Engineering Commons^™

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Digital Twin For Risk Improved Decision Making In Transportation Construction, Yong-Cheol Lee, Anisha Deria

Publications

Organizing and overseeing a large number of transportation construction and maintenance projects that generally entail several miles of a worksite are a critical burden for each DOT. In addition, it requires manual monitoring of a project or construction managers to identify a progress status, a work activity, and a safety issue in a job site. Because of the projected huge volume, complexity, significant impacts of future transportation infrastructure projects, it is evident that we are now facing a critical need to create a means of improving the results of work zone management and evaluating their impacts on our society. In …

The Effect Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Traffic Crashes In Texas., Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Publications

An analysis of traffic patterns during COVID-19 has identified that reduction in the miles traveled has a significant negative correlation with COVID-19 cases and deaths across the USA. Preliminary statistics in the US suggest an increase in fatal crashes over the period of the lockdown in comparison to the same period in previous years. Moreover, while total crashes are down, motor vehicle crashes involving non-motorists became more prevalent. At the same time, non-motorist traffic has increased while motor vehicle traffic and crashes have shifted to the local systems. The main goal of this research is to perform a comprehensive evaluation …

Calcined Clays As Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Material And Precursor For Geopolymer Binders In Transportation Infrastructure, Hassan Noorvand, Miladin Radovic, Marwa Hassan, Adriana A. Alvarado, Oscar Huang

Publications

This project aimed to assess the feasibility of using locally sourced calcined kaolinitic clays both as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and as precursors for synthesizing geopolymers (GPs). For SCMs, a comprehensive set of characterizations was conducted, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analysis, and loss on ignition (LOI), along with evaluations of concrete properties such as strength activity index (SAI), slump, air content, compressive strength, and surface resistivity. For GPs, compressive strength was tested. The study yielded several key findings: (1) Three types of calcined clays (CCs) were analyzed based …

Prediction Of Moisture Resistance Of Polymeric Asphalt Binders Through The Atomic Force Microscopy (Afm) Technique, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Khaja Sameer Sadat

Publications

Moisture damage is a significant concern for state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and other agencies due to its adverse impact on pavement performance as well as longevity. The main focus of the current study project is to quantify, at the molecular level, the interaction between binder and aggregate at the interface level in the form of adhesion forces between bitumen samples and minerals of various chemical compositions. First of all, A thorough review of the literature on moisture degradation in asphalts was conducted. Based on the literature review, a comprehensive project plan and test matrix were created. Binder samples from …

Early-Age Strength Monitoring Of Sensor-Embedded 3d Printed Structures, Ali Kazemian, Marwa Hassan, Hassan Noorvand, Gabriel Arce, Kasra Banijamali

Publications

Construction 3D printing (C3DP) is an automated technology that has the potential to reduce the construction time and cost by utilizing different types of robotic systems. Due to the absence of formwork in C3DP, potential excessive water evaporation can cause issues to the freshly-printed structures that are exposed to the ambient curing condition. Moreover, the 3D printed elements should carry the service loads in a short time after printing to provide a load-bearing capacity. Destructive and non-destructive methods are the two types of methods that are being used in the construction industry for quality monitoring. Due to the time-consuming nature …

Design And Fabrication Of Quantum Cascade Laser Tree Arrays, Luke Milbocker

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are semiconductor lasers that can be designed to emit over a very broad wavelength range from the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) to terahertz frequencies. Their compact size and ability to output several watts of MWIR or long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiation makes them ideal sources for directional infrared counter measures (DIRCM). This application is fueling demand for ever more powerful QCLs, but power gains from single QCLs have largely stagnated in recent years. Novel waveguide geometries such as tree-arrays seek to increase output power delivered in a single high-quality beam. InGaAs/AlInAs tree array QCLs based on ridge waveguides …

Comparative Study Of Robotic And Manual Welding In A Low Volume-High Mix Manufacturing Environment: Case Study Of Lift Ring, Sai Sasank Pothamsetti

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A comparative study of robotic and manual welding in a low volume high mix manufacturing environment focusing on a truck body part named the lift ring to see if there is a benefit of incorporating robotic welding into the production line. By utilizing predetermined time studies such as Methods Time Measurement 1(MTM-1) and Maynard’s Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) in conjunction with normal time and motion study to see which method of time study can be used to extrapolate the times of production for higher number of parts. MTM-1 and MOST were used for a detailed time and motion analysis which …

Comparative Study Of Robotic And Manual Welding In A Low Volume-High Mix Manufacturing Environment: Case Study Of Tail Gate, Aditya Suggula

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Our study rigorously compared the efficacy of Methods-Time Measurement (MTM 1) and Maynard Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) against actual production times to identify the most accurate and efficient time management frameworks for manufacturing processes. We aimed to discern which method better predicts job completion times in a real-world setting, using a case study that included both manual and robotic welding in the assembly of a truck body part, the tipper tailgate. We discovered notable discrepancies between the predetermined time systems and actual observations, particularly in manual welding tasks. These differences highlighted the complexity of manual tasks, which involve intricate movements …

Takt Time Reduction Of Genset Assembly Line Using Process Optimization And Lean Manufacturing Tools, Ninad Joshi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

With rapid developments in the field of AI and data centers, there is a soaring demand for backup power and due to this, genset manufacturers are compelled to increase their throughput and reduce lead times. This study focuses on incorporating process optimization and lean tools for lowering the overall takt time by reducing the cycle time of the generator assembly process of Line 1 at Rolls Royce Solutions America Inc. The eventual goal is to increase the throughput from 6 generators per day to 7 per day. The paper follows a step-by-step methodology starting from the problem statement and uses …

Comparative Study Of Robotic And Manual Welding In A Low Volume-High Mix Manufacturing Environment: Case Study Of Jr Test 2, Pooma Pragna Mysore

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A comparative study of robotic and manual welding in a low volume high mix manufacturing environment focusing on a truck body part named the JR Test 2 to see if there is a benefit of incorporating robotic welding into the production line. By utilizing predetermined time studies such as Methods Time Measurement 1(MTM-1) and Maynard’s Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) in conjunction with actual welding time and motion study to see which method of time study can be used to extrapolate the times of production for higher number of parts. MTM-1 and MOST were used for a detailed time and motion …

Optimizing Production In An Electronics Manufacturing Industry Using Six Sigma: A Dmaic Approach To Process Enhancement, Shubham Parekh

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This paper focuses on the application of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) process of Six Sigma methodology for increasing the production numbers in an electronics manufacturing industry. The overall production numbers are improved by identifying the root causes and improving the process efficiency. Detailed analysis of the process cycle time for all stations is conducted and key areas for improvement are identified. Proper implementation of the suggested changes is conducted, and the results are verified. Further recommendations are provided for addressing the key improvement areas for reducing the cycle time of the bottleneck process. The findings highlight the …

Comparative Study Of Robotic And Manual Welding In A Low Volume-High Mix Manufacturing Environment: Case Study Of Cross Head, Niloufer Sarah

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A comparative study of robotic and manual welding in a low volume high mix manufacturing environment focusing on a truck body part named the Cross head to see if there is a benefit of incorporating robotic welding into the production line. By utilizing predetermined time studies such as Methods Time Measurement 1(MTM-1) and Maynard’s Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) in conjunction with actual welding time and motion study to see which method of time study can be used to extrapolate the times of production for higher number of parts. MTM-1 and MOST were used for a detailed time and motion analysis …

Comparative Study Of Robotic And Manual Welding In A Low Volume-High Mix Manufacturing Environment: Case Study Of Jr Test 3, Mayank Srinivasamurthy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis presents a comparative study of robotic and manual welding within a low-volume, high-mix manufacturing environment, focusing on the JR Test 3 case study. It explores the implementation of collaborative robots (co-bots) for robotic welding, emphasizing their flexibility, adaptability, and safety features. The study examines the integration and performance of co-bots. A detailed time and motion study, along with cost analysis, highlights the efficiency gains and quality improvements achieved through robotic welding. The findings underscore the advantages of co-bots in enhancing workflow efficiency, ensuring precision, and maintaining safety standards in dynamic manufacturing environments. The results showed that for this …

River Response To Removal Of A Small Dam And Replacement With A Roughened Channel, Chandler Sabin

All Master's Theses

Relatively few studies have analyzed how the removal of small dams and re-engineering of the channel affect river channel processes. The low-head Nelson Dam was built in 1920 on the Naches River in central Washington, causing two miles of aggraded sediments. This resulted in upstream flooding and excessive downstream incision that led to ineffective irrigation diversions, and hindered fish spawning. Nelson Dam was removed in 2021 and replaced with a graded, roughened, nature-like channel and a newly engineered diversion that was completed in 2023. The research presented here quantifies the effects of the Nelson Dam removal and channel redesign on …

Physiologically Relevant Cardiac Tissue Chips For Cardiovascular Disease Modeling, Sachin Budhathoki

All ETDs from UAB

Despite significant advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the development of new therapeutics, it remains the number one cause of death worldwide, particularly affecting the aging population. This necessitates the development of models that can more accurately recreate aspects of aging and the interaction of the heart with other organs and systems in the body, including the immune system. Tissue chip models are being increasingly considered for studying cardiac diseases as they can potentially address translational hurdles associated with animal models, yet several challenges hinder their full potential. These include a lack of …

Mechanical Behaviors Of Additively Manufactured Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites, Yu-Chao Shih

All ETDs from UAB

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are advantageous in small-batch manufacturing and prototyping functional parts, due to their cost-effectiveness and customizability. Using fiber-reinforced plastic composites (FRP) in extrusion-based AM can significantly improve the mechanical properties compared to neat thermoplastic. However, the two-fold anisotropy introduced by the multiple constituent materials and the layer-by-layer mesostructure can introduce undesired structural weaknesses. Investigating the mechanical behavior and failure mechanism is the key to understanding the synergistic effect of the constituents in FRP and assessing the structural integrity of AM-made FRP. This research work aims to experimentally, analytically, and numerically assess the mechanical behaviors of AM composite …

Removal Of Phosphorous, Copper And Zinc From Stormwater Using Powdered Activated Carbon (Pac) Based Water Treatment Residuals, Foysol Mahmud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main aim of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) based water treatment residual (WTR) in eliminating phosphorus (P), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn) from stormwater. The characteristics of the PAC WTR were analyzed, and a series of batch and column tests were conducted to determine its capacity to remove P, Cu, and Zn from stormwater and synthetic solutions. The PAC WTR conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model, demonstrating P adsorption capacities of 3.51 mg/g at pH 5. Regarding Cu and Zn removal, the PAC WTR also adhered to the Langmuir isotherm model, showing …

Feasibility Study Of Managing Peak Cooling Loads To Achieve Energy Cost Reduction In A Northern Climate Campus, Mark Rizkalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

South Dakota State University Facilities and Services Office is facing the challenge of paying high electricity bills every year, the potential of campus growth will add more burden on the energy needed to cover this demand, especially in summer months when high cooling loads are added to the electrical loads which lead to the peak loads that costs SDSU a large amount of money. The purpose of this research is to study the feasibility of managing the peak loads to reduce energy costs by applying a suitable system that fits SDSU campus nature. The methodology used is studying the capability …

Structural Construction And Surface Modification Of Copper Current Collectors For Lithium Metal Batteries, Yaohua Liang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graphene, a prevalent anode material in commercial lithium-ion batteries, has reached its theoretical capacity limit. The imperative is to develop high-capacity anode materials to meet the growing demand for energy density. Lithium metal, renowned for its exceptionally high theoretical specific capacity density (3680 mAh g-1) and low reduction potential (-3.04 V, relative to the standard hydrogen electrode), is commonly dubbed the "Holy Grail" for negative electrode materials in high-energy-density batteries. However, practical advancements in lithium metal anodes face obstacles like low Coulombic efficiency, limited cycle life, and heightened reactivity to the electrolyte and internal short circuits resulting from lithium dendrite …

Simulation Of Reacting Supersonic Flow In A Cavity Flameholder, Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scramjet engines, or Supersonic Combustion Ramjets, are pivotal for achieving and maintaining hypersonic flight speeds. These engines leverage the high-speed airflow to compress and mix air and fuel for combustion. A significant challenge in Scramjet engine design is ensuring stable and efficient combustion within this high-speed environment. Cavity flameholders are crucial components that stabilize the combustion process by creating a subsonic region where the fuel-air mixture can ignite and sustain combustion. This research simulates this supersonic flow within the combustion chamber to accurately model and analyze the combustion dynamics. Various turbulence models, including RANS, and DES, are evaluated for their …

Evaluation Of Nutrient Removal From Modified Woodchips And Organic Matter Leached From Tree Leaves After Simulated Wildfire Thermal Alteration, Zengyue Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) from stormwater runoff, carrying a variety of contaminants, presents substantial challenges to water treatment processes and public health. Among the primary pollutants, phosphate and nitrate significantly contribute to the degradation of water quality, resulting in issues such as eutrophication and methemoglobinemia. Tree leaves, which are a major source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in forested watersheds and serve as a key fuel for wildfires, further exacerbate these challenges. Post-wildfire, the altered DOC is mobilized by precipitation, leading to stormwater runoff that impacts natural water bodies and complicates treatment processes, particularly through the formation of hazardous disinfection …

Evaluating The Impact Of Perceptual Loss In Generative Adversarial Models And Diffusion Models For Document Image Enhancement, Farzaneh Karimpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Documents often suffer from various types of degradation which make them difficult to read and restrict OCR performance. This study investigates the effectiveness of perceptual loss in enhancing document image cleanup by comparing a GAN-based model and a diffusion model. In our experiments, we utilized the DE-GAN model as a GAN-based model and the NAF-DPM model as a diffusion model, both enhanced by incorporating perceptual loss. We then compared the results of both models and evaluated them by using the DIBCO 2013, DIBCO 2017, and H-DIBCO 2018 datasets revealed that our approach consistently outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods. Results showed that …

Comparative Analysis Of Deep Learning-Based Anomaly Detection Models For Gps Spoofing Detection, Hasan Mirzakhaninafchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As autonomous vehicles (AVs) become integral to modern transportation, their susceptibility to cyber-attacks, particularly GPS spoofing, presents a serious security threat. This study addresses these challenges by applying a suite of deep learning models to enhance the detection of anomalous GPS signals. Focusing on autoencoder-based architectures, the proposed models such as long short-term memory-based variational autoencoder (LSTM-VAE), LSTM-based autoencoder (LSTM-AE), multilayer perceptron-based variational autoencoder (MLP-VAE), MLP-based Autoencoder (MLPAE), Stacked LSTM-based variational autoencoder (Stacked-LSTM-VAE), stacked LSTM-based autoencoder (Stacked-LSTM-AE), memory-augmented-LSTM-VAE (Mem-LSTM-VAE), and time-series-anomaly-detection-generative-adversarial-networks (TadGAN) were trained exclusively on authentic GPS data. This unsupervised learning approach which used for the above-mentioned models enables …

Computational Characterization Of Extracellular Electro-Osmotic Flow During Tissue Repair, Ashley Jorgensen-Blocker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation (ES) therapy promotes the healing of chronic epidermal wounds and suppresses the degeneration of articular cartilage. Despite the success of ES therapy, the underlying mechanisms by which ES promotes tissue repair are largely unknown, preventing the standardization and optimization of treatments. One proposed mechanism involves electro-osmotic flow (EOF), electrically driven water flow generated within close proximity to the cell surface. EOF induces the transport of macromolecules and removes metabolic wastes and inflammatory molecules from these dense tissues through interstitial flow. This dissertation investigates the application of weak electric fields (EFs) to non-excitable cells and the generation of EOF …

An Integrated Hybrid P2p-Dr Networks For A Transactive Energy Market Platform Considering Electricity Network Constraints, Sheroze Liaquat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Silk Fibroin And Hylauronic Acid As Otic Drug Delivery System Additives; Investigation Of Silk Fibroins Responses To Enviromental Stimulii, Kolton Charles Sandau

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Serban lab has previously developed and reported on a single application drug delivery system for the treatment of otitis externa. Otitis externa also known as outer ear infections is a very common ailment that impacts large portions of both human and domestic animal populations. Typical treatment for otitis externa typically requires an extended dosing regimen over several days that is inconvenient and can lead to poor clinical outcomes due to poor patient compliance. Our delivery system employs a thixotropic gel to deliver a steady dose of medication over the duration of the infection.

Here we evaluated the reproducibility and …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Pakunihanich Nicoli Martin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Romel Robinson Ii

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model Comparison For Fish Habitat Assessment In Rivers, Tyler Caseltine

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Accurate prediction of aquatic habitat availability for salmonids and other aquatic species is crucial for effective river and tributary restoration and management. Two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic models have become the standard for simulating depth and velocity conditions in open channel systems, leveraging advances in computational capabilities and spatial data collection. This study compares four 2D hydrodynamic models—SToRM, River2D, HECRAS2D, and SRH2D—using consistent topographic and calibration data, and adhering to Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) standards as outlined by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and McBain Associates. The models were evaluated with data from two study sites for their …

Co-Firing Of Lpg And Diesel Fuels Through An Innovative Double Swirl Burner: Combustion Characteristics And Exhaust Emissions, Eslam O. Mater, Karim M. Soliman, A. Abdulnaim, Ahmed Abdelrazik Emara, Ahmed Salah Elsahy, Hany A. Moneib

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

The current stringent environmental regulations, the depletion of fossil fuels and the emergence of oil biofuels and synthetic gases had motivated combustion scientists to search for alternative technologies that meet efficient burning, flexible use of multiple fuels and conform to a clean environment. In that respect, several developments had emerged including, low swirl combustion for partially premixed mixtures, “Mild” combustion for diffusion flames. The present experimental study introduces a new concept that combines separate admissions of fuel and air with a central recirculation zone following the diffusion combustion mode, partial premixing within a premix chamber resulting in the creation of …