Engineering Commons^™

Artificial Sociality, Simone Natale, Iliana Depounti

Human-Machine Communication

This article proposes the notion of Artificial Sociality to describe communicative AI technologies that create the impression of social behavior. Existing tools that activate Artificial Sociality include, among others, Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, voice assistants, virtual influencers, socialbots and companion chatbots such as Replika. The article highlights three key issues that are likely to shape present and future debates about these technologies, as well as design practices and regulation efforts: the modelling of human sociality that foregrounds it, the problem of deception and the issue of control from the part of the users. Ethical, social and cultural …

Mediatization And Human-Machine Communication: Trajectories, Discussions, Perspectives, Andreas Hepp, Göran Bolin, Andrea L. Guzman, Wiebke Loosen

Human-Machine Communication

As research fields, mediatization and Human-Machine Communication (HMC) have distinct historical trajectories. While mediatization research is concerned with the fundamental interrelation between the transformation of media and communications and cultural and societal changes, the much younger field of HMC delves into human meaning-making in interactions with machines. However, the recent wave of “deep mediatization,” characterized by an increasing emphasis on general communicative automation and the rise of communicative AI, highlights a shared interest in technology’s role within human interaction. This introductory article examines the trajectories of both fields, demonstrating how mediatization research “zooms out” from overarching questions of societal and …

Review Of Methodological Decisions In Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Of Biorefinery Systems Across Feedstock Categories, James Gaffey, Maurice N. Collins, David Styles

Publications

The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to biorefineries is a necessary step to estimate their environmental sustainability. This review explores contemporary LCA biorefinery studies, across different feedstock categories, to understand approaches in dealing with key methodological decisions which arise, including system boundaries, consequential or attributional approach, allocation, inventory data, land use changes, product end-of-life (EOL), biogenic carbon storage, impact assessment and use of uncertainty analysis. From an initial collection of 81 studies, 59 were included within the final analysis, comprising 22 studies which involved dedicated feedstocks, 34 which involved residue feedstocks (including by-products and wastes), and a further 3 …

Phase Separation And Morphology Evolution Of Multiphase Polymeric Systems, Rami Naser Fahmi Alhasan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intricate world of soft materials through a powerful synergy of theoretical frameworks and cutting-edge computational simulations. The research investigates how processing history, thermodynamics, and kinetics intertwine to influence the behavior and manipulation of these materials. A cornerstone of the work is the establishment of a generalized Gibbs--Duhem relationship, ensuring thermodynamic consistency within the employed models. This not only clarifies existing ambiguities but also lays the groundwork for future models with a robust thermodynamic foundation. This dissertation explores the influence of processing history on soft materials through three in-depth case studies, unveiling the critical role of processing …

A Spatial Data Framework For Indoor Positioning Using Machine Learning Techniques, Venkateswari P

Theses and Dissertations

The last few years have seen an increase in interest in indoor positioning and localization as potential research and development areas. WiFi is a strong substitute that supports positioning based on indoor floor plans. In this thesis, the Principal Featured - Kohonen Deep Structure (PF-KDS) model is developed to position WiFi devices more accurately and efficiently for indoor floor planning. Initially, spatial data analysis is conducted using the Principal Feature Enhanced Auto-Encoder algorithm, extracting principal features for dimensionality reduction.

Following this, the Kohonen Self- Organizing Deep Structured Learning technique is devised for precise position estimation by considering a new path …

Research On 3d Printing Resin Exposure Properties And Its Application On Centrifugal Microfluidic Platform Based On Fluorescence Detection, Zheng Qiao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation encapsulates significant advancements in the field of SLA 3D printing and centrifugal microfluidics. Central to the research is the development of a novel mathematical model for predicting trapped resin thickness in SLA 3D printing, a groundbreaking contribution that addresses a critical aspect of printing intricate structures. This model, the first to establish a mathematical relationship for resin thickness, is rooted in a comprehensive study of the resin curing process. The research leverages the concept of 'critical dosage' for resin curing, leading to a more refined and theoretically grounded approach for calculating curing thickness. Experimentation further validates the model, …

Real-Time Vehicle And Lane Detection Using Modified Overfeat Cnn: A Comprehensive Study On Robustness And Performance In Autonomous Driving, Monowar Hossain Saika, Sonjoy Paul Avi, Kazi Toriqul Islam, Tanjida Tahmina, Md Shahriar Abdullah, Touhid Imam

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This examination researches the use of profound learning methods, explicitly utilizing Convolutional Brain Organizations (CNNs), for ongoing recognition of vehicles and path limits in roadway driving situations. The study investigates the performance of a modified Over Feat CNN architecture by making use of a comprehensive dataset that includes annotated frames captured by a variety of sensors, including cameras, LIDAR, radar, and GPS. The framework shows heartiness in identifying vehicles and anticipating path shapes in 3D while accomplishing functional rates of north of 10 Hz on different GPU setups. Vehicle bounding box predictions with high accuracy, resistance to occlusions, and efficient …

Strength And Stiffness Optimization Of Coated Structures With Lattice Infill, Ali Tamijani, Zhichao Wang

Publications

A machine-implemented method for establishing optimized parameters defining a model of a coated structure with a lattice infill can include receiving constraints for the model of the coated structure. The machine-implemented method can also include initializing a lattice infill defined by respective lattice cells according to the constraints for the model of the coated structure. The machine-implemented method can also include optimizingthe lattice infill and a shape of the coated structure by iteratively modifyingthe lattice infill and the shape of the coated structure and evaluating a strength-based criterion. The machine-implemented method can also include generating, usingthe optimized lattice infill and …

Correlation Of Am Lpbf Processing Parameters To Grain Morphology Of Ss316l, Patrick Merighe

Student Research Symposium

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a 3D printing technology that uses a recoater to spread powdered metal across a substrate. A laser then selectively fuses layers of this metal powder, intricately shaping three-dimensional objects. This process repeats, with each new layer of powder being spread across the previous layer to form a solid part.

Testing Resilience Of Microalgae Biofilms When Exposed To Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Phase, Davis Haag

Student Research Symposium

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a process that transforms wet biomass into a mixture of aqueous phase (AP), biochar solids, biocrude oil, and biogas.

The HTL process is not economically viable on a large scale partially because the HTL-AP is a toxic waste product with no current use.

The HTL-AQ contains high amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but also environmental toxins such as phenolic compounds. The N and P could potentially be used to grow algae if it can survive the toxins.

Rotating algal biofilm reactors (RABRs) provide a method to grow algae biomass as a biofilm on plastic …

Offshore Wind Farm Pycnocline Mixing From Varied Flow Types, Laura Lundahl

Student Research Symposium

As the demand for sustainable low carbon energy grows, offshore wind farms (OWFs) are becoming increasingly popular and are being pushed into stratified regions where a pycnocline exists (Figure 1). These wind farms may cause turbulent mixing of the pycnocline, which will harm the phytoplankton ecosystem. This project quantifies pycnocline mixing to gain knowledge of effective methods for mitigating harmful effects.

Examining The Impact Of Weather And Air Quality On University Commuters' Travel Behavior, Atul Subedi

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

• Understanding Transportation Choices: Essential for creating a compatible (socially and environmentally) transportation system.
• Role of Weather and Air Quality: Key factors affecting travel behavior.
• Commuting Options to Utah State University (USU): Diverse, including private, public and active modes (walking and bicycling)
• Research Aim: Investigate how weather and air quality influence university commuter choice decision.

Effects Of Process Design And Light Quality On Biomass Growth And Nutrient Uptake In Rotating Algal Biofilm Reactors, Emily Hanson, Hayden Harrison, Colby Hamson, Shanelle Sorensen

Student Research Symposium

Goal: Produce algae, to be used as bioproducts, from wastewater containing high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous. Determine if a single-stage or a two-stage reactor has a higher algae biomass yield.

Approach: Use single-stage and two-stage reactors to conduct experiments in triplicate to determine the reactor design that leads to the highest biomass yield and nutrient uptake.

Quasi-Static Compression Performance Of Three Subscale Origami-Inspired Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer, Chase Mortensen

Student Research Symposium

Sandwich-structured composites are made of a lightweight core material between two thin composite panels. Variants of the Ori-Miura folding pattern have been investigated and compared to both the traditional Miura folding pattern (Fig. 1) and the more commonly used core design, the honeycomb. While the honeycomb design is favored over the Miura folding pattern and its variants due to its simple shape and better performance in compression, honeycomb cores also present drawbacks that are detrimental to the integrity of the sandwich structure. These drawbacks include, but are not limited to:

• Honeycomb cores consist of closed channels trapping moisture and heat. …

Optical Distortion In High-Magnification Camera-Based Deformation, Brayden Monson

Student Research Symposium

DIC (Digital Image Correlation): By randomly speckling a specimen with paint, we can track how each speckle of paint moves via a camera and, thus, how a material deforms in different conditions.

Advantage of DIC: Traditional methods of measuring material properties cannot be used in extreme conditions, such as in high-temperature or radiation chambers. DIC does not have this limitation, by virtue of using a camera and being non-contacting.

Optical Properties:

Refraction: Light bends as it goes through a material, creating distortion

Reflection: Parts of light reflects when entering a new medium, reducing the quality …

The Application Of Poly-Ε-Caprolactone Nanoparticles For Endotoxin Removal, Mikaela Ritchie

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), also known as endotoxins, are toxins released from the cell walls of gram-negative bacteria upon their death. Ingestion of LPS by humans or animals can initiate inflammatory immune responses, resulting in blood vessels dilation, organ dysfunction and potential death. These toxins contaminate a variety of manufacturing processes from the pharmaceutical industry to animal feed production, posing a risk to humans and animals alike. This study details the production of PCL nanoparticle capable of removing LPS from water and a preliminary analysis of the removal efficiency. The outcomes of this research hold significant implications for industries reliant on bacterial …

Using Efficient Global Optimization With Cfd For Aerodynamic Optimization, Aaron Spillars, Nathan Roberts, Xiaoping Du

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Machine learning and optimization are the stepping blocks in broad engineering areas, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFO) and CFO-based design optimization. Using the CFO-based optimization framework, MACH-Aero, we were able to use the SLSQP optimizer and compared the results with a reference case completed by the SNOPT optimizer. Results verified that our SLSQP optimizer was working properly. The solver created showed that our objective function had a difference in magnitude of 0.000019 allowing us to conclude that our solver was working as intended. However, there were several failed attempts before reaching a successful run that gave us a satisfactory …

Lung Cancer Drug Study Using Alc Nanoparticles, Noah Sparks

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In a previous project it was determined ALC polarized lipid nanoparticles have a high transfection efficiency in some lung cancer cell lines. Building off this information, these ALC particles will now be tested with an actual lung cancer drug. This process will consist of searching articles for promising lung cancer drugs and selecting one for use. The ALC particles will then undergo a comprehensive drug study using multiple lung cancer cell lines with the selected drug. Aspects such as drug release rate, transfection rate, cytotoxicity, etc. will be determined. The goal is to determine whether ALC nanoparticles show real promise …

Uncertainty Quantification Of Thermal Capacitance Calorimeter For High-Enthalpy Flows, Logan Banker, Davide Vigano

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Thermal capacitance calorimeters are the standard instrument used to measure cold wall heat fluxes in high-enthalpy flows that simulates hypersonic flight conditions. These instruments play a fundamental role in the development and testing of Thermal Protection Systems for space re-entry conditions. However, despite their rugged and simple design, they are affected by large uncertainty errors. These have been estimated in literature at 15%. Despite their importance, and large errors, no proper uncertainty analysis has been performed. Uncertainty analysis is difficult due to the complex physics of the environment these calorimeters have to operate into.

Analysis Of The Benefits And Risks Of Just In Time Inventory Management, Ian Hodge

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Just in time (JIT) inventory management has become increasingly popular in industry due to its well known benefits. JIT aims to streamline inventory processes by minimizing excess stock, reducing holding costs, and improving operational efficiency overall. This approach introduces inherent risks, by minimizing the safety stock the company becomes more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. If unexpected circumstances lead to a supply delay, the company will rapidly deplete their supplies and may have to cease operations until they are resupplied, resulting in decreased revenue and leaving customers unfulfilled.This research project will examine case studies of companies that adopted JIT methodology …

Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis Of Variables Of Oxidization, Clark Nguyen, Mario F. Buchely

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Oxidation phenomena play a critical role in high temperature metallurgical processing and the performance during life cycle of components made of both high and low alloy steels. Therefore, the development of a precise experimental methodology to quantify oxidation processes is critically important. This report summarizes my experimental study of the oxidation behavior of high and low alloy steel, including kinetics of surface oxide layer formation and spallation. The focus of study was in determining the complex interactions between alloying elements in steel matrix and oxidation environment, composition and surface morphology of formed oxides. This report will also explore how the …

Development Of A Force Perturbation Handle For Physical Interaction Research In Humans, Henry Tien, Riley Still, Yun Seong Song

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The vision of developing more advanced robots that physically interact with people begins with the study of how people interact with each other. Even the simplest interactions between humans, such as shaking hands, provides tremendous challenges for current robots and minimal research has been conducted on the inner workings of these interactions. Understanding the process and mechanics behind effective and intuitive physical human-human interaction (pHHI) will yield meaningful insight into designing robots capable of assisting the elderly, operating side by side with workers, or even dancing with people. To study this process, a custom Force Perturbation Handle (FPH) was developed, …

Biosensors For Antibacterial Medical Applications, Ryan Fagan, Shelby Wallen

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Healthcare associated infections are significant concern in medicine and as antibiotics are becoming less effective, we need new alternative methods to treat them. We are testing various materials that can be used to prevent infections in healthcare settings and in wound treatments. These materials include bioactive glass and modified hydrogel materials. From these studies we've learned these are effective in killing bacteria and preventing infections. The goal of this project is to determine the mechanism at which these materials kill bacteria. Our approach is to construct biosensor strains that can indicate bacterial stress response to antimicrobial agents. We have used …

The Aerodynamic Levitator Project, Noah Brown

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

After the development and successful demonstration of a hyperbaric aerodynamic levitator, work to redesign the nozzle was proposed for increasing levitation height and stability. The goal of this eight-week summer research project was to create a CFD model to aid in the optimization of this nozzle. This was to be accomplished by using ANSYS Fluent to first replicate experimental data found in a research paper to assess its validity. Next, the model was to be modified for use on the levitator project and then used to analyze the current nozzle design. Afterwards, Steps will be taken to make alterations to …

Supersonic Wind Tunnel Modeling, Noah Cain, Davide Vigano

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Supersonic wind tunnels are essential for high-speed aerodynamics research, allowing studies ranging from fundamental flow physics to the advancement of supersonic transport. This work presents a physics-based model developed for the Missouri S& T supersonic wind tunnel, a blow-down facility employing a converging-diverging nozzle to achieve high-speed flow. The model accounts for real gas effects, including Joule-Thomson phenomena, as well as predictions of pressure losses and heat transfer. Implemented in Matlab, the model's accuracy was validated through comparison with experimental measurements, demonstrating excellent agreement. This research contributes to the reliable prediction of supersonic wind tunnel performance, thus advancing the understanding …

Organic Contaminant Effects On The Mac Of Water, Jordan Hartfield

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The evaporation or condensation rate of a liquid surface is directly proportional to the mass accommodation coefficient (MAC). Since the MAC is difficult, if not impossible, to experimentally measure, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been employed to study it. Experimental studies have shown that airborne hydrocarbon contaminants from a variety of sources can adsorb on liquid surfaces and significantly alter the surface properties. We have therefore studied the effects of organic surface contaminants, which are immiscible with water, on the MAC using equilibrium and nonequilibrium MD simulations. Our equilibrium MD simulation results show that the MAC decreases linearly with increases …

Tnt Equivalence: Measuring, Validating, And Appending Binary Energetics To The Literature, Gracie Mae James, Rachel Bauer, Alexander Douglas, Catherine E. Johnson

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

TNT equivalency is a standard used to measure and quantify the effects of energetic materials. Using these equivalencies, the safety factors for minimum distances and storage of explosives are determined. Having a known TNT equivalence of energetic materials also helps estimate potential blast damage and risks for individuals. The TNT equivalencies for numerous energetic materials, such as binaries, have no published values, but are regularly used in industry, military, and research testing. To determine TNT equivalence, three tests were performed: 1) a plate dent test for direct dent comparison, 2) air blast tests to measure air overpressure and calculate impulse, …

Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles Fabrication For Gene Delivery, Noah Sparks, Lei Xu, Hu Yang

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

In this project ionizable lipids were analyzed for their efficacy in delivery of mRNA in multiple metastatic lung cancer cells. Different ionizable lipids with their molar ratio in making the LNPs were analyzed in order to enhance the nucleic acid delivery to cytoplasm. Phospholipids also play a role in targeting efficacy of the LNPs to the lung cells. Different combination of ionizable lipids with multiple phospholipids were studied for physical characterization and in-vitro transcription efficiency. Transcription efficiency was then quantified using flow cytometry and optimal particles for transcription were noted.

Data Driven Enhanced Vsg Control For Microgrids, Sophia A. Strathman, Oroghene Oboreh-Snapps, Jonathan W. Kimball

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This research explores the fusion of deep reinforcement learning and virtual synchronous generator control in a bid to enhance microgrid operations. Microgrids typically consist of multiple inverter-based distributed generators (IBDGs) connected in parallel to mismatched line impedances. This results in unequal reactive power sharing which negatively impacts the performance of IBDGs in microgrids. To achieve enhanced control, a solution utilizing deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is proposed. DRL agents are trained to control variables in each IBDG using a well-designed reward function capable of achieving the following objectives: 1.) ensure output voltage of each IBDG remains within the designated operating boundary …

Phytoremediation Of Nonpoint Source Pollution, Tylor Cheatham

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

Stormwater can bring high concentrations of nutrients into urban ponds resulting in eutrophic conditions and subsequent algal blooms. These 91 blooms can lead to hypoxic water that will ultimately cause fish deaths and loss of recreation. Often, the majority of urban stormwater flows into local ponds through an inlet, which provides a target area for nutrient removal methods. One method being explored by researchers is the use of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). FTWs are floating mats with plants anchored to them, allowing the roots to be suspended in the water column for nutrient removal. Our previous research focused on optimizing …