Engineering Commons^™

Numerical Analysis Of Impact Vibration Based On A Bifurcation Diagram With Two Varying Control Parameters, June-Yule Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study investigates impact vibration by using a bifurcation diagram with one or two varying control parameters. Sticking, periodic, and chaotic motions are explored using the Poincaré mapping and impact mapping techniques. A full range of bifurcation diagrams with varying driving frequencies is obtained, and the statistical index of the standard deviation (Std) is used to calculate the impact series in the bifurcation diagrams. The results indicate strong agreement between impact conditions and their corresponding statistical index values for the Std. Subsequently, the Std values for two control parameters of (w, m), (w, c), (w, k), (w, f), and (w, …

Efficient Maritime Object Detection And Validation For Enhancing Safety Of Uncrewed Marine Systems, Ahmed Saglam, Yiannis Papelis

VMASC Publications

Safe operation of uncrewed maritime systems is a major concern in the presence of other vehicles or obstacles. Typically, perception algorithms utilize sensor data to identify obstacles that must be avoided, and AI algorithms are used to interpret raw sensor data for use in navigation and object avoidance algorithms. However, perception algorithms are typically computationally expensive. In this paper, we present an efficient method for detecting obstacles using raw lidar data in the form of range or Point Cloud, employing computationally efficient techniques that do not depend on trained models or AI matching. The approach
converts the sensor readings into …

Sodium Hyaluronate Based Drug Delivery To The Outer And Inner Ear, Emma Barrett-Catton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

We have developed two projects using sodium hyaluronate (HA)-based systems for drug delivery to the ear. First, we investigated an HA-based hydrogel for use as a single use antibiotic treatment for otitis externa. Otitis externa, also known as outer ear infection, is a frequent affliction in both humans and animals. The most prevalent treatment for otitis externa is ear drops, but it is difficult to adhere properly to this treatment, causing poor patient compliance and the potential for complications. As a result, we have developed an HA-based hydrogel for use as a single application treatment for otitis externa to increase …

Uses Of Geographic Information Systems And Remote Sensing To Study The Natural Resource Management Of The Red Sea Governorate, Egypt, Shrouk Galal, Fawzi Hamid Zarzoura, Mahmoud El-Mewafi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The Red Sea governorate is rich in natural resources that create challenges for Egypt's future economy and growth. The right ways must be found to manage and discover these resources without wasting them. Remote sensing is one of the best methods used in the development of natural resources. It is based on measuring electromagnetic ray reflections from deep-seated or dispersed natural resources, and these images are processed uniquely for a variety of applications, including the detection of minerals, making land cover maps, shifting rocks, and monitoring of geological distortions. The altered rocks that existed in the study area were identified …

Effect Of Elevated Temperatures On The Properties Of Concrete Containing Metakaolin, Ahmed F. Abdullah, Mohamed M. Rashwan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The influence of elevated temperatures on the properties of concrete is significant for study on fire resistance as well as for identifying how isolated vessels, chimneys, and containers in nuclear reactors respond under service conditions. The present experimental investigation assesses the properties of concrete containing Metakaolin (MK) that has been exposed to elevated temperatures. For this purpose, seven concrete mixes were prepared, including one control mix, three mixes containing metakaolin (10, 15, and 20%) as a replacement by weight of cement. And three other mixes in the same proportions as a cement additive. After 28 days, the specimens exposed to …

Machine-Learning Based Stacked Ensemble Model For Accurate Multi Classification Of Cbc Anemia, Asmaa Mohamed El-Boghdady, Sherif Kishk, Mohamed M Ashour, Eman Abdelhalim

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Anemia Disease (AD) is one of the most common blood problems in the world. According to the World Health Organization, it leads to lack of oxygen and red blood cells. The problem of classifying anemia is crucial in prescribing an appropriate treatment plan. Unfortunately, it is difficult to accurately diagnose the type of anemia as early as possible in order to properly treat the patient. Such a diagnosis can be complicated by the exponential increase in patient numbers, priority rules set by hospitals, and issues of access to adequate medical professionals. This paper proposes the use of a computer-based model …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Microplastic Removal And The Relationship Between Microplastics, Bacterial Communities, And Nitrogen Cycling In The Natural Treatment Systems At The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, Fiona Connor

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis addressed two challenging aspects of microplastic research, including the quantification of microplastics in organic-rich water, and the investigation of how microplastics impact microorganisms and related nutrient-cycling. Two projects were designed and executed to address specific research objectives relating to these broad topics. The first objective was to develop and implement methods to determine the effectiveness of microplastic removal across the natural treatment systems at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF). The second objective was to observe how microplastics found in domestic wastewater impact the bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling in freshwater treatment wetland sediment through a bench-scale experiment, …

A Techno-Economic Analysis To Determine The Levelized Cost Of Hydrogen Generation Through Electrolysis For Humboldt Transit Authority, Humboldt County, California, Deepak Tripathi

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the techno-economic feasibility of on-site electrolysis-based hydrogen generation for the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA), focusing on determining the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for various system configurations and utility rate schedules. The study recommends using a 2.5 MW electrolyzer with the B-20 (T) utility rate schedule along with an E-GT rate supplement provided by PG&E as the most cost-effective solution to meet HTA's projected hydrogen demand. This demand is currently based on the utilization of 11 H₂ fuel cell buses, which is further expected to grow to 21 buses, and estimated public use …

Machine Learning Models To Automate Radiotherapy Structure Name Standardization, Priyankar Bose

Theses and Dissertations

Structure name standardization is a critical problem in Radiotherapy planning systems to correctly identify the various Organs-at-Risk, Planning Target Volumes and `Other' organs for monitoring present and future medications. Physicians often label anatomical structure sets in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images with nonstandard random names. Hence, the standardization of these names for the Organs at Risk (OARs), Planning Target Volumes (PTVs), and `Other' organs is a vital problem. Prior works considered traditional machine learning approaches on structure sets with moderate success. We compare both traditional methods and deep neural network-based approaches on the multimodal vision-language prostate cancer …

Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (Htdma) Design And Testing For Aerosol Hygroscopic Behavior Studies, Ziheng Zeng

Honors Theses

Most particles in the atmosphere take up water when exposed to increasing relative humidity (RH), and this behavior is described and quantized by a hygroscopicity parameter, kappa. Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analysis (HTDMA) can be used to measure the physicochemical properties of aerosol particles and study phenomena that lead to size changes in submicron aerosol particles. Specifically, HTDMA measures how aerosol particles of different initial dry sizes grow or shrink when exposed to changing RH. HTDMA uses two differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) and a humidification system to make these measurements. One DMA selects a narrow size range of dry aerosol …

A Theoretical And Computational Model For Aquaponics Systems, Isabella M. Digiulio

Honors Theses

Aquaponics, a sustainable farming technique combining the principles of aquaculture and hydroponics, suffers from uncertainty in its optimal operating conditions, preventing large-scale adoption of this technology. Relying on experimentation or full-scale testing to address these uncertainties is an approach that is material, labor, time, and cost intensive. As a result, aquaponics would benefit from a complete computational model of the system. This would allow for information to be gained without long and expensive experiments, but rather with knowledge of system operations and a modeling software package. In this study, the Activated Sludge Model 1 (ASM1) matrix framework, traditionally used in …

Development Of A Solution Synthesis Of Poly(Sebacic Anhydride) With The Activating Agent 4-Toluenesulfonyl Chloride: Understanding The Effect Of Different Bases On The Reaction Products, Patricia Poley

Honors Theses

The overall goal of this honors thesis was to develop a solution synthesis of Poly(Sebacic Anhydride) with the activating agent 4-toluenesulfonyl chloride and understand the effects of varying temperature, bases, and the addition order of reagents on the reaction.

Polyanhydrides are a class of hydrophobic, degradable polymers used in controlled drug delivery for 30 years. They are synthesized through three general methods: melt polycondensation, solution polycondensation, and ring-opening polymerization. Of these three methods, solution polycondensation typically results in products with lower molecular weight. Previous work in the Vogel lab identified two new ways to synthesize anhydrides using solution polycondensation reactions …

An Investigation Into Aluminum’S Torsional Behavior Of Circular, Rectangular, And Square Cross-Sections, Marly Mcclintock

Honors Theses

The Specifications for Aluminum Structures (2020) provides the standards that structural engineers follow for aluminum design. Included in these specifications are limit state equations that use strength properties to calculate a member’s initial yield, full yield, and rupture values. One limit state that the standards currently neglect is the torsional failure of solid bars. Torsion is the act of rotation caused by a twisting force, otherwise known as torque. Future installments of the specifications hope to include torsional yielding and rupture equations, so this study investigates the validity of these proposed equations.

Two different aluminum alloys were investigated for this …

Eeg-Based Spanish Language Proficiency Classification: An Eeg Power Spectrum And Cross-Spectrum Analysis, Blaise Xavier O'Mara, Skyler Baumer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Second language proficiency may be predicted with electrophysiological techniques. In a machine learning application, this electrophysiological data may be used for language instructors and language students to assess their language learning. This study identifies how electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum and cross spectrum data of the brain cortex relates to Spanish second language (L2) proficiency of 20 Spanish language students of varying proficiency levels at the University of New Hampshire. The two metrics for assessing cortical power and processing were event-related desynchronization (ERD)—a measure of relative change in power—of the alpha (8-12 Hz) brain frequency band, and alpha and beta (13-30Hz) …

A Literature Analysis Of Microgrid Optimization Studies, Izzy Medeiros

Honors Theses and Capstones

Senior civil engineering student, Izzy Medeiros, is presenting her honors thesis in the form of a literature analysis. Her research involved investigating existing microgrid studies and where there are current gaps in the knowledge. About 40 publications written within the last 20 years were analyzed for their research goals, optimization objectives, and microgrid design, pointing to where this research is currently lacking. Most real studies were conducted in Asia, as Southeast Asia has island communities that need the reliability of a renewable microgrid during extreme weather events. Photovoltaic panels in combination with wind turbines comprise the most common configuration of …

Occurrence Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In New Hampshire Biosolids, Katherine A. Wieck

Honors Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4,000 compounds used in the manufacturing of products including aqueous film forming foams for firefighting, stain repellents, waterproofing agents, and nonstick cookware since their initial development in the 1940s. The long fluorinated carbon chain structure of PFAS causes chemical and thermal stability, and thus resistance to biodegradation. Biosolids produced at wastewater facilities for uses such as agricultural land-applied compost and fertilizer for lawns and athletic fields, as well as sludge disposed in landfills can cause contamination of groundwater and surface water. This poses a significant threat to human and environmental …

Application Of Metagenomic And Molecular Microbiology Techniques To Elucidate Sources Of Fecal Pollution And Anthropogenic Antibiotic Resistance Genes To Surface Water: A Step Towards A “One Health” Approach To Watershed Management, Mehedi Hasan Tarek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of fecal indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, is a widely established regulatory and monitoring practice to detect surface water contamination associated with fecal pollution. However, the detection or quantification of fecal indicator bacteria alone does not accurately inform the sources of fecal pollution. The development of molecular and metagenomic methods that target the DNA of microorganisms has resulted in a host of new tools for monitoring fecal pollution and its sources, as well as for understanding emerging microbial threats, such as antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is a critical “One Health” challenge presenting a high risk to …

Frp Pedestrian Bridges, Joseph Ryan Virga

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advanced fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are being used as mainstream structural materials to build complex infrastructure systems. Such application of FRP composites can be attributed to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, higher energy absorption, durability, and competitive life-cycle costs. FRP composites are increasingly being considered as suitable alternative structural materials to traditional construction materials such as timber, concrete, and steel.

In this work, detailed experimental investigation has been carried out on different types of glass FRP composite pedestrian bridges with FRP and/or timber deck. Four full-scale FRP pedestrian bridges, including 70`×8.5’ and 70’×10’ single-span bridges, a 16’×8’ …

Using Modflow To Assess Groundwater Storage Enhancement Via A Floodplain Infiltration Basin, Lindsay Henning

All Master's Theses

Delaying groundwater discharge into rivers until it is critically needed during baseflow conditions provides promise for lowering elevated stream temperatures and improving habitat for aquatic species. Increasing groundwater storage may accomplish this in locations where excess spring runoff can be captured and allowed to infiltrate into the subsurface for later beneficial use, a process known as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR). Here, MAR via an infiltration basin is considered at a site along the Teanaway River in central Washington State. The effects of simulated ephemeral ponds of sizes varying from 554 m³ to 2430 m³ (0.449 acre-feet to 1.97 …

Impact Of Character N-Grams Attention Scores For English And Russian News Articles Authorship Attribution, Liliya Mukhmutova, Robert J. Ross, Giancarlo Salton

Conference papers

Language embeddings are often used as black-box word-level tools that provide powerful language analysis across many tasks, but yet for many tasks such as Authorship Attribution access to feature level information on character n-grams can provide insights to help with model refinement and development. In this paper we investigate and evaluate the importance of character n-grams within an embeddings context in authorship attribution through the use of attention scores. We perform this investigation both for English (Reuters_50_50) and Russian (Taiga) news authorship datasets. Our analysis show that character n-grams attention score is higher for n-grams that are considered to be …

Comparative Study Of Proppant Transport In The Vertical Fracture For High Viscosity Friction Reducers And Slickwater Fracturing With High-Tds Marcellus Shale Formation Water, Xiaojing Ge, Abdulmohsin Imqam, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs) have been gaining more attention and increasing in use as proppant carriers. Reusing of produced water has also been driven by both environmental and economic benefits. However, high total dissolved solids (TDS) of produced water and high reservoir temperature significantly decrease the viscoelastic properties of HVFRs even for the cationic ones, which further reduce their proppant transport capabilities. Increasing loadings of HVFRs also has very limited effects on improving their proppant transport performances under high-TDS and high-Temperature conditions. The ultimate objective of this experimental study is to investigate the injection rate effects on the proppant …

Time-Specific Safety Performance Functions For Different Advanced Traffic Management Strategies, Jingwan Fu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Time-specific Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) were proposed to achieve accurate and dynamic crash frequency predictions and bridge the gap between annual crash frequency prediction and real-time crash likelihood prediction. This research proposed time-specific SPFs considering the temporal variation in crashes and traffic characteristics. Firstly, the developed time-specific SPFs that include different ATM strategies (i.e., HOV, merge, diverge and reversible lanes segments) were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the traffic turbulence during specific hours would relate to crash occurrence. Further, the variables that represent the speed and occupancy differences between the HOV lanes/reversible lanes and general-purpose lanes were …

Crosslinking Enhancement Of Natural Rubber By Electron Beam, Mili Purbaya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Vulcanization is a crucial process that transforms raw rubber into a durable and useful material. During vulcanization, crosslinking points are created between rubber molecules, which convert them into a thermosetting substance. The conventional vulcanization method is carried out by the addition of some chemicals accompanied by the application of thermal energy. This study explored the possibility of using electron beam irradiation which is an environmentally friendly and short-time method for vulcanizing natural rubber. The research was divided into two parts. In the first part, the efficacy of electron beam vulcanization was compared to that of thermal vulcanization. Natural rubber containing …

Cellulose Nanofiber/Poly(Acrylic Acid)-Based Hydrogel For Colorimetric Biomarker Sensors, Nichaphat Passornraprasit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This dissertation develops innovative CNF/PAA hydrogel-based colorimetric sensors for non-invasive biomarker detection, focusing on urea for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and sarcosine for prostate cancer (PCa). Hydrogels serve as a matrix for enzyme and indicator encapsulation due to their high absorption capacity and unique three-dimensional network, with CNF enhancing mechanical properties. The research is divided into two parts. Part I involves preparing a GO/CNF/PAA hydrogel via non-toxic radiation crosslinking, featuring high swelling capacity and enhanced laser absorptivity due to GO. This hydrogel, used as a patch for on-skin detection, shows vivid color changes to distinguish CKD patients from healthy individuals, …

Promoting Enhanced Decision-Making And Proactive Management For Modularization In The Construction Industry Using Risk-Based Approach, Analytical Hierarchy Process, And Graph Theory, Mohamad Abdul Nabi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Modularization is an approach that can potentially mitigate many of the current construction industry’s challenges. Despite the documented advantages of modularization, the industry is still not able to capitalize on its full potential and benefits. The latter is due to the outdated decision-making models that may not reflect the multiple factors involved in modular construction, the unique source of risks associated with modular construction methods, need for continuous improvement, and complex contractual requirements and disputes. As such, the goal is to promote the use of modularization in the construction industry by enhancing decision-making and proactive risk management. The associated objectives …

Higher-Order Effects In Biaxial Flexure Of Gfrp I-Section Beams, Zia Razzaq, Faridoon Z. Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A theoretical study of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) beams subjected to biaxial bending moments is presented with a focus on the influence of higher-order effects on maximum normal stresses. It is shown that the biaxial bending type of loading causes a dramatic increase in the maximum normal stress for a GFRP beam when induced torsional effects are included. The study demonstrates that the traditional first-order theory can grossly underestimate the maximum normal stress in a GFRP beam. Based on the numerical results presented using a higher-order theory which also accounts for induced warping normal stresses, the maximum normal stress …

Strategies Automotive Manufacturing Managers Use To Deliver Work In Alignment With Project Milestones, Sashidhar Mr. Sankaranarayanan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project managers working in manufacturing firms in the automotive industry frequently face challenges such as cost overruns, schedule delays, and scope changes. Project managers often lack effective strategies to ensure that different departments deliver their work in alignment with project milestones, which can negatively affect project success rates. Grounded in the balanced scorecard framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies managers in the automotive manufacturing industry used in their different departments to deliver their work in alignment with project milestones. The participants were three project managers who had successfully implemented strategies that reduced the …

Changes To Sea Surface Temperatures And Vertical Wind Shear And Their Influence On Tropical Cyclone Activity In The Caribbean And The Main Developing Region, Keneshia Hibbert, Equisha Glenn, Thomas M. Smith, Jorge E. González-Cruz

Publications and Research

Sea surface temperatures and vertical wind shear are essential to tropical cyclone formation. TCs need warm SSTs and low shear for genesis. Increasing SSTs and decreasing VWS influences storm development. This work analyzes SST and VWS trends for the Caribbean, surrounding region, and the Atlantic hurricane main developing region from 1982–2020. Storm intensity increases significantly during this period. Annual and seasonal trends show that regional SSTs in the MDR are warming annually at 0.0219 °C yr⁻¹ and, per season, 0.0280 °C yr⁻¹. Simultaneously, VWS decreases during the late rainfall season, at 0.056 m/s yr⁻¹ in the …

Board 201: A New Public Dataset For Exploring Engineering Longitudinal Development By Leveraging Curricular Analytics, David Reeping, Matthew Ohland, Kenneth Reid, Hossein Ebrahiminejad, Nahal Rashedi

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Considering the increasing demand for engineering graduates, understanding what is limiting students from completing their degrees has been a consistent question posed in the literature. The nontrivial variance in pathways students take in obtaining an engineering degree, especially in cases where students abandon their studies, suggests that longitudinal datasets can hold a wealth of information to uncover factors contributing to attrition. Accordingly, this project uses existing data to explore curricular factors that create barriers for different students by leveraging a new framework for quantifying the impact of such factors, Curricular Analytics. Curricular Analytics uses network analysis to measure sequencing and …

Board 394: Sustaining And Scaling The Impact Of The Midfield Project At The American Society For Engineering Education (Year 1), Susan M. Lord, Matthew Ohland, Marisa K. Orr, Russell Long, Catherine E. Brawner, Joseph Roy

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

A substantial investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF), including awards from Engineering Education and Centers in the Engineering Directorate and the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Education and Human Resources Directorate, has led to the creation and study of the Multiple Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD). This large database of student records has yielded groundbreaking research on student pathways by a small interdisciplinary team of researchers. The team has shown that while individual engineering programs may have poor graduation rates, a multi-institutional view reveals that engineering programs as a whole graduate a larger fraction of …