Engineering Commons^™

When Will Mems Switches Be Ready For Commercial Products?, Ronald A. Coutu Jr.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Pollution Prevention In The Great Lakes Basin: Working With Pulp & Paper Manufacturers, Eugene Park

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

In response to growing concerns over persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes, new initiatives are in place to address and mitigate pollutant loadings to these large natural waterbodies. With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) worked with pulp & paper companies in the Great Lakes Basin in an effort to find solutions to reduce environmental impacts from this industry sector. Based on currently available EPA toolkits, NYSP2I developed and utilized an assessment tool called Lean, Energy, and Environment (LE2). Five different paper manufacturers …

Exploring Wireless Technology Applications In Clinical Staff Response Time Reduction In Healthcare Facilities, Chase R. Johnson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Business and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Chase R. Johnson on November 13, 2017.

Analysis Of The Joint Impact Of Atmospheric Turbulence And Refractivity On Laser Beam Propagation, Victor A. Kulikov, Mikhail Vorontsov

Electro-Optics and Photonics Faculty Publications

A laser beam propagation model that accounts for the joint effect of atmospheric turbulence and refractivity is introduced and evaluated through numerical simulations. In the numerical analysis of laser beam propagation, refractive index inhomogeneities along the atmospheric propagation path were represented by a combination of the turbulence-induced random fluctuations described in the framework of classical Kolmogorov turbulence theory and large-scale refractive index variations caused by the presence of an inverse temperature layer. The results demonstrate that an inverse temperature layer located in the vicinity of a laser beam’s propagation path may strongly impact the laser beam statistical characteristics including the …

Development Mems Acoustic Emission Sensors, Adrian Enrique Avila Gomez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop MEMS based acoustic emission sensors for structural health monitoring. Acoustic emission (AE) is a well-established nondestructive testing technique that is typically used to monitor for fatigue cracks in structures, leaks in pressurized systems, damages in composite materials or impacts. This technology can offer a precise evaluation of structural conditions and allow identification of imminent failures or minor failures that can be addressed by planned maintenances routines. AE causes a burst of ultrasonic energy that is measured as high frequency surface vibrations (30 kHz to 1 MHz) generated by transient elastic waves that …

Rf Sensing System For Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring, Fabiola Araujo Cespedes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to design a blood glucose sensing system based on the induced shift in the resonant frequency of an antenna patch operating in the ISM band (5.725 – 5.875 GHz). The underlying concept is the fact that when a person has variations in their blood glucose levels, the permittivity of their blood varies accordingly. This research analyzed the feasibility of using an antenna patch as a blood glucose sensing device in three configurations: 1) as an implantable active sensor, 2) as an implantable passive antenna sensor, and 3) as a non-invasive sensor. In the first …

Improving Service Level Of Free-Floating Bike Sharing Systems, Aritra Pal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bike Sharing is a sustainable mode of urban mobility, not only for regular commuters but also for casual users and tourists. Free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) is an innovative bike sharing model, which saves on start-up cost, prevents bike theft, and offers significant opportunities for smart management by tracking bikes in real-time with built-in GPS. Efficient management of a FFBS requires: 1) analyzing its mobility patterns and spatio-temporal imbalance of supply and demand of bikes, 2) developing strategies to mitigate such imbalances, and 3) understanding the causes of a bike getting damaged and developing strategies to minimize them. All of these …

Development Of Artificial Intelligence Approach To Nowcasting And Forecasting Oyster Norovirus Outbreaks Along The U.S. Gulf Coast, Shima Shamkhali Chenar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Oyster norovirus outbreaks pose increasing risks to human health and seafood industry worldwide. This study presents an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based approach to identifying the primary cause of oyster norovirus outbreaks, nowcasting and forecasting the growing risk of oyster norovirus outbreaks in coastal waters. AI models were developed using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Genetic Programming (GP) methods and time series of epidemiological and environmental data. Input variable selection techniques, including Random Forests (RF) and Forwards Binary Logistic Regression (FBLR), were used to identify the significant model input variables among six independent environmental predictors including water temperature, solar radiation, gage height, …

A Multi-Scale Approach For Modeling Shock Ignition And Burn Of Granular Hmx, Pratap Thamanna Rao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in confined, low-density granular HMX (65%-85% Theoretical Maximum Density, TMD) occurs by a complex mechanism that involves compaction shock interactions within the material. Piston driven DDT experiments indicate that detonation is abruptly triggered by the interaction of a strong burn-supported secondary shock and a piston-supported primary (input) shock, where the nature of the interaction depends on initial packing density and primary shock strength. These interactions influence transition by affecting hot-spot formation within the micro-structure during pore collapse. In this study, meso-scale simulations of hot-spot formation in shock loaded granular HMX are used to guide the development of …

Field Investigation And Performance Evaluation Of Interface Bonding Between Pavement Layers, Ramendra N. Das

LSU Master's Theses

Proper bonding between pavement layers is essential to provide a monolithic pavement structure that allows distribution of loading over a larger area. Inadequate interface bonding may cause debonding or shear failure at the interface due to the accumulation of concentrated tensile stresses at the bottom of the overlay. Tack coat, a light application of asphaltic cement emulsion is applied on the existing surface to create a strong adhesive bond between pavement layers. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of various factors affecting bond strength between hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay and underlying pavement layers in the field. …

Tensile Experimentation Of Structural Aluminum Studying Void Growth, Scott Gampert

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Uni-axial tensile tests were conducted on multiple dog-bone shaped poly-crystalline Aluminum specimens. The goal for this study was to understand the effects of voiding in structural aluminum and how voids grow under tension. The voids were represented by simply drilling and reaming one or more holes in varying patterns in the center of the sample. The testing clearly showed that the different hole patterns affect the area growth of voids. It also compares the developmental growth of a plasticity zone around samples with one hole to a previous study done with a different specimen shape(Ray,2003). In order to look at …

Microbial Desalination Cells With Efficient Platinum Group Metal-Free Cathode Catalysts, Morteza Rezaei Talarposhti

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Iron-nitrogen-carbon based catalyst was used at the cathode of a microbial desalination cell (MDC) and compared with platinum (Pt) and activated carbon (AC) cathode. Fe-N-C catalyst was prepared using nicarbazin (NCB) as organic precursor by sacrificial support method (SSM). Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) experiments shows that Fe-NCB had higher electrocatalytic activity compared to AC and Pt. The utilization of Fe-NCB into the cathode improved substantially the performance output with initial maximum power density of 49±2 μWcm^-2 in contrast to Pt and AC catalysts which have shown lower values of 34±1 μWcm^-2 and 23.5±1.5 μWcm^-2, respectively. …

Ncer Assistance Agreement Annual Progress Report For Grant #83582401 - Assessment Of Stormwater Harvesting Via Manage Aquifer Recharge (Mar) To Develop New Water Supplies In The Arid West: The Salt Lake Valley Example, Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Richard C. Peralta, Sarah E. Null, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The aims of the original proposed project remain the same, that is, to test the hypothesis that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) for stormwater harvesting is a technically feasible, socially and environmentally acceptable, economically viable, and legally feasible option for developing new water supplies for arid Western urban ecosystems experiencing increasing population, and climate change pressures on existing water resources. The project is being carried out via three distinct but integrated components that include: 1) Monitoring of existing distributed MAR harvesting schemes involving a growing number of demonstration Green Infrastructure (GI) test sites; 2) Integrated stormwater/vadose zone/groundwater/ ecosystem services modeling; and …

Sustained Flow Index: A Stochastic Measure Of Freeway Performance, Siavash Shojaat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The capacity of a road addresses its quantitative traffic carrying ability. The estimation of capacity as a parameter to assess traffic flow performance on freeway facilities has received considerable attention in the literature. Research into the traffic operation at high volumes reveals that the capacity of freeways is not a fixed number, but rather a random variable. Thus, in a stochastic approach to freeway capacity of estimation, the capacity is treated as a random variable generated from a population of flow observations, stemmed from a certain distribution function. Since the type of capacity distribution function is generally not known with …

The Relationship Between Total Neuropathy Score-Reduced, Neuropathy Symptoms And Function., Ashraf Abulhaija

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) is a common problem among cancer patients who receive a wide range of chemotherapy. This problem causes a decline in quality of life and increased disabilities. CIPN assessment instruments are either subjective, objective, or a combination of both. So far, there is no agreement on the best way for assessment. The goal of this study was to explore the relationships among subjective and objective CIPN assessment instruments. Specifically, this study aimed to 1) evaluate the relationship between the Total Neuropathy Score-reduced (mainly objective) and patients’ function, as measured by the interference scale of the Chemotherapy-Induced …

Organometal Halide Perovskite Solar Absorbers And Ferroelectric Nanocomposites For Harvesting Solar Energy, Chaminda Lakmal Hettiarachchi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organometal halide perovskite absorbers such as methylammonium lead iodide chloride (CH₃NH₃PbI₃-_xCl_x), have emerged as an exciting new material family for photovoltaics due to its appealing features that include suitable direct bandgap with intense light absorbance, band gap tunability, ultra-fast charge carrier generation, slow electron-hole recombination rates, long electron and hole diffusion lengths, microsecond-long balanced carrier mobilities, and ambipolarity. The standard method of preparing CH₃NH₃PbI₃-_xCl_x perovskite precursors is a tedious process involving multiple synthesis steps and, the chemicals being used (hydroiodic acid …

Reaching In Clutter With Whole-Arm Tactile Sensing, Advait Jain, Marc D. Killpack, Aaron Edsinger, Charles Kemp

Faculty Publications

Clutter creates challenges for robot manipulation, including a lack of non-contact trajectories and reduced visibility for line-of-sight sensors. We demonstrate that robots can use whole-arm tactile sensing to perceive clutter and maneuver within it, while keeping contact forces low. We first present our approach to manipulation, which emphasizes the benefits of making contact across the entire manipulator and assumes the manipulator has low-stiffness actuation and tactile sensing across its entire surface. We then present a novel controller that exploits these assumptions. The controller only requires haptic sensing, handles multiple contacts, and does not need an explicit model of the environment …

Ka-Band Vivaldi Antenna With Novel Core Element For High-Gain, Manh-Ha Hoang, Kansheng Yang, Matthias John, Patrick Mcevoy, Max Ammann

Conference Papers

A high gain Vivaldi antenna employing an integrated core element is proposed. The maximum antenna gain is 16.9 dBi and it performs better than 14 dBi over the complete Ka (24 - 40 GHz) band. The design methodology, excitation arrangement and field distribution features are described.

Conference Program, Eric Duoss, Waltraud M. Kriven

Composites at Lake Louise 2017

No abstract provided.

Gpumap: A Transparently Gpu-Accelerated Python Map Function, Ivan Pachev, Chris Lupo

Civil and Environmental Engineering

No abstract provided.

Applying Heterogeneous Teams Of Robotic Agents Using Hybrid Communications To Mapping And Education, Jonathan M. West

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Robotic agents are being increasingly utilized to carry out tasks that are difficult or dangerous for humans. Many of these missions are best performed by heterogeneous teams of agents with various individual abilities. Communication among agents and with operators is a critical element in the performance and efficiency of these missions. Although radio frequency communications dominate the robotic networking field, they are limited in range and bandwidth due to spectrum congestion and subject to interference from noise or hostile jamming and can be intercepted. Optical communication has many advantages such as higher bandwidth and focused beam, however the line-of-sight requirement …

How Are We Being Informed About Climate Change?, Elisa Perpignan, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Rollis Jiofack, Derrick Agyapong

Conference papers

Scientific poster ‘How is Europe being informed about Climate Change?’ This poster was presented as part of the research results that have been delivered on behalf of the Women Partnership for the 'Climate change, migration & me Challenge' which was organised part of the Young Water Professional program of the Amsterdam International Water Week.

The poster won the second prize with the team comprising Elisa Perpignan, Derrick Agyapong, Rollis Jiofack, Oluwasegun Seriki (participating online out of respectively Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ireland), from the case: European Pact for Water. The team was selected to attend the Planetary Security Conference – …

Design And Analysis Of A Lean Manufacturing Laboratory Layout, Abdoalrahman M. Hakami

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Abdoalrahman M. Hakami on November 10, 2017.

Multiple Consecutive Recapture Of Rigid Nanoparticles Using A Solid-State Nanopore Sensor, Jungsoo Lee

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Solid‐state nanopore sensors have been used to measure the size of a nanoparticle by applying a resistive pulse sensing technique. Previously, the size distribution of the population pool could be investigated utilizing data from a single translocation, however, the accuracy of the distribution is limited due to the lack of repeated data. In this study, we characterized polystyrene nanobeads utilizing single particle recapture techniques, which provide a better statistical estimate of the size distribution than that of single sampling techniques. The pulses and translocation times of two different sized nanobeads (80 nm and 125 nm in diameter) were acquired repeatedly …

The Effects Of Joule Heating On Electric-Driven Microfluidic Flow, Alexander P. Spitzer

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

This study sought out to more clearly understand the relationship between Joule heating and fluid flow in microfluidic environments, and more specifically, under what circumstances would the fluid flow in the device possibly hinder an experiment being run on it. It had been previous theorised that an electric field may produce turbulence and even vortices within the fluid, which this study attempted to reproduce. Several variables were tested, namely insulating and conducting fluids, higher and lower AC voltages, Newtonian vs. non-Newtonian fluids, and higher and lower DC voltages. A correlation between these variables and turbulent flow was found, with more …

Microgrid Energy Management With Flexibility Constraints: A Data-Driven Solution Method, Okan Ciftci

LSU Master's Theses

Microgrid energy management is a challenging and important problem in modern power systems. Several deterministic and stochastic models have been proposed in the literature for the microgrid energy management problem. However, more accurate models are required to enhance flexibility of the microgrids when accounting for renewable energy and load uncertainties. This thesis proposes key contributions to solve the energy management problem for smart building (or small-scale microgrid). In Chapter 3, a deterministic energy management model is presented taking into account system flexibility requirements. Energy storage systems are deployed to enhance the grid flexibility and ramping capability. The objective function of …

Prevention Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) In Lightweight Wellbore Cements Containing Silica-Based Microspheres, Dylan Albers

LSU Master's Theses

Drilling through low pressure formations, either offshore or through depleted formations, requires the use of low density fluids to prevent lost circulation ensuring proper placement of cement for proper zonal isolation and structural integrity. Achieving these densities in cements can be done through foaming the cement, increasing water content, or using silica-based microspheres. Water extended cements are useful at densities down to 13 ppg below which only foaming and silica-based microspheres can be used. Each of these methods coming with individual limitations, with foamed cements being sensitive to high pressures and silica-based microspheres having chemical instability in the high alkalinity …

Comparing Laser Diffraction And Optical Microscopy For Characterizing Superabsorbent Polymer Particle Morphology, Size, And Swelling Capacity, Cole R. Davis, Stacey L. Kelly, Kendra Erk

School of Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

In this study, we determined the accuracy and practicality of using optical microscopy (OM) and laser diffraction (LD) to characterize hydrogel particle morphology, size, and swelling capacity (Q). Inverse-suspension-polymerized polyacrylamide particles were used as a model system. OM and LD showed that the average particle diameter varied with the mixing speed during synthesis for the dry (10–120 lm) and hydrated (34–240 lm) particles. The LD volume and number mean diameters showed that a few large particles were responsible for the majority of the water absorption. Excess water present in the gravimetric swelling measurements led to larger Qs (8.2 6 0.37 …

Bikemate: Bike Riding Behavior Monitoring With Smartphones, Weixi Gu, Zimu Zhou, Yuxun Zhou, Han Zou, Yunxin Liu, Costas J. Spanos, Lin Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Detecting dangerous riding behaviors is of great importance to improve bicycling safety. Existing bike safety precautionary measures rely on dedicated infrastructures that incur high installation costs. In this work, we propose BikeMate, a ubiquitous bicycling behavior monitoring system with smartphones. BikeMate invokes smartphone sensors to infer dangerous riding behaviors including lane weaving, standing pedalling and wrong-way riding. For easy adoption, BikeMate leverages transfer learning to reduce the overhead of training models for different users, and applies crowdsourcing to infer legal riding directions without prior knowledge. Experiments with 12 participants show that BikeMate achieves an overall accuracy of 86.8% for lane …

Understanding Gas Sorption Mechanisms In Metal–Organic Materials Via Computational Experimentation, Katherine A. Forrest

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal–organic materials (MOMs), a type of porous crystalline structure composed of organic ligands jointed with metal ions, have captured the interest of scientists as potentially useful in gas sorption applications. Some of the most crucial avenues of investigation are in H2 storage (for use as a clean burning fuel source) and CO2 capture and sequestration (to remove the greenhouse gas from the environment).

A major advantage of MOMs for such applications is their high variability in terms of physical dimensions and chemical moieties, based on composition and synthesis conditions, making them potentially customizable for specific application if necessary structural characteristics …