

22 - CASTS A SHADOW Travel bans: Four international graduate students respond. By Matt Morgan.

24 - A BIGGER STAGE Priest, social worker, CEO, and teller of stories: Jim Purcell on what drew him to Santa Clara—and what Jesuit education can be. By Steven Boyd Saum.

28 - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE KID Ron Hansen M.A. ’95 talks truth and fiction and Billy the Kid—and when you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.

38 - DISCOVER. INNOVATE. A …

A Statistical Investigation Of Lower Columbia River Water Temperature, 1915-2003, Corina Christina Mae Overman

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Columbia River is home to anadromous salmon populations that migrate upriver every year to spawn. These fish require cool water temperatures (T_w) to survive. In recent years, high summer T_w in the Columbia River has caused increased mortality of salmon. Different possible explanations for increased T_w include climate change, deforestation, and decreased summertime streamflow (Q) due to dams. In this study, robust linear regression models of T_w based on air temperature (T_a) and Q were developed to examine the change in T_w over time. The data was …

Engineering News, Summer 2017, School Of Engineering

Engineering News

No abstract provided.

Computationally Connecting Organic Photovoltaic Performance To Atomistic Arrangements And Bulk Morphology, Matthew L. Jones, Eric Jankowski

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rationally designing roll-to-roll printed organic photovoltaics requires a fundamental understanding of active layer morphologies optimized for charge separation and transport, and which ingredients can be used to self-assemble those morphologies. In this review article we discuss advances in three areas of computational modeling that provide insight into active layer morphology and the charge transport properties that result. We explain the computational bottlenecks prohibiting atomistically-detailed simulations of device-scale active layers and the coarse-graining and hardware acceleration strategies for overcoming them. We review coarse-grained simulations of organic photovoltaic active layers and show that high throughput simulations of experimentally-relevant length scales are now …

The Prevalence Of Six Sigma Trends In The Construction Industry In Pakistan, Muhammad M. Hassan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Economic development in any country or area depends heavily on the performance of the construction industry. This is because the subsequent development of infrastructure increases economic activity, living standards, direct foreign investments, and business opportunities. The construction industry in Pakistan also plays a significant role in its economic activity, and the government’s focus towards increasing infrastructure development provides the construction industry with growth prospects. It is observed that quality management practices in the Pakistan construction industry are highly inadequate to enhance quality. The construction industry there is highly challenged with inadequate delays in projects and project quality. The need for …

Supply Chain Performance In The Pharmaceutical Industry In Pakistan, Fakir Moiz Bokhari

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research paper investigated the performance of the supply chain system in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan. The study was based on the hypothesis that the adopted supply chain systems lack proper structures to deal with the challenges of the business environment in which they operate, and as such were underperforming. Therefore, the objective was to ascertain the nature and the dynamics of the SCM (Supply Chain Management) system used in the drug industry. The objectives of the research were anchored on three factors that include Supply Chain Flexibility/Agility Performance, Supply Chain Resource Performance, and Supply Chain Output Performance. These …

Synthesis,Structure And Properties Of Ruthenium Polypyridyl Metalloligand Based Metal-Organic Frameworks, Mamatha Polapally

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied because of their amazing applications in gas storage, purification, photocatalysis, chemical sensing, and imaging techniques. Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have been broadly considered as photosensitizers for the conversion of solar energy and photoelectronic materials. With this aspect, we have synthesized three new ruthenium polypyridyl based MOFs ([Ru(H2bpc)Cu(bpc)(Hbpc)2(H2O)]·5H2O (1), [Ru(H2bpc)(Fe(bpc)(Hbpc)2(H2O)2]·6H2O (2) and [Ru(H2bpc)Ni(bpc)(Hbpc)2(H2O)2]·6H2O (3)) from ruthenium(III) chloride, bpc (2,2’- bipyridine-4,4’-dicarboxylic acid) ligand, and 3d M(II) metal ions (M(II)= Cu(II), Fe(II), Ni(II)). These MOFs were synthesized under hydro or solvothermal conditions by using water, ethanol or methanol as solvents. The crystal structures of the new compounds …

Iconoclast: Tackling Voltage Noise In The Noc Power Supply Through Flow-Control And Routing Algorithms, Prabal Basu, Rajesh Jayashankarashridevi, Koushik Chakraborty, Sanghamitra Roy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Power supply noise (PSN) is a growing concern in modern multiprocessor system-on-chips (MPSoCs). The advent of new architectures, such as the network-on-chip (NoC), the standard for on-chip communication in MPSoCs, has given rise to new challenges in maintaining reliable and energy-efficient operation. The growing NoC power footprint, increase in the transistor current, and high switching speed of the logic devices exacerbate the peak PSN in the NoC power delivery network (PDN). Hence, preserving power supply integrity in the NoC PDN is critical. In this paper, we propose IcoNoClast, a collection of a novel flow-control protocol (PAF) and an adaptive routing …

Real-Time Traffic State Estimation With Connected Vehicles, Sakib Mahmud Khan, Kaken Dey, Mashrur Chowdhury

Publications

A novel framework is developed in this paper, to increase the real-time roadway traffic condition assessment accuracy, which integrates connected vehicle technology (CVT) with artificial intelligence (AI) paradigm forming a CVT-AI method. Traffic density is a major indicator of traffic conditions. In this paper, the traffic operational condition is assessed based on traffic density. A simulated network of Interstate 26 in South Carolina is developed to investigate the effectiveness of the method. The assumption is that the vehicle onboard units will forward the CV generated data to the edge devices (e.g., roadside units) for further processing. CV generated distance headway …

Electrochemical Behavior Of Dense Electrodes For Impedancemetric Nox Sensors, Nabamita Pal

Doctoral Dissertations

NOx (NO and NO2) exhaust gas sensors for diesel powered vehicles have traditionally consisted of porous platinum (Pt) electrodes along with a dense ZrO2 based electrolyte. Advancement in diesel engine technology results in lower NOx emissions. Although Pt is chemically and mechanically tolerant to the extreme exhaust gas environment, it is also a strong catalyst for oxygen reduction, which can interfere with the detection of NOx at concentrations below 100 ppm. Countering this behavior can add to the complexity and cost of the conventional NO x sensor design. Recent studies have shown that dense electrodes are less prone to heterogeneous …

Stretching The Limits Of Dynamic Range, Shielding Effectiveness, And Multiband Frequency Response, Matthew J. Hartmann

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, an RF MEMS variable capacitor suitable for applications requiring ultrawide capacitive tuning ranges is reported. The device uses an electrostatically tunable liquid dielectric interface to continuously vary the capacitance without the use of any moving parts. As compared to existing MEMS varactors in literature, this device has an extremely simple design that can be implemented using simple fabrication methods that do not necessitate the use of clean room equipment. In addition, this varactor is particularly suited for incorporating a wide range of liquid dielectric materials for specific tuning ratio requirements.

Additionally, the shielding effectiveness performance of graphene-doped …

Full Simulation For The Qweak Experiment At 1.16 And 0.877 Gev And Their Impact On Extracting The Pv Asymmetry In The N→Δ A Transition, Hend Abdullah Nuhait

Doctoral Dissertations

The Qweak project is seeking to find new physics beyond the Standard Model. It is aimed to measure the weak charge of the proton, which has never been measured, at 4% precision at low momentum transfer. The experiment is performed by scattering electrons from protons and exploiting parity violation in the weak interaction at low four-momentum transfer.

In this experiment, two measurements were considered: which are elastic and inelastic. The elastic is to measure the proton's weak charge. In addition, the inelastic asymmetry measurement, which will extract the low energy constant dΔ. That measurement works in the neutral current …

Perceptions Of Agriculture And The Economy In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2017 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Conclusion

Most rural Nebraskans view their economic well-being as being dependent on agriculture. Over three-fourths feel their economic well-being is at least somewhat tied to agriculture. Economic dependence on agriculture has changed very little over the past seven years. The proportions reported in 2017 are almost identical to those from 2010.

Similarly, most rural Nebraskans believe the economic well-being of their community is very much dependent on agriculture. Overall, over nine in ten rural Nebraskans feel their community’s economic well-being is at least somewhat tied to agriculture.

Most rural Nebraskans say their job/income security is about the same as it …

Blending And Mixed Variational Principles To Overcome Locking Phenomena In Isogeometric Beams, Kyle Dennis Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Two methods for overcoming locking phenomena in isogeometric beams are presented. The first method blends the rotation of a Timoshenko beam with the rotation of a Bernoulli beam to produce realistic displacements in straight beams. The second method uses mixed variational principles, specifically the Hu-Washizu Principle, to produce realistic displacements as well as realistic strains without post-processing.

Improved Leaky-Mode Waveguide Spatial Light Modulators For Three Dimensional Displays, Scott Alexander Gneiting

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis improves on the design of the leaky-mode spatial light modulator, LMW-SLM, presented by Dr. Smalley[1]. Improvements include: input coupling gratings, a pulsed laser input, output coupling gratings, and a 3D printed adjustable module for the stabilization of critical alignments. First, input coupling gratings reduce the cost of the LMW-SLM from $500 to around $2, a drop in cost of over two orders of magnitude. This enables multiple modulators to be used in a single display and allows for an inexpensive modular design to be created. Second, a pulsed laser input allows for image creation without the use of …

Evaluation Of The Fertilization Properties Of Algal Biomass And Assessment Of Koh-Induced Flocculation Of Pw95 Algal Cells, Olakunle Ogunsakin

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Microalgae from the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) ponds of the Powder River Basin (PRB) in Southeastern Montana have the potential to be utilized as fertilizer for use on the economically important plants of Montana. Three very important economic field crops of Montana (winter wheat - Triticum aestivum, potato - Solanum tuberosum, and flax - Linum usitatissimum) were used for the fertilization experiments. Isolates of unicellular green algae - PW95 (sequenced as Neospongiococcum sp.) from the CBM ponds, and blue-green microalgae – Cyanobacteria (Anabaena Cylindrica) were cultured in the laboratory and the cells were concentrated using gravity sedimentation. Nutrient analysis of …

Comparing Distributed Acoustic Sensing To Three-Component Geophones In An Underground Mine, Nikolas Nesladek

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Geophones have become the industry standard for seismic data collection. However, a relatively new method is gaining popularity called Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). DAS uses changes in backscattered light of a fiber-optic cable to detect strain from acoustic energy. The purpose of this project was to make a direct comparison between DAS and three component geophones, specifically in a mining setting. Experiments were done in the Underground Education Mining Center on the campus of Montana Tech. The sources used for this project were vertical sledgehammer shots, oriented shear sledgehammer shots, and blasting caps set off in both unstemmed and stemmed …

Innovative Non-Thermal Food Processing Technologies Used By The Food Industry In The United States, Harlin Kaur Saroya

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis discussed the non-thermal food processing technologies being used within the United States of America. The technologies discussed in this thesis are High- Pressure Processing (HHP), Pulsed Electric Field, Pulsed Light, Irradiation, Ultra Sound, Oscillating Magnetic Fields, and Cold Atmospheric Plasma. A survey was designed and conducted to study the major reasons behind a preference for a particular technology by the organization, and the limitations for not implementing specific technologies. The survey participants were management level, food scientists and, food technologists employed by food processing companies. The questionnaire consisted of ten questions related to demographics, current technology, barriers from …