Engineering Commons^™

Nonlinear Control System Design And Hardware Testing Of An Overactuated Multicopter, William A. Wearren

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

For the concept of Urban Air Mobility to be implemented into everyday life, the safety of passengers, bystanders, and surrounding infrastructure needs to be held paramount [1]. In previous work done at the University of South Alabama Facility for Aerospace Systems and Technology (FAST) lab, a reconfigurable control law was derived and tested on a scratch built multicopter [2]. The goal of the control law was to stabilize an X8 model multicopter in the event of motor outages [2]. The control law was tested on a simulated model and flight tested on a small-scale X8 multicopter to verify the effectiveness …

Autonomous Control Of A Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Towed System On A Moving Platform, Zachary M. Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

With tethered rotor drones being more popular for aerial surveillance, moving platforms for tethered drones are being researched. However, these systems require constant power to the rotor drones for stabilization. With this difficulty in power consumption, a hybrid drone solution is presented. The hybrid drone is similar to an airplane, with quadcopter motors attached for stabilization and thrust when not moving.

The controller for the hybrid drone was tested and verified in simulation. The simulation of the system was built in Fortran and consists of a driver, a tether, and a hybrid drone. The driver was modeled after a generic …

Comparison And Evaluation Of Overlay And Leveling Binder In Traffic Circle Construction, Pratik Neupane

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Traffic circles play a vital role in managing traffic flow and ensuring safety, yet their unique traffic conditions make them prone to early cracking and deformation. This study evaluated the performance of overlay and leveling binder asphalt mixtures for a reconstructed traffic circle at the University of South Alabama, using plant-mixed laboratory-compacted (PMLC) specimens. Volumetric analyses were performed to determine maximum specific gravity (Gmm), bulk specific gravity (Gmb), and air voids content. Laboratory tests were conducted on both the overlay and leveling binder layers using indirect tensile cracking test (IDEAL-CT) and indirect tensile rutting test (IDEAL-RT) to assess cracking tolerance …

Incorporating Recycled And Repurposed Plastic Into 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Basant Bhatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The increasing awareness of sustainability in the asphalt industry has driven the use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and waste plastic. This study examines the incorporation of recycled polypropylene (rPP), recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and recycled low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) at 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.8% dosages into 100% RAP, along with the warm mix asphalt additive Evotherm® P25. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and durability performance of the modified asphalt mixtures while rutting and fatigue life were evaluated using mechanistic-empirical (ME) analysis in PerRoad software. Both plastic type and dosage had a statistically significant impact …

An Msbe–Driven Advanced Air Mobility Post–Disaster Response System, Olabode A. Olanipekun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

In this work, an overarching conceptual design model towards the realization of a proposed Advanced Air Mobility Post–Disaster Response System (AAMPDR system) was explored through the focal lenses of systems thinking (ST), socio–technical systems (STS) and model–based systems engineering (MBSE) paradigms. Initially aimed at providing intervention for casualties and aerial support to emergency rescue workers on the ground in the event of a hurricane disaster around the Gulf shore of the Mobile bay area, Mobile city, AL., the scope of this research subsequently expanded to include a global outlook. Thereafter, culminating in the development of a generalized AAMPDR system model …

Evaluation Of Novel Jointless Engineered Cementitious Composite Ultrathin Whitetopping (Ecc-Utw) Overlay, Hassan Noorvand, Marwa Hassan, Tyson Rupnow, Ricardo Hungria

Publications

The present work corresponds to the development and the application of a cost-effective Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) mix design with the name M3-1.5%. Once the material was developed it was applied in the construction of a novel engineered cementitious composites ultrathin whitetopping (ECC-UTW) overlay. The overlay was constructed in May 2019 at the Pavement Research Facility (PRF) in Port Allen, Louisiana. The project was built on top of a distressed asphalt pavement corresponding to a previous project. During the construction, samples were gathered and subjected to testing after 28 days through means of compressive, uniaxial tension and flexural strength tests. …

Designing Hmi And Scada Laboratory Work For Engineering Students, Julianne Barteck

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human-machine interfaces are, essentially, the user interfaces used to monitor industrial facility machines and systems, which makes them a common industry tool in engineering. At East Tennessee State University, while human-machine interfaces are briefly covered in lecture and graduate students have set up some basic hands-on work, there exist no formal lab work for students on the topic. This thesis explores the literature surrounding the design of labs for a STEM or engineering-specific university class, and applies the recommendations and methods within that literature to design two laboratory guides on human-machine interfaces. These labs are intended to be implemented in …

Multifunctional Pvdf Ionogels With Magnetic Nanoparticles For Electroactive And Magnetic Actuation, Alfredo Carrillo Valverde

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fast development of compact and multifunctional electronics has driven interest in smart materials capable of responding to multiple stimuli. Ionogels, polymers that have been swollen with ionic liquids (IL), offer several favorable electrochemical and thermal properties due to their intrinsic ion conductivity, wide electrochemical window, non-flammability, and high thermal stability. However, their poor mechanical properties (e.g., modulus and strength) limit their use in applications. In this work, multifunctional PVDF ionogel composites were made by blending magnetically responsive iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) into the polymer matrix. The influence of MNP concentration (9-21 wt%) on composition, ionic …

Using Gaussian Process Regression To Learn Thermodynamic Equations Of State With Uncertainty Quantification, Austen T. Lee

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the use of derivative-informed Gaussian Process (GP) models to estimate thermodynamic behavior across temperature and density by building a Helmholtz-based equation of state. Argon, a stable monatomic gas, was chosen as a case study within the vapor region. The GP model was trained using values of experimentally measurable properties found by taking first and second derivatives of the original potential function. Results show that while the GP model offered uncertainty quantification and informed thermodynamic behavior, it predicted values that deviated from the ground truth depending on the property. The model exhibited high confidence in regions with substantial …

Personalized Model Of Cardiac Fibroblast Signaling Using Patient-Specific Data, Elizabeth A. Schuler

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women, and cardiac fibroblasts are critical to heart form and function. Essential roles of cardiac fibroblasts include cell-cell communication, cell-cell signaling, and synthesizing and degrading the extracellular matrix (ECM), which controls structural support and tissue repair of the heart. Abnormal fibroblast signaling can lead to negative impacts, including fibrosis, impaired heart function, and inflammation. A computational model of cardiac fibroblast signaling on Netflux and MATLAB software was adapted and utilized to determine the effect of patient-specific levels of cytokines, hormones, growth factors, peptides, and membrane tension on …

Modeling Cell Buildup And Release In An Ultrafiltration Cartridge, Holiday B. Derosier

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

While membrane filtration has improved greatly and has been incorporated into many modern practices, there isn’t much data on material exchange in and out of the lumen and how that effects the overall efficiency of the process. This data may help to accurately measure the reliability and efficiency of a filtration membrane system, which can lead to improvements in filtration sustainability, process lifespan, and product quality.

This project aims to model the material balance within a perfusion bioreactor ultrafiltration system in MATLAB, with a focus on bioreactors and cell buildup and release from the lumen. The results of this study …

Feasibility Of Liquid Carbon Sources For Algae Growth, Brady S. Jones

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the use of electrochemically produced aqueous bicarbonate as a novel liquid-phase carbon source for enhancing algal biomass productivity. Targeting the freshwater microalgae Chlorella Saccharophila, the study investigates its growth response to varying bicarbonate concentrations and compares the efficacy of liquid bicarbonate delivery with traditional gaseous CO₂ bubbling methods. Results demonstrate that Chlorella Saccharophila can sustain growth solely on bicarbonate, and that bicarbonate-fed cultures yielded higher biomass than those supplied with gaseous CO₂ or hybrid systems. These findings validate the potential of bicarbonate-based carbon delivery for scalable algae cultivation, offering key advantages such as gas-free operation, improved …

The Augmentation Of A Solar Panel Lab For The Chemical Engineering Curriculum To Introduce Sustainability Principles, Lane A. Wilkins

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Photovoltaic solar cells are utilized in solar panels to convert sunlight into usable electricity. Since the energy derived from solar panels produces far less greenhouse gas than typical fuels such as coal and natural gas do, it is considered a clean source of energy and is vital to sustainability efforts. Sustainability is often defined by three pillars: environmental, social, and economical. Solar energy incorporates each of these pillars into its process, allowing it to be an effective tool to teach sustainability to students. A previously written lab that employs solar panels focused on the efficiency of converting light into electricity. …

Evaluating Fly-Ash As A Sustainable Solution For Contaminant Removal From Wastewater, Calyn Wisdom

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Access to clean and safe water is an escalating global concern due to the persistent presence of toxic contaminants in aquatic environments. Among these, synthetic dyes and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent two distinct yet significant classes of pollutants, both posing serious environmental and public health risks. Dyes in water contribute to intense coloration, elevated chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD), reduced light penetration, and disruption of aquatic ecosystems, with potential health risks to humans upon exposure. PFAS, often termed "forever chemicals," are synthetic organofluorine compounds associated with a range of adverse health effects, including endocrine disruption, …

Engaging Future Engineers: Utilizing Ai-Generated Video To Promote The Chemical Engineering Profession, Madeline G. Mondebello

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The expected incline of the chemical engineering profession faces a growing need to attract the next generation of prospective students. This research explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) software to create an innovative form of media fit for secondary school and early college outreach. The pre- and post-video questionnaires were taken by a voluntary population comprised of high school students, college students, and parents. Overall, the feedback received was generally positive but indicated that the AI avatars and the lip-sync discrepancies may disrupt the video more than enhance it. In the future, a larger population will be surveyed to …

Measuring Selectivity Of Ion Exchange Resin For Use In Activated Wafer Electrodeionization, Hope M. Coffman

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ion exchange resins are a type of ion exchange material used throughout industry. Their insolubility allows for the exchange of ions and an easy separation of the resin itself. They are used alone in industry, but they are also found in processes such as electrodialysis and electrodeionization. This research investigates the selectivity of chloride form ion exchange resin in the presence of solutions of lactate and formate ions. The work of this thesis is a part of a larger study investigating the conversion and separation of glucose into lactic acid via coupled electrocatalysis and electrodialysis. The results of this study …

Design And Evaluation Of Antibody-Conjugated Microneedle Patch For Early Mrsa Biomarker Detection, Kylee Marie Pop, Alexis Richie, Nicholas Jenkins, Andrew Holmes

Honors Theses

Post-operative orthopedic surgical site infections (SSIs), specifically those caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), present a significant clinical challenge due to delayed detection, increased morbidity, and current rising healthcare costs. Early detection of infection remains limited due to the current methods of diagnosis, which consist of observation of the surgical site and laboratory infrastructure for conformation of infection. To combat these issues, my team and I have designed and evaluated a minimally invasive microneedle diagnostic patch that continuously monitors for the presence of MRSA-associated biomarker PBP2a in interstitial fluids around surgical site incisions. Upon antigen detection, a colorimetric response …

Enhancing Asphalt Mix Design Through Film Thickness And Bailey’S Gradation Method, Lydia Quinn

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Contemporary asphalt research aims to strike a balance between rutting and fatigue cracking to enhance pavement longevity. The performance of asphalt mixtures is influenced by factors such as aggregate gradation and asphalt film thickness. Although gradation typically adheres to the mid-gradation method, asphalt film thickness is included in certain mix designs, even though it is not universally regarded as an essential parameter. Nonetheless, no current method primarily addresses both gradation and asphalt film thickness together. In this research, aggregate gradations were designed using the principles of Bailey’s method along with various other criteria such as control points, the dust to …

A Statistical Investigation Of The Parameters Influencing Rutting And Cracking Performance In Asphalt Mixtures, Alexis Light

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Durable pavement is essential for modern transportation infrastructure, especially in the United States of America which boasts over 8.5 million lane miles of roads and highways. Despite advanced construction techniques, asphalt pavements are susceptible to rutting and cracking, significantly affecting their performance and maintenance costs. Current methods for analyzing rutting and cracking in asphalt mixtures rely on various parameters, leading to measurement variability. This highlights the need for more rigorous analysis to explore the relationship between mix design variables and pavement performance. This research explores the IDEAL-CT and APA data from 171 mix designs collected by the Arkansas Department of …

Assessing The Fate Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Wastewater Treatment Processes, Gunter A. Campbell

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The increasing need for clean water has paved the way for the creation of systems for reusing water, such as wastewater treatment plants (“WWTPs”), to provide potable water. But in recent years, such systems have raised concerns about the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (“ARGs”). Bacteria are adapting to antibiotics by the evolution of resistance mechanisms, such as high mutation rates and horizontal transfer. The presence of ARGs, particularly tetracycline ("tetA") resistance genes, in wastewater effluents is of concern, as they can survive treatment, spread to bodies of water, and pose a threat to human health. In this study, the …

Computation-Driven Design And Synthesis Of Molecular Sensors For Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy In Liquids, Junhu Zhou

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The reliable detection of molecules in liquid environments is a continuing challenge in chemical sensing and biological diagnostics. While surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is well-recognized for its high sensitivity and molecular specificity, conventional platforms – based on colloidal nanoparticles or patterned substrates – have shortcomings. These conventional configurations struggle with signal reproducibility, non-uniform hotspot distribution, and, critically, restricted accessibility for large targets such as proteins and exosomes.

This thesis develops a computation-guided approach to developing next-generation SERS sensors capable of overcoming these persistent obstacles. At the heart of the study is the design and fabrication of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanoparticles, where …

Hybrid Dc-Dc Converters For Soft Charging Capacitive Actuators: Modeling, Analysis And Design, Bahlakoana Mabetha

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Recent trends in haptics, microrobotics and ultrasound technology have shown an increasing use of piezoelectric and other electrostatic actuators. These actuators are suited for miniaturized applications due to their high power density and favorable scalability at a small size. Their electrical impedance at lower frequency (their typical operating range) is capacitive, therefore, they can be modeled as capacitive loads.

The driving circuits for capacitive actuators need to deliver and recover (bidirectional) dominantly reactive power, unlike typical power electronics converters for resistive loads which deliver (unidirectional) real power to the load. Therefore, the circuits, operation, and optimization required to drive these …

Design Of A Novel Low-Cost Hybrid V-Shape Spoke-Type Ferrite Ipm-Synrm For Ev Traction Using Fem Software, Kenghao Cai

Master's Theses

This paper presents a hybrid V-shape spoke type ferrite Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Reluctance Machine (PMA-SynRM) for electric vehicle traction application. Ferrite or ceramic IPM-SynRMs compared to Neodymium (NdFeB) based IPM-SynRMs typically have lower torque, power density, and efficiency overall. Motivated by rising costs and international policies making it increasingly more challenging to obtain rare-earth metals, alternatives should be explored. With the help of finite element method (FEM) software, Ansys Maxwell, this study probes into a novel three-phase ferrite-only hybrid Spoke-type V-shaped IPM-SynRM using Tesla Model 3's neodymium powered V-shape interior permanent magnet machine as a benchmark. The proposed motor …

Optimizing And Training An Svm-Based Breast Cancer Tumor Classifier, Kevin Lopatka

Master's Theses

With advancements in technology, turning to machine learning has become a popular choice for aiding clinicians in the diagnoses of breast cancer malignancies. While the neural networking approach has been vetted thoroughly, this work aims to take advantage of traditional machine learning techniques; mainly support vector machine learning and the optimizing of feature extraction. The discrete-wavelet transform is used in the feature extraction stage of machine learning. Previous works that use this feature extraction technique are analyzed and expanded upon by utilizing a variety of different wavelets as well as other color-spaces with the goal of achieving higher result metrics …

A Heuristic Approach To Portrait Segmentation And Its Application To Synthetic Bokeh Generation, Charles J. Snead

Master's Theses

Segmentation of portrait images is an important technique used to separate the foreground and background of an image. This separation of layers is useful for selectively applying post-processing techniques to enhance the quality of the image, such as blurring the background. Automatic portrait segmentation is a complex process that can be completed with a high degree of accuracy using deep learning with neural networks, but training and inference are often very computationally expensive. This thesis aims to take a heuristic approach to portrait segmentation by combining classical image processing and computer vision techniques into a solution that can be run …

Enhanced Post-Capture Automatic White Balance For Srgb Images, Eric Huang

Master's Theses

Automatic white balancing (AWB) aims to correct color casts caused by varying illumination conditions, typically assuming access to RAW sensor data. However, many real-world applications involve only sRGB images that have already been processed by in-camera pipelines. In these cases, traditional AWB algorithms often underperform due to the nonlinear transformations done by these pipelines.

This thesis builds upon a data-driven color correction framework introduced by Afifi et al. that relies on RGB-UV histograms and learned color transforms. A revised automatic white balancing (AWB) framework that improves both color accuracy and runtime efficiency is proposed. A fallback routine is implemented to …

Modeling And Analysis Of A Hybrid Ac/Dc Green Seaport Power System With Photovoltaic Generation And Battery Energy Storage Systems, Corey Zaas

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the modeling, simulation, and analysis of a Green Seaport power system integrating photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and coordinated protection within a hybrid AC/DC framework. The work improves a previously established model, enhancing it with detailed protection studies and simultaneous AC/DC power flow analysis using EasyPower software. The system was evaluated under a wide range of operating conditions, including varying solar irradiance, battery charge and discharge states, and both full and zero load conditions. Key performance indicators included voltage regulation, power factor behavior, equipment loading, protection device coordination, and total system power losses. Simulation …

Understanding The Breadth And Impact Of The Ias [President’S Message], Ayman El-Refaie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Ntier Code Generator, Mohammed Qattan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project presents a software tool designed to automate the generation of standardized code for all layers of an n-tier architecture, including the Database Layer, Data Access Layer (DAL), and Business Logic Layer (BLL). By employing object-oriented principles and parsing the database structure, the tool ensures modularity, scalability, and maintainability. It efficiently formats code templates for CRUD operations, enhancing development efficiency and consistency, while streamlining database interactions and enforcing business rules.

This project presents an innovative software tool designed to automate the generation of standardized code for all layers of an n-tier architecture, including the Database Layer, Data Access Layer …

Cart To Doorstep, Giridhar Yadav Nazarapur

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Due to hectic schedules and long working hours, many people find it challenging to allocate time for traditional shopping in today's fast-paced world. This often leads to a preference for online shopping, as it provides convenience and flexibility. However, despite its benefits, online shopping still lacks a seamless experience where customers can easily access a wide range of products, manage their shopping preferences, and make hassle-free payments—all from the comfort of their homes. To address this, the "Cart to Doorstep" project was developed. This web application aims to create an efficient and user-friendly online shopping platform that streamlines the shopping …