Engineering Commons^™

Improvement Of Subgrade California Bearing Ratio (Cbr) Using Recycled Concrete Aggregate And Fly Ash, Safkat Tajwar Ahmed, Mozaher Ul Kabir, Chowdhury Zubayer Bin Zahid, Tahsin Tareque, Seyedali Mirmotalebi

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The study aims to understand the effect of different admixtures on improving the quality of flexible pavement subgrades. In this paper, recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) and Fly Ash were used as the admixtures in improving the maximum dry density (MDD), swelling potential, and California bearing ratio (CBR) of subgrade soil. The percentages of RCA and fly Ash used were 5%, 10%, and 15%. With the upscaling in fly ash dosage, the optimum moisture content and the California bearing ratio increased. However, the MDD of soil decreased for higher fly ash contents. On the contrary, the optimum moisture content (OMC) of …

On-Device Intelligence For Ai-Enabled Bio-Inspired Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (Auvs), Aryan Anand, M Yuva Bharath, Prabha Sundaravadivel, J. Preetha Roselyn, R. Annie Uthra

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper introduces an innovative approach to underwater exploration by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). This collaboration between AI and biomimicry marks a new era for AUVs, enabling them to emulate marine creatures’ graceful and efficient movements. By infusing AI capabilities into AUVs, AUVs are empowered to learn and adapt, making autonomous real-time decisions without human intervention. This dynamic integration equips AUVs to effectively navigate complex underwater terrains, evade obstacles, and seamlessly interact with marine life. Inspired by the remarkable propulsion mechanisms found in marine organisms, this work proposes a pioneering propulsion system tailored for AUVs. …

Seismicity Characteristics Of The Gulf Of Aqaba Seismogenic Zone And Their Hazard Implications In Northwestern Saudi Arabia, Ali Abdelfattah, Mohamed Ezzelarab, Hazem Badreldin, Hassan Alzahrani, Saleh Qaysi, Bassam Abuamarah, Neil Lennart Anderson

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The seismogenic characteristics of the Gulf of Aqaba zone have been assessed using the maximum likelihood method to estimate various earthquake recurrence parameters. These parameters encompass the β-value, annual recurrence rate (λ), and maximum probable magnitude (Mmax). This assessment has identified three sub-seismogenic zones, each corresponding to specific structural faults within the Gulf. These zones are associated with the Aragonese, Arnona and Aqaba faults, delineating pull-apart basin structures in the Gulf of Aqaba. An updated earthquake catalogue has been compiled using a unified moment magnitude (Mw) scale to improve the analysis, established by developing two empirical relationships. According to the …

Pulsed-Power Neutron Production With Deuterated Polymer Accelerator Targets, Anthony O. Hagey, Juan J. Manfredi, Whitman T. Dailey, S. L. Jackson, E. R. Kaiser, J. W. Schumer

Faculty Publications

This document presents an investigation of the effect of deuterated accelerator targets on the neutron fluence from a local mass injection dense plasma focus (LMIDPF) driven by the United States Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Hawk pulsed-power generator. Deuterated targets were made using two methods: a well-established thin-film casting technique for flat targets and a more novel additive manufacturing technique that allowed targets to be three-dimensional (3D) printed in both flat and conical geometries. These targets were then tested during neutron-producing experiments conducted using Hawk, and theneutron fluences measured for the various target types were compared. Additive manufacturing was used as …

Engineering Requirements That Address Real World Hazards From Using High-Definition Maps, Gnss, And Weather Sensors In Autonomous Vehicles, Alexandra Marie Masterson, Pritesh Yashaswi Patil, Nicholas E. Brown, Johan Rojas, Amanda Anderson, Curtis Walker, Aaron Rabinowitz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Evaluating real-world hazards associated with perception subsystems is critical in enhancing the performance of autonomous vehicles. The reliability of autonomous vehicles perception subsystems are paramount for safe and efficient operation. While current studies employ different metrics to evaluate perception subsystem failures in autonomous vehicles, there still exists a gap in the development and emphasis on engineering requirements. To address this gap, this study proposes the establishment of engineering requirements that specifically target real-world hazards and resilience factors important to AV operation, using High-Definition Maps, Global Navigation Satellite System, and weather sensors. The findings include the need for engineering requirements to …

Assessing Resilience In Lane Detection Methods: Infrastructure-Based Sensors And Traditional Approaches For Autonomous Vehicles, Pritesh Yashaswi Patil, Nicholas Brown, Parth Kadav, Zachary Asher, Sachin Sharma, Alexandra Marie Masterson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems that use onboard sensors have the drawbacks of high computational load and data duplication. Infrastructure-based sensors, which can provide high quality information without the computational burden and data duplication, are an alternative to traditional autonomous vehicle perception subsystems. However, these technologies are still in the early stages of development and have not been extensively evaluated for lane detection system performance. Therefore, there is a lack of quantitative data on their performance relative to traditional perception methods, especially during hazardous scenarios, such as lane line occlusion, sensor failure, and environmental obstructions. We address this need by …

Longitudinal Changes In Diffusion Tensor Imaging In Hemodialysis Patients, Wesley T. Richerson, Brian D. Schmit, Dawn F. Wolfgram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

Hemodialysis patients have increased white matter and gray matter pathology in the brain relative to controls based on MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging is useful in detecting differences between hemodialysis and controls but has not identified the expected longitudinal decline in hemodialysis patients. In this study we implemented specialized post-processing techniques to reduce noise to detect longitudinal changes in diffusion tensor imaging parameters and evaluated for any association with changes in cognition.

Methods

We collected anatomical and diffusion MRIs as well as cognitive testing from in-center hemodialysis patients at baseline and 1 year later. Gray matter thickness, white matter volume, …

Inertial Particle Clustering Due To Turbulence In An Air Jet, Bianca Viggiano, Kris Gish, Stephen Solovitz, Raul Bayoan Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Explosive volcanic eruptions create turbulent plumes of fine ash particles. When these particles collide in the presence of moisture and electrostatic fields they combine into larger aggregates, which can significantly change the atmospheric residence time of the airborne cloud. Previous studies have suggested that turbulence may lead to preferential concentration—also known as clustering—of particles within the flow, increasing the likelihood of collisions and aggregation. Few experimental studies have quantified these processes for volcanic plumes. This behavior was investigated using a particle-laden air jet. By systematically varying the exit speed and the size, density, and concentration of particles, flows were produced …

Experimental Investigation Of Varying Design Parameters On The Production Rate And Temperature Polarisation Of A Dcmd System, Hiras A. Hijaz, Masoumeh Zargar, Abdellah Shafieian, Amir Razmjou, Mehdi Khiadani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Much of the research in the analysis of Temperature polarisation (TP) and the productivity of a membrane distillation (MD) system tends to concentrate on operational conditions. However, substantial enhancements in permeate flux can be realised through the incorporation of fundamental design modifications. This research showed that TP can be successfully mitigated almost to a level of non-existence, by manipulating the module orientation and flow channel height of an in-house designed direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system. Notably, at higher flow channel heights, changing the module orientation from the default horizontal position with the feed side on top (FST) to a …

The Impact Of Disc In Construction Dialogue, Michelle W. Li

Construction Management

Personality tests look to categorize individuals based on their values, identity, psychological traits, and/or perspectives. The DISC (dominance, influential, steady, complaint) assessment is one of the major personality tests. Multiple industries like healthcare and sales have utilized DISC to foster better overall communication from work relations and positive success. Construction management (CM) is a similar industry with heavy emphasis on influence and focus. Utilizing DISC in the construction industry can achieve similar effects to the healthcare and sales industry. To analyze the potential effectiveness of DISC in the construction industry, a survey was distributed to one class of CM majors …

Skip The Grid: Delivering Solar Energy In The Navajo Nation, Lance Brack

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service-learning project to install solar energy systems on dwellings in the Navajo Nation. This project is a large collaboration between students from 7 different majors at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), SOLV Energy, the educational equity non-profit, Heart of America (HOA), and many industry and community sponsors. Through HOA, Skip the Grid targets homes of school age children that have limited or no access to electricity. On March 24, 2024, a group of 20 Cal Poly students traveled to Farmington, New Mexico to begin collaboration with the Consolidated School District. Over the following …

2024 Annual Hackathon: Redesigning Safety Head Protection, Olivia Pisani

Construction Management

The Hackathon is an annual event hosted by construction management students at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The event aims to redesign a piece of safety equipment to make it more user-friendly, safe, and enjoyable, and provide equitable safety for all genders. The subject of the hackathon held in April, 2024, was head protection for construction workers, primarily hard hats and helmets. Head protection is a critical PPE item that impacts every worker on a job site - which is why it was chosen for a redesign. The 2024 hackathon event was centered around inviting industry members …

Design Of A Launchable Remote-Controlled Rover And Protective Aeroshell, Matthew Loewer, Colby Weeks, Lake Williams, Jackson Zazzaro

Senior Theses

Planetary rovers, vehicles that can traverse challenging terrain, have excelled in their exploration missions to other celestial bodies. They have been especially suitable for exploring Mars, as rovers such as Opportunity and Perseverance have collected valuable geological, atmospheric, seismic, and magnetic information from the Martian surface. Rovers will remain vital in future space exploration missions, and it is necessary to understand their design and functionality. This paper focuses on the design and prototyping of a miniature rover that can survive the rough Martian terrain while collecting and submitting environmental data for scientific analysis. The design is based off proven Martian …

Toward Electrical Impedance Sensing Surgical Drill For Tissue Boundary Detection, Harshavardhan Devaraj

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dental implantation is an increasingly common procedure used to treat missing teeth. However, surgical drilling to place the implant poses a high risk of injury to critical anatomy, such as inferior alveolar nerve injury or maxillary sinus perforation. A real-time surgical feedback system sensing proximity of these critical anatomy could reduce injury risks. This dissertation investigates the development of such a system that incorporates an electrical impedance sensor into the tip of a surgical drill.

A simulation framework based on finite element method (FEM) was developed to optimize the sensor as it approached a high impedance boundary. The accuracy of …

Scalable Fabrication Methods For Energy Devices, Julia Elizabeth Huddy

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Emerging energy technologies have the potential to fill gaps in performance and reliability but currently lack the capabilities to do this at a commercial scale. 3D printing has the ability to fabricate engineered lattice structures with broadly tunable surface area and optimal geometries for maximizing electrochemical performance, and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have the potential to deliver terawatt-scale power via low-cost manufacturing. However, neither of these technologies has yet to achieve fully scalable manufacture. 3D printed energy storage devices lack an understanding of how 3D lattice type influences the specific capacity when employed in supercapacitors, and PSC fabrication is limited …

Comprehensive Understanding Of Factors Impacting Competitive Construction Bidding, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Aubrie Caldwell

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Construction competitive bidding has been studied by many researchers; however, their focus was mainly on certain bidding aspects. Thus, despite their value, existing bidding models have limited applicability for various reasons including the non-inclusion of some real-life factors that impact bidding-related decisions. As such, there is a need for identifying a comprehensive list of bidding factors that impact construction bidding-related decisions, studying their associations, and identifying understudied factors to direct future research efforts. This paper fills this knowledge gap. First, the authors conducted a systematic selection of 124 construction bidding-related articles published within the past 40 years. Second, the authors …

Utilizing Ensemble Learning In The Classifications Of Ductile And Brittle Failure Modes Of Uhpc Strengthened Rc Members, Woubishet Zewdu Taffese, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to achieve the swift and precise classification of ductile and brittle failure modes in flexural reinforced concrete (RC) members, specifically those with tension sides strengthened by ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC). Employing six ensemble learning techniques—Bagging, Random Forest, AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, and LightGBM—the authors utilize a comprehensive dataset comprising 14 features, which include manually labeled failure modes obtain from load–deflection curves. The model training spans four scenarios, varying in the inclusion or exclusion of features describing the cross-sectional area of RC members and moment resistance. XGBoost emerges as the most effective classifier, achieving an impressive 84% accuracy …

Effects Of Rest Time And Curing Regime On Short- And Long-Term Strength Of Class C Fly Ash-Based Alkali-Activated Mortars, Cedric Kashosi, Ahmed Gheni, Eslam Gomaa, Mohamed Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigated how different rest times affect the strength development of fly-ash-based alkali-activated mortar (aam) over a period of 90 days. Two types of fly ash with varying calcium oxide contents of 37 and 21% were used. The rest times ranged from 2 to 36 h, and three curing methods (ambient, oven, and steam) were tested. The results showed that the rest time significantly influenced the compressive strength of the aam. The optimal rest time was found to be between 12 and 30 h depending on the curing method and fly ash type. Beyond this range, there were only …

Reducing Vehicle Licensing And Titling Fraud, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews Kentucky’s vehicle licensing and registration program, evaluates methods of motor vehicle title fraud, examines current anti-fraud mechanisms in Kentucky, reports on vehicle titling and anti-fraud efforts in other states, assesses Ohio’s vehicle inspection program, and develops a proposal for a new Kentucky rebuilt title inspection program. Researchers developed the proposal based on historical Kentucky vehicle registration and titling data, a survey of other states, and other information provided by Kentucky’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and other agency partners. Kentucky historical data revealed consistently high numbers of salvage title applications as well as spatial concentration in rebuilt …

Optical Fiber Magnetic Field Detector, Aiden Tomov , '24, Paige Poteet , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This project demonstrates an optical approach to magnetic field detection. Operating as an adapted Mach-Zender interferometer, the apparatus begins by splitting an infrared beam of light into two separate paths, each with 50% of the overall power. These paths are segments of single-mode photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and are of equal lengths. One of the PCF paths has its air holes infused with EMG 700 ferrofluid which, by nature of ferrofluids, has a tunable refractive index (RI). The beams are recombined and shone into a power meter for analysis. When the ferrofluid-infused path encounters a magnetic field, the RI within …

Cost-Effective Pv Panel Back Mount For Temperature Control And Heat Utilization, Jiuning Ren , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

The efficiency of a PV panel is limited by its temperature, where panel efficiency drops with increasing operating temperature, resulting in low panel efficiency in hot summers. This project aims to design and implement a cheap and efficient cooling system for a PV panel in the form of a panel back mount. For this project, Solar Lab facilities were updated and used as systems for testing the functionalities of the back-panel mount design. These facilities include a Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G8+ 340 Monocrystalline silicon module PV panel, a Prostar PS-15M solar charge controller for power maximization and PV panel power monitoring, …

From Visual Data To Auditory Landscapes In Arcgis Pro, Grace Hegland , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Data visualization is a central component to understanding spatial information in ArcGIS Pro. However, visualization creates an accessibility issue for visually impaired users. While ArcGIS supports two screen readers, JAWS and Microsoft Narrator, their ability to convey spatial relationships is limited to reading textual summaries and textual pop ups of spatial data [1]. This Senior Design project explores using data sonification to map ArcGIS data to piano pitches to create an auditory model of visually displayed map data. This auditory model allowed users to find facts and discover geospatial data trends. Ensuring fair access to information is essential for an …

Battery Powered Rice Cooker, Mateo Casalino , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

A small low power rice cooker was modified so that its power source came from an external power supply. This allowed the devicet to be remotely operated from a traditional wall socket. A long testing process was carried out to see in-depth information about the current, power, and voltage draw of the rice cooker over an entire cooking and “keep warm” cycle. From this data, the power draw was integrated to find the total energy consumption of the rice cooker and determined what size and type of battery was needed to be purchase. With both the rice cooker and battery …

Obliquely Impinging Jet Heat Transfer Fields: Effects Of Mach Number On Nozzle-To-Plate Distance, Thinnesh Ragupathy

Masters Theses

This study investigates the consistent features of heat flux patterns on surfaces impacted by jets at various Mach numbers, ranging from 0.1 to 1.0. It utilizes temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) analysis to examine how these patterns change. The research also explores the presence of self-similarity in both the fluctuation of heat flux and skin friction patterns, which are derived from temperature and heat flux data. A semi-empirical model is proposed to explain this self-similarity, suggesting that Mach number primarily affects heat flux patterns through the recovery temperature at the impact site.

Understanding the self-similarity of heat flux patterns across different Mach …

Estimating Direction Of Arrival For Multi-Arm Spiral Antennas Using Machine Learning, Samuel Pearson

Honors Theses

Military systems require monitoring a wide frequency range of the RF spectrum to detect and monitor enemy targets. A vital component of that is calculating the direction of arrival of enemy radars. The use of compressive sensing architectures like the Nyquist Folding Receiver (NyFR) allow for computationally cheap capturing of wideband signals; however, these techniques make traditional direction of arrival (DOA) estimation techniques difficult. Given the advantages of compressive sensing, this research aims to apply machine learning (ML) techniques to multi-arm spiral antennas to estimate the incoming DOA. Software like MATLAB was used to simulate the multi-arm spiral antenna and …

Ct Image Segmentation Using Optimization Techniques Under Neutrosophic Domain, Doaa El-Shahat, Nourhan Talal, Jun Ye, Wen-Hua Cui

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In this paper, we introduce a hybrid technique between optimization algorithms and neutrosophic theory. This new hybridization can deal with uncertainties in brain computed tomography (CT) images in three different memberships very effectively. To prove the real-time application of this theory, a new segmentation method for brain CT medical images is presented. The grayscale medical image suffers from uncertainties and inconsistencies in the gray levels due to their bad luminance. The proposed technique addressed this problem by performing neutrosophic operations on gray levels based on the S membership function.

Bioaerosol Size As A Potential Determinant Of Airborne E. Coli Viability Under Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation And Ozone Disinfection, Weixing Hao, Yue-Wern Huang, Yang Wang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and ozone disinfection are crucial methods for mitigating the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings, particularly with the emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza viruses. This study quantitatively investigates the influence of UVGI and ozone on the viability of E. coli in bioaerosols, with a particular focus on how E. coli viability depends on the size of the bioaerosols, a critical factor that determines deposition patterns within the human respiratory system and the evolution of bioaerosols in indoor environments. This study used a controlled small-scale laboratory chamber where E. …

Multifunctional Models In Digital And Physical Twinning Of The Built Environment—A University Campus Case Study, Genda Chen, Ibrahim Alomari, Woubishet Zewdu Taffese, Zhenhua Shi, Mohammad Hossein Afsharmovahed, Tarutal Ghosh Mondal, Son Nguyen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Digital Twin (DT) Concept Has Been Developed for a Single Function in Previous Studies. This Study Aims to Empower DTs with a Layered Integration of Multifunctional Models in the Built Environment. It Develops a Framework of DT Modules in Three Hierarchical Tiers: Region, Asset, and System; Defines a New Concept of the Degree of Digital Twinning (DODT) to the Real World by the Number of Models Enabled by a Common DT Platform; and Enables Spatiotemporal Analysis in Multiple Scales to Couple Nonstructural with Structural Building Components and Connect the Built Environment to Planning Constructions. While the Asset and System …

Design And Simulation Of Flow Channel Of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (Pemfc), Rishya Shringhan Ravichandran

Masters Theses

In Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), flow channel plays an important role on the performance of the cell. This study mainly focuses on the simulation of flow channel under various conditions. A three-dimensional mode of PEMFC with 25cm² of active area was employed to simulate the flow channel of PEMFC which has various designs. The flow channel designs such as single serpentine, bi-serpentine and tri-serpentine channels were investigated using ANSYS FLUENT software. Initially, the flow channel width of 2mm was examined. The obtained results were compared to the experimental data to validate the model. Then, the dimension of …

Diagnosing Discharge Events Within A Novel Miniature Simplified Coaxial Ion Trap Mass Analyzer, David Virgil Sirbescu-Stanley

Masters Theses

Mass spectrometry is a technique that organizes material samples by mass to reveal their chemical composition by forming a spectrum. Since their invention, ion trap mass spectrometers have undergone significant enhancements. This work, funded by the National Science Foundation and in collaboration with Brigham Young University, the Simplified Coaxial Ion Trap (SCIT), attempts to simplify ion trap geometry and combine three ion traps into one device. Successful demonstration of the SCIT functionality could reduce costs, reduce manufacturing complexity, and shrink total instrument volume. At the same time, trapping capacity and analytical efficiency will be increased. However, as discussed within, challenges …