Engineering Commons^™

Judo Wearable, Alison Waugh, Natalie Masters

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Design a wearable sensor array to determine if a judo throw fulfills the requirements to win a match

On The (Im)Practicality Of Adversarial Perturbation For Image Privacy, Arezoo Rajabi, Rakesh B. Bobba, Mike Rosulek, Charles Wright, Wu-Chi Feng

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Image hosting platforms are a popular way to store and share images with family members and friends. However, such platforms typically have full access to images raising privacy concerns. These concerns are further exacerbated with the advent of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that can be trained on available images to automatically detect and recognize faces with high accuracy.

Recently, adversarial perturbations have been proposed as a potential defense against automated recognition and classification of images by CNNs. In this paper, we explore the practicality of adversarial perturbation based approaches as a privacy defense against automated face recognition. Specifically, we first …

An Investigation Of The Airborne Particulate Matter Related Health Hazards Present In Makerspaces, Justin Keller

Honors Theses

Airborne particulate matter poses several health hazards ranging from pulmonary inflammation to cardiovascular disease. Particulate matter is produced through many fabrication processes common to makerspaces, such as 3D printing and laser cutting. The danger of these particles is worsened when makerspaces are retrofitted into spaces not designed with good ventilation or safety controls, such as libraries and public schools. This thesis evaluates the relationship between makerspaces and hazardous particle generation with both continuous and motion sensor controlled ventilation, showing that the latter creates unsafe working conditions. Both observational and controlled studies were conducted in Bucknell’s Mooney Lab makerspace monitoring particle …

Agv Design, Vincent Orzel, Zachary Woodrum

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report details the design and calculation work done towards creating an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) for use in the steel and metal related industries. Steel Equipment Specialists (SES) is a major manufacturer of coil transportation vehicles for these industries. SES believes the future of coil transportation within the mills includes AGVs in some circumstances. The team was tasked with exploring the design and cost of a base model for use in future designs, since SES has not yet modeled or manufactured an AGV. This design was successful under the stress from the application in calculations, and the cost of …

Study Of Renewable Energy Penetration On A Benchmark Generation And Transmission System, Oluwaseun M. Akeyo, Aron Patrick, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Significant changes in conventional generator operation and transmission system planning will be required to accommodate increasing solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration. There is a limit to the maximum amount of solar that can be connected in a service area without the need for significant upgrades to the existing generation and transmission infrastructure. This study proposes a framework for analyzing the impact of increasing solar penetration on generation and transmission networks while considering the responses of conventional generators to changes in solar PV output power. Contrary to traditional approaches in which it is assumed that generation can always match demand, this framework …

Icdar 2021 Competition On Time-Quality Document Image Binarization, Rafael Dueire Lins, Rodrigo Barros Bernardino, Elisa Barney Smith, Ergina Kavallieratou

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ICDAR 2021 Time-Quality Binarization Competition assessed the performance of 12 new and 49 other previously published binarization algorithms for scanned document images. Four test sets of “real-world” documents with different features were used. For each test set, the top twenty algorithms in the quality of the resulting two-tone images had their average processing time presented, yielding an account of their time complexity.

Cyber-Physical Security Assessment And Resilience Of A Microgrid Testbed, Said Ahmed-Zaid, Sin Ming Loo, Andres Valdepena-Delgado, Theron Beam

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In order to identify potential weakness in communication and data in transit, a microgrid testbed is being developed at Boise State University. This testbed will be used to verify microgrid models and communication methods in an effort to increase the resiliency of these systems to cyber-attacks. If vulnerabilities are found in these communication methods, then risk mitigation techniques will be developed to address them.

A Low-Cost, Wireless, Multi-Channel Deep Brain Stimulation System For Rodents, F. N. U. Tala, Jordan Leiber, Hayden Fisher, Naga Spandana Muppaneni, Benjamin C. Johnson

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a small (43mm x 24mm x 15mm), off-the-shelf wireless neurostimulator for rodent deep brain stimulation research. Our device enables researchers to wirelessly configure stimulator settings, such as amplitude, pulse width, channel selection, and frequency, via a phone app. The system uses impedance-independent current-mode stimulation and steers current to a selected channel. In addition to monophasic and biphasic stimulation, the system also supports arbitrary waveform stimulation using pre-stored lookup tables. The system uses a configurable grounding phase to clear residual charge and a stimulation compliance monitor to ensure safe operation. The compliance monitor wirelessly reports the current during stimulation, …

Computational Studies For Extending Understanding Of Complex Droplet Breakup Mechanisms, Caroline Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Conventional methods of classifying droplet breakup are evaluated in the context of unique variation in environmental and droplet fluid conditions. Most characterization is developed for subsonic speeds and Newtonian fluids, so this study extends understanding on how these forms change to a span of applications outside these conditions. Presented examples include the impact effects on hypersonic vehicles travelling through precipitation, where even smallest of rain drops at such speeds can cause damage. Before the droplet even reaches the vehicle, it interacts with the detached bow shock that leads it. Another example of exceptional recent concern is risk of viral transmission …

Mechanical Behavior Of Bioceramic Materials: Case Study Of The Skeleton Of The Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis And The Tibia Of The Laboratory Mouse, Mus Musculus, Mahmoud Omer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

I studied two types of bioceramics: (A) the aragonite CaCO3 skeleton of the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis and (B) the hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 bones of the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. The research aimed to analyze coral deformation behavior and study dietary and estrogen depletions effects on bone strength. I compared the mechanical and structural properties of staghorn coral skeletons cleaned by chemical bleaching and biological processes. Optical microscopy and computed tomography (CT) revealed a sophisticated microstructure of non-homogenously distributed pores. Staghorn coral skeletons showed ''gracious" fracture, where the unique pore arrangements resisted catastrophic crack growth and prevented instantanous failure. Elastic moduli …

Improving Pedestrian Safety Using Video Data, Surrogate Safety Measures And Deep Learning, Shile Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The research aims to improve pedestrian safety at signalized intersections using video data, surrogate safety measures and deep learning. Machine learning (including deep learning) models are proposed for predicting pedestrians' potentially dangerous situations. On the one hand, pedestrians' red-light violations can expose the pedestrians to motorized traffic and pose potential threats to pedestrian safety. Thus, the prediction of pedestrians' crossing intention during red-light signals is carried out. The pose estimation technique is used to extract features on pedestrians' bodies. Machine learning models are used to predict pedestrians' crossing intention at intersections' red-light, with video data collected from signalized intersections. Multiple …

Atomic-Scale Simulation Of Dissipation And Adhesion During Interactions Between Mineral Surfaces, Baochi Doan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Adhesion and dissipation during surface interactions are important phenomena with wide applications in materials science, including cold-spray technology for additive manufacturing and stiction in MEMS (Mircro ElectroMechanical Systems). In planet formation theories, energy dissipation in collisions between mineral grains is important to the formation of dust-grain aggregates and planetesimals. Early contact mechanics theories such as Hertz and Johnson-Kendall-Roberts have laid theoretical foundations for understanding these phenomena. Recently, there are breakthroughs in using non-equilibrium thermodynamics methods to elucidate dissipation. For example, the Green-Kubo method can calculate transport coefficients based on the Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem, and Jarzynski equality can be used to determine …

Exergoeconomic Analysis And Optimization Of Novel Cogeneration Systems For Freshwater Production, Power And Cooling, Sattam Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Global consumption of energy and freshwater is increasing continuously due to population growth and improving living standards. The world energy consumption is anticipated to increase by around 50% by 2050 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA). There is also very limited access to freshwater and cooling in many developing countries. Therefore, developing an efficient energy system, recovering the waste heat (cogeneration system or multigeneration) to produce freshwater and cooling, and using a renewable energy source are promising solutions to meet the energy demand and to reduce environment pollution associated with fossil fuels. In this study, several novel cogeneration …

Processing Of 3d Porous Biomaterial Scaffolds To Enhance The In Vitro Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment, Zi Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Tumors contain heterogeneous cell populations within the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME supports tumor progression and development via the function of multiple cell types and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. 3D porous biomaterial scaffolds can be a type of in vitro tumor models to mimic TME ECM. Current tumor models lack structural complexity replicating tumor ECM, tunable mechanical properties, and have limited mass exchange between cells and their microenvironment. In this work, we firstly developed scaffolds with a hierarchical pore structure via the Freeze-FRESH(FF) fabrication technique that combines 3D printing and freeze-casting. Later, we studied the effect of varying processing parameters and …

Fabrication Of High-Frequency Piezoelectric Resonant Micro-Accelerometers Based On Capacitive Loading Effect, Ankesh Todi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this thesis, a high-frequency resonant accelerometer is presented. This novel sensor was designed to operate in 10's of MHz frequency range utilizing an out-of-plane capacitive mechanism for acceleration sensing. The sensor is comprised of a 2-port RF MEMS piezoelectric resonator, operating at 27MHz, and a Capacitive Mass-spring structure. One of the resonator ports is electrically connected to the variable capacitor in the mass-spring structure. The acceleration is measured utilizing a piezoelectric stiffening mechanism, where a change in the termination impedance of a piezoelectric resonant body would result in a shift in the resonance frequency of the resonator. The acceleration …

Parameter Calibration And Optimization In Smart Grid For Synchronous Generators And Converters, Seyyed Rashid Khazeiynasab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In power systems, monitoring, protection, and control are usually model based; an accurate dynamic model for either synchronous generators or power electronic converters is essential. Besides, renewable energies, smart loads, energy storage, and new market behavior add new sources of uncertainty to power systems. Therefore, planning in real-time and developing high-quality models is crucial to adapt to uncertainties. In this thesis, we propose a framework for validating and calibrating power system models using novel methods. At the first step, we developed the nonlinear sensitivity-based method to find the critical parameters. Then, we propose an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) based method …

Dynamic Analysis Of The Implementation Of The Blockchain Technology In The Supply Chain, Rehab Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Blockchain technology is a new digital technology that has been disrupting the way businesses are performing. It is a decentralized and distributed ledger that enables transactions of any form of value. As blockchain technology provides visibility, transparency, and security through the multi-agent system, the supply chain sector is one of its critical and promising applications. In a highly dynamic environment, the supply chain's efficiency needs to be measured from a blockchain perspective. As the main benefit of blockchain technology is the visibility and real-time access to data, blockchain technology's preeminent affected areas within the supply chain are the responsiveness to …

Evaluating Source Water Quality, Pretreatment, And Particulate Mass Transport In A Nanofiltration Membrane Process, Courtney Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This document details the source and occurrence of particulates in a nanofiltration (NF) process, considers the implementation of additional pretreatment to improve feedwater quality, and investigates the impact of submicron particles on membrane performance. Much of this research was performed in cooperation with the City of Boynton Beach (City) at the West Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and stemmed from particulate fouling concerns in the pretreatment and NF membrane processes. The water quality of the individual wells that supply the West WTP was evaluated to identify the source of particulates which overload the pre-filters (5-μm cartridge filters) and may contribute to …

The Effect Of Polyelectrolyte Modification Of Ultrafiltration Membranes On Fouling Resistance And Rejection Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concern, Kunal Olimattel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This research attempted to leverage the unique properties of poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) bilayer coatings to enhance antifouling and antimicrobial properties of a commercially available ultrafiltration (UF) membrane as well as the removal of PFOA and PFOS—the two CECs that most frequently represent the class of PFAS. The effects of selected water matrix components (humic acids [HA] and cations) on PFOA and PFOS removals were also investigated when using the functionalized membrane. PAH/PAA films were first deposited on the membrane using a fluidic layer by layer (LbL) technique and then crosslinked, followed by embedding of the silver …

Hotspot Cooling Performance For Confined Jet Impingement Cooling, Tanvir Ahmed Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The current trend in microelectronics is to manufacture devices with increased computational powers and reduced size. These devices with increased power densities are consequently subject to extreme thermal loads. Thermal management of these power loads is extremely challenging. The presence of the hotspots can make this challenge even more difficult. Jet impingement cooling is one of the top candidates for removing such extreme heat fluxes in microelectronics. Jet impingement cooling can achieve heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) due to its normal incident flow-field and ability to thin the local thermal boundary layer in the stagnation region. This dissertation presents the hotspot …

Remediation Of Roadway Runoff Nutrients: Querying Sources Delivery Mechanism, Efficacy Of Stormwater Best Management Practices, And Stormwater Routing Through Karst Geology, Mohammad Shokri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Stormwater road runoff is a widespread non-point source of contaminants such as nutrients, which endangers water bodies, especially in vulnerable karst areas such as Florida. While roadside vegetated filter strips (VFSs) and stormwater basins are generally accepted best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater management, uncertainties about VFS nutrient removal are reported and stormwater basins are concerned of facilitating contaminant transport. In this dissertation, the application and efficacy of engineered infiltration media was tested as a subgrade for the enhanced nutrient removal from roadway runoff. Results of field-scale laboratory testing indicated that a VFS with engineered biosorption activated media (BAM) outperformed …

Ultraviolet Solar Blind Ga2o3-Based Photodetectors, Isa Hatipoglu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Detection within the deep ultraviolet (DUV) region (˜200-280 nm) offers unique fundamental advantages to probe certain optical traces. Therefore, many applications have emerged including flame and missile detection, and non-line of sight and space-to-space communication. Ga2O3 has become a natural choice for DUV detection owing to its intrinsic ultra-wide optical bandgap (˜4.85 eV), extrinsic n-type dopability, and excellent chemical and physical stability. However, Ga2O3 has no viable p-type doping to date, and fabricated photodetectors show only partial coverage of the entire solar-blind region (˜200-245nm). Furthermore, there is a limited understanding of how various growth parameters for ß-Ga2O3 and its alloys …

Integrated Optimization And Learning Methods Of Predictive And Prescriptive Analytics, Mehmet Kolcu

Wayne State University Dissertations

A typical decision problem optimizes one or more objectives subject to a set of constraints on its decision variables. Most real-world decision problems contain uncertain parameters. The exponential growth of data availability, ease of accessibility in computational power, and more efficient optimization techniques have paved the way for machine learning tools to effectively predict these uncertain parameters. Traditional machine learning models measure the quality of predictions based on the closeness between true and predicted values and ignore decision problems involving uncertain parameters for which predicted values are treated as the true values.Standard approaches passing point estimates of machine learning models …

Process-Structure Relationship In The Directed Energy Deposition Of Cobalt-Chromium Alloy (Stellite 21) Coatings, Ziyad M. Smoqi, Joshua Toddy, Harold (Scott) Halliday, Jeffrey E. Shield, Prahalada K. Rao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this work, we accomplished the crack-free directed energy deposition (DED) of a multi-layer Cobalt- Chromium alloy coating (Stellite 21) on Inconel 718 substrate. Stellite alloys are used as coating materials given their resistance to wear, corrosion, and high temperature. The main challenge in DED of Stellite coatings is the proclivity for crack formation during printing. The objective of this work is to characterize the effect of the input energy density and localized laser-based preheating on the characteristics of the deposited coating, namely, crack formation, microstructural evolution, dilution of the coating composition due to diffusion of iron and nickel from …

Engineering Thermodynamics - A Graphical Approach, Israel Urieli

OHIO Open Faculty Textbooks

This open educational resource is intended to be a totally self-contained learning resource in Engineering Thermodynamics. It is designed to be suitable for a two course sequence for Mechanical Engineering majors. It may, however, be used in any format and for any purpose, including self-study. The various unique pedagogical features of this web resource are discussed in Paper AC 2010-47 (see additional files below), presented at the 2010 ASEE Annual Conference (refer also to the OU Video).

It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license and as such is freely available. Comments and constructive criticism are …

Predicting The Geometrical Disassembly Feasibility Of Mechanical Assemblies In Design Phase, Header Alrufaifi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Disassembly of products has gained more and more attention due to the economic, environmental, and social benefits and the contribution to the protection of natural resources [1]. Where, disassembly is the first and usually the most critical and challenging process in most recovery processes (i.e. remanufacturing, reuse, maintenance, and recycling processes) which are essential reverse flows in circular economy systems. As policies, regulations, products, and systems move towards and strive for a circular economy, it is increasingly vital that disassembly analysis, models, and methods are feasible during development and manufacturing life-cycle stages. However, checking disassembly feasibility is considered a critical …

Quantifying Shape Of Star-Like Objects Using Shape Curves And A New Compactness Measure, Gopal K. Mulukutla, Emese Hadnagy, Matthew Fearon, Edward Garboczi

All Materials

Shape is an important indicator of the physical and chemical behavior of natural and engineered particulate materials (e.g., sediment, sand, rock, volcanic ash). It directly or indirectly affects numerous microscopic and macroscopic geologic, environmental and engineering processes. Due to the complex, highly irregular shapes found in particulate materials, there is a perennial need for quantitative shape descriptions. We developed a new characterization method (shape curve analysis) and a new quantitative measure (compactness, not the topological mathematical definition) by applying a fundamental principle that the geometric anisotropy of an object is a unique signature of its internal spatial distribution …

Strategies For Implementing Internet Of Things Devices In Manufacturing Environments, Todd Efrain Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been exploited as a threat vector for cyberattacks in manufacturing environments. Manufacturing industry leaders are concerned with cyberattacks because of the associated costs of damages and lost production for their organizations. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies electrical controls engineers use to implement secure IoT devices in manufacturing environments. The study participants were eight electrical controls engineers working in three separate manufacturing facilities located in the Midwest region of the United States. The data were collected by semistructured interviews and 15 organizational documents. …

Augmented Reality Headset Facilitates Exposure For Surgical Stabilization Of Rib Fractures, T. Sensing, Pratik Parikh, Claire Hardman, Thomas Wischgoll, Sadan Suneesh Menon

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Recent advances in augmented reality (AR) technology have made it more accessible, portable, and powerful. AR headsets differentiate themselves from virtual reality in that they allow the wearer an unobstructed view of the “real world” but with an image superimposed upon it. The technology has many potential applications in medicine, including surgical planning, simulation, and medical education. The aim of this project was to provide proof of concept that using an AR headset during surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is feasible. We theorized that the use of AR could allow for more precise localization of fractures, allowing for smaller …

Pathways To Coastal Resiliency: The Adaptive Gradients Framework, Elisabeth M. Hamin, Pamela K. Judge

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

Current and future climate-related coastal impacts such as catastrophic and repetitive flooding, hurricane intensity, and sea level rise necessitate a new approach to developing and managing coastal infrastructure. Traditional “hard” or “grey” engineering solutions are proving both expensive and inflexible in the face of a rapidly changing coastal environment. Hybrid solutions that incorporate natural, nature-based, structural, and non-structural features may better achieve a broad set of goals such as ecological enhancement, long-term adaptation, and social benefits, but broad consideration and uptake of these approaches has been slow. One barrier to the widespread implementation of hybrid solutions is the lack of …