Engineering Commons^™

A Computational Investigation Into Thermo-Kinetic Parameters Governing The Decomposition Of Bio-Oil Model Compounds, Ali Huseein Aljefri

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Among notable products from thermal degradation of biomass are simple oxygen-containing aromatics. These compounds typically appear in high loads in collected bio-oil derived from biomass. As such, it is important to comprehend the decomposition chemistry of this category of compounds. This thesis takes on board a general approach to report thermo-kinetic parameters that govern decomposition of a selected set of bio-oil model compounds in two distinct systems: firstly radical-derived pathways in the gas phase and secondly thermal degradation in their condensed media. The first is attained through accurate density functional calculations while the second is accomplished through the use of …

Determining The Exit State Of Centrifugal Pumps And Compressors, Chase Oliphant

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Meanline performance models have a rich history in the design of radial flow pumps and compressors. These models are typically based on point data, such as static pressures and temperature measurements at walls, along with occasional traverses to capture additional flow field details. These point measurements, while valuable, do not fully characterize the internal flow behavior within the machine. The Two-Zone model, developed by Japikse and others, is a meanline model based on these measurements to predict machine performance. It posits that the flow at the impeller exit consists of two distinct zones: a primary zone assumed to be isentropic …

Investigation Of Poly(Olefin Sulfone) Depolymerization And Its Dust Mitigation Abilities For Potential Use On Spacecraft, Alexandra Stapley, Walter Paxton, David Allred

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The ubiquity of particulate contamination requires dust mitigation techniques to provide low-scatter surfaces and edges on sensitive optical devices in space. Poly(olefin sulfone)s have been shown to photodegrade with the assistance of a photobase generator when exposed to UV light (254 nm) and heat (120°C). These may be applicable to minimizing dust on optical surfaces for space applications. However, their behavior in vacuum has not been fully characterized. We synthesized poly(2-methyl-1-pentene sulfone) (PMPS) and poly(1-hexene sulfone) (PHS) with and without a photobase generator. We studied the photodegradation (172 nm or 254 nm) of thin films in vacuum. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was …

Creating Models Of Inter-Panel Slipping In Rolled Gossamer Arrays, Nathan Coleman

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Many deployable satellite systems benefit from having low mass and high surface area, which has led to the proliferation of gossamer structures in space-based applications. Gossamer structures are characterized by lightweight, low stiffness membranes, which can flex and roll to compactly stow. An effect of rolling a gossamer structure is that there is tangential separation along adjacent panels as they roll, resulting in relative motion between panels. To aid designers in predicting and accommodating this motion, a method for modeling the slippage between adjacent panels that occurs while rolling is presented. This analytical slippage model and algorithm is a function …

Discovering What Cannot Be Seen: Dust Attenuation Modeling In Early-Type Galactic Nuclei, Nonnie Bash, Benjamin Boizelle

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Black holes (BHs) are believed to reside at the center of every luminous galaxy. Increasingly accurate techniques are now seeking to expand the BH census. Most of these primary techniques account for extended masses by using a stellar luminosity profile derived from optical or near-IR imaging. About 10% of early type galaxies (ETGs) contain a circumnuclear, dusty disk that obscures much of the stellar light originating from behind this thin disk. Few studies have accurately accounted for dust obscuration, or even acknowledged its effect on a BH mass measurement. In this work, we introduce a sample of ETGs with wide …

Expanded Fabrication Of Terahertz Metal Mesh Filters, Jared E. Payne, Joseph Eddy, Hunter R.J. Stevenson, Brad Ferguson, Ryan T. Beazer, Gregory N. Nielson, Stephen M. Schultz

Utah Space Grant Consortium

A metal mesh filter is fabricated by creating metallic squares on a dielectric substrate. This capacitive metallic filter is fabricated using direct write laser ablation consisting of a femtosecond laser in combination with a high numerical aperture objective. A galvanometer beam scanning system is implemented to improve filter size by 12.5x from the previously demonstrated 2x2 mm filter. The transmission and reflection characteristics are discussed.

Constant-Thickness Accommodation By Pattern Modification For Origami Flashers, H. Pruett, S. Magleby, L. Howell

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Thickness accommodation is one of the most significant challenges in creating an origami flasher array. If it is a membrane array, thickness accommodation is generally simpler as panel deformation allows the array to wrap about itself with relative ease. However, for rigid-panel arrays, thickness accommodation is considerably more complicated. This works develops thickness accommodation techniques that yield origami-inspired mechanisms of constant thickness and high-volume efficiency. In this paper, current methods for accommodating thickness in flashers are presented and issues associated with those methods are discussed. Two methods for accommodating thickness in flashers such that panels are constant thickness are proposed.

Optimizing Turbulence Generation For Studying The Dynamics Of Particle Laden Flows, Rhett T. Parry, Tim Berk

Utah Space Grant Consortium

In order to extend the study of particle dynamics into a turbulent fluid regime, novel apparatuses must be developed to simulate desired environments. Synthetic jets are a compact and adaptable tool to generate turbulent flows, however, current studies on synthetic jets are not focused on generating optimal turbulence. Our study seeks to understand how important physical parameters influence the generation of turbulence. By relating far field behavior to near field influence, the parameters that govern a synthetic jet can be specified to produce a jet with desired flow characteristics. We find scalings of velocity, momentum flux, and energy flux that …

Modeling The Effects Of Retinal Thinning And Oxidative Stress During Space Travel, Dillon Weatherston, Dylan Nelson, Justin Jones, Elizabeth Vargis

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Spaceflight causes both physical and chemical changes within the subretinal tissue, particularly the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch’s membrane. Changes such as layer thinning and increases in oxidative stress are both implicated in vision loss caused by spaceflight. While these changes can lead to cell death, the mechanistic impact that these changes have on retinal function are unknown. To isolate the physical alterations to the subretinal tissue caused by space travel, we utilized a tunable in vitro model of Bruch’s membrane and primary porcine RPE cells. Initial results showed that while thinner models can be constructed, they are difficult …

Evaluation Of Clinical Features Of Venturi Adapters For Cpap In Procedural Sedation, Trey Blackwell, Joseph Orr, Derek Sakata, Kai Kuck

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Research has shown that CPAP therapy reduces airway obstruction and oxygen desaturation during procedural sedation. However, the cost and real estate associated with a non-invasive ventilator render this an impractical approach. A Venturi adapter is an alternative device for administering CPAP, which amplifies oxygen flows to produce high flows sufficient for CPAP with cheap and compact hardware. A clinically useful Venturi adapter will generate low noise levels, exhibit high efficiency for generating pressures with low oxygen flows, and minimally dilute the end-tidal carbon dioxide sample for monitoring. To meet these needs, we designed and resin-printed a custom Venturi adapter for …

Developing Membrane Hinges To Enable Predictable And Reliable Arrays For Spacecraft, Mitchel Skinner, Andrew Geyser, Brandon Sargent, Spencer Magleby, Larry Howell

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Deployable space structures that incorporate thin, flexible solar cells allow for innovative designs that are capable of high stowing efficiency. The purpose of this work is to present an approach to predicting the deflection of deployable space structures with flexible panels connected with thin sheets as a function of their material properties, geometry, and applied moments. Related methods are described. An analytical model and finite element analysis are compared and validated with a physical model. The end angle, coordinates, and radius of curvature of each segment are calculated and the results are compared. Important factors related to the reliability of …

Chemical Herding: Using Chemical Reactions To Steer Colloidal Particles, Mark N. Mcdonald, Cameron K. Peterson, Douglas R. Tree

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Creating the next generation of dynamic colloidal materials that change their structure based on external stimuli may require the capability to precisely manipulate colloidal particles. Colloidal particles can be manipulated using a variety of forces, such as electric, magnetic, and optical, but so far chemical reactions have received less attention. We consider here a novel paradigm for using a chemically active colloidal particle to interact with other, passive colloids and precisely manipulate colloidal particles in a microfluidic device, a strategy which we dub “chemical herding”. Specifically, we show in simulation that chemical herding can be used to move a small …

Novel Apparatus For Studying The Effect Of Gravity On The Dynamics Of Particle Laden Flows, Ryan Lewis, Tim Berk

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Dust is a major concern for NASA Lunar and Martian missions due to its abrasive nature tendency to cover equipment. However, little is known how dust behaves in low gravity environments. This paper studies the methodology and validation of a novel apparatus that will simulate low gravity using upward coulomb forces. A parametric study found that the optimized charging parameters to create a charged particle stream, using corona discharge, was a wire-plate spacing of 25 mm at 8 kV and 30 mm at 9 kV. Future work will expand the platform to simulate low gravity in turbulent conditions.

Rr Lyrae Variable Star Light Curves As Audible Sound, Isaac Bentley, Jonathan Barnes

Utah Space Grant Consortium

RR Lyrae stars have light curves that look similar to sound waves inspiring curiosity as to how they might audibly sound. Differences in the composition of RR Lyrae, a property called metallicity, creates slight differences in their light curves. We aim to first convert these light curves to audio, and secondly, see if the difference in metallicity is perceptible. We did this by using publicly available magnitude data taken at several instances of time to create the light curve for one cycle. We processed this data using a Python script to produce a Fourier fit and sound file.

Production Of Steel From Lunar Regolith Through Carbonyl Iron Refining (Cir), Collin T. Andersen, John F. Otero, Olivia Dale, Christian Norman, Cole Walker, Jason Sheets, Talon Townsend, Juliana Ortiz, Olivia Slane, Hong Yong Sohn, Michael F. Simpson, Zhigang Z. Fang

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Transporting equipment to the moon is extremely cost-prohibitive, and competition is fierce over a limited cargo volume. Freight impediments are circumvented if the required material can be harvested, processed, and shaped at the destination. The hostile and remote environment constrains candidate technologies to establish a production pipeline with minimal equipment volume and a low dependence on consumables.

Rr Lyrae Variable Stars From The Gaia Dr3 Dataset In The Palomar 5 Stream, Jacob Best, Jonathan Barnes

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Palomar 5 is a stellar stream orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. Using RR Lyrae variable stars, which are standard candles, the structure of stellar streams can be investigated. Results on the distribution of RR Lyrae variable stars in Palomar 5 have been obtained by Price-Whelan et al. (2020), hereafter PW, using the second data release (DR2) from the Gaia spacecraft mission, but have not been obtained for the third data release (DR3). Using DR3 we investigate whether additional RR Lyrae stars might be identified as part of the stream. Some may be, and these stars have similar locations and proper …

Microgravity Mobility: Redesigning Footwear And Intravehicular Activity Infrastructure For Space Stations, Bennett Graff

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Currently, on the International Space Station, the most commonly used foot restraints are handrails. This presents ergonomic challenges as astronauts try to maintain their position in a microgravity environment, which is exacerbated for astronauts with a predisposition to repetitive strain injuries.

Relevant contexts could include an astronaut with a preexisting medical condition such as early-onset osteoporosis (1 in 5 women over 50) or any astronaut traveling in deep space or spending extended time in microgravity, as this causes a significant decrease in bone density over time. Astronauts Scott Kelly and Don Petit specifically articulated the problematic nature of the current …

Establishing A Common Framework For Triangles, Jordan Gertino, Lane Law, Bryan Wilson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This study investigates the inscribing of a tetrahedron within a unit circle, presenting a unique approach to generate a comprehensive array of all triangles with a specific scale and orientation. While this endeavor is a work in progress, the ultimate objective is to establish a mapping between the creation angle and the resulting transformation of the triangle. This research aims to yield a set of triangles characterized by consistent side ratios, which can serve as a benchmark for scalable transformations. By creating a standard family of triangles this research may provide a different framework in geometric manipulation with potential applications …

Enhancing Bioluminescence, Olivia Harrison, Lane Law

Utah Space Grant Consortium

In this project, we aim to develop a strain of Escherichia coli expressing high levels of luminescence via the use of a NanoLuc. derivative, cyan-based LumiFluor (CeNLuc). CeNLuc is a self-illuminating bioluminescent-fluorescent protein that generates biologic light via bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). We have obtained the plasmids, and are preparing to transform E. coli. cultures.

Exploring Using Dr3 Rr Lyrae Photometry To Determine Extinction In The Native Gaia Bandpasses, Izen Longhurst, Jonathan Barnes

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Recent advancements in astrometry and photometry from the Gaia mission's Data Release 3 (DR3) offer new opportunities for astronomical research, particularly in studying interstellar reddening. Traditional approaches to correcting for reddening involve extensive calculations with data from multiple sources. This study aims to streamline the process by crafting relations internal to the DR3 dataset. Using a Gaia RR Lyrae variable color and their membership in globular clusters, we identified a correlation between the Gaia’s internal G - G_RP magnitude and g-band absorption. Leveraging this correlation, we developed a relation to estimate reddening effects using solely Gaia data. Our predictions …

Rr Lyrae Variable Metallicities In Globular Clusters With Known Multiple Stellar Populations, Brent Lane Racker Jr., Jonathan Barnes

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Recent measurements showed that many globular clusters (GCs) contain multiple populations. Among GC stellar membership, variable stars called RR Lyrae are commonly used as tracers. We set out to look at RR Lyrae variable stars that are within confirmed multiple population GCs to investigate if the metallicities or RR Lyrae periods could be used as indicators for multiple populations. We used Gaia spacecraft data in conjunction with measurements on multiple populations (Milone et al. 2017) to check for correlations between metallicity and the fraction of first generation stars to the total numbers of stars (N₁/N_Tot). While …

Assessing Mycorrhizal Influence On Heat-Stressed Poplar Voc Blends, Luis Valdez, Annette Shelton, Mary Alvarez, Lane Law

Utah Space Grant Consortium

VOCs are organic compounds released by plants as gases into the atmosphere. They’ve been shown to play important roles in plant defense, plant-plant interactions, multi-trophic interactions, as well as atmospheric chemistry. Some VOCs can be induced as a result of stress. Some Terpenes & LOX pathway products, in particular, have been shown to be inducible as a result of environmental stress, such as drought or heat. Terpenes, which are made of isoprene subunits, are bigger, more complex molecules and have been shown to generally have and antioxidant function. (Vickers et al. 2009)

Investigation Of Changes In Emission Lines From Galaxies Through Time, Chloe Guerrero, Christian Draper

Utah Space Grant Consortium

We investigate the number of galaxies with strong emission lines at increasing redshift. We selected 327,327 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at varying redshifts, z. We then compared the total number of galazies with those with strong Hα and OIII emission lines and looked for the trend with z.

Power Scaling A Nd:Yvo4 Laser, Alexander R. Gibb

Utah Space Grant Consortium

No abstract provided.

Correcting Surface Brightness Fluctuation Distances For Stellar Populations, Sydney Holt, Joseph B. Jensen, Mikaela Cowles, John P. Blakeslee, Peter Milne

Utah Space Grant Consortium

We are using Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) to measure distances to giant elliptical galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These distance measurements will be used to better define the Hubble Constant, and hopefully help resolve the Hubble tension crisis in cosmology. Part of SBF requires a knowledge of the colors of the galaxies to be studied in order to account for variations in age and composition of the stars contained within. To this end, we are using PanSTARRS and DECam data to determine the optical g-z color (464 nm-900 nm) values for galaxies …

Characterization Of An Acousto-Optic Modulator For Use In A Q-Switched Nd:Yvo4 Laser, Micah C. Laing, Benjamin Holt, York E. Young

Utah Space Grant Consortium

One way to probe tissue for disease is via long wave infrared spectroscopy. This technique uses wavelength dependent absorption of specific molecules which serve as early indicators of disease onset in human tissue.

Though proven to work, this method of using long wave spectroscopy to probe tissue is not widely used. This is because detectors that work in the long wave infrared. (LWIR) are generally expensive and slow.

Another deterrent is that typical LWIR light sources, such as quantum cascade lasers, (QCL) are difficult to tune over wavelength ranges spanning several microns. This limits the molecule types, and thus diseases, …

Mapping Accretion Around The Black Hole X-Ray Binary Maxi J1803-298 With Reflection, Brianna Merila, Benjamin Coughenour

Utah Space Grant Consortium

MAXI J1803-298 is a recently discovered transient black hole (BH) X-ray binary that went into outburst on May 1^st, 2021, and it was detected with MAXI/GSC¹. NuSTAR observed MAXI J1803-298 four times during its outburst (see Table 1, Figure 1)²¹. We will model the spectrum so that we can see reflection features to be able to learn about the inner accretion disk and the environment around the BH. In Figure 1 and Table 1, we can see that the outburst started on May1^st, the peak of the outburst was on May 14 …

Building A Langmuir Probe, Tessa Miller, Connor Stong, Benjamin Miera, Dan James, Phil Matheson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Our goal at UVU, is to learn plasma physics and experimental techniques while exploring the physics of the Variable and Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, or VASIMR for short. Invented by physicist and astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, the VASIMR engine is “electrodeless”. It first develops a plasma using a helicon RF antenna, and by guiding the plasma along a magnetic field, sends it through an Ion Cyclotron Heating (ICH) antenna. This pumps the magnetic moments of the ions, greatly increasing their energy. Subsequent flow through a magnetic nozzle develops exhaust velocities of order 50 km/s with thrust of several newtons. We …

Atmospheric Modeling Of Brown Dwarfs With Picaso, Sonora, And Jwst, Brayden Roberts, Joshua Lothringer, Denise Stephens

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Brown dwarfs are celestial bodies outside the solar system that are more massive than planets, but less massive than stars. Since they are less massive than stars, they do not fuse hydrogen in their core, but rather cool slowly over time. However, brown dwarfs still emit light. We can measure this light by taking its spectra. From this spectra, we can learn many characteristics and properties of brown dwarfs, such as their temperature, chemical composition, and much more. Brown dwarfs can be categorized by their spectra into M,L,T and Y spectral types. Since brown dwarfs lack hydrogen fusion as an …

What If Wasp-39b Was Twice As Hot? A Jwst Transmission Spectrum Of Ultra-Hot Jupiter Wasp-178b, Brian Seamons, Joshua Lothringer

Utah Space Grant Consortium

No abstract provided.