Engineering Commons^™

Feasibility Study On Large-Scale Geologic Carbon Sequestration In Southern Colorado, Yanrui Ning, Ali Tura, David Herman, Jay Bridgeman, Dana Clark

Michigan Tech Publications

This study evaluates the feasibility of storing over 50 million metric tons of CO2 within a 30-year period in southern Colorado. The target for injection is the 7000 ft (2134 m)-deep Lyons saline aquifer formation, with the overlying alternating layers of anhydrite and shale serving as seals. Geological static models were constructed using seismic, well log and core data, followed by fluid flow modeling to understand the CO2 injection strategy, saturation distribution and plume size. The results indicate that approximately 60 million metric tons of CO2 can be injected with 2 wells into the formation over 30 years, with 85 …

Exploring The Effects Of Excipients On Complex Coacervation, Xianci Zeng, Pratik U. Joshi, Alexander Lawton, Lynn M. Manchester, Caryn Heldt, Sarah L. Perry

Michigan Tech Publications

Complex coacervation is an associative liquid–liquid phase separation phenomenon that takes place due to the electrostatic complexation of oppositely-charged polyelectrolytes and the entropic gains associated with the release of bound counterions and rearrangement of solvent. The aqueous nature of coacervation has resulted in its broad use in systems requiring high biocompatibility. The significance of electrostatic interactions in coacervates has meant that studies investigating the phase behaviors of these systems have tended to focus on parameters such as the charge stoichiometry of the polyions, the solution pH, and the ionic strength. However, the equilibrium that exists between the polymer-rich coacervate phase …

Perturbation Solution Of Air-Water Mixture For Jet Noise Reduction, Juan Felipe Uribe Cifuentes

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This work investigates passive jet-noise mitigation using externally positioned air–water curtains that attenuate radiated sound without altering the underlying jet dynamics. Two classes of multiphase media are examined: a gaseous carrier phase containing dispersed liquid droplets, and a liquid carrier phase containing entrained air bubbles. For both systems, suspended and dispersed regimes are represented through a generalized perturbation formulation derived from the volume-averaged multiphase equations, incorporating finite volume fractions, interphase momentum coupling, and slip between phases. Analytical and numerical solutions demonstrate that acoustic attenuation is primarily governed by dispersed-phase diameter, volume fraction, and excitation frequency, with additional sensitivity to phase-interaction …

A Study In Object Detection And Classification Performance By Sensing Modality For Autonomous Surface Vessels, Daniel Lane

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research presents a quantitative performance comparison between light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and vision-based sensing for real-time maritime object detection on autonomous surface vessels. Using Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Minion platform and 2024 Maritime RobotX Challenge data, this study evaluates the detection of six maritime object categories using two representative models. YOLOv8 provides a neural network vision-based method, and GB-CACHE provides a deterministic LiDAR-based method. Both models have been previously demonstrated to run in real time on uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). The evaluation methodology encompasses multi-sensor calibration, real-time performance analysis, and the introduction of a late-fusion strategy in the …

Meshless Discrete Velocity Boltzmann Model For Porous Media Flow, Amandine Maidenberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation explores the combination of two sophisticated techniques for addressing computational fluid dynamics: the discrete velocity Boltzmann equation (DVBE) and the localized collocation meshless model with upwinding (U-LCMM). The DVBE is a high-level model that describes the foundations of transport phenomena by addressing the microscale motions of particles themselves and the effect of their aggregate behaviors on continuum principles. This equation integrates multiple scales of phenomena; while it can be used for fluid flow at Navier-Stokes scales, it can also resolve fine features that can only be described at the molecular level. This type of model is necessary for …

Autonomous Landing Of An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle On An Unmanned Surface Vessel Using Model Predictive Control With An Adaptive-Covariance Extended Kalman Filter, Jorge Estupinan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development of vision-based estimation and model predictive control (MPC) strategies to enable an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to land autonomously on an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) subjected to wave-induced motion. An innovative Adaptive-Covariance Extended Kalman Filter (AEKF) implementation was developed for the estimation of the 6 degree-of-freedom USV states using GPS and vision-based measurements of AprilTag markers on the USV landing platform. The AEKF employs an uncontrolled 6 degree-of-freedom nonlinear model augmented with second-order harmonic wave-induced motion dynamics. The AEKF implements two correction techniques: an adaptive covariance adjustment and an artificial covariance inflation regulated by a …

Exploration Of Physics-Informed Grid Generation Technique For Wall-Modeled Les Using Eagle3d, Dominic Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Wall-Modeled Large Eddy Simulation (WMLES) is an area of interest due to its ability to lower computational costs of LES. Even with the application of wall models, LES still proves to have practicality issues when it comes to use in industry, due to the expertise, time, and computational resources required. A novel technique for generating a lean, physics based WMLES grid is described.

The technique utilizes a RANS solution to extract turbulence information, user-specified values related to resolution of turbulent energy levels, acoustics waves, and shock waves, to generate a point cloud for producing a lean WMLES grid with in-house …

Unresolved Image Simulation For Space Situational Awareness Applications, Fox Coniglario

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The knowledge of what lies in orbit around Earth is at best a guess. Decades of spaceflight, debris buildup, and vehicle collisions have contributed to a large number of objects that are simply not able to be catalogued. Ongoing efforts to catalog debris in orbit have reached limits by conventional measures and as such, research is active in the field of in-orbit space situational awareness. This thesis intends to help fill a hole in the development of such orbital platforms by assisting the development of image processing software pipelines though the simulation of unresolved space imagery. The simulation uses accurate …

Aligning Aviation Safety Reporting System Anomaly Codes For Crew Communication And Coordination With Human Factors Taxonomies, Jennifer Rose Herr

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study addresses the lack of theoretical grounding and definitions for the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) anomaly codes, particularly those related to pilot communication and coordination errors. To improve the conceptual consistency and analytical usability of ASRS data, the research developed a framework that maps ASRS codes to three established theory-based human factors taxonomies: the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), Threat and Error Management (TEM), and Aviation Causal Contributors for Error Reporting Systems (ACCERS). The study used qualitative text mining to systematically code communication and coordination errors submitted by Part 121 pilots for a stratified sample of …

Active Measurement Of A Micron-Order Gap Under High-Speed And High-Temperature Conditions, Andrew Becker

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The hypersonic regime poses numerous challenges that researchers face in the development of hypersonic flight vehicles. Due to their excellent thermomechanical properties, ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have risen as a promising solution to act as a protective barrier between the harsh environment and surface materials of these flight bodies. The mechanical operation of a portable hypersonic simulation device was developed in-house and tested at Argonne National Laboratories (ANL) to gather in-situ material response of prospective UHTC samples when exposed to a hypersonic regime. An edge detection-based algorithm was developed and used in LabVIEW to monitor the health and operation of the …

Monte Carlo Simulation Models To Enhance Air Cargo Network Resilience And Sustainability, Shereen Marie Hashemi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation focuses on developing and validating an empirical set of simulation models for an air cargo network under large-scale disruption to test recovery strategies that improve resilience. Understanding and quantifying network resilience and recovery strategies is critical for ensuring sustainable operations. These operations become essential during disruptive events as air cargo is used to transport time-sensitive and critical goods. The collective research steps result in a Monte Carlo simulation framework to evaluate air cargo network resilience and identify strategies that enhance performance during disruptions.

The modeled system is a hub-and-spoke network centered on Memphis (MEM) with 23 domestic airports …

Validation And Trend Analysis Of Satellite-Derived Surface Water Temperature Observations Over Adirondack Lakes, Marzi Azarderakhsh, Carolien Mossel, Abdou Rachid Bah, Aisha Malik, Fahmeda Khanom, Jonathan Borrelli, Pete Mcintyre, Hamidreza Norouzi, Kevin Rose

Publications and Research

This study aims to validate and evaluate satellite remote sensing observations from the Landsat series over 135 lakes in the Adirondack State Park, located in upstate New York, and to examine their surface temperature trends over the past 40 years. It utilizes data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), along with Landsat 5 and 7. Park-scale results were derived by extracting MODIS surface temperatures within the park boundary, while lake-scale results were estimated using Landsat 5 (1984-2012) and Landsat 7 (1999-2023) observations. In addition, field observations were utilized to perform a comprehensive validation and evaluation of satellite-based surface temperature …

Aminated Phenolated Lignin For Effective Anionic Dye Removal For Water Remediation, David Chem, Samantha Glidewell, Fatema Tarannum, Keisha B. Walters

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lignin, a renewable biopolymer sourced from plant cell walls, is gaining attention due to its extensive availability from natural resources, native functional groups, low cost, and biodegradability in various applications. In recent years, lignin and its derivatives have been utilized as adsorbents, flocculants, and sterilants in a broad range of applications, including wastewater treatment and sustainable packaging. The growing global demand for clean water-driven by rapid industrialization, urban expansion, and agricultural intensification-has made effective wastewater treatment a pressing environmental priority. In this effort, a dual-functionalization strategy to transform raw lignin into a high-performance adsorbent for the removal of hazardous anionic …

Electrode Engineering To Minimize Degradation In Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, Saheed Adewale Lateef

Theses and Dissertations

Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries have recently received significant attention as a potential candidate for next-generation energy storage technology. This is due to its high theoretical capacity (1675 mAh/g) which can provide theoretical energy density of 2500 Wh/kg as compared to 400 Wh/kg of the current Lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, the earth-abundant sulfur element as well as its environmental friendliness endows unique advantages on the cost and environmental impact. However, there are several roadblocks that need to be addressed for commercial adoption of Li-S batteries, such as: (i) poor conductivity of sulfur and its discharged product; (ii) solubility of lithium polysulfides and their …

Threshold Symmetric-Key Encryption For Tabular Data, Subhendu Pramanick

Master’s Dissertations

Abstract Through the distribution of secret key information among several parties, threshold cryptography improves the security of cryptographic systems by preventing any one entity from possessing the entire secret key and requiring a threshold number of participants to carry out cryptographic operations. This paradigm not only mitigates single points of failure but also ensures fault tolerance in the presence of compromised or unavailable parties. The Distributed Symmetric-key Encryption (DiSE) framework, introduced by Agrawal et al., realizes Threshold Symmetric-key Encryption (TSE) by requiring interactive participation from a threshold subset of servers for each encryption or decryption operation. While DiSE and similar …

Data Center Developments For Flexible Generation Dispatch, Advanced Infrastructure, And Ultra-Fast Digital Twins, Grant M. Fischer, Rosemary E. Alden, Donovin D. Lewis, Aron Patrick, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

The rapid advancement and widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving demand for unprecedented deployment of power-intensive computational infrastructure, including multi-megawatt data centers with the potential for facilities with gigawatt-scale capacity in the near future. In this paper, load growth projections for the US are reviewed, and an example energy dispatch solution considering a mixed energy portfolio with flexible, renewable, distributed, and load-based generation is employed. The brief technology review included in the paper covers aspects of electric power, cooling, and computational infrastructures. The concept of a data center digital twin for transient load, grid interaction, and hybrid energy …

Chemistry Of Inclusions By Size In Three Primary Copper Anodes, Charles Campbell, Michael Moats

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three copper anodes from different commercial electro refineries were characterized to measure inclusion chemistry, size (diameter), and morphology. An automated scanning electron microscope (SEM) paired with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to examine hundreds of inclusions near the mold and set sides of each anode. The investigation revealed that in the two anodes with less impurities (99.65% Cu and 99.75% Cu), many of the inclusions were Cu2O with an average diameter of 2 microns. The greater impurity anode (99.05% Cu, 4076 ppm Pb, 1939 ppm As, 635 ppm Bi) contained significant numbers of complex oxide inclusions, averaging 4.6 microns …

Melting Behavior Of Direct Reduced Iron Pellets With Different Carbon Content In Molten Steel And Molten Slag, Fabian Andres Calderon Hurtado, Joseph Govro, Arezoo Emdadi, Ronald J. O'Malley

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the melting behavior of direct reduced iron (DRI) pellets in molten slag and steel baths, focusing on how the carbon content influences the melting rate through the stirring effects of gas evolution on heat transfer. A computational model using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1 is developed to simulate the temperature profile at the pellet's core and the gas evolution resulting from the reaction between FeO and carbon within the pellet. The model is validated using experimental data from this study as well as literature on the DRI pellet–molten slag system. Results indicate that, despite the increased enthalpy demand associated …

0894: G. W. “Jerry” Sutphin River Transportation Collection, 1832-2024, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Gerald W. “Jerry” Sutphin was a nationally recognized river historian from Huntington. He graduated from Mullens High School and Marshall University and became an army officer. Sutphin worked for and retired from the United States Army Corps of Engineers before spending twenty years operating his own business, Visual Information Ltd. The author of Sternwheelers on the Great Kanawha River, he also wrote a number of articles and contributed to numerous publications with words and/or photographs. Sutphin provided historical presentations on the Delta Queen and other large sternwheel excursion boats and served as a consultant for several documentaries and exhibits. Sutphin …

Selective Nickel Leaching And Preparation Of Battery-Grade Nickel Carbonate From Copper-Rich Industrial Intermediate, Janaka Jayamini Wijenayake, Michael S. Moats, Lloyd Masuzyo Mseteka, Lana Alagha

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has driven a significant increase in nickel consumption, a critical element in EV battery production. An industrially viable hydrometallurgical process was developed for the selective recovery of nickel from a copper-rich industrial intermediate, containing approximately 70 wt.% Cu and 6 wt.% Ni, predominantly as sulfides alongside minor impurities. Approximately 90% of nickel was selectively extracted via single-stage atmospheric pressure leaching using HCl and H2O2 at 95 °C for 12 h, with the majority of copper retained in the leach residue, which can be utilized as a valuable feedstock for copper smelters. The selectivity …

Tensile Performance Sensitivity To Variations Of Standard 17-4 Ph Heat Treatments On Lpbf-Produced Material, Ben Brown, Cory Read, Joseph Newkirk, Frank Liou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Standard heat treatments for metals of a particular composition are typically designed with the assumption of a conventional starting microstructure, such as that produced by casting or wrought processing. When applied to metals fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing (AM), these heat treatments can produce inconsistent performance due to the unique as-built microstructures. This study investigates how modifications to standard heat treatments for 17-4 PH steel influence the microstructure and mechanical properties of LPBF-fabricated material. Specimens were produced and subjected to varying solutionizing and homogenizing treatments followed by standard aging treatments. Microstructures were characterized using optical …

Extraction Of Aluminum From Lunar Regolith Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Todd P. Sander, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David J. Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Frank D. Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the methodology, development, and results of an end-to-end regolith-to-metal concept for producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method. Using electrolytic reduction, aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) can be reduced into aluminum and oxygen via electrolysis in a molten salt bath. A steady supply of hydrogen chloride could allow this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method to supply several necessary materials consumed in the electrolytic reduction step of the process to produce bulk aluminum metal, oxygen, water, and silica from anorthite abundant in lunar highland regions. In this …

2025 (Fall) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the fall of 2025.

Influence Of Channel Geometry And Inflow Hydrograph On Hydraulics And Air Volume Around Shafts Of A Stormwater Main, Lylie Vindie Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater management in urban areas is complex, in part because of difficulties related to modeling water flowing in closed conduits, as well as to controlling odor, noise, and pipe corrosion. This thesis summarizes the main findings of a study on how changes in inflow discharge and the geometry of a stormwater main may affect water flow, and how changes in water depth impact air volume and pressure around an air shaft. The study is conducted using CHAN, a one-dimensional model that simulates both flow hydraulics in mains and associated changes in air volume and pressure around air shafts. Main difference …

Ai-Driven Autonomous Manufacturing: A Novel Taxonomy, Vision-Guided Planning, And Diversity-Aware Active Learning Frameworks, Ibrahim Yousif

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturers face two opposing challenges: the escalating demand for customized products and the pressure to reduce lead times. Current manufacturing equipment, although reliable, operates at the limits of its technology and lacks adaptability to dynamic environments. This trade-off has been described as the optimal degree of automation, a threshold beyond which further automation incurs more cost than benefit. Smart manufacturing has introduced adaptive, data-driven systems, but many deployments still lack the contextual adaptability and autonomous decision-making required to handle unplanned disruptions. This underscores the need for intelligent, autonomous systems capable of real-time adaptation without costly reconfiguration, minimizing human intervention during …

Towards Accurate First-Principles Modeling In Heterogenous Catalysis: Ethane Dehydrogenation And Hydrogenolysis Over Pt Catalysts, Mubarak Ayo Bello

Theses and Dissertations

First-principles modeling has become central to heterogeneous catalysis research, offering mechanistic insight and guiding catalyst design, yet conventional approaches often struggle to accurately describe complex catalytic systems due to methodological uncertainties, simplified assumptions, and the structural diversity of nanoparticle catalysts. This dissertation addresses these challenges using ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) and hydrogenolysis (EH) over platinum catalysts as model systems. The first study benchmarks density functional theory (DFT) functionals against the random phase approximation (RPA) for the EDH network on Pt(111), identifying cost-effective functionals and demonstrating the efficiency of BEEF-vdW ensembles for capturing functional uncertainty. The second study (addressed in prior work) …

Machine-Learning-Assisted Discovery Of Lattice Dynamics Signatures Of Sodium Superionic Conductors, Ogheneyoma Maxwell Aghoghovbia

Theses and Dissertations

Sodium superionic conductors are key to the development of all-solid-state sodium batteries. Discovery of new superionic conductors has traditionally relied on insights from material defect chemistry and the transition/hopping theory, while the role of lattice vibrations, i.e., phonons, remains underexplored. We identify key lattice dynamics signatures that govern ionic conductivity by analyzing the phonon mean squared displacement (MSD) of Na⁺ ions. By high-throughput screening of a dataset of 3903 Na-containing structures, we establish a strong positive correlation between phonon MSD and diffusion coefficients, providing a quantitative correlation between lattice dynamics and ion transport. To accelerate this discovery, we incorporate …

Cold Spray On Fiber Reinforced Polymer Substrates For Composite Repair And Tooling Applications, Patrick Allen Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Cold Spray technology was first developed in the 1980’s and is an additive manufacturing and repair technique. It works by heating a pressurized carrier gas upwards of 600 °C and inserting metal particles downstream such that when they impact a substrate, the energy transformation causes plastic deformation of the particles. This thesis presents a use case for metal and polymer CS powder on fiber reinforced and fused filament fabrication polymer substrates. The state of the art for CS discusses the most up-to-date research within the field, and where new investigations are required. This research investigates the required process parameters to …

Multiscale Geometric Analysis In Endovascular Therapies: Ex Vivo, In Silico Approaches, Dima Hussein Ali Bani Hani

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we address a persistent global challenge of vascular disease, specifically peripheral artery disease (PAD), and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) complications in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The important role of vascular geometry in disease intervention plans and the development of endovascular therapeutic strategies (e.g., Drug-coated balloon (DCBs)) is critical in addressing these challenges.

This study evaluates the feasibility of co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and valsartan (VAL) using urea-based coatings in DCB, analyzes the coating morphology and microstructural changes to improve therapeutic results. A computational finite element model was developed to complement experimental work, simulate tissue-coating interactions, compute …

Building Services Engineering September/October 2025

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.