Engineering Commons^™

Thermodynamic Properties Of Common Salts In Aqueous Solutions, Li Shu, Veeriah Jegatheesan, Leonardo Jegatheesan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A relationship between the activity of hydrogen ions and charge activity in an aqueous solution has been developed in a previous study. That study also revealed that the potential energy of an aqueous solution can be obtained by multiplying the charge activity with electrostatic potential of the solution. In this study, negative potential energy equalling Gibbs energy of four common salt (NaCl, KCl, NaNO3 and KNO3) solutions were quantified using the charge activity. Then the entropies of those salt solutions were computed using the Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and the charge activity. Charge activities were computed using the pH of those …

Vistac Toward A Unified Multimodal Sensing Finger For Robotic Manipulation, Sheeraz Athar, Gaurav Patel, Zhengtong Xu, Qiang Qiu, Yu She

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Tactile sensors are crucial in providing contact geometry information necessary for object manipulation. However, it remains highly nontrivial for a tactile sensor to be able to perceive a distant object before manipulation. In this work, we present an innovative robotic finger, VisTac, which seamlessly combines high-resolution tactile and visual perception in a single unified device, while adhering to essential mechanical constraints, such as a human-finger-like wedge-shaped top, vital for manipulation tasks. Furthermore, we discuss the fabrication of a key component in the device; the semitransparent membrane with light-dependent opacity, thus enabling the contact surface to effortlessly transition between visual and …

Fortifying Iot Against Crimpling Cyber-Attacks: A Systematic Review, Usman Tariq, Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Attique Khan, Ali Kashif Bashir

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The rapid growth and increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in our everyday lives create exciting opportunities for human involvement, data integration, and seamless automation. This fully interconnected ecosystem considerably impacts crucial aspects of our lives, such as transportation, healthcare, energy management, and urban infrastructure. However, alongside the immense benefits, the widespread adoption of IoT also brings a complex web of security threats that can influence society, policy, and infrastructure conditions. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable to security violations, and industrial routines face potentially damaging vulnerabilities. To ensure a trustworthy and robust security framework, it is crucial to …

Smart Service Function Chain System For Dynamic Traffic Steering Using Reinforcement Learning (Chrl), Ahmed Nadhum, Ahmed Al-Saadi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The rapid development of the Internet and network services coupled with the growth of communication infrastructure necessitates the employment of intelligent systems. The complexity of the network is heightened by these systems, as they offer diverse services contingent on traffic type, user needs, and security considerations. In this context, a service function chain offers a toolkit to facilitate the management of intricate network systems. However, various traffic types require dynamic adaptation in the sets of function chains. The problem of optimizing the order of service functions in the chain must be solved using the proposed approach, along with balancing the …

Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

BACKGROUND Plastic-degrading microbial isolates offer great potential to degrade, transform, and upcycle plastic waste. Tandem chemical and biological processing of plastic wastes has been shown to substantially increase the rates of plastic degradation however, the focus of this work has been almost entirely on microbial isolates (either bioengineered or naturally occurring). We propose that a microbial community has even greater potential for plastic upcycling. A microbial community has greater metabolic diversity to process mixed plastic waste streams and has built-in functional redundancy for optimal resilience. RESULTS Here, we used two plastic-derivative degrading communities as a model system to investigate the …

Interval-Valued Fermatean Neutrosophic Shortest Path Problem Via Score Function, Said Broumi, S. Krishna Prabha, Vakkas Uluçay

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Contemporary mathematical techniques have been crafted to address the uncertainty of numerous real-world settings, including Fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy set theory. Fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy set is an extension of combining Fermatean and neutrosophic sets. A Fermatean neutrosophic set was developed to enable the analytical management of ambiguous data from relatively typical real-world decision-making scenarios. Decision-makers find it challenging to determine the degree of membership (MG) and non-membership (NG) with sharp values due to the insufficient data provided. Intervals MG and NG are suitable options in these circumstances. In this article, the shortest route issue is formulated using an interval set of …

The Santa Clara, 2023-10-13, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Contemplation Of Improvement Efforts To Manage Combined Sewer Overflows †, Younghan Edwin Jung, Myung Jeong, Hwandon Jun, Trevor Smith

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) is a significant environmental concern and public health risk (e.g., water contamination, eutrophication, and beach closure). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program to regulate and address this matter. This program mandates the control of CSOs for more than 700 municipalities obligated to devise Long-term Control Plans (LTCPs) to curb combined sewer overflows and reduce them to safe levels. The LTCP involves diverse strategies, including sewer separation, green infrastructure improvements, and conventional gray infrastructure upgrades. This study investigates several municipalities’ solutions for CSO problems that use conventional …

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, litter, …

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, litter, …

Interval-Valued Fermatean Neutrosophic Shortest Path Problem Via Score Function, Said Broumi, S. Krishna Prabha, Vakkas Uluçay

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Contemporary mathematical techniques have been crafted to address the uncertainty of numerous real-world settings, including Fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy set theory. Fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy set is an extension of combining Fermatean and neutrosophic sets. A Fermatean neutrosophic set was developed to enable the analytical management of ambiguous data from relatively typical real-world decision-making scenarios. Decision-makers find it challenging to determine the degree of membership (MG) and non-membership (NG) with sharp values due to the insufficient data provided. Intervals MG and NG are suitable options in these circumstances. In this article, the shortest route issue is formulated using an interval set of …

Investigation And Analysis Of Circular Economy Indicators In The Manufacturing Industry, Dina Aljamal

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

In the pursuit of sustainable development, the concept of the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a compelling and transformative alternative to the traditional linear economic model (i.e., take, make, use, dispose). The limitations of the linear economy in addressing contemporary global challenges have highlighted the urgency of adopting a more regenerative approach. Simply put, the circular economy aims to maximize the value extracted from available resources over their lifecycle, thereby ensuring the fulfillment of both current and future generations' needs. This thesis sheds light on a pivotal solution for effectively integrating circular economy principles into enterprises, thereby reinforcing sustainability. …

Analysis Of Thin Plates In Bending By New Rectangular Strain Based Element., Samira Chichoune, Cherif Rebiai

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of a new simple four node rectangular finite element for bending analysis of thin plates. The displacement s field of this element is based on the assumed functions for the various strains satisfying the compatibility equations. This developed element has three degrees of freedom at each node (two rotations and one translation), and it passed successfully benchmark tests in the case of thin plates without shear locking phenomena. The obtained numerical results using the developed element converge toward both analytical and reference solutions.

Evaluation Of Feasibility And Performance Of Foamed Fire-Resistant Coating Materials, Anyou Zhu, Hanli Wu, Yizhuang David Wang, Jenny Liu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A preliminary study found high-performance cement mortar, geopolymer mortar, and magnesium phosphate cement mortar (MPCM) have the potential as new fire-resistant materials. In this study, foam was added to these three fire-resistant materials to further improve their rheological, mechanical, and fire-resistant performance and reduce costs. Systematic design and experimental programs were conducted. The results showed the addition of foam enhanced workability, adhesiveness, and fire resistance, allowing the materials to withstand higher temperatures and further delay heat transfer. A mixture of 70% MPCM and 30% foam was identified as the optimum design, which could withstand 1000 °C with low heat transfer …

Adoption Of Cybersecurity Policies By Local Governments 2020, Donald F. Norris Phd, Laura K. Mateczun Jd

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper should be of interest to the readers of this journal because it addresses a subject that has received little scholarly attention; namely, local government cybersecurity. The U.S. has over 90,000 units of local government, of which almost 39,000 are “general purpose” units (i.e., municipalities, counties, towns and townships). On average, these governments do not practice cybersecurity effectively (Norris, et al., 2019 and 2020). One possible reason is that they do not adopt and/or implement highly recommended cybersecurity policies. In this paper, we examine local government adoption or lack of adoption of cybersecurity policies using data from three surveys. …

Modulating Poisson's Ratio In Flexible Honeycombs By Density And Architecture Gradations, Kazi Zahir Uddin, Ibnaj A. Anni, George Youssef, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Zero Poisson’s ratio structures are a new class of mechanical metamaterials wherein the absence of lateral deformations allows the structure to adapt and conform their geometries to desired shapes with minimal interventions. These structures have gained attention in large deformation applications where shape control is a key performance attribute, with examples including but not limited to shape morphing, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. The present study introduces an experimentally driven approach that leads to the design and development of (near) zero Poisson’s ratio structures with considerable load-bearing capacities through concurrent density and architecture gradations in hybrid honeycombs created from hexagonal …

Critical Buckling Coefficient Of Tapered Web Plate Girder Under Compression And Bending Stresses, Saad A. Yehia, Ramy I. Shahin

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The tapered girders were developed as a cost-effective solution to the problem of long-span building construction. These systems are very attractive from an economic viewpoint, combining wide spans, quick erection, and easy access to services between the shallow parts of the beam and the ceiling below. Elastic-local buckling is one of several modes of failure that must be considered during the structure design. Although elastic-local buckling has been studied for decades, there is still a need to develop quick and comprehensive procedures that will reduce product design time, particularly during the pre-sizing stage. Most design codes have no specific provisions …

Lgbtq+ Safe Zone Ally Workshop, Rocio Chavela Guerra, Stephanie Farrell

Workshops

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals have historically faced harassment, exclusionary behavior, and discrimination in many aspects of their lives, including in educational settings. This workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to (1) recognize the negative impact of bias and heterosexual/cisgender privilege on the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals; (2) recognize challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM fields; (3) identify strategies for creating an inclusive and affirming environment; and (4) formulate a plan to become an ally for LGBTQ+ individuals. The workshop is open to students, faculty, and the professional community in STEM fields and …

Teaching Competencies, Samuel Bengmark

Workshops

In search of a model of teaching competencies for engineering education, we led a focus group discussion as a workshop at SEFI2023, where we got practitioners’ perspectives on essential competencies for teaching. These were compared to a model of teaching competencies called the S2L model, developed and used at a technical university in Sweden. The aim of the workshop was to enrich the participants’ understanding of which competencies are essential for teaching and to challenge and improve the S2L model. After the workshop, the competencies collected from the participants were analysed using content analysis. The results show that the teaching …

Validity Of Student Professional Practice Competency Claims, David Lowe, Anthony Kadi

Research Papers

The University of Sydney has introduced a program of engaging engineering students throughout their degree program in diverse forms of self-selected exposure to, and engagement with, professional practice. To gain recognition of completed activities students are required to submit “claims” that include identification of the core competencies that were developed and demonstrated during the activity, along with a detailed reflection on their learning. Given that the claims are highly individualised and often unsupervised, assessment is predominantly limited to evaluation of the reflections along with evidence of the activity. A key question in the program relates to the validity of the …

Integrating Learning Analytics Into Engineering Education: Design Strategies For Teachers, C.A. Vonk, E. Ventura-Medina, C.C.P. Snijders, U. Matzat, R. Zhang, T. Cristea

Workshops

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Analysis Of China's Application-Oriented Talents Cultivation Policies, Yingying Qiao, Yiang Yang, Ling Zhu

Research Papers

Faced with a new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the Chinese government has implemented policies to cultivate application-oriented talents. Application-oriented talents utilise engineering theories and technical methods to achieve engineering objectives. Cultivating such talents enables Chinese engineering education to meet better the needs of local economic and social development, promoting the differentiated development of Chinese higher education. We use quantitative methods to analyse China's application-oriented talents cultivation policies. The analysis focuses on the changes in policy contents and characteristics of policy responses to capture the developmental trends and critical stages of these policies. Findings from our …

Development In Students' Perceptions Of Sustainability And Responsibility As Relevant Aspects Of The Role Of Engineers, Clara Lemke, Ann-Kristin Winkens, Marie Decker, Inanma Elif, Carmen Leicht-Scholten

Research Papers

Engineering and technology-based solutions can address the global challenges associated with sustainable development. In this context, engineers have a substantial responsibility in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Meeting the challenges of all SDGs influences economic, political and social aspects of human life. However, engineering students’ understanding of sustainability is often limited to its ecological and economic dimension, not taking into account or even neglecting social issues. Therefore, teaching approaches in engineering education should address the different dimensions of sustainability and the responsibility of technological development concerning society.

Epistemologies Of Assessment Instruments, Raenita Fenner, Peggy O'Neill, Kerrie Douglas, Elliot P. Douglas

Research Papers

Understanding our epistemological perspective when conducting engineering education research is important for situating the knowledge claims we are making. Depending on that perspective, we may situate the knowledge claims as definitive, representing an absolute Truth, or as contingent, representing a contextualized truth. Traditionally, quantitative research has been identified as positivist, while qualitative research is diverse in its epistemological assumptions, ranging from positivist to interpretivist to Critical and the “posts.” Thus, results from quantitative studies are often treated as generalizable, absolute, and decontextualized, while quantitative studies are treated as particular, contingent, and contextualized. Assessment instruments, being quantitative, are associated with positivist …

Assessment Of Online Accreditation Of Engineering Programs: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (Chat) Analysis, Kasongo Didier Nyembwe, Tajudeen Mojisola, Zach Simpson

Research Papers

This paper shows how Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) can provide a practical framework for online accreditation of engineering programmes in South Africa. Far from being inaccessible, CHAT can provide engineering accreditation bodies with a conceptual framework and theory of change for online accreditation of engineering programs. Within the context of program accreditation in South Africa, the paper leverages CHAT to comprehend the dynamic interplay of digital technologies as deployed during online accreditation including, amongst others, video conferencing, social media and cloud storage, and how these affect online accreditation of engineering programmes. It is concluded that theory-based research and practice …

Learning Through Screens During Covid-19 Crisis: Foresee Tomorrow's Education By Analyzing Yesterday's Setbacks And Barriers, Hanen Kooli-Chaabane, Antoine Lanthony, Nicolas Peyret

Research Papers

This paper aims to enrich the state of the art on engineering and management learning and education by shedding light on the barriers encountered during the COVID-19 crisis due to the imposed digital transformation. Our research question is: what were the barriers encountered in remote and hybrid learning during pandemic experiences and what lessons can be drawn for higher education in the context of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)? This paper aims to enrich the debate on how digitalization impacted the learning and teaching experience in teaching modules traditionally achieved face-to-face.

How To Characterise Performance In Engineering Freshmen’S Modelling Tasks?, Sophie Charles, Nicolas Peyret

Research Papers

This paper presents a study aiming at characterising engineering freshmen’s performance in modelling tasks, as well as the strategies they adopt to execute them, before and after taking a 3-D modelling course. 97 freshmen in a French engineering school were asked to produce 3-D models of a part, using three views and the product development platform Onshape. The accuracy of their models was assessed using geometrical, dimensional and functional criteria. The students’ performance was also investigated with regards to their modelling strategies. We characterised more specifically the strategies they adopted to constrain the overall length of the part, and pierce …

A Framework For Investigating The Application Of Educational Theories In Engineering Education Research, Vivian Van Der Werf, Gitte Van Helden, Johannes Schleiss, Gillian N. Saunders-Smits

Research Papers

Grounding the design of educational interventions and their analysis in theory allows us to understand and interpret results of interventions and advance educational theories. Moreover, building an understanding of which educational theories are used and how they are used can build a consensus among researchers and mature the research in a field. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which educational theories are used to ground the design, analysis, and evaluation of learning activities in engineering education. For this purpose, we developed a coding instrument to determine: (1) which educational theories are expressed in studies investigating learning activities and …

Engineering Students Emotional Intelligence And Neuro-Linguistics Programming (Nlp) As Developmental Tool, Ahlem Khefacha, Beatrix Séllei

Research Papers

This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of engineering students' emotional intelligence (EI) and the possibility of using neurolinguistics programming (NLP) as a developmental tool. Students' emotional intelligence was assessed using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I) with 5 points Likert scale. Firstsemester engineering students were approached by part of a broader study at the Budapest University of Technology during 2018-2022. In the article, we describe the emotional intelligence profile of more than 3600 students in various fields of engineering. NLP professionals around the world filled out the second questionnaire. We got answers from 35 professionals based in Tunisia, Hungary, …

(Re)Defining Engineers’ Resilience: Part I An Exploratory Study Into How Engineering Educators Understand And Teach Resilience, Natalie Wint, Inês Direito

Research Papers

In recent years ‘resilience’ has increasingly been framed as a positive attribute that can play a role in the success of university students. The need for students to develop and demonstrate resilience seems particularly pertinent within engineering education. Firstly, engineering degrees are often associated with heavy workloads. This, alongside high rates of attrition and increases in mental health issues, suggests a need for students to demonstrate resilience. Secondly, engineering degrees prepare students for a profession, and it is likely that courses place emphasis on graduate attributes such as resilience. Finally, the rate of technological advancement and societal change places additional …