Engineering Commons^™

Mud Sound Speed Profile Constraints From Sub-Bottom Arrival Times, Charles W. Holland

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Arrival times of sub-bottom reflected paths together with co-located direct measurements of the angle of intromission provide narrow constraints on the sediment sound speed profile. Measurements of these two quantities at the central New England Mud Patch in March 2017 indicate that the average sound speed gradient in the upper 3m and upper 9m of mud is 6 s1. Gradients of 5 s1 and 7 s1 over the upper 9m are too small and large, respectively. Below 9m, the sandmud transition interval has a gradient of 200 s1. VC

Numerical Investigation On Enhancing The Performance Of A Parabolic Trough Collector Using A Threaded Absorber Tube, Shayan Pourhemmati, Abdellah M. Shafieian, Hussein A. Mohammed, Barun Kumar Das, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The growing global demand for energy and heightened environmental concerns have elevated the importance of solar energy harvesting in recent years. Parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) are widely utilized for capturing direct solar radiation; however, conventional PTC efficiency is limited by low convection heat transfer rate in the absorber section, which is then delivered to heat transfer fluid (HTF). This study numerically investigates the use of a threaded tube as a fluid flow disruption technique to enhance heat transfer rate within the absorber, with Reynolds numbers ranging from 4000 to 10,000. Three key geometric parameters of the thread: pitch (300, 150 …

Evaluation Of Sanafoam Vaporooter Ii Stress On Activated Sludge Performance For Carbonaceous Removal And Nitrification, Ensiyeh Taheri, Ali Fatehizadeh, John Nazimek, Mustafa Nabi, Wayne Bagg, Amir Razmjou, Paul Nolan, Ratish Permala, Mehdi Khiadani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Root intrusion control in sewer pipelines often relies on chemical herbicides, yet their unintended impacts on downstream biological treatment remain underexplored. This study investigated the effects of Sanafoam Vaporooter II (SVII) on carbon removal and nitrification in activated sludge reactors (ASRs) under long-term operation. Two parallel bench-scale ASRs were installed and operated at Subiaco municipal wastewater treatment plant in Perth, Western Australia: one was exposed to incremental SVII concentrations (1–3000 mg/L), while the other served as an unamended control. Stoichiometric analysis revealed stable organic matter removal across all SVII doses. In contrast, nitrification decreased progressively at concentrations exceeding 128 mg/L. …

Machine Learning-Based Upscaling Of Rock Permeability From Pore Scale To Core Scale: Effect Of Training Dataset Size And Sub-Core Volumes, Yaotian Guo, Fei Jiang, Takeshi Tsuji, Yoshitake Kato, Mai Shimokawara, Lionel Esteban, Mojtaba Seyyedi, Marina Pervukhina, Maxim Lebedev, Ryuta Kitamura

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Permeability characterizes the capacity of porous formations to conduct fluids, thereby governing the performance of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), hydrocarbon extraction, and subsurface energy storage. A reliable assessment of rock permeability is therefore essential for these applications. Direct estimation of permeability from low-resolution CT images of large rock samples offers a rapid approach to obtain permeability data. However, the limited resolution fails to capture detailed pore-scale structural features, resulting in low prediction accuracy. To address this limitation, we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based upscaling method that integrates high-precision pore-scale permeability information into core-scale, low-resolution CT images. In …

Addressing System Strength And Reliability Concerns In Renewable Energy-Based Weak Grids Using Synchronous Condensers Determined By Hybrid Gru-Classical Optimization Method, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Daryoush Habibi, Mohammad A.S. Masoum, Thair Mahmoud

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Owing to the higher-integration of renewable energy generators (REGs), conventional coal-based synchronous generators are being decommissioned from generation fleets, resulting in system strength and reliability concerns. Along with the increasing load demand, deficiency of system strength can be a huge risk to system stability and can eventually lead to blackouts by disconnecting REGs from grid systems. In the literature, researchers and power engineers have proposed to deploy synchronous condensers (SynCons) as a mitigation strategy to address the system strength and reliability challenges. SynCons are, however, expensive and require investigation for higher reliability results before installation. To address the concerns, SynCons’ …

Orthogonal Time Frequency Space Modulation For Underwater Acoustic Communication Systems: A Review, Bevek Subba, Quoc Viet Phung, Stefan Lachowicz, Walid K. Hasan, Muhammad Haziq, Daryoush Habibi, Iftekhar Ahmad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underwater Acoustic Communication (UAC) has garnered significant attention due to its applications in marine science, defence, and exploration. With the vast majority of the Earth's surface covered by water, there is a growing demand for reliable and effective communication techniques in underwater environments. However, the underwater acoustic channel is the most challenging channel due to its harsh characteristics, which significantly hinder the reliability and performance of UAC systems. Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) modulation has emerged as a promising solution for next-generation UAC systems to address high Doppler and high mobility scenarios. It has demonstrated tolerance to fast time-varying channel …

Shear Stability Enhancement In Fracture Plugging Zones: Unveiling Failure Mechanisms And Adhesive Benefits Through Photoelastic Analysis, Haoran Jing, Yili Kang, Chengyuan Xu, Lei Liu, Xiaopeng Yan, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Addressing lost circulation during drilling operations typically involves the utilization of lost circulation materials (LCMs) to create a fracture plugging zone (FPZ), which effectively decouples the wellbore fluid column pressure (Pw) from the formation pressure (Pf). This FPZ, comprised of aggregated granular LCM particles, frequently succumbs to shear stress, with shear failure being the predominant mode of structural failure, leading to ongoing fluid losses. To illuminate the failure mechanisms of the FPZ under conditions of escalating drilling differential pressure (Pw - Pf), we utilized photoelastic experiments to capture and visualize the evolving mesoscopic mechanical structure of the FPZ. Photoelastic images …

Design, Testing, And Safety Performance Of Movable Guardrail Systems: A Prisma-Based Systematic Review, Navid Hashemi Taba, Ahdieh Sadat Khatavakhotan, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Movable guardrail systems are increasingly used in work zones, reversible lanes, and temporary traffic operations; however, evidence on their crashworthiness, material performance, and operational reliability remains dispersed across multiple design typologies and regulatory frameworks. This PRISMA-compliant systematic review synthesizes 78 studies involving full-scale crash tests, validated finite-element simulations, field performance evaluations, and compliance evaluations under MASH, EN 1317, NCHRP 350, and AS/NZS 3845.1. The findings indicate that modular rigid barriers reliably achieve TL-3/TL-4 performance when joint alignment and foundation conditions are properly controlled; semi-rigid steel systems provide a practical balance between containment capacity and redeployability, but remain sensitive to post …

Emerging Design Paradigms And Microstructural Innovations In Refractory High-Entropy Alloys: A Critical Review, Deyu A. Jiang, Lai Chang Zhang, Kuaishe Wang, Mahmoud Ebrahimi, Wen Wang, Liqiang Wang, Weijie Lu, Di Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) are being developed to meet mechanical, thermal and chemical requirements that exceed what current super-alloys can withstand. This review explains how composition design, processing routes and the resulting microstructures now combine to realize that potential. We first link phase selection in BCC-, FCC- and dual-phase RHEAs to atomic-size mismatch, mixing enthalpy and valence-electron concentration, and compare manufacturing paths ranging from arc melting to powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing and vapor deposition, showing how each reshapes grain structure and defect chemistry to improve high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance and irradiation tolerance. Computation-led tools—density-functional theory, calculation of phase diagrams and …

Green And Charge-Tuned Β-Cyclodextrin Polymers For Efficient Removal Of Pfas And Anionic Dyes From Water, Samira Sadeghi, Ahmad Najafidoust, Mark Mullett, Shayan Karimi, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Water contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) poses a major environmental challenge due to their persistence. This study evaluates positively charged, green-synthesized β-cyclodextrin polymers (β-CDP⁺) for the removal of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as short- and long-chain PFAS, respectively, from water. Methyl orange (MO) and acid red 1 (AR1), as anionic dyes, were used as proxies to optimize PFAS adsorption conditions. β-CDP⁺ exhibited high removal efficiencies (>90%) for all pollutants within 15–50 mg/L, reaching equilibrium within 30 min. Maximum adsorption capacities (Qm) were achieved for MO (335 mg/g), AR1 (384 mg/g), PFOA …

Synergist Free Solvent Extraction Of Lithium From Alkaline Salt Lake Brines Using Thenoyltrifluoroacetone In Octanol, Shayan Abrishami, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The growing demand for lithium in energy storage applications necessitates the development of efficient and selective extraction technologies for recovering lithium from alkaline brines containing high concentrations of competing alkali metals. This study presents an investigation of a thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA)-octanol solvent extraction system for selective lithium recovery from high‑sodium brines, utilizing 1-octanol as an environmentally benign diluent without requiring any synergistic co-extractant. Through systematic optimization of key operational parameters including pH, extractant concentration, scrubbing conditions, and stripping agent concentration, the system demonstrated excellent performance with lithium extraction efficiency of 67.5% ± 3.4% and a maximum separation factor of 28.0 ± …

Globalizing The Engineering Job Market: Optimizing Engineering Career Expos To Serve International Students, Hailey A. Hesseltine

Journal of Global Education and Research

As the United States hosts approximately one million international students annually, it becomes imperative that on-campus resources are tailored to meet the needs of this diverse student population. One on-campus resource that is crucial to student success is career services, especially considering the aspirations of many international students to secure employment post-graduation. To address this, this study aimed to understand the satisfaction levels of international engineering students with an engineering career expo in Hawaiʻi. Utilizing a combination of surveys and interviews using a neo-racism framework, international students shared their experiences from the career expo through discussion and assessment. Information given …

Impact Of Femalized Kinesthetic Learning Model On African American Middle School Girls’ Career Interest, Mercy F. Fash, Andrea Ofori-Boadu

Journal of Global Education and Research

Engaging African American middle school girls in out-of-school-time (OST) Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) programs can boost interest in male-dominated AEC careers. This study adopts Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory to evaluate the impact of an OST feminized AEC kinesthetic learning model (fAEC-KLM) on the career interests of this demographic. Through a qualitative research approach, fourteen (14) African American middle school girls from Guilford County, NC, completed pre- and post-interviews on how fAEC-KLM interactions influenced their AEC career interests. Inductive thematic analysis was carried out on transcribed interviews. Results show that effective components, such as lectures on AEC, bridge construction …

Conceptual Architecture For Digital Twin (Dt) In Disaster Response Applications, Sai Raghava Pathuri

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Digital Twin Enabled Artificial Intelligence Uncrewed System (Model-Based Systems Engineering) Artificial Intelligence Digital Twin (DT)+Cyber Physical System. The goal was to create DTs of Multi Class UxS. The system of interest was the Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The modeling language used SysML v2.

Effects Of Asphalt Or Concrete On Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer, Yuou Peng, Daniela Wolter Ferreira Touma

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) allows measurements should be done for 100 kHz and 77 kHz. electrical energy to be transferred wirelessly to a moving object, and it also possesses the ability to charge vehicles continuously while they are traveling down a specially equipped road.

A method of embedding the coils in the surface course shows that all coils achieve more than 54 kW of power at an efficiency of 95% in the power transmission evaluation. Advantage: Ability to charge vehicles continuously while they are traveling down a specially equipped road. Objective: Investigation of physical and structural feasibility of embedding …

Development Of An Automated Platform For Cell Biology Experiments, Dipendra Nepal

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Cell biology experiments involve repetitive tasks such as pipetting, sample preparation, and imaging, which are typically performed manually. These manual processes can introduce variability, reduce efficiency, and increase the cost of biomedical research. To address these challenges, our lab is developing a modular robotic platform, iEye™, to automate key steps in cell biology workflows [1]. The system is designed as self-contained modules, allowing flexible development and integration of different functionalities. In this work, we focus on a sample preparation module that integrates a 6-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, a motorized stage, and a pneumatic pipetter. This module is being developed to automate …

Calibration Of Time-Domain Impedance Probe (Tdip) To Investigate Space Plasma Dynamics During Periods Of Ionospheric Instability, Piyas Chowdhury, Soumyajit Dey, Edmund A. Spencer

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

The traditional Plasma Impedance Probe (PIP) is popular for diagnosing parameters of the ionospheric plasma to study the space environment. However, the resolution of data measurements of existing PIP instruments, operating at higher frequencies, limits the analysis to studying the plasma features at electron scales. Studying plasma ion parameters is essential to understanding the ionospheric instability growth rates. This can only be accomplished by operating a diagnosing instrument at lower frequencies corresponding to ion scales. A recently developed Time Domain Impedance Probe (TDIP) is implementable for fast moving spacecraft using a time domain approach. The instrument has higher measurement resolution …

Ai Driven Assessment For Clinical Scenarios, Sudhanshu Tarale, Bhushan Lohar, Ninad Pandit

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Beta 1 captured granular data to validate the system’s ability to measure clinical thoroughness and deliver real-time feedback. Data collection formally approved by the USA IRB (Protocol 25 037; #22849172).

Aurora – Autonomous Urban & Rural Optimization And Resilience Architecture, Ninad Pandit

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Problem statement: Undetected systemic “leaks” within large-scale food distribution networks result in severe post-harvest perishable losses and critical nutrient degradation.

Real-Time Simulation Analysis Of V2g Technique For Demand Response Using Survey Based Data Approach, Joseph Bentil

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

The demand of energy in the world concerning the power industry keeps growing even with the introduction of EVs. Traditional based demand response relies on load shedding and energy storage systems. However, EVs with their battery pack can serve as mobile energy storage systems for grid services.

Development of data-driven microgrid model using survey based vehicle data to evaluate V2G and demand side management strategies to improve grid services and test emerging artificial-based control algorithms.

Tourniquet Tester, Tyler Offerman, Thuy Nguyen, Ryan Ly, Cody Hoeptner

Biomedical Engineering

The Tourniquet Tester is a device intended to be used as a standardized testing device for tourniquets. Due to the lack of a standard testing device for testing tourniquets that can produce accurate and reproducible results, it is difficult to test the efficacy of tourniquets currently being sold on the market. A standard testing device that can produce consistent and reproducible results would allow tourniquet manufacturing companies to properly test the efficacy of their product and develop proper guidelines and directions for users of the product. Medical professionals and military personnel who may use tourniquets in their line of work …

Babycheck, Ayla V. Campbell, Eleanor M. Tweedy

Biomedical Engineering

The BabyCheck project was created to design and test a device that can collect a small blood sample from the fetal scalp during labor. The goal is to reduce uncertainty when fetal heart rate tracings are unclear, especially in Category II cases where it can be difficult for clinicians to decide the safest next step. Current monitoring methods either rely on interpreting heart rate patterns or use more invasive procedures to gather biochemical information. BabyCheck was designed to provide a simpler and more controlled way to collect a small blood sample that could help guide these decisions.

The final prototype …

Jaundease Phototherapy Vest Test Plan, Sujay Panthulu, Jasdev Banwait, Gwynn Moss, Solomon M. Fernandez

Biomedical Engineering

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common condition affecting more than 60% of newborns, caused by an excess buildup of bilirubin in the blood due to the liver’s limited ability to process it efficiently [1]. The standard treatment involves hospital-based phototherapy, where infants are placed in incubators under blue light to break down bilirubin in the skin. Although effective, this approach requires infants to remain under the lights for 12–18 hours per day, often with eye protection, and separated from their parents—disrupting early bonding and potentially contributing to toxic stress that can impact neurological and emotional development [2]. While at-home phototherapy solutions …

Improving Cellular Retention And Distribution To Promote Arteriogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Arterial Occlusion, Nancy Huang

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) affects millions of people in the United States, creating pain, discomfort, and limited mobility due to restricted blood flow from obstructed arteries. While current treatments include lifestyle changes and revascularization procedures, these options are often insufficient or inaccessible because of procedural pain and socioeconomic barriers. In some cases, this can lead to critical limb ischemia and amputation as a last resort. Increasing blood flow to the extremities by enhancing collateral vessel growth, a biological process called arteriogenesis, with cell-based therapies can redirect blood flow around obstructions and has potential to mitigate and treat the effects …

Iud Insertion Pain Management, Sandhya Sridhar, Olivia Armas, Lucy Campochiaro

Biomedical Engineering

This project focuses on developing an atraumatic cervical stabilization device that serves as a modern alternative to the traditional tenaculum used during IUD insertion procedures. Current devices rely on sharp metal prongs that pierce the cervix and often cause significant pain and bleeding. The goal of this project is to design a device that provides the same stability and control for clinicians while eliminating the need to puncture cervical tissue. The device is intended to be used by gynecologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, primary care physicians, or any medical professional performing an IUD insertion. The device is intended to be …

Cpap Belly Prevent, Alek Corpuz, Emma Hoffman, Danielle Tran

Biomedical Engineering

Neonates with low gestation periods often face complications such as respiratory distress syndrome, or RDS, which increases risk for complications such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Use of bCPAP helps facilitate regular breathing, but can also force air into the stomach and consequently cause abdominal distention. Clinicians currently use an already inserted feeding tube to vent the accumulated air, however this interrupts the feeding process.

The PreVent device was developed to allow for simultaneous feeding and venting. The dual function minimizes interruptions to NICU nurse workflow and improves capability to relieve abdominal distention before the onset of adverse complications.

Newborn Spinal Needle, Allison Inouye, Kyle Morton, Evan Russell

Biomedical Engineering

Spinal punctures, or lumbar punctures, are important diagnostic procedures used to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to diagnose issues in the central nervous system (CNS) such as meningitis. While these procedures are routinely performed on adult and neonatal patients, the current tools are not optimized for use on newborns. Existing spinal needles are often modified versions of adult devices, leading to challenges in fluid collection efficiency, user ergonomics, and patient safety when used in neonatal care.

The Newborn Spinal Needle Project aims to design and develop a spinal needle specifically optimized for neonatal anatomy and clinical workflow. The goal is to …

Orthopedic Bone Drill, Logan G. Schmid, Matthew T. Wold, May Geng

Biomedical Engineering

This project aims to design a bone drill for orthopedic procedures which alleviates the heat generated in the bone during drilling.

State Of Charge Estimation Of Ev Secondary Battery Pack Using Hybrid Hedge Feedforward Feedback-Based Gated Recurrent Unit To Extend Lifespan, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Daryoush Habibi, Mohammad A.S. Masoum, Paul Moses

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Accurate estimation of state of charge (SoC) and maintaining balanced charge levels across secondary battery cells are crucial in battery management systems (BMSs) to extend battery life while improving the performance and thermal stability of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles (EVs). However, there are still underexplored challenges associated with circulating currents in electrochemical cells during continuous operation which can overheat battery packs, reducing their life span or result in dangerous thermal runaways. This paper investigates SoC estimation using various real-world charging and discharging profiles, along with charge-balancing strategies to enhance the longevity of parallel-connected Li-ion battery cells. A newly …

Joint Capacity Allocation And Job Assignment Under Uncertainty, Peng Wang, Yun Fong Lim, Gar Goei Loke

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We study a multi-period joint capacity allocation and job assignment problem. The goal is to simultaneously allocate resources across J different supply nodes and assign jobs from I different demand origins to these J supply nodes, so as to maximize the reward for matching or minimize the cost of failure to match. We consider three features: (i) supply is replenishable after some random time, (ii) demand is random, and (iii) demand can wait and needs not be fully fulfilled immediately. Such problems emerge in many service management settings such as fleet re-positioning for car-sharing, and patient management in healthcare. We …