Engineering Commons^™

Transient Performance And Melt Front Characterization Of Phase Change Materials, Tyler Stamps

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Thermal management systems are often over-designed for average use in order to handle spikes in heat generation, which increases the spatial and financial requirements. One way to mitigate this is via the use of phase change materials (PCMs) as thermal buffers and storage media. This material type exhibits excellent latent heat at the sacrifice of conductivity. The present paper examines the melt front behavior of a common solid to liquid PCM, paraffin, experimentally and numerically. The experimental scenario was a block of PCM with a constant temperature heat flux introduced on one end and a constant temperature cold boundary condition …

Nanoscratch Study Of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings With A Polydopamine + Sio2 Adhesive Underlayer, Anna Fisher

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have a wide array of desirable characteristics such as low friction, high hardness, and scratch resistance. Due to high residual stress and thermal mismatch, DLC films experience adhesion difficulties when bonded with metallic substrates, leading to cracking and delamination. In this study, the properties of a new coating with a polydopamine underlayer and silica nanoparticles bonded to a stainless-steel substrate (PDA+SiO2/DLC) were studied alongside three other samples, one with a polydopamine underlayer (PDA/DLC), one with a trimethylsilane (TMS) underlayer (TMS/DLC), and one with no underlayer (DLC only). Nanoscratch tests were performed with a 1 μm spheroconical …

Mechanical Behavior Of Cyclo-18 On Nickel And Copper Substrates, Reagan Michael Kraft

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Carbyne, an -hybridized allotrope of carbon, has been the subject of many studies recently due to its incredible mechanical properties and small size. More recently, another -hybridized allotrope known as cyclo-18, has gained interest. In this study, computational molecular dynamics will be used to determine the mechanical properties of cyclo-18. Peeling and shearing tests of the molecule will be conducted on nickel and copper, which are respectively active and less-active transition metals. Additionally, a carbyne chain of equal length will undergo the same tests on the copper substrate to compare the mechanical properties of the two. The results conclude that …

Noise Control In Sorting Conveyors, Eyra Herrera

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

E-commerce has increased the necessity of effective material handling equipment in warehouses and distribution centers. Sorter conveyors systems facilitate material handling by providing a reliable and automated system to classify and distribute products in a gentle and rapid manner. With the steady increase of speed in sorter conveyors to satisfy today’s industry demand, some systems have started to produce high noise levels that could potentially affect workers’ health. Since decreasing the speed of these conveyors is not a viable option to decrease noise in sorter equipment, industries have opted to find other ways to apply noise control to their equipment. …

Design And Control Of A Peristaltic Pump To Simulate Left Atrial Pressure In A Conductive Silicone Model, Jeremy Collins

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to the CDC, atrial fibrillation is responsible for more than 454,000 hospitalizations and approximately 158,000 deaths per year. A common treatment for atrial fibrillation is catheter ablation, a process in which a long flexible tube is guided through the femoral artery and to the source of arrhythmia in the heart, where it measures the electrical potential at various locations and converts problematic heart tissue to scar tissue via ablation. This paper details the design and control of a low-cost ($400) peristaltic pump system using repetitive control to replicate blood pressure in the left atrium in a conductive silicone model …

Application Of Machine Learning In Flood Depth Prediction, Armando Esquivel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Machine learning technologies have helped provide answers for problems with a high degree of complexity. Machine learning has been utilized by various disciplines within the Civil Engineering profession and has proven to be efficient in solving complex problems. Although machine learning is being used in the Civil Engineering profession, a formal framework on developing and integrating machine learning has not been developed for flood depth prediction. The proposed word uses machine learning to predict the depth of flood at Houston, TX, due to a 100-year 24-hour storm. The proposed work can be used to collect, store and analyze data to …

Steam Oxidation Of Ytterbium Disilicate Environmental Barrier Coatings With And Without A Silicon Bond Coat, Ken A. Kane, Eugenio Garcia, Sharon Uwanyuze, Michael Lance, Kinga A. Unocic, Sanjay Sampath, Bruce A. Pint

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The current generation of multilayer Si/Yb₂Si₂O₇ environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are temperature limited by the melting point of Si, 1414°C. To investigate higher temperature EBCs, the cyclic steam oxidation of EBCs comprised of a single layer of ytterbium disilicate (YbDS) was compared to multilayered Si/YbDS EBCs, both deposited on SiC substrates using atmospheric plasma spray. After 500 1-h cycles at 1300°C in 90 vol%H₂O-10 vol%air with a gas velocity of 1.5 cm/s, both multilayer Si/YbDS and single layer YbDS grew thinner silica scales than bare SiC, with the single layer YbDS forming the …

Market Analysis Of Virtual Estimating For Reconstruction, William Robert Spencer

Construction Management

Reconstruction is the sector of construction that focuses on fixing fire, mold, and water damage to properties. Typically these are covered by insurance companies and the cost of these are determined through an insurance estimate using Xactimate. These insurance estimates are typically performed through visiting the site a few times by both the insurance company and the reconstruction company. Each of them will typically put together an estimate based on normal photos and then compare the estimates and then pay out the homeowner. This paper will examine the market interest in California for using virtual tours and expert insurance estimators …

Journeyman International: Canopy Life School, Housing & Training Complex In Kenya, Spencer P. Mishky

Construction Management

The purpose of this project was to provide a master plan for a primary school complex in a rural village in Migori County, Kenya. This facility aims to eliminate any issues for students growing up in the area. The master plan includes a primary school, housing accommodations, a training center, and a dining hall to cultivate success through all stages of these children’s lives. The project is headed by a non-profit organization, Journeyman International in conjunction with Canopy Life International and Take Heart Africa. The project was interdisciplinary involving a construction manager, an architect, and two architectural engineers all working …

International Sustainability Trends In Construction And Potential Applications In The American Market, Dante De Mayo

Construction Management

The construction industry evolves everyday as it attempts to stay up to date on current technologies, meet the needs of consumers, and take action on the ever-pressing topic of sustainability. Sustainability is one of the main ways the industry continues to advance. The United States is one of the world leaders in sustainable construction, however with limited research and restrained interest there is only so much progress that can be made when solely relying on domestic resources. By studying and collaborating with foreign construction institutions, the American construction industry has the potential to improve its sustainability performance significantly. By performing …

Cm Member Of Slocoe Peace Conference Center Feasibility Study, Jackson Reynolds

Construction Management

This paper describes the parking design and estimate portion of a whole feasibility study conducted by an interdisciplinary team. The interdisciplinary team consisted of three senior undergraduate industrial engineering students, and one senior undergraduate construction management student. This feasibility study was conducted for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) to determine if it is feasible to construct a new, 400-person conference center on a site in San Luis Obispo, CA. The complete study includes analyses of the following topics: economic, utilities, traffic/road, approval from Chumash Tribe, social/historical, climate, geological, vegetation and wildlife, noise and pollution, parking, mandatory …

Improving Student Success And Engagement In Virtual And Hybrid Classrooms., Sydney Fogo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis examines virtual classes from the University of Louisville in the Fall 2020 semester to discover points of weakness relative to keeping students engaged in online courses. Three surveys were taken by a select group of participants over the course of the fall semester in order to collect student opinion on specific classes. Interviews were held with a subset of students from the group of participants and also with professors who taught the study’s participants in the fall of 2020. Their responses and conversations were used to determine possible areas of improvement for virtual classes. This information was …

Predicting Henry's Law Constants Of Volatile Organic Compounds Present In Bourbon Using Molecular Simulations., Christopher A Abney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Henry’s Law describes the partitioning of molecules into liquid and gas phases at low concentrations. Henry’s Law, which is based upon a species-dependent constant and the gas phase partial pressure, is useful for predicting phase behavior of dilute solutes. However, Henry’s Law constants are difficult to measure experimentally or to predict using structure-property or thermodynamic models. Herein, molecular simulations were used to calculate Henry’s Law constants for 18 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in bourbon. The novel simulations analyzed solvation thermodynamics of small organic molecules in 120 proof ethanol. A fast-growth non-equilibrium free energy method was used in which the …

An Investigation Of Barriers And Facilitators To Living Kidney Donation, Rachel E. Crenshaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is strong interest in increasing living kidney donation, as the need for kidney transplants is quite high. Although previous studies outline some barriers and facilitators associated with donating, living kidney donation comprises only a small percentage of overall kidney transplants and thus further research on factors influencing the decision to donate is needed to find ways to increase the donor pool. Ten semi-structured interviews of living kidney donors were completed and analyzed for common themes that either support the current literature or surface additional barriers and facilitators. In addition, a systematic review and analysis of social medial support groups …

Covid-19 Serological Diagnostic Development Using A Sars-Cov-2 Rbd Foldon Fusion, Joey Emery Breckenridge Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Serological tests are conducted to assess humoral response against viral protein antigens, to assess viral exposure and protection from pathogens. The rapid development and modularity of serological assays have proven critical to managing the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 is within the trimeric Spike protein and serves as a highly immunogenic target for potentially neutralizing antibodies. Current receptor binding domain serological assays use recombinant monomers or dimers of the receptor binding domain. The receptor binding domain is presented to the immune system natively in the context of the Spike protein trimer. Therefore, a recombinant trimeric receptor …

Cfd Analysis Of Acoustofluidic Channels And The Effects On Biologic Delivery., Zachary T. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

T-cell transformation is an ever-expanding treatment for several types of cancer, with a potential to be adapted to other disorders in which the immune system plays a key role in the pathophysiology. Currently, all FDA approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer therapies rely on transformation via viral transduction. However, viral transduction is plagued by poor consistency and the potential to create adverse immune reactions when T-cells are reintroduced into a patient. Other transformation methods are being explored, with an alternative called acoustofluidic sonoporation showing promise. In these procedures, cells are passed through a channel, of the millimeter scale, while …

Automated Conversion Of Multicellds Digital Cell Lines And Isa-Tab Filesets., Connor Joseph Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biological simulation tools are a valuable asset to bridge the gap between biological experimentation and biological theory. As systems thinking has become more regularly applied to biological materials and processes, these materials and processes have been characterized in multi-disciplinary, computational manners. This characterization has yielded an ability to create more realistic simulation tools that can provide in silico experiments for a wider range of scenarios. One prominent simulation tool is PhysiCell, an open-source physics-based multicellular simulation program which utilizes input Digital Cell Lines or Digital Snapshots from the MultiCellular Data Standard (MCDS) project.

This project aims to allow data exchange …

Biomechanical Characterization Of Video-Recorded Short-Distance Falls Involving Children Equipped With A Biometric Device In A Childcare Setting: A Pilot Study., Danielle K. Cory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: A fall is the most common falsely reported injury scenario when a young child presents for medical care and the caregiver is concealing abuse. There is a lack of reliably witnessed falls with known outcomes to aid in the distinction between accidental and abusive injuries.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to characterize video-recorded short distance falls involving young children in a childcare setting, to identify body regions most commonly impacted in these short distance falls, to characterize the head biomechanics of these falls, and describe fall characteristics. Additionally, physics-based models were used to predict fall biomechanics in …

Annealing Of Encapsulated Heavy Metals From Brine Water Utilizing Microwave Enabled Sol-Gel Process, Adam Michael Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Various waste encapsulation strategies have been investigated to solidify and stabilize heavy metal wastewater for proper long-term storage. This work aims to enhance a method of novel sol-gel encapsulation of heavy metals from mock brine waters using tetramethyl orthosilicate with the addition of an annealing step at various temperatures in order to reduce leaching of metals from the silica monoliths when exposed to water. The metals tested for encapsulation and leaching were mercury (II) chloride, potassium dichromate, sodium selenite, boric acid, cadmium chloride, and copper (II) acetate. The annealing of the silica monoliths led to an increased degree of for …

Image Analysis Of Charged Bimodal Colloidal Systems In Microgravity., Adam J. Cecil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colloids are suspensions of two or more phases and have been topics of research for advanced, tunable materials for decades. Stabilization of colloids is typically attributed to thermodynamic mechanisms; however, recent studies have identified transport or entropic mechanisms that can potentially stabilize a thermodynamically unstable colloidal system. In this study, suspensions of silsesquioxane microparticles and zirconia nanoparticles were dispersed in a nitric acid solution and allowed to aggregate for 8-12 days in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. The suspensions were subsequently imaged periodically at 2.5x magnification. Due to the inadequacy of existing image analysis programs, the python package “Colloidspy” …

Informed Polluters: A Comparison Between Pollutant Sources Of Two Lakes And Resulting Remediation Strategies, Jeffrey Kennedy

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Excess nutrients are a problem for many lakes and rivers across the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires states to monitor polluted waterbodies and provide plans to remediate them. These plans are commonly submitted in a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report where sources and polluters are identified. These reports have not been successful, however, at solving all nutrient problems.

Newman Lake in Washington and Mantua Reservoir in Utah are two lakes that continue to receive excess nutrients, notably phosphorus. High levels of these nutrients lead to increased biological activity and subsequent drops in dissolved oxygen. Many lakes …

The Status Of Construction Jobsite Emergency Alert Systems In The Construction Industry, Steven E. Pulver

Construction Management Theses

There are various types of emergency alert systems available in the construction industry from the air horn to more complex remote and app-based systems. This study utilizes an industry survey to identify the most commonly used emergency alert methods on jobsites, and the industry professionals’ knowledge and perceptions of app-based and remote emergency alert systems. Results indicate that the air horn is the most commonly used method of emergency alerts, and the construction industry is willing to spend more on the remote emergency alert systems compared to the app-based emergency alert systems. The major concerns from the construction industry are …

Post Processing Of Electron Beam Melted Ti-6al-4v And Binder Jetted 17-4 Stainless Steel, Ahmad Omar Abu-Issa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An extensive assortment of HIP parameters have been altered on EBM fabricated Ti-6Al-4V and have shown that cooling rates of 103 oC/min from temperatures above and below the beta transus produced acicular alpha-prime martensite characteristic elongations < 10 %. Optimum yield strength (0.9 GPa), UTS (1.0 GPa) and elongation (~14 %) were achieved for slow cooling (at 102 oC/min) from 850 oC HIP which produced a dense, Widmanstatten alpha structure within the retained, as-fabricated columnar grains by alpha-prime decomposition. These results suggest that manipulation of AM process parameters to produce a small-grain, equiaxed microstructure, HIPed below the beta transus and slow cooled, will have a wide range of superior, isotropic mechanical properties corresponding to a Widmanstatten alpha microstructure within the equiaxed grains. Also, Binder Jetting printing parameters for differing PSD's of low-cost water-atomized 17-4 Stainless Steel were optimized in order to produce high dense parts. Densities ranging from 94-97.5% were achieved, and issues of inhomogeneous porosity were addressed using a fumed silica flow additive.

Adaptive Lean Manufacturing Implementation For Organizations With Rapid Leadership Turnover, Brett Babcock

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Lean Six Sigma seeks to optimize workplace efficiency and is now world renowned as the standard for how to maximize profits, perfect quality control, and emphasize workplace safety. Almost every large scale engineering company has in some shape or form a Lean Six Sigma aimed concept of operations to the point that a subset of the Lean Six Sigma Institute is focused towards compiling packages to assist those companies that have not implemented it to make the transition. These packages while efficient, operate with the understanding that the ideologies they deploy will be implemented from the top down and that …

Geotechnical Aspects Of Martian Regolith Simulant Jsc Mars-1, Jesus Baca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The primary objective of this research was to mechanistically characterize the physical and mechanical properties of the JSC Mars-1 regolith simulant to better understand its physical, mechanical, and physio-chemical properties. JSC Mars-1 is a regolith simulant developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) based on the data collected by instruments on the Viking and the Pathfinder landers. A comprehensive experiment matrix was devised to simulate the extraterrestrial compaction characteristics of unbound simulants in the laboratory. The resilient properties, strength parameters, and deformation potential were of primary interest in this effort. In addition, …

3d Printing Of High Viscosity Fluids And Its Application In 3d Printing Of Prosthetic Teeth., Abhilash Aditya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The advancement in technology has brought forward non-conventional manufacturing methods that are efficient and advantageous for specific applications. 3D printing is one such outcome, whose applications stretch from biomedical applications to daily products. 3D printing is a rapidly growing technology, and innovative research developments have proven versatility in creating physical objects. Simplification and constant improvement in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) operation result from decades of research. However, 3D printing is material-specific and contributes to shortcomings in the technology. The build-material dictates the extrusion parameters, including the material discharge rate and head speed for a continuous flow. Customization being the prime …

Aloe Vera Extract-Based Composite Nanofibers For Wound Dressing Applications, Raul Barbosa, Alexa Villarreal, Cristobal Rodriguez, Heriberto De Leon, Robert Gilkerson, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Natural, biocompatible, and biodegradable composite nanofibers made of Aloe vera extract, pullulan, chitosan, and citric acid were successfully produced via Forcespinning® technology. The addition of Aloe vera extract at different weight percent loadings was investigated. The morphology, thermal properties, physical properties, and water absorption of the nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The developed nanofiber membranes exhibited good water absorption capabilities, synergistic antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, and promoted cell attachment and growth. Its porous and high surface area structure make it a potential candidate for wound dressing …

Detecting The Leakage In The Pipeline System Through Flow Parameter Analysis, Hao Fu

Theses and Dissertations

The pipeline is an efficient way to transport oil and gas over long distances. However, leakage can occur when the pipes have been running for a long time. The leak of energy resources will cause economic loss in millions of dollars, pollute the local environment, and result in safety problems. Therefore, the technology of pipeline leak detection is very crucial during the energy transport process.

The goals of the research are to develop mathematical models based on experimental data and CFD simulation to detect single and multiple leaks in a pipeline and/or pipeline system. The new methods use daily recorded …

Impact Of Covid-19 On City Streets, Mihir Sharma

Honors Scholar Theses

Covid-19 has had a severe impact on the urban fabric of many cities and caused disruption to the current way of living. This paper attempts to shed light on the impact that Covid-19 has had on the city streets and how city streets have adapted to the disruptions brought on by the virus. Furthermore the paper lays down recommendations that cities can use to make their streets healthier and safer

A Comparison Of Medical Article Transport Approaches, Andrew White

Honors Scholar Theses

Our senior design project is to develop a product named the Smartbox - a container capable of safely carrying and monitoring medical articles and accommodate a UAV drone carrying the container. These medical articles include sensitive medicines and human organs for transplantation. Speed, safety, and reliability are a must in this field, as the stakes if a payload is lost or improperly maintained can be life threatening. This project aims to improve on the existing medical transport logistics chains in use today. Time is the most important factor in transportation: many organs simply cannot survive outside of the human body …