Engineering Commons^™

Asic Design To Support Low Power High Voltage Power Supply For Radiation Monitoring Applications, Daniel Rogge

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A low power high voltage power supply is designed for use in a long duration radiation monitoring system. The supply employs a flexible pulse frequency modulation switching controller implemented in a 0.35 $\mu$m CMOS technology. The controller drives and regulates a flyback transformer driven 12-stage Cockroft-Walton voltage multiplier chain. The chain provides bias for the dynodes of a photomultiplier tube. The supply voltage is selectable via a 12-bit on-chip digital to analog converter. The system is designed for low power operation and immunity to supply voltage variation as the application is battery-powered.

Advisors: Sina Balkir and Michael W. Hoffman

Evoalloy: An Evolutionary Approach For Analyzing Alloy Specifications, Jianghao Wang

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using mathematical notations and logical reasoning, formal methods precisely define a program’s specifications, from which we can instantiate valid instances of a system. With these techniques, we can perform a variety of analysis tasks to verify system dependability and rigorously prove the correctness of system properties. While there exist well-designed automated verification tools including ones considered lightweight, they still lack a strong adoption in practice. The essence of the problem is that when applied to large real world applications, they are not scalable and applicable due to the expense of thorough verification process. In this thesis, I present a new …

Controller Evolution And Divergence: A Software Perspective, Balaji Balasubramaniam

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Successful controllers evolve as they are refined, extended, and adapted to new systems and contexts. This evolution occurs in the controller design and also in its software implementation. Model-based design and controller synthesis can help to synchronize this evolution of design and software, but such synchronization is rarely complete as software tends to also evolve in response to elements rarely present in a control model, leading to mismatches between the control design and the software.

In this thesis, we perform a first-of-its-kind study on the evolution of two popular open-source safety-critical autopilot control software -- ArduPilot, and Paparazzi, to better …

Predictive Modeling On Mineral Redistribution Of Blended Coal During Pulverized Coal Combustion, Md Saifujjaman

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper represents an analytical model for predicting mineral redistribution (MR) of coal blending during pulverized coal (PC) combustion in a pulverized coal-fired boiler. The objective of this research is to investigate the impact of fuel quality on MR. A MATLAB code was developed in modular approach for MR of coal blending from MR of single coal based on linear weighted average method. The MR of single coal sub-module calculates mass fraction of four major mineral oxides after combustion for default and alternative size ranges by using proximate analysis, Malvern analysis, Computer Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (CCSEM) analysis and composition …

A Conceptual Framework For Integration Development Of Gsflow Model: Concerns And Issues Identified And Addressed For Model Development Efficiency, Chao Chen, Sajjad Ahmad, Ajay Kalra

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

In Coupled Groundwater and Surface-Water Flow (GSFLOW) model, the three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater model (MODFLOW) plays a critical role of groundwater flow simulation, together with which the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) simulates the surface hydrologic processes. While the model development of each individual PRMS and MODFLOW model requires tremendous time and efforts, further integration development of these two models exerts additional concerns and issues due to different simulation realm, data communication, and computation algorithms. To address these concerns and issues in GSFLOW, the present paper proposes a conceptual framework from perspectives of: Model Conceptualization, Data Linkages and Transference, Model Calibration, and …

Determining The Degree Of [001] Preferred Growth Of Ni(Oh)2 Nanoplates, Taotao Li, Ning Dang, Wanggang Zhang, Wei Liang, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Determining the degree of preferred growth of low-dimensional materials is of practical importance for the improvement of the synthesis methods and applications of low-dimensional materials. In this work, three different methods are used to analyze the degree of preferred growth of the Ni(OH)₂ nanoplates synthesized without the use of a complex anion. The results suggest that the preferred growth degree of the Ni(OH)₂ nanoplates calculated by the March parameter and the expression given by Zolotoyabko, which are based on the analysis and texture refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern, are in good accordance with the results measured by …

Cellulose-Specific Type B Carbohydrate Binding Modules: Understanding Oligomeric And Non-Crystalline Substrate Recognition Mechanisms, Abhishek A. Kognole, Christina M. Payne

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Effective enzymatic degradation of crystalline polysaccharides requires a synergistic cocktail of hydrolytic enzymes tailored to the wide-ranging degree of substrate crystallinity. To accomplish this type of targeted carbohydrate recognition, nature produces multi-modular enzymes, having at least one catalytic domain appended to one or more carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The Type B CBM categorization encompasses several families (i.e., protein folds) of CBMs that are generally thought to selectively bind oligomeric polysaccharides; however, a subset of cellulose-specific CBM families (17 and 28) appear to bind non-crystalline cellulose more tightly than oligomers and in a manner that discriminates between surface topology.

Results: …

Review Of Recent Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies Of Ion Transport In Polymer Electrolytes, Stephen Munoz, Steven Greenbaum

Publications and Research

Current and future demands for increasing the energy density of batteries without sacrificing safety has led to intensive worldwide research on all solid state Li-based batteries. Given the physical limitations on inorganic ceramic or glassy solid electrolytes, development of polymer electrolytes continues to be a high priority. This brief review covers several recent alternative approaches to polymer electrolytes based solely on poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO) and the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to elucidate structure and ion transport properties in these materials.

Investigation Of Setting Time And Compressive Strength Of Ready-Mixed Concrete Blended With Returned Fresh Concrete, Negasi N. Gebremichael, S. Mahmoud Motahara Karein, Moses Karakouzian, Kazem Jadidi

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Returned fresh mix concrete (RFC) is a problem with both economic and environmental impacts. Therefore, investigators have recommended various ways to decrease the amount of RFC in manufacturing facilities. Among the most common procedures are dumping concrete in landfill, recycling it, using the aggregate, and using it to produce concrete blocks. In this study, the authors investigated the behavior of various proportions of RFC mixed with ready-mix plain and retarded concrete. The authors also studied the influence of aging by producing specimens after one, two, three, and four hours. In addition, the researchers investigated controlled and uncontrolled environments by mixing …

Ion Exchange For Nutrient Recovery Coupled With Biosolids-Derived Biochar Pretreatment To Remove Micropollutants, Yiran Tong, Lee K. Kimbell, Anna Avila, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Wastewater, especially anaerobic treatment effluent, contains high ammonia nitrogen (NH₄-N) and inorganic orthophosphate (PO₄-P), which necessitate additional treatment to meet stringent discharge regulations. Ion exchange regeneration is a process that can be adopted for not only removing but also recovering nutrients. However, recovering nutrients by ion exchange from nutrient-rich effluents that also contain micropollutants (which typically pass through anaerobic treatment as well) may result in subsequent problems, since micropollutants could end up in ion exchange effluent, regenerant, or recovered fertilizer products. Micropollutant removal by a nonselective adsorbent, such as biosolids-derived biochar, before nutrient recovery processes would …

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

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

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

Analysis Of Casting Defect, Tensile Strength, And Hardness Of Al-Si Casting Alloy With Percentage Variation Of Clay Binder Bangkalan, Imam Muhtarom, Sunomo Sunomo

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Casting is one of method that used in forming the work piece by melting specific metal and pouring into moulding that has been prepared. This study aimed to determine the effect of the use of Bangkalan clay as binder in sand moulding against tensile strength, hardness, and defects in Al-Si casting alloy by using gravity casting method. The method used in this study was experimental method then using descriptive analysis. Descriptive analysis included explanation of the test result of tensile strength, hardness, and the type of surface defect of Al-Si casting. Based on the research result obtained the highest shear …

Analysis Of Hardness, Quality And Fluidity Al-Si Casting Result By Using Clamshell (Placuna Placenta) As The Mixture Of Sand Moulding, Shikh Mohd Shahrul Nizan Shikh Zahari, Saif Aziz Saputra, Putut Murdanto

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

Metal is an element that cannot be separated from human life. Almost all of human activities includes metal element in it. Metals can be formed through several ways, one of which is metal casting. Metal casting is one of technique in producing products where the metal was melted in crucible and then poured in a moulding which is similar to the original shape of the product. Moulding that are commonly used are sand moulding. Commonly, binder which used in sand casting process is bentonite. Bentonite, was kind of mineral which can be run out during its usage. This study aimed …

Analysis Of Mechanical Properties And Permeability Of Sand Moulding By Using Eggshell In Sand Casting, Wahyu Kurnianto, Poppy Puspitasari, Wahono Wahono

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

This study aimed to analyse the usage of Eggshell as mixture material of bentonite in metal casting process which used dried sand moulding. Eggshell variations in this study were 4%, 7%, 10% eggshell, and additional 3% of bentonite on each sample. This study used pre-experimental method and included to OneShot Case Study model. The highest strength was found on the sample 3 ES 10%. Tensile strength of dried sand moulding reach up to 0.09 kg/cm2, the compressive strength of dried sand moulding reached up to 3.11 kg/cm2, and the shear strength of dried sand moulding reached up to 1.13 kg/cm2. …

The Analysis Of Permeability And Mechanical Properties Of Sand Moulding Using Mixed Material Clamshell (Placuna Placenta) On Sand Casting, Kritchakhris Nawettanaprasert, Zakaria Bagus Aminanta, Putut Murdanto

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

This study objected to determine mechanical properties of sand moulding by conducting tensile test, compressive and shear test, and also permeability test. This study also had the other objective that was analyse clamshell (Placuna placenta) as mixture material for bentonite as binder in manufacturing sand moulding in order to reduce the usage of bentonite. The method that used in this study was pre-experimental method with One-Shot Case Study model. The best mechanical properties obtained on sample 3 clamshell 11%, permeability results obtained was 190 ml/min, tensile strength results obtained for the dry sand was 0.015 kg/cm2, compressive strength obtained for …

Thermally (Un-) Stratified Wind Plants: Stochastic And Data-Driven Reduced Order Descriptions/Modeling, Naseem Kamil Ali

Dissertations and Theses

Wind energy is one of the significant sources of renewable energy, yet a number of challenges preclude optimal operation of wind plants. Research is warranted in order to minimize the power losses and improve the productivity of wind plants. Here, a framework combining turbulence theory and data mining techniques is built to elucidate physics and mechanisms driving the energy extraction of the wind plants under a number of atmospheric/operating conditions. The performance of wind turbines is subjected to adverse effects caused by wake interactions. Therefore, it is crucial to understand wake-to-wake interactions as well as wake-to-atmospheric boundary layer interactions. Experimental …

Experimental Study On A New Type Of Transverse Connection For Nebraska County Bridge System, Alexander Bleyhl

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

Many county-owned bridges in Nebraska need replacement due to their structural deficiency. Most of the bridges needing replacement are in the 40 to 60 ft range. This span range lacks a standard design that fits Nebraska county practices in terms of speed and simplicity of construction. The current systems being used are (a) Precast 1 by 2 ft planks which can span up to 30 ft, (b) Cast-in-place slab bridges which can span up to 50 ft but require extensive field formwork, concrete placing, and curing, and are best when constructed in three-span units, and (c) Inverted tees which can …

Drop Generation Using Cross-Flow In Rigid Body Rotation, Haipeng Zhang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Inspired by crossflow membrane droplet generation and microfluidic droplet generation, I propose an easy method to generate monodisperse drops using cross-flow caused by rigid body rotation. In this approach, a dispersed phase (DP) liquid was injected through a stationary vertical needle into an immiscible continuous phase (CP) liquid which was in rigid body rotation. A DP drop growing at the end of the needle experienced fluid dynamic forces from the horizontal CP flow, and it was detached from the needle when it had grown to a certain size. This study investigated the relationship between the resultant size of drops and …

Mems Variable Area Capacitor For Room Temperature Electrometry, George C. Underwood, Tod V. Laurvick

Faculty Publications

This paper introduces a new way to detect charge using MEMS variable capacitors for extremely sensitive, room temperature electrometry. It is largely based on the electrometers introduced by Riehl et al. [1] except variable capacitance is created by a changing area, not a changing gap. The new scheme will improve MEMS electrometers by eliminating the effects of squeeze-film damping and by theoretically increasing the maximum charge resolution by 70%. The charge conversion gain (the increase in output voltage per input unit charge) for this system is derived. The result show good agreement with MATLAB calculations.

Cost Performance Index Stability: Insights From Environmental Remediation Projects, Denis S. Clayson, Edward D. White, Alfred E. Thal Jr.

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of the cost performance index (CPI) for environmental remediation projects as the topic is not addressed in the literature. CPI is defined as the earned value of work performed divided by the actual cost of the work, and CPI stability represents the point in time in a project after which the CPI varies by less than 20 percent (measured in different ways).

Automated Control System For Photo-Bioreactor, Madankrishna Acharya

Posters-at-the-Capitol

At the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, recent efforts have been made to optimize and reduce the cost of a unit designed to control an automated photobioreactor system in which microalgae is grown to reduce CO2 emissions. In contrast with a previously used system based on a compactRIO controller and NI LabVIEW software, a new optimized version utilizes an inexpensive Beagle Bone panel as a microcontroller that can be programmed through the use of Python software. Notably, the cost of the new control system was 1/10th of the price of the previous unit.

Bubbly Water Makes An Abnormal Splash | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Researchers at Utah State University are splashing soapy water to unveil new discoveries within fluid dynamics.

Cell For Flow Battery, Jonghyun Park, Mohammed Abdulkhabeer Al-Yasiri

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A reaction cell for a flow battery having flow channels positioned within a recess of a non-porous and non-brittle housing that is also a dielectric. Positioning the flow channels within the recess eliminates the need for end plates, gaskets, and insulators of conventional designs. A current collector and an electrode within the recess have areas approximately equal to the area of the recess such that they fit within the recess and maximize the contact area between them.

Investigation Of A Tractor-Tank Trailer Roadside Containment Barrier, Dean L. Whitfield

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

The objective of this research project was to develop a new, cost-effective, Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 6 (TL-6) barrier. A literature review on prior Test Level 5 and Test Level 6 barriers was conducted, and the cost of current TL-5 and TL-6 barriers was established. Existing and modified design procedures for roadside barrier were reviewed as well as current TL-6 design forces. A preliminary TL-6 truck model was developed in LS-DYNA. The minimum barrier height to contain a tractor-tank vehicle was determined to be 62 in. for a rigid, vertical-faced barrier through LS-DYNA computer simulation. New …

Assessing The Mean Neuronal Firing Rate Information Hypothesis Via Mutual Information, Greg W. Zdor

Honors Theses

While it is currently well accepted that the mean neuronal firing rate (MNFR) is a key parameter encoding information about sensory and motor events, in some cases the measured information due to MNFR is not adequate to explain the total neuron signal information content. In this study, several auditory neuron responses and corresponding MNFR--generated surrogates are analyzed using mutual information (MI) as a metric of information content. Results showed that for particular inter-spike gaps (ISG), data MI exceeded two standard deviations of the surrogate MNFR MI, indicating spike spacing and order also encode information.

Cyberinfrastructure For Intelligent Water Supply (Ciws) Data Visualization Challenge | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jeff Horsburgh is challenging Utah State University students to develop a visualization of high resolution water use data that provides visual feedback to both water providers and water consumers.

Usu Engineering Alumna Honored By Society Of Women Engineers | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Utah State University mechanical engineering alumna Amy Jo Moore was honored Oct. 20 at an annual conference for the Society of Women Engineers.

Webinar: Segmenting The Market For Transportation Demand Management Campaigns, Philip L. Winters, Amy Lester

TREC Webinar Series

Social marketing seeks to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good. It is a useful transportation demand management (TDM) planning approach to promote travel behavior change. The purpose of this study was to explore a consumer market segmentation technique successfully used in Europe for its applicability to marketing efforts in the United States. Attitudinal and demographic data were collected from 1900 individuals in Florida, Oregon, and Virginia modeled after the European approach. Clustering analysis was applied to divide the sample into segments so that members of …

Increased Excitability Induced In The Primary Motor Cortex By Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation, Benjamin C. Gibson, Joseph L. Sanguinetti, Bashar W. Badran, Alfred B. Yu, Evan P. Klein, Christopher C. Abbott, Jeffrey T. Hansberger, Vincent P. Clark

Publications and Research

Background: Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (tUS) is an emerging technique that uses ultrasonic waves to noninvasively modulate brain activity. As with other forms of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), tUS may be useful for altering cortical excitability and neuroplasticity for a variety of research and clinical applications. The effects of tUS on cortical excitability are still unclear, and further complications arise from the wide parameter space offered by various types of devices, transducer arrangements, and stimulation protocols. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging devices are safe, commonly available systems that may be useful for tUS. However, the feasibility of modifying brain activity with diagnostic tUS …

Installation And Methodology For Determining Of Antifrictional Properties Of Antistatic-Heat-Conducting Composite Polymeric Materials Interacting With Fibrous Mass (Cotton-Raw), S.S. Negmatov, N.S. Abed, G. Gulyamov, O.H. Eshkabilov

Technical science and innovation

The paper Presents a disk tribometer installation and allows to determine the antifriction properties of machine-building composite antistatic-heat-conducting polymer materials working in interaction with the fibrous mass (raw cotton). A method for determining the friction force, temperature and electrostatic charge values arising in the friction zone is developed. The friction of the fibrous material is carried out on the flat surface of the rotating disk sample from the material under study at specified clamping pressures and sliding speeds. Values of friction forces, temperatures and values of electrostatic charges of the tested sample in a zone of friction with cotton-raw are …