Engineering Commons^™

Conducting Polymer Based Gel Electrolytes For Ph Sensitivity, Aditya Jagannath Kashyap

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The evaluation of concentration of ions and molecules with the help of biosensors have been regarded as an emerging technology. Bio and chemical sensors have a variety of applications in the field of medicine, military, environmental and food industries alike. With an estimated investment growth of over 4.31% in the development of pH sensors in the next five year, the objective of a developing a robust measurement system is all the more required. The scope of this research is to evaluate the ability of conducting polymer-based gel electrolytes for pH sensitivity, as a function of the transistor characteristics using an …

Design And Fabrication Of Automatic Single Axis Solar Tracker For Solar Panel, Ghazanfar Mehdi, Naveed Ali, Shafquat Hussain, Asad A. Zaidi, Ahmer Hussain Shah, M. Mustafa Azeem

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sun energy is a considered to be one of most promising sources to address the world energy crises. Photovoltaic cell is one of the prominent sources of energy. The most important factors that affect the efficiency of solar cells are cell temperature, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and energy conversion efficiency. The optimization of these factors improves solar cells efficiency for more reliable applications. This study associated by means of the designing and manufacturing process of single axis tracker device by using photo voltaic conversion panels. This solar tracker system assures the conversion optimization of electricity from the source of …

On The Drought Recovery And Resiliency: How Terrestrial And Riverine Ecosystems Recover From Agricultural And Hydrological Droughts, Behzad Ahmadi

Dissertations and Theses

Climate extremes, in particular droughts are significant driving forces towards riverine and terrestrial ecosystems disturbance. Drought impacts on stream ecosystems include losses that can either be direct (e.g. destruction of habitat for aquatic species) or indirect (e.g. deterioration of water quality, soil quality, and increased chance of wildfires). This study investigates hydrological and agricultural droughts and their recovery durations. For the riverine ecosystems, this study combines hydrologic drought and water quality changes during droughts and represents a multi-stage framework to detect and characterize hydrological droughts, while considering water quality parameters. Hydrological droughts are categorized into three stages of growth, persistence, …

Energy Consumption And Routing Model For First Responder Vehicles, Alex Rodriguez

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The ongoing research and prototyping of electric vehicles (EVs) offers numerous opportunities to investigate their performance in various service contexts. As EVs are integrated into society, the reliable prediction of fuel consumption and routing time becomes particularly important in emergency response services. This project develops a preliminary stochastic model that can route and predict the energy consumption and travel time for hypothetical emergency vehicles operating on an electric battery cell. Using a Monte-Carlo framework, we constructed a routing model designed to minimize travel time and resource consumption under various simulated conditions. In doing so, we establish the foundation for balancing …

Mechanisims Of Vortex Oscillation In A Fluidic Flow Meter, Mohammed Al-Muqbel, Peshala Gamage

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Flow meters are devices capable of measuring the amount of fluid transported through piping networks. Example applications include accurate measurements of flow in chemical processing plants and fluid consumption by end-users (e.g. water, fuel, natural gas, etc.) by customers, which is a core issue in fluid-handling engineering. Some flow meters contain no moving parts (Royle and Boucher 1972), which is desirable since moving parts wear over time, leading to compromised meter accuracy. The meter investigated in this study contains no moving parts, and its operation relies on oscillations induced by the fluid flow through the meter. In this project, the …

(Poster) Pneumatically Assisted Autocutter: Providing A Safe Workplace Environment For People With Disabilities, Ryan Kallenberger, Brian Galliher, Laura Johnson, Melanie Moore, Joseph Herzog, Renny Fernandez, Najmus Saqib

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

We present a pneumatic autocutter to help workers with disabilities for reduced operator fatigue, increased efficiency, thereby giving enhanced capabilities when working on a production line without worrying about their ability to effectively do their jobs. We are students in a sophomore level six sigma based course through the R.B. Annis School of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis. The specific process of production being discussed involves cutting bulky cardboard frames with a metallic wire-mesh covering. The current process requires a considerable amount of physical labor from the operator; prolonged work results in gradial operator debility and injury. For Gateway …

(Poster) Return On Investment On A University Education: Development Of An Analytical Software Tool, Joshua Love, Kristians Kanders, Kinsey West, Ante Lucev

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

No abstract provided.

(Poster) Combining Design And Entrepreneurial Mindset Development: Motorcycle Detection System, Pilar Echeverria, Thomas Leseure, Bailey Wilder, Oluebubechukwu Onaga, Jake Braumbaugh, Steve Spicklemire Dr., Jose Sanchez Dr., David Olawale Dr.

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

The Motorcycle Detection System will detect and warn drivers of motorcycles driving between lanes at high speeds on the interstate. Its main function would be to significantly reduce the frequency of motorcycle-car accidents on the road. Similar to the blind spot detectors that can be found on many modern cars, the motorcycle detector would minimize the number of accidents and deaths caused by motorcycles lane-splitting. By alerting drivers of motorcycles within a 50 feet radius, motorists would be able to make calculated decisions on the road that they otherwise would not contemplate.

Through rigorous market exploration, the team deduced that …

(Poster) Combining Design And Entrepreneurial Mindset Development: Improved Multifunctional Charging Station, Allison Zwickl, Payton Staman, Evan Parduhn, Jake Smith, David Olawale, Stephen Spicklemire, Rashedul Sarker

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

It has become imperative to find ways to organize different devices of varying functions and sizes. This problem was introduced to us through customers who believed the current designs on the market could use improvement, or through the lack of organization that they have when charging multiple devices. A solution is a modular concept with a base station that will include a wireless pad and a few charging cords. Additionally customers can purchase specialized add ons that fit into the base station. The housing station will seamlessly charge a plethora of devices including; smart-phones, smart-watches, and speakers in a centralized …

(Poster) Automated Media Sweeper For Reducing Media Loss At Yamaha Marine Precision Propeller Facility, Kyla Christmas, Tyler W. Cole, Jevis T. Muluh, Ryan N. Veazie, Paul Talaga, George Ricco, Suranga Dhamarathne, Tyler Cook

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

No abstract provided.

(Poster) Internal Restoration And Modernization Of A 1948 Wwii Era Jukebox, Miles Furr, Cristiana Olarinre, Joel Carpenter, Elijah Knox, George Ricco, Paul Talaga, Suranga Dharmarathne

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

Using Six Sigma guidelines under the sponsorship of The University of Indianapolis in cooperation with the client, Brugh Industrial Engineering, this project is to modernize the functionality and interface of a Rockola Model 1428 Jukebox while maintaining its vintage appeal. The process of modernization includes meeting today's industrial safety standards, incorporating ethernet protocol, and utilizing a programmable logic controller, PLC. The jukebox is a showcase of current automation technology. Lighting has been upgraded from fluorescent and incandescent bulbs to addressable nano pixel LEDs. The amplifier, coin system, and record selection system were revitalized to OEM operation standards. All switches within …

(Poster) Citizens Energy Group: Mobile Water Distribution System For Providing Water And Reducing Plastic Waste, Alex Pruitt, Alysa Epperson, Jonathen Key, Victor Antoñon Rodriguez, Paul Talega, George Ricco, Suranga Dharmarathne, David Olawale, Najmus Saqib, James Emery

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

During the 2017-2018 year, Citizens Energy Group partnered with the R.B. Annis school of engineering to develop a portable system to distribute water to people at outdoor events. During that academic year, initial designs and a small scale, functional prototype were completed. This year we built the full scale version. Throughout this project, we have implemented the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology to guide the design process. Within the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, this methodology has been adapted into the DesignSpine process. It’s a gate based process that uses gateways at key points in the design process to …

(Poster) Design And Fabrication Of A Custom Wrist Orthosis For Enhanced Patient Comfort, Marko Tasic, Matthew Hansen, Mang Lian, Demetre Mitchell, Rashedul Sarker, Renny Fernandez, Erin Peterson, Joseph Herzog, David Olawale, Najmus Saqib

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

This custom wrist orthosis project is the continuation of efforts made by students in the R.B Annis School of Engineering during the 2017-2018 academic year. Throughout this project, we have implemented the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology to guide the design process. Within the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, this methodology has been adapted into guide the DesignSpine process. We have designed a new orthosis that is custom fabricated for enhanced patient comfort. In the occupational therapy field, patients have reportedly not been wearing their prescribed orthoses/braces, which are designed to stabilize injured areas so that they heal properly. …

Bridge Deck Delamination Segmentation Based On Aerial Thermography Through Regularized Grayscale Morphological Reconstruction And Gradient Statistics, Chongsheng Cheng, Zhexiong Shang, Zhigang Shen

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

Environmental and surface texture-induced temperature variation across the bridge deck is a major source of errors in delamination detection through thermography. This type of external noise poises a significant challenge for conventional quantitative methods such as global thresholding and k-means clustering. An iterative top-down approach is proposed for delamination segmentation based on grayscale morphological reconstruction. A weight-decay function was used to regularize the reconstruction for regional maxima extraction. The mean and coefficient of variation of temperature gradient estimated from delamination boundaries were used for discrimination. The proposed approach was tested on a lab experiment and an in-service bridge deck. The …

Preliminary Findings Of A Phenomenographic Research Study Into Academic Conceptions Of The Term Professional Skills, Una Beagon, Brian Bowe

Other resources

This presentation outlines preliminary findings of a phenomenographic study of academic conceptions of the term professional skills.

Understanding Hurricane Storm Surge Generation And Propagation Using A Forecasting Model, Forecast Advisories And Best Track In A Wind Model, And Observed Data—Case Study Hurricane Rita, Abram Musinguzi, Muhammad K. Akbar, Jason G. Fleming, Samuel K. Hargrove

Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Faculty Research

Meteorological forcing is the primary driving force and primary source of errors for storm surge forecasting. The objective of this study was to learn how forecasted meteorological forcing influences storm surge generation and propagation during a hurricane so that storm surge models can be reliably used to forecast actual events. Hindcasts and forecasts of Hurricane Rita (2005) storm surge was used as a case study. Meteorological forcing or surface wind/pressure fields for Hurricane Rita were generated using both the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) full-scale forecasting model along with archived hurricane advisories ingested into a sophisticated parametric wind model, namely …

Power Conditioning System On A Micro-Grid System, Tamoghna Banerjee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents renewable energy, power electronics, and distributed generators. The focus is on wind farm generator, photovoltaic cell, and battery bank system. Power Conditioning system improves the performance of a power system. Apart from the benefits of converting between DC/AC, there is adequate control of real power and additional control of economic reactive power. This is possible because of multiple sources in the system.

This project throws light on the basic principle of power system conditioning, its operation and control, and the economic studies.

Verification Of Autonomous Systems: Developmental Test And Evaluation Of An Autonomous Uas Swarming Algorithm Combining Simulation, Formulation And Live Flight, Corey A. Combs

Theses and Dissertations

This research was driven by the increase of autonomous systems in the current millennium and the challenging nature of testing and evaluating their performance. A review of the current literature revealed proposed methods for verifying autonomous systems, but few implementations. It exposed several gaps in the current verification and validation methods and suggested goals for filling them. Through the use of modeling, software in the loop (SITL), and flight test, this research verified an autonomous swarming algorithm for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and validated an exemplar of a testing framework. Thirteen sets of three-vehicle swarm data produced over two days …

Ballistic Evaluation Of Carbon Nanotube Sheet Material In Multifunctional Applications, Casey M. Keilbarth

Theses and Dissertations

Significant development of carbon nanotubes has occurred since they were first studied in the 1990's. Attempts to capture the phenomenal molecular properties in practical applications are gaining ground as new methods of producing CNTs have been developed. This thesis sought to determine if the addition of commercially produced CNT sheets to thin carbon fiber panels improved the ballistic properties of the panel. The difference between 0 and 4 CNT sheets was studied. The hypothesis was that inte- grating CNT sheets into the laminate would increase the projectile energy absorbed by the panel and reduce the damage to the panel incurred …

Bio-Based Thiol-Ene Polymer Electrolytes, Elyse Antonia Baroncini

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial and consumer demand for smaller and safer technologies motivates a global research effort to improve electrolytic polymer separators in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To incorporate the aromatic structural advantages of lignin, an abundant and renewable resource, into polymer electrolytes, molecules that can be derived from lignin are functionalized and UV-polymerized with multifunctional thiol monomers. Monomer aromaticity, thiol molecular weight, and total functionality are varied, allowing for analysis of the relationships between polymer structure and electrochemical properties.

The synthesized polymers display conductivities on the order of 10^-5 S/cm for gel polymer electrolytes and 10^-4 S/cm for solid polymer electrolytes, comparable to …

Investigation Of Endwall Vortex Manipulation In High Lift Turbines Caused By Active Endwall Forcing, Horatio J. Babcock

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased demand for lighter, more fuel efficient and smaller gas turbine engines, the impetus to reduce the weight and size of the turbine has become apparent. One approach to reduce this weight is to reduce the number of blades in the turbine. However, to maintain power output, each blade must be capable of supporting a greater amount of lift. While several high-lift turbine profiles have been detailed in literature, most of these profiles have increased endwall losses, despite their desirable mid-span characteristics. To mitigate this endwall loss, a number of active and passive flow approaches have been studied …

Multi-Path Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System For Performance Limited Aircraft With Flight Tests: Project Have Medusa, Kenneth C. Gahan

Theses and Dissertations

A multi-path automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto-GCAS) for performance limited aircraft was further developed and improved to prevent controlled flight into terrain. This research includes flight test results from the United States Test Pilot School's Test Management Project (TMP) titled Have Multi-Path Escape Decisions Using Sophisticated Algorithms (MEDUSA). Currently, the bomber and mobility air- craft communities lack an Auto-GCAS. The F-16 Auto-GCAS was proven successful for fighter-type aircraft with seven aircraft and eight lives saved from 2014 to 2018. The newly developed and tested Rapidly Selectable Escape Trajectory (RSET) sys- tem included a 5-path implementation which continuously updated at …

Optimal And Robust Neural Network Controllers For Proximal Spacecraft Maneuvers, Brandon Cole George

Theses and Dissertations

Recent successes in machine learning research, buoyed by advances in computational power, have revitalized interest in neural networks and demonstrated their potential in solving complex controls problems. In this research, the reinforcement learning framework is combined with traditional direct shooting methods to generate optimal proximal spacecraft maneuvers. Open-loop and closed-loop feedback controllers, parameterized by multi-layer feed-forward artificial neural networks, are developed with evolutionary and gradient-based optimization algorithms. Utilizing Clohessy- Wiltshire relative motion dynamics, terminally constrained fixed-time, fuel-optimal trajectories are solved for intercept, rendezvous, and natural motion circumnavigation transfer maneuvers using three different thrust models: impulsive, finite, and continuous. In addition …

Direct Numerical Simulation Of Roughness Induced Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition On A 7° Half-Angle Cone, Tara E. Crouch

Theses and Dissertations

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations were performed on a 30° slice of 7° half-angle cones with increasing nose radii bluntness at Mach 10 while simulating a distributed roughness pattern on the cone surface. These DNS computations were designed to determine if the non-modal transition behavior observed in testing performed at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 was induced via distributed surface roughness. When boundary layer transition is dominated by second mode instabilities, an increase in nose radius delays the transition location downstream. However, blunt nose experiments indicated that as the nose radius …

Initial Stage Of Fluid-Structure Interaction Of A Celestial Icosahedron Shaped Vacuum Lighter Than Air Vehicle, Dustin P. Graves

Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of a celestial icosahedron geometry is considered as a potential design for a Vacuum Lighter than Air Vehicle (VLTAV). The goal of the analysis is ultimately to understand the initial fluid-structure interaction of the VLTAV and the surrounding airflow. Up to this point, previous research analyzed the celestial icosahedron VLTAV in relation to withstanding a symmetric sea-level pressure applied to the membrane of the structure. This scenario simulates an internal vacuum being applied in the worst-case atmospheric environmental condition. The next step in analysis is to determine the aerodynamic effects of the geometry. The experimental setup for obtaining …

Creep Of Nextel 720/Alumina Ceramic Matrix Composite With Diamond-Drilled Effusion Holes At 1200°C In Air And In Steam, Megan L. Harkins

Theses and Dissertations

A recent study evaluated tensile stress-strain and tensile creep behavior of an oxide-oxide composite (Nextel™720/alumina) with laser-drilled effusion holes at 1200°C. It was determined that the presence of laser-drilled holes degraded the mechanical properties and performance of the CMC as a result of damage caused to the composite microstructure by the laser drilling process. Based on these results, the present effort sought to assess the effects of diamond-drilled holes on the mechanical behavior of this CMC. Tensile properties of the N720/A composite at 1200°C in laboratory air were unaffected by the presence of an array of 17 diamond-drilled effusion holes. …

Fracture Toughness And Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Characterization Of Inconel 718 Formed By Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Charles C. Hohnbaum

Theses and Dissertations

Continuing improvement in the field of AM of metals provides the opportunity for direct fabrication of aerospace parts. AM was once used in large part for rapid prototyping but improvements in technology and increases in the knowledge base of AM materials has provided the opportunity for manufacture of AM parts for operational use. The ability to create low numbers of unique parts without having to invest in expensive tooling provides great economic incentive to utilize this technique. IN718 is the most common high temperature alloy used in the aerospace industry and lends itself readily to formation by LPBF. The superior …

Flow Behavior In Radial Rotating Detonation Engines, Scott A. Boller

Theses and Dissertations

Recent progress has been made in demonstrating Radial Rotating Detonation Engine (RRDE) technology for use in a compact Auxiliary Power Unit with a rapid response time. Investigation of RRDEs also suggests an increase in stable operating range, which is hypothesized to be due to the additional degree of freedom in the radial direction which the detonation wave can propagate. This investigation seeks to determine if the detonation wave is in fact changing its radial location. High speed photography was used to capture chemiluminescence of the detonation wave within the channel to examine its radial location, which was found to vary …

Schlieren Imaging And Flow Analysis On A Cone/Flare Model In The Afrl Mach 6 Ludwieg Tube Facility, David A. Labuda

Theses and Dissertations

High-speed Schlieren photography was utilized to visualize flow in the Air Force Research Laboratory Mach 6 Ludwieg tube facility. A 7° half-angle cone/flare model with variable nosetip radius and flare angle options was used in the study. Testing was performed at two driver tube pressures, generating freestream Reynolds numbers of 10.0x10⁶ and 19.8x10⁶ per meter. The variable-angle flare portion of the model provided a method for adjusting the intensity of the adverse pressure gradient at the cone/flare junction. As expected from existing literature, boundary layer separation along the cone frustum occurred further upstream as the magnitude of the …

Scaling Film Cooling Adiabatic Effectiveness With Mass Transfer And Thermal Experimental Techniques, Luke J. Mcnamara

Theses and Dissertations

With increasing engine temperatures, it is becoming more important to design effective film cooling schemes. Low temperature, large scale tests are often implemented in the design process to reduce cost and complexity. A nondimensional adiabatic effectiveness can be used as an indication of the performance of a film cooling scheme. However, the coolant flow rate must be properly scaled between the low temperature tests and engine temperatures to accurately predict film cooling effectiveness. This process is complicated by gas property variation with temperature. Tests are commonly conducted using thermal measurement techniques with infrared thermography (IR), but the use of pressure …