Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Ground Deformations And Vibrations Due To Impact Pile Driving: Measurements And Prediction Model, Berk Turkel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Pile driving, a commonly used method for installing deep foundations, has gained prominence as a foundation solution to transfer structural loads to deep competent strata. However, this method of installation can generate noise, ground vibrations, and deformations. These effects pose risks to adjacent structures and buried utilities, jeopardizing the safety and serviceability of urban infrastructure. Researchers and public and private agencies have proposed many vibration limit criteria to avoid damage to infrastructure. However, these criteria for construction vibrations are not linked to the ground densification associated with repetitive and cumulative loadings in sandy soils. This dissertation focuses on developing a …

Analyzing The System Features, Usability, And Performance Of A Containerized Application On Cloud Computing Systems, Anoop Abraham

Masters Theses (Archived)

This study analyzed the system features, usability, and performance of three serverless cloud computing platforms: Google Cloud’s Cloud Run, Amazon Web Service’s App Runner, and Microsoft Azure’s Container Apps. The analysis was conducted on a containerized mobile application designed to track real-time bus locations for San Antonio public buses on specific routes and provide estimated arrival times for selected bus stops. The study evaluated various system-related features, including service configuration, pricing, and memory & CPU capacity, along with performance metrics such as container latency, Distance Matrix API response time, and CPU utilization for each service. Easy-to-use usability was also evaluated …

A Study Of The Performance Of Wind Turbines Fitted With Sprayed Liquid Flaps, Alexander Spitzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Lift generating technologies are often considered a potential solution to increased power generation and reliability within wind turbine design. The Sprayed Liquid Flap (SLF) is a novel active control method that has shown success in providing lift generation on aircraft wings, but its application in the context of rotating flows is unexplored. This research aims to understand the effects of the SLF on a wind turbine and provide a pathway for future exploration of its aerodynamic impacts on rotating flows. Computational Fluid Dynamics with an Euler-Euler multiphase approach is employed to assess the influence of the SLF on a wind …

Performance Comparison Of Low-Cost Sensors Across Six Cities Of Continental United States, Md Hasibul Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the field of air quality measurement, low-cost sensors have been extensively used for capturing high-resolution spatial and temporal pollutant concentrations. However, data accuracy and the impact of environmental conditions particularly temperature and relative humidity, remain a significant issue. Careful sensor calibrations against reference instruments are necessary for ensuring data accuracy and validity. This study investigated the effectiveness of multiple calibration methodologies (linear calibration, 3rd order polynomial calibration, and Random Forest, RF) for low-cost air quality sensor calibration across six cities (Atlanta, Portland, Riverside, Sacramento, New York City, and Phoenix) in the United States. The data for this study is …

Graph Modeling For Openflow Switch Monitoring, Ali Malik, Ruairí De Fréin

Articles

Network monitoring allows network administrators to facilitate network activities and to resolve issues in a timely fashion. Monitoring techniques in software-defined networks are either (i) active, where probing packets are sent periodically, or (ii) passive, where traffic statistics are collected from the network forwarding elements. The centralized nature of software-defined networking implies the implementation of monitoring techniques imposes additional overhead on the network controller. We propose Graph Modeling for OpenFlow Switch Monitoring (GMSM), which is a lightweight monitoring technique. GMSM constructs a flow-graph overview using two types of asynchronous OpenFlow messages: packet-in and flow-removed, which improve monitoring and decision making. …

Stochastic Modeling Of Physical Drag Coefficient – Its Impact On Orbit Prediction And Space Traffic Management, Smriti Nandan Paul, Phillip Logan Sheridan, Richard J. Licata, Piyush M. Mehta

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ambitious satellite constellation projects by commercial entities and the ease of access to space in recent times have led to a dramatic proliferation of low-Earth space traffic. It jeopardizes space safety and long-term sustainability, necessitating better space domain awareness (SDA). Correct modeling of uncertainties in force models and orbital states, among other things, is an essential part of SDA. For objects in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) region, the uncertainty in the orbital dynamics mainly emanate from limited knowledge of the atmospheric drag-related parameters and variables. In this paper, which extends the work by Paul et al. (2021), we develop a …

Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, And Methane Adsorption Potential On Jordanian Organic-Rich Source Rocks: Implications For Underground H2 Storage And Retrieval, Amer Alanazi, Hussein Rasool Abid, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Ali, Alireza Keshavarz, Volker Vahrenkamp, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen (H₂) storage in geological formations offers a potential large-scale solution suitable for an industrial-scale hydrogen economy. However, the presence of organic residuals can significantly influence the H₂ storage efficiency, as well as cushion gas performance, such as CO₂ and CH₄, injected to maintain healthy reservoir pressure. Thus, the H₂ storage efficiency and cushion gas selectivity were thoroughly investigated in this work based on H₂, CO₂, and CH₄ adsorption measurements using, for the first time, actual organic-rich carbonate-rich Jordanian source rock samples (TOC = 13 % to 18 …

Power Packet Networks For Wave Energy Converter Arrays, David G. Wilson, Raymond H. Byrne, Steven F. Glover, Tu Anh Nguyen, Rush Robinett, Wayne Weaver, Et. Al

Michigan Tech Patents

One of the biggest challenges for all renewable energy sources (RES) is that they are variable power generators which will require reactive power or energy storage systems (ESS) to provide reliable power quality (ideally power factor of one) at the power grid generation side. The present invention is directed to a power packet network (PPN) for integrating wave energy converter (WEC) arrays into microgrids. Specifically, an array of WECs can be physically positioned such that the incoming regular waves will produce an output emulating an N-phase AC system such that the PPN output power is constant. ESS requirements are thereby …

Fast Charging Of Lithium-Ion Battery For Electric Vehicles Application, Ehab Bayoumi

Mechanical Engineering

Electric vehicles (EVs) will make up a large amount of the demand on future power networks as more people switch to driving them. Lithium-ion battery fast charging is critical to save time and minimize its impact on the utility grid. The goal of this paper is twofold: first, to create a proof-of-concept Simulink model for EV fast chargers; second, to highlight several shortcomings in present fast charger technology. The suggested technique employs PWM rectifiers on the grid side to provide a near-unity power factor with sinusoidal voltage and current. A buck DC-DC converter on the battery side provides the necessary …

Enhancing Local Hydrological Services With The Geoglows Ecmwf Global Hydrologic Model, Jorge Luis Sanchez Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

Global hydrological models can fill crucial gaps for providing essential information on water resources management, flood and drought forecasting, and assessing the impacts of climate change. However, these models face several challenges that must be addressed to ensure their applicability at local scales. These challenges include effectively managing Big Data, proper communication, adoption, and achieving accuracy in their results. Achieving accuracy in global hydrological models is critical for acceptance in decision-making, but poses the most significant challenge due to the extensive amount of observed data required and the complexity of obtaining and preparing such data for model evaluation. In this …

The Effects Of Microgravity On The Development Of Osteoporosis, Jackson Asiatico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Previous research has identified a potential link between microgravity conditions and the onset of osteoporosis, a connection that stems from altered fluidic pathways crucial in nutrient dispersion and cell stimulation. Specifically, the absence of mechanical loading in space environments reduces fluid shear stress, thereby disrupting the normal flow of interstitial fluid in trabecular bone. This disruption greatly impacts the functionality of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the vital cells responsible for maintaining healthy bones. The focus of this study aims to explore the impact of microgravity on bone loss in astronauts, establishing the connection between the lack of mechanical loading and the …

Development Of A Group Contribution Method To Predict The Aqueous-Phase Reactivities Of Hydrated Electrons With Organic Compounds, Rose Daily, Daisuke Minakata

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Hydrated electrons produced in aqueous-phase advanced reduction processes (ARPs) effectively destroy oxidized forms of environmentally relevant organic contaminants, including alkyl halides. Although the rate constants of hydrated electrons with various organic compounds have been experimentally measured and compiled in the literature, no mechanistic prediction tools have been developed. Given that numerous organic compounds are used in commercial production, a prediction tool for the fate of organic compounds in the aqueous-phase ARPs will be useful. This study focused on developing a group contribution method for hydrated electrons (GCMe) to predict the second-order rate constants with aliphatic and aromatic compounds. The GCMe …

Real-Time Spatial Interference Removal And Maximum Ratio Combining In Communication Systems, Adam Gary Whipple

Theses and Dissertations

Radio frequency interference (RFI) is undesired and commonplace. Using a subspace projection method to spatially remove the interference from a phased array system gives results of a 30 dB interference null rejection (INR). Unmanned systems have been developed to observe underwater activity and communicate their observations to passing aircraft. These systems are currently limited by their use of a single transmitter. The uplink can be improved by using a dual-antenna beam steering approach to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) the aircraft receives. This approach demonstrates an increase in SNR of 3 dB when compared to a single transmitter.

Numerical Evaluation Of Forces Affecting Particle Motion In Time-Invariant Pressurized Jet Flow, Donald E. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This work evaluates the relative significance of forces determining the motion of a pulverized coal particle under conditions representative of a pressurized oxy-coal combustor. The gravity force and surface forces of drag, fluid stress, added mass, and Basset history are discussed and appropriate forms of these force equations are chosen, with a consideration of spherical and non-spherical drag and the Basset history kernel. Studies from the literature that emphasize specific forces are used to validate the implementation of the force equations and correlations. Modeling is based on time-averaged, one-dimensional motion of a single non-reacting particle along the centerline of a …

Continuous-Time Trajectory Estimation And Its Application To Sensor Calibration And Differentially Flat Systems, Jacob C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

State estimation is an essential part of any robotic autonomy solution. Continuous-time trajectory estimation is an attractive method because continuous trajectories can be queried at any time, allowing for fusion of multiple asynchronous, high-frequency measurement sources. This dissertation investigates various continuous-time estimation algorithms and their application to a handful of mobile robot autonomy and sensor calibration problems. In particular, we begin by analyzing and comparing two prominent continuous-time trajectory representations from the literature: Gaussian processes and splines, both on vector spaces and Lie groups. Our comparisons show that the two methods give comparable results so long as the same measurements …

A Polarizable Molecular Dynamics Potential For Molten Salt Property Prediction, Jared Thurgood

Theses and Dissertations

The present study attempts to find an alternate computational tool to model the complex physical interactions within the molten salt FLiNaK in a way that is both efficient and accurate. Additionally, this study seeks to describe the effects of several different types of impurities on the FLiNaK salt system. This study selects two different polarizable force fields, the AMOEBA polarizable approach and the polarizable ion model, to determine the density and the structure of the impure FLiNaK salt mixtures at typical operating temperatures in molten salt reactors (between 500-900 °C). This study conducts ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and …

Experimental Characterization Of Internal Wave Generation By Multiple Ridge Topographies, Natasha J. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Internal waves are three dimensional waves that occur in stratified fluids, where density increases with depth, such as the ocean and atmosphere. In the oceans, internal waves are continuously generated by tidal flow over subsea topography. The size and shape of the topography, as well as the stratification relative to the oscillation frequency influence the characteristics of the generated internal wave field. To advance the current understanding of how ridges on a subcritical topography changes the internal waves generated, four symmetric topographies are used with ridge numbers ranging from three to six. An additional single ridge topography is used, as …

Deployable Mechanisms And Applications For Minimally Invasive Surgery, Jacob L. Sheffield

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores techniques to utilize deployable, developable, and compliant mechanism design principles while investigating applications for minimally invasive surgery. This work also examines contemporary outreach strategies to broaden awareness and expand dissemination avenues of engineering research. The outcomes of this research aim to (i) equip product designers with machine design tools, (ii) deliver background and designs to mitigate surgical frustration and procedure complications associated with obstructed laparoscope lenses during laparoscopic surgery, and (iii) provide engineering researchers with new tools to extend the impact of their research. Part one of this work (Chapter 2) introduces methods for embedding linear-motion mechanisms …

Prediction Of Transient Hydrogen Flow Of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer Using Artificial Neural Network, Mohammad Biswas, Tabbi Wilberforce, Mohammad A. Biswas

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is fed with water and powered by electric power to electrochemically produce hydrogen at low operating temperatures and emits oxygen as a by-product. Due to the complex nature of the performance of PEM electrolyzers, the application of an artificial neural network (ANN) is capable of predicting its dynamic characteristics. A handful of studies have examined and explored ANN in the prediction of the transient characteristics of PEM electrolyzers. This research explores the estimation of the transient behavior of a PEM electrolyzer stack under various operational conditions. Input variables in this study include stack current, …

Autonomous Shipwreck Detection & Mapping, William Ard

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development and testing of Bruce, a low-cost hybrid Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) / Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) system for the optical survey of marine archaeological sites, as well as a novel sonar image augmentation strategy for semantic segmentation of shipwrecks. This approach takes side-scan sonar and bathymetry data collected using an EdgeTech 2205 AUV sensor integrated with an Harris Iver3, and generates augmented image data to be used for the semantic segmentation of shipwrecks. It is shown that, due to the feature enhancement capabilities of the proposed shipwreck detection strategy, correctly identified areas have a 15% …

Electroplating And Machining Of Silicon Carbide Wafers, Madeline Beth Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Silicon carbide has many properties that make it a promising and desirable material for diverse applications. One such application for silicon carbide wafers is as a transparent cryogenic probe card. This thesis briefly describes the design of a probe card based on a silicon carbide wafer substrate. It includes a description of electroplating fundamentals and demonstrates the feasibility of electroplating copper onto a wafer for the formation of bond pads between the substrate and external PCB ring. The process for electroplating copper with good adhesion and quality based on metal alloy formation, current control, and materials selection is outlined. Results …

Lumbar Skin Strain Fields In The Context Of Skin Adhered Wearables, Andrew Kent Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive background is herein presented for lumbar skin strain and its effect on skin adhered wearable (SAW) products. A background of the development of computational models of the interaction of skin and novel SAWs being researched is also presented. These include products involving the use of high deflection strain gauges to measure skin strain during functional movements (FMs) as a method to address the complicated phenotyping of the etiological causes of low back pain (LBP). The background concludes with the mathematical calculation of the principal skin strain magnitudes and orientations using retroreflective marker coordinate data in a motion capture …

Decentralized Sensor Fault-Tolerant Control Of Dc Microgrids Using The Attracting Ellipsoid Method, Ehab Bayoumi

Mechanical Engineering

System stability deterioration in microgrids commonly occurs due to unpredictable faults and equipment malfunctions. Recently, robust control techniques have been used in microgrid systems to address these difficulties. In this paper, for DC-islanded microgrids that have sensors faults, a new passive fault-tolerant control strategy is developed. The suggested approach can be used to maintain system stability in the presence of flaws, such as faulty actuators and sensors, as well as component failures. The suggested control is effective when the fault is never recognized (or when the fault is not being precisely known, and some ambiguity in the fault may be …

Course Experiences That Promote And Inhibit Human-Centered Design, Elizabeth A. Sanders, Molly Goldstein, Justin L. Hess

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Engineers contribute to large-scale socio-technical challenges, and human-centered design offers a design thinking approach that helps engineers develop a thorough understanding of the socio-technical effects of their design work. Thus, effective strategies for assessing and teaching human-centered design are needed. This study aimed to identify course characteristics that influence how students experience human-centered design in an introductory systems engineering design course. First, we categorized open-ended written reflections to understand the degree to which students experienced human-centered design. Second, we performed a thematic analysis to characterize salient course experiences for two groups of students: (1) students who experienced human-centered design in …

Indirect Tensile Strength Of Clayey Soils Treated With Cement Or Lime, Melissa Adams Cowley

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the sensitivity of indirect tensile strength (ITS) test results to stabilizer type, stabilizer concentration, and curing time for multiple clayey soils with varying plasticity indices (PIs), identify cases in which an ITS of 30 psi can be obtained, and create a general linear model that predicts ITS. The scope of work included laboratory testing of three clayey soils sampled from Monticello, Utah; Bloomington, Indiana; and San Antonio, Texas. Each soil was tested using two stabilizers, cement or lime, at three concentrations, and two replicate samples were prepared for each combination. ITS testing …

3rd Party Ip Encryption From Netlist To Bitstream For Xilinx 7-Series Fpgas, Daniel Hutchings

Theses and Dissertations

IP vendors need to keep the internal designs of their IP secret from the IP user for security or commercial reasons. The CAD tools provided by FPGA vendors have some built-in functionality to encrypt the IP. However, the IP is consequently decrypted by the CAD tools in order to run the IP through the design flow. An IP user can use APIs provided by the CAD tools to recreate the IP in an unencrypted state. An IP user could also easily learn the internals of a protected IP with the advent of new open-source bitstream to netlist tools. The user …

Managing The Rock Mass Destruction Under The Explosion, Maksym Kononenko, Oleh Khomenko, Ivan Sadovenko, Valeriy Sobolev, Yuliya Pazynich, Adam Smoliński

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Using the theory of elasticity and the main provisions of the quasi-static-wave hypothesis of the mechanism of the destruction of a solid medium under the action of an explosion, analytical modelling of the parameters of the formation of crumpling zones and crushing of the rock mass around the charging cavity during its explosive loading was carried out. Analytical models of the radii of the crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing zones formed around the charging cavity in the rock mass during its explosive loading, taking into account the pressure of the explosion products, the limit of tensile-compressive strength of the rocks, …

Determination Of A Surrogate For Plutonium Electrorefining, Greg Chipman, Bryant Johnson, Suhee Choi, Chao Zhang, Michael Simpson, Devin Rappleye

Faculty Publications

Conducting research experiments on plutonium electrorefining is difficult due to the significant hazards and regulations associated with nuclear materials. Finding a surrogate for plutonium electrorefining studies would enable more fundamental research to be conducted. Potential surrogates were first identified by determining the physical properties required to conduct electrorefining at the same conditions commonly used in plutonium electrorefining, a molten metal and molten CaCl₂ at 1123 K. Ce-CeCl₃, In-InCl₃, and Pb-PbCl₂ were the only potential surrogates identified using these constraints. Sn-SnCl₂ was also tested at these same conditions. More potential surrogates were identified by …

Side-Channel Leakage From The Advanced Encryption Standard On Field Programmable Gate Arrays, Kaden Makechnie-Hardy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) perform increasingly critical cryptography, researchers study the safety of these computations. One such compromise on the safety of cryptography is the side-channel attack. These attacks exploit sources of information called leakage that escape a cryptographic system in ways the original design did not intend. One dimension of a successful side-channel attack is the collection of leakage. This research configures the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) on an FPGA and demonstrates strategies for collecting three types of side-channel leakage: power consumption, temperature emissions, and ring oscillations.

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Peptide Amphiphile Biomaterials, Huihua Xing

Theses & Dissertations

Self-assembled peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have gained significant attention in recent years due to their ability to form various supramolecular nanostructures with unique physical and chemical properties. These amphiphilic molecules consist of a hydrophobic tail and a peptide domain, allowing for the formation of nanoscale assemblies in aqueous environments. The PA supramolecular structures have a wide range of potential applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

By manipulating the driving forces (e.g., hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and electrostatic interactions) involved in the self-assembly, researchers can tune the self- assembly properties (size, shape, stability, and surface character) and, consequently, the …