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2026

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Articles 4921 - 4950 of 5178

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Study In The Advanced Manufacturing Of Full Solids Oxide Fuel Cells (Sofcs) Via Aerosol Deposition (Ad) Methods With Macro- And Microstructural Defect Characterization, Davis A. Warmuth Jan 2026

A Study In The Advanced Manufacturing Of Full Solids Oxide Fuel Cells (Sofcs) Via Aerosol Deposition (Ad) Methods With Macro- And Microstructural Defect Characterization, Davis A. Warmuth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this work is to 3D print a full SOFC layer-by-layer using aerosol deposition (AD) at a resolution of 5 μm. To achieve this goal, several studies were undertaken to develop and optimize an AD system to use ceramic inks. A 130 kHz AD system was developed with 4 material pumps to allow for depositions of individual compositions of the in-situ mixture of multiple solutions to allow for the fabrication of functional gradients in three dimensions. This system was then programmed to deposit air electrode layers containing different material ratios and porous microstructures, comparing their electrochemical performance to …


Exploring The Interplay Of Operational Conditions, Microbial Communities, And Water Quality In Drinking Water Ozone-Biofiltration, Kara Yvonne Cunningham Jan 2026

Exploring The Interplay Of Operational Conditions, Microbial Communities, And Water Quality In Drinking Water Ozone-Biofiltration, Kara Yvonne Cunningham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ensuring reliable access to safe drinking water is a growing global challenge as water utilities face variable source water quality driven by population growth, land‑use change, and climate change impacts. To address these challenges, utilities are implementing advanced treatment technologies designed to improve reliability under variable source water conditions. Ozone-biofiltration has emerged as a treatment approach that can reduce a wide range of natural and anthropogenic contaminants. However, despite its increased use, there is limited insight into the biological processes shaping filter function or how they respond to operational and environmental changes. Advances in molecular microbiology and high-throughput sequencing now …


Optimization Of Carbon Capture And Sequestration In The Tri-State Hub West Virginia, Ohio, And Pennsylvania, Saif Abdullah Saif Al-Nabhani Jan 2026

Optimization Of Carbon Capture And Sequestration In The Tri-State Hub West Virginia, Ohio, And Pennsylvania, Saif Abdullah Saif Al-Nabhani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Carbon Capture and sequestration (CCS) is a critical way for the decarbonization of power and industrial sectors. The Tri-State area between West Virgina, Ohio and Pennsylvania are a diverse region with various CO₂ sources, deep saline, depleted reservoirs, pipeline network, and the midstream infrastructure that makes it possible for Captured CO₂ to be safely and economically moved and stored over long periods of time. This project addresses the need for an integrated optimization framework that includes CO₂ sources to potential storing sites using a transportation network design and a subsurface model that secures storage and minimizes leakage risk.

The model …


Development And Additive Manufacturing Of Uv And Dual-Curable Elastomers For Soft Robotic Actuators And Embedded Sensors Via Direct Ink Writing, Emrah Demirkal Jan 2026

Development And Additive Manufacturing Of Uv And Dual-Curable Elastomers For Soft Robotic Actuators And Embedded Sensors Via Direct Ink Writing, Emrah Demirkal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The advancement of soft robotics requires materials and manufacturing methods that combine large deformation, structural stability, and integrated sensing within a single soft system. Conventional fabrication techniques often limit design flexibility and the incorporation of functional materials into soft structures. This dissertation addresses these challenges through the development of UV-curable and dual-curable silicone elastomers for the direct ink writing (DIW) of soft robotic actuators and embedded sensors.

UV-curable elastomers were first synthesized through thiol-ene click chemistry using poly(mercaptopropylmethylsiloxane) (MMPS) and vinyl-terminated polysiloxane (VPS). Their curing behavior, rheological response, printability, and mechanical properties were evaluated for DIW. These materials enabled rapid …


Comprehensive Evaluation Of Co₂ Eor Numerical Modeling In The Clinton Sandstone Of The Appalachian Tri-State Region Using Compositional Reservoir Simulation (Cmg Gem), Bushra Aref Alqattan Jan 2026

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Co₂ Eor Numerical Modeling In The Clinton Sandstone Of The Appalachian Tri-State Region Using Compositional Reservoir Simulation (Cmg Gem), Bushra Aref Alqattan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

The Clinton Sandstone of the Appalachian Basin represents a mature hydrocarbon-producing formation with potential for carbon dioxide (CO₂) enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This study develops a compositional reservoir simulation model using the CMG software suite (WinProp, Builder, and GEM) to evaluate the performance of CO₂ injection in improving oil recovery within the Clinton formation.

A three-dimensional reservoir model was constructed using representative geological and petrophysical properties consistent with those of the Clinton Sandstone. Fluid behavior was modeled using a compositional equation-of-state (EOS) approach to accurately capture phase behavior, miscibility development, and CO₂–oil interactions under reservoir conditions. Injection scenarios were …


Process Modeling, Operability Analysis, And Techno-Economic Optimization Of Soecs For Sustainable H2 Production, Krishna Murthy Busam Jan 2026

Process Modeling, Operability Analysis, And Techno-Economic Optimization Of Soecs For Sustainable H2 Production, Krishna Murthy Busam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The global imperative to decarbonize energy systems has intensified research into sustainable hydrogen production pathways, as hydrogen emerges as a critical energy carrier for sectors difficult to electrify directly. Among water electrolysis technologies, solid oxide electrolyzer cells operating at elevated temperatures offer the highest theoretical efficiency by utilizing thermal energy to reduce electrical energy requirements, yet comprehensive frameworks integrating electrochemical modeling with process operability analysis and techno-economic optimization remain scarce in the literature. This dissertation develops a process systems framework for proton-conducting solid oxide electrolyzer cells that bridges the gap between fundamental electrochemical phenomena and industrial-scale process economics. At the …


Deep Learning-Based Co-Current Upward Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Regime Identification In An Annular Conduit, Joshua Robert Macomber Jan 2026

Deep Learning-Based Co-Current Upward Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Regime Identification In An Annular Conduit, Joshua Robert Macomber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Flow regime identification in co-current upward gas-liquid flow through annular conduits remains a significant challenge in petroleum engineering, with major safety and operational implications. It is also important across industries involving the transport of multiphase fluids. Misidentifying flow regimes can introduce major operational risk, yet regime boundaries in annular gas-liquid flow are often visually complex and context dependent.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of convolutional neural network (CNN) classifiers for flow regime identification. The CNN was trained using annular flow image dataset published by Texas A&M University. The dataset consists of approximately 947 RGB images …


Machine Learning-Based Prediction Of Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Emissions And Comparative Analysis Against Statistical Models, Abdullah Ahmad Khan Jan 2026

Machine Learning-Based Prediction Of Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Emissions And Comparative Analysis Against Statistical Models, Abdullah Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing stringency of emissions regulations for heavy-duty (HD) diesel engines necessitates the development of accurate, efficient, and general predictive models for engine-out emissions under steady-state operating conditions. Traditional statistical approaches, while computationally efficient, often fail to capture the inherent nonlinear relationships between the engine operating parameters and emissions formation. In contrast, machine learning (ML) techniques offer a promising alternative by learning the complex patterns directly from experimental data. The present thesis summarizes a comprehensive study on the prediction of steady-state, HD diesel engine emissions using ML models, along with a comparative analysis against conventional statistical modeling approaches.

A high-quality …


Ai-Driven Prediction And Reconstruction Of Missing Cased-Hole Logs For Improved Well System Understanding, Samuel Avilez Martinez Jan 2026

Ai-Driven Prediction And Reconstruction Of Missing Cased-Hole Logs For Improved Well System Understanding, Samuel Avilez Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Well logging is a fundamental technique in formation evaluation providing continuous, real-time measurements of geological and petrophysical properties within a well. Through the systematic analysis of well logs, engineers and geoscientists can accurately determine critical formation characteristics, including porosity, permeability, lithology, and fluid composition. Well logging is fundamental for making informed decisions and reducing uncertainties in the exploration and development of oil and gas reservoirs.

Despite its significance, the acquisition of reliable well log data in oil and gas wells is often compromised by various operational, mechanical, and formation-related challenges, as well as pressure, fluid, and equipment constraints. In high-risk …


Simulation Optimization Of Intermodal Freight Transportation Under Disruptions, Israt Humayra Jan 2026

Simulation Optimization Of Intermodal Freight Transportation Under Disruptions, Israt Humayra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rapid growth in freight transportation in modern supply chains has led to increased operational costs, congestion, and severe environmental impacts, especially greenhouse gas emissions. Combining different modes, such as highway, railway, and waterway, intermodal transportation could thus offer considerable benefit to improve efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. However, most existing planning approaches rely on simplified assumptions, fixed schedules, and average cost estimates, making them less relevant to dealing with real-world uncertainties and disruptions. This study develops a simulation-optimization framework for intermodal freight transportation under disruption. We develop a mixed-integer programming model to represent an intermodal logistics planning framework on a multi-layered …


Hyperglycemia Detection From Sigle - Lead Ecg Using A Hybrid Cnn & Transformer Model, Adam Ayomikun Ogunjembola Jan 2026

Hyperglycemia Detection From Sigle - Lead Ecg Using A Hybrid Cnn & Transformer Model, Adam Ayomikun Ogunjembola

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract
Hyperglycemia Detection from Single-Lead ECG using a Hybrid CNN & Transformer Model
Adam Ogunjembola

Diabetes Mellitus is known as high blood glucose. This high blood glucose level happens when the body has a problem with producing or using insulin. Insulin is a very important hormone that the pancreas makes to control how much glucose gets into the bloodstream and cells. Diabetes Mellitus has an effect on the body if it is not treated, such as damaging the blood vessels and nerves which can lead to stroke, kidney failure, heart attack and permanent loss of vision. Since people with diabetes …


Probing Proficiency-Related Neural Representations With Pca And Ica, Onila R. Narayana Mudalige Don Jan 2026

Probing Proficiency-Related Neural Representations With Pca And Ica, Onila R. Narayana Mudalige Don

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How proficiency-related information is represented in task fMRI depends not only on the data themselves, but on the representational lens used to summarize them. This thesis examines second-language (L2) proficiency as a problem of representational organization rather than as a simple classification exercise. Using task fMRI from adult language learners performing semantic animacy judgments in their native language (L1) and second language (L2), I derive shared low-dimensional network representations with principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA), then evaluate those representations under matched leakage-controlled decoding pipelines.

Across analyses, the central comparison is between representational frameworks rather than between …


Cross-Layer Supervisory Control For Low-Altitude Uav Swarm Networks, Nitin Singh Rathore Jan 2026

Cross-Layer Supervisory Control For Low-Altitude Uav Swarm Networks, Nitin Singh Rathore

Computer Science and Engineering Theses

Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms are increasingly used in applications such as aerial sensing, disaster response, and communication support, where reliable operation under dynamic and uncertain conditions is essential. In these environments, performance degradation arises from multiple sources, including external disturbances, sensing uncertainty, and communication impairments. Although these effects originate from different layers of the system, such as dynamics, observation, and networking, they often manifest as similar tracking or coordination errors. Conventional control approaches, which rely primarily on error-driven feedback, do not explicitly account for the underlying cause of these deviations, limiting their effectiveness in multi-agent settings. This thesis …


Effects Of Metals On Persulfate Activation For The Decomposition Of Pfas, Malu Deav Devadasan Jan 2026

Effects Of Metals On Persulfate Activation For The Decomposition Of Pfas, Malu Deav Devadasan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their unique physicochemical properties. Their resistance to degradation, potential for bioaccumulation, and associated adverse health effects have prompted increasing regulatory attention, including the establishment of drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.

Current PFAS treatment technologies are often energy-intensive and costly or generate secondary waste streams requiring further management. Meanwhile, this research investigated transition metal-catalyzed advanced oxidation processes for PFAS decomposition in water under ambient conditions. Previous studies demonstrated effective degradation of perfluorocarboxylic acids …


Gaussian Process Regression–Based Uncertainty Quantification For Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management And Advanced Air Mobility Applications, Aakarshan Khanal Jan 2026

Gaussian Process Regression–Based Uncertainty Quantification For Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management And Advanced Air Mobility Applications, Aakarshan Khanal

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations

Uncertainty quantification has gained significant attention in recent years as a research area in dynamical systems. Mathematical representations of the physical system, combined with an understanding of model uncertainties, enable the propagation of uncertainty in temporal space, which allows us to make informed decisions. However, what if the true dynamics of the system is unknown or too complex to define explicitly? In such cases, the system’s behavior can instead be inferred or learned from observed input–output data rather than from an analytical or physics-based model. To this end, this dissertation focuses on developing a data-driven framework for nonparametric dynamics modeling, …


Carbon Nanotube/ Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Cnt/Tpu)-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator With Self-Charge Pumping For Implantable Knee Load Sensing And Energy Harvesting, Osama Abdalla, Maryam Hosseini, Milad Azami, Amir Ameli, Emre Salman, Milutin Stanacevic, Ryan Willing, Shahrzad Towfighian Jan 2026

Carbon Nanotube/ Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Cnt/Tpu)-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator With Self-Charge Pumping For Implantable Knee Load Sensing And Energy Harvesting, Osama Abdalla, Maryam Hosseini, Milad Azami, Amir Ameli, Emre Salman, Milutin Stanacevic, Ryan Willing, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Aseptic loosening and joint instability remain the primary modes of failure in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). To provide real-time biomechanical load monitoring, this study presents a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) utilizing a carbon nanotube/foamed thermoplastic polyurethane (CNT/TPU) composite dielectric layer paired with a Kapton tape between dual electrodes. By leveraging the triboelectric effect, the device functions simultaneously as an energy harvester and a self-powered load sensor. To overcome power density limitations, a self-charge pumping mechanism via a multi-stage voltage multiplier circuit (VMC) was integrated and evaluated under physiological cyclic loading (2100 N at 1 Hz). The system’s charge dynamics were further …


Eco-Friendly Solvent-Based Fabrication Of Single-Layer And Polydopamine-Modified Bilayer Pvdf-Hfp Membranes, Eesh M. Kulshrestha Jan 2026

Eco-Friendly Solvent-Based Fabrication Of Single-Layer And Polydopamine-Modified Bilayer Pvdf-Hfp Membranes, Eesh M. Kulshrestha

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The growing global demand for clean drinking water has intensified the need for advanced water treatment technologies capable of efficiently removing contaminants while maintaining environmental sustainability. Polymeric membrane systems have emerged as an effective approach for water separations due to their high separation efficiency, simplicity, and adaptability to a wide range of water treatment applications. However, traditional membrane fabrication processes often rely on toxic organic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and diemethylacetamide (DMAc), which pose environmental and health risks. These concerns have led to an increase in regulatory restrictions, primarily through the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) …


Investigation Of Succinylated Zwitterionic Polyethylenimine/Dna Complexes: Performance In Serum, Internalization, And Intracellular Fate, Levi Lampe Jan 2026

Investigation Of Succinylated Zwitterionic Polyethylenimine/Dna Complexes: Performance In Serum, Internalization, And Intracellular Fate, Levi Lampe

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Gene therapy has promised to revolutionize medicine since the earliest clinical trials, but a lack of delivery methods that are both safe and efficient has hampered progress. Gene therapy with viral vectors is effective at delivering nucleic acids to cells, but is associated with dangerous immunogenic responses and cancer-causing insertions into the genome. Viral vectors are also among the most prohibitively costly therapeutics in medicine. Polymeric vectors avoid these dangers and are made from inexpensive, off-the- shelf materials, but have been hindered by poor efficiency compared to viral vectors.

A benchmark polymer for in vitro nucleic acid delivery has been …


Bi-Level Optimization Of Peer-To-Peer Trading In A Decentralized Energy Market, Marshal Miezah Jan 2026

Bi-Level Optimization Of Peer-To-Peer Trading In A Decentralized Energy Market, Marshal Miezah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Distributed power generation based on rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems integrated with battery storage emerges as a promising pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and im- proving flexibility in modern power systems. This study develops a bi-level optimization model to examine how prosumers maximize profit through peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading with consumers and the grid, and how consumers minimize cost by leveraging P2P trading. The bi-level problem is reformulated as a single-level mixed-integer programming (MIP) model using Karush- Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions to improve tractability and preserve market-clearing behavior. For the model validation and case study development, prosumer and consumer data are …


Aqueous Synthesis Of Luminescent Semiconductors For Opto-Electronic Applications, Saurabh Singh Jan 2026

Aqueous Synthesis Of Luminescent Semiconductors For Opto-Electronic Applications, Saurabh Singh

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The advancement of opto-electronic and scintillation technologies relies heavily on developing low-temperature, eco-friendly, and scalable synthesis routes for high performance luminescent halide-based semiconductor materials. However, traditional synthesis methods for halide-based semiconductors, including hot-injection, solvothermal, solid-state reactions, Ligand-Assisted Reprecipitation (LARP), microwave-assisted synthesis, and thin film deposition techniques (spin coating, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc.), often demand toxic organic/inorganic solvents, elevated processing temperatures, and high vacuum/inert environments. Such constraints limit their scalability, raise environmental concerns, and impede their commercial-level device integration. This research overcomes these long-standing challenges by employing water as a powerful crystallization-directing, and environmentally benign medium …


Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste Components: Modeling Biogas Production, Opeyemi E. Adelegan Jan 2026

Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste Components: Modeling Biogas Production, Opeyemi E. Adelegan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Food waste constitutes the single largest component of municipal solid waste landfilled in the United States — approximately 22% of 292.4 million tons generated in 2018 — and its anaerobic decomposition releases methane, a greenhouse gas with global warming potential approximately 27–30 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year horizon (IPCC, 2021). Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an alternative management pathway that recovers energy and produces nutrient-rich digestate, but AD performance varies by as much as five-fold across food waste streams (130–630 m3 CH4 per Mg VS added), and existing predictive tools either treat food waste as a …


Mapping Leo Satellite Internet Performance Using Mobile Starlink Deployment, Annika Govil, Jacob Gray Jan 2026

Mapping Leo Satellite Internet Performance Using Mobile Starlink Deployment, Annika Govil, Jacob Gray

Undergraduate Research Posters

High-speed, low-latency internet connectivity on the move is a critical challenge for applications in connected vehicles, disaster response, and remote education. While terrestrial networks such as 4G or 5G are widespread, they lack coverage in remote or rural geographic areas.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as SpaceX's Starlink, promise global high-bandwidth, low-latency internet. However, their performance is well-documented in stationary scenarios, while data for *mobile* applications is scarce. This project explores the feasibility and real-world performance of LEO satellite internet while in motion.

Current research documents the performance of LEO satellite constellations in stationary settings. However, data concerning …


Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Of Magnetic Heat Exchange Structures For Caloric Applications, Turab S. Rizvi Jan 2026

Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Of Magnetic Heat Exchange Structures For Caloric Applications, Turab S. Rizvi

Undergraduate Research Posters

Developing sustainable, high-efficiency cooling technologies is vital to addressing 21st century energy challenges. This research focuses on magnetic refrigeration, an environmentally friendly cooling method utilizing the magnetocaloric effect to regulate temperature using magnetic fields. This approach offers greater energy efficiency than conventional vapor-compression systems by eliminating harmful refrigerants. The critical component is the regenerator, made of magnetocaloric material and transfers heat between the magnetic material and a fluid through parallel channels. Traditional designs such as packed beds of particles are prone to particle segregation, creating an undesirable pressure drop. The main goal of our research was to fix those flaws …


Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields For Extracellular Vesicle Engineering: From Electro-Exocytosis To Cargo Modulation, Art Neal, Teresa Graham, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Arash Ghorbannia, Anca Dobrian, Stephen J. Beebe, Ruben M. L. Colunga-Biancatelli Jan 2026

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields For Extracellular Vesicle Engineering: From Electro-Exocytosis To Cargo Modulation, Art Neal, Teresa Graham, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Arash Ghorbannia, Anca Dobrian, Stephen J. Beebe, Ruben M. L. Colunga-Biancatelli

Bioelectrics Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and medium/large extracellular vesicles (MVs), have emerged as promising therapeutic vectors and diagnostic biomarkers across various branches of biomedicine. However, the clinical translation of EV-based technologies remains constrained by persistent challenges in manufacturing: insufficient yield from primary cell sources, limited control over cargo composition, and the absence of scalable, standardized production platforms. Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) represent an emerging biophysical approach that can address several of these limitations. Unlike conventional electroporation, which targets the plasma membrane using microsecond-to-millisecond pulses, nsPEF delivers ultrashort (1–300 ns), high-amplitude (10–300 kV/cm) pulses that penetrate intracellularly …


Aqueous Iron Electrowinning: From Electrolyte Engineering To The Unexplored Potential Of Acetate Systems, Chodwell N. Verenga Jan 2026

Aqueous Iron Electrowinning: From Electrolyte Engineering To The Unexplored Potential Of Acetate Systems, Chodwell N. Verenga

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Iron electrowinning and electrodeposition sit at the intersection of classical metallurgy and developing sustainable manufacturing. With the iron and steel industry responsible for 7 - 9% of global CO₂ emissions, low-temperature electrochemical pathways for iron production have garnered significant research interest. This review examines the fundamental electrochemical principles governing iron deposition, the thermodynamic constraints imposed by the iron-water system, and the kinetic challenges posed by the parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The three key electrolyte systems are objectively evaluated: acidic sulfate and chloride electrolytes, alkaline suspension electrolytes and water-in-salt electrolytes. Their operating parameters, faradaic efficiencies, energy consumption and deposit characteristics …


Design, Modeling, And Experimental Development Of Nanoscale Confinement Structures On Planar Silicon-Based Microelectrode Arrays For Single-Entity Electrochemical Sensing, Parinaz Eskandari Jan 2026

Design, Modeling, And Experimental Development Of Nanoscale Confinement Structures On Planar Silicon-Based Microelectrode Arrays For Single-Entity Electrochemical Sensing, Parinaz Eskandari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Electrochemical sensing is widely used for chemical and biological detection due to its high sensitivity, label-free operation, and compatibility with miniaturized electronic systems. However, conventional microelectrode platforms operate in an ensemble-averaged regime in which the measured current represents the collective response of many molecules interacting with the electrode surface. This ensemble averaging masks localized nanoscale electrochemical events and limits the ability to detect rare interactions, such as single molecules or nanoparticles. Achieving single-entity electrochemical detection therefore requires strategies that confine electrochemical reactions to nanoscale regions while maintaining compatibility with scalable planar microfabrication.

This dissertation investigates nanoscale electrochemical confinement on planar …


Numerical And Experimental Evaluation Of A Simple, Low-Energy Lunar Volatile Separation Technology, Eleanor L. Zimmermann Jan 2026

Numerical And Experimental Evaluation Of A Simple, Low-Energy Lunar Volatile Separation Technology, Eleanor L. Zimmermann

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the practice of finding, extracting, and using the local resources found on extraterrestrial bodies, such as the Moon and Mars. ISRU enables in-situ production of mission consumables—such as rocket fuel and potable water—which will be critical for establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon, a goal NASA intends to accomplish by 2028 with the Artemis missions. The separation and liquefaction of locally extracted volatiles—such as water, CO2, and Methane—is an essential component in lunar surface sustainability, but there are very few technologies being developed for this purpose. This report introduces the Radiative …


Mechanical Fractionation Of Wheat Middlings For Application In Pyrolysis And Animal Feed, Okwudili I. Obiakor Jan 2026

Mechanical Fractionation Of Wheat Middlings For Application In Pyrolysis And Animal Feed, Okwudili I. Obiakor

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Wheat middlings are grain byproducts that are underused for bioenergy production despite having a high lignocellulose content. Its use as a feedstock for catalytic pyrolysis depends on effective and sustainable fractionation to enhance efficiency and product yield. This study tested mechanical pre-fractionation (sieving and air classification) to reduce ash content of certain fractions to < 1% for catalytic pyrolysis and enrich nutrient levels of other fractions for feed applications. Wheat middlings were separated into 11 fractions using screen sizes from 106 µm to 1651 µm, and the composition of each fraction was characterized (ash, protein, structural carbohydrates, lignin, starch, and simple sugars). For cyclone separation, a full factorial design was used to study the effect of air velocity (15,18, 20 m/s) and feed rate (33, 35, 38 kg/h) on the amount of material collected in the underflow and overflow, and the composition of these fractions was characterized. Sieving showed a pronounced segregation of ash content, from 4.5% to 6.5% in wheat middlings fractions, with 5.7% being the lowest for coarse fractions which has higher lignocellulose content, and 4.5% in the fine fraction (150-212 µm). The same defined enrichment was observed in all nutrients except for protein. Starch enrichment zone were defined in the fine fractions (212 µm and below), for structural carbohydrates and lignin in the coarse fractions (600 µm and above), and for ash in coarse fractions (1180-1651 µm). In contrast, protein content was not significantly different between various fractions (p value=0.787). The fiber rich fraction (> 600 µm), suitable for pyrolysis, which have a composite ash value of 6.0% can be sorted and mixed with intermediate fractions to reduce ash to 5.3% and the remaining fractions rich in digestible nutrients used for animal feed formulation. Compared to sieving, cyclone separations did not …


Experimental Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Based Invisibility Cloak Under Tm-Polarized Microwaves, Muhammad Danyal Jan 2026

Experimental Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Based Invisibility Cloak Under Tm-Polarized Microwaves, Muhammad Danyal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Electromagnetic invisibility cloaks guide waves around an object so that the transmitted wavefront remains undisturbed. Most experimental microwave cloaking studies have focused on transverse electric (TE) polarization due to established measurement techniques. In this thesis, the experimental realization and characterization of a dielectric photonic crystal cloak operating under transverse magnetic (TM) polarization are presented. A measurement system operating in the X-band was developed to map the electric field distribution of the transmitted waves. Cloaking performance was first evaluated qualitatively by comparing numerical and experimental field distributions, where restoration of a flat wavefront indicated effective cloaking. Quantitative evaluation was performed by …


Preventing G-J Tube Dislodgement - A Device And Communication Innovation, Sarah Clark Jan 2026

Preventing G-J Tube Dislodgement - A Device And Communication Innovation, Sarah Clark

2026

Abstract

The Problem: G/J tube dislodgement is a frequent complication in pediatric patients.

Leads to:

  • Emergency department visits
  • Hospital admissions
  • Delays in nutrition/medication

Impact on Patients & Families:

  • IV placement (traumatic)
  • Radiation exposure
  • Overnight hospital stays

Impact on Nurses & System:

  • Increased workload (admissions, coordination)
  • Occupied inpatient beds for stable patients
  • Inefficient care processes

Aims/Objectives Aim: Reduce unplanned G/J tube dislodgements and related hospital utilization.

Objectives: Develop a breakaway connector prototype

Implementation and Evaluation:
Setting: Pediatric inpatient & outpatient system
Participants: Nurses (bedside, GI, IR), caregiver, innovation team
Process: Roundtable discussions → identified workflow gaps Communication/workflow audit Developed …