Engineering Commons^™

Construction-Ready Digital Terrain Models, Rachel Catchings, Steven Waddle, Hala Nassereddine, Gabriel B. Dadi, Makram Bou Hatoum, Walter Johnson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Since 2009, Kentucky has made its 3D design data available as a supplemental reference to bidders through the project delivery process. This research discusses methods for ensuring electronic engineering data (EED) — and specifically the proposed digital terrain model (DTM) — support modern construction management methods at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Researchers performed a literature review, surveyed KYTC construction and design staff, engaged with Cabinet staff and industry members to understand the current state of practice, and evaluated quality- related attributes of the EED through case studies. The report presents a set of targeted recommendations for improving KYTC processes …

High- And Low-Voltage Mitigation In Distribution Systems Using Residential Static Volt-Ampere Reactive Compensators, Andrés Valdepeña Delgado

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Power distribution systems are experiencing a fast transformation from simple one-way radial feeders to complex systems with multiple sources and bidirectional power flows. The rapid increase of Distributed Generation (DG) connected to the distribution system over the last decade, especially solar photovoltaic (PV), has been the key element to this transformation.

The variable nature of PV-based DG has increased the complexity of voltage regulation in distribution systems. Electric Utilities are facing an increasing number of voltage issues in distribution systems with high penetration of DGs, leading customers to experience voltage levels outside of range A of the ANSI C84.1 standard. …

An All-Optical Excitonic Switch Templated On A Dna Scaffold Operated In The Liquid And Solid Phases, Donald L. Kellis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The natural excitonic circuitry of photosynthetic organisms, including light harvesting antennas, provides a distinctive example of a highly attractive bio-inspired alternative to electronic circuits. Excitonics, which capitalizes on spatially arranged optically active molecules ability to capture and transfer light energy below the diffraction limit of light has garnered recognition as a potential disruptive replacement for electronic circuits. However, assembly of optically active molecules to construct even simple excitonic devices has been impeded by the limited maturity of suitable molecular scale assembly technologies.

An example of nanophotonic circuitry, natural light harvesting antennas employ proteins as scaffolds to organize and self-assemble light-active …

Diffusion Bonding Of Inconel 600 To Silicon Carbide For Next Generation High Temperature Applications, Yaiza Rodriguez Ortego

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ceramic to metal interfaces are of interest for applications in extreme environments because they allow increased operational temperatures, resulting in greater thermodynamic efficiency in energy conversion processes. Ceramics offer high temperature corrosion resistance while metals offer robust and versatile solutions to assemblies. Understanding the solid-state reactions, the resulting interfacial microstructure, and the properties of the joints produced by diffusion bonding is essential for developing reliable ceramic to metal interfaces.

The combination of silicon carbide (SiC) and a nickel-based alloy (Inconel 600) offers improved strength and resistance to high temperature degradation. This work focuses on the understanding of the solid-state diffusion …

Low Intensity Vibrations Restore Nuclear Yap Levels And Acute Yap Nuclear Shuttling In Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected To Simulated Microgravity, Matt Thompson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The bone deterioration that astronauts experience in microgravity environments is known to occur in response to the lack of gravity-based tissue stress. Mechanical forces are crucial to maintain healthy bone mass by regulating the function of bone-making osteoblasts as well as the proliferation and differentiation of their progenitors, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which replenish osteoblastic cells. Regulation of proliferative function of MSCs in response to mechanical force is in part controlled by the “mechanotransducer” protein YAP (Yes-associated protein) which is shuttled into the nucleus in response to mechanical challenge to induce gene expression necessary for cell proliferation. Our group had …

Secure Network-On-Chip Against Black Hole And Tampering Attacks, Luka Daoud

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Network-on-Chip (NoC) has become the communication heart of Multiprocessors-System-on-Chip (MPSoC). Therefore, it has been subject to a plethora of security threats to degrade the system performance or steal sensitive information. Due to the globalization of the modern semiconductor industry, many different parties take part in the hardware design of the system. As a result, the NoC could be infected with a malicious circuit, known as a Hardware Trojan (HT), to leave a back door for security breach purposes. HTs are smartly designed to be too small to be uncovered by offline circuit-level testing, so the system requires an online …

Towards Hybrid Quantum-Classical Ciphersuite Primitives, H. Shelton Jacinto

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

With the dawn of quantum computing in scale, current secure classical primitives are at risk. Protocols with immediate risk of breach are those built on the advanced encryption standard (AES) and Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) algorithms. To secure classical data against a quantum adversary, a secure communications ciphersuite must be developed. The ciphersuite developed in this work contains components that do not necessarily rely on quantum key distribution (QKD), due to recent insecurities found when a QKD-based protocol is faced with a quantum eavesdropper.

A set of quantum-classical ciphersuite primitives were developed using less common mathematical methods where a quantum adversary will …

Empirical Modeling Of Structural Distortions In Perovskite Ceramics, Evan Connor Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Predictive models for composition-structure-property relationships are essential to realizing the full potential of electroceramic materials; however, the electroceramics industry has largely failed to invest in predictive models in favor of simple rules of thumb or expensive, time-consuming trial-and-error methods. Empirically derived predictive models have the potential to significantly improve and guide future research in a more cost-effective and timely manner. It may even be possible to predict some intrinsic properties (e.g., polarization) on the order of a unit cell using only the charge and size of each chemical component. Scientists and researchers may ultimately be able to use …

Development And Validation Of A Synchronous Model To Simulate Skeletal Muscle Damage Due To Spaceflight Ionizing Radiation And Microgravity, Lori M. Caldwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Astronauts traveling or researching in space are subject to a harsh environment that includes high levels of ionizing radiation and microgravity. Ionizing radiation is dangerous to overall health because it causes double-stranded DNA breaks, increases the production of free radicals or reactive oxygen species, and leads to an enhanced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer over a person’s lifetime. Similarly, microgravity is hazardous to astronaut health because humans require gravity to maintain a healthy heart and muscular and vascular systems.

Both ionizing radiation and microgravity have been studied individually in previous research, but there is a lack of information on …

Analysis Of Blood Purification Studies On Oxone Mediated Tempo-Oxidized Nano Cellulose Mixed-Matrix Membranes, Tony Roller

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is currently the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, and of the 661,00 Americans diagnosed with ESRD, approximately 468,800 were on hemodialysis in 2016. Hemodialysis refers to a technique where a machine combined with a membrane, often referred to as an artificial kidney, is used to clean blood by removing any waste such as urea, potassium, and other smaller waste products while preserving the concentrations and integrity of cells and proteins in the blood. It has been shown in artificial blood studies that cellulose nanomaterials, like TEMPO/Oxidized cellulose nanoparticles (TOCNs), can be integrated …

Autofluorescence Spectral Unmixing For Quantitative Metabolic Imaging Within Tissues, Lucy Woodbury

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Label-free metabolic imaging through quantification of NADH and FAD autofluorescence has become a powerful and efficient tool for non-invasive measurements of cell metabolism. It has applications in a variety of fields including diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring. However, NADH and FAD imaging typically selects specific single excitation and emission bands where it is assumed that these fluorophores are individually isolated. In some cases of isolated cell imaging, this assumption holds true, but for samples with other intrinsic fluorophores present (i.e. collagen and elastin), it can interfere with quantitative results. Elastin and collagen autofluorescence prevent the broader application of these optical metabolic …

Theoretical Applicability Of Crispr-Mediated Exon Skipping In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Andrew Greek

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) affects approximately 1 in 5,000 males. DMD results from genetic mutations within the gene that interrupts the open reading frame and prematurely truncates the protein. From a non-functional dystrophin protein, DMD results in serious muscle weakening and muscle wasting ultimately leading to death around the age of 26. In some cases of muscular dystrophy, a mutation can occur in areas of the gene that are less essential. In Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), these mutations cause less significant consequences in phenotype as the dystrophin protein is still semi-functional. With gene editing techniques, it may be possible to …

Electrodialysis Device For In Vivo Power Delivery, Jessica L. Orton

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

It is estimated that over 3 million cardiac pacemakers have been implanted in patients globally. Current lithium-iodine pacemaker batteries last an average of about 10 years before the entire pacemaker unit must surgically be replaced, increasing the patient’s risk of procedure-related complications. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate means by which to extend the pacemaker battery lifetime. The renal vein and renal artery in the body naturally produce a salinity gradient through the filtering work of the kidneys. This salinity gradient energy potential can be harnessed through reverse electrodialysis (RED). RED is an electrochemical process that harnesses the Gibbs Free …

Development Of A Matlab Gui To Assist The Active Comprehension Of Biomedical Transport Phenomena Using A Visual Aid, Pranav Suri

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies show that inductive teaching methods for Biomedical Transport Phenomena greatly benefit from an accompanying visual aid. The following project aimed to develop a MATLAB GUI application that illustrates steady-state heat transfer with a graph and heat map using user-defined boundary conditions and numerical parameters. The application was evaluated using a survey that first familiarized the user with the GUI by running through heat transfer exercises, then allowed the user to experiment with the application, and finally asked users about their experiences using a questionnaire. The responses indicate that the GUI was received positively overall, and that a MATLAB component …

Maximizing The Academic And Professional Success Of First-Generation College Students In Biomedical Engineering, Mona Ahmed

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although efforts to increase the inclusion, retention, and success of first-generation college students (FGCSs) in research universities have resulted in noticeable progress, FGCSs still feel academically challenged, isolated, and show more anxiety and depression compared to non-FGCSs. Moreover, FGCSs may possess additional underrepresented identities that exacerbates the problem. There is more risk of dropping out of academic programs for FGCSs enrolling in STEM degrees, especially those of more multidisciplinary nature such as Biomedical Engineering. From the overall population of the State of Arkansas, only 23.3% have a bachelor’s degree or higher which is the third least percentage in the United …

Differential Patterns Of Theta Activation Underlying Various Cognitive Control Strategies, Jarrod Eisma

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, EEG was recorded from 157 participants at the University of Arkansas as they performed three computer tasks that tested inhibitory control (Go/Nogo Task), proactive and reactive control (AX-Continuous Performance Task), and resolving response conflict (Global/Local Task- modified Flanker Task). Time-frequency analysis (ERSP) was the primary focus of this study, in order to take advantage of the temporal and frequential characteristics of EEG recordings. The ERSPs and following statistical analysis showed significantly higher midfrontal theta band (4-8 Hz) power values for target trials (those that required more cognitive control) than control trials, which indicated that the procedure was …

Flight Path Control During Hypersonic Atmospheric Entry Using Active Magnetic Arrays, Matthew Tyler Austin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to study the reaction to the Lorentz force induced during the hypersonic regime of flight by an active magnetic field. The effect that a magnetic array has on the flight characteristics of a blunt body during Earth atmospheric entry is characterized and isolated for independent analysis. This is done to show that mission-specific benefits to utilizing this method of entry control exist and therefore warrant further study. To conduct this analysis, a 1000 kg blunt body test case was used. This craft contains three separate magnets located behind the nose with two of them …

Revisiting Elliptic Curve Cryptography With Applications To Post-Quantum Sidh Ciphers, Wesam Nabil Eid

Theses and Dissertations

Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) has positioned itself as one of the most promising candidates for various applications since its introduction by Miller and Kolbitz in 1985 [53, 44]. The core operation for ECC is the scalar multiplication [k]P where many efforts have addressed its computation speed. Here we introduce an efficient approach for calculating elliptic curve operations by a novel regrouping of terms and creating new projective representation operators and increasing parallelism. These operators and the corresponding projective coordinate representations are shown to lead to adjusted versions of scalar multiplication algorithms that are evaluated. These techniques enable more opportunities for …

Improving Wake-Up-Word And General Speech Recognition Systems, Gamal Mohamed Bohouta

Theses and Dissertations

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), a technology that allows a machine to recognize the utterances spoken into a microphone by a person and then converts it to text, is commonly used for different types of applications, such as command and control systems, personal assistant systems, medical systems, disabilities systems, dictation systems, telephony systems, and embedded applications. Due to its extensive use, interest in ASR technology has surged among inventors and researchers alike. They have worked diligently to improve the performance of the ASR systems by developing several techniques or approaches in different aspects,such as enhancing features, training an acoustic model, enhancing …

Model Optimization For Edge Devices, Adolf Anthony D’Costa

Theses and Dissertations

Edge devices are undergoing groundbreaking computing transformation, which lets us tap into artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5th generation network capability, fog networking, and computing complex algorithms. Edge systems have substantial advantages over the conventional system in terms of scalability, optimized resources, reliability, and security. The proliferation of such resource-constrained devices in recent years has resulted in the generation of a large quantity of data; these data-producing devices are attractive targets for applications of machine learning. Machine learning models, especially deep learning neural networks, produced models that have high accuracy and prediction capability, but it comes at the cost of computation …

Geolocation Based On Signal Level Measurement And Time Advance Inside The Network, Zaenab Shakir

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demands for location-based services in recent years led to provide accurate location information inside the network. The applications for location-based service are assisting emergency request, fraud defense, social media, and marketing. All these demands make the position accuracy highly required. Various techniques and methods have been developed to estimate the position of mobile device inside the network such as RSS, TOA, AOA, and TDOA. In this work, a new method to estimate the accuracy of locating active LTE cellular subscribers. The proposed method is a network-based technique and relies on the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurements and …

Optical Nanoantenna Coupled Detector And Hybrid Surface Waveguide, Shenjie Miao

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, plasmonic resonant antennas have seen widespread consideration in many detection and chemistry applications due to their potential for enhancing and confining the emission and polarization of electromagnetic fields. Examples include optical couplers to ultra-compact photodetectors, high-resolution optical microscopy, enablers of single molecule Raman signal detection and heating elements that facilitate nanostructure growth. A wideband teardrop shape antenna coupled detector will illustrate in this dissertation. An asymmetric cross-bowtie antenna is investigated for providing a broad circular polarized frequency response in the long wave infrared (LWIR). The asymmetric cross-bowtie antenna is constructed with two perpendicular bowtie antennas with differing …

Examining The Impact Of Student Motivation On Performance In Mechanical Engineering Design Courses, Elisabeth Kames

Theses and Dissertations

Design courses are an integral component of undergraduate engineering education. Design is recognized as one of the primary responsibilities of an engineer in industry. New designs are responsible for stimulating sales and company growth.1 This dissertation outlines a study seeking to explore the impact of student motivation factors on course performance of mechanical engineering students in design courses. The first design course, cornerstone design, takes place during the first semester of freshman year. The second course, capstone design, takes place during the student’s final year of undergraduate study. An adapted version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is …

Design, Analysis, And Demonstration Of A Multipurpose Fluid Tank Dynamics Characterization Platform, Cameron Ian Hume

Theses and Dissertations

The development of a highly versatile multiphase fluid tank characterization platform is essential to the analysis and improvement of propellant storage tanks. The performance of these tanks is highly critical to the safety and performance of their carriers, especially in the space industry where the propellant makes up the overwhelming majority of the mass of the vehicle. This thesis outlines the design and development of a linear stage used to test and validate the characteristic of multiphase fluids inside moving specific tanks. This document will walk through the steps taken to bring a new linear stage to life, from the …

Thermal Management Design Of A 6u Cubesat With A High-Power Additive Manufacturing Payload Using Analytical Modeling With Experimental Validation, Todd Wayne Fennell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

As the capacity of compact battery technology for spacecraft missions continue to improve, small payloads are less constrained by power limitations, thus relatively high-power applications may be considered. AddCube is a mission to develop a platform, conforming to the 6U CubeSat Standard capable of demonstrating on-orbit Additive Manufacturing technology. A critical concern is the development and demonstration of a thermal management design that is capable of handling the significant waste heat generated by the high-power Additive Manufacturing payload while maintaining component temperatures throughout the spacecraft within an acceptable range. This effort includes a trade study for the evaluation of candidate …

Estimation Of Interior And Contents Damage Due To Wind Driven Rain Ingress Into Mid/High-Rise Buildings, Zhuoxuan Wei

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricanes can lead to the loss of millions of dollars and the death of hundreds of people. The increasing concentration of people in coastal cities, exacerbates this problem and results in greater hurricane damage to residential buildings. In particular, recent hurricanes in Florida have shown the vulnerability of mid/high-rise buildings (MHRB) to hurricane-induced water ingress. However, few damage models are able to produce realistic estimates of interior damage. To accurately estimate the interior and contents damage of mid/high-rise buildings due to water ingress during hurricanes, this thesis proposes a new physics-based methodology, which extends the results of previous work on …

Nonlinear Attitude Control For A 6u Cubesat With A Flexible, Deployable Boom, Jared Walker

Theses and Dissertations

A satellite attitude control system was developed in MathWork’s Simulink for a 6U CubeSat with a flexible appendage payload. The flexible appendage is a boom that is able to store into a compact size and deploy out to 1 meter. The boom deploys a sensor attached to the end of the boom. The boom/sensor payload was modeled as a spring-mass-damper system. The equivalent spring constant of the payload was determined by the the natural frequency of the system. A modal analysis in ANSYS Mechanical was used to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the payload. The attitude control …

Design Of An Environmentally Responsive Grooming Tool To Aid In Underwater Navigation, Bruce Huntress Walker Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Underwater hull grooming is a proactive approach to ship hull husbandry. It has been defined as the frequent and gentle wiping of a ship hull coating to maintain it free of fouling. One of the challenges to implementing a grooming schedule is the control and navigation of the devices over the surface of the hull. This thesis presents prior research that has developed self-attaching rotating brushes as an effective method to groom fouling control coatings and the results from several years of implementation in the marine environment. The hypothesis of this thesis is that the condition of the ship hull …

Integration Of Machine Learning For Reactive Power Control For A Distribution Feeder Simulation With External Load, Ivonne D. Acosta Molina

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

It has been 32 years since the Brundtland Report was published. That was the first time that the term Sustainable Development (SD) was coined. In this context, renewable sources of energy play an important role on not to deplete our natural resources in order to meet our need without compromising future generations. Smart Grids are on the pathway to achieve the SD goals. This Thesis focuses on the integration of renewables, specifically Solar PV panels and inverters and its interactions with the distribution grid. Since the power injection caused by the PV inverter can alter the voltage range, Reinforcement Learning …

Structure And Deformation Of Carbyne Deposited On A Nickel Substrate, Abigail Eaton

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Carbyne is a nanomaterial of great interest due to its ability to withstand high forces similarly to other carbon allotropes such as graphene or carbon nanotubes. However, it is currently difficult to synthesize and maintain without the assistance of a composite material substrate that the carbyne can be integrated with, which will affect its reaction to varying conditions. This thesis focuses on studying the effects of carbyne on a nickel surface and its mechanical properties to predict its future usages and potential for applications in varying fields. We perform a three-point bending test simulation using molecular dynamics with pure Ni …