Engineering Commons^™

Usu Student Published In Leading Satellite Magazine, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

January 13, 2020 Aerospace Engineering student Grace Graham was recently published on the front cover of satellite industry magazine VIA Satellite, with her article titled “Mother Nature Will Not be Denied: Hurricanes and the Future of Space Flight,” in the December 2019 issue.

Undrained Cyclic Shear Resistance Of Low Plastic Silts, Rawan Almoumen

Dissertations and Theses

A magnitude 9 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake is expected to trigger widespread liquefaction in loose material in Oregon. The geotechnical engineering studies have determined that the Willamette Silts may be susceptible to liquefaction or cyclic softening, as their plasticity indices ranges between non-plastic to low plasticity. While the majority of past studies have focused on liquefaction of sand and cyclic behavior of clays, there is not enough data on the cyclic response behavior of silty soils and the liquefaction susceptibility of these soils. A research focus in the geotechnical engineering program at Portland State University revolves around is performing cyclic …

Congressional Committee Resources On Space Policy During The 115th Congress (2017-2018): Providing Context And Insight Into U.S. Government Space Policy, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Article 1 of the US Constitution assigns the US Congress numerous responsibilities. These include creating new laws, revising existing laws, funding government programs, and conducting oversight of these programs' performance. Oversight of US Government agency space policy programs is executed by various congressional space policy committees, including the House and Senate Science Committees, Armed Services, and Appropriations Committees. These committees conduct many public hearings on space policy which invite witnesses to testify on US space policy programs and feature debate on the strengths and weaknesses of these programs. Documentation produced by these committees is widely available to the public, except …

Metal Additive Manufacturing Parts Inspection Using Convolutional Neural Network, Wenyuan Cui, Yunlu Zhang, Xinchang Zhang, Lan Li, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is gaining increasing attention from academia and industry due to its unique advantages compared to the traditional manufacturing process. Parts quality inspection is playing a crucial role in theAMindustry, which can be adopted for product improvement. However, the traditional inspection process has relied on manual recognition, which could suffer from low efficiency and potential bias. This study presented a convolutional neural network (CNN) approach toward robust AM quality inspection, such as good quality, crack, gas porosity, and lack of fusion. To obtain the appropriate model, experiments were performed on a series of architectures. Moreover, data augmentation …

Characterization Of Inertial Particles In The Turbulent Wake Of A Porous Disk, Kristin Nichole Travis

Dissertations and Theses

This study presents the findings of a wind tunnel experiment investigating the behaviour of micrometric inertial particles in the turbulent wake of a stationary porous disk. Various concentrations [Φ_v ∈ (2.95 x 10^-6 - 1.22 x 10^-5)] of polydisperse water droplets (diameter 13-41 µm) are compared to sub-inertial tracer particles. Hot-wire anemometry, phase Doppler interferometry and particle image velocimetry were implemented in the near and far wake regions to study the complex dynamics of the particles. Turbulence statistics and particle size distributions are presented and used to explore the particle wake interaction.

Reiterpreting The Territory-Fragmentation Through Creating Cultural Promenadecase Study: Possibility To Reinterpret Zokak El-Blat District, Maged Youssef, Sarah Abou Shahine

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

"This paper focuses on tools and actions of urban planning that help the creation, enhancement, transformation or revitalization of cultural identity and historical meaning of central public spaces that suffer from urban disruption or fragmentation. This work uses the case study of a well-known district, Zokak el Blat, in Beirut, Lebanon, which has undergone noticeable changes in terms of morphology of the urban fabric as well as disparities in functionality. According to these facts, this district has a high potential for defining a strong central dynamic zone, where local character is reinforced, which creates a sort of fragmentation and discontinuity …

Towards A Creative Sustainable Promenade In Informal Souk Architecturecase Study: Mar Elias Camps, In Beirut, Lebanon, Maged Youssef, Farah Mefleh

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Informal settlement and slums are from the past decades growing continuously with urbanization, where informal souk or small market propagate informally in slums. Mainly the informal settlement is defined as residential areas where a group of housing has been constructed on land to which the occupants have an illegal claim. These informal settlement maintain few shops in unorganized way which influence the economic conditions. There are also the lack of open spaces where small alleys are mainly allocated in these informal urban fabric. The main aim is to provide a new applicable and better living condition, by providing new retails …

The Crimes Of Child Pornography In Light Of Sustainable Development “Lebanon As A Model”, Tarteel Darwish

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This research deals with one of the most sever international crimes at the time, which is child exploitation in pornographic materials. The Lebanese legislator has recently incorporated this crime in the Electronic Transactions and Personal Data Act enacted on October 18, 2018, by replacing articles 535 and 536 of the Penal Code with article 120 under new provision entitled “Exploitation of Minors in Pornographic Materials”. Undoubtedly, this criminalization falls within the agenda of the 2030 Sustainable Development plan, developed and promoted by the United Nations, which presents a comprehensive blueprint to ensure that all humans are respected and living peacefully …

Interactive Playscapes: Explorative Design And Robotic Fabrication Techniques, Chadi El Khoury, Rasha Sukkarieh

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This research focuses on material-based practices and explorations by utilizing the carbon fiber fabric performance characteristics as a significant driver in the design and fabrication strategies. While the integrative aspects of computational design have been extensively used for the inclusion of environmental, manufacturing, or economic considerations, material information should be similarly employed as a generative driver. The paper describes and evaluates a full-scale prototype of installation for social play actuated in the heart of Beirut city, hence integrating material research with methodologies optimizing fabrication techniques for complex, performance-driven structures. The introduction of carbon fiber composites into the construction sector defines …

Democratic Elections And Sustainable Development:The Case Of Electoral District And Representation In Lebanon, Ali Mourad

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addresses democracy in Sustainable Development Goal 16 recognizing the indivisible links between peaceful societies and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. Sustainable Development Goal 16 calls on UN Member States to promote responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making, and to build effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. Thus, Elections are an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goal 16: “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” offer specific guidelines to tackle imperative challenges such as building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions; guaranteeing election integrity and trust; and ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at …

Evaluation Of An Experimental Screw-Retained Retrievable Crown Versus Conventional Crown Design, Mohammad M. Rayyan, Ahmed Naguib M Hussien, Hanan A. Naguib, Hiba A. Makarem

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Statement of problem: Removing cemented crowns is usually a complicated procedure that may lead to irreversible damage to the tooth/crown and mostly necessitate remake of crown with added effort for both patient and clinician. Purpose: This in-vitro study evaluated an experimental two-component, screw-retained retrievable crown design in comparison to the conventional design. Materials and methods: A total of 120 extracted maxillary 2nd premolars received root canal treatment and were divided into two groups (n=60 each) according to the crown design they will receive. Gp CC received a threaded modified post, a composite core and a metal coping, while Gp RC …

Simplified Technique For Removal Of Prefabricated Threaded Posts, Mohammad M. Rayyan, Ammar M. Alwaely

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This paper describes a time-saving procedure for the removal of prefabricated threaded posts. In this technique, a slit is prepared in the head of the post to-be-removed so that it can be engaged by a jewelers’ precision stainless steel flat-blade screwdriver which would drive it out when rotated counterclockwise. This simple technique spares the clinician valuable time and effort during removal, requires minimal or no loss of valuable tooth structure compared to other techniques. It is also conservative in the sense that it does not expose dental tissue to thermal insults from use of ultrasound.

Escape Route Designs And Specifications For Office Buildings - “Cciat” Building As A Case Study, Mostafa El-Hefnawi

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Many office buildings encounter various problems with their fire safety evacuation designs. The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Tripoli - North Lebanon (CCIAT) is considered the only modern office building in its context that lacks fire escape elements and emergency plans. This paper presents an analysis and proposals for an optimal evacuation scenario for the case of the CCIAT building, and develop solutions for similar office buildings. The problem is interpreted with reference to the positions of existing staircases and lifts and their connectivity with occupants’ offices and other facilities on the floors, in order to provide a comprehensive …

Heritage Cities After Wars: Between Tradition And Innovation - A Case Study Of Beirut In Lebanon, Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Urban heritage is one of the most important aspects that identify a city’s history and evolution. Rebuilding cities after war is a concept that takes into consideration several aspects of maintaining a visual memory of urban heritage. A proper understanding of heritage aspects and elements should be considered in new extensions and the redesigning of old parts of cities, especially after wars. Beirut in Lebanon is one of the Middle Eastern cities that have been rehabilitated and rebuilt successfully after suffering from several wars. This research discusses and analyses conservation approaches that have been used in old parts of Beirut …

Impact Of Contaminated Interior Finishing Materials On The Educational Buildings, Osama Omar, Nael Al-Sarrag

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This paper focuses on the impact of indoor finishing material contaminations such as Formaldehyde (HCHO) and Volatile organic compounds (VOCS). These contaminations are reflected through harmful effects on the health of occupants in the indoor environment, reflecting negatively on the comfort, satisfaction, and productivity of inhabitants in the indoor environment. The research focuses particularly on educational buildings as a case study and the effect of contaminations in a design studio located in a faculty building of a university in Debbieh, Lebanon. During the first year of building use, the study checked the concentration of (HCHO) and (VOCS) through the use …

The Appropriate Building Materials For Energy Saving In Different Climate Zones In Egypt, Eslam M. Elsamahy, Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the different levels of community and economic interest, especially in the developing countries, due to the growing shortage of traditional energy resources with the rapidly increasing energy prices and its impact on the natural environment through the consumption of various energy resources such as fossil fuels. The residential building sector is responsible for consuming a large percentage of energy, especially that used in heating and cooling, which could be reduced through using different passive design strategies, such as designing the building shape, setting the optimum orientation and …

Impact Of Bim On Building Design Quality, Khaled Sadek, Ibtihal El-Bastawissi, Rokia Raslan, Samer Sayary

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

During last decades, the aim of new technologies was to develop new information systems to automate manual processes. Large-scale projects in the field of construction industry need a different approach to organize and analyze data creating a database without any duplication or redundancy. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a teamwork process using advanced technologies to generate data modeling. Based on a literature review, the present research proposes a set of hypotheses that links BIM implementation with the enhancement of information sharing capability (ISC) and collaborative decision capability (CDC) in the construction sector of the building industry. Consequently, it relates the …

Investigating Patterns In Convolution Neural Network Parameters Using Probabilistic Support Vector Machines, Yuqiu Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Artificial neural networks(ANNs) are recognized as high-performance models for classification problems. They have proved to be efficient tools for many of today's applications like automatic driving, image and video recognition and restoration, big-data analysis. However, high performance deep neural networks have millions of parameters, and the iterative training procedure thus involves a very high computational cost. This research attempts to study the relationships between parameters in convolutional neural networks(CNNs). I assume there exists a certain relation between adjacent convolutional layers and proposed a machine learning model(MLM) that can be trained to represent this relation. The MLM's generalization ability is evaluated …

Bioadhesive Hydrogel Composite Cell Carrier For The Repair Of The Degenerated Intervertebral Disc, Thomas Richard Christiani

Theses and Dissertations

Lower back pain (LBP) affects the worldwide population and can be attributed to the degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD). The IVD is composed of a central nucleus pulposus (NP), a peripheral annulus fibrosus (AF), and adjacent cartilage endplates (CEPs). IVD degeneration is characterized by proteoglycan loss, tissue dehydration, and decreased hydrostatic pressure. In this work, the use of an injectable bioadhesive hydrogel composite for replacement of the degenerated NP was investigated.

Results indicate that the composite exhibits similar mechanical properties to the NP, adheres to AF tissue, and supports encapsulated mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation toward an NP-like phenotype …

S-Nitroso-N-Acetyl-D-Penicillamine Modified Hyperbranched Polyamidoamine For High-Capacity Nitric Oxide Storage And Release, Sean Hopkins, Megan C. Frost

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Synthetic nitric oxide (NO)-donating materials have been shown to have many beneficial effects when incorporated into biomedical materials. When released in the correct dosage, NO has been shown to increase the biocompatibility of blood and tissue contacting materials, but materials are often limited in the amount of NO that can be administered over a period of time. To address this, hyperbranched polyamidoamine (HPAMAM) was modified with the S-nitrosothiol, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D-penicillamine, and nitrosated to form a controlled, high-capacity NO-donating compound (SNAP-HPAMAM). This compound has the potential of modifying polymers to release NO over long periods of time by being blended into a …

Native American Engineering Student Featured In "Winds Of Change", Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Jan. 9, 2020 — Cedric Mannie grew up in a small rural Native American community called Kinlichee on the Navajo Reservation. The closest grocery store was an hour away, and the only access he had to the internet was at his school.

Clinical Evaluation Of Stretchable And Wearable Inkjet-Printed Strain Gauge Sensor For Respiratory Rate Monitoring At Different Body Postures, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Saleem El Bouri, Fuad Habash, Haipeng Liu, Dingchang Zheng

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Respiratory rate (RR) is a vital sign with continuous, convenient, and accurate measurement which is difficult and still under investigation. The present study investigates and evaluates a stretchable and wearable inkjet-printed strain gauge sensor (IJP) to estimate the RR continuously by detecting the respiratory volume change in the chest area. As the volume change could cause different strain changes at different body postures, this study aims to investigate the accuracy of the IJP RR sensor at selected postures. The evaluation was performed twice on 15 healthy male subjects (mean ± SD of age: 24 ± 1.22 years). The RR was …

A Study Of Particle-Laden Flows From Meso And Micro-Scale Perspectives, Daniel Guedes De Oliveira

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Particle-laden flows are investigated numerically from a meso-scale perspective using Computational Fluid Dynamics coupled with Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) and from a micro-scale perspective using Particle Resolved Direct Numerical Simulation (PR-DNS). For the former, the dynamics of a pseudo-2D pulsed fluidized bed (PFB) consisting of 400,000 to 800,000 particles was investigated (Chapters 2 and 3). The focus is on the capabilities of CFD-DEM to (1) reproduce pattern formation in these systems and (2) further the understanding of the dynamics of PFB's as a function of pulsation parameters. In Chapter 4, a two-spheres system is investigated with a recently implemented PR-DNS …

The Optimization Of Machining Parameters For Milling Operations By Using The Nelder Mead Simplex Method, Yubin Lee

Dissertations and Theses

Machining operations need to be optimized to maximize profit for computer numerical control (CNC) machines. Although minimum production time could mean high productivity, it can not guarantee maximum profit rate in CNC milling operations. The possible range of machining parameters is limited by several constraints, such as maximum machine power, surface finish requirements, and maximum cutting force for the stability of milling operations. Among CNC machining parameters, cutting speed and feed have the greatest effect on machining operations. Therefore, cutting speed and feed are considered as main process variables to maximize the profit rate of CNC milling operations.

A variety …

Engineered Three-Dimensional Scaffolds Modulating Fate Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Stiffness And Morphology Related Cell Adhesion, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Brennan Vogl, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Goal: Artificially engineering the tumor microenvironment in vitro as a vital tool for understanding the mechanism of tumor progression. In this study, we developed three-dimensional cell scaffold systems with different topographical features and mechanical properties but similar surface chemistry. The cell behavior was modulated by the topography and mechanical properties of the scaffold. Adenocarcinoma (MCF7), triple-negative (MDA-MB-231) and premalignant (MCF10AneoT) breast cancer cells were seeded on the scaffold systems. The cell viability, cell-cell interaction and cell-matrix interactions were analyzed. The preferential growth and alignment of specific population of cells were demonstrated. Among the different scaffolds, triple-negative breast cancer cells preferred …

Multi-Mode Guided Wave Detection Of Various Composite Damage Types, Hanfei Mei, Robin James, Victor Giurgiutiu

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a new methodology for detecting various types of composite damage, such as delamination and impact damage, through the application of multimode guided waves. The basic idea is that various wave modes have different interactions with various types of composite damage. Using this method, selective excitations of pure-mode guided waves were achieved using adjustable angle beam transducers (ABTs). The tuning angles of various wave modes were calculated using Snell’s law applied to the theoretical dispersion curves of composite plates. Pitch–catch experiments were conducted on a 2-mm quasi-isotropic carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite plate to validate the excitations of …

Ai-Assisted Network-Slicing Based Next-Generation Wireless Networks, Xuemin Shen, Jie Gao, Wen Wu, Kangjia Lyu, Mushu Li, Weihua Zhuang, Xu Li, Jaya Rao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The integration of communications with different scales, diverse radio access technologies, and various network resources renders next-generation wireless networks (NGWNs) highly heterogeneous and dynamic. Emerging use cases and applications, such as machine to machine communications, autonomous driving, and factory automation, have stringent requirements in terms of reliability, latency, throughput, and so on. Such requirements pose new challenges to architecture design, network management, and resource orchestration in NGWNs. Starting from illustrating these challenges, this paper aims at providing a good understanding of the overall architecture of NGWNs and three specific research problems under this architecture. First, we introduce a network-slicing based …

Automatic Shoreline Digitization And Mesh Element Sizing For Hydrodynamic Modeling, Henok Kefelegn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The first and most critical step in any coastal hydrodynamics and transport process modeling is identifying land-water boundaries. In a coastal wetland, this has always been a challenge due to the complexity of the wetland and lack of efficient methods, calling for efficient and effective methods to extract and digitize the shorelines. While coastline feature extraction has been increasingly researched, its application in hydrodynamic and environmental modeling, without morphological adjustment, remains limited and suboptimal. Further, there has been a paucity of cost-effective, contextually adaptive and high-quality methods to generate meshes, especially for coastal hydrodynamic modeling. This study has developed and …

The Voltage Regulation Of Boost Converters Using Dual Heuristic Programming, Sepehr Saadatmand, Sima Azizi, Mohammadamir Kavousi

Graduate Student Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a dual heuristic programming controller is proposed to control a boost converter. Conventional controllers such as proportional-integral-derivative (PID) or proportional-integral (PI) are designed based on the linearized small-signal model near the operating point. Therefore, the performance of the controller during start-up, load change, or input voltage variation is not optimal since the system model changes by varying the operating point. The dual heuristic programming controller optimally controls the boost converter by following the approximate dynamic programming. The advantage of the DHP is that the neural network–based characteristic of the proposed controller enables boost converters to easily cope …

Biological Engineering Undergrad To Represent Usu At Women In Engineering Conference, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

LOGAN, UTAH — Jan. 8, 2020 — Utah State University undergraduate student Morgan Bishop was selected as an undergraduate finalist for the Women in Engineering Local Collegiate Competition to be held in Salt Lake City, Feb. 7-8. Bishop will compete in an onsite technical poster competition as well as a lightning talk and will be recognized as an outstanding contributor to engineering at the conference. Bishop is in her final semester at Utah State, earning a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering.