Engineering Commons^™

Bioaccessibility Of Lead From Contaminated Soil Using Phosphate Treatment -- Physiologically Based Extraction Test And In Vitro Gastrointestinal Method Test, Austin Charles Doss

Masters Theses

"Phosphate treatments are used to immobilize lead in soil by forming pyromorphite. Soil from Bonne Terre, Mo was collected to study whether such treatment decreases the bioaccessibility of lead. The soil was treated using 0.5 soil wt% of phosphate. Treatments were: none, phosphoric acid, triple super phosphate, and organic bone meal. Each sample was studied after one, four, sixteen, and twenty weeks; during this time span, water was added approximating the average rainfall rate. Percolated water was collected to test the leached phosphate concentrations. Phosphate was below the detection limit in that leachate. Remediated soil samples were used in Physiologically …

Battery Optimization In Microgrids Using Markov Decision Process Integrated With Load And Solar Forecasting, Prateek Jain

Masters Theses

"Rising climatic concerns call for unconventional/renewable energy sources which reduce the carbon footprint. Microgrids that integrate a variety of renewable energy resources play a key role in utilizing these energy resources in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Battery systems effectively help to utilize these energy resources more efficiently. This research work presents a framework based on Markov Decision Process (MDP) integrated with load and solar forecasting to derive an optimal charging/discharging action of Battery with rolling horizon implementation. The load forecasting regression models are discussed and developed. Also, various solar forecasting models like clear sky, multi-regression and Non-Linear …

Examination Of Shear Friction Design Provisions, Nikkolas J. Edgmond

Masters Theses

"This thesis reports the results of research conducted to establish a state-of-the-art database of shear-friction studies to be turned over to ACI Committee 445-0D as a living document, utilize a subset of the established database to examine the effectiveness of the ACI 318 Code (2014), PCI Design Handbook (2010), AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification (2016) and CSA A23.3 Design of Concrete Structures Standard (2014) provisions to predict shear transfer strength, and examine the effective coefficient of friction (µ_e) approach allowed in the PCI Design Handbook (2010).The shear friction design concept is applicable in conditions where direct shear must …

Methodology For 3d Full-Wave Simulation Of Electrostatic Breakdown Across An Air Gap, Darwin Zhang Li

Masters Theses

"The Rompe-Weizel SPICE model is used to obtain the time dependent arc resistance during simulation of air gap discharge. The SPICE model is solved using a circuit simulator, and the accompanying 3D model is solved using the transmission-line matrix time domain numerical method. Transient co-simulation is a new technique that is used to solve both circuit and 3D models at the same time. Transient co-simulation with the Rompe-Weizel SPICE model is first validated for different arc lengths using a simple geometry of a rod discharging to a ground plane. Validation is achieved by comparing the discharge currents from simulation with …

Recycling Effect In Expanded Granular Sludge Bed Reactor And Implementation Of Six Sigma In A Methane Generation Process, Manohar Manchenahalli Shivashankaraiah

Masters Theses

"Brewery industries are the largest consumers of water among several production industries. Despite consuming these huge amounts of water and electricity, they generate by-products that are harmful to the environment. These by-products contain organic, inorganic, and solid wastes with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) strength. The anaerobic digestion (AD) process plays an important role in treating this wastewater. This study investigates the design and development of an expanded granular sludge bed reactor (EGSB) effluent recirculation, which can achieve high COD removal efficiency of the wastewater and enhance the efficiency of generating biogas with high yields and increases in the concentration …

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis Of Concrete Columns Subjected To Complex Loading, Adam Christopher Morgan

Masters Theses

"This study details the development and implementation of a finite element model within a commercial finite element code, Abaqus CAE, for the analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns containing interlocking spirals subjected to combined loading conditions including axial, shear, bending, and torsional loads, including the post-peak response. The model is a first of its kind attempt at simulating the response of RC columns with continuous spiral transverse reinforcement and subjected to combined loading conditions including torsion. The model is utilized to determine the quasi-static load-deformation response under various proportions of the input loads and displacements. The resulting quasi-static load-deformations, …

Transmission Line Inspection Using Suspended Robot: Cost Effective Analysis And Operational Routing Identification, Balaji Rathinam Nagarajan

Masters Theses

"High voltage transmission lines form a crucial part of the energy infrastructure of a country. Effective maintenance is required to maintain its reliability and reduce the probability of the occurrence of the outage. Conventionally, the routine inspection of the transmission line was conducted by linemen with the assistance of hot stick and helicopter, which is considered dangerous, time-consuming, and expensive.

In this thesis, we focus on the initial study of seeking the state of the art robotics technology to by largely replace human beings in transmission line inspection. The existing robotics technologies that are interested by utility companies, as well …

Management Of Coal Dust Explosions In United States' Coal Mines Using Bag Type Passive Explosion Barriers, Jay Robert Schafler

Masters Theses

"The most significant and powerful hazard that exists in an underground coal mine is a coal dust explosion. A coal dust explosion has the potential to propagate throughout a mine resulting in massive damage to the mine and equipment, as well as tragic loss of life. An assessment of current global regulations and practices uncovered four main control methods utilized to prevent coal dust explosions in coal mines world-wide. The United States is one of the few countries that does not regulate or employ all four of these safety practices. Additionally, a review of past research into coal dust explosions …

The Role Of Flexural Slip In The Development Of Chevron Folds, Yuxing Wu

Masters Theses

"Chevron folds are characterized by straight limbs and narrow hinge zones. One of the conceptual models to initiate and develop chevron folds involves flexural slip during folding. While some kinematical models show the necessity for slip to initiate during chevron folding, recent numerical modeling studies of visco-elastic effective single layer buckle folding have shown that flexural slip does not result in chevron folds. In this study, several 2D finite element analysis models are run, distinguished by 1) geometry of the initial perturbation (sinusoidal and white noise), 2) varying thewavelength of the initial perturbation (10%, 50%, and 100% of the dominant …

Grain Refinement Of High Alloy Stainless Steels In Sand And Directionally Solidified Castings, Dustin Alan Arvola

Masters Theses

"The goal of this research project is to develop an industrially viable melting process that will control the crystallization macrostructure of austenitic grades of cast steels. Titanium nitride (TiN) has proven to be an effective grain refiner of austenite. Theoretical simulation and experimental application has led to the development of a repeatable grain refining melt process for austenitic stainless steel alloys.

Grain refinement of the as-cast structure of Cr-Ni stainless steel alloys solidified with primary FCC, BCC and dual FCC/BCC phases was studied experimentally. Refinement was achieved in both cast ferritic and austenitic grades. Dual solidification of …

Developing An Energy Efficient Real-Time System, Aamir Aarif Khan

Masters Theses

"Increasing number of battery operated devices creates a need for energy-efficient real-time operating system for such devices. Designing a truly energy-efficient system is a multi-staged effort; this thesis consists of three main tasks that address different aspects of energy efficiency of a real-time system (RTS).

The first chapter introduces an energy-efficient algorithm that alternates processor frequency using DVFS to schedule tasks on cores. Speed profiles is calculated for every task that gives information about how long a task would run for and at what processor speed. We pair tasks with similar speed profiles to give us a resultant merged speed …

The Importance Of Chemical Grouting Materials For Optimum Mechanical Performance With Different Soil Conditions, Yusuf Alper Cinar

Masters Theses

"Grouting is a frequently used technique for controlling the water inflow and reinforcement of soil and rock. Even though cement-based grouting materials have been well characterized, ongoing improvements of chemical grouting materials create a need to better understand the characteristics of these materials in order to increase the efficiency of grouting applications. The purpose of this study is to characterize three common chemical grouting materials by exploring their mechanical performance under varying initial soil conditions. Performance decision criteria consist of the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and slake durability test results, observation of penetration ability, and comparison of the findings. The …

Effects Of Terrain-Based Altimetry On Navigation Performance, Kenneth Michael Kratzer

Masters Theses

"Navigation filters used during an entry, descent, and landing scenario often receive measurements related to the terrain over which the vehicle is traversing. Models of the terrain can be presented in varying degrees of fidelity, providing increasingly realistic and accurate models of the surface. While it is ideal to provide the filter with the most realistic model possible, the performance is limited by the strict nature of the real time scenario. Therefore, it is of interest to determine what level of fidelity is necessary to achieve an accurate filtering solution. Determining how best to incorporate terrain-related data into navigation solutions …

Modeling And Control Of Three-Phase Grid-Connected Pv Inverters In The Presence Of Grid Faults, Paresh Vinubhai Patel

Masters Theses

"A two-stage photovoltaic grid-connected microgrid modeling approach is presented in this work. The purpose of the modeling is the behavior study of the microgrid during the low-voltage event on the grid. A complete mathematical model is discussed for each component of the system. The MPPT of the photovoltaic system is integrated with the boost controller to inject the constant current in the DC-link. The boost converter and the inverter control is implemented using the cascaded PI control. A dual second-order generalized integrator (DSOGI) method is implemented for the sequence extraction. The inverter controller is designed to meet the grid-code requirement …

Precise Energy Efficient Scheduling Of Mixed-Criticality Tasks & Sustainable Mixed-Criticality Scheduling, Sai Sruti

Masters Theses

"In this thesis, the imprecise mixed-criticality model (IMC) is extended to precise scheduling of tasks, and integrated with the dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) technique to enable energy minimization. The challenge in precise scheduling of MC systems is to simultaneously guarantee the timing correctness for all tasks, hi and lo, under both pessimistic and optimistic (less pessimistic) assumptions. To the best of knowledge this is the first work to address the integration of DVFS energy conserving techniques with precise scheduling of lo-tasks of the MC model.

In this thesis, the utilization based schedulability tests and sufficient conditions for such …

Bridge Deck Assessment Using Visual Inspection, Ground Penetrating Radar, Portable Seismic Property Analyzer-Ultrasonic Surface Wave, Hammer Sounding And Chain Drag, Abdullah Hadi Zaid Alhaj

Masters Theses

"Integrated non-destructive techniques were utilized to assess the condition of a reinforced concrete bridge deck. There were two main objectives accomplished.

The first objective was to assess the integrity of the reinforced concrete bridge deck using four non-destructive techniques, namely visual inspection, ground penetrating radar, portable seismic property analyzer-ultrasonic surface wave, and hammer sounding and chain drag. Visual inspection data were used to identify signs of deterioration on surface of the bridge deck such as cracking, concrete leaching, and reinforcement corrosion. Ground penetrating radar data were used to determine the relative condition of the bridge deck. However, due to the …

New Nanoparticle Water-Based Drilling Fluid Formulation With Enhanced Thermal Stability And Inhibition Capabilities In The Woodford Shale, Jose Aramendiz Pacheco

Masters Theses

"Drilling fluid design for unconventional reservoirs aims at preventing formation instability problems associated with fluid invasion, shale swelling, and cuttings dispersion. Although oil-based mud (OBM) can be used to achieve these goals, environmental and economic concerns limit its application. This experimental study evaluated the potential use of nanoparticles (NP) to improve water-based mud (WBM) inhibition capabilities and its ability to enhance the overall drilling fluid thermal stability while providing a cleaner technology to the industry.

Characterization of Woodford shale was completed with X-ray diffraction, cation exchange capacity, and scanning electron microscopy, silica, and graphene NP were characterized with aqueous stability …

Developing A Methodology For Estimating The Growth Of Radiated Emission From Multi-Modular Systems, Kaustav Ghosh

Masters Theses

"The large multiscale problems are commonly faced in real-world applications such as analysis of electromagnetic interference for a printed circuit board installed on a large platform with connected cables, wires and other high speed interfaces. EMI problems are not uncommon in high speed systems which involve multiple modules of complex hardware. As the system clock frequency and data rate increases, so does the challenges in controlling the EMI in such systems. The costs to prototype and to develop networking equipment are growing as a result of increasing complexities and densities. EMC regulations require radiated emission testing to be done in …

Developing Computational Models For Pulsed-Inductive Plasma Formation, Zachary Aaron Gill

Masters Theses

"Pulsed-inductive discharges are a common method of producing a plasma. They provide a mechanism for quickly and efficiently generating a large volume of plasma for rapid use and are seen in applications including propulsion, fusion power, and high-power lasers. However, some common designs see a delayed response time due to the plasma forming when the magnitude of the magnetic field in the device is at a minimum. New designs are difficult to evaluate due to the amount of time needed to construct a new geometry and the high monetary cost of changing the power generation circuit. To more quickly evaluate …

Developing Improved Techniques For Gpr Guided Wave Data Analysis, Yunyi Guan

Masters Theses

"This study was conducted to investigate how limiting the allowable velocity range when analyzing guided wave data will affect the results of dielectric permittivity and thickness estimation. We conducted four sets of Experiments: an underlying layer of saturated organic loam is covered by incremental layers of the dry organic loam; a base layer of dry organic loam covered by the saturated organic loam; a saturated basal layer of silt with overlying dry silt layers, and a base layer of dry silt overlain by saturated silt layers to conduct a comparative study and perform three surveys for each of these three …

Compressive Behavior Of Masonry Columns Confined With Steel Reinforced Grout (Srg) Composite, Sarah Elizabeth Jemison

Masters Theses

"In this study, a new type of composite comprised of steel fiber cords embedded in a natural hydraulic lime mortar matrix, known as steel reinforced grout (SRG), is explored for the use in confinement of masonry columns. An experimental study was carried out to understand the behavior of solid clay brick masonry columns confined by SRG jackets. Twenty-four confined and seven unconfined columns with a square cross-section were tested to failure under a monotonic concentric compressive load. Test parameters considered were the column corner condition, number of fiber jacket layers, and number of fiber overlapping faces. SRG confinement improved the …

Smart Augmented Reality Instructional System For Mechanical Assembly, Ze-Hao Lai

Masters Theses

"Quality and efficiency are pivotal indicators of a manufacturing company. Many companies are suffering from shortage of experienced workers across the production line to perform complex assembly tasks such as assembly of an aircraft engine. This could lead to a significant financial loss. In order to further reduce time and error in an assembly, a smart system consisting of multi-modal Augmented Reality (AR) instructions with the support of a deep learning network for tool detection is introduced. The multi-modal smart AR is designed to provide on-site information including various visual renderings with a fine-tuned Region-based Convolutional Neural Network, which is …

Modulated Photothermal Radiometry: Detector Sensitivity Study And Experimental Setup, Jessica Nicole Seals

Masters Theses

"This thesis outlines the development of a system used for determining the surface thermal diffusivity of both non-irradiated and irradiated materials. The motivation for this work is to establish a modulated photothermal radiometry (PTR) system on the campus of Missouri University of Science and Technology. One of the main efforts described in this thesis is the design and construction of the physical apparatus. Along the way, it was necessary to perform a detailed sensitivity analysis of the system to determine whether the expected signal emitted from the sample falls within the bounds of detectivity for the HgCdTe (MCT) detector used …

Investigation Of Proppant Static Settling Velocity In Hydraulic Fractures Using Viscoelastic Linear Gel, Vismay Manishbhai Shah

Masters Theses

"Few studies have quantified proppant transport in static conditions using actual proppant and validated previously established correlation. The objective of this study is to investigate the rheological properties of the linear gel, and determine the effect of size, shape and specific gravity of the proppant, fracture walls and rheological properties of the fluid on the proppant settling velocity in static condition and validate the previously established correlation.

Shear viscosity and dynamic frequency sweep tests were performed to investigate the viscous and viscoelastic behaviour of the HPG linear gel with five different concentrations. Proppant settling experiments were conducted with different proppant …

Hydraulic Fracture Design Optimization For Nubian Sandstone Formation In Libya, Housameddin Mohamed Sherif

Masters Theses

There is growing interest in developing unconventional oil and gas reserves in Libya, such as the tight portions of the Nubian sandstone.

Well-X7 is a development well drilled to a TD of 13,005' penetrating the Upper Nubain Sandstone (UNSS) at 12,122'-12,207' and the Lower Nubain Sandstone (LNSS) at 12,524'-12,880' KB. Based on open hole logs, the UNSS has 71 ft of net pay and the LNSS was found to have 295 ft of net pay. Openhole logs also showed low permeabilities of 2.5 and 3 md for the UNSS and LNSS, respectively. The well was initially perforated in both zones …

Development Of A Cfd Model Of The Catalytic Combustion Of A Microtube Multi-Mode Propulsion System, Andrew Paul Taylor

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents the process and results of the development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in ANSYS Fluent 18.1 on the catalytic decomposition of a novel liquid monopropellant in a microtube in order to gain deeper insights than what is available through the experimental data. The CFD model was created using the Euler- Euler Multiphase model in conjunction with the Heterogeneous Reaction submodel. Such a choice of modeling setting was backed up by theory and benchmark computations on multiphase and compressible flow, shown in Section 3 and Appendix A. It was found that the previously determined one-step reaction …

Conical Folds -- An Artifact Of Using Simple Geometric Shapes To Describe A Complex Geologic Structure, Avery Joseph Welker

Masters Theses

"Accurate representation of the 3D shapes of natural folds is essential to characterization of the dynamic models for fold formation. Geometrical analysis of folds commonly relies upon analyzing patterns defined by the variation in the orientation of poles to planar surfaces deformed by a shortening event when plotted using graphical calculators (e.g., stereogram, polar tangent diagrams) to interpret the shape of folds. Stereograms for which orientation data define small circles are classified as non-cylindrical regular folds and are interpreted as "conical folds," where the shape of the fold is represented by a cone that terminates at a point. Utilizing similar …

System Level Power Integrity Transient Analysis Using A Physics-Based Approach, Jun Xu

Masters Theses

"With decreasing supply voltage level and massive demanding current on system chipset, power integrity design becomes more and more critical for system stability. The ultimate goal of well-designed power delivery network (PDN) is to deliver desired voltage level from the source to destination, in other words, to minimize voltage noise delivered to digital devices. The thesis is composed of three parts. The first part focuses on-die level power models including simplified chip power model (CPM) for system level analysis and the worst scenario current profile. The second part of this work introduces the physics-based equivalent circuit model to simplify the …

Coaxial Cable Ring Resonator Based On Pair Sided Coaxial Cable Bragg Grating Coupler For Sensing Appllication, Xiaotong Tang

Masters Theses

“Coaxial cable based devices, such as coaxial cable Bragg grating (CCBG), coiled coaxial cable resonator have been demonstrated for sensing applications to address the challenges faced by fiber optic sensors (e.g., large strain survivability, installation). Inspired by the fiber ring resonator (FRR), coaxial cable based ring resonator (CCRR) is reported in this thesis. The device mainly formed by a homemade coaxial cable Bragg grating (CCBG) pair based side coupler. Comparing to the commercial coupler, CCBG-SC improves the flexibility of the device for sensing applications. The coupling frequency of the CCBG-based coupler can be modified by changing the grating length and …

Development Of Hollow Coaxial Cable Fabry Perot Resonator For High Temperature Sensing Applications, Mohammed Farhan Ahmed

Masters Theses

"The thesis is comprised of two papers, the first paper presents the novel High-Quality Factor Coaxial Cable Fabry-Perot Resonator for sensing applications. The sensor is fabricated by creating two highly reflective mirrors in a coaxial cable. The temperature response of the sensor was tested, by monitoring the frequency shift of the reflection spectra as the temperature increased linearly from 35 °C to 80 °C in steps of 5 °C. The sensor exhibited high temperature sensitivity and good measurement resolution.

A high Q factor of 133 was recorded. The second paper in the thesis presents a low cost, robust, homemade hollow …