Engineering Commons^™

Cost-Effective Diy Electrometer, Emily R. Johnson

Honors Theses

An electrometer is a critical electrophysiology instrument used to generate minuscule currents for intracellular stimulation of biological neurons. An electrometer also enables simultaneous measurement of the neuron membrane voltage response. This device is necessary to perform accurate stimulation of neurons. However, the cost of commercial electrometers, around $5000, is prohibitive to many researchers, particularly at the high-school or introductory college level. A recent Western Michigan University graduate student, Lucas Essenburg, designed a basic electrometer for $210. His thesis proved that quality electrometers can be constructed for a fraction of the price of commercial-grade equipment.

This project focused on the improvement …

Design Of A Carbon Fiber Composite Monocoque Chassis For A Formula Style Vehicle, Mitchell Hiller

Honors Theses

Western Michigan University’s Formula SAE team, Bronco Racing, designs and manufactures a formula-style vehicle to compete annually at an international collegiate design and racing competition. In order to remain competitive, Bronco Racing required a lighter chassis for the 2021 vehicle. To achieve this, the full 2020 carbon fiber monocoque chassis system was redesigned to be lightweight while considering packaging constraints, the Formula SAE rules, and design parameters set by Bronco Racing. The monocoque geometry was modeled using SolidWorks and the carbon composite was simulated, tested, and verified using ANSYS and quasi-static load frame testing. The newly designed 2021 monocoque chassis …

Aerodynamics Of Wind Loading On Buildings, Kayla Burch

Honors Theses

A three-dimensional model of a one-story residential home, with an emphasis on the roof style and structure, was modeled using CATIA and then built and tested in the wind tunnel at Western Michigan University. The wind tunnel allowed an airflow over different style roofs to be tested at 100 mile per hour winds, strengths typical for hurricanes and other natural phenomena. The measured results show the lift and drag, along with the pressure gradient and the skin friction over the roofs. The effect of these aerodynamic characteristics of the building due to adding solar panel prototypes were also evaluated. The …

Sunseeker Solar Car Display And Driver Unit, Conner Mccarthy

Honors Theses

Digital dashboard displays with critical driver information are found in all modern vehicles. Examples of such information available to the driver include a speedometer, odometer, engine RPM, fuel gauge and more. The current 2016 Sunseeker solar car already has numerous displays that can show critical information to the driver, however, there are several problems that exist. Each display itself is less than two inches in size, the text on the screens is difficult to read, and the measurements have no units. Furthermore, these displays were made by a company that no longer exists, thus preventing the solar car team from …

Steam Valve Thermo-Performance Analysis, Turner Slaughter

Honors Theses

Steam leaks occur in aging power systems due to heat energy loss in the valves of that system. A model was developed and programmed using Excel to determine the amount of heat energy lost in an aging power plant steam pipe valve system. This model was tested using data from an existing model called PEPSE. The PEPSE model determined the estimated energy that was lost due to seal leakage and general valve degradation. The energy from the steam was quantified using downstream temperature measurement data that was processed with multiple calculation methods to ensure accuracy in the model. The excel …

Ece Senior Design Project - Cost-Effective Diy Electrometer, Benjamin Hahn

Honors Theses

An electrometer is a critical electrophysiology instrument used to generate minuscule currents for intracellular stimulation of biological neurons. An electrometer also enables simultaneous measurement of the neuron membrane voltage response. This device is necessary to perform accurate stimulation of neurons. However, the cost of commercial electrometers, around $5000, is prohibitive to many researchers, particularly at the high-school or introductory college level. A recent Western Michigan University graduate student, Lucas Essenburg, designed a basic electrometer for $210. His thesis proved that quality electrometers can be constructed for a fraction of the price of commercial-grade equipment.

This project focused on the improvement …

Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture, Abigail Cortright

Honors Theses

The goal of the Yoda Chemical Company Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture project and subsequent report was to identify and recommend plant optimization opportunities associated with the potential recovery of five waste streams. Additionally, an analysis of the upgrade’s design was completed in order to determine the economic viability of fiber recapture. Beginning the analysis, the five waste streams were identified and analyzed. The waste streams include the top liner, back liner, and filler liner primary cleaner rejects on the K1 machine, the common rejects from under the K3 paper machine, and the tertiary cleaner rejects from stock preparation.

Two different …

The Siltcatcher: A Sediment-Capture System For Wetland Creation And Coastal Protection In Western Lake Pontchartrain, Andrew M. Wright

LSU Master's Theses

The West Lake Pontchartrain region faces a number of long-term environmental challenges due to anthropogenic climate disturbance and landscape modification, including sea level rise, increased storm surge risk, shoreline erosion, and wetland degradation. In response, this thesis applies recent research in the fields of landscape architecture and civil engineering to propose a dynamic, natural-systems solution for wetland creation and shoreline protection. The project envisions a series of breakwater-like structures in western Lake Pontchartrain positioned to slow water released from the nearby Bonnet Carré Spillway, causing suspended sediment to settle and create self-building and self-sustaining wetlands capable of keeping pace with …

Why Do You Take That Route?, Alimire Nabijiang

LSU Master's Theses

We conducted this study to investigate causal factors which affects the route-choice behavior of drivers. Due to the insufficiency of measured variables and the lack of high-fidelity properties obtained by conventional data, we carried out Stated Choice Experiment (SCE) using Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE) tool to collect data. IVE tool can provide realistic virtual experiences to participants, and give advantage of flexible environment for exploring causal factors of drivers’ decision on route choice. Based on reviewing literatures, we believe that there is limited studies that has tried to comprehend the route choice behavior of drivers using causal inference. The study …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Continuing Education At Emergency Medical Services, Tasmia Mustaquim

LSU Master's Theses

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) require staff to recertify periodically, which involves a significant amount of continuing education. Great effort is given to designing and delivering a continuing education program, but it is also important to know if the training had all of the intended impacts. Nationally, there is no evidence-based system in place for training evaluation at EMS. This research proposes a framework being used at East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services (EBRP-EMS) to evaluate a course, generate reports to indicate the performance of staff, and identify areas of improvement.

The Kirkpatrick Model, which is a 4-level evaluation, is …

Usu Engineering Programs Ranked In Top 50, Top 100 Nationally, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

April 13, 2020 — Three of Utah State University’s College of Engineering graduate programs were again ranked alongside some of the top-performing schools in the nation.

Polyester Polymer Concrete For Bridge Deck Overlays, Robert James Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) compile a synthesis of information about polyester polymer concrete (PPC) from the literature; 2) conduct a scanning tour to observe PPC construction, inspect in-service PPC overlays, and discuss topics related to PPC; 3) revise the existing Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) PPC specification; 4) document a PPC field demonstration project; and 5) perform laboratory characterization of the material properties of field-mixed PPC. The scope of the research included a scanning tour, field testing, and laboratory experimentation. The objectives of the scanning tour included observation of a PPC overlay placement, inspection of existing …

Energy Storage Power And Energy Sizing And Specification Using Hsspfc, Mehrzad M. Bijaieh, Wayne Weaver, Rush D. Robinett Iii

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The intermittent nature of renewable sources requires the integration of Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) with appropriate power and energy densities. One of the applications of Hamiltonian Surface Shaping and Power Flow Control (HSSPFC) is to size ESSs for power and energy densities by employing them as sole actuators of Microgrid (MG) systems. This Article provides a comprehensive yet simplified example of utilization of HSSPFC to size ESSs of inverter-based three-phase MG systems under hierarchical control. Here, the distributed Hamiltonian controller is expanded for control of parallel ESSs and power sharing metrics are defined to distribute power between hybrid storage systems …

Distributed Memory Based Fpga Debug, Robert Benjamin Hale

Theses and Dissertations

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are powerful integrated circuits for low-overhead custom computing needs and design prototyping. Due to the hardware nature of programming an FPGA, finding bugs in a design can be a very challenging process. Signals need to be physically probed and data recorded in real time. This is often done by dedicating some resources on the FPGA itself towards an embedded logic analyzer. This method is effective but can be time and resource consuming. Academic research projects have produced a variety of methods for reducing this difficulty. One option that has previously been unexplored is the use of …

The Sounds Of Science - A Symphony For Many Instruments And Voices, Gerianne Alexander, Roland E. Allen, Anthony Atala, Warwick P. Bowen, Alan A. Coley, John B. Goodenough, Mikhail I. Katsnelson, Eugene V. Koonin, Mario Krenn, Lars S. Madsen, Martin Månsson, Nicolas P. Mauranyapin, Art I. Melvin, Ernst Rasel, Linda E. Reichl, Roman Yampolskiy, Philip B. Yasskin, Anton Zeilinger, Suzy Lidström

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Sounds of Science is the first movement of a symphony for many (scientific) instruments and voices, united in celebration of the frontiers of science and intended for a general audience. John Goodenough, the maestro who transformed energy usage and technology through the invention of the lithium-ion battery, opens the programme, reflecting on the ultimate limits of battery technology. This applied theme continues through the subsequent pieces on energy-related topics - the sodium-ion battery and artificial fuels, by Martin Månsson - and the ultimate challenge for 3D printing, the eventual production of life, by Anthony Atala. A passage by Gerianne Alexander …

Pavement Management System Research Output: A Scientometric Assessment, Shabir Hussain Khahro, Zubair Ahmed Memon, Nur Izzi Md. Yusoff Dr, Lillian Gungat, Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Developing countries are struggling with cost management of pavement construction and rehabilitation. This case is similar to developedcountries butdeveloping countries are suffering issues of inadequate funds. Therefore, most of the countries started usage of Pavement Management Systems (PMS) to manage the decision-making process and alternate/priority assessments for pavement construction and rehabilitation. Hence, the PMS remains the topic of research interest for various researchers. This paper evaluates the scale and effectiveness of articles published by Web of Science (WoS) Group on PMS since 1990. The data has been collected from the WoS database from 1990 till 2020. The datawas processedand analyzed …

Physical And Biological Factors Controlling The Fate Of Nitrate In A Louisiana Coastal Deltaic Floodplain, Alexandra Christensen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi River Delta is threatened by a growing pressure to support large human populations in the United States both with food production, navigation systems, and urban development in the Mississippi River Basin. Nitrate-nitrogen load in the Mississippi River, up to 100 Tg N yr^-1 from agricultural and urban runoff, leads to phytoplankton blooms and hypoxia across the Louisiana continental shelf, creating dead zones of low dissolved oxygen threatening a significant commercial fishery. Along the coast and river corridors, floodplain ecosystems have the capacity to retain and remove nitrate. This dissertation explores the role of productive, actively growing coastal …

Real-Time Pm10 Emission Rates From Paved Roads By Measurement Of Concentrations In The Vehicle's Wake Using On-Board Sensors Part 1. Scamper Method Characterization, Dennis R. Fitz, Kurt Bumiller, Charles Bufalino, David E. James

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Based on emission factors derived from the AP-42 algorithm, particulate matter from paved roads has been estimated to be a major source of PM10 of geologic origin. This is an empirical formula based on upwind-downwind measurement of PM10 concentrations and is dependent solely on the silt loading of the pavement and the weight of vehicles. A number of upwind-downwind studies conducted in urban areas to validate this algorithm have been generally inconclusive because the PM10 concentration difference between upwind and downwind often is within the measurement uncertainty. In the approach presented here PM10 concentrations were measured directly behind a moving …

Nytrox As “Drop-In” Replacement For Gaseous Oxygen In Smallsat Hybrid Propulsion Systems, Stephen A. Whitmore

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A medical grade nitrous oxide (N₂O) and gaseous oxygen (GOX) “Nytrox” blend is investigated as a volumetrically-efficient replacement for GOX in SmallSat-scale hybrid propulsion systems. Combined with 3-D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the propellants represent a significantly safer, but superior performing, alternative to environmentally-unsustainable spacecraft propellants like hydrazine. In a manner analogous to the creation of soda-water using dissolved carbon dioxide, Nytrox is created by bubbling GOX under pressure into N₂O until the solution reaches saturation. Oxygen in the ullage dilutes N₂O vapor and increases the required decomposition energy barrier by several orders …

An Ergonomic Analysis Of Ingredient Batching In A Dairy Bottling Facility, Hayden Johnson, Laila Elhidmi

Scholars Week

Dairy production facilities rely on batching operators to unload palletized ingredients and mix them to meet ingredient specifications. Batching operators in the dairy industry are frequently required to work for prolonged periods of time in awkward postures while performing repetitive and forceful exertions. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) typically impact workers’ performance and increase job discomfort. Such incidents are generally costly to employers as they often result in workers compensation claims and increased insurance premiums. The purpose of this study was to characterize the ergonomic risk factors associated with commonly performed batching processes and evaluate possible solutions to reduce exposure to …

Does The Use Of Simulation Significantly Impact Students’ Perceptions Of Their Air Traffic Control Knowledge And Skill?, Meron Lindenfeld, Jeanne Radigan, Michael Figuccio

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Simulation has served as an instructional supplement in education and training within various fields such as nursing, business, and flight training. Prior research studies have documented its usefulness. Simulation-based lessons have also been used for air traffic control (ATC) training, but little research has been conducted on the usefulness of simulation in this application. This study measured the level of influence that ATC simulation had on students’ perception of their ATC knowledge and skill level and their commitment to a career in ATC.

Data were collected by surveying students at four institutions of higher education after they completed ATC courses …

Subsurface Analytics: Contribution Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Reservoir Engineering, Reservoir Modeling, And Reservoir Management, Shahab D. Mohaghegh

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Subsurface Analytics is a new technology that changes the way reservoir simulation and modeling is performed. Instead of starting with the construction of mathematical equations to model the physics of the fluid flow through porous media and then modification of the geological models in order to achieve history match, Subsurface Analytics that is a completely AI-based reservoir simulation and modeling technology takes a completely different approach. In AI-based reservoir modeling, field measurements form the foundation of the reservoir model. Using data-driven, pattern recognition technologies; the physics of the fluid flow through porous media is modeled through discovering the best, most …

Pengujian Efektivitas Jenis Media Tanam Dan Nutrisi Terhadap Produksi Kubis Bunga (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Botrytis, Subvar. Cauliflora Dc) Kultivar Mona F1 Pada Sistem Hidroponik, Rommy Andhika Laksono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Ada beberapa faktor yang menyebabkan penurunan produksi kubis bunga di Indonesia, diantaranya sistem budidaya yang kurang tepat, nutrisi yang kurang optimal, kurangnya pemanfaatan unsur organik dalam teknik budidayanya, serta pemanfaatan lahan sempit perkotaan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mempelajari dan mendapatkan jenis nutrisi yang memberikan produksi tertinggi kubis bunga (Brassica oleracea L. Var. botrytis) kultivar Mona F1 pada setiap jenis media tanam dengan hidroponik sistem fertigasi untuk menciptakan pertanian berkelanjutan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di screen house bertempat di Desa Karang Mekar, Kecamatan Kedungwaringin, Kabupaten Bekasi, Provinsi Jawa Barat. Tempat penelitian berada pada ketinggian 15 meter di atas permukaan laut. Penelitian …

Socially Aware Network User Mobility Analysis And Novel Approaches On Aerial Mobile Wireless Network Deployment, Ismail Uluturk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Service demand patterns for wireless networks are evolving with the technological developments in areas such as personal computing, unmanned vehicles, and internet-of-things, where increasing mobile service demand is one of the significant challenges introduced. In addition to these new intrinsic dynamics, natural disasters and societal upheaval are also disrupting the conventional patterns of network demand. Situations like damaged infrastructure due to a natural disaster or large numbers of displaced people caused by political strife and social upheaval demand flexible, rapidly deployable network architectures. The increasing demands of next-generation communication services are straining the capabilities of the traditional approach of the …

Walking Kinematics In Young Children With Limb Loss Using Early Versus Traditional Prosthetic Knee Prescription Protocols, Mark Daniel Geil, Zahra Safaeepour, Brian Giavedoni, Colleen Coulter

Faculty Articles

The traditional treatment protocol for young children with congenital or acquired amputations at or proximal to the knee prescribes a prosthesis without a working knee joint, based in part on the assumption that a child learning to walk cannot properly utilize a passively flexing prosthetic knee component. An alternative to this Traditional Knee (TK) protocol is an “Early Knee” (EK) protocol, which prescribes an articulating prosthetic knee in the child’s first prosthesis, during development of crawling and transitioning into and out of upright positions. To date, no study has compared samples of children with limb loss at or proximal to …

Constitutive Models For Dynamic Strain Aging In Metals: Strain Rate And Temperature Dependences On The Flow Stress, Yooseob Song, Daniel Garcia-Gonzalez, Alexis Rusinek

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

A new constitutive model for Q235B structural steel is proposed, incorporating the effect of dynamic strain aging. Dynamic strain aging hugely affects the microstructural behavior of metallic compounds, in turn leading to significant alterations in their macroscopic mechanical response. Therefore, a constitutive model must incorporate the effect of dynamic strain aging to accurately predict thermo-mechanical deformation processes. The proposed model assumes the overall response of the material as a combination of three contributions: athermal, thermally activated, and dynamic strain aging stress components. The dynamic strain aging is approached by two alternative mathematical expressions: (i) model I: rate-independent model; (ii) model …

High-Speed Apparatus And Signal Processing For Accoustic Delamination Detection On Concrete Bridge Decks, Lorin James Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

Maintenance and repair of deteriorating civil infrastructure are global problems requiring significant attention and resources. Accurate measurements of civil infrastructure enable lower repair and rehabilitation costs if mitigation techniques are deployed at earlier stages of deterioration. This research describes an infrastructure inspection solution to scan concrete bridge decks for internal cracking at high speeds. Internal cracking within bridge decks, known as delamination, is a particularly difficult defect to identify because it is often not detectable through visual inspection. State-of-the practice testing approaches involve the use of slow and subjective manual sounding techniques and costly lane closures. The need for an …

The Natural Historian’S Guide To The Ct Galaxy: Step-By-Step Instructions For Preparing And Analyzing Computed Tomographic (Ct) Data Using Cross-Platform, Open Access Software, T. J. Buser, O. F. Boyd, A. Cortés, Cassandra M. Donatelli, M. A. Kolmann, J. L. Luparell, J. A. Pfeiffenberger, B. L. Sidlauskas, A. P. Summers

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

The decreasing cost of acquiring computed tomographic (CT) data has fueled a global effort to digitize the anatomy of museum specimens. This effort has produced a wealth of open access digital three-dimensional (3D) models of anatomy available to anyone with access to the Internet. The potential applications of these data are broad, ranging from 3D printing for purely educational purposes to the development of highly advanced biomechanical models of anatomical structures. However, while virtually anyone can access these digital data, relatively few have the training to easily derive a desirable product (e.g., a 3D visualization of an anatomical structure) from …

Assessing Levels Of Corrosion On Extracted Mse Wall Reinforcement, Robert Ashton Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to extract galvanized steel wire reinforcement coupons from mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls along I-15 and determine the rate of corrosion that has taken place since Phase I, which was conducted by Gerber and Billings (2010). The galvanized steel reinforcement analyzed in this study has been in place for 19 to 20 years at the time of extraction. A total of 85 coupons were extracted and laboratory analysis was performed to determine the thickness of remaining zinc galvanization on each coupon. Soil samples were obtained from each one-stage wall extraction location to determine moisture …

Multimodal Mental Health Analysis In Social Media, Amir Hossein Yazdavar, Mohammad Saeid Mahdavinejad, Goonmeet Bajaj, William Romine, Amit P. Sheth, Amir Hassan Monadjemi, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, John M. Meddar, Annie Myers, Jyotishman Pathak, Pascal Hitzler

Publications

Depression is a major public health concern in the U.S. and globally. While successful early identification and treatment can lead to many positive health and behavioral outcomes, depression, remains undiagnosed, untreated or undertreated due to several reasons, including denial of the illness as well as cultural and social stigma. With the ubiquity of social media platforms, millions of people are now sharing their online persona by expressing their thoughts, moods, emotions, and even their daily struggles with mental health on social media. Unlike traditional observational cohort studies conducted through questionnaires and self-reported surveys, we explore the reliable detection of depressive …