Engineering Commons^™

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Training Programs Through The Lens Of A Traditional Flight Training University, David Thirtyacre, C. Woodyard

Publications

According to CFR 14 Part 107, an RPC is issued strictly on the results of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) knowledge test and background security check. This leaves commercial sUAS operators on their own to determine the training and proficiency required to fly safely and effectively. Regardless of the learning method, the question becomes, what knowledge and maneuvers should be learned, and to what proficiency level? This paper explores specific knowledge and skills which should be mandatory for all sUAS commercial pilots and recommends a probation period to gain experience before receiving an unrestricted RPC.

Applying Attribute-Based Encryption In Two-Way Radio Talk Groups: A Feasibility Study, Michael Andreas Gough

Theses and Dissertations

In two-way radio systems, talk groups are used to organize communication. Some situations may call for creating a temporary talk group, but there are no straightforward ways to do this. Making a new talk group requires programming radios off-line. Temporary groups can be created, but this requires inputting radio IDs which is tedious on a radio's limited controls. By describing group members using attributes, ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) can be used to quickly create sub-groups of a talk group. This scheme requires fewer button presses and messages sent in the new talk group are kept secret. CP-ABE can be used …

Addressing The Regulator's Dilemma: A Self Drive Framework For Balancing Safety And Innovation, Craig Maughan

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Policymakers are tasked with creating regulations that responsibly oversee the growth and deployment of emerging technologies. I argue that the SELF DRIVE Act, currently being deliberated in Congress, offers one such intelligent regulatory structure for autonomous vehicles: it prioritizes public safety over adherence to outdated requirements, giving innovators greater freedom to field-test new designs. More importantly, I examine how key principles of the SELF DRIVE Act should be applied to other emerging technologies currently facing regulatory roadblock. Specifically, I suggest the drone industry be subject to regulatory changes that incentivize safety, allow exploration, and anticipate future growth. Such regulations allow …

Autonomous Cars And The Anonymous Threat: The Immediate Need For Cybersecurity Legislation For Self-Driving Vehicles, Forrest Albiston

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

This paper addresses the immediate need for cybersecurity regulations on self-driving cars. The focus of this paper is to discuss the urgency of these laws and put forth the SPY Car Act of 2017 as a solution with some edits. This Act will help ensure the safety of US citizens and will also benefit businesses.

Development Of A ‘Smart’ Resistance Exercise Band To Assess Strength, Emily V. Wechsler, John A. Batsis, David F. Kotz, Ryan J. Halter

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters 2018

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Seasonal Tree-Cutting Restrictions On Construction Bids, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Steven Waddle, Bryan Gibson, Sarah M. Mccormack, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Many of the maintenance and construction projects undertaken by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) span late spring to early fall (April–October), with this period’s long days, abundant sunshine, and relatively dry conditions being ideal for performing work and minimizing delays from inclement weather. But this compressed timeline for accomplishing work introduces other challenges. Specifically, many of KYTC’s maintenance and construction activities can potentially impact summer habitat of the Indiana bat, which is listed as an endangered species. Removing trees classified as Indiana bat habitat is allowed, however, to do so the Cabinet is required to pay a mitigation fee. The …

Second-Order Sensitivity Analysis Of Uncollided Particle Contributions To Radiation Detector Responses, Dan Gabriel Cacuci, Jeffrey A. Favorite

Faculty Publications

This work presents an application of Cacuci's Second-Order Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology (2nd-ASAM) to the simplified Boltzmann equation that models the transport of uncollided particles through a medium to compute efficiently and exactly all of the first- and second-order derivatives (sensitivities) of a detector's response with respect to the system's isotopic number densities, microscopic cross sections, source emission rates, and detector response function. The off-the-shelf PARTISN multigroup discrete ordinates code is employed to solve the equations underlying the 2nd-ASAM. The accuracy of the results produced using PARTISN is verified by using the results of three test configurations: (1) a homogeneous …

Assessing The Quality And Stability Of Recommender Systems, David Shriver

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recommender systems help users to find products they may like when lacking personal experience or facing an overwhelmingly large set of items. However, assessing the quality and stability of recommender systems can present challenges for developers. First, traditional accuracy metrics, such as precision and recall, for validating the quality of recommendations, offer only a coarse, one-dimensional view of the system performance. Second, assessing the stability of a recommender systems requires generating new data and retraining a system, which is expensive. In this work, we present two new approaches for assessing the quality and stability of recommender systems to address these …

Finite Element Modeling And Updating Of A Five-Tiered Pagoda Style Temple, Linh Maytham Abdulrahman

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Historical pagoda style temples demonstrate different dynamic behavior than traditional unreinforced masonry (URM) structures due to the unique construction practices and ornate architectural detailing. Recently, the 2015 Gorkha M_w 7.8 earthquake resulted in widespread structural damage and collapse of similar historic temples in Nepal. However, one temple did not collapse. This is the five-tiered pagoda style Nyatapola temple built in 1702 and located in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Understanding the seismic vulnerability and structural behavior of these pagoda-style temples can lead to more efficient retrofit solutions and conservation practices for similar heritage structures.

This study developed and calibrated the pre- and …

Performance Evaluation Of V-Enodeb Using Virtualized Radio Resource Management, Sai Keerti Teja Boddepalli

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the demand upsurge for high bandwidth services, continuous increase in the number of cellular subscriptions, adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), and marked growth in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) traffic, there is great stress exerted on cellular network infrastructure. The present wireline and wireless networking technologies are rigid in nature and heavily hardware-dependent, as a result of which the process of infrastructure upgrade to keep up with future demand is cumbersome and expensive.

Software-defined networks (SDN) hold the promise to decrease network rigidity by providing central control and flow abstraction, which in current network setups are hardware-based. The embrace of SDN …

Detection And Prediction Of Defects In Composite Materials Using Di-Electric Characterization And Neural Networks, Muthu Ram Prabhu Elenchezhian, Aishwarya Nandini, Vamsee Vadlamudi, Rassel Raihan, Kenneth Reifsnider

Institute of Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM-UTARI)-Archive

The state of art non-destructive inspection techniques for composite materials detect the presence of defects in the composite material, but they do not identify what type of defect it is, and hence, further visual inspection of the details are needed. This visual classification is a costly and time-consuming process, and it’s difficult to distinguish all of the defects effectively. Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BbDS), has been an established tool for dielectric material characterization in polymer industries for a long time. Dielectric spectra of heterogeneous materials are altered by constituent interfaces, with changes in morphological heterogeneity, electrical and structural interactions between particles, …

A High-Magnification Uv Lens For High-Temperature Optical Strain Measurements, Robert S. Hansen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is an experimental method used to produce full-field strain maps of specimens undergoing deformation. In this measurement, images of a specimen are taken before and after mechanical and thermal loading, then software is used to track deformation and compute strains. DIC has been recently adapted for high-temperature tests by using ultraviolet (UV) range cameras, lenses, and filters to produce the images.

Application of DIC to small length scales and at high temperatures can be performed with proper equipment. However, for these measurements, there is no commercially available high-magnification lens that will allow images to be taken …

Fea Of Carbon Composite As A Substitute For Steel (A992) In Case Of Square Or Rectangular Hollow Cross-Sections As Beams And Columns, Pradeep Ganesh Pai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Improvement to an existing design is an ongoing and never-ending process in every field. The improvement can be in a myriad of areas like an increase in strength, reduction in weight, stiffness to a loading condition and so on. The way it is achieved can range from changing the properties of the material used by incorporating various manufacturing processes or by using an alternative material which can sustain the same loading conditions or for that matter, work better than the existing material. Composite materials like Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber or Kevlar Fiber reinforced plastics, to name few, are being used …

Half-Mode Cavity-Based Planar Filtering Antenna With Controllable Transmission Zeroes, Kirti Dhwaj, Joshua M. Kovitz, Haozhan Tian, Li (Lijun) Jun Jiang, Tatsuo Itoh

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atwo-pole half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) cavity-based filtering antenna is presented. The HMSIW cavity is used as a radiating resonator with a conventional substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity functioning as a high- Q resonator of the filter, leading to its compact size. The concept of source-load coupling is introduced for filtering antennas, which allows for the presence of two controllable transmission zeroes (TZs) in the frequency response of proposed design. This is accomplished by using electric coupling between two resonator cavities and a combination of microstrip/coaxial line to feed the antenna. The single-layer printed circuit board structure provides a broadside …

Service Quality Assessment For Cloud-Based Distributed Data Services, Arun Adiththan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The issue of less-than-100% reliability and trust-worthiness of third-party controlled cloud components (e.g., IaaS and SaaS components from different vendors) may lead to laxity in the QoS guarantees offered by a service-support system S to various applications. An example of S is a replicated data service to handle customer queries with fault-tolerance and performance goals. QoS laxity (i.e., SLA violations) may be inadvertent: say, due to the inability of system designers to model the impact of sub-system behaviors onto a deliverable QoS. Sometimes, QoS laxity may even be intentional: say, to reap revenue-oriented benefits by cheating on resource allocations and/or …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Graphene Based 2d Materials For Supercapacitors, Anishkumar Manoharan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supercapacitors have attracted a lot attention due to their efficient energy storage. In comparison to batteries, supercapacitors have high capacitance, energy, and power densities per unit mass than conventional capacitors. Carbon based materials are most promising in supercapacitor application due to their outstanding physical and electrochemical behavior. In this work, a facile method to synthesize a nanocomposite electrode consisting of annealed carbon from carbon ink and MoS2 was demonstrated. Effects of various aqueous and solid electrolytes were studied. It was found that the nanocomposite electrode with 10% MoS2 and 1M Na2SO4 as the aqueous electrolyte tested using the three electrode …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Model For Air Velocity Through A Poultry Transport Trailer In A Holding Shed, Christian Heymsfield

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broiler production in Arkansas was valued at over $3.6 billion in 2013 (University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service). Consequently, improvement in any phase of the production process can have significant economic impact and animal welfare implications. One area of concern for the poultry industry is thermal stress experienced by the birds after arrival at the processing plant and before they are taken in to be processed, during which time they are left to wait in holding sheds. Various cooling strategies exist to mitigate heat stress in holding sheds, but in most cases it is unlikely that they …

State Dependent Function And Dynamics In Cerebral Cortical Networks, Leila Fakhraei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cerebral cortex exhibits vigorous ongoing, internal neural activity even with no sensory input is present or the animal is minimally engaged in a task or behavior. This internal ongoing activity is not static; the ‘cortical state’ varies ranging from synchronous and highly correlated activity to asynchronous and weakly correlated neural activity. The main goal of the work presented here is to understand how changes in cortical states effect several aspects of cortical function and dynamics.

To meet this goal, we did three separate projects. First, we compared the predictability of neuronal network dynamics across cortical states in somatosensory cortex of …

Analytical Evaluation Of Partial Elements Using A Retarded Taylor Series Expansion Of The Green's Function, Luigi Lombardi, Giulio Antonini, Albert E. Ruehli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The computation of the fundamental magnetic and electric field coupling terms for the full-wave partial element equivalent circuit method is time consuming for large problems. Extensive numerical integration is required for the computation of four-to-six-fold integration of the partial element coefficients. In this paper, we present new full-wave analytical formulas for their computation, which are based on several different Taylor series expansion approaches for the case of rectangular elementary volumes and surfaces.

The Response Of Fuzzy Electronics To Ionizing Radiation, Simar Singh

Honors Theses

Small satellites such as CubeSats operate under environmental constraints that are outside of typical commercial specifications. Such constraints include the ability to operate over an extended temperature range and during exposure to ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, commercial technologies are being implemented in CubeSat spacecraft because of the low-cost, low-power, and space savings requirements often achievable with advanced microelectronics [1]. Due to flexibility and the ability to handle uncertainty, fuzzy logic is viable for satellite control while meeting the strict design requirements of a CubeSat. This work evaluates the response of fuzzy control logic to ionizing radiation and compares the response to …

Computation Of Achievable Rate In Pattern Recognition System, Yu Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Pattern recognition is widely used in many areas. When analyzing a pattern recognition system, one of the main problem to be considered is, how many bits do I need to express the raw source data and memory data to ensure that the result of the pattern recognition be reliable. The data stored in the system as well as the data received by the system must be compressed by some rate to summary the raw data. The fundamental bound for this lies in the computation of the achievable rate of pattern recognition. Before now, we have the definition and some approaches …

Utilizing Analytics In American Football To Improve Decision Making On Fourth Down, Daniel David Reid Ferguson

Graduate Theses - Engineering Management

The purpose of this paper was to investigate what advantages, if any, an analytical approach using historical data could have in guiding critical game decisions in order to maximize a team’s chances of winning. The analytical approach described in this paper involves using expected point values that correspond to an offensive team’s location on the field and historical first down conversion rates. From this information a decision is made that chooses the fourth-down option that yields the highest amount of expected points. Using historical, data a fourth-down Strategy Sheet was developed based upon expected point values. The Strategy Sheet was …

Experimental And Numerical Comparison Of Wort Cooling Methods During The Homebrewing Process, Zachary Hammond

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Homebrewing, the process of making beer for personal consumption, has been legal in the United States since 1978 and allowed beer enthusiasts to experiment with new beer styles at a low cost. Although the procedure is relatively straightforward, it can be very timeconsuming without expensive equipment. The longest step in brewing is wort cooling, where the non-alcoholic beer, or wort, is cooled from boiling temperatures to near room temperature for fermentation. Improper or slow cooling can not only be monotonous but result in contamination or haze in the final product. Wort chillers, which generally cost anywhere from $50 to $500, …

A Survey Of Three-Dimensional Sound And Its Applications, Andrew Topping

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research project seeks to develop a foundation of knowledge about three-dimensional sound (3-D sound) and its utilization across various media. Topics covered include the techniques by which 3-D sound is accomplished, its departures from the standard paradigm of stereophonic audio, the range of creative and engineering considerations within 3-D contexts and examinations of existing 3-D audio applications.

Development Of The Codebase For Ece Design: Smartwatch Device And App For Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Keelin J. Becker-Wheeler

Honors Scholar Theses

This honors thesis describes the development of the codebase for the 2018 University of Connecticut ECE Senior Design project titled "Smartwatch Device and App for Continuous Glucose Monitoring''. The goal for the senior design project is to remove the dependencies imposed by a previously-designed prototype of a glucose-monitoring smartwatch, by creating a new custom device without those dependencies. Development of the new codebase involves splitting the tasks of an Arduino codebase into a number of logical components that are then implemented in C. This new codebase makes substantial improvements to the overall program structure and organization, as well as numerous …

Security Analysis Of The Uconn Husky One Card, Trevor Phillips

Honors Scholar Theses

The “Husky One Card” is the name given to student IDs at the University of Connecticut. It can identify students, faculty, and staff in a variety of situations. The One Card is used for meal plans, Husky Bucks (an equivalent of money, but valid only in the Storrs area), residence hall/ university facility access, and student health services. The current Husky One Card consists of a picture identification on the front and a standard 1-dimensional barcode and 3-track magnetic strip on the back.

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of cloning Husky One Cards, the ease …

Dielectric Property Investigation Of Degraded Pre-Preg And Performance Prediction Of The Final Composite Part, Aishwarya Nandini, Nina Shute, Muthu Ram Prabhu Elenchezhian, Vamsee Vadlamudi, Rassel Raihan, Kenneth Reifsnider

Institute of Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM-UTARI)-Archive

In recent years, fiber-reinforced (i.e., Glass, Carbon, Kevlar) epoxy composites are used widely in structural applications ranging from military and civil aircraft production to recreational consumer products. Most of the industries use pre-impregnated varieties of composite (prepregs) to make high-quality composite parts. Despite their various advantages, prepreg materials are unstable at ambient temperature. A realistic estimation of the shelf life of prepreg is therefore essential for maintaining quality while reducing wastage of resources. Prepregs are temperature and moisture sensitive material systems. To achieve prolonged shelf life, manufacturer and seller of the prepreg must store the materials at zero degrees Celsius …

Transportation System Vulnerability And Resilience To Extreme Weather Events And Other Natural Hazards — Final Results Of Vulnerability Assessment Of National Highway System For All Kytc Districts, Benjamin L. Blandford, Scott Schurman, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Recent federal legislation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have directed state transportation agencies to identify potential vulnerabilities associated with extreme weather events and climate change, develop a risk-based asset management plan, and incorporate findings into transportation planning, design, and maintenance practices. The Kentucky Transportation Center and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet developed and led district-level workshops to elicit local expert knowledge on asset vulnerabilities to natural hazards. Combining the results of these workshops with analysis of available data on assets and hazards, they then performed a natural hazard vulnerability assessment of the state’s National Highway System (NHS) for each of Kentucky’s …

Vertical Gallium Nitride Schottky Diodes For Power Switching Applications., Sowmya Kolli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gallium nitride (GaN) has enormous potential for use in devices operating at high power, frequency and temperature. Its wide band gap, high critical electric field and favourable carrier properties lead to lower switching losses and conduction losses in power electronic devices. However, most GaN rectifiers reported to date exhibit an ON-resistance (Ron) versus breakdown voltage much below theoretical predictions. Heteroepitaxial growth of GaN on substrates such as SiC, Si, and sapphire suffer from a high density of threading dislocations defects due to the mismatch in lattice constants and thermal expansion coefficients. Vertical devices, in which a bulk GaN substrate is …

Machine Learning For Omics Data Analysis., Ameni Trabelsi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In proteomics and metabolomics, to quantify the changes of abundance levels of biomolecules in a biological system, multiple sample analysis steps are involved. The steps include mass spectrum deconvolution and peak list alignment. Each analysis step introduces a certain degree of technical variation in the abundance levels (i.e. peak areas) of those molecules. Some analysis steps introduce technical variations that affect the peak areas of all molecules equally while others affect the peak areas of a subset of molecules with varying degrees. To correct these technical variations, some existing normalization methods simply scale the peak areas of all molecules detected …