Engineering Commons^™

Development And Structural Origin Of Stretchable Semiconducting Polymers And Composites, Yunfei Wang

Dissertations

Stretchable semiconductors are pivotal in advancing wearable and implantable electronics, with those boasting both high stretchability and self-healing capabilities being especially significant for a myriad of wearable applications. In this dissertation, we developed an extremely soft, highly stretchable, and self-healing elastomer based on H-bonding crosslinked amide-functionalized polyisobutylene (PIB-amide). When blended with a high-performance conjugated diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-T) polymer, the composite exhibits unprecedented stretchability, exceptionally low elastic modulus, and an innate ability to self-heal at room temperature.

The morphology of conjugated polymer/elastomer semiconducting composites have significant impacts on electrical and mechanical properties Further investigations focused on manipulating the phase separation size in …

Surface Patterning On Zirconia Dental Implants Via Laser-Induced Shockwave Imprinting, Inomjon Majidov

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Zirconia is rapidly becoming a preferred alternative to titanium in dental applications, primarily due to its aesthetic resemblance to natural teeth. This material’s tooth-like color avoids the aesthetic issues associated with the grey metal tint of titanium implants. Additionally, zirconia is hypoallergenic, making it an ideal choice for patients with metal sensitivities or allergies. Despite these advantages, zirconia generally exhibits lower biocompatibility and osseointegration compared to titanium implants. This study investigates laser-assisted, controlled imprinting technique on zirconia surfaces to enhance these properties. Our research used zirconia pellets, produced from powdered monoclinic zirconia pressed in a pellet press machine. Two methods …

Thrombogenicity Of Biodegradable Metals, D. E.J. Anderson, H. H. Le, H. Vu, J. Johnson, J. E. Aslan, J. Goldman, M. T. Hinds

Michigan Tech Publications

Biodegradable metals offer a promising means to ameliorate many of the long-term risks associated with vascular devices made of conventional biostable stent metals. While numerous biodegradable metal alloys have been developed and characterized in animal models, knowledge of their blood reactivity and thrombogenicity remains unknown. Metal hemocompatibility is particularly valuable because current generation drug-eluting stents pose a significant long-term thrombosis risk. In this study, four pure metals, widely used as degradable base materials (Fe, Zn, Mg, and Mo), and three alloys commonly used in cardiovascular devices [NiTi, CoCr, and stainless steel (SS)] were evaluated. This work examined how each of …

An Efficient Neutrosophic Approach For Evaluating Possible Industry 5.0 Enablers In Consumer Electronics: A Case Study, Mai Mohamed, Asmaa Elsayed, Bilal Arain, Jun Ye

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

With the use of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 5.0 represents a breakthrough move towards a sustainable and human-centered industrial future. Industry 5.0 endeavors to transform industries such as consumer electronics by emphasizing sustainability and collaboration, in contrast to its predecessors, who only concentrated on automation and efficiency. Along with improved manufacturing efficiency and product innovation, this change in the consumer electronics sector also redefines the human-machine interaction. This paper proposes a novel hybrid integrating model that combines the Entropy Weight Method (EWM), Best-Worst Method (BWM), and an acronym in Portuguese …

Cubic Soft Ideals On B-Algebra For Solving Complex Problems: Trend Analysis, Proofs, Improvements, And Applications, Muhammad Saeed, Hafiz Inam Ul Haq, Mubashir Ali

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of cubic soft (CS) algebra, CS o-subalgebra, and CS ideals within the framework of B-algebra. We provide comprehensive characterizations of these new structures, elucidating their unique properties and interrelationships. Specifically, we present detailed conditions under which a CS subalgebra can be classified as a closed CS ideal. Our analysis explores the intricate relationships among closed cubic soft ideals, cubic soft subalgebras, and cubic soft o-subalgebras. By doing so, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of how these structures interact and coexist within the broader context of B-algebra The findings offer significant insights …

Divergence Measures And Aggregation Operators For Single-Valued Neutrosophic Sets With Applications In Decision-Making Problems, Surender Singh, Sonam Sharma

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) facilitate the representation of uncertain information more extensively than conventional methods. The study of divergence measures of SVNSs is important due to their applications in different areas like multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), pattern recognition, cluster analysis, machine learning, etc., In this paper, we introduce a divergence measure for SVNSs. The suggested divergence measure is applied to cluster analysis for the classification of imprecise data. For establishing the reasonability and advantage of the suggested divergence measure in a clustering problem over the existing measures, a comparative assessment is also presented. Furthermore, we introduce, an inferior ratio method for …

Localized Hermite Method Of Approximate Particular Solutions, Kwesi Acheampong

Dissertations

A localized Hermite method of approximate particular solutions (LHMAPS) is presented in this dissertation. This method is designed to improve the accuracy of the localized method of approximate particular solutions (LMAPS) for solving partial differential equations. LMAPS is a strong-form method that defines local radial basis function approximations to the solution values at a group of collocation points before applying the differential operator to this approximation function. Based on the LMAPS's local scheme, LHMAPS seeks Hermite-type local approximations based on both function values and derivatives. Numerical experiments validate the superior accuracy of the proposed method to the LMAPS by solving …

Application Of Agent-Based Simulation And Game Theory In Evaluating Implementation Of Whole Genome Sequencing In Treating Lung Cancer, Fateme Ghalenoei

Master's Theses

Cancer, particularly lung cancer, presents significant diagnostic and economic challenges globally. Timely diagnosis and cost management play pivotal roles in treatment success. A biomarker is any measurable molecule in blood, bodily fluids, or tissues, indicating the potential presence of an abnormal bodily process, condition, or disease. Biomarker testing is a laboratory test in oncology that is used in the selection of targeted cancer treatments and to help avoid ineffective treatments. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), is a biomarker test which while more comprehensive, comes at a higher cost. This study proposes an agent-based simulation model within a game-theoretic framework to examine …

Unrefined And Milled Ilmenite As A Cost-Effective Photocatalyst For Uv-Assisted Destruction And Mineralization Of Pfas, Eustace Y. Fernando, Zhiming Zhang

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are fluorinated and refractory pollutants that are ubiquitous in industrial wastewater. Photocatalytic destruction of such pollutants with catalysts such as TiO2 and ZnO is an attractive avenue for removal of PFAS, but refined forms of such photocatalysts are expensive. This study, for the first time, utilized milled unrefined raw mineral ilmenite, coupled to UV-C irradiation to achieve mineralization of the two model PFAS compounds perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoro octane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Results obtained using a bench-scale photocatalytic reactor system demonstrated rapid removal kinetics of PFAS compounds (>90% removal in less than 10 …

Batch And Placement Size Effects On The Setting Time Of Bcsa Cement Concrete, Micaiah Rivers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate cement (BCSA) is an alternative to portland cement which offers numerous benefits due to its rapid-setting behavior and sustainability properties. BCSA cement concrete has many potential applications, particularly for structural and transportation infrastructure repair. Due to the rapid-setting properties of BCSA cement, a comprehensive understanding of the setting process is critical for efficient and effective use of this material. The primary objective of this research was to determine the effects of mixture size on the setting time and temperature behavior of BCSA cement concrete, and to investigate the relationship between initial set time and workability. Using a …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On Durability And Air Void Matrix Of Concrete Pavements, Jacob Ortlieb

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance Engineered Mixture (PEM) design is a novel method of creating concrete pavement that is economical achieving desirable performance properties such as durability, strength, and workability. Performance-based design is critical for concrete pavements, so the fresh concrete can be placed without issue and the hardened concrete can withstand deterioration and environmental damage such as freezing and thawing. To achieve economical concrete, PEM utilizes tools such as the tarantula curve for aggregate grading, and the Super Air Meter (SAM) test, providing information regarding the air void matrix while the concrete is fresh. To achieve these properties with less cement will lead …

Development Of An Innovative Rapidly Constructible Bridge, Swikar N. Pyakurel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapidly deployable temporary bridges are critical for military operations in hostile environments. The research focuses on conceptualizing bridge solutions for MLC 40 loading and 30 feet span that can be operational within hours, require minimal personnel and equipment, and are compact for logistics. An extensive literature review covered historic deployable structures, retractable stadium roofs, structures in aerospace, permanent deployable bridges, current military bridges, innovative deck solutions, lightweight structural materials, and compliant mechanisms. The study then investigated bridge superstructures made of lightweight Aluminum 6061-T6 alloy utilizing tensegrity and prefabricated aluminum extruded decks to meet the criteria. Two concepts, expandable scissor truss …

Impact Of Equipment Type On Measured Particle Size Of Civil Engineering Materials, Tanner Turben

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Particle size analysis (PSA) captures the size distribution of fine-grained or emulsified materials with particles generally smaller than 1000 microns. Asphalt emulsions and many other civil engineering materials do not leverage PSA for material specifications or acceptance despite the insight into material performance and quality gained through understanding the particle size. The objectives of this study are to compare PSA measurement principles by testing 13 civil engineering materials by laser diffraction, Coulter counter, and microscopy and to develop a draft standard procedure for asphalt emulsion PSA. Asphalt emulsions, cementitious materials, sands, clays, and biological samples were selected to represent a …

Identifying Waterway Traffic Flow Patterns Using Modified Clustering, Shihao Pang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Efficient management of inland waterways is essential for the economic and operational efficiency of transportation networks. Characterization and prediction of waterway vessel traffic flow patterns by time of day are critical for optimizing planned disruptive events like maintenance activities. This study identifies and predicts inland waterway traffic flow patterns along the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) using a modified clustering approach. A five-year period of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, which tracks vessel movements in real-time, is used for model development and evaluation. The model first segments the river into approximately one-mile-long traffic message channels (TMCs) to estimate vessel counts and …

Applying Uas Lidar For Developing Small Project Terrain Models, Ashraf Siddiqui

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) LiDAR was used to collect survey data for small-area projects, particularly bridge replacement projects. The project aimed to compare UAS LiDAR data with conventional surveying methods. For the project, five bridge sites were selected for UAS LiDAR and conventional survey data collection, which include Lincoln Bridge 1 (East), Lincoln Bridge 2 (West), Humnoke, Frenchman’s Bayou, and Mountain Home. Data for each site was collected during the 2021–2022 winter. A DJI M600 Pro and Phoenix LiDAR Systems AL3-16 LiDAR unit were used for the UAS LiDAR measurements. The conventional survey equipment used included a global navigation satellite …

Real-Time Barge Detection Using Traffic Cameras And Deep Learning On Inland Waterways, Geoffery Eyram Agorku

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inland waterways are critical for freight movement, but limited means exist for monitoring their performance and usage by freight-carrying vessels, e.g., barges. While methods to track vessels, e.g., tug and tow boats, are publicly available through Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), ways to track freight tonnages and commodity flows carried on barges along these critical marine highways are non-existent, especially in real-time settings. This paper develops a method to detect barge traffic on inland waterways using existing traffic cameras with opportune viewing angles. Deep learning models, specifically, You Only Look Once (YOLO), Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD), and EfficientDet are employed. …

Development Of A Turning Movement Estimator, Somayeh Nazari Enjedani

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Turning Movement (TM) counts at intersections are crucial for several reasons. There has been extensive research on this topic throughout the history of traffic research, which reflects its importance in transportation engineering and urban planning. It can be said that one of the most significant applications of TMs is signal timing at intersections. Signal timing design requires data on the turning decisions of vehicles that travel through intersections to allow enough time for each movement at the intersection. Most of organizations around the USA are still applying traditional methods for collecting TM data, such as manual counts. These methods are …

Time-To-Failure Prediction Of Fine-Grained Soil Slopes Subject To Weather-Driven Deterioration, Arm M. Morsy

Mineta Transportation Institute

Embankments have been widely used in the construction of transportation and flood defense infrastructure. Embankments constructed from clays experience a suite of weather-driven deterioration processes that lead to a progressive loss of hydromechanical performance, causing potentially severe and costly consequences. This study aimed to predict the time to failure of aging, deteriorating clay embankments supporting transportation infrastructure. A multi-phase numerical modeling approach was developed to replicate the long-term, weather-driven, hydromechanical behavior of clay embankments. This model simulated the behavior of a number of well-documented embankment failure case studies that had sufficient data to derive the necessary soil properties and climate …

Quantifying Lock Criticality For Inland Waterway Navigation Using An Agent-Based Simulation, Ashwin Narayan

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Inland waterway travel has tremendous potential to improve multimodal transportation in the United States due to its environment-friendly and safe nature. Waterway travel has proven to be much cheaper per ton-mile and more fuel efficient than trucks. Millions of dollars have recently been invested in inland waterway networks to facilitate travel. The waterway infrastructure must be resilient to enable efficient waterway travel and prevent unnecessary delays. Locks, an important component of waterway infrastructure, enable vessels to travel between waterways of varying depths and must be maintained consistently to avoid unexpected failures. However, with limited resources, it is difficult to preserve …

Advancing Prediction And Decision Analytics Techniques To Improve Treatment Of Tuberculosis, Maryam Kheirandish Borujeni

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, TB continues to pose substantial challenges, particularly in low-resource settings. This dissertation aims to develop a robust treatment monitoring framework for TB patients to ensure personalized and effective treatment using demographic and clinical information. The current standard TB treatment framework, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), involves monitoring patients through laboratory tests such as smear and culture sputum tests at specific time points during treatment. These tests, however, are not fast and accurate enough to determine the severity of …

Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites For Sustainable Additive Manufacturing., Athira Nair Surendran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon fiber is widely known for its exceptional strength, making it a sought-after material in composite manufacturing, especially with thermosets and thermoplastics. Its major applications span aerospace, wind turbines, sports equipment, automotive interior and exterior parts, robotics and medical equipment. Recently, carbon fiber filament manufacturing has gained attention due to the availability of desktop 3D printers and the versatility and customizability that comes with the realm of 3D printing. Commercial carbon fiber production, primarily from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), is energy-intensive and derived from crude oil, contributing to significant environmental impacts and poor recyclability. Alternatively, lignocellulosic natural fibers present a possible sustainable …

Maximizing Supply Chain Performance Leveraging Machine Learning To Anticipate Customer Backorders, Abdulrahim Ali, Raja Jayaraman, Elie Azar, Maher Maalouf

Industrial Engineering: Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Novel Sensors, Algorithms And Metrics For Human-Robot Interaction., Henry Lee Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increased presence and deployment of robotics in sectors such as the medical field results in the demand for robots to, directly and indirectly, interface with people and their environment, making human-robot interaction (HRI) a vital thrust of robotics research. Assistive robots, for example, aid humans in accomplishing tasks or by providing support in the workforce. As the demand for nurses and the aging population increases, the assistive robots deployed will be deeply rooted in environments that require constant interaction with humans. This work contributed to improving aspects of HRI through 1) Expanding accessibility of the methods used for interfacing …

Reinforcement Learning Assisted Communication Resources Optimization In Advanced Air Mobility., Ruixuan Han

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advanced air mobility (AAM), which envisages a safe and efficient aviation transportation system, has drawn significant attention to support the increasing mobility demand in metropolitan areas. Communication services for AAM aerial vehicles (AVs) are crucial for ensuring flight safety. This dissertation explores three research topics on communication resource allocation problems in AAM applications. The first topic, addressed in Chapter II, investigates the joint velocity selection and spectrum allocation problem for AAM applications to enhance spectrum utilization efficiency (SUE). In the AAM scenario, multiple AVs travel along predefined paths for passenger and cargo deliveries. Given that AAM aims to provide fast …

Reconfigurable Over-The-Air Chamber: Measuring Radio Frequency Device Performance, Benjamin T. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Over-the-air (OTA) testing is particularly useful in determining the performance of multi-antenna communication devices in real-world environments. Traditional OTA testing technologies include the reverberation chamber (RC) and the multi-probe anechoic chamber. More recently, the reconfigurable OTA chamber (ROTAC), which is a RC that has probes lining its chamber walls, has been proposed. These probes are either driven with a source, possibly combined with a channel emulator, or are terminated with a tunable impedance. Controlling the excitations and terminations on the probes can alter the fields within the chamber and thereby synthesize an antenna response at the device under test (DUT). …

Pinn-Chk: Physics-Informed Neural Network For High-Fidelity Prediction Of Early-Age Cement Hydration Kinetics, Md Asif Rahman, Tianjie Zhang, Yang Lu

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cement hydration kinetics, characterized by heat generation in early-age concrete, poses a modeling challenge. This work proposes a physics-informed neural network (PINN) named PINN-CHK designed for cement hydration kinetics, to predict early-age temperature rises in cement paste. PINN-CHK leverages data-driven solutions to craft a high-fidelity prediction model, encompassing material properties and maturity functions in cement hydration. Trained on heated cement paste data, it simultaneously fits experimental results and underlying physics, yielding a mesh-free simulation. Incorporating governing partial differential equations (PDEs), and initial and boundary conditions into its loss function, PINN-CHK architecture undergoes rigorous benchmark testing, demonstrating unparalleled predictive accuracy compared …

Experimental And Computational Investigation Of Green Laser Propagation Through Turbulent Medium In A Water Tank, Richard Owusu Adansi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Turbulence medium poses significant challenges to the propagation of laser beams, impacting applications such as free-space optical communication, remote sensing, and laser weapons systems. Therefore, comprehending and mitigating turbulence effects are vital for enhancing the performance of these systems. Analysis of a strong turbulence impact on electromagnetic wave propagation requires extensive knowledge of the Earth's atmospheric and Oceanic phenomena and Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light as a propagating wave of electric and magnetic fields. Optical systems' propagation often encounters Strong Turbulence, causing interference and diffraction. Nonetheless, light propagation through randomly fluctuating media has been an exciting and active area of …

Comparative Study Of Hydrogen Embrittlement On Ebm Inconel 718 As-Built And Hiped Specimens, Julio Cesar Diaz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the effects of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) on Inconel 718 parts produced using Electron Beam Melting (EBM) with a spot melting scanning strategy, focusing on analyzing the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. This research aims to understand the impact of hydrogen charging on both as-built and Hot Isostatically Pressed (HIPed) samples of Inconel 718, a material widely used in high-stress applications in aerospace and energy industries.The methodology included detailed characterization using techniques such as Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) followed by hydrogen charging of EBM-fabricated Inconel 718 samples. Mechanical testing, …

A Broadband, Dual Polarized Antenna For The Radio Neutrino Observatory In Greenland, Danny Maas

Master's Theses

The Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) is a multidisciplinary, multinational collaboration which uses antennas to detect neutrino interactions with arctic ice sheets. Neutrinos are formed from nuclear reactions; predominant sources include nuclear reactors, stars, supernovae, and the big bang. They rarely interact with normal matter and thus travel from origin to destination relatively unimpeded, with applications including tracking nuclear weapons tests and supernovae. Measurements of galactic neutrino flux can provide information about how the universe developed and its current evolution. Neutrino interactions produce signals from 100 to 1000MHz. Current RNO-G antennas operate over only a portion of this band; …

Measuring Cannulation Behavior On A Sensorized Simulator: Development, Verification, And Testing Of System Components, Lydia Petersen

All Dissertations

End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) is a significant public health burden in the United States. Life-sustaining hemodialysis, required up to three times a week for ESKD patients, necessitates a functioning vascular access. For proper cannulation, cannulators have many factors to consider, including an AVF’s geometry, depth, diameter, and other details. Poor cannulation can lead to infiltration, where the needle punctures the vessel wall. Infiltration occurs in as many as 50% of cannulations, causing complications ranging from hematoma and swelling to delayed treatment or loss of vascular access. This highlights the need for objective, standardized training methods to improve cannulation skills …