Engineering Commons^™

Soft Sensing Of Biological Oxygen Demand In Industrial Wastewater Using Machine Learning Models, Muhammad Hassnain, Sarada M.W. Lee, Muhammad Rizwan Azhar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Traditional methods for determining biological oxygen demand (BOD) from industrial water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are time-consuming and often impractical for real-time process control. This study explores the application of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) models for the prediction of final effluent BOD (F-BOD) based on physicochemical and operational parameters by leveraging nineteen years of historical laboratory and instrumentation data from the WRRF of an essential oil manufacturing plant. The predictions from these models are then used to simulate the process dynamics, assessing the optimal operational boundary conditions for all input parameters at which the target (F-BOD) falls …

Laboratory Investigation Of High-Temperature Preformed Particle Gels For Fluid Control In Granite Cores For Geothermal Applications, K. Caleb Darko, Yanbo Liu, Thomas P. Schuman, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

To understand the applicability of high-temperature preformed particle gel (HT-PPG) for control of short-circuiting in enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs), core flooding experiments were conducted on fractured granite cores under varying fracture widths, gel particle sizes and swelling ratios. Key parameters such as injection pressure, water breakthrough pressure, and residual resistance factor were measured to evaluate HT-PPG performance. The gel exhibited strong injectability, entering granite fractures at pressure gradients as low as 0.656 MPa/m; HT-PPG yields a superior sealing performance by significantly reducing the permeability; and dehydration occurs during HT-PPG propagation, with a dehydration ratio ranging from 4.71% to 11.36%. This …

Stochastic Modeling Of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Through Extreme Dust Conditions In Underground Mines Using Vector Parabolic Approach, Emmanuel Atta Antwi, Samuel Frimpong, Muhammad Azeem Raza, Sanjay Madria

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Post-disaster underground (UG) mine environments are characterized by complex and rapidly changing conditions, adding extra attenuation to propagating electromagnetic (EM) waves. One such complex condition is the extreme generation of dust and sudden rise in humidity contributing to extra attenuation effects to propagating waves, especially under varying airborne humidity and dust levels. The existing wave propagation prediction models, especially those that factor in the effect of dust particles, are deterministic in nature, limiting their ability to account for uncertainties, especially during emergency conditions. In this work, the vector parabolic equation (VPE) model is modified to include dust attenuation effects. Using …

Machine Learning Classification Of Eeg Responses To Pain-Related Vs Non-Pain-Related Stimulus In Preterm Infants, Lojain Hamwi, Hang Du, Sara Jasim, Xiaogang Wang, Vibhuti Shah, Carol Cheng, Lorenzo Fabrizi, Maria Fitzgerald, Judith Meek, Nicole Racine, Ian Stedman, Rebecca Pillai Riddell

Michigan Tech Publications

INTRODUCTION: Unmanaged pain in preterm infants can lead to long-term developmental consequences. Current pain assessment methods lack specificity, resulting in possible pain mismanagement in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This study explores the application of machine learning (ML) to differentiate between pain-related and non-pain-related cortical activity in preterm infants. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of ML models in distinguishing cortical EEG activity during a painful procedure in preterm infants across different postmenstrual ages (PMAs). METHODS: This observational study was conducted from June 2015 to May 2024 at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and University College London Hospital, United Kingdom. …

Torque-Speed Characteristic Estimation Based On Gaussian Processes And Adaptive Sampling Strategy For Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines, Marcelo D. Silva, Pedram Asef, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Rosemary E. Alden, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Internal Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (IPMs) are widely used and typically optimized to meet specific performance requirements. Parameters such as base speed, maximum torque, and maximum speed commonly define the torque- speed characteristic of a given design. This study introduces a novel machine learning approach for statistically estimating the torque-speed characteristics of IPMs using Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), which models predictions as random variables. By leveraging uncertainty quantification, the study explores sampling strategies that enable the construction of a high-precision meta-model with minimal error and uncertainty. The proposed adaptive sampling strategy, combined with GPR, accurately estimates torque-speed characteristics and associated …

Degradation Minimization Of Utility-Scale Li-Ion Bess Through Operational Optimization Employing An Equivalent Circuit Model, Kwabena A. Kyeremeh, Grant M. Fischer, Donovin D. Lewis, Aron Patrick, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

The increasing deployment of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) necessitates effective strategies for supporting grid services while minimizing degradation that may compromise system longevity. High charge/discharge rates (C-rate) and imbalanced operation of multi-unit BESS configurations may accelerate degradation. This paper proposes a degradation-aware operational optimization based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) for coordinating multiple BESS units under physical and operational constraints. The multi-objective optimization model imposes penalties on C-rate magnitude, operational state-of-charge (SoC) disparity, and battery internal resistance modeled using an equivalent circuit model. A case study conducted for a fleet of BESS units over a one-week load profile …

Impact Of Ionizable Lipid Variation On The Immunogenicity Of Lipid Nanoparticles, Chloe M. Krueger, Abbey L. Stokes, Shilpi Agrawl, Christopher E. Nelson

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a leading nonviral delivery system for nucleic acid therapeutics due to their scalability and efficiency. However, certain formulations may trigger undesired immune responses. This study aimed to assess the inflammatory potential of LNPs formulated with different ionizable lipids using a murine macrophage reporter cell line (RAW-IRCs). RAW-IRCs express GFP upon successful mRNA delivery and mRFP1 upon activation of inflammatory pathways. A library of LNPs was synthesized via vortex mixing and characterized for hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index, and encapsulation efficiency. Treated RAW-IRCs were analyzed by flow cytometry to evaluate GFP and mRFP1 expression. Our results highlight seven …

Evaluating Machine-Learning Models For Drone-Based Image Analysis Of Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics, Katharine Mcdaniel, Pragati Toppo

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Previous work from our group utilized drone-based images and a novel machine learning classification model to quickly and accurately quantify spatial variability in eelgrass in Morro Bay. In this SURP project we aim to develop and evaluate quantifiable estimates of the model’s prediction uncertainty. Our model produces a binary labeling indicating the presence or absence of eelgrass at each pixel. However, internally the model produces a probabilistic output indicating the likelihood of detection at each pixel that we propose to use to produce uncertainty estimates and a confidence interval for the cumulative extent of eelgrass detected. This would allow for …

Design Of Ballistic Armor Using Multi-Composite Sandwich Structures With Nanomaterial Additives, Carmen Alaichamy

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This study explores the bulletproof capabilities of Kevlar composites fabricated using advanced additive manufacturing techniques. Continuous fiber reinforced 3D printing (CFRP) is employed to produce Kevlar-reinforced polymer matrix composites (PMCs) with optimized structural configurations for ballistic protection. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact resistance of these composites against 9mm projectiles through systematic experimental testing. A series of ballistics tests are conducted using a high-velocity gas-gun system to fire 9mm projectiles at varying speeds angles. The tests will be conducted at the San Luis Obispo Range, with projectiles fired at various angles. The effects of fiber volume fraction, reinforcement …

Investigation Of Its-Cvo Technologies, Mallory Brown, Andrew Martin, Valerie Keathley-Helil, Jennifer Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Staff shortages and reduced budgets have made transportation agencies increasingly reliant on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for commercial motor (CMV) vehicle enforcement activities. Technologies such as license plate readers, US Department of Transportation (USDOT) number readers, weigh-in-motion scales, static scales, and preclearance systems like PrePass and Drivewyze help automate enforcement and free up personnel to focus on inspecting those vehicles most likely to pose compliance and/or safety risks. To document adoption rates of different technologies, researchers surveyed transportation agencies, vendors, and law enforcement agencies. Surveys responses provided useful insights into how jurisdictions are approaching the use of advanced technologies to …

Air Traffic–Collegiate Training Initiative Program Feasibility In Kentucky, Gayle Marks, Bryan Gibson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Each day, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control specialists (ATCSs) handle over 44,000 flights and oversee 29 million square miles of the United States National Airspace System. However, staffing shortages have grown more acute over the past 10 years, which has led to delayed and cancelled flights, a higher number of close misses over a short period of time, and frustrating air travel experiences. While the FAA has redoubled its efforts to recruit more ATCSs, it has limited training capacity. To expand training options available to prospective ATCSs, the FAA is working with postsecondary educational institutions to expand its …

Learn To Fly: Enabling Deep Learning Based Perception And Control In Aerial Robotics, Krishna Muvva

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly deployed in dynamic, GPS degraded, and cluttered environments, yet their autonomy remains fundamentally constrained by limitations in onboard perception and real-time control. This dissertation addresses these challenges by proposing a unified framework that co-designs deep learning-based perception and model-based control, organized around three core thrusts: Learn to Track, Learn to Localize, and Learn to Evade.

Learn to Track develops dynamic and adaptive perception control mechanisms that optimize CNN inference for target tracking. A control-aware CNN framework dynamically adjusts inference frequency based on UAV motion, reducing latency while maintaining visual lock. An adaptive CNN with …

The Effect Of Fascicular Elastin On The Mechanical And Functional Properties Of Healthy, Damaged, And Healing Tendon, Shawn Pavey

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Mechanical properties of tendon are highly influenced by structural protein composition and microscopic sub-structures. Within the largest subunit of tendon, the fascicle, the role of the elastin protein remains understudied despite impressive extensibility and fatigue resistance of its resulting elastic fibers. While previous work catalogued contributions of fascicular elastin across tendon type and species, the anticipated effects of elastin in fatigue and healing have not yet been explored. While previous knockout mouse models showed that disruption of elastic fibers led to altered mechanical properties (e.g., increased linear modulus), these models depended on heterozygous elastin deficiency or indirect knockout of proteins …

Mems 4110: Arduino-Controlled Precise Water Distribution System, Jack M. Williams, Joe Sieracki, Nina Woodward

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Christina Youngepeter is a Graduate Student of Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis. She is studying an ancient plant that fell out of use after 1400 CE, whose ideal watering conditions are lost to time. To better characterize the plant, Christina is running an experiment to determine the ideal watering conditions for plant development. This involves watering sets of the plant with different volumes of water twice a day. The different volumes of water received by the groups of plants are 933 mL, 833 mL, 733 mL, 617 mL, 517 mL, and 417 mL. The acceptable percent error in …

Mems 4110: Trash-E (Terrain-Adaptive Remote Autonomous Sanitation Hauling Engineer), Jackson R. Weisbard, Raza Rabbani, Dhruv Goel, Kj Kernan

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The TRASH-E (Terrain-Adaptive Remote Autonomous Sanitation Hauling Engineer) project was created to compete in the 2025 ASME Student Design Challenge. For 2025, the ASME SDC asked for the development of a remotecontrolled robot that could collect and deposit trash from receptacles placed around a miniature city. The robot had to adhere to specific size and weight constraints, as well as obey traffic laws in the same manner as a real driver operating a motor vehicle.

Mems 4110: Air Hockey Table Physics Education Exhibit, Olaoluwa J. Adeniji, Salomon Dessalines, Gyvnn Mendenhall

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This project centers on creating an educational air-hockey exhibit designed for use in a science museum. The goal of the device is to transform a familiar game into a hands-on demonstration of basic physics and engineering concepts such as motion, momentum, energy transfer, and impact forces. Through discussions with our customer, Professor Potter, we established that the exhibit must balance two priorities: it must be fun and intuitive for visitors of all ages, and it must provide meaningful real-time feedback that helps users understand the science behind the experience.

Mems 4110: Asme Waste Collection Challenge, Leslie Alfaro, Cathy Zhao, Bari Diamond, Obike Anwisye

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

For this project, our goal was to design and build a remote-controlled wastecollection robot that could pick up trash bins and deliver their contents to a dumpsite while staying within the strict rules of the ASME challenge. The robot had to fit inside a 50 cm cube, drive through six-inch lanes, follow traffic rules, and be fully controlled by a six-channel RC controller. These constraints shaped almost every decision we made throughout the design process.

Mems 4110: Improving Restaurant Efficiency: Automatic Egg Peeler, Shanice Isimbi Mutabazi, Kyle Bryant Okui, Max Ari Siefert, Lani Fancesca Espinel

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Neon Greens is a salad restaurant in St. Louis, MO that focuses on serving fresh, locally sourced ingredients. One of their signature menu items includes soft and hard-boiled eggs, which are used in large quantities every day. Currently, these eggs are peeled by hand, which can be slow, inconsistent, and difficult to keep up with during busy hours. Because of this, Neon Greens needs a faster and more reliable way to peel eggs without increasing labor. Our project aims to design a device that can peel eggs automatically, reduce prep time, and stay safe and easy to clean in a …

Mems 4110: The Egg Peeler, Susanna Yeh, Jessica Arnold, Peter Nesin, Finn Mcnamee

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The purpose of this project is to assist the customer Neon Greens in accelerating their food preparation time by designing an egg peeler device. To have a better understanding of the customer needs and expectations, the design team participated in an interview with Neon Greens to address their vision and desires for this device. For the semester-long project, the team underwent various prototype stages, including the proof of concept, the initial prototype, and the final prototype. Our final design consists of a hopper that holds a batch of eggs on top and drops two eggs at a time, one on …

Mems 4110: Science Museum Bernoulli's Demo, Emma Sloan, Carter Hahnfeldt, Luke Mccann

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This report outlines the design and prototyping process of the Science Museum Bernoulli’s Demo (SMBD), a capstone project for MEMS 4110 Senior Design Project at Washington University in St. Louis. The SMBD is a fun game for a children’s science museum designed to demonstrate how the exit velocity of water from a pipe changes based on the pipe diameter. The design intends to teach kids about Bernoulli’s principle by allowing them to choose from two different sized pipes to spray water at a target. The key aspect of the game is that the water flows more slowly out of the …

Csc36000 - Modern Distributed Computing Assignment, Saptarashmi Bandyopadhyay

Open Educational Resources

This assignment covers standard performance metrics for Distributed Systems and the basics of Multiprocessing for CSC36000 - Modern Distributed Computing at the City College of New York CUNY. It is an interactive coding assignment intended to be executed in a Python notebook.

Mems 4110: Precise Water Distribution System, Morelia R. Reyes-Perez, Jp Torack, Jakob Ayala

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This project focuses on designing and prototyping an automatic precise watering system to support plant research conducted in the Washington University greenhouse. The customer, graduate student Christina Youngpeter, needs a reliable method for delivering accurately measured water volumes to individual plants as part of a study on hydration effects. Manual watering can be time consuming, our system will provide a programmable, repeatable, and low maintenance solution.

Mems 4110: Interactive Racecar Dynamics Exhibit, Leonardo Gomes, Hunter Rocker, Joseph Norris, Jack Coode

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Visitors at science museums often struggle to understand how launch speed, lane choice, and banked-curve dynamics influence a car’s trajectory. Existing educational exhibits rarely provide repeatable measurements or clear physics demonstrations. This project addresses that gap by creating an interactive racecar dynamics exhibit with a controlled launcher, 3D-printed banked track geometry, and optical timing gates. The goal is to give users measurable feedback on velocity, lane behavior, and motion through a 31° banked turn while maintaining safety, durability, and fast reset time for continuous hands-on learning.

Mems 4110: Soft Boiled Egg Peeler, Nina Fischer, Ruth Mellin, Jack Salamon, Malaya Hill

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This report outlines the design and evaluation of a hard-boiled egg–peeling device developed for the Saint Louis restaurant Neon Greens. The restaurant prepares an average of 150 soft-boiled eggs daily for dishes such as the Protein Salad. They requested a device able to autonomously peel 150 eggs per hour with minimal employee involvement.

Mems 4110: Rapid Drink Chiller, Aidan F. Moriarty, John Babineau, Levi Gingerich, Quinn Close

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The purpose of this document is to outline the purpose and function of the rapid drink chiller device. This device is designed to replace traditional portable drink cooling methods, such as traditional styrofoam coolers, fridges, etc. Traditional methods require the transport and inclusion of ice, and require overly long cooling times, with the exception traditional fridges which are non-portable. The rapid drink chiller is designed to be light and compact in order to maximize transportability, accomplished via an all foam insulation construction around a waterproof box. The box is filled with a water-ethanol solution which is cooled to extremely low …

Mems 4110: Precise Water Distribution System, Fadhimah Mohamed, Duyen Nguyen, Citlalli Sanchez-Ayala

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Greenhouse research requires precise, repeatable watering to maintain consistent experimental conditions. As plant counts scale to 150–360 pots, manual watering becomes inefficient, inconsistent. This project aims to design an automated irrigation system that reliably delivers controlled water volumes to an initial set of 36 pots, operates under greenhouse conditions with minimal user intervention, and provides a scalable foundation for future expansion.

Mems 4110: Egg Peeler Group L1, Brian Hau, Alex Kenn Lee, Aisha Bah, Shanaelle Nabatmama

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Neon Greens is a quick-serve salad concept located in St. Louis, MO. Part hydroponic farm and
part restaurant, they focus on growing a majority of their greens in-house, and emphasize
transparency in food systems.
In recent months, they added a ‘Protein Caesar’ salad to the menu. That salad features two
‘jammy’ boiled eggs which are cut in half. Staff at Neon Greens steam eggs precisely in their
Combi oven and shock them to stop the cooking process. They then peel those eggs by hand.
On some days, they must process >100 eggs, which can take up to 1.5 hours of …

Mems 4110: Remotely Deployed Banner, Amiel Josiah Mari B. Silbol, Maxwell A. Fargo, Brant M. Weir, Elias Barro

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This project works in tangent with the Design, Build, Fly club at Washington University in St. Louis as one of the specific challenges required for the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' national competition. A banner must be stowed, deployed, and released during flight and must not interfere with the existing flight mechanics of the remote control aircraft.

Mems 4110: Egg Project, Rebecca Leighann Boone, Courtney Davis, Bebel Trani

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Peeling hard-boiled eggs by hand is a time-consuming and tedious task that often results in dimples and cracks in the final product. Many chefs and home cooks have tried techniques, from boiling the eggs in baking soda to slipping off egg shells using a spoon, to perfect the peeling process. However, these attempts often fall short by either altering the taste of the egg or extending the amount of time and labor. In the restaurant business, having employees peel eggs for long periods of time is costly. The local St. Louis salad restaurant, Neon Greens, is selling a new protein-dense …

Mems 4110: Dbf Deployable Banner, Julia Peppe, Danny Bruns, Sarah Donner, Michael Safier

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Create a device that stores a banner in an RC aircraft that can be remotely deployed to be towed and released upon command.