Engineering Commons^™

Zinc-Rich Lithium Silicate Coatings For Corrosion Prevention In Steels, Jiang-Jhy Chang, Wei-Chung Yeih, Kuo-Lien Chen, Maochieh Chi

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, we investigated the properties of zinc-rich lithium silicate coatings using various moduli of lithium silicate and zinc powder ratios, which are defined as the mass ratios of zinc powder over lithium silicate. Coating properties examined included film-forming ability, workability, mechanical behavior, resistance to highly alkali or acid solutions, and weather resistance (ultraviolet exposure test). The results showed that the zinc powder ratio significantly influenced workability and filmforming ability. When the zinc powder ratio of the coating was low, the coating delaminated and cracked. When the zinc powder ratio was high, the workability of the coating was found …

Hydrodynamic Prediction Of The Ducted Propeller By Cfd Solver, Sohrab Majdfar, Hassan Ghassemi, Hamid Forouzan, Arash Ashrafi

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Ducted propellers are usually used in many kinds of vessels, i.e., fishing vessels, trawlers, and submarines which have provided high efficiency in propulsion system. In this article, the effects of the length and angle of 19A type duct on the hydrodynamic performance were investigated. First, the ducted propeller (19A type duct) was selected for the study and modeling of this duct was later developed. Then, ducted propeller performance was analyzed by a RANS turbulence model of SST-K-ω and validated with the experimental results which indicated an acceptable accuracy. Finally, the effects of the implemented changes were analyzed considering the alternation …

Robust Trajectory Tracking Control Of Underactuated Underwater Vehicle Subject To Uncertainties, Yuan Chen, Jing Li, Kanglin Wang, Shurong Ning

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A composite robust control scheme is proposed by combining a sliding mode controller with an adaptive fuzzy control algorithm to control a 3-DOF underactuated underwater vehicle with model parameter perturbations and environmental disturbances based on the backstepping control method and the Lyapunov stability theory. The adaptive fuzzy control algorithm is employed to compensate for model parameter perturbations and the sliding mode controller is adopted to eliminate the effects of environmental disturbances and approximation errors. A horizontal dynamic model and tracking error equations are established to describe the trajectory tracking control for the underactuated underwater vehicle. The relation between sliding mode …

Experimental Study On Hydrodynamic Performance Of A New Type Of Deep Draft Multi-Column Fdpso, Jia-Yang Gu, Yu-Lin Xie, Pei Zhang, Yu Chen, Xiang-Hong Huang, Yan-Wu Tao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents an experimental study on the hydrodynamic performance of a new type of deep draft multi-column FDPSO. The operating depth of this new type FDPSO is 1500 m. The main dimension, the special variable cross-section column and the cabin arrangement of the octagonal pontoon are introduced. As taking into account the depth limit of the water basin, the 300 m water-depth equivalent truncated mooring system is adopted. The platform’s natural period and dimensionless damping coefficient were measured out by the free decay experiment. The FDPSO's motion responses in operation condition and self-survival condition are studied. At the same …

Energy Payback Time Of A Solar Photovoltaic Powered Waste Plastic Recyclebot System, Shan Zhong, Pratiksha Rakhe, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

The growth of both plastic consumption and prosumer 3-D printing are driving an interest in producing 3-D printer filaments from waste plastic. This study quantifies the embodied energy of a vertical DC solar photovoltaic (PV) powered recyclebot based on life cycle energy analysis and compares it to horizontal AC recyclebots, conventional recycling, and the production of a virgin 3-D printer filament. The energy payback time (EPBT) is calculated using the embodied energy of the materials making up the recyclebot itself and is found to be about five days for the extrusion of a poly lactic acid (PLA) filament or 2.5 …

Open Source Multi-Head 3d Printer For Polymer-Metal Composite Component Manufacturing, J. Laureto, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

As low-cost desktop 3D printing is now dominated by free and open source self-replicating rapid prototype (RepRap) derivatives, there is an intense interest in extending the scope of potential applications to manufacturing. This study describes a manufacturing technology that enables a constrained set of polymer-metal composite components. This paper provides (1) free and open source hardware and (2) software for printing systems that achieves metal wire embedment into a polymer matrix 3D-printed part via a novel weaving and wrapping method using (3) OpenSCAD and parametric coding for customized g-code commands. Composite parts are evaluated from the technical viability of manufacturing …

Multiple-Phase Modeling Of Degradation Signal For Condition Monitoring And Remaining Useful Life Prediction, Yuxin Wen, Jianguo Wu, Yuan Yuan

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Remaining useful life prediction plays an important role in ensuring the safety, availability, and efficiency of various engineering systems. In this paper, we propose a flexible Bayesian multiple-phase modeling approach to characterize degradation signals for prognosis. The priors are specified with a novel stochastic process and the multiple-phase model is formulated to a novel state-space model to facilitate online monitoring and prediction. A particle filtering algorithm with stratified sampling and partial Gibbs resample-move strategy is developed for online model updating and residual life prediction. The advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated through extensive numerical studies and real case studies.

Analysis And Testing Of A Coaxial Magnetic Gearbox With Flux Concentration Halbach Rotors, Debarupa Som, Kang Li, Joshua Kadel, Jason Wright, Sina Modaresahmadi, Jonathan Bird, W. William

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Halbach array magnetic gearboxes have been discussed as being able to create high torque density. However, Halbach arrays are difficult to mechanically assembly and often the effective air-gap must be made larger in order to provide space for a retaining sleeve. This paper investigates the benefits of using an additional ferromagnetic retaining pole within the Halbach array structure. It is shown that utilizing this flux concentration ferromagnetic pole improves the torque density and can also help retain the magnets in place.

Artificial Intelligence Hardware Accelerator, Maor Bernstein, Patrick Miller

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

This paper documents the investigation and implementation of the mathematics behind artificial intelligence using a programmable gate array interfaced through a software API. Machine learning is made possible through training on large amounts of information and is often performed across clusters of CPUs in an attempt to minimize runtime. In an attempt to make this process less resource intensive, we are researching how to optimize the most intensive of operations by offloading them to a field of programmable gate array.

Vtol Search And Rescue, Nicholas Keyes, Francesca Caruso, Nick Gagliardi, Joshua Ramayrat, Kia Moazzami

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This project focuses on the design of a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that, by using separate propulsion systems, transitions from a quadcopter into horizontal flight. It was designed for use in search and rescue (SAR) missions in national parks due to their high costs, long search times, and the volume of these missions. The aircraft can be easily deployed in less than a couple minutes reducing search time, costs only $2000 saving SAR teams money, and allows for camera integration for hiker location. The aircraft used a pre-built airframe with added modifications, and a specifically designed avionic …

Portable, Powerless Automation Of Valve Actuation For Microfluidic Large Scale Integration Technology, Andrew Schmidt, Matthew Fitzgerald

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Microfluidic large-scale integration (mLSI) is an emerging field that has the potential to fully automate the biological experimentation and technology development. mLSI offers high-throughput, while maintaining reduced costs and sample size in biochemical tests and experiments. The pneumatic control systems, and the use of solenoid valves that are needed for mLSI make this technology bulky and limits its use to specialized labs. Moreover, since the field is relatively new, few scientists are trained in microfluidic chip design and microfabrication. Eliminating the peripheral equipment from standard testing protocol will allow mLSI to be used in point-of-care settings and more widespread usage …

Optimum Injury And Illness Prevention Cost For U.S. Construction Projects, Sathyanarayanan Rajendran, Morgan Bliss, Dominic Klyve

Mathematics Faculty Scholarship

Worker injuries and illnesses can affect the profitability of an organization. Regardless of the regulatory requirements for safety and health, many organizations prefer to see positive returns (i.e., better safety metric performance) on their safety investments (i.e., project costs associated with injury and illness prevention programs). Understanding the relationship between costs associated with an injury and illness prevention program of a construction project and project safety performance is critical to the future success of construction organizations in the United States. In evaluating this relationship, the authors’ goal was to identify an equilibrium point of injury and illness prevention program investment …

The Solar Microgrid Project In Togo, Christian Jason Wintery, Alexander Mayorkis

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Danyi Mempassem, Togo, Africa has villagers in need of electricity, however, they cannot afford to put in the infrastructure and then pay the steep cost of energy from the government. The best option for energy for the village is an affordable and renewable resource but due to limitations of geography the only viable option is a photo-voltaic system. We designed a working solar microgrid tailored for the location and weather of the village which can support all of the lights, cell phone chargers, and televisions that the villagers need/desire while being reliable, sustainable, safe, and affordable. The design and implementation …

Benchtop Centrifuge For Materials Science, Ryan Schulz, Thomas Valentine, Abhay Gupta

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The Benchtop Centrifuge was designed to serve for research purposes within theMechanical Engineering Department at Santa Clara University. The prototype has been completely assembled and is functioning to the desired specifications of applying up to 1000 g’s of force for over 4 hours. The current uses are anticipated for separation of particles within materials for material processing and testing. The overall systemdesign has been adapted froma legacy project within the University. Various tests were conducted in order to ensure safety and usability of the system. Through Abaqus analysis and drop-test experiments, it was found enclosure itself can withstand an impact …

Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Remediation Of Organics In Water Using Zinc Oxide And Titanium Oxide Nanostructures, Srikanth Gunti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The techniques mostly used to decontaminate air as well as water pollutants have drawbacks in terms of higher costs, require secondary treatment, and some methods are very slow. So, emphasis has been given to water though the use of photocatalysts, which break organic pollutants to water and carbon dioxide and leave no trace of by-products at the end. Photocatalytic remediation aligns with the waste and wastewater industries’ zero waste schemes with lower cost, eco-friendly and sustainable treatment technology. The commonly used photocatalysts such as titanium oxide (TiO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO), tungsten oxide (WO₃) have band gap …

Point Cloud Framework For Rendering 3d Models Using Google Tango, Maxen Chung, Julian Callin

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

This project seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of point cloud meshing for capturing and modeling three dimensional objects on consumer smart phones and tablets. Traditional methods of capturing objects require hundreds of images, are very slow and consume a large amount of cellular data for the average consumer. Software developers need a starting point for capturing and meshing point clouds to create 3D models as hardware manufacturers provide the tools to capture point cloud data. The project uses Googles Tango computer vision library for Android to capture point clouds on devices with depth-sensing hardware. The point clouds are combined and …

Sclork 2.0, Juan Miguel Baluyut, Jowy Curameng

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

For the past 10 years, the Laptop Orchestra is an emerging interdisciplinary field that involves Computer Science, Engineering, and music. In the past 4 years, Santa Clara University has developed it’s own Laptop Orchestra ensemble called SCLork. For this project, we will be making improvements to the Laptop Orchestra by incorporating a mobile phone element for audience participation. In addition, we will be designing an original composition using computer science sound synthesis techniques. Our mobile element is implemented as a mobile-friendly website that will be accessed by audience members. This website will be used in tandem by both audience and …

Track My Hoist, Brett Harrison, Madison Rubia, Paras Zaveri

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

Construction sites all over the world rely on hoist lifts for transporting material and workers at the job site. Despite being such an integral part of construction projects, there is currently no tool to track the use of this critical and highly necessary piece of equipment at the construction site. The purpose of this project is to design a systemthat would enable the managers and employees of construction companies to efficiently track and manage the hoist lifts at their sites.

Efficient tracking and management of the lifts would result in savings of cost, time, and energy for the construction companies. …

Wear-Resistant Extrusion Auger For The Production Of Charcoal Briquettes From Agricultural Waste, Maureen O’Neill, Aaron Wagner

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Ugandan social enterprise AEST makes and sells agricultural waste charcoal briquettes. The extrusion auger used wore down quickly, hampering production. The team worked to find a better material or heattreatment process to improve the auger's lifetime. The team built a custom pin-on-disk testing apparatus and used it along with optical microscopy to analyze the wear mechanism. The team then heat-treated and tested additional samples to find the best treatment. The team suggested improving AEST’s current case hardening process by increasing the case depth to 0.04 in (0.1016 cm) and using oil quenching.

Exploration Of Sortase A-Inhibitor Binding Mechanisms Through Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, Eddy Liu

Bioengineering Master's Theses

The enzyme Sortase A plays a critical role in the virulence of gram-positive bacteria, facilitating their ability to attach to and infect host tissues. Because of its accessible location on the surface of bacteria and in light of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, Sortase A has become an important target for novel drugs and their associated research. Here we investigate the thermodynamic characteristics and binding mechanism of Sortase A and inhibitors using isothermal titration calorimetry. The results support a two-step, sequential binding mechanism involving induced fit and conformational change. We recommend that further studies involving other small molecule inhibitors …

Carbon Nanotubes On Graphene: Electrical And Interfacial Properties, Richard Senegor, Zachary Baron

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

An integrated circuit (IC) consists of copper (Cu) and tungsten (W) interconnects to facilitate conduction among its components such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors. As the minimum feature size in IC technology continues to scale downward into the sub-20 nm regime, interconnects are faced with performance and reliability challenges arising from increased resistance and electromigration, respectively [1]. To partially mitigate such challenges, our project aims at studying a structure as a potential replacement for Cu and W, formed by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) directly onto graphene, and investigating the resulting electrical and interfacial properties. Various CNT/Graphene structures are fabricated using …

Phosphate Contaminant Detection In Water Through A Paper-Based Microfluidic Device, Brandon Miura, Alex Wagner, Philip Wu

Bioengineering Senior Theses

This report describes a project aimed at developing a low-cost, portable, on-site, user-friendly system for detecting different concentrations of phosphate in drinking water. Phosphate is a natural chemical, but toxic in large concentrations; detection is therefore important to avoid drinking contaminated water. Despite this fact, no cheap, and/or nontoxic system for phosphate detection is yet on the market.

The detection system utilizes a paper-based microfluidic device to automate the electrochemical detection process, which normally requires expert use of lab equipment. When combined with a portable potentiostat that works with a mobile app, the device will allow untrained users to determine …

Fiber-Optic Sensor For Strain-Insensitive Temperature Measurements, Ming Han

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

An in-line fiber-optic temperature sensor is disclosed. In an implementation, the in-line fiber-optic temperature sensor includes an optically transmissive fiber, a reflector, a microstructured fiber defining a channel therein for receiving a fluid, and a Fabry-Perot cavity in fluid communication with the micro structured fiber. The micro structured fiber can be retained between the optically transmissive fiber and the reflector. The Fabry-Perot cavity defined by a material and configured to receive a gas having an index of refraction that changes in a known way with temperature and pressure changes in fluid communication with the channel of the micro structured fiber. …

Effects Of Passive And Active Training Paradigms On Bone And Muscle Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury, Brittany Lynn King

Theses and Dissertations

The effects spinal cord injury (SCI) has have been studied in both human and animal models. Specifically in incomplete SCI, the bone degradation and muscle atrophy seen in the lower limbs has been documented, along with the effects of different training paradigms on bone and muscle loss. This study implemented a clinically relevant animal model of a moderate spinal contusion injury at the T9--T10 level, along with active body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) and passive bike training, to compare the effects such training methods have on the bone microstructure properties and muscle masses in the lower limbs of rats. …

The Development Of A Platform Interface With The Use Of Virtual Reality To Enhance Upper-Extremity Prosthetic Training And Rehabilitation, Ashley D. Knight

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the investigation and development of an effective prosthetic training and rehabilitation platform with the use of virtual reality to facilitate an effective process to return amputees to the highest level of independence and functioning possible.

It has been reported that approximately 10 million people live with a limb loss worldwide, with around 30% being an upper-extremity amputee. The sudden loss of a hand or arm causes the loss of fine, coordinated movements, reduced joint range of motion (ROM), proprioceptive feedback and aesthetic appearance, all which can be improved with the use of a prosthesis and proper …

Autonomous Speed Control For Kia Optima, Andrew J. Combs, Kyle Fugatt, Kevin Mcfall

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The standard method for speed control is the cruise control system built into most modern vehicles. These systems employ a PID controller which actuates the accelerator thus, in turn, maintains the desired vehicle speed. The main drawback of such a system is that typically the cruise control will only engage above 25 mph. The goal of this paper is to describe a system which we used to control vehicle speed from a stop to any desired speed using an Arduino microcontroller and a CAN BUS shield, from where autonomous features can be built upon. With this system, we were able …

Impact Of Threshold Clipping On Bit Error Rate In Ofdm-Like Systems, Felipe Hoshino, Theodore Grosch

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

In wireless communications, 3GPP LTE is one of the solutions to meet the greater transmission data rate demand. One issue inherent to this technology is the PAPR (Peak-to-Average Power Ratio) of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation. This high PAPR affects of the efficiency of power amplifiers. One approach to mitigate this effect is the Crest Factor Reduction (CFR) technique. In this work we simulate the impact of Hard Limited Clipping Crest Factor Reduction technique on BER (Bit Error Rate) in OFDM based Systems. In general, the results showed CFR has more effect on higher digital modulation schemes, as expected. …

Jump Linear Quadratic Control For Energy Management Of An Isolated Microgrid, Nathaniel Tucker

Electrical and Computer Engineering Master's Theses

Energy security and the aging grid infrastructure in the United States are two important subjects at the crossroads between politics and technology. One proposed solution to these two issues revolves around the concept of an isolated microgrid. Isolated microgrids are becoming increasingly popular combining multiple energy generation and storage systems to diversify and secure their private energy portfolios. The work presented in this thesis applies jump linear quadratic control to the energy management of an isolated microgrid operating with solar generation, fuel cell, and battery energy storage system. A continuous finite state Markov chain is used to model the intermittent …

Poly Pelletizer: Recycled Pet Pellets From Water Bottles, Logan Costa-Smith, Ian Maltzer, James Martino

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Plastic water bottles comprise a large amount of waste worldwide. The goal of the Poly Pelletizer project is to create a system that will turn water bottles into polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets compatible with extruders to produce 3-D printer lament, along with other recycling applications.The system promotes a sustainable solution to plastic pollution by giving manufactures, particularly in developing nations, the means to produce their own bulk materials using waste plastic. Shrinking industrial recycling processes to a workbench scale gives individuals the ability to convert excess bottles into seemingly limitless products. The system works by using a dual heating and …

Beta: Bioprinting Engineering Technology For Academia, Max Abrams, Jeffrey Barone, Cynthia Le, Jacob Ososke, Franz Plum, Emily Takimoto, Josie Warren

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Higher STEM education is a field of growing potential, but too many middle school and high school students are not testing proficiently in STEM subjects. The BETA team worked to improve biology classroom engagement through the development of technologies for high school biology experiments. The BETA project team expanded functionality of an existing product line to allow for better student and teacher user experience and the execution of more interesting experiments. The BETA project’s first goal was to create a modular incubating Box for the high school classroom. This Box, called the BETA Box was designed with a variety of …