Engineering Commons^™

Overcoming The Challenges Of Asbestos Containing Materials In Remodels - A Case Study, Noah W. Champlin

Construction Management

This is a study of one project’s experience with delays caused by the need for asbestos abatement. It will also cover the best approaches for limiting both safety and financial risks to the contractor, subcontractors and owner. I wanted to gather information on this type of issue within our industry because there will be an increased need for large scale remodeling within major cities to keep them up to the level of standard people expect. This includes the more modern infrastructure of a building to accommodate for the technological improvements made in recent years and to provide a more comfortable …

A Novel Ultrasound Imaging Technique Using Random Signals, Anahita Khalilzadeh

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasound imaging has been used extensively because of its benign nature and relatively low cost implementation. The most common approach for forming an image is Brightness Mode (B-Mode), which uses an array with dynamic focusing. Focus is performed through Phase Shifters that are bulky and complicated components which increases the device cost.

This research describes a new method to form an Ultrasound image, without relying on phase shifting. The proposed method offers a lower cost solution compared to the B-Mode systems and overcomes some of their inherent limitations.

Furnace System Improvements, Kenji K. Anzai, Ethan Fedor, Patrick Zailaa

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) documents the work done by the group to manufacture the system to deliver improvements to the furnace in the Cal Poly microfabrication laboratory (better known as the cleanroom). The document describes the material covered in the Scope of Work (SOW), including background research, customer needfinding, and the problem statement, material associated with concept development and selection for Preliminary Design Review (PDR), material detailing the design and manufacturing plan of the system for Critical Design Review (CDR), and new material detailing the manufacture of the system for FDR.

Research done for the SOW resulted in a …

Water Fun At Exploration Station Final Design Report, Brandon Dean Puccini, Sarah Rose Means, Natasha Tamlin O'Connell-Mackay

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Reinventing The Wheel, Esther K. Unti, Ahmed Z. Shorab, Patrick B. Kragen, Adam M. Menashe

Mechanical Engineering

Reinventing the Wheel selected tires and designed wheels for the 2018 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Formula SAE combustion vehicle. Available tire options were evaluated for steady-state and transient performance as well as vehicle integration. A single-piece composite wheel with hollow spokes was designed to meet stiffness, strength, and tolerance requirements. A detailed study of wheel loading and geometric structural efficiency was performed. Finite element analysis was used to iterate the geometry and laminate. A two-piece male mold was designed and machined to manufacture the wheel. Removable silicone inserts were used to create the hollow spokes.

Wireless Ekg, James Kerman, Chin Chao, Galen Wu, Eric Burstedt

Mechanical Engineering

In 2016, Dr. Ahmad Nooristani identified a need for a personal EKG that is cheaper and simpler than hospital grade systems, but more accurate than personal devices currently on the market. Two previous teams did significant background research, prototyping, focusing on ease of use, portability, and physical specifications. However, neither team was able to produce a device with electrodes that could successfully collect an EKG signal and transmit it to a phone or tablet, one of the main requirements from the Dr. Nooristani. This team focused on designing a six lead, five electrode EKG device to transmit EKG data from …

All-Terrain Storage Surfboard Carts, Ben M. Kennedy, Danny Riedeman, Roberto Gonzalez

Mechanical Engineering

All Terrain Storage consists of three mechanical engineering students: Roberto Gonzalez, Ben Kennedy, and Danny Riedeman. The goal of All Terrain Storage is to design and create two portable storage devices for the non-profit organization AmpSurf. AmpSurf helps veterans, people with disabilities, and anyone else who could be helped through adaptive surfing and other outdoor activities. Their current method of storing and transporting equipment for events is carrying it from the trailer in the parking lot through the sand onto the beach. This document will provide: a more thorough introduction to AmpSurf and the project, the objectives, background information, the …

Daimscale — 1:14th Tractor-Trailer For Testing Driver Assistance Technology, Christopher Marrale, Jase Sasaki, Devin Bodmer

Mechanical Engineering

Active driver assistance systems are becoming increasingly wide-spread throughout the automotive industry due to their potential for safer roads and decreased costs of transportation, but testing these systems on real trucks can be time consuming, dangerous, and costly. Testing these systems on a small-scale tractor-trailer combination will lead to faster and more efficient development of driver assistance systems and can be used by both engineers and students, leading to a larger field of experienced developers to improve these systems.

Our goal will be to design, manufacture, and build a scale 6x2 model of the tractor portion of a Daimler semi-truck …

End Effector For Robotic Strawberry Picker Final Design Review, Marshall Cuffe, Cory Frederickson, Jimmy Jeffery

Mechanical Engineering

In this report, we have outlined the background of the problem and need for a solution to an automated form of strawberry harvesting. The report includes our research findings, defines the scope and objectives for this project, and documents our complete design process. Also included is our final, completed prototype, and a description of the manufacturing, design verification and testing process. Also included is our conclusions and recommendations for further improvement on future iterations.

Field Swcc Modeling And Soil Water Storage Evaluation Through Geophysical Testing, Linkan Sarker

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Evapotranspiration (ET) landfill cover is an emerging final cover system and offers several benefits over conventional landfill closure system. It is a cost-effective green solution for the sustainability of a landfill as its performance enhances with time compared to the conventional solution where low hydraulic conductivity soil barrier deteriorates with time. ET cover system relies on the water store-release principle and its performance depends on the site-specific factors such as on-site climatological conditions, soil hydraulic properties and native vegetation. To effectively monitor the performance of this type of cover system, its unsaturated behavior, field capacity, available moisture for plant growth, …

Removal Of Carbamazepine From Drinking Water, Thomas Krumpolc, Juan Rodriguez, Jordan Alex Gadberry, Zach Wiese, Paola Marrero-Rivera, Adam Johnson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO), traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.^[1] One pharmaceutical of interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic pain, and various psychological disorders. …

Study Of Conduction Behavior In Dielectrics In Chip Level Interconnects: Detection Of Defects In Al/Sio2 Interconnects, Po-Cheng Lu

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation presents four different electrical measurement techniques to detect structural defects in Al/SiO2 interconnects. These techniques, namely 1) polarity dependence measurement, 2) current voltage measurement, 3) two-point measurement and 4) discharge transient current measurement, can provide simple electrical parameters having direct relationship to defects state (type and quantity) in interconnect structure. All these measurement techniques use the MIM (metal-insulator-metal) structure such as the comb-serpentine structure commonly existing in integrated (IC) devices. This study also presents a newly discovered dielectric failure mechanism, that is the failure by a process of partial discharge dielectric breakdown phenomenon. The goal of the charging …

Optimization Of The Practice Of Slow Cooling Steel Bars: A Redesign And Modernization Of Materials, Eryn Johnston

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout the process of steel making, certain grades of steel are a higher risk for defects caused by the inability to quickly diffuse hydrogen through the steel when cooled to room temperature at a normal rate based on the ambient air temperature. To reduce the hydrogen flaking defects that are caused due to hydrogen entrapment in the steel, the process of slow cooling is utilized. This process reduces the cooling rate of steel bars by keeping them at a higher temperature for extended periods and in turn gives the hydrogen a chance to fully dissipate from the steel. In many …

Nebraska Specific Slope Design Manual, Chung R. Song, Yong-Rak Kim, Hossein Bahmyrai, Layal Bitar, Soroosh Amelian

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This study introduces proper design and retrofitting techniques to mitigate slope failure in Nebraska based on experimental and analytical research. The geological history, unique soil properties, failure mechanisms and potential new design/retrofitting methods are accounted for in this study. The following are the key findings.

Nebraska is covered by glacial tills, loess/sands, and shales with expansive clay minerals. Loess and shales are often highly overconsolidated due to the high overburden from Laurentide ice sheet which covered North America between 0.1 M to 0.02 M years ago. Overconsolidated expansive shale clays often exhibit time dependent strength reduction, and collapsible loess often …

Evaluating Calf Bioimpedance Measurements For Fluid Overload Management In A Controlled Environment, Maggie Delano, C. Sodini

Engineering Faculty Works

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between calf bioimpedance measurements and fluid removal in a controlled environment (hemodialysis) as a first step toward using these measurements for remote congestive heart failure (CHF) monitoring. Approach: Calf bioimpedance measurements were recorded in 17 patients undergoing hemodialysis (9/17 (53%) CHF, 5/17 (30%) female). Measurements were performed before and after hemodialysis. Additional parameters related to hemodialysis and patient fluid status such as estimated dry weight were also recorded. Main results: Calf bioimpedance changes depended on calf fluid status as assessed by calf normalized resistivity (CNR). Patients with lower calf fluid overload (as assessed by CNR …

A Computational Analysis Of The Gradient Concentration Profile Of Deet And The Mosquito Behavioral Response, Brandon Carver

Master's Theses

DEET is a common active ingredient in most spatial repellents. DEET is also a volatile organic compound. DEET prevents mosquitoes from detecting and coming into contact with an human individual. Gas sensing technologies such as metal oxide semiconductor sensors can detect VOCs. The World Health Organization provides the majority of efficacy testing methods. This research adapts methods from the WHO and use of MOS sensors to further understand how and why DEET affects mosquitos. A custom developed system is used to measure DEET dissipation and observe mosquito behavioral response to the DEET. DEET dissipations and mosquito behavior is measured within …

Quasi-Particle Band Structure And Excitonic Effects In One-Dimensional Atomic Chains, Eesha Sanjay Andharia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The high exciton binding energy in one dimensional (1D) nano-structures makes them prominent for optoelectronic device applications, making it relevant to theoretically investigate their electronic and optical properties. Many-body effects that are not captured by the conventional density functional theory (DFT) have a huge impact in such selenium and tellurium single helical atomic chains. This work goes one step beyond DFT to include the electron self-energy effects within the GW approximation to obtain a corrected quasi-particle electronic structure. Further, the Bethe-Salpeter equation was solved to obtain the absorption spectrum and to capture excitonic effects. Results were obtained using the Hyberstein-Louie …

Exfoliation, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Nanoscale Te, Takayuki Hironaka

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the experimental discovery of graphene, two dimensional materials have enjoyed more attention and emphasis in academic research than nanowires, but the latter are an important area of study for creating 1D materials, or single atom chains, the next generation materials for advancing electronic devices. Atomically thin layers can be generated from 2D materials with weak bonds in one direction, and by applying this concept to one dimensional weakly bonded materials, we hypothesize that single atom chains with atomic-scale diameters may be produced. Tellurium (Te) and selenium (Se) have lattices consisting of spiral chains oriented along the c-axis, and each …

Gesn Thin Film Epitaxy And Quantum Wells For Optoelectronic Devices, Perry Christian Grant

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Group IV photonics is an effort to generate viable infrared optoelectronic devices using group IV materials. Si-based optoelectronics have received monumental research since Si is the heart of the electronics industry propelling our data driven world. Silicon however, is an indirect material whose optical characteristics are poor compared to other III-IV semiconductors that make up the optoelectronics industry. There have been major efforts to integrate III-V materials onto Si substrates. Great progress on the integration of these III-V materials has occurred but incompatibility with CMOS processing has presented great difficulty in this process becoming a viable and cost-effective solution. Germanium …

Growth And Behaviors Of Inn/Gan Multiple Quantum Wells By Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Chen Li

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fully realizing the potential of InGaN semiconductors requires high quality materials with arbitrary In-content. To this date the growth of In-rich InGaN films is still challenging since it suffers from the low growth temperatures and many detrimental alloying problems. InN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and super lattices (SLs) are expected to be promising alternatives to random InGaN alloys since in principle they can achieve the equivalent band gap of InGaN random alloys with arbitrarily high In-content and at the same time bypass many growth difficulties.

This dissertation focuses on studying the growth mechanisms, structural properties and energy structures of InN/GaN …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Electrochemical Glucose Sensors, Mohammed Marie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical sensors based on the nanostructure of the semiconductor materials are of tremendous interest to be utilized for glucose monitoring. The sensors, based on the nanostructure of the semiconductor materials, are the third generations of the glucose sensors that are fast, sensitive, and cost-effect for glucose monitoring.

Glucose sensors based on pure zinc oxide nanorods (NRs) grown on different substrates, such ITO, FTO, and Si/SiO2/Au, were investigated in this research. Silicon nanowire (NW)- based glucose sensors were also studied. First, an enzyme-based glucose sensor was fabricated out of glass/ITO/ZnO NRs/BSA/GOx/nafion membrane. The sensor was tested amperometrically at different glucose concentrations. …

Plasticity Of Light Metal Matrix Composites Under Anodic Polarization, Y B. Unigovski, E M. Gutman, Z Koren, H Rosenson

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Light metal matrix composites (MMCs), reinforced with ceramic particles, demonstrate an improvement in strength, elasticity, and wear resistance with regards to matrix alloys. Unfortunately, the plasticity of MMCs is rather low, and their hardness is relatively high. Therefore, there are serious problems in formability and machinability of these materials. In the present study, an improvement in the surface plasticity of such light MMCs as Al 6063-10% SiC (AMC) and Mg AZ31-10% SiC (MgMC) as well as the high-strength Al 7075 T6 alloy under anodic polarization was observed. To assess the effect of polarization on plasticity of composites, the relative Vickers …

Biogenic Synthesis And Antibacterial Activity Of Silver Nanoparticles (Agnps) Produced By Phomopsis Sp. Strain Gfpa2, T Sutjaritvorakul, S Chutipaijit

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have many applications in different fields such as electronic industries, chemical industries, medical diagnostics and detergent products. In this research AgNPs were produced by Phomopsis sp. GFPA2 isolated from zinc mineral rocks, and were successfully synthesized by using fungal culture broth. The biogenic crystals were investigated and identified by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The spectra confirmed that the biogenic crystals were AgNPs, and they are mostly spherical in shape. The crystals were also tested for their antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria such …

Consideration Of Key Process Parameters For Achieving Robust And Uniform Cutting Of Ti-6al-4v Sheet Metal Using Fiber Laser With Nitrogen Assisted Gas, V Poshyananda, J Darayen, K Tumkhanon, C Puncreobutr, A Khamkongkaeo, B Lohwongwatana

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In laser cutting, to work on sensitive and intricate materials, such as titanium, requires rigorous control of parameters to achieve the best cutting results due to high power throughput and rapid cutting speed. Titanium is known for severe reaction with oxygen and nitrogen at elevated temperatures, however the more inert argon assist gas is cost prohibitive in commercial application. To achieve cut quality using nitrogen as an assist gas in titanium cutting, careful control is needed to prevent the formation of hard and brittle martensite as well as nitride- and oxide- phases. To better understand the roles of industrial grade …

Self-Striking Red Glass Fabrication At Low Temperature Using Gold Nanoparticles, Y Ruangtaweep, J Kaewkhao, N Sangwaranatee

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This research is intended to determine the appropriate condition for gold ruby glass production at low temperature. The effects of reducing agent (SnO2 and SeO2) concentrations on coloration of gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) in glass samples have been investigated. The glasses with chemical compositions of SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3, Na2O, CaO, K2O, Sb2O3, SnO2, SeO2 and AuNPs were fabricated by conventional melt-quench technique at 1,200°C in normal atmosphere. The results found that the red glasses were obtained by SnO2 with concentration of 0.5 wt% and SeO2 with concentration of 0.05 wt%. The color of glasses were confirmed by UV-visible spectrophotometer in the …

Pr3+ Doped Bao:Zno:B2o3:Teo2 Glasses For Laser Host Matrix, R Rajaramakrishna, C Wongdeeying, P Yasaka, P Limkitjaroenporn, N Sangwaranatee, J Kaewkhao

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this work, glasses of composition (30-x)TeO2-30B2O3-10ZnO-30BaO-xPr2O3 x=0.00 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50 mol% have been prepared through the melt quenching method. In order to characterize and explore their structural properties, we measured the density, refractive index of the glass which shows increasing trend with increase in Pr2O3 concentration also FTIR and XRD spectrum is used to study the structural properties of the developed glasses. XRD shows amorphous structure of the prepared glasses. FTIR shows B-O stretching (BO3)- units and Symmetrical stretching vibration of Te-O in TeO4. The electronic states belonging to the 4f configuration of trivalent Pr3+ were determined …

Properties Of Uv-Curable Screen Printing Inks Containing Oligolactide Acrylates, S Kulsiriswad, O Saravari, K Srikulkit

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This study was aimed at investigating the properties of UV-curable screen printing inks prepared from oligolactide acrylates. Those resultant inks were applied on substrates and cured by UV radiation. Then, properties of the cured ink films were evaluated and compared with a commercial acrylate ink. The degradation temperature of ink film was found at around 436°C. In addition, thus obtained films were glossy and transparent without yellowness. The weathering resistance of ink films tested by a Xenon test chamber for 500 h showed that ink films exhibited acceptable outdoor durability. Discoloration due to the degradation of lactide chain was observed, …

Study On Structure And Luminescence Properties Of Labmoo6:Dy3+ Phosphor For Photonic Material Applications, E Kaewnuam, N Wantana, H J. Kim, J Kaewkhao

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Phosphor powder of LaBMoO6:Dy3+ were prepared to investigate the structure, absorption and luminescence properties. The influence of Dy2O3 concentration on these properties were also studied. XRD characterization represents the main structure of phosphor as monoclinic from LaBMoO6 host matrix. From the reflection spectra, Dy3+ in phosphor can absorb more amount of visible light and near infrared radiation with increasing of Dy2O3 concentration. The energy band gap of LaBMoO6 compound was expanded after doping with Dy2O3 which results to the blue shift of absorption edge. The emission spectra perform the strong yellow and blue light emitting under Dy3+ electric dipole (4F9/2 …

Shape-Controlled Synthesis Of Tungsten Oxide Nanostructures And Characterization, K Petsom, A Kopwitthaya, M Horphathum, Y Ruangtaweep, N Sangwaranatee, J Kaewkhao

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Synthesis of tungsten oxide nanorods and nanodisks were reported here using hydrothermal method. Our study is focusing on the role of hexadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) and silver ions in tungsten oxide nanostructure formation comparing with typical methods. The sodium tungstate dehydrate was used as a precursor. We found that optimum concentration of CTAB and silver ions can provide a rod-like structure. Meanwhile, nanodisks were observed at the absence of silver ion. In addition, concentration of silver ions introduced to growth solution plays an important role in obtained nanostructure dimension. All prepared nanostructures were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) for crystalline structures …

Characterization And Photocatalytic Activity Of Titanium Dioxide Deposited On Stainless Steel By Pulsed-Pressure Mocvd, K Wirandorn, N Panyayao, V Siriwongrungson

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was deposited on stainless steel 304 by pulsed-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (PP-MOCVD). Titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in toluene at the concentration of 0.5 mol% was used as the precursor. The deposition was conducted at the base pressure of 300 Pa and deposition temperatures were varied between 350°C and 400°C. At these deposition temperatures, anatase phase is expected for further photocatalysis study. The deposited TiO2 thin films at the thickness of hundreds nanometers were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for surface morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was applied for phase analysis. The contact angle was measured …