Engineering Commons^™

Instrumentation And Control Of A Novel Device To Simulate A Hypersonic Environment, Andrew Marcello

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The hypersonic flow regime poses several challenges regarding the design of hypersonic vehicles. Among them is the massive energy and economic expense associated with ground- testing evaluation of material responses within this extreme environment. In order to provide a low-cost, rapid option for preliminary material analysis within hypersonic applications, a novel device is under production to replicate this environment on the surface of these materials. This device has been designed to work in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Advanced Photo Source (APS) synchrotron, to allow for in-situ characterization of ablation and oxidation on the sample surface.

To achieve this, …

Insect Inspired Behavioral Strategies For Improving Multi-Agent System Resilience In The Presence Of Contagious Faults, James E. Hand

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) become increasingly involved in every aspect of everyday life the need to maintain reliability and resilience within these systems grows. However, in equal measure bad actors wishing to maliciously control or alter these systems are growing in both scale and capability. Thus, there is a present need for control schemes and agent behaviors that provide security against these threats while also avoiding large degradation in system performance as a tradeoff. Current research has covered a wide breadth of avenues and strategies that provide measurable resilience to faulted agents. However, these strategies often require group consensus, specialized …

Ellie - Exteroceptive Light Locomotion In Eukaryote-Fungi, Brandon Etwarroo

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Over the past decade, fungal research and its technological applications have expanded across multiple disciplines, including the emerging field of biohybrid systems. This thesis develops and evaluates a wireless, untethered mobile robot controlled by the action potential-like activity generated by Pleurotus ostreatus sporocarps under red, green, and blue optical stimulation. Light is applied to the sporocarps, the resulting electrical responses are recorded, and these signals are transmitted wirelessly to actuate the mobile robot. Both the action potential-like activity patterns and the robot’s movement trajectories were analyzed. The results demonstrate that wireless robotic control mediated by fungal electrophysiology is feasible. Overall, …

Effect Of Nozzle Pressure Ratio On Thrust And Flow Behavior In A Supersonic De Laval Nozzle, Esha Jain

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Supersonic nozzles operate across a range of flow regimes. While an ideally expanded condition yields optimal thrust, practical propulsion systems rarely operate at this design point due to variations in altitude and engine operating conditions. As a result, nozzles frequently operate in off-design conditions. In overexpanded regime, where the exit pressure is lower than the ambient pressure, shock-induced separation may occur within the divergent section of the nozzle, potentially degrading nozzle performance. Understanding the aerodynamic behavior of nozzles operating under off-design conditions is therefore important for improving propulsion system performance and stability. In particular, direct thrust measurements provide a key …

Intelligent Flight Control Systems Using Adaptive Deep Neural Networks And Concurrent Learning-Based Design Methods, Maddox C. Morrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis investigates deep neural network (DNN)-based adaptive control strategies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating under aerodynamic uncertainty and complex actuator dynamics.

The first contribution presents a control strategy employing a concurrent learning (CL)-based DNN training algorithm, which combines online adaptive DNN weight adaptation with offline batch-like training updates using a recorded data stack. The analysis focuses on the closed-loop performance improvements resulting from the use of optimum CL data-selection algorithms, which ensure that the recorded data stack maintains sufficient data diversity to provide a statistically meaningful representation of the operating conditions using a reduced data set. Specifically, this …

Study Of Output And Behavior Of Llms Using Confidence Framing In Prompt Engineering, Micah Parrilla

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

While prompt engineering is pivotal for shaping Large Language Model (LLM) outputs, the impact of confidence framing on behavioral calibration remains underexplored. This study investigates the ways in which psychological framing, utilizing techniques such as capability praise, role amplification, and doubt induction, affects linguistic tone, objective accuracy, and internal calibration. A 1,080-trial experimental matrix evaluated six diverse models across factual, logical, coding, and cyber security domains. Analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test revealed highly significant behavioral shifts across all measured dimensions, providing conclusive evidence that the applied frames exert a substantial influence on model performance.

The findings identify a distinct cognitive …

Additive Manufacturing Of Ti-Ni Based Ternary Shape Memory Alloys, Yitao Chen, Frank Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal additive manufacturing has become a powerful tool to develop customized metal alloys and to discover more advanced properties for novel extended applications. Ti-Ni based shape memory alloy is a group of intriguing smart functional materials, and adding a small amount of a third element can promote and induce more attractive functions. Due to the difficulty in traditional processing and the unique feature of material flexibility of in-situ alloying in additive manufacturing processes, not only Ti-Ni binary shape memory alloys but also Ti-Ni-X ternary shape memory alloys can be developed, manufactured, and investigated in-depth by additive manufacturing. This paper provides …

Time-Correlated Photons From Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion (Spdc), Aaron Dubois , ‘26, Tanvir Islam , ‘26, Prashan Thapa Magar , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Time-correlated photons can be used to demonstrate emerging technical applications such as ghost imaging, and they can demonstrate quantum-based phenomena in order to interest undergraduate students in engineering applications involving optics and quantum mechanics. In this work, we use spontaneous parametric down-conversion to generate time-correlated photons. To achieve this, we simulated laboratory parameters with MATLAB and designed optical and electrical setups. Specifically, we used a 405 nm diode laser, various common optical components, and a nonlinear crystal designed to generate time-correlated photons, and we used single-photon detectors, time-to-amplitude converters, custom flash-conversion analog-to-digital converters, a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller, and the Arduino …

Soil Erosion In The Crum Woods: Testing And Mitigation, Andrew Narain , ‘26, Sabina Karabin , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This project aimed to determine the optimal erosion mitigation method for a specific site in the Crum Woods in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Inexpensive and bench-scale laboratory testing protocol was designed to measure the efficiency of retaining walls and of planting native grasses against a baseline, using rainfall simulations over a smaller version of the site slope. Erosion mitigation was measured through increased water infiltration through soil and decreased sediment runoff. It was found that the retaining wall increased infiltration of water into the soil from 2% (control) to 14.7% (retaining wall), but was outperformed by the plant infiltration of 27.5%. While …

Near-Wall Void Distribution Characterization In Pebble Bed Reactor Using Gamma-Ray Ct And Dem Simulation, Ahmed Jasim, Mauricio Maestri, Abdullah Al Zubaidi, Omar Farid, Muthanna Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate characterization of void-fraction distributions in pebble-bed reactors (PBRs) is essential for predicting flow, heat transfer, and neutronic behavior. High-fidelity experimental benchmark data for validating such predictions remain scarce, largely due to the challenges of non-invasive measurements. In this study, gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) was employed to measure radial and cross-sectional porosity in a laboratory-scale pebble bed containing 6cm graphite pebbles. A Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation was implemented and validated against these measurements, then applied to the full-scale geometry of the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor. Analyses included radial and axial void-fraction profiles in the cylindrical section and conical …

Corrigendum To “Advanced Techniques In Quartz Wafer Precision Processing: Stealth Dicing Based On Filament-Induced Laser Machining” [Opt. Laser Technol. 171 (2024) 110474] (Optics And Laser Technology (2024) 171, (S0030399223013671), (10.1016/J.Optlastec.2023.110474)), Yun Wang, Yutang Dai, Farhan Mumtaz, Kaiyan Luo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The authors regret, that the affiliation for author Yun Wang was incomplete. To accurately reflect both the author's academic affiliation and the research platform where the work was conducted. The correct affiliation for Yun Wang is updated as above. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

A Low-Noise And High-Gain Integrated Photoplethysmography Sensor For Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring, Neethu Mohan

Dissertations

Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensing is an important technology used for measuring health parameters like, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure (BP). The PPG sensing is used for individuals who have to periodically monitor their health due to chronic health conditions. The basic requirements of a wearable PPG sensor include non-invasiveness, prolonged battery life, and being userfriendly. These type of sensors have great demand in the healthcare applications and there is a significant rise in the demand of these sensors. The basic objective of these PPG sensors is to make the continuous vital health monitoring easier without the …

Comparative Analysis Of Traffic Impact Study Accuracy Using Turning Movement Volume Counts., Kathryn Riopel

Master of Engineering Theses

Traffic forecasting and modeling has been a significant subject of debate within the transportation sector as of the last decade. Transportation agencies and planners use traffic forecasting and modeling in order to predict current and future transportation needs, as well as the impacts of proposed developments. In particular, state departments of transportation (DOTs) and city level agencies often require developers to conduct Traffic Impact Studies (TISes) in order to gauge necessary transport network enhancements to handle new demand from proposed developments. The standards by which these TISes are conducted and judged varies widely, but primarily consists of existing traffic counts, …

From Our Stories, To Our Streets (Osos), Jennifer Lopez

Student Publications

Youth traffic safety persists as a critical planning challenge and public health concern in New Mexico, where pedestrian fatality rates consistently rank among the highest in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, Governors Highway Safety Association, GHSA, 2023; Baca, 2025). Students (children), due to their daily interactions with roadways, whether when they walk, bike, ride transit, or drive/get driven to and from school, are among the most vulnerable groups within the transportation system (Ferenchak, N. Wesley, M., 2017. For many students in Albuquerque, the commute to or from school is one of the most dangerous parts of …

A Software-Defined Radio Testbed For Mimo-Ofdm Communications, Chaz G. Maschman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, we implement a testbed for multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems via GNU Radio. Specifically, we implement a configurable framework for the construction of MIMO-OFDM software-defined radio (SDR) systems as a GNU Radio module. The GNU Radio MIMO-OFDM module consists of multiple algorithmic blocks necessary for implementation of a MIMO-OFDM system. This includes a library for the generation of orthogonal or pseudo-random pilot sequences, amendments to the Schmidl-Cox protocol for MIMO synchronization, and the creation of click-and-drag GNU Radio blocks implementing the conversion of arbitrary data sent via external programs to MIMO-OFDM frames, the initial …

Cavitation-Aware Design Of Hydrofoil Sections For Marine Propeller Blade Development, Samuel G. Bacon

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cavitation is a major design constraint for marine propeller blade sections because it can reduce hydrodynamic performance, increase vibration and noise, and contribute to surface damage. This thesis develops and applies an exploratory computational framework for cavitation-aware hydrofoil-section design relevant to marine propeller blade development. The framework combines section-level CFD validation, CST-based geometry parameterization, pressure-based pre-screening, matched-load comparison, and focused predicted inception envelope or cavitation-bucket analysis.

The CFD methodology was validated against published YS-920 hydrofoil water-tunnel data using selected fully wetted, near-inception, and cavitating reference cases. The validation results showed that the adopted framework reproduced the key experimental trends needed …

Ultra-High Vacuum Outgassing Characterization Of Thermally Processed Low-Carbon Steel For Advanced Particle Accelerator And Gravitational Wave Detector Applications, Aiman H. Al-Allaq

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigated AISI 1020 low-carbon steel as an alternative vacuum chamber material to conventional stainless steel for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and extreme-high vacuum (XHV) applications. After a 400 °C/48 h bake, AISI 1020 tube chambers achieved a hydrogen outgassing rate of 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁶ Torr·L·s⁻¹·cm⁻², approximately 2,300 times lower than the prebaked 316L stainless-steel comparator, among the lowest hydrogen outgassing rates ever reported for an uncoated metallic vacuum chamber. Bare and magnetite-coated AISI 1020 chambers were then compared using throughput and rate-of-rise methods. The magnetite coating yielded 5× lower water outgassing at room temperature, but this advantage disappeared after …

Antimicrobial Performance Of Amorphous Vs. Crystalline La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskites, S. M. Au Shohag, Fahmida Akhter, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Md. Wasikur Rahman, Mohammed Jasim Uddin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Perovskite materials, with their unique crystal structure and chemical properties, are emerging as promising antimicrobial agents for potential biomedical applications. In this research, different weight percentages of Sr2 + doped amorphous and crystalline Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3 defined as LSCO) (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15) perovskite was synthesized by using a simple combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) ensures the uniform morphology of the materials. During antimicrobial study using the Kirby Bauer method, amorphous LSCO showed much better activity than crystalline LSCO against Escherichia coli, Vibrio …

How Do Social Network Models Compare To All-To-All Models For Forecasting Tuberculosis Epidemics? A Mathematical Modeling Study, Masabho Peter Milali, Hae-Young Kim, George Corliss, Anna Bershteyn

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background. Mathematical models guide tuberculosis (TB) target-setting, yet most assume homogeneous “all-to-all” mixing. We compared projected intervention impacts between an all-to-all compartmental model and a Barabási–Albert (BA) scale‑free social network model under otherwise identical disease assumptions.

Methods. We calibrated transmission parameters so both models produced similar baseline trends, then introduced vaccination (coverage 30–70%; efficacy 80–95%) and treatment (20–50% increases in recovery) after a 400‑day burn‑in. Outcomes were assessed 300 days post‑intervention.

Results. Under 60% coverage, increasing vaccine efficacy from 80% to 95% yielded smaller projected reductions in active TB with the network model than with all‑to‑all mixing. Treatment improvements showed …

Aiw26s: Machine Learning Of Structured Data, Moumita Saha

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This workshop introduces the fundamentals of machine learning for structured data, focusing on tabular datasets and real-world applications. Participants explore key concepts such as data types, data preprocessing, feature engineering, and supervised learning methods. The session covers commonly used models, including linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, and neural networks, along with evaluation metrics such as RMSE, accuracy, and confusion matrices. By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained a practical understanding of how to build, interpret, and evaluate machine learning models for structured data.

Natural Convection Of Cuo-Water Nanofluid Flow Along A Vertical Plate With Variable Thermophysical Properties And Discrete Heat Sources, Nepal Roy, Ioan Pop, Rama Subba Reddy Gorla

Faculty Publications

Effects of discrete heat sources along a vertical plate are of practical importance due their occurrence in electronic devices. For growing demand of electronic appliances and their advancement, cooling processes of them must be improved. As usual fluids have limited heat transfer, nanofluids made by dispersing nanoparticles into them are utilized to enhance thermal performance. However, flow characteristics and heat transfer of a nanofluid for discrete heat sources along a vertical plate need to be explored. For this reason, this study analyzes the natural convective heat transfer and flow behaviors of CuO-water nanofluid induced by discrete heat sources along a …

Radiation Protection Factor Research: The Keystone For Conventional-Nuclear Integration (Cni), Andrew W. Decker

Faculty Publications

This article briefly describes Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) vehicle Radiation Protection Factor (RPF) research and explains its critical role in enabling future Operations in a Nuclear Environment (ONE) and Conventional-Nuclear Integration (CNI) on behalf of the US Department of War (DoW).1 As such, the background and practical utility of RPF values is discussed, as well as the justification for renewed Army and DoW investment into RPF research to enhance Joint military planning, survivability, and lethality on tomorrow’s nuclear battlefields. Advances in DTRA RPF research directly strengthen US strategic and extended deterrence efforts and support all Agencies and Departments responsible …

Embedded Plate Connection Between Hollow-Core Slabs And Concrete Walls, Kal A. Jackman, Benjamin Z. Dymond, Brock D. Hedegaard

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Currently, hollow-core slabs are connected to walls using dowel or welded connections. The existing research on these connections is minimal, and their design capacity is limited. This research project investigated a new slab-to-wall end-bearing connection assembly that consisted of a steel plate and stud embedded in a hollow-core slab void. The capacity of the connection assembly embedded in a hollow-core slab was established by directly loading the assembly until steel or concrete failure. Results indicated that the connection assembly had conservative failure loads compared with predicted values for load applied in various directions. Slab-to-wall subassembly testing was conducted on hollow-core …

Assessment Of Thickness-Dependent Recombination Mechanisms And Realistic Performance Limits In Csbi₃I₁₀ Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells, Samiul Sadek, Ayan Saha, Jegadesan Subbiah, Mohammad Tariqul Islam, Mohammad Junaebur Rashid, Mohammad Aminul Islam, Gufran Umar Alam Shaikh, Wan Zulhafizhazuan Bin Wan Jusoh, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan, Mohd Adib Ibrahim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer a promising, environmentally sustainable alternative to their lead-based counterparts, yet their performance is often constrained by charge transport and recombination limitations. This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation into the thickness-dependent performance of lead-free bismuth-based PSCs employing CsBi₃I₁₀ as the absorber layer. Through systematic variation of the absorber, electron transport layer (ETL), and hole transport layer (HTL) thicknesses within a planar FTO/TiO₂/CsBi₃I₁₀/Spiro-OMeTAD/Ag architecture modeled using SCAPS-1D, an optimal absorber thickness range of 0.5–1.0 µm is identified. Under idealized conditions, a peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.62% is predicted, primarily to illustrate thickness-dependent trends. …

Development, Performance Analysis And Application Of Polymer Inclusion Membranes: A Critical Review, Shayan Abrishami, Mahsa Golmohammadi, Matthew Myers, Masoumeh Zargar, Antonia Pérez De Los Ríos, Francisco José Hernández-Fernández, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Polymer Inclusion Membranes (PIMs) have emerged as sustainable separation platforms that integrate carrier-mediated selectivity within stable polymeric matrices, eliminating drawbacks of conventional solvent extraction such as solvent loss and emulsion formation. This review examines the fundamental principles, recent developments, and performance characteristics of PIMs, emphasizing design, fabrication, and operational optimization. The three essential components, base polymers, plasticizers, and carriers are systematically analysed alongside their synergistic effects on membrane stability, selectivity, and transport efficiency. Emerging materials including ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents as dual-function plasticizers/carriers receive particular attention. Preparation methods are critically evaluated, including solution casting, phase inversion, and thermal …

Evaluating Human Rod Photoreceptor Function Using Pixelwise Intensity-Based Optoretinography, Gao Yang, Mina Gaffney, Robert F. Cooper

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: More than 50 inherited retinal diseases are known, with rod photoreceptor functional loss serving as an early indicator in nearly half of them. The “optoretinogram” is a relatively new assay that detects optical changes in cells in response to stimuli. This tool has excellent potential for providing insights into the earliest functional changes of rod photoreceptors, with the potential to assist in the early detection, monitoring, and treatment of retinal diseases.

Methods: In this work, we obtained intensity-based optoretinograms (iORGs) from rod photoreceptors using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope. We explore the necessity of both individual rod identification …

Severity And Duration-Dependent Aortic Stiffening In A Rabbit Coarctation Model Identifies Constitutive Material Parameters As Promising Regional Biomarkers For Hypertension Progression, Arash Ghorbannia, Jamasp Azarnoosh, John F. Ladisa Jr.

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) alters hemodynamics and drives regional remodeling, yet the influence of severity and duration on constitutive properties is undefined. We quantified mechanical responses from CoA to identify constitutive parameters capturing stiffening across clinical severities and durations. Mild (≤ 12 mmHg), intermediate (13–20 mmHg), and severe (> 20 mmHg) CoA was created in rabbits for short, long, and prolonged durations (~ 1, 3, or 22 weeks, respectively). Stress–stretch curves from proximal and distal regions were fit with multiple constitutive models (Linear Elastic, Neo-Hookean, Yeoh, Ogden, Mooney–Rivlin, Holzapfel). Model performance was evaluated by normalized RMSE and R², with …

Development And Acceptability Of A Patient Decision Aid For People With Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: An International Mixed-Methods Study, Andrew R. Gamble, David B. Anderson, Marnee J. Mckay, Benjamin M. Davies, Sophie Macpherson, James Van Gelder, Tammy Hoffmann, Kirsten Mccaffery, Samuel X. Stevens, Carlo Ammendolia, Rohil V. Chauhan, Carl M. Zipser, Timothy F. Boerger, Lindsay A. Tetreault, Michael G. Fehlings, Elanor Dustan, Carolyn Nugent, Helen Holmgren, Andreas K. Demetriades, Justin M. Lantz, Rana Dhillon, Chris G. Maher, Joshua R. Zadro

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives To develop and user-test a patient decision aid for people diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy and who are considering surgery.

Design Mixed-methods study describing the development of a patient decision aid.

Setting A draft decision aid was developed by a multidisciplinary steering group (including study authors with degenerative cervical myelopathy, health professionals and researchers) informed by the best available evidence, authorship consensus and existing patient decision aids.

Participants Patient-participants and health professional-participants who manage people with degenerative cervical myelopathy were recruited through social media and the steering group’s research and practice network. Quantitative questionnaires were used to gather baseline …

Engineering Zinc Anodes Through Advanced Manufacturing Strategies For Next-Generation Zinc–Air Batteries, Yasir Arafat, Kareem Bakhsh, Muhammad Rizwan Azhar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Rechargeable zinc–air batteries (ZABs) are promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high energy density, intrinsic safety, and low cost. Nevertheless, commercial deployment of Zn anodes is hampered by persistent challenges like dendrite formation, deformation, passivation, corrosion, and the hydrogen evolution reaction. This review systematically highlights the critical relationship between anode morphology and electrochemical performance and discusses recent advances in advanced manufacturing strategies for Zn anodes. Additive manufacturing approaches, such as 3D printing, enable the fabrication of porous and tunable Zn electrodes with enhanced surface area and uniform ion flux distribution. Furthermore, advanced materials processing techniques like alloying, coatings, …

Enhancing Co2 Adsorption And Co2/N2 Separation Performance By Incorporating Calcium In Mil-53 (Al), Hussein Rasool Abid, Hussein Znad, Nabil Majd Alawi, Farhan Lafta Rashid, Anmar Dulaimi, Amer Alanazi, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Shaobin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Global warming is primarily driven by the rapid accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for mitigating CO₂ emissions due to their tunable porosity, large surface area, and structural flexibility. Among them, MIL-53(Al) has attracted widespread interest owing to its excellent thermal and chemical stability. Recent studies show that modifying MOFs with secondary metals can significantly enhance their CO₂ adsorption performance. In this work, a one-pot synthesis method was employed to incorporate calcium (Ca), functioning as a Lewis basic metal, into the MIL-53(Al) framework to produce a series of bimetallic materials: …