Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Automated 3d Scanning Strategies For Large-Scale Polishing Applications, Casey Egan

Open Access Master's Theses

In automated scanning for industrial refinishing applications, large workpieces often exceed the reach of a single robot base position, and may require the environment to be scanned from multiple locations and stitched to a common reference frame. This thesis compares two robotic scanning workflows for such an object: a full scan that reconstructs the object from a single robot base position, and a segmented scan occurring across multiple simulated robot base positions that are stitched together through fiducial-based localization. The results from both workflows are compared for measurement accuracy of the object's bounding box against known dimensions, position of the …

Recycling Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate For Asphalt Modification: A Comprehensive Review On Material Properties, Processing Techniques, And Engineering Applications, Ruizhe Huang, Feng Ma, Ke Shi, Zhen Fu, Jenny Liu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a thermoplastic polyester widely used in beverage bottles and packaging materials, accounting for approximately 60% of global plastic production. Due to its non-biodegradable nature, the accumulation of waste PET has posed a serious environmental challenge worldwide. In recent years, the recycling of PET for use in road engineering has been considered an effective approach to promote resource circulation and reduce plastic pollution. This paper first reviews the main recycling methods of PET, including mechanical shredding and chemical depolymerization, and analyzes its molecular structure, thermal properties, and reprocessing adaptability. Two typical engineering application paths are then evaluated: …

Wideband Acoustic Immittance: Suitable Quantities For Assessing Middle-Ear Status, Kren Monrad Nørgaard, Jingxin Jessica Feng, Susan E. Voss

Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the physical significance of ear-canal wave quantities—such as absorbance—that are commonly measured in wideband-acoustic-immittance tests and evaluates whether these quantities uniquely characterize middle-ear function. This is explored using simulations of lumped-element and transmission-line ear canals, along with measurements in three-dimensional-printed uniform and anatomical ear canals of varying geometry, terminated by the same middle-ear simulator. The results demonstrate the following points: (1) Wave quantities computed using estimated or geometrical cross-sectional areas do not uniquely characterize the middle ear because they describe the wave interaction between ear canal and middle ear and are therefore confounded by variations in ear-canal …

Security-Oriented Voice Authentication Using Machine Learning, Ifeoluwa Stella Elegbe

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study develops and evaluates a machine learning and deep learning-based voice authentication system for secure identity verification. As traditional authentication methods such as passwords, PINs, and security tokens continue to face challenges, including identity theft, forgetting, and unauthorized access, voice biometrics offers a more secure, convenient, and user-friendly alternative, especially for remote, hands-free, and accessibility-focused applications. The study adopts a closed-set speaker identification framework, where the system determines the most likely speaker from a predefined group of enrolled users. A structured methodology is implemented, beginning with audio preprocessing and feature extraction. Key acoustic features, including Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs), …

Pafex: Compiler-Based Floating-Point Exception Detection For Gpu Kernels With Papispecific Software-Defined Events, Samin Islam, Shirley V. Moore, Christoph Q. Lauter

Graduate Student Papers (CS)

As high-performance computing becomes progressively heterogeneous, the dependence upon vendor specific tools for numerical correctness has become an impediment to portability. Although modern GPUs comply with the IEEE 754 standard, the lack of practical native hardware support to raise and handle exceptions (special values like ±∞ or NaN) is a well-known architectural limitation. To embed portable numerical correctness across heterogeneous systems, we propose an architecture agnostic prototype based on LLVM-compiler infrastructure. This framework detects floating-point exceptions in GPU kernels at the Intermediate Representation (IR) level, instrumenting both device code and host code, strictly complying with the 2019 IEEE 754 standard. …

Anaerobic Digestion Of Variable, Heterogeneous Organic Wastes Under Changing Operational Conditions And Bioaugmentation: Impacts On Process Performance And Microbiome Dynamics, Victoria Holliday

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Expanding the adoption of anaerobic digestion (AD) is limited by system instabilities caused by feedstock composition and variability. Understanding how changes in feedstock and operational parameters influence microbiome dynamics is essential for developing biology-driven strategies to improve digester stability.

Two semi-continuous reactors, an experimental and a control, operated over 39 weeks across five phases with varying feedstocks and organic loading rates. Substrate-specific enrichment cultures were developed for bioaugmentation and implemented in select phases to assess its impact. Both reactors exhibited similar performance, transitioning through periods of stability, stress, and recovery in response to operational changes. Corresponding shifts in dominant taxa …

Proposed Design Approach Of Bolted Cruciform Stiffened End-Plate Connections And Bolted Circular Flange Plate Connections Under Combined Loading For Enhanced Economy And Performance, Cesar E. Aguirre

Civil Engineering Dissertations

This research will deliver a substantive contribution to the advancement of design practice for bolted circular flange connections and cruciform stiffened end-plate connections — critically evaluating existing approaches, identifying their limitations, and proposing evidence-based design frameworks that enhance structural performance, predictability, and safety across relevant engineering applications.In addition provide economical benefits.

The Lie Group Basis Of Neuronal Membrane Architecture: Why The Hodgkin–Huxley Equations Take Their Form, Robert Melendy, Daniel Blue

Faculty Publications - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The Hodgkin–Huxley equations have successfully described neuronal excitability for over seventy years, yet their mathematical structure remains empirically justified rather than theoretically explained. Why are gating variables bounded between 0 and 1? Why does sodium conductance depend on m³h rather than other combinations? Why does potassium depend on n⁴? Why do all rate functions contain exponential voltage dependencies? Why are the kinetics first-order? We demonstrate that these structural features arise naturally from three fundamental physical symmetries governing ion channel dynamics: the compactness of conformational state space, the scaling invariance of membrane conductance, and temporal translation invariance. …

Rm Sotheby’S Construction Of Value In The High-End Car Market, Pablo Mijares Musi

MA Theses

The purpose of my thesis is to tell and enlighten any readers how the most prestigious and iconic auction house in the world, RM Sotheby’s sells more than just cars from the high-end car market and how the auction house adds value to through storytelling and provenance from each vehicle.  In today’s luxury market economics, we see somewhat of a radical shift. The high-end car market has moved into a very refined area where these beautiful machines are no longer seen and appraised just for their aesthetic design and mechanical engineering, now we see new value drivers for these works …

Wings Of Perception: Investigating Customer Sentiments In Indian Aviation Sector, Yashodhan Karulkar, Kaiwan Vaghchhipawala, Aditya Trivedi, Anushree Talekar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

India's aviation sector, a key contributor to the nation's economy, has experienced rapid growth, supporting nearly 7.5 million jobs and contributing approximately $30 billion annually to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The growth, driven by increased demand for air travel and government incentives, has resulted in more competition among carriers. In the competitive market, it is necessary to understand customer preferences to enhance the quality of service and maintain a competitive edge. The dissemination of customer opinions on social media and review platforms offers airlines the opportunity to access passenger views. However, extracting useful information from this unstructured data is …

Business Process Redesign For Reducing Undelivered Product Return Losses In E-Commerce – An Explainable Ai Approach, Venkataraghavan Krishnaswamy, Deepa R, Himanshu Sharma

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Product returns in e-commerce affect the profitability of the e-tailer. We adopt a two-stage approach to reduce undelivered product returns in an e-commerce firm. First, we develop and compare machine learning techniques—logistic regression, decision trees, Naïve Bayes, random forest, adaptive boosting, gradient boosting, stochastic gradient boosting, and deep neural networks—on their ability to predict undelivered returns. Next, we use explainable methods, such as relative importance and Shapley values, to develop insights from the best-performing machine learning model. Finally, we use these insights and the predictive model to redesign the firm’s order fulfillment and return processes. A Post-implementation evaluation of the …

Metabolic Reprogramming Following Mitochondrial Transfer Between Idh2-Mutant Chondrosarcoma Cells And A Normal B-Cell Line, Caleb Wyckoff, Christopher Osgood, Ellen Jing, Michael Stacey

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Chondrosarcoma, glioblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and cholangiocarcinoma cancers all contain mutations in the gene isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). The mutant IDH2 enzyme metabolizes alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) into the potent oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) in the mitochondria of these cancers, leading to altered cellular metabolism. Emerging evidence suggests that mitochondrial transfer between cancer and recipient cells represents an important form of intercellular communication that may influence cellular metabolism. The presence of intercellular TNTs between IDH2-mutant chondrosarcoma cells motivated an investigation into mitochondria-associated physiological changes occurring during an intercellular exchange with immune cells. A mitochondrial transfer is a two-way …

Determining The Electric Field In A 10 Ns Pulsed Plasma In Fuel-Air Mixtures Using Efish, Md Ziaur Rahman, Christopher J. Kliewer, Brian D. Patterson, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Transient plasma ignition (TPI) utilizes non-equilibrium plasmas, produced by nanosecond high-voltage pulses, to improve lean-fuel combustion performance and reduce emission. It is known that the relatively high reduced electric field (E/N) in TPI plays an important role in generating energetic electrons and facilitating energy-efficient radical productions, resulting in reliable ignition for lean combustion. Determining the reduced electric field in the discharge is hence important for the understanding of the TPI process and ultimately allowing for the control of the plasma chemistry. This study reports spatiotemporally resolved measurements of the electric field (E) in a 10 ns pulsed plasma that is …

Establishment And Histopathological Characterization Of A Kyse-30 Subcutaneous Xenograft Model Of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Pavel A. Solopov, Alayna Enos, Mantas Silkunas, Giedre Silkuniene, Eleni Zivla, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and limited treatment options, highlighting the need for reliable preclinical models for translational research. Although xenograft models are widely used in cancer biology, systematic characterization of subcutaneous ESCC models under defined implantation conditions remains limited. The objective of this study was to systematically compare implantation conditions and define histopathological and growth-related parameters that enable reproducible tumor establishment while maintaining a practical experimental window for therapeutic studies. Methods: We established and characterized a subcutaneous ESCC xenograft model using human ESCC cell line KYSE-30 implanted into immunodeficient J:NU mice. …

Ammonia Synthesis By Nanosecond Pulsed Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jets Impinging On Water, Zach Caudell, Lynnet Rich, Olga Pakhomova, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Developing energy-efficient technologies for carbon-neutral ammonia (NH₃) synthesis is critical for decentralized fertilizer production and global decarbonization. This study investigates generating NH₃ from water using a nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet (ns‑APPJ) operating in either N₂ or dry air. The plasma jet reactor employed approximately 250 ns, up-to-22 kV pulses at 500 Hz to sustain a nonequilibrium discharge impinging directly on static liquid water. The kinetics, energy efficiency, and product selectivity of NH3 formation were quantified as functions of the pulse voltage, repetition frequency (PRF), and gas flow rate. NH₃ production increased linearly with treatment time and scaled strongly …

Combination Therapy With Hsp90 Inhibitors And Nanopulse Stimulation Synergistically Impedes Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Breast Cancer Growth In Mice, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Gagan Thangjam, Brittany P. Lassiter, Teresa Hooker, Ruben M. L. Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas, Stephen J. Beebe

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanopulse Stimulation (NPS) represents a promising and innovative therapeutic approach to cancer. Heat shock protein 90 Inhibitors (HI), on the other hand, are currently under investigation in multi-drug chemotherapy trials for various types of malignancies. Here we present results of a combination therapy employing two HSP90 inhibitors (AUY-922 or 17-AAG) and NPS to ablate cancer growth. We firstly tested the inhibitors alone or in combination with NPS in vitro in N1S1 cells, and then into two models of orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and 4T1-Luc breast cancer. NPS + HI reduced tumor growth more than the sum of HI and NPS …

Scalar Source Localization Using Multi-Sensor Domains Of Dependence In Turbulent Channel Fow, Zejian You, Xiaowei Zhu, Qi Wang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tracking hazardous events such as wildfire smoke, coastal oil spills, or chemical releases in natural environments is complicated by turbulent dispersion and molecular diffusion. This study presents a method to localize pollutant sources rapidly and accurately using infinite time-averaged measurements from a multi-sensor network, leveraging the duality between mean forward and adjoint scalar fields. The forward-adjoint duality states that measurements at the sensor (forward feld) are equal to the adjoint field at the source, providing crucial spatial information about the source. Consequently, the adjoint scalar fields can be interpreted as the domain of dependence for the sensor observations [1, 2]. …

Construction Industry Preparedness For Generation Z And Millennials: Aligning Industry Characteristics With Workforce Job Preferences, Ameenullah Amiri, Dhaval R. Gajjar, Jason D. Lucas

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry in the United States suffers from workforce shortages, partly due to younger generations being hired more slowly than baby boomers retire. Generation Z’s (Gen Z) lack of interest in joining the construction industry, coupled with the retirement of older workers, has amplified the problem. This paper investigates existing literature to identify the work and career preferences of Gen Z and Millennials and determine where the industry may focus efforts to attract these two generations. Through a systematic literature review, this study identified overlaps and gaps between the current construction industry workforce’s perceptions of the industry and the …

Anonymized Survey Dataset On Road Safety Assessment During Construction Of Bus Rapid Transit (Brt) Corridors In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Lorain Salufu

Open Data

This dataset contains anonymized survey responses collected for a study on road safety assessment during construction of the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Phase 3 corridor. The dataset includes responses from 400 participants, together with the survey. The data were collected to assess perceived safety conditions, adequacy of construction-phase safety measures, effectiveness of traffic diversions, and the effects of construction activities on road users and nearby communities. No personally identifiable information is included in the shared files.

Structured Laser Vision-Based Measurement Of Gta-Weld Pool, Gang Zhang, Jianbo Wang, Yu Shi, Ding Fan, Yuming Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The current study of weld pool fluid dynamics in arc welding focuses on the numerical model establishment and simulation, and the x-ray combined with particle trace imaging observations, there is no real-time monitor and quantitatively characterize the weld pool flow behavior in welding process for controlling the weld quality. This study develops an innovative structured laser vision-based sensing system for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and quantitative analysis of weld pool surface topographies in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Through characterization of dynamic weld pool morphologies, two novel parameters are proposed: the surface convexity variation rate (R_h) and fluid …

Detecting And Repairing Conflicting Constraints In Co-Trained Physics-Informed Neural Networks For Composite Curing Processes, Cooper J. Evans

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Composite materials have become a critical component of modern manufacturing, especially in the automotive and aerospace industries. The curing process for these composites has been modeled using a variety of partial differential equations representing the heat transfer and composite curing kinetics. Optimizing the applied temperature profile is critical for maximizing the efficiency and capacity of composite part manufacturers. Constraints must be placed on the inputs and outputs of the model, including but not limited to, the applied temperature profile, part temperature, and final degree of cure. Conflicting sets of constraints are easy to unknowingly impose due to the highly coupled …

Torque-Based Detection And Isolation Of Bucket-Specific Load Variations In A Continuous Bucket Ladder Excavator, Mason R. Krause

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Understanding how cutter geometry, material, and operating conditions influence excavation performance is critical for the design of lunar surface systems operating in regolith environments. This work presents a torque-based methodology for detecting and quantifying bucket-specific load variations in a continuous bucket ladder excavator. A nine-bucket excavator was constructed to record drivetrain torque while operating in a regolith simulant over multi-day test periods. Each bucket featured a unique combination of cutting edge material and geometry. A method was developed to separate the continuous torque data into individual excavation events, enabling identification of individual bucket interactions. Analysis of the resulting event-based dataset …

On The Influence Of Faraday Waves On Transport In Resonant Acoustic Mixing, Preston David Silverstein

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) uses low frequency high acceleration oscillatory forcing to combine fluids, particles, and powders. Although progress has been in adjacent RAM fields, there are still gaps in understanding how Faraday surface instabilities affect momentum transport to the bulk fluid and particles therein. This work investigates the energy pathways that an oscillatory mixer has and connects surface deformation to bulk rotational flow and particle forcing. This study is conducted in three phases. In phase 1, a thermodynamic first- and second-law analysis couples the surface features with the scale of subsurface rotational features. Experimental surface measurements showed that for …

Organisational Digital Maturity Assessment Tool, Rahat Ullah, Ted Mckenna, Joe Harrington, Michal Otreba, Adhban Farea, Sean Carroll

Tools

The Organisational Digital Maturity Assessment Tool helps organisations evaluate their current digital capabilities and identify priorities for improvement. The Excel-based self-assessment tool examines key areas of organisational digital maturity, including people, processes and culture; technology; and policy and governance. It provides structured assessment questions and visual reporting to help organisations understand their current maturity, consider their desired future position and identify areas requiring further development. The tool supports organisations planning their digital transformation and the implementation of information management and BIM processes, including those aligned with ISO 19650 and the Irish BIM mandate.

Experimental Investigation Of Subcritical Neutron And Gamma Noise Methods At The Seven Percent Critical Experiment (7upcx), Cole Kostelac, Jesson Hutchinson, George Mckenzie, Robert Weldon, Nicholas Whitman, Ayodeji Babatunde Alajo

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

As part of a collaborative international effort organized by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), with key participants from L'Institut de radioprotection et de s ˆuret´e nucl´eaire (IRSN), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), a series of high-multiplication subcritical neutron and gamma noise measurements were planned and executed. The primary aim of this research was to advance detector technology, assess the validity of gamma noise for subcriticality measurements, and nuclear criticality safety, focusing on collecting list-mode or time-series data from various reactor configurations with multiplication values ranging from 20 to 310. This comprehensive dataset enabled a detailed …

Evaluation Of Two-Group Iate Coupling With Pbe For Beyond Bubbly Flows In A Large Diameter Pipe, Sungje Hong, Joshua P. Schlegel, Subash L. Sharma

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study evaluates the two-group interfacial area transport equation (2G IATE) coupled with the S-Gamma (Sγ) population balance equation (PBE) model for beyond bubbly flow regimes in a vertical large-diameter pipe. The 2G IATE framework incorporates intergroup mass transfer mechanisms and is implemented within the Sγ model, which assumes a log-normal bubble size distribution. The numerical approach is validated against experimental data from Schlegel et al. (2012), with a focus on the void fraction and interfacial area concentration (IAC) distributions. The results show that 2G IATE improves the predictions of the void fraction and IAC, although its accuracy varies with …

Impact Of Bubble-Induced Turbulence On Two-Phase Flow Dynamics At High Void Fraction In A Large Diameter Channel, Sungje Hong, Joshua P. Schlegel, Subash L. Sharma

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study represents the first investigation into the influence of bubble-induced turbulence (BIT) on interfacial area transport mechanisms in gas–liquid two-phase flows under conditions of high void fraction and high velocity in a large diameter channel. Given the unique characteristics of bubble flow in larger channels, the turbulent effects induced by bubbles differ from those observed in smaller channels. However, limited research exists regarding the impact of BIT beyond bubbly flows in large-diameter channels. To address this gap, two approaches for implementing the BIT model are explored: a direct method and an indirect method. This paper assesses both the general …

Effectiveness Of Talcum Powder In Reducing Swelling Potential And Enhancing Strength Of Expansive Soil, Hesham E. Eleraky, Ashraf K. Nazir, Wasiem R. Azzam, Mohamed A. Sakr

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Expansive soils are clayey soils that undergo large volume changes as a result of moisture content variations. These soils have the potential to make foundations and other structures unstable and require costly repairs. This study examined the impact of adding talcum powder as a new stabilizing component to the matrix of an expansive soil in order to enhance the swelling pressure, Atterberg limits, modified Proctor, unconfined compressive strength at different periods of curing, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were all used in a series of laboratory tests to examine how adding talcum powder to expansive soil affected the soil's …

Multi-Objective Hydro-Thermal Optimization Of Spiral Conformal Cooling Channels Using A Kriging-Cfd Framework, Soroush Masoudi, Barun K. Das, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study presents a surrogate-based computational framework for the thermo-hydraulic optimization of spiral conformal cooling channels (CCCs) used in injection moulding applications. Sixteen design configurations were generated using Latin Hypercube Sampling and evaluated through CFD simulations to determine cooling time and pressure drop. Based on the simulation data, a Universal Kriging surrogate model was developed to describe the nonlinear relationships between channel diameter, helix pitch, channel-to-surface distance, and the resulting thermo-fluid performance. The predictive capability of the surrogate model was evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation. The model showed excellent agreement for pressure drop prediction (R² ≈ 0.99) and good predictive accuracy …

A Universal Hybrid Model-Free Deep Quantum–Transfer Learning Controller Enhanced By Grey Wolf Optimization For Dc–Dc Boost Converters With Hardware-In-Loop Validation, Seyyed Morteza Ghamari, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper proposes a universal hybrid model-free quantum–transfer learning controller with enhanced online grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO–QTL) for DC–DC boost converter. This system has the characteristics of non-minimum phase behavior, parasitic effects, and fractional-order dynamics because of high frequency operation. These characteristics make analytical modeling complicated and make it difficult to have a single traditional controller that will operate reliably over different converter types. This motivates the creation of a unified model-free control framework that is able to learn directly from the behavior of the converter without relying on the topology specific models. Reinforcement learning, where an agent interacts …