Engineering Commons^™

Airport Passenger Processing Technology: A Biometric Airport Journey, Vishra Patel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A passenger's traveling journey throughout the airport is anything but simple. A passenger goes through numerous hoops and hurdles before safely boarding the aircraft. Many airports today are implementing isolated solutions for passenger processing. Some of these technologies include automated self-service kiosks and bag tag, self-service bag drop-off, along with automated self-service gates for boarding and border control. These solutions can be integrated with biometric systems to enhance passenger handling. This thesis analyzes the current passenger processing technology implemented at airports around the world and their associated challenges that passengers face. A new passenger processing technology called a biometric single …

Profitability And Financial Performance Indicators In U.S. Airports - A Preliminary Investigation, Abbas Shaban

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Airport profitability is fundamental for all airports around the world. To this effect, this study examines factors affecting airport profitability such as the number of passengers, the number of landings and take-offs, cargo (lbs), airport debt, the size of the airport, and the terminal utilization. Most of the large and medium hub airports in the U.S are considered in this study, and regression analysis is used to analyze the data.

The results of this study show that factors examined are statistically significant when measuring airport profitability, which in turns could suggest that airports with high values in most of these …

Multi-Scale Fluid Flow Analysis Of The Cardiovascular System, Zaid Mahmood

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is one of the rarest congenital heart diseases affecting infants. Out of 150 babies born, one baby suffers from congenital heart disease. Furthermore, nine percent out of those suffering from congenital heart disease specifically suffer from hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). To this end, the Fontan operation which is a procedure to generate a harmonic blood flow in single functioning ventricle patients has been executed to palliate HLHS patients. In this operation, the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the superior vena cava (SVC), carrying the low-oxygenated blood returning from the lower and upper body …

Safety Return On Investment (Roi): The Broader Adoption Of Rotorcraft Cfit-Avoidance Technology, Isaac Nderitu Munene

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation provided a method of estimating the potential return on investment (ROI) that could be achieved if operators were to adopt the readily available controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) avoidance technology more broadly. Previous research explored the costs and benefits of different safety initiatives but did not evaluate from an operators’ perspective. For the operators, a private ROI that excludes societal costs and benefits was therefore considered the suitable metric. For the rotorcraft industry, the ROI estimation methodology was not readily available, and this study sought to fill that gap. The purpose of this study was to estimate the …

Phoenix Y6, Sean Backes, Michael Destin, Alastair Hood, Bruce Iverson, Brian Meier, John Strong

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The mission of this project is to design and fabricate a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing drone for use by firefighters and other emergency services. This vehicle will be designed for uses that include surveying wildfires, as well as spotting vehicular accidents, urban fires, and floods. Current drones available on the market are expensive or not designed specifically for emergency response. Our goal is to develop a working prototype of a vehicle that will be able to collect and relay important data such as live video and thermal images in addition to other measurements such as air velocity and …

Frugal Clay Press For Nicaragua: Design Of A Human-Powered Clay Brick Press For Rural Application, Rafael Delfin C. Guerrero, Milan O. Copic, Kevin A. Ellis, L. Isaac Marcia

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This team was connected to a brick-making social entrepreneurship in Ciudad Darío, Nicaragua. Travel to Nicaragua in March of 2018 determined that the entrepreneurship wanted a manual brick press to increase the mechanical properties of bricks while decreasing the time needed for the bricks to dry before being baked. Fabrication of a semi-functional beta prototype was completed in May of 2018. Prototype operational tests showed that one cycle of brick compression and retrieval took roughly 3.5 minutes to produce a single double-sized brick. Water absorptivity tests determined that compressed bricks of red art clay experienced a percent absorptivity of 20.5%, …

A Study Of Flight Simulation Training Time, Aircraft Training Time, And Pilot Competence As Measured By The Naval Standard Score, Aaron D. Judy

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between US Navy T-45C flight simulation training time, actual aircraft training time, and intermediate and advanced jet pilot competence as measured by the Naval Standard Score (NSS). Examining the relationships between US Navy T-45C flight simulation time and actual aircraft flight time may provide further information on flight simulation training versus actual aircraft training to aviation authorities, flight instructors, the military aviation community, the commercial aviation community, and academia. The study was non-experimental, correlational, causal-comparative with an emphasis upon the establishment of mathematic and predictive relationships using archival data from …

Optimization Of Microfluidic Chip Fabrication Via Femtosecond Laser Ablation, Kenneth Aycock

Senior Theses

Microfluidic devices have become staple tools in biomedical research and have a promising future as low cost, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices. Despite the advancements in microfluidic device technology, the manipulation and fabrication of these systems can be tedious and expensive. Repeatable techniques in which computer-aided designs are translated into microfluidic systems in a matter of minutes are highly desirable both for researchers and manufacturers. Laser ablation of tape substrates has shown promise in producing cost-effective, rapidly manipulable devices, but the work done thus far has utilized continuous wave lasers that perform suboptimally due to the relatively short wavelengths used and …

Integration Of A Sensory Driven Model For Hand Grasp Function In 3d Printed Prostheses, Austin T. Hetherington

Senior Theses

My Honors Thesis was completed through the Biomedical Engineering senior design project I worked on. Our project took a mechanically operated 3D printed prosthetic hand and automated the process by which it makes a grasp. The purpose of this project was to provide an affordable, automatic prosthetic hand to those either capable and incapable of wrist flexion. The current 3D printed prosthetic models require users to bend their wrist to initiate a simple grasp. However, our design took an alternative approach by using an EMG sensor placed on the ventral side of the forearm to record muscle activity, which, upon …

Circularly Polarized Two-Dimensional Microstrip Standing-Wave Array Antenna, Yang Fan

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reviews current designs of single-fed circularly polarized microstrip antennas and proposes a novel design concept with improved performance. The structure is similar to a regular microstrip patch antenna and the design procedure is relatively simple. By extending this SF scheme to an array structure based on the standing-wave array concept, a novel circular polarized array antenna can be realized by using one SF CP patch with standing-wave feeding networks. The standing-wave array antenna developed at SMU has a low-profile planar configuration and a simple feeding network structure and thus can be fabricated easily and cheaply with relatively high …

Pressure Transient Techniques For Continuous Monitoring Of Co2 Storage/Eor, Nam Hoang Tran

LSU Master's Theses

Pressure well testing has been widely used in the oil and gas industry for determining reservoir properties and well conditions. More recently, studies have been done to show the applicability of well testing for the continuous monitoring of CO₂ storage projects. In the current thesis, we study a diverse range of pressure transient techniques with the same goal of characterizing CO₂. The thesis finds that the use of pressure transient analysis is a strong tool for CO₂ monitoring. Each method discussed within the paper has its advantages and disadvantages. The first technique is able to determine …

Aircraft Generator Design And Analysis, David Gross

Honors Theses

Aerospace electrical power demands have been growing due to an increased amount of electrical load onboard aircraft. This increased load has come about as electrical power sources for various aircraft subsystems, such as pumps, compressors and flight controls, replace mechanical power sources. The main source of electrical power for an aircraft is a generator. The nature of emerging power demands on an aircraft causes increased temperatures and complex/dynamic loads; many contemporary generators are not necessarily designed to repeatedly tolerate such phenomena. Due to the need for high amounts of reliable electrical power among current and future aircraft, aerospace generators should …

The Application Of Neurologically-Controlled Robotics To Actuated Feeding Arms, Timothy Dombrowski

Honors Theses

The medical industry is constantly performing research and trying to combat various diseases that afflict humans. Despite advancements in technology, there still remain diseases that have no cure but seem prime candidates for neurologically controlled robots. One such category of diseases consists of various muscular dystrophic diseases. Diseases such as ALS and Parkinson’s have limited options regarding treatment, but by brain controlled interfaces (BCI’s), robotics can help mitigate the impact on a patient’s quality of life. By utilizing a functioning mind, an electroencephalographic (EEG) helmet can be used to control various exoskeletal systems and even prosthesis in order to compensate …

Influence Of Reverse Shoulder Implant Positioning On Patient-Specific Muscle Forces: A Simulation Study, Kayla Marie Pariser

Honors Theses

A reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) is a common treatment used to stabilize the shoulder and improve range of motion in patients with torn rotator cuff muscles. Shoulder stability relies on the shoulder muscles. With rotator cuff tears, the RTSA enables the deltoid muscle to become the primary stabilizer of the shoulder joint. To improve stability, RTSAs increase the deltoid muscle moment arm and decrease the required torque about the shoulder joint for movement. Currently, there is not standardized, objective method for a surgeon to position an implant on a specific patient. This study is part of a larger, ongoing …

Assessment Of Carbon Emissions Of Road Projects And Development Of A Framework For Carbon Footprint Calculation Of Roads In The City Of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed H. H. Alzard

Civil and Environmental Theses

Climate change has become a global issue affecting the environment and human health. Transportation is a major contributor of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, with road transport being responsible for more than half of these emissions. The main objective of this thesis was to estimate the carbon footprint associated with road projects in the city of Abu Dhabi following a comprehensive approach that considers all activities within the life cycle of roads. Three cases were considered including, Al Rahba City internal road network, the upgrading of Al Salam Street, and the widening of the Eastern Corniche Road. A carbon footprint estimation …

Global Formulation And Control Of A Class Of Nonholonomic Systems, Muhammad Rehan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis study motion of a class of non-holonomic systems using geometric mechanics, that provide us an efficient way to formulate and analyze the dynamics and their temporal evolution on the configuration manifold. The kinematics equations of the system, viewed as a rigid body, are constrained by the requirement that the system maintain contact with the surface. They describe the constrained translation of the point of contact on the surface. In this thesis, we have considered three different examples with nonholonomic constraint i-e knife edge or pizza cutter, a circular disk rolling without slipping, and rolling sphere. For each example, …

Volterra Series Approximation For Multi-Degree Of Freedom, Multi-Input, Multi-Output, Aircraft Dynamics, Alexander J. Chen

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An analytical model of a second order system is extended from a single-axis framework, to a multi-axis, multi-degree of freedom framework for a multiple input, multiple output system. This mathematical model is built from the variational approach of the Volterra series representation of nonlinear systems. The new representation describes the second order, oscillatory natural modes of a system, and shows how to organize the Volterra terms in intuitive ways. The constructed mathematical model aims to establish an organization of the Volterra kernels to allow for analytical cause and effect type analysis on system behavior.

To demonstrate the accuracy of the …

Understanding The Mechanical Behavior Of Costal Cartilage At Their Curved Exterior Surface Via A Tactile Sensor With A Built-In Probe For Distributed-Deflection Detection, Jiayue Shen

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is aimed to determine the mechanical properties at the exterior surface of costal cartilages (CC) and examine how they vary with the cartilage length and the anatomical sites of CC in the ribcage via conformal indentation testing which is built upon a tactile sensor for distributed-deflection detection. The sensor entails a rectangular Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure sensing-plate integrated with a 5 ×1 transducer array with 0.75mm spatial resolution underneath and a built-in probe of 0.5mm×5mm×3mm above. By pressing the sensor against the exterior surface of a CC tissue with a pre-defined indentation pattern, the sensor conforms to the curved …

Learn-To-Fly Control System Design, Alexander Brent Streit

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In order to improve aircraft flight control system development life cycle, new flight control techniques are being explored to allow the system to ``learn-to-fly" with limited a priori information of the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics. One approach is to have a system identification process operating on-the-fly to generate mathematical models which can be used to update control laws. In this thesis, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted with a model aircraft set up to be free-to-roll, so system identification and control methods could be explored for a one-degree-of-freedom case. In particular this thesis covers the design of a novel control system …

Idpal - Input Decoupled Partially Adiabatic Logic: Implementation And Examination, Kevin A. Johnson

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the experimental results of a four-phase IDPAL eight-input exclusive-OR gate. The following problems with IDPAL are addressed: multistage circuits malfunctioning, simulation convergence anomalies, and inferring input information through the power clock current. EPAD MOSFETs, which provide a low threshold voltage, are shown to be unsuccessful in correcting the malfunctioning behavior of multilayer circuits. A solution to multilayer IDPAL circuits malfunctioning, called IDPAL with discharge, is shown. The differences between simulation waveforms produced by LTspice and the experimental circuits recorded by a Tektronix’s Oscilloscope are investigated. IDPAL is implemented and analyzed using ALD MOSFETs for the following adiabatic …

Anthropomorphically Inspired Design Of A Tendon-Driven Robotic Prosthesis For Hand Impairments, Manali Bapurao Bhadugale

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the design of a robotic prosthesis, which mimics the morphology of a human hand. The primary goal of this work is to develop a systematic methodology that allows a custom-build of the prosthesis to match the specific requirements of a person with hand impairments. Two principal research questions are addressed toward this goal: 1) How do we cater to the large variation in the distribution of overall hand-sizes in the human population? 2) How closely do we mimic the complex morphological aspects of a biological hand in order to maximize the anthropomorphism (human-like appearance) of the robotic …

Study Of Abc Membrane Transporters In Single Live Cells, Preeyaporn Songkiatisak

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The multidrug ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane transporters (efflux pumps) are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes and they can extrude diverse structurally unrelated substrates, such as antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents out of the cells. The efflux pumps are responsible for multidrug resistance (MDR) and the failure of numerous treatments in infections and cancers. All ABC membrane transporters share a common modular topology containing two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs). The underlying molecular mechanisms regarding how the similar structural ABC membrane transporters could selectively extrude a wide variety of substrates and cause MDR, are not yet fully …

Investigation Of Microfluidic Kelvin Water Dropper And Its Applications In Contact And Contactless Electrowetting, Elias Yazdanshenas

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A typical Kelvin water dropper is a device that can convert gravitational potential energy to a high voltage electrostatic. This device consists of two inductors, two collectors, tubes, and electrical connections. A Kelvin water dropper is able to generate extremely high voltage by separating ions using two positive feedback loops. A Kelvin water dropper provides a low cost solution for the applications in which high voltage is needed. In the present research, low cost Microfluidic Kelvin Water Droppers (MKWDs) were developed and built in house for electrowetting applications. Two MKWDs with different tube inner diameters (254 and 508 μm) were …

Predicting Effects Of Climate Change And Sea Level Rise On Hydrologic Processes In A Mid-Atlantic Coastal Watershed, Rui Li

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation assessed impacts of Climate Change (CC) and Sea Level Rise (SLR) on coastal hydrologic processes using the Lynnhaven River watershed as a test bed. The watershed is part of Chesapeake Bay Watershed and hydraulically connected with mid-Atlantic Ocean. Six CC scenarios were considered in terms of eight Regional Climate Models’ predictions for three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission assumptions, namely, B1, A1B, and A2, for two future periods, namely 2046 to 2065 and 2081 to 2099. The ensemble means of downscaling results from four methods were used to represent the future climates. On the other hand, …

Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Assessment Of Hydrothermal Processing Of Microalgae For Biofuels And Co-Product Generation, Andrew P. Bessette

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Traditional processing methods of algae to biofuels require dewatering after harvesting of the algae before the lipids can be extracted. This is typically the most energy intensive and therefore the most expensive step. Old Dominion University (ODU) has successfully utilized a flash hydrolysis (a kind of hydrothermal) process where proteins are solubilized into the liquid phase of product and the remainder lipid-rich, low nitrogen product is separated into a solid phase. The solid phase (lipid-rich) is then an ideal candidate for biofuel feedstock and the liquid phase, or hydrolysate, can be used for coproducts such as a source of nutrients …

Plasmonic Structures For Subwavelength Guiding And Enhanced Light-Matter Interactions, Amirreza Mahigir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we design and analyze nanostructures for subwavelength guiding and enhanced light-matter interactions.

We first investigate three-dimensional plasmonic waveguide-cavity structures, built by side-coupling stub resonators that consist of plasmonic coaxial waveguides of finite length, to a plasmonic coaxial waveguide. These structures are capable of guiding and manipulating light in deep-subwavelength volumes. We show that three-dimensional plasmonic coaxial waveguides offer a platform for practical realization of deep-subwavelength optical waveguides.

We then introduce compact wavelength-scale slit-based structures for coupling free space light into the fundamental mode of plasmonic coaxial waveguides. We consider single-, double-, and triple-slit structures optimized at the …

Case Study: Cooling Channels For Material Testing Applications Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Benjamin M. Doane, Ryan P. O'Hara, K. Liu, Carl R. Hartsfield

Faculty Publications

Additive Manufacturing continues to gain a reputation as a key technology that will have a major impact on all aspects of mechanical engineering. The United States Air Force’s (USAF) Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), based in Dayton, Ohio, has expanded its AM-focused education and R&D capabilities with the purchase of a Laser Powder Bed Fusion system from Germany’s Concept Laser.

Quantification Of The Impact Of Photon Distinguishability On Measurement-Device- Independent Quantum Key Distribution, Garrett K. Simon, Blake K. Huff, William M. Meier, Logan O. Mailloux, Lee E. Harrell

Faculty Publications

Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDI-QKD) is a two-photon protocol devised to eliminate eavesdropping attacks that interrogate or control the detector in realized quantum key distribution systems. In MDI-QKD, the measurements are carried out by an untrusted third party, and the measurement results are announced openly. Knowledge or control of the measurement results gives the third party no information about the secret key. Error-free implementation of the MDI-QKD protocol requires the crypto-communicating parties, Alice and Bob, to independently prepare and transmit single photons that are physically indistinguishable, with the possible exception of their polarization states. In this paper, we apply the …

Single Axis Stability Autonomous Glider Control, Brian Study

Student Works

To investigate and increase knowledge on autonomous control systems, an autonomous glider was fitted with a control system with the purpose of creating a craft that would be capable of maintaining a wings level condition despite perturbations to the trim condition. The glider measures bank angle and roll rate information from an accelerometer and gyro, before it relays the data to an equipped microcontroller. Programmed on the microcontroller is a control law to take the input from the sensors and issue a command to a single servo that controls both ailerons, allowing for the vehicle to autonomously correct its bank …

Case Study On The Development Of Engineering Design Modification Projects For U.S. Nuclear Power Plants: A Knowledge Retention Tool In Support Of The Longevity And Resilience Of The Nuclear Power Industry, Pamela M. Torres-Jiménez

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The nuclear power industry in the United States (U.S.) has gone through various changes throughout its history. Most recently, plans to grow the industry through the construction of new power plants have ceased. Because of this, the industry is at a period where the longevity and resilience of existing nuclear power plants are vital to its subsistence.

One of the ways existing nuclear power plants can assure longevity and resilience is by performing engineering design modifications efficiently and at a lower cost. Strategic plans, such as the Delivering the Nuclear Promise, can support nuclear utilities to achieve this. Another strategy …