Engineering Commons^™

Accelerated Bridge Construction (Abc) Decision Tool, Phil Barutha, Marc Maguire, Elio Saldana, Fray F. Pozo-Lora

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This report investigates the creation and assessment of a decision-making tool developed to aid the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) in determining the suitability of the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method for bridge replacement projects. The tool utilizes the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to integrate different criteria, including Average Daily Traffic (ADT), Average Daily Truck Traffic (ADTT), detour time, railroad impact, economy of scale, and the use of typical details, which were found to be paramount in the decision-making process across the state. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the tool’s performance and identify the most significant factors influencing …

Effect Of Antioxidant Additives And Recycling Agents On Performance Of Asphalt Binders And Mixtures – Phase Ii, Nitish R. Bastola, Muhammad Ahmad, Mahdieh Khedmati, Jamilla Teixeira, Hamzeh Haghshenas

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in combination with recycling agents (RAs) (i.e., rejuvenators or softening agents) has gained significant attention from the pavement industry as a sustainable pavement solution, reducing the carbon footprint of manufactured products through the conservation of energy and reduction on the use of raw materials. Current research has found that RAs can improve RAP recycled asphalt mixture’s cracking resistance, while being capable of maintaining their rutting resistance. However, there are some concerns about the effect of RAs on the moisture damage resistance and the long-term performance (aging) of these additives. The current need is …

Characterization Of Aromatic Stationary Phases For Uses In High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Anastasia Davis

Honors Theses

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is an analytical chemist technique used to separate a sample into its components to characterize and study a specific molecule or compound. Traditionally, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in different industries, such as the environmental and pharmaceutical fields, uses stationary phases that are already well characterized, such as the C18 stationary phase for separation. However, aromatic stationary phases have recently been produced, which have phenyl groups bonded to the interior surface of the column. Still, they have not been well characterized because of how modern they are. This project characterized several aromatic stationary phases (Biphenyl, pentafluorophenyl, and …

Development Of Multifunctional Wood Composites With Integrated Phase Change Materials For Enhanced Thermal Management, Self-Healing, And Sustainability., Emmanuel Igbokwe

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract

This study focused on incorporating self-healing, flame retardancy, and energy harvesting capabilities into the wood composite to contribute to more sustainable and energy-efficient building practices. Oriented strand board has been widely used as sheath for roofing or dry walls in residential buildings. Residential buildings account for a large portion of energy consumption. Therefore, an oriented strand board with energy harvesting capability is highly desired. Additionally, flame retardancy and damage self-healing and end-of-life recycling are also critical features for buildings.

In this study, we prepared a novel oriented strand board by constructing sandwich structures. The face sheets of the sandwich …

Lithicone-Protected Lithium Metal Anodes For Lithium Metal Batteries With Nickel-Rich Cathode Materials, Ridwan A. Ahmed, Kevin V. Carballo, Krishna P. Koirala, Qian Zhao, Peiyuan Gao, Ju-Myung Kim, Cassidy S. Anderson, Xiangbo Meng, Chongmin Wang, Ji-Guang Zhang, Wu Xu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The high energy density advantage of lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) makes them increasingly desirable; however, problems such as strong reactivity and dendrite growth of Li metal anode limit their practical uses. In this work, a novel Li-containing glycerol (LiGL) or lithicone protection layer on a 50 μm thick Li metal anode is employed for improving the performance of LMBs. This LiGL layer was accurately deposited via a molecular layer deposition (MLD) process at 150°C, using lithium tert-butoxide and glycerol as precursors. The as-formed LiGL coating layer is highly tunable in its thickness by simply adjusting MLD cycles and shows …

Investigating The Effect Of Microwave Pretreatment On Bastnasite Grinding For Comminution Energy Reduction And Rare Earth Recovery, Kaveh Asgari, Qingqing Huang, Rick Q. Honaker, Edward Sabolsky

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explored the impact of microwave pretreatment on the grinding efficiency of bastnaesite ore using a stirred mill. Bastnaesite ore was prepared using a staged crushing and sieving process, followed by microwave pretreatment in a specially designed microwave furnace system. Representative samples of the crushed ore underwent stirred mill grinding, with power draw measurements recorded and adjusted to reflect only the specific energy input required for grinding. Particle size distribution was analyzed periodically using laser particle size analysis. In addition, a Box–Behnken design was used to statistically assess the effects of various parameters on the results, ensuring a robust …

Ontology Design Metapattern For Relationtype Role Composition, Utkarshani Jaimini, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

RelationType is a metapattern that specifies a property in a knowledge graph that directly links the head of a triple with the type of the tail. This metapattern is useful for knowledge graph link prediction tasks, specifically when one wants to predict the type of a linked entity rather than the entity instance itself. The RelationType metapattern serves as a template for future extensions of an ontology with more fine-grained domain information.

Visual Causal Question And Answering With Knowledge Graph Link Prediction, Utkarshani Jaimini, Cory Henson, Amit Sheth

Publications

The ability to answer causal questions is important for any system that requires robust scene under- standing. In this demonstration, we develop a prototype system that leverages our causal link prediction framework, CausalLP. CausalLP framework uses a visual causal knowledge graph and associated knowledge graph embedding for two visual causal question and answering tasks- (i) causal explanation and (ii) causal prediction. In the live demonstration sessions, the participants will be invited to test the efficiency and effectiveness of the system for visual causal question and answering.

Development Of Crop2cloud: An Iot-Integrated Platform For Automated Irrigation Scheduling Using Multi-Source Stress Indices, Bryan Nsoh

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Efficient water management in agriculture is critical, as irrigation accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. While precision agriculture technologies offer potential solutions, integrating diverse data streams for real-time irrigation scheduling remains challenging, particularly in combining plant and soil-based stress indicators. This research addresses these challenges through three interconnected studies.

A systematic review first examined the current state and future potential of IoT-based automated irrigation management systems, analyzing how these technologies can enhance agricultural water use efficiency and crop productivity. The review identified critical gaps in data integration and real-time processing while highlighting opportunities for combining multiple stress indices for …

Insulator-To-Metal Transition And Isotropic Gigantic Magnetoresistance In Layered Magnetic Semiconductors, Gokul Acharya, Bimal Neupane, Chia-Hsiu Hsu, Xian P. Yang, David Graf, Eun Sang Choi, Krishna Pandey, Md Rafique Un Nabi, Santosh Karki Chhetri, Rabindra Basnet, Sumaya Rahman, Jian Wang, Zhengxin Hu, Bo Da, Hugh O.H. Churchill, Guoqing Chang, M. Zahid Hasan, Yuanxi Wang, Jin Hu

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Magnetotransport, the response of electrical conduction to external magnetic field, acts as an important tool to reveal fundamental concepts behind exotic phenomena and plays a key role in enabling spintronic applications. Magnetotransport is generally sensitive to magnetic field orientations. In contrast, efficient and isotropic modulation of electronic transport, which is useful in technology applications such as omnidirectional sensing, is rarely seen, especially for pristine crystals. Here a strategy is proposed to realize extremely strong modulation of electron conduction by magnetic field which is independent of field direction. GdPS, a layered antiferromagnetic semiconductor with resistivity anisotropies, supports a field-driven insulator-to-metal transition …

Combined 3d Fea And Machine Learning Design Of Inductive Polyphase Coils For Wireless Ev Charging, Lucas A. Gastineau, Donovin D. Lewis, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies are currently researched and developed for charging the batteries of electric unmanned air and ground vehicles. This paper presents systems with special polyphase inductive coils, which generate rotating fields and achieve high power density and efficiency. The complex geometry is modeled and studied with 3D electromagnetic finite element analysis (FEA). In order to reduce the substantial computational effort, machine learning techniques are proposed for surrogate modeling. A deep learning algorithm is introduced to capture the physics-based relationships between geometry and electromagnetic properties in inductive coils for wireless charging. Parametric models are systematically generated and analyzed …

Beyond 2d: Novel Biomaterial Approaches For Modeling The Placenta, Samantha G. Zambuto, Adrienne K. Scott, Michelle L. Oyen

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This review considers fully three-dimensional biomaterial environments of varying complexity as these pertain to research on the placenta. The developments in placental cell sources are first considered, along with the corresponding maternal cells with which the trophoblast interact. We consider biomaterial sources, including hybrid and composite biomaterials. Properties and characterization of biomaterials are discussed in the context of material design for specific placental applications. The development of increasingly complicated three-dimensional structures includes examples of advanced fabrication methods such as microfluidic device fabri- cation and 3D bioprinting, as utilized in a placenta context. The review finishes with a discussion of the …

Size And Shape Dependence Of Hydrogen-Induced Phase Transformation And Sorption Hysteresis In Palladium Nanoparticles, Xingsheng Sun, Rong Jin

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Phase transitions of metals in hydrogen (H) environments are critically import- ant for applications in energy storage, catalysis, and sensing. Nanostructured metallic particles can lead to faster charging and discharging kinetics, increased lifespan, and enhanced catalytic activities. However, establishing a direct causal link between nanoparticle structure and function remains challenging. In this work, we establish a computational framework to explore the atomic config- uration of a metal-hydrogen system when in equilibrium with a H environ- ment. This approach combines Diffusive Molecular Dynamics with an itera- tion strategy, aiming to minimize the system’s free energy and ensure uniform chemical potential across …

Process Development And Techno-Economic Analysis For Combined And Separated Co2 Capture-Electrochemical Utilization, Abdullah Al Moinee, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Combining CO₂ capture and utilization into a single unit operation offers a feasible solution for converting a sustainable feedstock into marketable commodity chemicals, while reducing energy requirements from separated processes. In this research, we developed a process model and performed a techno-economic analysis (TEA) for point-source CO₂ capture and electrochemical-based utilization in light olefins production under both separated and integrated scenarios. CO₂ containing flue gas from a 500 MW power plant was utilized as a feed while CO₂ utilization involved electrochemical reduction reactions to produce light olefins directly from CO₂. A meticulous analysis was …

Engineering The Coherent Phonon Transport In Polar Ferromagnetic Oxide Superlattices, In Hyeok Choi, Seung Gyo Jeong, Do-Gyeom Jeong, Ambrose Seo, Woo Seok Choi, Jong Seok Lee

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Artificial superlattices composed of perovskite oxides serves as an essential platform for engineering coherent phonon transport by redefining the lattice periodicity, which strongly influences the lattice-coupled phase transitions in charge and spin degrees of freedom. However, previous methods of manipulating phonons have been limited to controlling the periodicity of superlattice, rather than utilizing complex mutual interactions that are prominent in transition metal oxides. In this study on oxide superlattices composed of ferromagnetic metallic SrRuO3 and quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 , phonon modulation by controlling the geometry of superlattice in atomic-scale precision is realized, demonstrating the coherent phonon engineering using structural and …

Deciphering Rodent Behavior: Unraveling Complex Decision-Making Through High-Throughput Data Analysis In Behavioral Neuroscience, Atanu Giri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the effects of substance use on decision-making is critical for both clinical andtranslational research. In this thesis, I present two complementary studies that explore decision- making behavior in rodents with a focus on alcohol consumption and novel experimental frame- works. The first study examines the impact of acute alcohol consumption on decision-making in a behavioral approach-avoidance task. Rats were presented with a concurrent choice of consuming alcohol and sucrose mixtures across four distinct concentrations, allowing for the analysis of ap- proach or avoidance behavior. Sex-dependent differences emerged, with male rats demonstrating a significantly higher tendency to approach higher alcohol …

Stressfit: A Hybrid Wearable Physicochemical Sensor Suite For Simultaneously Measuring Electromyogram And Sweat Cortisol, Nafize Ishtiaque Hossain, Tanzila Noushin, Shawana Tabassum

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study introduces StressFit, a novel hybrid wearable sensor system designed to simultaneously monitor electromyogram (EMG) signals and sweat cortisol levels. Our approach involves the development of a noninvasive skin patch capable of monitoring skin temperature, sweat pH, cortisol levels, and corresponding EMG signals using a combination of physical and electrochemical sensors integrated with EMG electrodes. StressFit was optimized by enhancing sensor output and mechanical resilience for practical application on curved body surfaces, ensuring accurate acquisition of cortisol, pH, body temperature, and EMG data without sensor interference. In addition, we integrated an onboard data processing unit with Internet of Things …

Underrepresented Minority Faculty In The Usa Face A Double Standard In Promotion And Tenure Decisions, Theodore Masters-Waage, Christiane Spitzmueller, Ebenezer Edema-Sillo, Ally St. Aubin, Michelle Penn-Marshall, Erika Henderson, Peggy Lindner, Cynthia Werner, Tracey Rizzuto, Juan Madera

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underrepresented minority (URM) faculty face challenges in many domains of academia, from university admissions to grant applications. We examine whether this translates to promotion and tenure (P&T) decisions. Data from five US universities on 1,571 faculty members' P&T decisions show that URM faculty received 7% more negative votes and were 44% less likely to receive unanimous votes from P&T committees. A double standard in how scholarly productivity is rewarded is also observed, with below-average h-indexes being judged more harshly for URM faculty than for non-URM faculty. This relationship is amplified for faculty with intersectional backgrounds, especially URM women. The differential …

Atmosphere Effects In Laser Powder Bed Fusion: A Review, Ben Brown, Cody Lough, Davis Wilson, Joseph Newkirk, Frank Liou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The use of components fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) requires the development of processing parameters that can produce high-quality material. Manipulating the most commonly identified critical build parameters (e.g., laser power, laser scan speed, and layer thickness) on LPBF equipment can generate acceptable parts for established materials and moderately intricate part geometries. The need to fabricate increasingly complex parts from unique materials drives the limited research into LPBF process control using underutilized parameters, such as atmosphere composition and pressure. As presented in this review, manipulating atmosphere composition and pressure in laser beam welding has been shown to expand …

Expanded Combined Loading Injury Criterion For The Human Lumbar Spine Under Dynamic Compression, Maria Ortiz-Paparoni, Joost Op't Eynde, Christopher Eckersley, Concetta Morino, Mitchell Abrams, Derek Pang, Jason Kait, Frank A. Pintar, Narayan Yoganandan, Jason Moore, David Barnes, Kathryn Loftis, Cameron R. Bass

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Contemporary injury tolerance of the lumbar spine for under-body blast references axial compression and bending moments in a limited range. Since injuries often occur in a wider range of flexion and extension with increased moment contribution, this study expands a previously proposed combined loading injury criterion for the lumbar spine. Fifteen cadaveric lumbar spine failure tests with greater magnitudes of eccentric loading were incorporated into an existing injury criterion to augment its applicability and a combined loading injury risk model was proposed by means of survival analysis. A loglogistic distribution was the most representative of injury risk, resulting in optimized …

Effects Of Silver Nanoparticles In Pectin Polysaccharide Thin Film On Resistive Switching Characteristics, Jia Zheng Yeoh, Muhammad Awais, Feng Zhao, Kuan Yew Cheong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the resistive switching characteristics of Ag nanoparticle (AgNP)-incorporated pectin (pectin-AgNP) as a memristive thin film, with varying concentrations of AgNP (0.0 wt.%, 0.5 wt.%, and 1.0 wt.%) and pectin (5.0 mg/L, 5.5 mg/L, 6.0 mg/L, 6.5 mg/L, and 7.0 mg/L), sandwiched between Au and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes on glass substrate. The structural, chemical, and electrical properties of these pectin-AgNP thin films were evaluated. With AgNP concentration of 0.5 wt.% in a pectin concentration of 5.5 mg/mL, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated the highest presence of C–O bonds. This suggests the incorporation of AgNP …

Engineering Technology Capstone: Exploring The Current State, Rustin Webster, Matthew Turner

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The characteristics that make up the general identity of engineering technology (ET) degree programs and their graduates are well known; however, the explicit characteristics of ET capstone nationally is unknown. In other words, there are multiple gaps in the general ET capstone body of knowledge that need to be filled in order to fully understand and describe the current state. The purpose of this short paper is to provide a synopsis of 1) the current known identity of ET education, 2) existing ET capstone research, and 3) ET capstone knowledge gaps (i.e., future research areas). Internal preliminary findings comparing traditional …

The Use Of Peracetic Acid And The Advanced Oxidation Process In Water Purification., Spencer Shipman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Next Round Brewing project was a project that sought to use treated wastewater to make potable drinking water using peracetic acid (PAA) and the advanced oxidation process and break the stigma around reclaimed water. In experiments, PAA was an efficient biocide which reduced the level of pathogens to within EPA standards. When PAA was coupled with the advanced oxidation process all organic matter was also reduced to within acceptable levels, and no biocide was left over in the final product, meaning PAA properly dissociated into harmless byproducts. A series of experiments are presented that vary concentrations of PAA, effluent …

Biocargos: Capture And Release Gels For Room Temperature Cell Storage., Justin Jacobson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, cryovials on dry ice or liquid nitrogen vapor transportation vessels are primary ways utilized to transport mammalian cells from one location to another. Due to the safety concerns of dry ice and liquid nitrogen, associated costly shipping charges, and limitations of proper packaging and labeling of materials, these conventional shipping techniques are unacceptable. It is urgent to develop a safe and environmentally friendly protocol to preserve and ship the biological samples from one place to another. In this research, a method was developed for an ecofriendly and safe protocol to preserve cancer cells. The cell viability of cell line …

Editorial To Advances In Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Gabriel C. Tender, George A. Crabill

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Safety-Centric Analysis Of Grounding Systems For Substations In Distribution Grids, Fazel Mohammadi, Mahmood Mirhashemi

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

The safety of grounding systems for substations in distribution grids is paramount to ensuring operational reliability, protecting personnel and equipment, and maintaining the stability of distribution grids while complying with regulatory standards. This paper explores essential safety aspects of grounding systems, including fault current handling strategies, the interdependence between protective devices and grounding systems, and maintenance practices. The integration of grounding systems design with overall substation layout and design considerations by focusing on mitigating Ground Potential Rise (GPR) and optimizing bonding techniques, is examined. Additionally, advanced techniques, such as high-frequency grounding and Transient Ground Potential Rise (TGPR) management, are presented …

Building Services Engineering November/December 2024

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Design And Implementation Of Attitude Control System For Gnssas 6u Cubesat, Anoud Nasser Alkatheeri

Theses

This thesis presents the design and simulation of the Attitude Control System (ACS) for the GNSSaS 6U CubeSat, developed by the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) at UAE University. The CubeSat's mission is to enhance GNSS signal accuracy, which requires precise attitude control to achieve this objective. The ACS utilizes magnetorquers and reaction wheels for actuation. The primary objective of this thesis is to design an ACS that fulfills the mission’s performance requirements, including maintaining pointing accuracy in both fine and medium pointing modes. To achieve this, a comprehensive disturbance analysis was conducted, leading to the selection of …

Neutrosophic Logic-Based Crop Yield Prediction And Risk Assessment Using Least Squares Regression, M. Srikanth, R.N.V. Jagan Mohan, M. Chandra Naik

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Agriculture faces significant challenges due to climate change and unpredictable environmental factors, which impact crop yields and threaten food security. This study proposes a novel approach to crop yield prediction and risk assessment using neutrosophic logic and least squares regression. By integrating these methods, we aim to improve accuracy in predicting crop losses under uncertain conditions. The model classifies crops based on profitability and environmental risks, utilizing the independence test to evaluate the relationships between crop attributes. Our approach leverages deep learning techniques, such as restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM), to enhance the analysis of crop data and provide farmers with …

Product Perspective From Fuzzy To Neutrosophic Graph Extension- A Review Of Literature, G. Vetrivel, M. Mullai, G. Rajchakit

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This review article consolidates and tabulates research on the product operations done in fuzzy, intuitionistic fuzzy, and neutrosophic graphs. This article encompasses the previous product discussions on fuzzy graphs and their extensions. This article aims to list the origin, structural properties, applications, etc. done by the researchers and academicians using the product behavior of two graphs on the fuzzified environment. This review provides a clear understanding of enhancements of product approach on graphs from fuzzy to neutrosophic kind.